elcmum
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Everything posted by elcmum
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I do what I do with my children because, basically, I enjoyed participating in extracurricular activities as a child. I definitely found that those experiences helped shape and develop my interests into adulthood. Even in my professional career, there were things I did that still benefit me in my occupation. My own children have been in and out of various activities over the years, but they aren't allowed to quit an activity mid-season. They've done everything from gymnastics to swim team to ice-skating to soccer to volleyball. Currently, DD14 participates in HS marching band, youth group, and volunteers. DD12 participates in youth group, choir and has music lessons. DS 7 is in scouts, swim team, and youth group. The only areas where I have trouble scheduling are the groups that do require volunteer hours. I'm a team parent for the swim team, den leader for scouts, (infrequent) booster member for band, and help with the youth group. I love, love, love being involved with the groups, getting to know the different families, and just generally helping... but this does add to the craziness of our schedules where I have to actually be physically present and can't just drop and run.
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I work in HR and have a communications degree. It really depends on the area he wants to work in, as 'working in HR' is pretty broad. Is he interested in benefits, payroll, recruiting, employee effectiveness/engagement, consulting? I'd also recommend he look into a PHR/SPHR certification, too. More often than not, individuals with those credentials are looked on more favourably.
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Swim Parents- Best goggles recs please
elcmum replied to itsheresomewhere's topic in General Education Discussion Board
Vanquisher Jr here, too. I usually keep an eye on them on Amazon and order when they drop to a reasonable price. (DS noticed that Missy Franklin wore Vanquishers during the Olympics. He thinks his goggles are now going to transform him into Mr. Missy Franklin. :)) -
Blocking posts on Facebook
elcmum replied to SquirrellyMama's topic in General Education Discussion Board
Yup -- there is a pale grey downward facing arrow to the right of their name. You can select this and a drop down appears, so you can choose all updates, most updates, or only important updates. I do this with people who insist on updating their status with every single conversation they've had with someone during the day. -
I love it, honestly. I refer to it as my brain. I have a different calendar for each kid and can see on my 'main' calendar. Each of my children have different extracurricular activities, and this allows me to just look and focus on their individual calendar ("okay, DS has swimming on XX -- this means he can't go to YY") or compare two calendars against each other ("yep, DD14's recital changed to a different day -- I'm now available to take DD12 to the dentist"). I probably make this more confusing than it should be, but if it involves me and being a taxi driver, I copy those to my calendar so I'm not double-booked when it comes to driving duties. The other benefit is that DD14 and DD12 now have access to their respective calendars. They use theirs to see when they are available or use as check-step reminders for projects, or if they have appointments come up.
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This is our newest favourite game -- Spot It: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039S7NO6/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00 It's fast and quick and small enough to pop in your purse.
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Reading Logs--an easy, efficient way to do this?
elcmum replied to threedogfarm's topic in K-8 Curriculum Board
I use the Good Reads app, and honestly, I basically scan most of the books in with my iPhone. It's a novelty factor for the kids, too, so they are more apt to remind me or ask if they can do the scanning. -
The rule I think of in situations like this is "assume positive intentions". While the message content came across a little rude and condescending, his intention is one of care and concern for your health and well-being. So, file it away in your brain and know that you are both loved, and don't say anything else.
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There are benefits to both. I like the audiobooks for the convenience while in the car, to save my voice, and also when there might be challenging pronunciations. What I love about reading to my children is changing my tone to reflect the text. The kids know what my normal voice is, but reading aloud allows them to hear my odd Harry Potter accent, my Owl and the Pussycat sing-song voice, or my attempt at Sir Lancelot... so, basically, the different expressive aspects of speech compared to my standard voice/intonations.
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I'm an Aussie expat. What parts of Australian history is she interested in? Indigenous (ancient) history? Colonisation? 20th Century involvement in WW1, WW2, The Depression, etc? Modern history, like the Stolen Generation? Even though Australia is a relatively "young" country, there is still a lot of information she could cover.
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Yes, we try to be proper. DD will say, "Can I use your phone?" and I'll hold it up and say, "yes, you can" and wait for him to say, "may I use your phone." I think it goes back to reading a Baby Sitter Club book in the late 80s/early 90s. Claudia's older sister was a stickler for language, and I am pretty sure that's where I learned the difference between can and may. :) But, I digress.
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Shoes- Where to Find Sale Shoes Online!
elcmum replied to daysaregifts's topic in General Education Discussion Board
I actually find a lot of good deals on amazon. My dd14 wears a size 12 (gulp!) shoe. I have found great winter boots and sneakers for about $20 to $30. I add the items to my cart that I like and kind of sit and wait to see if they drop in price over the next few days. Because the shoes are often the last stock left (clearance prices, high reviews) they seem to drop faster than most other products. The sneakers I referenced above were originally $80. It probably helps that her shoe size is not incredibly common but I've also found great shoes for me (size ten) this way. -
DD7 afraid of being upside down...
elcmum replied to myfatherslily's topic in General Education Discussion Board
I actually have this issue and still suffer from it. As a child I was deathly afraid of being dunked in the ocean and flipped upside down, or doing a handstand and flopping over. Even during gymnastics as a teen I refused to go upside down on the uneven bars, to the point I would have panic attacks during practice. I still have the fear. I won't go on rides at the fair with my kids that would have me hang upside-down or even dive into a pool. I don't recall ever having some sort of traumatic issue... It is just something I have grown to live with. Honestly, the main thing I don't like about it is the feeling of lack of control I have over my body (drowning, falling from heights, etc) and also the hatred of thawing dizzy. I honestly wouldn't push your daughter. The fear is very real and traumatizing, and yes, embarrassing too. I just think my quirk makes me unique, and I've figured out ways over time to adjust and adapt. -
App for side by side schedules? Like MOTH?
elcmum replied to jelbe5's topic in General Education Discussion Board
I actually just use Google calendar for each of my three kids. I have a different calendar for each of them and create reoccurring appointments for library day, tests, etc. I also copy their personal appointments to my google calendar so I'm not double-booked. I also share the calendar with their father so he can see what they are working on. -
I'm a brand new subscriber to these forums (although I was previously a frequent lurker). I grew up handwashing dishes with my brothers. Every night, we would fight about who would wash, versus dry or put away. (Drying was the worst.) I now live in a dishwasher-less house and it's almost relaxing to wash dishes with my kids. As much as possible, I try to make dish-washing part of their required chores so there isn't much for me to do. Basically, because of the way I grew up with washing dishes, we wash them in the hottest water possible with a little soap and a light rinse afterward for water conservation. (As an aside, in the late 90s I read in The Tightwad Gazette that compared to the time it took to scrape, load, and unload a dishwasher it was the same amount of time to wash dishes. Compared to the cost of running a dishwasher, it was a lot cheaper to wash by hand.)