DS read Inferno and part of Purgatorio. Took a few weeks. He discussed it in a book club with two really nice leaders. I think they took a few weeks only--no more than 1 month.

I am so sorry! I think it's time to train the 4yo to respect the 8yo. This could really affect their relationship for ever. My parents always made my relationship with my younger siblings my responsibility. Basically I had to put up with anything they did because I was older--even when I was in college! I always heard: She's your little sister. I hope I am not crossing a boundary if I give you this advice, and I don't mean anything bad by it. But I am very bitter about it. Anyway, I would suggest making it quite clear to both of them that the 4yo annoying the 8yo will be considered bad behavior, and give the 4yo a consequence (like a 15 timeout, or 1 h away from 8yo). 8yo should be instructed not to hit. If 8yo hits, then 8yo gets consequence. Here is something that will make everything better: 8yo should have a place where 4yo is not allowed (a bed, a room, a basement, a play room, etc.) If 4yo starts annoying 8yo, 8yo has the option to go into his own space where 4yo can't go. It feels bad if you can't get away, and it can feel very frustrating. So, here's my plan: 1. make own space for 8yo. 2. 4yo annoys, 4yo gets consequence = time away from 8yo 3. 8yo hits, 8yo gets consequence. 4. 4yo annoys, 8yo gets adult or goes to his own space! I really hope this helps!!! I feel for your 8yo. Give him a big hug because you know he didn't mean to hurt the little one. (He didn't know there was a toy in the pocket.)

What to do with beef broth? Eat it, of course.

I hope you found a good solution! :grouphug:

I would cancel the camp. And treat my kids to something nice to make up for any disappointment. Maybe something easy, like lots of ice cream, or movies, or a new toy each. I would shamelessly make it up to them with fun or material belongings. But I would not send them to that camp! The thought of bedbugs in my house sends me into OCD nightmares. (Except bedbugs are real, not like the cooties in my normal germophobia.)

Mention all 8 people.

Make new friends. Join a summer camp, run a camp in your own house, go to ballet lessons, join a swim team, or decide to do school year-round. The latter option definitely puts a damper on social interaction. You can always run field trips with other kids even though you do school. Limit or stop all contact. There is nothing good about this situation. Get together with your old friends. Have them over every week. Go to the movies. Have a cleaning week where your daughter is busy helping you clean. Etc.

Is Bookrags a legitimate site? Does anyone use them? What was your experience? I am about to pay the $20 a month to use it but they want personal info and a credit card, so I'd like to hear from people who have used it IRL--and let me know if you had a bad experience! :)

Good! I'm happy when things turn out well for one of us. :)

Whoo hoo! Today is a good day for me for this post. Done: switched the laundry once moved a piece of furniture cleaned the front lobby floor vacuumed the front door mats (emptied the front door vacuum too) dusted the family room cleaned the laundry room floor took out the garbage and the recycling cleaned the upstairs sink wiped the upstairs toilet fixed lunch cleaned half a floor upstairs (will make DS clean the other half-ha!) made 2 beds opened 1 curtain & 1 blind (I have to count this because I am trying to convince DS that it is actually a chore that one has to do every day, not an unnecessary frivolity). changed 2 blown out light bulbs To do: Empty DS closets Throw out unnecessary clothes (or give them to the dogs) Clean DS closets Make DS put his good clothes into his closets Make DS finish his schoolwork Empty ONE box from the basement, and find appropriate places for its contents Declutter the tops of the shelves in the schoolroom -- THIS IS A DREADED TASK Wipe the top of the shelves in the schoolroom -- this is my prize for decluttering--if I get it done! :) Happy day, Hive!

Thank you for the posts so far! Has anyone used it? Was it worth the $20 per month? Cliffs Notes, Sparks Notes, and Shmoop (I know, embarrasing) usually works for us but there are some books which are not covered on those sites. Thanks in advance for any further responses!

I just found Bookrags, where they give you summaries, homework help, etc. It's a sort of Cliffs Notes site but you pay for it. Has anyone had any experience with this? Are they legitimate? I just want to make sure it is not a "cheating" website for students. (I have heard of those but never actually seen one or looked for one.) It costs $20 per month and since I never heard of them I also want to make sure that it is a legitimate site in terms of customers (as in, giving them my credit card number). Any information would be much appreciated--thanks in advance!

I think bringing your baby home to meet his family is the right thing to do. I would do the same thing. The baby will know his family and feel loved and cared for. Your other children will be blessed by knowing their baby brother. God bless you and your children. I will pray for you.

