Thanks for the suggestion to check my vac. I never think about my own vaccinations!

Just keeping the thread "hot." Hello from Brownsburg!

We purchased a closed cell pad for our son when he joined Boy Scouts. It has made all the difference to him. Here is a writeup about available sleeping pads from http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/boy_scout_gear_list#.VTamk6YvQ0s This article is written for parents of tween boys, but it has some good details about options and prices. I hope it helps. SLEEPING PADS:Sleeping pads are used to provide insulation from the cold ground while also giving you a softer place to sleep. There are two main types of pads: closed cell foam, and self-inflating. The two most popular closed cell foam pads are the Z-rest and the Ridge Rest from Therm-a-Rest with prices under $35 and weights under 1 pound. The least expensive closed cell foam pads are the baby blue pads 3/8 inches thick that cost less than $10 and weigh 8 ounces for a full-length pad. The Campmor pad is called Pack-Lite Closed Cell Foam Pad. Therm-a-Rest also makes the most popular self-inflating pads with prices from $50 to well over a $100 and weights ranging from just under a pound to over 5 pounds. I recommend the closed cell foam pads because they are lighter and less expensive while not being liable to punctures, as are the self-inflating pads. Remember, you are talking about an 11 to 13 year old taking care of this equipment and there are likely to be punctures if using the self-inflating pads. Another factor to consider is the weight of the Scout. A 65-pound Scout will not need as much padding as a 200-pound Scout. Unless you are camping in cold weather, a three-quarter length pad (48-51 inches) weighing 9-11 ounces and costing $16-30 will be adequate. To save even more weight, most boys do not need a 20-inch width closed cell foam pad so they can cut them down to a narrower width and/or even shorter length to save further weight. The closed cell foam pad I recommend is the Therm-a-Rest, 48-inch length Ridge Rest closed cell foam pad that weighs 9 ounces and costs about $16. Another option that is thinner is the Campmor Pack-Lite 72-inch closed cell foam pad at $8 that can be cut down to fit your Scout.

We've used IEW on and off over the years. It was an excellent choice to learn the fundamentals. The approach is solid and you can always weave the IEW principles into other writing programs later, if you feel so inclined.

My 4th grader did it for 1 year. I liked it, but switched after I year because I was tired of the approach and wanted to try something new. It's a lot of copy work. It works well if you use an IEW writing program with it.

CAP and IEW

We've gone round and round about this one. Early on, I said no TV before dinner. Later, I started incorporating TV into our school time (afternoons) when there were good documentaries to watch. Since computers have taken over our home, I have switched to "screen time." After dinner, they may have an hour of screen time -- either TV or computer games. But some nights they don't even have time for it because of sports and scouts. I'm talking about the pure entertainment stuff. Between the online classes, checking email, school-related videos/shows, etc., they get plenty of screen time during the day.

We use http://www.math-drills.com.

I'm a homeschool Mom of 2 and have used many of Peace Hill Press' products over the years. I have a 6th grader and a 3rd grader. We have always homeschooled. I look forward to joining the forum.

OK, I can understand why you would feel that way. I tried joining another USA Swap, but it closed before I had a chance to join. So I decided to take some initiative and start my own. I figured that was a better approach than telling myself that it didn't matter, or waiting for someone else to start one. I don't have a blog, I don't have a website.... so I came here. I've been a lurker here for a while, but didn't really have much to contribute til now. I don't like to come to parties without a hostess gift, so I thought this would be a nice way to get started. I am also overly optimistic... FWIW, here are some more details about me: I've been homeschooling for 4 years. I have 2 boys--younger elementary age. We live in Indiana. We have about 10,000 dandelions in our yard on a block full of suburbanites who like their golf course grass. See, I'm a bit of a rebel and when someone tells me I can't do something (like homeschooling...), I figure out what it will take to get it done. I'm real. I'm me. I'm just trying to figure it out one day at a time. Thanks for listening... Danna

Hello! I am starting a USA postcard swap and invite you to join. This is a great, fun way to get your kids excited about US geography. How it works: Send me an email to dannashirley@yahoo.com with your full postal address. Please, do not reply to this message --I'd hate to get kicked off this forum on my first posting! The first person to email me from each state makes the list. (I will keep a waiting list, too, in case someone drops out.) As soon as I get an address from every state, I will send out a copy of the spreadsheet with a send-by date for your family. It will probably be 3-4 weeks from now before the first postcards will be "due" to be sent. Don't panic--there's no rush! You can simplify the process of writing the postcards by printing small labels with a few fun facts about your state. Have your kids help you stick the labels on your postcards. Voila! Then it's just a matter of sending the postcards and waiting for your mailbox to fill. **Disclaimer** I am not selling anything and will not use your email address for any other purpose than this swap. If you are interested, or have any questions, please email me off this list at dannashirley@yahoo.com. Blessings, Danna