I have kept a list of every book I read since I was in college. It's a nice bound notebook, and when I read a book I just write it in: I don't worry about reviews or anything that might bog me down. It's a wonderful record of what I've read when, and it keeps me motivated to beat last year's number! My whole family started doing this, and we all sort of compete (my sister wins every year. As of a few weeks ago she was at 45 books. And one of them was Finnegan's Wake! The others aren't anything to sneeze at, either). Little digression, but I think everyone should do this! It's lots of fun.

I don't have any advice, but I just wanted to say that I've seen "Get Out of My Life (But First Could You Drive Me and Cheryl to the Mall?)" at the bookstore, and it ties with "I Was A Great Mother Before I had Kids" (which I also haven't read, and don't actually even know what it's about) as the best, and most truthful, book titles ever :001_smile:

Gone With the Wind! And it's not a movie for every one, and screen it before you show it to your kids (pot jokes aplenty), but "Dick" is the funniest, um, "historical" (for lack of a better word) movie that I've ever seen. But I'm a huge politics nerd with a soft spot for fluffy teen comedies (which it really isn't... you have to have seen "All the Presidents Men" to really appreciate the true brilliance.)

Maybe a weird and unhelpful question, but: have you had her hearing checked? Her phonetics are a bit off in some places, which is what made me think of that.

I think I would have liked it better if it weren't for all the hype. I thought it was cute, and I'm glad I saw it, but it wasn't the BEST MOVIE EVER which is what everyone was saying it was. So it was kind of a let-down for me.

You are SUCH a braver person than I. :blink:

I have a friend from Tennessee who swears that his grandmother, in all seriousness, calls it "The War of Northern Aggression"

So because both of you had very smart children who picked up a skill without being taught, that should be a universal experience? There are no children that have trouble learning to read, and need an adult's help? I'm sorry if I sound harsh, but surely you realize that your childrens' ease in learning how to read is not universally shared?

Thank you for saying this. I think that it is a very good point. While of course it is best to live within your means, and while being debt-free is absolutely something worthwhile to strive for, being debt-free does not equal moral superiority. I'm not saying anyone in this thread is saying as such, because I don't think that they are, but I have seen it thrown around on other sites. Life throws curve-balls: one of the biggest reasons behind bankruptcies in the US is medical bills. In the modern economy, no job is secure. My husband just spent 3 months unemployed, and though we had saved for that we did have to dip into our credit cards. In the area that I live, a "starter house" will cost you at least $300k: if you want a starter house in a nicer town with good schools you're looking at spending $500k. The Duggars may be debt-free, but they also make a great deal of money. In all honesty, I think that they're rather disingenuous: they get paid a lot of money to give talks about being debt-free! My understanding is that a lot of their furniture, their cars, most of their clothes, and even some of their food are donations from either their church or the Discovery Channel. They are literally the poster-family for the "Quiverful" movement, and leaders of the movement invest in them to make a lifestyle with a lot of kids look a lot easier than it is for most people. Again, I'm not saying that being debt-free isn't ideal, I'm just saying that they are not in a normal financial situation, and it's about as reasonable to aspire to their financial situation as it is to aspire to be an airbrushed size 000 model in a magazine.

I'll bet that they're NOT going with the name of last year's hottest pregnant teen movie character ;)

Yes, but they also have government-subsidized child care, so working parents aren't paying full price (which can run to thousands of dollars a month for decent care in some parts of the country) for 7 long years of full-time daycare for each child ;) I do agree that we start academics too young in the US (I personally do not approve of the WTM command to teach reading in pre-K) but the reality is that working parents rely on public school to take care of their children during the day. I live in a town that has 1/2 day kindergarten, and it's a nightmare for working parents: the only option is a private nanny so that the child can be at the bus stop.

I also like Charlie's Soap, but I agree that it might have something to do with my water? I do also pre-treat stains. From their website: 1. Why is it necessary to clean out the machine with two scoops of Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder on the first use? Most detergents leave perfumes (cover scents), brighteners, and/or fabric softeners on your clothes that can cause chemical allergies. These additives are designed to stick like glue (how else could they leave all those things behind?), and therefore stick to your washing machine as well. Even detergent manufacturers that claim to not include these additives really do because their detergents don't really clean at all, but cover up that fact with these masking additives. Amazing! Two scoops of our powder, along with some old towels or shop rags, will be more than enough to loosen these deposits. No problem. After this first load, shake the towels and your machine should be properly prepped for use. It may also be necessary to wash your garments twice to remove old detergent residue from them. Very hard water can leave irritating residues on your clothes even with Charlie's Soap. Adding a small bit of CLR® (the soap scum and rust cleaner) to your wash on occasion will dissolve these built up residues.

