I had my first one this year, as well. Before I left I told my husband I was going to treat myself to a Starbucks Venti Hot Cocoa afterwards as a reward. However, it was not big deal and when I left I felt guilty for getting Starbucks because I didn't think my Mammo appointment earned me one. Now the dentist......

My sister said on morning while me and my boyfriend were visiting, "Why don't you two get married? Today!" My husband/boyfriend says from behind his newspaper. "Okay, whatever." That was about 11:30 A.M. Thanks to my sister's resourcefulness, Baker's Jewelers in the mall in Rapid City (who were able to size two wedding rings while we waited) and the helpful folks in Deadwood SD, we were married at about 7pm that night. A woman saying she was a deputy magistrate opened the courthouse in Deadwood for us and in the lobby said a few words and BOOM! we were hitched! So, the length of my engagment from when my sister proposed to me for my husband and he said "Okay, whatever?" to the actual "I do." About 6.5 hours. Over 16 years ago.

I love hearing how wealthy people can just "right off" all their expenses. Try this. Get your Taxcut program out and pretend that you are rich. Put in those numbers. Pretend you have 5 kids, medical expenses, and charitable deductions. I think a lot of folks don't know what a "write off" is. A business owner who buys a "thing" to use in the business for $100 can take that $100 off their earnings. It doesn't mean they get that $100 back, it only means they don't pay taxes on it... So what! If they had to purchase a drill press to do their business, they don't pay $15-35 in employment and business taxes on it. To me that's okay, they shouldn't have to pay $135 for a drill press that cost $100 just because they have a business. For honest business owners, taxes are a big, big drain. It's fun to bash businesses because they can "write off" stuff. Sounds bad, sounds like they are taking from the poor, but based on these posts, I'm thinking most folks don't know what a "write off" is. A write-off is not free money. Its not even money earned. Its not even money that can be reimbursed. That $100 for the drill press is gone, now the business owner is praying he can make some money with it. Our biggest problem isn't that businesses aren't paying taxes....its our politicians...

I love wandering the shelves and picking random books. I love flipping through them . I love being able to accidentally drop a book and not have to fork over tons of money to get an LED fixed. Even though most classica are available online for free. I much prefer having a book in my hand... Seems like its a money making opportunity.....for technology vendors. My prediction. There will be less literature read and more sound bites and snippets taken from the internet. Since entire books will no longer be read, the snippets will be taken out of context and the themes of many books will be misinterpreted, just like so much information taken from the internet today. Snippets are dangerous.

I'm amazed at everyone's responses.... If everyone has a right to all of these things, then who is going to provide them? There are limited funds, limited food, limited shelter...... If you keep taking money from the people making the money then the people with the money will stop making money...... I'm dumbfounded I have one friend, just one who made $152,000 last year...because the husband got a performance bonus....they couldn't take their tithing deduction, their college student tuition deduction, etc. etc....... They didn't get to take hardly any deductions. They came to borrow my Taxcut program because they thought their tax program was broken.... I couldn't believe how much they paid in taxes..... Is he trying to be productive this year? Heck no. Why? He's never had to pay so much in taxes.... And the truth to those out there with businesses...... My family doesn't make enough to shop at small businesses... we stimulate the economy of China with our Wal-mart shopping and we pay little in taxes. Our friends who are supposedly rich spend their extra money at small businesses. They go to scrapbooking stores, bicycle shops, florists. THey are just the folks that keep small businesses going....not me. Since he knows he's not going to get a bonus this year because he refuses to excel this year since most of it will go to taxes.... they've cut back on ....small business excursions and she's shopping at Wal-mart and Costco. Its all going to China. Yes you may hat rich people, but they employ the rest of us....Stop trying to take their money!!!!!!!!!!!! Its really scary! What happens when all the rich people are gone? Ack! I don't know any really POOR people who don't have Cable.......

