THAT sounds interesting! :D

You may be on to something here. I often get so worked up at "the little things", even when there isn't anything "big" going on. :confused: Aubrey, I hear you, girl. Even down to the shaking and having to apologize part!

I don't know what to say except that I'm so sorry. :grouphug:

Just for the record, I didn't say I thought she was a criminal (and I'm not implying you said I did, but my comment was quoted, so I just wanted to clarify). The OP mentioned in a later post of the possibility of casing and I agreed that could be the case. I never would have even considered it until I read the article about the dad robbing houses with his 4 year old. :001_smile: I'm not opposed at all to people trying to earn money. What bothers me is that I get 'hit up' by kids of friends/neighbors who assume I will buy their (fill in the blank) just because we are friends/neighbors and then are sad (and some have been aggravated at me!) when I say no. I have been asked to help pay for someone's college tuition, college books, their umpteenth trip for band, etc. It's the constant barrage of people coming to me (my house or up to me at a function among friends) saying 'buy this so I can (blank)' and the looks of indignation from both child & parent when I say no that I have a problem with. Call me a grinch, but I've been 'hit up' so much lately that it's a bit of a sore spot! :tongue_smilie:

:iagree: I felt my eyes stinging as I read "An animal's last will". How touching. Sniff.

:seeya: Me. And since it's so difficult to convey true thoughts in writing, I usually refrain from posting. Which, I guess, is mostly why I feel like I 'know' so many of you and no one 'knows' me~~ I just don't post often. Me, too. I've been told several times that I come across as snobby when people first meet me. I wonder if it's because I remain quiet so as not to offend with my sarcastic humor. Hhmmm.... Oohh..... we're soul sisters! :D I'm not a big movie-watcher anymore, but I'm putting these on my Netflix queue. I've been meaning to watch Fargo for years, but never got around to it. I just thought Men Who Stare at Goats was stupid, so I didn't bother. You've convinced me, however. I, too, can determine a particular cricket chirp. It comes from years of experience! :tongue_smilie: I'm *totally* sold now. I must watch this movie.

:blink: Uh, nope, this is a new one for me. I'm not surprised however, as it seems that in the last few years, people have been asking others to pay for everything and anything. I just don't get that mentality. ETA: Yes, she could be casing houses. I just read where a dad was arrested robbing houses with his 4 year old.

I'm so glad you don't have to fear that dog any more. Your original post made me teary-eyed, and I have been thinking of you and your family. I felt like applauding when I read about your publicity campaign (for lack of a better term). I would have done the same thing. Bravo to you. I completely understand why you feel sad for the dog, too. It wasn't his fault, but he was a danger. I hope the owners don't get any more dogs. I'm glad you had this bit of closure. Now you and your family can begin to heal. :grouphug:

Love it, love it, love it!! :lol: :iagree: So many people and so many boards. My dh would never think of posting here, but maybe I should get one of the kids to do it. I agree with everyone who said they didn't think they would be missed if they 'went missing'. Despite being here several times each day, I lurk far more than I post, so I would be very surprised if anyone missed me. I recognize all of you, though!! :D

:grouphug: I'm so sorry. :grouphug:

You did the right thing. School first. I often feel like you when I say no to things. Besides, I'm agreeing with everyone else.... it's on the other mom for not speaking to you about this. It's not like it was a movie outing that was planned where the kids usually make the arrangements! Oh gosh, that was funny!! :lol: Actually, she may have already been charged for the rooms. When I book, I check for the "Best Available" rate.... that is almost always cheaper than AAA or other rewards by a good $5-10 or so per night (on a $90ish per night room), but the kicker is that it's payable at booking (even if it's months in advance) and is non-refundable and non-changeable. This has happened to us with Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Comfort Inn & Suites, and a few other chains that escape me at the moment. So, this is what the other mom may have done. That in no way excuses the fact that she should have spoken to a parent and the 'fault' is hers (the other mom's), but I just thought I'd toss it out there.