Since the #1 cause of death in the US, by far, is motor vehicle car crashes, I honestly doubt this and I'm wondering what your source is? I know that's a national statistic, but it seems unlikely that your state would be so wildly different from the national average. I don't know where you live, but in most states it is quite difficult for a child to be removed from his or her parents. I know of several people who were visited by social workers because of false claims, and none of them had their children taken away. Most states make it their official priority to keep children with their families, and thus it is very difficult to remove children and very easy for children to be returned. Social workers have to jump through many hoops to remove a child (they often need a court order, which can take weeks: weeks during which a child is living with an unsuitable caregiver!), and judges, as a rule, make the bar which parents must meet to receive their children back very, very low. Again, I don't know where you live, and of course there are overzealous parents and judges everywhere.

:iagree: There are probably people on this board who agree with her, but what I've heard about their beliefs on disciplining children from people who have attended conferences they have spoken at ("ritualized beatings" was what came to mind), I personally do not consider them parenting role models.

I have to agree. I've tried to read it a few times over the course of my life and find it unbearable. Even my father, who is absolutely the best-read, most intellectual person I know, says it's the only book he's ever been unable to finish. I don't think it's a male/female thing, or a catholic/protestant thing... I think your enjoyment of it is directly related to whether you're willing to overlook the style in favor of the substance. I would assume that's directly related to how religious the reader is.

My favorite trick comes from the movie version of Sense and Sensibility a few years ago: if you don't have anything else to say, stick to the roads and the weather. I later found out it's a Scientology thing, but I still use it. I've never gone wrong by starting a conversation with "How about this weather!?!?" or "I can't believe how easy/hard it was to get here: traffic/roadwork is ridiculous!"

- In Our Time - Couch to 5k - Daily French Podcast - Pediacast - Storynory - They Might Be Giants Friday Night Podcast - 12 Byzantine Rulers - WGBH Forum book tour podcast

Ah, is my mother in law bothering you, too? (Except, with me she offers advice instead of asking for it). Caller ID is the best thing that ever happened to our household.

I found this: http://www.amazon.com/Leprechauns-Basketball-Adventures-Bailey-School/dp/0590448226/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210301574&sr=1-7 I've never heard of it, though, so I have no idea about grade level. Maybe try some children's biographies of sports stars?

I've only heard of it because it was in Little Women. I know it's a classic, but I don't think it's really endured the way many other classics have.

Oh my, I think we're married to the same man. Seriously, how friggin hard is it NOT TO EAT DAIRY RIGHT BEFORE BED WHEN YOU KNOW IT WILL KEEP YOU UP ALL NIGHT. And, apparently, Lactaid is for the weak, or something like that. I'm thinking of grinding it up and putting it in his dinner.

Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing, the Narnia books, the Little House books (at least Farmer Boy if he's one of those "yuck, girls!" types ;)), Chasing Vermeer, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the Hardy Boys series... any of these sound promising? I can probably think of some more. Of course, it all depends on his reading level... but I find that these are books that boys of that age can really connect with.

The Baker's Catalog is the end-all be-all of bread-baking supplies. They have a special pan with flat sides and a top so you have a perfectly square loaf. I kind of like the slope-sided ones, though.

I dunno, I don't think this is so different than what the book WTM says when it suggests which reading curriculum to purchase. I think most adults don't really think about how they read because it gets to be second nature, and it can be difficult to teach the mechanics to a non-reader who is having trouble "getting it." Remember that some kids require more help than others when they're learning to read. Not to mention that teachers in PS aren't teaching one non-reader: they're teaching 20-30 (or more) at a time.

Many museums in London are free, so that's good! My family used to stay at a very cheap hotel that had a little kitchenette in every room. We'd save a lot of money this way, by going to the grocery store to get juice and breakfast foods, and sometimes we'd eat dinner too. I will try to find the name of it if you'd like? Food can be pretty expensive. Pizza Express is a very good family-friendly chain that won't break the bank. Also look into pubs local to where you are staying: not the touristy ones but the "real" ones. If they have a beer garden, they're family-friendly and the food can be very good and cheap. There are some guidebooks out there about Gastropubs, you might want to see if there are any near you. These places are NOT like American bars. My favorite lunch place is a chain called Pret A Manger, which has ready-made sandwiches. (Interestingly enough, I am an anti-chain snob in general... there are just some really good ones in London!) My #1, never-fail, trust-me-on-this advice for people who go to London: get the the Tower of London when it opens. 10 minutes before, so you can sprint in when the gates open. Run STRAIGHT to the back corner, where the crown jewels are. They will let you go through twice so you can really get a good look because there won't be many people there. Then go back to the entrance and pay extra for the Beefeater tour. When you're done with that, look at the line to see the jewels, which is now almost 2 hours long, and send a little psychic "thank you" my way ;)