It sounds to me like your daughter is getting PLENTY of free time. Send her over to my house for a while, and she might change her tune. :tongue_smilie: My 8yo is doing far better this year with more structure and higher expectations. I can tell because she randomly blurts out that she loves me while she's doing her schoolwork. :lol: Do you think your daughter might need more outside activities and/or unstructured time with friends? Classes don't count as real playtime!

:iagree: Yep, I bet it is an on-demand service, rather than universal screening.

(I haven't read whole thread.) For car trips longer than 2 hours one-way, we use this dual-screen portable DVD player that straps to the front seat headrests. My kids love it. I'm guessing there must be a newer version, because I was able to buy directly from Amazon several months ago. I play the audio either through my car stereo (if it is a movie that amuses me, like Finding Nemo), or I have the audio come from speakers in each screen. If desired, the two screens can be separated, and each can play a different DVD. I've used one to entertain myself while I'm cleaning the kitchen, and I've also used it for a yoga DVD when I was traveling. The one thing to consider with the one I have is that it doesn't have a rechargeable battery, so it needs to be plugged into either the wall or a car outlet. I could buy an external battery pack if I wanted to use it on a plane, but they're kind of expensive. I like having the portable kind rather than the built-in, because it means we don't use it casually. In reality, it doesn't even see that much use on long car trip. The kids might watch one movie during a 6 hour drive, but after that they ask for music or an audiobook or a potty break or food or a nap. :)

How does he do with comprehension of books read aloud? Thinking of myself, I learn visually. I much prefer to see and hear new info simultaneously. Having him recite this information doesn't make much sense to me, unless you've already spent a lot of time defining and discussing each of the terms. Have you done much memory work? If he isn't accustomed to doing this sort of recitation, it is going to be awkward at best.

:eek: How can there be any doubt in your mind? Bring him home. There's no good reason to let this continue. And who can learn in that kind of environment? Given what you've described, I doubt the school administration will be able to do enough to turn things around. That doesn't mean the school shouldn't be held accountable, but your son doesn't need to continue to be a victim. If you really need more incentive, Google recent news stories on tragic outcomes of bullying.

That's a very good point. I completely understand how you'd feel out of place as a libertarian. Yes, I think politics is a general unifier, especially when it comes to civil rights and social justice. I'm not nearly as liberal as some in my congregation, but I don't have any desire to discuss/debate. I do have to hold back an eye-roll once in a while. :D On the other hand, I've only spent time with this one congregation. I'm curious to know how UU congregations in more conservative regions differ from mine, but I haven't had the opportunity to find out.

I'm responding as an atheist who attends a UU congregation with my kids. My atheist DH chooses to stay home and sleep in. ;) (bolding mine) I'm wondering what you mean by this, because there's a huge diversity of beliefs within UU congregations. Are you referring to specific objections to UUism, or do you just mean the hypothetical parents aren't comfortable with the idea of attending services, participating in UU religious ed, etc.? Or is it the idea of having to become a member? One can be involved in a UU congregation without ever formally becoming a member. The UUs have no creed (there's nothing you are told you should believe), and their seven principles are pretty benign (see quote below). You don't even have to agree with all of them. :) (source) I suspect most atheists wouldn't have much of a problem with any of the principles, aside from maybe the acceptance/encouragement one. (That one is a little tough for me.) But an atheist's comfort level with a UU church may also depend a lot on the individual congregation. Some have a more Christian vibe, some are more New Age-y, some more Humanist, etc.

I have the tests in PDF format, but I don't print them out. We use them as we're wrapping up a chapter, and we do them orally. We also do narration. I don't think the tests are essential, but they're quick and easy. My daughter is a young 3rd grader, and she's never had any trouble with the tests. I think she'd have done fine with them even in 1st grade.

No worries. That's just what it says when you have no/few posts. If you stick around and get chatty, it'll change to some other title. Welcome!

mommybee: :grouphug:

I hate talking on the phone anyway, so I love using homeschooling as an excuse not to answer it. :D However, I do look at caller ID if I'm sitting near a phone. If it is DH, I'll pick it up, because he only calls for important stuff. If it is the mom of my kids' closest friends (also homeschoolers), I wait until I have a break and then check to see if the message is time-sensitive. Otherwise, I only check messages and return calls after we're done with school for the day. When I return calls, I let my friends and family know that I don't answer the phone or check messages when we're homeschooling. Everyone has been fine with it. I also mention that since we're out of the house so often for activities, sometimes it's better to just email me if someone has a question or needs info. Email often gets checked when the kids are at a class, but I never call in to my home voice mail.

