1) How does one allow the first 10 pounds to stay on? Well, maybe because someone enjoys eating without counting calories, tracking fat grams or carb grams, or any other food-related busywork that was never really meant to be necessary. Maybe some people would rather eat in peace then worry about 10 measly pounds. Seriously, some people have different priorities than others. Don't get me wrong--I think health in general is an excellent priority to have, but I don't think that automatically translates into "I cannot ever gain 10 pounds." To some of us, 10 pounds is a trifle that simply doesn't affect our lives in any appreciable way even if it might affect yours. 2) If it is true that a woman over 50 would have to starve herself on 500 (or even 1000) calories a day, then count me out. Forget it. See? Priorities. For me, eating a reasonable amount of healthy and delicious food, both as sustenance and as a social activity, is far more important to me that being skinny past the age of 50. FAR more. I guess we're all different.

Just wanted to point out that 2B is not harder than 2A; it is just a different set of topics. Perhaps you could skip the topics in both 2A and 2B that he is fine with, and do the others at a quick pace, doing half the questions or maybe even less. Sorry I can't be of more detailed help, but we started MM in the fourth level.

Sorry to be responding so much to this one thread, but I wanted to share that we did exactly this for my daughter's birthday. We toured a wild bird centre that is always looking for donations of items, even stuff around people's houses. They take tissues, old blankets, dog food, etc. My dd had her friends bring some stuff to share with the injured birds, and then we did did the tour plus went elsewhere for fun party activities.

:iagree:Yes, agree with ALL of this!

:iagree:I know. What a waste--for our own pocketbooks and for the planet. It's not just the gift, either. It's also the time putzing around looking for the "right" thing, and the gas used. It's the fact that we try to make it special, but it so often isn't. It's pretty hard to get a $20 gift that is special enough for a kid who already has everything they could want or need. I remember when an extremely well-off friend of mine was moving. She had a huge storage closet full of unopened gifts that her kids had simply never used. They accumulated them fairly quickly by having 30 kids invited to each party. I would have rather handed the kid a twenty than mess around finding a gift if it's honestly not wanted or needed. All that to say, I think the donation thing is a good thing. Miss Manners may have to change with the times, because some people are feeling overwhelmed and buried beneath the responsibility of too much stuff. Even some kids are feeling it.

Aw man, I don't know... maybe around 1000? My problem is I save some in case I want to use the great information or the deal, but then it goes out of my sight and I never think of it again. And clearing it when it's this big is a job and a half. Well, you know that. ;)

I don't think there's always something negative involved. Maybe she simply derives a LOT of pleasure from eating, and therefore eats a lot.

When you said "crud", I thought maybe you were being a little mean to poor ol' mom. Then I read your list and made little gaggy noises a few times! :lol: Mushy canned squash year round really did it for me!! :tongue_smilie:

I carry about 10 extra pounds, but am still in a normal range for weight and BMI. However, I love food. I mean, I really love it. It's not even junk that I love--I really, really love healthy food, too. I crave big pans of sauteed veggies, yogurt with flaxseed, rice noodle soup, tomatoes on toast, guacamole, steak, you name it. I don't care much for sugary foods, but give me potato chips or fries and I'm a happy camper. I get a ton of pleasure out of food--real food. I tend not to buy junk or processed stuff (aside from the potato chips). Now, for some reason, I can eat a normal meal and feel hungry an hour or two later. Not a gnawing sensation in my stomach, but rather a headachy, brain-foggy type of low blood sugar feeling. My body also seems to demand more food than I think some people eat. I have an appetite, for sure. I can't "just have a salad" for supper, or I will feel sick. I can't skip meals, either. I don't think everybody's body works this way, but I bet some are like me. My body wants to eat. Quite a bit. Quite often. So, yes, I could exercise grand self-control, but then my body doesn't feel very good. I'll happily carry the 10 pounds to be able to eat without depriving myself. Just wanted to post another perspective. I don't think there's any evidence in my life (or the person discussed in the OP) that there is some kind of self-destruction going on. I think it's hard to know "why" somebody does something.

I highly recommend Dance Dance Revolution (I have it for PS2, but Wii has a version), if you're looking for fun and motivation to keep going. It's addictive, and once you get good enough to do some of the harder levels, the workout is intense. Only get it if you like a challenge, have a good sense of rhythm, and don't have two left feet, though.

Another thing to consider... I know there is controversy among teachers (and parents) in this area, but for most kids I don't believe in starting young. I teach piano, and I find the 6 yos struggle--with hand size and strength, focus, and maturity issues. I'm not saying no child should start at 6, just that I think many shouldn't. I find 7 or even 8 to be a much better starting age. Mind you, I do believe in music instruction before then, but not based on the study of a single instrument. Formally or informally, it's good for children to do rhythmic play, singing, movement, listening exercises, musical exposure, simple theory games, and so on, during their younger years. This can go a long way toward providing a firm foundation for the study of an instrument later, as well as facilitate joy in music. It is a perfectly legitimate option at age 6.