My dd really began enjoying Nancy Drews at about 8 yo. Now she collects them even though they are way below her reading level nowl. That 7.5 to 9 yo age group is when she thought they were the best. I recently have been reading Nancy Drews as I didn't read many as a child. Nowadays, i like to read potato chippy books at night. We got the Mystery and Lilac Inn on tape and that was her first Nancy Drew....the family enjoyed it on a car trip, even my then 6 yo son. THe list above though sounds about right for read alouds. All the E.B. White books Little House Books The Frog princess books American Girl books

I do this as well. Bonito flakes and miso paste. Easy Peasy

If you wanted Ecce in for some flavoring then I would just get the student manuals. The teacher's manual covers IA and IB. The audio CD's cover chapters 1-27 as well. So you don't have to rebuy the teacher's manual when you get IB. You know, the older versions of Ecce Romani are available on ebay and amazon.com. I can't imagine that the 4th edition is that much better than the 1st. As far as I can tell the storyline hasn't changed much.

http://www.pearsonschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PSZ16p&PMDBSUBCATEGORYID=&PMDBSITEID=2781&PMDBSUBSOLUTIONID=&PMDBSOLUTIONID=&PMDBSUBJECTAREAID=&PMDBCATEGORYID=&PMDbProgramID=56323 here is the link to the pricing page for Ecce Romani IA

RE: Ecce Romani The student book is more of a reader and not consumable. The Language Activity book is the consumable from what I can gather. I think you can get one hardback with both IA and IB if you are in a classroom and want them to last for years and years. The paperbacks versions wouldn't last very long transported around in high school student backpacks. There is a test master book at the Pearson site but I purchased a Test Bank CD used for the same price as the Test Masters book. We have many kids so I thought it would be a good idea to own it if I need to alter tests for different kids. The audio CD, I think, is essential to sort of "back up" what they are learning. (visual and auditory) Minimally, I think you would want the Teacher's manual, Student manual, the Language Activity Guide. As options, depending on how you want to enhance the learning, then add the Test Masters and/or the Audio CD's. They said they do not offer the online interactive activities to homeschoolers.

I bought the teacher's manual, student edition and the audio cd's. I ordered the CD test masters from Amazon.com. I wish I had bought the language activity book from Pearson, as now I realize it is an important part of the lessons and I don't have it. I was hoping to get it cheaper on Amazon or Ebay but they are actually charging MORE for Ecce Romani itmes on Ebay and Amazon.com Yes, I got the 4th edition. I intend on using it for my 11 and 13 yo. I need to order Prima Latina for my 3rd grader, and we may zip the 11 and 13 yo through it quickly just to get their feet wet.

I just received my Ecce Romani order on Friday. THis is the deal. Call the number to order. Tell them you are a homeschooler. They set you up with an account (just like you would have with Amazon, name, address, etc.) Then their rep will send you via email a form. Print it, sign it, scan it and email it back or fax it. The form states that you are a homeschool parent and will keep the teachers manual from the hands of students. What they don't want are high school kids buying the book to cheat. From the day I called and ordered the text to the day I received it was 10 days.

Our Public School pack is pretty much secular though it meets at a church, our church pack is, of course, religious. The right to free association is still to be valued....they are exercising their rights....just find another pack, you wouldn't have been happy there if your atheism is a strong belief.

In this time of economic turmoil, the accountant in me can't stand the thought of the thousands of man hours and advertising dollars and lawyer hours spent on this............ for a speech to kids......Can't they take that same 10 mill and go........build all new low flow toilets in the national parks instead? or something? Personally, I like to maintain the majesty and brilliance of the office of Pesident of the US. But every time that man talks, I just get embarressed for him...... I guess I'll TEVO it and see what he says. My older kids are wise.

You guys are all so funny..... :lol: I pledge to.....Ida know...... something.... something.... big....and important.... Hey.... who are the village idiots she was talking about in the first place!

Storybook Island Park....in the city. Free.

I start every morning for myslef with an Atkins shake. It prevents the sugar cravings. Sometimes I have one for lunch. BUt usually, we stick to meats and salads and veggies. Kids have oatmeal. If I eat real food then I want to eat all day. My kids do eat carbs but we limit them.....You know, their dinner is not mostly rice with a tiny bit of whatever. They get a small potato, veggie, salad and a meat. We usually put a protein in the salad.

