trail mix cookies flavored popcorn jellies/jams salsas chocolate/yogurt covered pretzels mixed nuts pancake or muffin mixes

Although expensive, the aquarium is fun. We usually do a lot of shell searching even in the winter since the beach is so peaceful. Dunes Village is a really fun resort! Even dh and I love playing on the water slides! There's always mini-golf as there's no shortage of places. At Barefoot Landing you can visit alligators and watch their feeding times. I can't think of the name right now. They have also opened a new Pirate Adventure dinner theater that is getting good reviews. There's MagicQuest at Broadway on the Beach that kids enjoy and you can reuse the wand you purchase at other locations throughout the country. I'm not big on touristy places, but I went to Myrtle this year purposely trying to view it from my children's pov, and I realized it's really a FUN place for them. I'm actually looking forward to going again in the spring (we NEVER go in the summer - too many people).

:iagree: And the items are small. However, one thing I will buy without hesistation throughout the year is books. I will happily fuel their fire to read. Clothing is on an as needed basis, and I usually begin my search at Goodwill or consignment stores first.

I remember breaking a mercury thermometer when I was little and how exciting the mercury was as it rolled around on the floor. I'm still alive and well! Pregnancy killed my brain cells; I was fine before that! ;)

I feel your pain. Dh and I have just decided that we need to make peace with our house, but it's a hard thing to do!

Oh my goodness! I love him!!!

Talk about making a person feel like an idiot! I need to work on my choice of literature! I know pirogue & that's all. :001_huh:

Sometimes, tough love is the hardest love to give. Many :grouphug: to you. As homeschoolers, we pride oursleves on knowing our children best; this includes during the good times and the bad times. Only you know what's best for your son. Others may judge, but your decision is yours and yours alone.

Happy Birthday! Enjoy your day!

My eldest received the dsi XL for Christmas last year, and he loves it. He's gracious enough to let his younger brother play it too! They both enjoy it, but we do limit play. As another poster mentioned, having it for long car rides, doctor visits, etc. has been a life-saver. As one plays, the other watches, so both are kept entertained. We'll probably get the youngest one his own (used) next year when he's a little bit older.

Christine, that is WONDERFUL, AMAZING news!!!! So happy for you! What a perfect Christmas blessing!!! :grouphug:

Funny! I read this YEARS ago, and I loved it! The Handmaid's Tale is on my shelf awaiting reading... curious to see what I will think since reviews are varied. As for my worst book, I can't think of any because I end up dropping them and not wasting my time if I can't get into them.

Just ONE???? Gosh, you really know how to stick it to us! ;) I really loved Sarah's Key. I used to teach the Holocaust to my 8th graders through The Diary of Anne Frank and Night, so I have a special place in my heart for Holocaust stories. Sarah's Key showed me another viewpoint of the tragedy, and the story has stayed with me. Other very close seconds: I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak (author of The Book Thief which was on my top 5 of 2010) Columbine by Dave Cullen (nonfiction). Take most of what the general public knows about the Columbine tragedy and throw it out the window. This was an incredibly eye-opening, disturbing, and painful read. I was student teaching at this time, and our school had many bomb threats after April 20, 1999. I feel it shaped some of who I was as a classroom teacher.

:iagree: I believe she owes the parents and apology because she completely stepped on their toes in this case (imho). I was a public school teacher, and there are many ways she could have better handled this to keep herself neutral.

Ds#1 is getting the two newest Rick Riordan books in the Heroes of Olympus series: The Lost Hero and The Son of Neptune. He has read the first 5 Percy Jackson books three times and cannot get enough of this author. My mom bought him The Action Bible since he loves his bible and comic books. Ds#2 is younger, so he's getting a variety of picture books. I can't remember all that I've bought so far, but one that comes to mind is The Pout, Pout Fish in the Big, Big Dark. I know I picked up a couple of Curious George books as well. Dh and I are not buying for each other this year, so no books for us. This is okay because we each have stacks by our bed waiting to be read.

It drives me crazy to come home to a dirty house. I want to come home, do laundry, clean out the car, and get right into our routine without having to worry about taking care of my home, ESPECIALLY after a relaxing vacation.

SO many excellent recommendations so far! I'd like to add Sarah's Key which was fantastic. Little Bee was great as well.

What a great ending to your event this morning! I love your update, and I hope to have such an understanding son if that ever happens to us.

Yes, Dh has a BS in Business Admin with a minor in finance/accounting. He also has an MBA. He's a treasury accountant for a major bank.

Hi Mama! Thanks for taking this on since I enjoy this thread when I get a chance to participate in it! :) What is on the menu for today? Does anyone have breakfast, lunch, or dinner ideas to share? We just had pumpkin spice pancakes for breakfast (courtesy of Trader Joe's!). Lunch is undecided - we may go out to grab something, and dinner is a whatever night (which may be as simple as a bowl of cereal). What do you have planned for today? My mom has been in town for the holiday, so we are bringing her to the airport later this afternoon. Nothing exciting before or after that. If you celebrate Christmas or other winter holiday, have you begun decorating for it? Have you finished decorating? Our tree is up and decorated! The boys also set up their Playmobil nativity set. I still need to decorate the rest of the house (stockings, wreaths, etc). I'm hoping to get that done tonight or tomorrow. Do you take a break from school during the holidays? If so, when do you plan to take that break? We haven't officially schooled since last Wednesday - meaning using our curriculum, but we've been to museums - since my mom has been with us, and the boys prefer to do as much as they can with her. We'll resume tomorrow and continue until Dec. 23. I'm planning on doing less official curriculum this December though so we can study the history behind Christmas, do crafts, bake, and not feel so stressed. We'll still do math, spelling, and some writing, however. What's the weather like where you live? Today it is COLD! The temp right now is about 42, but it feels like 39. Yesterday and the week prior, we were in the low-mid 70s. We won't be seeing those days again for a while as the forecast is for the low to mid 50s for the next week or so. I guess it's finally November here. :D Hope everyone has a great day!

Thanksgiving was uneventful, but good. My sister came with her 2 kids for the first time (she's usually at her inlaws, but her dh had to work) which made things more chaotic, but it was still nice to all be together. The weekend didn't involve anything really exciting. My mom (who is visiting from NH) and I went shopping a little bit - no obnoxious Black Friday sales for us this year (thankfully!). We ventured out Friday afternoon and Saturday morning instead. I'm almost done my Christmas shopping, so I'm feeling content about that! Breakfast was cereal and yogurt - simple and easy. I'm tired today. Lunch will be turkey salad sandwiches with fresh pineapple chunks. Today is our last day eating leftovers!

I always rewash. It's my own fear of germs that causes me to feel more comfortable seeing it go from my dishwasher to my cabinet.

Really soul search who you and Dh are as people. If you love nature, don't choose a location with few trees. I know this sounds simple, but we built new with our goal being on a cul-de-sac. The builder razed the land, and we have no privacy and only the tiny trees we have planted. Just across the street is a gorgeous wooded lot that we should have chosen. Know what things in life make you happy so you can incorporate those things into a lot (close community vs. privacy) and the house's location. Listen to your gut even if you think you are in love with the house. Research, research, research. Do not settle no matter what because years down the road that will haunt you.

My SIL cooks her turkey in temperature shifts similar to this. She also wraps it in a well-oiled paper bag. I believe it takes 3 hours for a 20 lb. turkey. The first hour is 500, then 400, then 300 or something like that, all while sitting in the oiled paper bag. It always comes out so moist and tender.

What a frightening experience, but one that is more common than we'd like to recognize sometimes. I'm sorry that you both had to witness it. :grouphug: