I saw Breakfast Club two years ago with my then 11-year-old boy. Yes it earns the "R" rating for many reasons. The most startling was when the Judd Nelson character was hiding under the desks and suddenly puts his face right between Molly Ringwald's legs (they showed his face right next to her crotch under the table). Definitely preview it -- the language is really bad too. Creepy to think of John Hughes working with this very young cast and putting that language into the script. Julie

My son is extremely passionate about Minecraft. He even thinks he is going to Paris in November for the Minecraft convention! Um, okay. I asked him the question and he said, "Minecraft is creative." (He was homeschooled, so he knows the distinction between educational and creative.) I would agree, and the previous poster who mentioned that it improves social skills has a really good point. It is very interactive, and my child has had a lot of opportunities to practice resolving disputes and misunderstandings with his friends. The also have to cooperate. My son built a skyscraper and suggested that his friend build a restaurant to occupy the top floor of it. He also builds computers on Minecraft -- very simple ones that remind me a lot of programming in BASIC during the 1970's. He created a server, which was not easy but was very rewarding for him. But he doesn't use it anymore because he uses a different server that some older kids made. He said it is much more advanced and you can do many more things on it. I believe you can also play by yourself, but I think that gets kind of old after a while. Julie

They do have something in common. The locked threads, I mean. It isn't snark, or subject matter, or anything like that. It's not hard to figure out if you know how to use the tools of the site. Shall we count down this thread now, which will be locked in five, four, three, two......

I study the same form as Parrothead, and am VERY fortunate that it is offered at my local YMCA. My teacher is a saint. Julie

Oh, and Mitt Romney lives 3 blocks away. Word on the street is that he is continually asking people to stop smoking marijuana on the beach. Good luck with that. The NY Times wrote an article (hilarious) about how most of his neighbors turn out to be gay couples. They have welcomed him to the neighborhood. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/07/garden/mitt-romney-the-candidate-next-door.html?pagewanted=all

I live right near the seals. But only when I have to ... La Jolla is very plastic and superficial (think Malibu). Only three or four miles away, other parts of San Diego are much more real. And did you know that most of the locals are trying to run the seals out of Children's Cove, because "it was built by Ms. Scripps for the children, not the seals." Don't get me started.... I do enjoy my yoga and meditation on the beach, don't get me wrong. But I return to Alaska every chance I get for the real people with unperky breasts who read books, have gray hair, and (gasp) maybe a few wrinkles! The saddest business in La Jolla village (the part of La Jolla near the ocean as opposed to UCSD and Salk Institute and all that) is a cosmetic surgery place specifically for young people. : ( Julie

I think it's hilarious that the main reason folks on this board haven't read it is because it's poorly written. And that's actually my reason, too! That book needs an editor BADLY. Also (as implied in the video posted) I wouldn't want the stranger next to me on the plane to see what I am reading. They might assume that I was ... um, interested in some mile-high activity. Julie

Not sure whether this will be possible, but the Sawtooth National Forest and the Salmon-Challis National Forest are incredible. Google "Sawtooth Wilderness" I think for some incredible hikes. But I suspect it would not even be possible for you, because I do have friends in Salt Lake City and was not able to visit them during the time I went to the Sawtooth Mountains. Julie

The biggest culprits for me are gluten, sugar, and alcohol. Does anyone know if it's the alcohol molecule or something else that leads to the inflammatory response? In other words, is my body breaking down the alcohol into sugar and that's what is bothering my joints? Can you tell I miss my glass of red wine? :tongue_smilie: Julie

You say that your son is 7 but he is in first grade. Will he be held up to his age-mates (second graders) or his classmates? I can't imagine that first graders are expected to perform subtraction of two digit numbers. Edited to correct: Wow, shows how long it's been since my son has been a first grader. Sorry, now I realize that a 7-year-old is a first grader. My other comment still stands, though, about the appropriateness of two-digit subtraction in first grade. Please don't "get ahead" of Right Start. It will just confuse him. But the program does a lot with "fives" as part of the games you play (and by the way, do not treat the game suggestions as optional even though they are listed after the "lesson" -- the games are what makes the child an expert in mental math). So if you are saying that 40 minus 35 will be on the test (or 20 minus 15 is a better example), I think you can talk about that with your Right Start abacus. The Right Start abacus is specially colored so that the child can see groups of five without computing. So 40 minus 35 would take a child about two seconds, and 20 minus 15? He probably wouldn't even need to look at the abacus if he had already played around with fives. Good luck and have fun! Oh, and my son completed Levels B - E of right start and only "B" took over a year. But please don't skip any games! You can ask the author if you have any questions about the games. And it's best to buy the most recent editions you can find -- though since there is no date in them, I guess the only way to make sure they ARE the most recent is to purchase them new. :tongue_smilie: Julie