This book might be a helpful/educational read for both you and your mom (and your daughter!): Curly Girl. It explains why shampooing curly hair often is a problem, and it also explains in detail what to do instead. If you haven't found the CurlTalk forum, head on over there! The posters there are very helpful. To get started, figure out her hair type. Your description doesn't give me enough to go by, but start by looking at type 3c and type 4. Then go to the subforum that fits best and search/ask away. Good luck!

We use Getty-Dubay workbooks and Penny Gardner's ebook. We hop back and forth between them.

I wouldn't do this, because I don't think dietary fat is the root cause of overweight/obese. I tried the lowfat approach for years. Didn't work for me, even combined with crazy activity levels. My dad (physicist, but worked in medical research at the time) finally convinced me to read Taubes. DH (chemist) and I (biologist) were pretty shocked by his thesis, but after hearing the evidence, it started to make sense. Both of us were ultimately convinced that he's getting it right. What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie? NYT article (2002) Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It most recent, quick read, written for the non-scientist (2010) Good Calories, Bad Calories more dense, a few years older (2007)

I've learned enough to get by, but a little voice nags me, saying that I could probably be using it more effectively if I just sat down and studied. :glare:

Can you use points to buy an Amazon gift card? I've never tried it, but I know you can use gift cards to pay for MP3s.

Yes, you can get titanium CBRs. If you can't find them locally, ask your piercer if he has any in stock. He may not have mentioned it because he may have assumed you wouldn't be comfy with a CBR. For ordering online, I really like Diablo Body Jewelry. Here are the titanium CBRs they carry: link. (Some of the items are just beads. Scroll down to find rings.)

Well, you probably wouldn't have been out of place in pj pants at Walmart. :D

After researching it, I agree with those who say that not only is gently rotating the jewelry unnecessary, but it'll prolong the healing process. Here's the brochure from APP on aftercare: link.

:iagree: Yes, yes, yes, and yes. I live in a sub base town, and what Mrs Mungo describes is absolutely the norm. Every time a boat comes home, the newspaper has pics of wives/girlfriends and young children greeting sailors. There are never large groups of extended family waiting for the boat.

There shouldn't be much blood, though it may ooze some if it gets bumped. There will be crusty yellow scabbiness. That stuff is fine, and she should try not to disturb it. It'll fall off on its own. I don't agree with instructions to twist jewelry. This used to be necessary, because the healing tissue would adhere to the jewelry if it wasn't twisted frequently. Now, the type/quality of metal used prevents the healing tissue from sticking. And yes, disturbing the healing piercing will lengthen the time to complete healing. So it is best to just leave it alone. There are different schools of thought on aftercare. I like the "leave it to heal alone" (LITHA*) philosophy. No washing, aside from maybe a quick rinse with plain water during a shower. If it starts to get angry/inflamed, I'd try sterile sea salt soaks (google for recipes) first. *LITHA may also stand for leave it the heck alone, or leave it the h*ll alone. Same thing. You can read debates about LITHA or not LITHAing on the piercing forums. ;)

Before I got my nostril pierced I did a TON of research, much of it on these two forums: Bodyartforms forums and Body Piercing Forum. There's a forum for everything! :D

If you've decided to go with a CBR (captive ball ring), find out what gauge needle your piercer prefers for earlobe piercings. The ring needs to match the gauge of the piercing needle. It'll probably be 18g. Actually, he may have CBRs for sale, but suggested you get studs simply because that's what most people expect to start with. Re: cleaning, I believe in the "leave it the heck alone" philosophy, though I'd soak in a sterile sea salt solution if it got inflamed. It is not necessary to wash with soap, twist the jewelry, etc.

:grouphug: I'm sorry you're feeling hurt. I think in your shoes I'd try to look at it another way. Maybe the GF was hoping for an initial reunion that didn't involve a huge crowd of people: a couple of minutes to hug and cry without his extended family crowded around them. I don't think I could begrudge them that. It's tough to have your partner gone, whether or not you're married. She didn't realize you'd feel this was stealing your thunder. After all, she wasn't stealing him away for the rest of the day. She was planning to bring him straight to where you and the rest of the family were waiting, so the family celebration could begin.

In either case, the type you want is "implant grade." It may not say implant grade on the packaging, but look for these numbers: For stainless steel, either ASTM F138 or ISO 5832-1 compliant. For titanium, ASTM F136 or ISO 5832-3 compliant. Piercing Pagoda's and probably even Walmart's SS jewelry is likely to be surgical grade. I second the advice to go and ask them to show you their selection of initial piercing jewelry. Then double check for the ASTM or ISO compliance statement before buying. Here's a PDF with more info on what you should look for in initial piercing jewelry. The reason I'd buy titanium instead of stainless steel is that even implant grade SS will have nickel in it. Titanium is nickel-free.