Hey, if someone wants to figure out who and where I am, drive up to Canada, break into my house, find my cash stash, and risk jail just to get my paltry couple hundred dollars... well, I am convinced that simply wouldn't happen. Also, I assume that the vast majority of houses have couple hundred dollars somewhere, but that is not really an enticing reason to break into someone's house. Too much risk for too little payoff. Criminals either want a bigger payoff (house with fine jewelry or expensive electronics) or a smaller risk job, like maybe grabbing a purse out of a car. In other words, I'm not remotely worried. I'd put the info on an actual billboard under a user name with no identifying information, without blinking.

:iagree:

I do this too. Dd just finished the section, review, and test for the multiplication unit in MM4, but we were working on the fraction section at the same time. I do it to keep her fresh in different concepts, and also to prevent that feeling of "oh no, not MORE multiplication!" We need something to break up the long haul in a single topic.

I found the first couple of paragraphs to be poorly written, but then he seemed to get into the flow. While some of his individual points may or may not be accurate, I have to say I agree with the overall thrust of the article. I am a huge believer in carefully building children's attention spans from birth. (I'm not saying that anyone causes ADHD, just that parents should do what they can to foster the development of this ability in their children.) I agree with limiting screens while brains are developing. I agree with utilizing classical methods. I like slow food, acoustic instruments, and hands-on discovery. The author may have taken a somewhat different path to that place than I did, but I think he gives much food for thought. It's not as if there's actually just ONE answer--most problems have a multitude of causes that intersect. His ideas may have merit as a piece of the puzzle, or for some people in some situations.

Thanks! My daughter was excited to read about the "different" foods that other kids like to eat. When she used to go to school, the other kids in the class would often make faces or say "yuck" to parts of dd's lunch--like granola, berries, and yogurt, or salad, or veggie sushi. It drove her crazy that you could only order cheese or pepperoni pizza for a school lunch--she would have chosen spinach and feta or hot peppers and mushroom if something like that had been available. She gets surprised looks from servers when she orders things with every possible topping, like all-dressed burgers, all the veggies on a sub, and so on. Anyway, thanks for sharing!

I did a quick google search, and I pulled up this up (exactly my experience!): http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/how-to-pronounce-bruschetta.html Every time I order bruschetta in a restaurant and pronounce it properly (brusˈket.ta) the server invariably says, "Oh, you mean the brushetta?" Then they look at me as if to say, "You poor uncultured little thing." It happened again last night. I wouldn't care how they pronounced it if they didn't correct me in that annoying way. Isn't it maddening when you pronounce something properly and someone corrects you?

:iagree: But it doesn't always work out for me. Whenever I've ordered bruschetta in a restaurant as I heard it pronounced in Italy, I'm ALWAYS "corrected" to the N. American way. They think I'm just uneducated and don't know how to say it properly. :lol:

Yes, because I am partly paid in cash. I do like having it in case of emergency, as well.

Only at a pool, beach, or very occasionally the yard. We did take a walk barefoot together around the block once after a warm sunshower, just so we could properly splash in the puddles and enjoy the sensations. But no, not generally. Too many opportunities for injuries is just one issue. I also don't like dirty feet, on myself or others. And most importantly, no one with dirty feet can come walking into my house! (I don't allow shoes on in the house, either.)

Only you know what's best for your child, but I find it to be a very strong way of teaching math. It feels a bit unusual and laborious at the beginning, but soon you will just "see" the actions and the answer in your head. I find it much stronger than straight up memorization of the facts. Here's how I teach it at first: Above the 8, draw eight little dots in two columns (so that it is obvious at first glance that, first of all, there are 8 dots, and second of all, there's a spot at the bottom for 2 more dots to make a 10). Draw a rectangle around the dots, leaving the correct amount of space for exactly 2 more dots. Now draw six dots above the 6, again in columns so yours child can see there are 6 at first glance. Make it a story. Maybe the first number is always trying to have EXACTLY ten dots in his box. The dots might be rubber bouncing balls, and the guy needs ten balls to fit the spots in his box. The second number is always polite, and offers to share some of his balls. Let your son circle the correct number of balls from the polite guy, then draw an arrow from the circled balls to the empty spots. Ask him: How many does the polite guy have left? (4) And 10 plus 4 can be done instantly in his head to come up with 14. If may feel like the long way around at first, but it should pay off. Let him use dots until it becomes easy. Later, when he's really familiar with the process, see if he can picture the dots *in his head* moving over to fill the first guy's box. He will eventually be able to also "see" how many would be left with the polite guy. If you can master this, it virtually does away with finger counting, counting up, counting down, and other inefficient ways of adding and subtracting. It can also be applied to more advanced mental math.

Oh yes, frozen peas! One of my favourites, and my daughter's as well!

My daughter (10) says this: Junk pizza homemade hamburgers Miss Vickie's salt and vinegar chips Not Junk artichokes spinach (esp. in spanokopita or on pizza) saurkraut salmon smoothies vegetarian sushi lebanese roasted veggie wraps marzipan ... and lots more, just not off the top of my head. What do your children like to eat, especially stuff that's a bit more unusual?

KISS grammar (not exactly a book, but comprehensive downloads)

Aww, so cute! And just the type of thing my dd would have done at that age. She even turned her bare toes into families to keep herself entertained on car rides. :D