I have only one child and I haven't read all the replies but.... I just wanted to add another voice to the idea of putting the baby in the sling or backpack (sling is easier to transition to feeding him/her). Then you don't really have to think about whether the baby is sleeping or not. He just sleeps, wakes, feeds and is soothed by your movements as you go about your day. Do try to get up and move around from time to time -- they get restless when the rocking motion of you walking stops. Of course, they do have to come out of the sling for diaper changes (and perhaps some floor time for wiggling if school goes long). I'm not sure how familiar you are with Kindergarten at school, but there is VERY little sitting time. Even when they are writing or reading, kids are encouraged to be flopped on the floor or crouching on the floor with the paper on a chair -- all different positions. Very hard to find traditional desks in a classroom these days. I encourage you to break up the day more with exercise breaks and music or dance, that kind of thing. Just some ideas that worked for friends with large families....best of luck! My son's kindergarten at a regular school was pretty much just damage control -- keep everyone from getting injured, and that's all that really happened, LOL. There were simply too many children in the classroom. Best wishes, Julie

Well, Plainjane, you can't have it both ways. No crowds and "must sees" are two different animals. So I will address them separately. The most deserted beach I encountered in Oregon (mid-summer, too!) was Gleneden Beach State Recreation Area. It is only 7 miles south of Lincoln City, right near the super-expensive Salishan Lodge, and there is even a parking lot, and bathrooms. (Don't look at the photos on the website; I think they are trying to scare you away.) But there are beautiful state beaches every few miles. Continuing with the "no crowds" theme, I second the recommendation of a previous poster for Yachats. Beautiful area and far enough away from Newport and Lincoln that the crowds are non-existent. If the house you decide on is far away from Yachats, I highly recommend a stay at the Overleaf Lodge. Every room has an ocean view, and it is just a great hotel at an amazing price (includes a tasty and substantial breakfast). I forgot to see where you are from, but the aquarium at Newport (sorry I can't remember the name but a previous poster has mentioned it) is fine but not if you are used to the Monterey Bay Aquarium or places like that. I haven't been to the Hatfield one, but I think the hours are more limited so be sure to plan in advance. I ran into a lot of traffic at Lincoln. I mean a LOT. I got a nice long meditation practice in there. Have a great time! I will probably edit this because there is a really fabulous Best Western in Oregon and it always sells out so be sure to book in advance. It is all by itself in a town called...... hmmmm. Oh! Amazing, my 50-year-old brain came up with it. If you are traveling through Brookings, Oregon, be sure to book at the Best Western there. Julie

San Diego is where folks go to escape the heat of the summer. Stay within one mile of the coast, though. I highly recommend Legoland -- there are nice cool breezes there -- bring a sweatshirt. If you get the Lego Club magazine, you should be able to find a free admission or at least some discounts. And definitely bring swimsuit and towels because they have a GREAT waterpark there. Even Sea World has a ton of water activities so bring your swimsuit and towel (they sell a lot of towels to folks who don't know about the fun water activities in advance). We are in San Diego during the school year, which starts August 15 so if you have any other questions, let me know. There are hotels in Liberty Station which are nice (Homewood Suites) and also one right on the water called Terrace or Pacific Terrace. But the latter is in Pacific Beach, which might horrify you with all the rowdy college-age peeps carrying on. Just warning you. But it is fun to bicycle the boardwalk, either in Pacific Beach or Mission Beach (around to Mission Bay). It is difficult/unpleasant to bicycle from La Jolla because the boardwalk is not continuous. The traffic is pretty bad in the summer and the tourist attractions are crowded, but actually late summer is the best because everyone is home getting ready for the school year. So if the business trip is after Labor Day, go for it! And I also love Cabrillo National Monument, which will be one of the cooler and breezier places to go. If you stay at a Liberty Station hotel, you will be near there. Not far from downtown either. Have fun! Julie

I'm having a lot of fun with Life of Fred "Beginning Algebra." Before that, I worked through the "Pre-Algebra with Biology." I learned a heck of a lot of biology, too! The author of Life of Fred makes it all really fun. Julie

I find it interesting that it is not possible to major in education at the University of California or the California State University schools. You can minor in it, but I guess you major in whatever you are planning to teach.