Jann in TX, right now, he needs to review some pre-algebra, but would otherwise be able to start with (and do well with) algebra; he's skipped around a fair bit on Khan so it's hard to get an accurate assessment. I've been tinkering around with Khan this evening and I think I'm going to assign him one of the missions to see how he does. I think it would be hard to assess where he needs to be exactly, but I am thinking a quick review of pre-algebra would be a good starting point. I don't think it would take him long to come up to speed. Thanks for all of the advice and especially the various programs - I'm going to look into each of them see what might be a good fit. I appreciate the input!

My 15yo ds has always eschewed math, convinced that he's "not good" at it. However, he's got an impressive understanding of science in general and now realizes that he wants to go into engineering...which means he's finally committed to doing the math. We've tried many programs, but never stuck to any one thing. I know now that that was a big mistake, so I'm trying to rectify it as best I can. I realize he's behind the eight ball right now, so I want to make sure any gaps are filled in and that he has a good preparation for something more rigorous later on. There doesn't seem to be an excellent way to do that, but maybe there's a good enough way for someone who is motivated? I've considered Teaching Textbooks, but I don't really believe that it will be a good fit for his future plans. I'm wondering if aleks.com would work - if it would fill in gaps, and provide a good foundation for the more intense work down the line. Or, is there something I should consider instead?

This might be true, but that's a beauty. :) More information, please, says the lady who needs a new stove (that is a stove, right?)... I'd have to do some slight remodeling to get it to fit, but I'm game.

Mind if I ask a question of those who make their own broth? I've just started doing this, but have found that I don't know a good way to store the broth after it is ready. Do you put it in freezer bags and freeze?

We bought our tree two days ago; it's up tonight but won't be decorated until tomorrow night or this weekend. It's huge! Costco trees are supposed to be 7-8', but this thing is nearly double my 5' height. My kids are o.v.e.r.j.o.y.e.d with our big tree, lol!

DS13 has been taking a middle school life science course through a local (homeschool) teacher; she's terrific teacher and he likes the other class he takes with her, but this class is really too simple for him. It's seems to be designed for the earlier ms-aged kids, I think; the other parents think I should have signed ds up for the high school class, but I was new here, and did not know. This kid loves science, and he knows plenty. He's weak on writing and, of course, we haven't done much in the way of actual bio or chem experiments. Any recommendations for a curric, or better, some books that will give some grounding in chem, phys sci, or physics, and that offer - or are easy to pair with - activities we can do at home. DH is a chemist, but he's often traveling, and although he wants to set up a chem lab at home some day, we currently have no lab equipment here. I don't mind spending some money, but any labwork needs to be done without the heavy duty stuff. Otherwise, easily at-home activities/experiments are welcome. I'm sleepy so this is probably pretty rambly, for which I apologize. :)

My dd11 is fairly tomboyish, but she loves pretty earrings (like these) (and her little earring tree - it looks like a bird bath, with a few birds on it, too), bracelets (she has a couple of favorites - a leather bracelet and a pretty Asian one), nice belts, boots (oh how she loves boots!), and nice tops. Another thing she has enjoyed lately is doing different things with her hair - I should find those wraps that allow you to style/wrap your hair in various ways; hair supply items are fun, though mostly, a good brush, some pony tail holders, and youtube seem to be serving her well. :) She doesn't usually ask for those things - in the past, she's asked for things like inline skates, a pogo stick, stilts, a nice bike, and this year, her big request is a recurve bow. A couple years ago, she asked for sewing supplies and materials to make a fringe quilt. My dd might be a little too young to appreciate a manicure or hair salon experience, but I think that could be fun, especially if she had a friend to go with her.

So, in your opinions, does the basic account maks more sense? I doubt we'd be fiddling with it very much, at least not at first. I only just joined (a custodial account for ds) - haven't deposited any money or anything like that. I'd really like to find out more about how it works before I do, kwim? Thanks for your replies!

Bumping ~ hoping the evening folks are familiar with this. Thanks!

I hope someone can help! I know that when we were shopping for insurance for the house we bought this year, we were asked by several companies if any of the dogs we had were of several breeds, or if any had been known to bite. My Great Pyr can be frighteningly fierce, but the dog I worry about the most is the little one we inherited from my MIL - she's a Lhasa Apso and she growls at everything, and has nipped - the air so far - at my cats, my other dogs, and my youngest dd. ETA: Perhaps you can contact a rescue that works with breeds known to be aggressive; I remember seeing a query from someone who had a Pit Bull about finding insurance that would allow them to keep their pet, so perhaps they might have some recommendations.

Those exist? I bet dd8 would love those - she's asked for a black pepper plant for Christmas, even! Huh.

No...but now, I'm not sure I want to try them! Where did you get them - maybe they'll be fun for dd8's stocking? (Or, you know, not.)

Someone recently suggested sharebuilder.com as a way for me to buy stocks for my son, who wants to get involved with investing. I'd love to know about any positive or negative experiences with it, if anyone here is familiar with it.