The long-sleeve Scout shirts we bought were made of a weird material, almost like swimsuit material--they were some fancy tech fabric. They actually were airy and super light. They wicked the sweat and dried quickly. They were kind of like those fisherman shirts you can get, except they didn't have the webbing. I think they were adult sizes, which DS could wear. No one else had them. I can totally understand wanting short sleeves. I would wear short sleeves all the time if I could!

When DS was in scouts I bought him two long-sleeve shirts. They had just come out at the time. They were some soft, quick-drying material. I got them at the Scout Store and they had the label and the flag and everything. But they might have discontinued those because they were expensive and not many people were buying them.

I am so sorry! :grouphug:

Why do I always say yes to things I know will not turn out well? And why do I keep doing it every single time although I know exactly what will happen? ---- I just vacuumed this room. but the dog hair makes it look like an absolute pigsty--it's been about 2 days since it was spotless. ---- Why can't I lose weight without giving up yummy food? Why do I like ice cream more than I like fitting into pretty clothes? ---- Why can't anyone ever refill the soap or toilet paper? I've been leaving them both unfilled to see what happens. The guys ACTUALLY SEE that it is empty AND GO USE ANOTHER BATHROOM THAT IS STOCKED!!! ---- Why can't spiders just catch bugs without being seen? I would love them so much. I hate mosquitoes and flies, so I am grateful that the spiders catch them and eat them, but I don't want spiders on display everywhere? Why can't they just hide in places I'll never clean? ---- The shoes. Always a mess in the entrance. The mats always upside down. ----- A mat chewed by the dogs every two months. ---- OK, done for now!

Was he alone when he went in the store? Or were you with him and they wouldn't sell it to you because they knew it was for him? I don't know any laws, but I think it's harmless if all the kids are good kids and everyone wears head protection, neck protection, and eye protection. So I would suggest they always wear a jacket that has a high collar, jeans, baseball cap, and goggles. (Although I know a guy who will just play in t-shirt and shorts--if his mom lets him, I guess it's OK.)

Tapestry of Grace recommends a book list. I looked at it a couple weeks ago and I remember a lot of material was Ancient India. Maybe look at their book list?

We are (were) in the same boat. I was going to skip Biology altogether, as no one in my house is interested in it. (I used to love it when young, though, but no longer.) DS wants to study Math or Science. The Math and Science departments are in the Humanities and Science Departments at the universities he is interested in. At least one Humanities and Science Department REQUIRES that a student take Biology during high school. I don't really understand why. They don't require chemistry or physics or anything else. (They require 3 natural sciences, but they only require biology-- so you could take any science for your other 2.) So we are stuck taking it anyway. I would say take at least one year, then you have not closed any doors on yourself.

I didn't mean in terms of fairness (I wish I had). I meant in terms of experience and knowledge kind of thing. But someone posted that some teachers are unpaid interns and that some are still in college, so that's how they can afford it. No reason why it wouldn't be a good class, though. Some people with PhDs can't teach, and some kids in high school are great teachers. I am rooting that this program is good and real in spite of the strangeness. Please keep us posted, Harari moms!

Wait--do you actually drive people around who invite themselves to your home, pay for their/your food and your gas, and for their/your tickets? If you drive them, they could give you gas money or treat you to the ticket place or pay for meals. Not being snarky--but why wouldn't you tell them where the nearest car rental agency is, and ATMs so they can take themselves to places?

DS recently started paying video games again, so when I heard the Minecraft connection, I asked DS and read some Wikipedia. Apparently, the Minecraft connection is that the Minecraft author put a character called Enderman, based on Slender Man, into the game. He is an enemy, but just a video game enemy. DS says Enderman is not in the version he has. (DS has the cheapy version of Minecraft. His friends have the expensive version that has Enderman in it.) But DS said it is just an enemy in the video game. It doesn't do anything other than what a sheep or something would do. So this character is not related to the real world at all, and it doesn't sound like it tries to influence kids, at least not in Minecraft. So, moms of Minecraft people should probably not worry that there is inappropriate stuff going on. I am still perplexed: I don't know where Slender Man would try to influence kids--can it just have been they were reading stuff online???? I am thinking I agree with previous posters, and the girls were just horrid kids with possibly horrid lives, and they decided to do something terrible and blame an external entity. Kind of like: Satan made me do it. But maybe they have mental illness? Or a history of abuse?

She will be fine...the first sign that she is smart and together is that she contacted you. When I was her age I would never have called my parents to even talk to or help. I would muddle through on my own, even though I had issues and things didn't always turn out great. I think it's great that she contacted you. You could give her support and guidance if she calls--or call her? Do suggest she skip the bar. That might not end well regardless of issues. A bunch of drunk young girls attracts the wrong kind of attention. I personally think that she will pull through, figure some stuff out, and come out triumphant at the other end! :)

Hee hee. I mistakenly read "Problem with beard." :)