I really wanted to do this with my 12 yo old but we don't seem to have time. Scouts. Music Lessons. Sports. However, maybe I should look at the program again. Please post an update on what you learned at the meeting and your take of the program.

Books can sometimes take weeks if you sent them media mail! Wait just a little longer. Email her everyday and see if they've shown up.

Check to see what the item has sold for previously. In the search box, type in your item, not too specific but what someone wanting to buy the item would type in. example: your item is Saxon Math grade 1 complete set. Just type in Saxon Math then, over to the left hand side there is a column of a bunch of additional choices....one is "completed listings." Click this box. It will ask you to log in. Once you log in it will show you completed listing for this item. You can see what sold for what. You can see the differences between the items. Then you know what you can reasonably ask or expect for your item. I hate waiting for auctions, so I usually see what the item sold for then post the item as a "Buy IT Now" for slightly less than highest price I see. Its worth it to me now have to wait for my auction to end. This appeals to impulse shoppers, (like me) as well.

Genius?

Wait, here's my secret....I buy things on clearance at the AG store. I buy two of the items. Then at Christmas, I ebay one of them and it usally pays for the other item. Like for instance, I bought a two doll outfits for $20 on clearance, then, at Christmas I sold one of them for $45. Plus, AG stuff doesn't lose value really. There is no resale in Barbie. If we had to, we could resell some of the outfits. Ssssh.

I died laughing at your emoticons!!!!

This may sound strange but I like to use the Tea Tree foot lotion. Its cheaper than buying other Tea Tree Products. I use alcohol on cotton the apply the Tea Tree lotion. It also comes in a foot refresher spray. I kind of got the idea when my Brazilian neighbor healed a horrible sore she had on her leg with Tea Tree oil. Her doctor had given her some other kind of lotion. It went away after she sent away for Tea Tree oil, something she said they use all of the time in Brazil. I heard it was antimicrobial/anti-fungal. It works great. I go back to a baking soda deoderant once in a while or when I'm on vacation Still, a swab of alcohol seems to keep the smell away all day.

I constantly hear how as Christians we need to be tolerant of other religions. I believe that we should not go a blow up people of other faiths. I believe we should allow others to worship as they see fit, as long as it does not involve taking the life of another. I believe that we should have friends of other faiths and not insult them. We should respect their religions and participate in celebrations and ceremonies when invited, like when someone wants you to be there at bat mitzvahs, and weddings, baptisms, etc. They obviously like you enough to invite you. So many in the media and in the secular world point out anytime Christians do something that is somehow, "unkind" or "intolerant" when we are supposed to be a religion of love and "surely Jesus would do/not do whatever" the persecuted has done. How would they know..... since the Bible is not taught, and most folks outside of churches don't even read it. Jesus and God are not "tolerant." Even when Jesus interecedes to prevent the death of a woman getting stoned, what does he say? Go and sin no more. He doesn't say, "its all okay!" Jesus and God love us all because we are God's children. However, I don't see how anyone can say they are "tolerant." They may be tolerant in that they don't strike us down every time we do something against their word. However, we have very specific "to do's" and "not to do's." Its funny that as time passes, this "to do and not to do" is getting shorter and shorter, because as I've heard it said before. Jesus started us over so we don't have to follow anything before Jesus, or even stuff Jesus did himself, in fact we don't really have to do anything except get baptized. If that's the case then there really is no purpose for us to be here. I think modern Christianity has bitten itself in the hind end by creating the "I'm okay, you're okay, everything's okay" rhetoric just to get people in the church ($$$) when there really is no basis in it when you look at scriptures as a whole. Then we are left with pieces of scripture to conform to what people want to hear, not what is actually in there. The pastor is simply teaching his take on the scriptures. In fact, in some of the larger church's that have coffee bars and fitness centers in their building, how much scripture study is going on vs. socializing? We're all going to heaven because we exercise together? God's word is second? I know we are all on a journey and our paces are different, but I think we all have to be wary of our path.