I have that little Pampered Chef spatula, and use it often - it's great! For non-stick needs, I like their small nylon turner, which I probably use even more. My other favorite PC items include their Mix N Scraper, their Microplaner Adjustable Grater - Fine, and their garlic press. I was at a PC party with a professional chef and self-described knife snob, who told us that she'd once spent over $1K for a hand-crafted Santoku knife in Japan, and who, after examining and using the PC knives at the party, told us that they were very good quality and if she needed knives, she'd order any of them - they appeared to be that good. I'm curious if anyone here has them and uses them. Big items: We love our Vitamix and use it all the time. I also have a Breville juicer and a Kitchen-Aid mixer (bought refurbished), but I don't use them often. I'm getting a Costco/Kirkland-brand 8 quart enameled dutch oven and enameled cast iron French grill for Christmas. I already use my cast iron pans nearly daily; they complement my stainless cookware from Costco very well. For non-stick cooking (like eggs), I love my Pampered chef 8" saute pan. Other than those, I use my Zojirushi rice cooker (gift from MIL), my crockpot, my Cuisinart food processor, and my electric kettle quite often. Small things: I echo the OXO vegetable peeler; we have two! I also have their can opener. Oven mitts with silicone (or neoprene?) grips (mine are by Kitchenaid, but there are several similar items out there). Stainless steel measuring cups and spoons. Pampered chef batter bowls (both sizes - classic and small) and the PC stackable cooling racks (I have 3). Glass (pyrex and snaplock) storage bowls/containers for leftovers and such. I use these glass 1-cup prep bowls all the time (snacks for the kids, cooking/prep, small item storage, etc.); I don't think mine are PC, though - maybe pyrex? I also frequently use small pinch bowls made out of silicone, like these (according to amazon, I bought them in 2008; my kids love them, too...which is why I only have one remaining, so I guess it's time to buy another set). Stainless steel mixing bowl set, cloth napkins, silicone pastry brush, and an immersion blender round out my list. :)

Up until age 2, my ds was in a normal growth pattern - had been 50th percentile through that age's well kid check-up. At age 3, he'd fallen completely off the chart. Because he also had chronic constipation (even as a baby, he'd only "go" once every 10-14 days, and it was just as you described) from an early age, he was eventually tested - around age 4 - for celiac (extensive bloodwork and endoscopy) and for Hirschsprung's Disease. Both were negative. We decided to go GF and DF for over six months anyway, and still, nothing changed. He was eventually tested for growth hormone deficiency (far beyond the initial blood tests - he had two separate stim tests as well) and failed both tests, so, for over eight years, he's been receiving growth hormone injections. His official dx was idiopathic short stature syndrome, also called pancreatic? dwarfism; at age 5, he was the size of an average 3yo, and had a projected adult height of 5'2". He is almost 14, and at 5'7", he is expected to grow another inch or two before the end of puberty - we think this is a huge improvement over 5'2"! Has your dd been tested for Turner's Syndrome?

Moving is hard for teens anyway; ds was "only" 13 when we moved across country earlier this year, but he was still very upset about it. Skype and his own cell phone, mostly for texts, helped immensely during those first few months until he began meeting new people and making new friends. If you and your dh feel that this is the right time, then it is what it is. Involve her when you can - we shared photos of several homes with our children, but they didn't really want to see them - but like you, I *needed* to leave CA, and sometimes, what's best for the family really does trump individual preferences. Be gentle and understanding with her, but be true to what you and dh feel is right for you.

This is similar to what we've been given by dh's company, which has moved us across country twice. The differences for us included - food allowance and incidentals at full per diem rate for dh and me while we traveled across country, and at half the pd rate for each of our children - if we had not driven across country, they would have covered full airfare for everyone in our immediate family, and airfare for up to three pets, plus a rental car for up to two weeks at our destination - we took this option for the first trip, from FL to CA; in both cases, our move package included the transport of up to three vehicles on the moving van - this last time, we were offered two house-hunting trips, though we only used one of them; we were also offered up to 90 days temporary housing/short-term rental expenses if needed, but thankfully, we closed on our house here the day before we left CA, so temp housing wasn't needed - dh received one month's salary for incidental expenses related to the move However, before he received the offer above for our most recent moved, he had asked to relocate across country, and at that point, since it wasn't necessary, they were only going to offer a flat-fee of $5K for us to use as needed; there would have been no additional assistance at all. Apparently, his company has different tiers of move packages, and they are leveled based on criteria that probably factors in how critical the position is to the division/company, and how senior the person is overall. DH works for a big company, and that seems to have made a difference on packages he was offered for these moves vs. what he has been offered by smaller companies.

