Not related to your original question, but I still have a baby tooth with no permanent tooth underneath. It is just now starting to loosen and I'm starting the process of getting it replaced right now. I am 37 years old. Those baby teeth can last forever!

I would suggest making sure both your computer and the software is up to date. To check if your computer is up to date, you click the Apple button in the left screen and then click software update. It will tell you if you need to download Apple updates. To update Microsoft Word (if you're able to open is to click help and then click check for updates. If you cannot open word you might need to go to the microsoft.com website and search for updates for your version of software. Good luck. I have Microsoft Word 2008 - the latest version is listed as 12.2.5.

I have a housekeeper. She makes the beds daily. If she isn't here we make the beds ourselves, but the majority of bed making is done by her.

There are several third party apps that now allow you to print from an iPad.

Great American Artists for Kids: Hands-On Art Experiences in the Styles of Great American Masters is a good one. You can see it at Amazon.com and look at the table of contents to get an idea of the artists it considers "great".

We are an all Mac family (everyone has their own - dh and I and all our kids). There is definitely a learning curve, but eventually it will all make complete sense and you'll wonder how you survived so long with a PC. We love our Macs.

We made a giant caterpillar. I drew a caterpillar head and then the body was circles with the names and authors of the books. One color for group read alouds and then different colors for each child's independent reading books. It was cute.

Yes - I have a severe allergy to fire ants. I've used an epi pen on myself three times. My personal threshold is when my mouth/throat or breathing is becoming affected in any way. Additionally, I will now use it when more than one system is being affected - for example, if my eyes swell and my lips swell, or if my scalp itches and my eyes swell. My most recent reaction was very very scary and I will now be more liberal in my decision to use my epi pen. In most cases of allergic reaction it can't hurt and the consequences of not using it can be very very serious.

Paying for a "12-pak" of beer with a 'public assistance' card is fraud. Do you really see this?

I have a housekeeper. She works for me 20 hours per week and I pay her $15 per hour. She comes 4 hours per day 5 days per week (usually) or 5 hours per day 4 days per week - whatever works best for her schedule. She cleans the house, does all the laundry and irons. I pay a bit more than the going rate as she's worked for me for 2+ years. Around here the going rate is about $10 per hour. I've never liked paying by the "job" for house cleaning as it always seems like people will eventually try to get done as quickly as they can. I'd much rather pay by the hour for a set number of hours - there is always something that can be done to fill the time.

Yes. We've had good luck with a few horses. Nothing really spectacular, but mostly just fun little "tricks". I purchased a clicker training book for horses from Amazon years and years ago. What's your mare doing?

Why would so much of your money go towards interest? Interest rates are extremely low right now.

We lived in a high cost of living area in southern California - about 1/4 mile from the beach. We had the income to afford to live there. We put down a standard down payment and then paid monthly mortgage payments. About half our neighbors also had high incomes and the other half would refinance their mortgages every year or so and live off the equity in their homes. I imagine when the market dropped this was no longer possible.

What is your doctor doing for the Aspartame detox? I am curious. I hate Aspartame.

It's different and there is a definite learning curve. That said, once you go Mac, you'll never ever go back!

Can you stay in the same family, but a few shades lighter? Cute new house!!

Are you doing Essentials - the grammar and writing portions of Classical Conversations? If so, in the Essential's guide is a list of several hundred spelling words that can form the basis for a spelling program.

Ugh. My biggest dilemma. I've tried it a few different ways. My most current way is to use a small index card file and store them by ????. I don't know???? I've found that if I have to interrupt school for anything - like printing or copying, I don't get to it later. My idea was to cut out all the figures and then file them in some logical order. Use the ones we encounter in our studies this year (obviously we'll skip over many) and then keep using the file for later years. However, I am all ears on this one!

Nope. Not mean at all. Training your children in a good habit that will only benefit them in the end. Hopefully, "forced" physical activity will lead to an internal desire to get moving more. The 6am thing might make for some grumpy kids, but if that's the only time you can do it... What about riding bikes? Hula Hoops? Jump ropes? Kick ball? Tether ball?

:iagree:

I recently adopted a 4 year old and have some sympathy. With mine I sort of assumed it was because he is a boy - I only had girls before. I also suspect that he didn't have a great deal of supervision in his daily play before we adopted him. Whereas, my girls were told what to do and not do from the time they were teeny tiny and they gradually learned what was acceptable and not acceptable. Of course, they did crazy things too, but son seems to have a different regard for his own sense of safety than my other children did at a similar age.

How is that a $12-16 per hour profit by the lesson giver? The ad specified that there was space for 8 junior riders and 8 intermediate riders. That would be 16 horses that someone would have to provide.

Good quality regulation sized riding arenas can be extremely extremely expensive. I know 25+ families with horses that they keep on their own property, but do not have arenas or even really adequate places to ride. Also, as you get into competition riding and showing, it is helpful for both the horse and the rider to get experience riding in different arenas.

With a $2 rental charge as the only cost listed I would assume that it meant you were to bring your own horse. Sorry. I am sorry for your daughter. If you lived close you could come and ride at my house any time - and I wouldn't even charge you to use the arena!!

How old are your kids? I created a large caterpillar head and then cut out dozens of circles for the body. Each child had a unique color and we also had a unique color for read-alouds. When a book was finished (either individually or together), we would write the title on a circle and add to the caterpillar body. We had great fun with this!