:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

Where did you get the fresh leaves? We used to have a tree in the yard that I was pretty sure was bay laurel but I was too scared to use the leaves for food.

:seeya: Welcome! Do you want an all-in-one planned curriculum set or do you want to choose resources for each subject area? There is a prek/k board on here somewhere, I think under the K-8 curriculum heading. Also, if you are looking at something particular, sometimes google works better than the site search function; google your topic and the words Well Trained Mind Forums.

In the Tale of Peter Rabbit, he hopped up on a wheelbarrow to see across the garden. I just noticed that yesterday when I read it for the 48th time.

We listened to The Moffats (Estes) and The Secret Garden on our last road trip. Bear in mind, DD is 7, so these might be too young for yours, but I enjoyed them! The Moffats - talk about some free-range kids! At the end of The Secret Garden, DD just sighed, "Wow." She couldn't discuss it further. What a great book. We have also enjoyed Charlotte's Web, read by EB White himself, and several Beverly Cleary books. DH liked Henry Huggins.

:iagree: And this emoticon is entirely too smiley. I'm so sorry. I hope it isn't the hamster, but I bet it is. We once had a bad smell in my husband's office. I was convinced it was something of his. I blamed the peeing cat we'd had as a houseguest. I washed everything fabric, including his flying jacket, dug through all his stuff, etc., and couldn't figure it out, but the smell faded. About a year later, I painted that room. When I took the ceiling vent down to spray paint it, there was a desiccated MOUSE on the top! It's little tail was hanging through the grate!!! So gross. DH never could smell it. :huh:

That's adorable, and not bad money math!

That WAS a really weird piece. Interesting, though. Not that I'd ever want to have opportunity to participate in that kind of research. Brrrr.

Awww. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

I have no idea if this lady is really so mean, and I'm sure there was much, much more to that story, but my initial reaction was, "Yuck." That has more to do with my experiences than whatever I know about her! Why did she tell that story to a friend? To encourage more aggressive child discipline in her friend's family? To brag about how "hard core" she is? To be "real" and tell about a flaw in her parenting? Who knows. I don't care for punishing/child discipline being a competitive sport. It seems to me that I've heard too many people lately, and frequently via church circles, bragging about the ferocity of their child discipline. I think that is nuts, because first, it isn't relevant to what is best for other peoples' kids, and second, it might cover or give license to an abuser. I think this kind of conversation happens for the exact reason that was mentioned in another thread, the one about the lady who smacked her rioting son on video. There's this idea that better child discipline is what is missing from our declining culture. I don't think our culture is actually declining, and I'm POSITIVE that more smacking is not the panacea.

Oh, no! I hope you have plenty of chocolate to eat while you fix the mess! That's just chilling!

I must be getting too tired, because that is hilarious! And so, so true! :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Jean

:seeya:

If he understood the racist nature of the image and is pretending ignorance now that he was caught, there is a big problem with his world view and his integrity. If he didn't know that such a picture would have a racist implication, then what in blazes did he find funny about it!?!?!!? Was this photo a death threat? An insult? An incident of bullying by encouraging suicide? What was it? None of these are good. I can't think of a good explanation, and I'm trying.

A friend of mine had a mouse die in her dryer vent!! The smell! :svengo:

Yes, I do feel that way!

One thing ds3 enjoys while I work with dd7 is music. I put on Veggietales or other little kid music CDs in the living room; we work at the dining room table. That buys about 30 minutes. From time to time, dd has complained that the music distracts her, but she is entirely capable of ignoring it and if she were in PS would have to work through a LOT more distractions, so I tell her to suck it up and focus. (I'm so helpful. :coolgleamA: I should clarify that she has no disability in this area - she can do it. I wouldn't say that to her if she had a problem that needed accommodation.)

I always am looking for more quick dinner ideas. My best one right now is Turkey Sausage and Peppers: I slice two packages (12 oz each) of the Oscar Meyer smoked turkey sausage into 1/4" rounds and sauté in a little olive oil just until lightly browned. I slide those into a serving bowl. Then I put two 12 oz. bags of the frozen fajita veggie blend (onions, green bell peppers, and red bell peppers) into the hot pan and cook them until heated. I serve the veggies in a second large bowl. Bam. My kids love it, my husband is ok with it, and while it is a little more processed than I prefer, it works.

:hurray: How cool!

Hurray!! I'm so glad to hear this!

When I get a cold, I super-up my water intake. I do notice a difference in my skin; particularly, my lips become smoother. The cold seems to go away faster. That's on a gallon per day, which is (ahem) a tad less than one oz. per lb. I should drink more water, but I'm busy slurping down the coffee.

The Secret Garden - on one's choice of thoughts about life's circumstances Pilgrim's Progress - that Christianity is HARD and always has been (if it is hard, it is not that I'm doing it wrong) Moby Dick (I'm 3/4 through!!) - there's a paragraph about the soul as a ship in a stormy sea. The sailor desires the safety and comfort of shore but the most dangerous thing he can do is to approach that shore in a storm. I'm mangling it, but it is going on my wall as a cross-stitch. It is about the risky, scary, vital business of deep thought. Mindset by Carol Dweck I guess I'm on a kick about thoughts! These are what rise to the top of my brain right now. Usually whatever I'm reading now is what most impacts me. :)

That's good information to know! Thanks!

I think I want an upright. I've always had an upright.... I see the Shark Navigator on the Sams website. Interesting!

I just threw out some fish sauce. Apparently it requires refrigeration after opening. It smelled like funky feet. I don't know how I didn't read that on the label.