Yep - a friend of mine called pyrs "coyote dogs" because they protected the livestock from all predators, including coyotes. :) On the flip side, they are such gentle creatures - mine has always been so tolerant and sweet with everyone, especially my kids. Of course, they're not as easily trainable - they're smart, but mostly solitary. If I were to tell my Golden to "come!" or "stay", he'd do it to please me, but my pyr? She'd likely look at me as if to suggest that I'd really need to offer her a more compelling reason for her to move from her shady spot beside the tree. If you've got LOTS of acreage, or if you are rural enough that a pyr can safely roam, of if you are fortunate enough to have a non-roaming pyr, then a fence might be optional. However, we live close enough to dangerous roads that my pyrs had/have to be contained or they'd go on walkabout to who knows where! My former neighbors called me recently to tell me that that since we moved, they see more deer and coyotes than they ever did before. They moved to their house about a year after we did, so it seems completely logical to me that now that my pyrs are gone, the wildlife comes around more frequently. I was also told that we'd see lots of coyotes behind our current home, but although we hear them, I've not yet seen one. I'm sure it's a combination of our perimeter fence and my pyr who monitors these things closely. :D

My son's first Nintendo DS game was Rocket Slime, which both he and dd LOVED. According to Amazon, that was nearly six years ago, but it's still available for sale - new and used - on Amazon today. When my youngest was 5 and 6, she played several of the Pokemon games along with her older siblings; she will occasionally bring out her DS to play Pokemon on it, but that's pretty rare now. They all also liked the Lego games.

Pyrs will roam, though - or at least, most have a tendency to roam - so you need a fence. We have a "pet" pyr, by which I mean that she's not an LGD (livestock guardian dog), though she's gentle *and* protective and I love her to bits. OTOH, she sheds profusely and that breed really requires consistent brushing or their double coat will matt. I've not had all of the other breeds mentioned here, but it sounds like it might be in your best interest to find a good rescue and "watch" for an adult dog which will meet your needs. That way, it's not just based on breed, but also on known temperament. (I can recommend a fantastic rescue in Kern County, CA, but making that suggestion is a rather like suggesting a little needle in a great big haystack of a country, lol.) Besides our pyr, we have a lab/husky mix who is sweet but likes to chase small creatures (she does well with our cats, but would gladly chase our chickens if she could have gotten close to 'em) and a Golden Retriever. I can't say one bad thing about that breed - now I know why they're so popular! He's the BEST dog I've ever had - came to our home and made fast buddies with our cats, is excited to meet anyone and everyone, will happily play ball all day, did very well with our chickens, and even barks ferociously when anyone approaches our fence (this is a good thing, generally - we aren't in a subdivision so I pay attention when people come near).

My dd8 is taking a class on Lego stop-motion movies; next session will be with clay. After I read Moxie's post above, I downloaded the app and she's thrilled to try it out at home. So - thanks, Moxie!

My son loved most of his playmobil toys, though the big castle wasn't a hit so much as all of the little pieces and accessories were. Mostly, my son preferred to use plain wood blocks and Kapla/Keva/Citibloc blocks to create "scenes" and then use the people, vehicles (he loved the construction/heavy equipment vehicles!), and accessories among those; I am sure the castle was never properly assembled and, if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't have bought it - the smaller sets, but plenty of them, are enough. We have our playmobil stored in a large clear plastic container - these, along with Legos and Thomas the Train, are probably among the few toys I'll save for grandchildren.

Lulia, I have had mild depression for most of my teen and adult life, but occasionally, it worsens and I need something more. For a long time, I refused to consider medication, but after reading that children of depressed parents are more likely to become depressed, I decided to see a doc for a prescription. I took Wellbutrin for over a year, and it helped immensely. Recently, I noticed that I was feeling more down than usual, so while I'm not opposed to seeing a doctor again (we've moved so my former doctor is not an option), I'm doing more to try to nip it in the bud - I open as many windows as I can each morning, I spend more time outside, I've started taking St Johns Wort, I'm trying to cut out sugar and processed foods (this is hardest for me, but I am convinced that it is key to feeling better/healthier) and add in more activity, I'm trying to get a good night's sleep, etc. If doing those things seems overwhelming, or just not worth the effort, then I want to gently but firmly encourage you to see a doctor. Your healthier, happier future self will thank you, I promise!

We are hoping to go to Universal to TWWoHP in January or February, too, and it was just a few days ago that dd11 and dd8 were talking about getting a letter to go to Hogwarts. I've subbed to all of the Hogwarts-related lists; I love the idea of bringing some if this excitement to Christmas morning. On that note, I did just buy a Platform 9 3/4 decal for dd's room (typing on ipad - I don't see where to include a link but the I bought is here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/94100745/9-34-replica-sign-vinyl-wall-decal?ref=sr_gallery_12&ga_search_query=platform+9+3%2F4&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_ref=auto3&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=platform+9+3%2F4), as well as a Hallows decal from the same seller. Nakia, are you making the Hogwarts ticket yourself, or do you have a recommendation for where to obtain one? DD11 is just a smidge younger than the age for this thread, but I'm just as stumped about what to get her as some of you are for your tween/teen girls. She'd love a bow for archery. She's asked for some vanilla-scented lotion from Bath and Body Works. And I know she'd be thrilled with boots. Maybe a pair of headphones?