His twin almost never fell asleep in the car (even when we really, really wanted her to) but he would fall asleep anytime he was in the car for more than 10 minutes in the afternoon. He's 8 now and still often naps on longer trips (30 minutes or so). He's also my earliest riser. I vote normal.

I also found Organizing from the Inside Out to be very helpful in assisting me to figure out why my existing systems weren't working for me.

My kids catch the bus at 7:20, so we don't even try to do anything before school other than get dressed, eat breakfast, and take care of the dog. I like to read to them at the bus stop. It keeps them from fighting with each other.:o During the first part of the year, we didn't read because we shared a bus stop with another family. They moved last month, and I have to say I am enjoying being able to read again.

I don't think there is a law against it, but it certainly is against most theaters' policies. (At least the theaters I've been to.) If you choose to frequent a business, you should follow their rules. If you don't like their rules, don't use their business. Since we've become small business owners, this has become a bit of a bee in my bonnet. :-\

My kids (in public school) have MLK day off for the first time this year. They don't get Presidents Day off. We have a week plus break the week after Presidents Day.

Kris, that book group sounds great. I read The Faith Club last year and really enjoyed it.

Waving back. :D

I like Marcus Borg's books (Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, Reading the Bible Again for the First Time, etc.). He represents a way of looking at Christianity that is different from the fundamentalist view that seems so dominant in America these days.

Hey, Jenni! Good to see you.

These days I'm not doing much outside of general parenting, but hang out on the boards because they give me access to a broader cross-section of people than I encounter in real life. I have a son in 6th grade, twins in 2nd, and a two-year-old. I love our public school. We used SOTW for four years, but have floundered a bit since finishing, not knowing what to do next. The twins are both great about finding non-fiction books to explore their interests (biology for one and history for the other). My oldest is in an evening algebra class that meets once a week and is taught by the father of one of his friends. We try to do read-alouds, but I'm finding it harder and harder to pull them all together at once during a time when the toddler is occupied or asleep.

Cathy, I don't claim to speak Spanish, but all of my kids did as toddlers. (For the oldest, it was because our day care provider spoke only Spanish to the kids. For the rest, it's because my husband has become fluent in Spanish and speaks to the young kids primarily in Spanish.) Anyway, you probably already know these words, but these are the ones I find most useful with my kids: leche=milk pan=bread come (CO may)=eat agua=water jugo (HU go)=juice libro=book jugete (hu GE tay)=toy biberon=bottle (my son shortens this to bibi [beebee]) mas=more no mas=no more You might also find YouTube helpful for any future nebulizer treatments. My toddler loves Spanish-language kids' music videos and short cartoons. Some favorites are "La Vaca Lola," "Cucu de la Rana," and the Spanish versions of Poco Yo. Apologies in advance if I'm telling you what you already know. Blessings to you and the children.