:seeya: Welcome back! :hurray:

Here is the one we love: Prep: 30 min Bake:25 min 3 medium carrots, sliced 2 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1/4 cup butter, cubed 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (note--- we like ours a tad thicker, so I use 1/3 c. flour) 2 cups chicken broth 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 cups cubed cooked chicken (to keep it simple, I use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken---super yummy!) 1 cup frozen peas, thawed 1 jar (4 1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained 4 green onions, sliced 1 pastry for single crust 9 inch pie (We use the frozen Pillsbury crust that comes in a 2-pack. The crust is sweet, which we think adds a nice flavor. While the veggies cook, I take out a crust and let it thaw on the counter in its tray, but removing as soon as it's a bit pliable- otherwise, it will tear if I wait until the end). Directions: Place carrots, potatoes, and turnip in a large saucepan; cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour until smooth. Gradually add broth, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; stir in the white sauce, chicken, peas, mushrooms, and onions. transfer to a greased 2-quart round baking dish. Place the pastry over the filling; trim, seal, and flute the edges. Cut slits in the top. Bake at *375 for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is brown and filling is bubbly. **Note. We do add an extra 1 or 2 smallish potatoes & 1 or 2 extra turnip (smallish) than recommended, as we like them. With my modifications, it makes enough to till a big round 2.5 Liter White French Corningware dish.

Ahh...gotcha. Thanks!! Yay! Glad you got it figured out! :001_smile:

Silverlight!! That's what I needed! I guess the only part of that I got correct was that it started with an "S" eh? :blush: I run Firefox also, but I still needed that plugin/download. BTW, what's a PPC?

OK, I see. What I did was sign into Netflix and I picked a movie. I believe I clicked on "play" and I got a pop-up message saying I needed some Microsoft download thing. Once I checked with dh that I really did need it (he also has a Mac and has been watching Netflix stuff for over a year on it), I clicked on it to download it. I honestly don't remember much more after that other than clicking "OK" a few times (I figured the program knew where it needed to install itself). Once downloaded, I did have to go back into Netflix, though, and click on my movie again. It started playing right away. I watched that movie without trouble and then I watched the pilot of an old TV series that I had been looking for. :D I hope that helps you even a little bit.... I am *so* not tech savvy!

I just watched my first Netflix movie two nights ago on my Mac. I did have to download some Microsoft program.... ShockWave, ShockFlash, something like that. It was easy-peasy (meaning I did it wihout dh's help!!) and took all of three or four minutes until I was watching my movie. Best of all, I did NOT have to restart anything (GO MAC!!). Did you not get a prompt saying that you need to download XYZ program?

My dd plays piano, flute, and oboe and is doing well. She started with piano at 11 years old, added flute about two months later, and then after just over two years of those two she added oboe. I think your dd will be fine. My dd practices every day, but not tons and is progressing nicely in all three instruments. She may be progressing a bit slower than if she only had one instrument to practice, but it's not a biggie and her instructors have only good things to say about how she is doing. I say 'go for it'! :D I love the sound of the flute.

Ah... you posted while I was typing. :D Good info all around, especially about the friendships and the spacing between classes. Before I started working an 8-5 type job, my hours were flexible and I once had an 8:00-9:00am class (the only time that year it was offered!), and a 2:00pm class. No way would it have been beneficial for me to have gone home if I lived so far away. At that time, I lived 20 minutes, so I did go home a few times, but still, the 'lost driving time' ate into my gas money & study/relaxing time so I often stayed on campus.

I agree with what everyone else wrote here regarding possible pitfalls, but wanted to address some things regentrude wrote. I commuted 35 miles/45 minutes one way (in light traffic) my junior year. I would not recommend it. *I had an 8-10 pm class, which put me driving that length of time over curvy, mountainous roads around 11:00pm. I can't tell you how many times I drove on "autopilot" as my mind wandered during that long drive. Not good. *After arriving home, I had to 'decompress' before going to sleep around midnight-1:00am, and that was IF I didn't have assignments to complete for other classes. *Then, because I worked full time, I had to get up at 6:00 to be at work-- I quickly became sleep-deprived. *the extra time on the road meant less time for studying (see reg's post above). If I had to do research at the library, it meant an extra trip to school which meant more time/gas lost, because I could never seem to have the energy to 'stop by' on a whim. Group study and group projects were also painful to arrange. *I encountered many traffic-blocking accidents and train stops during that year. I was late a few times because of that. *my college never closed for weather (again, see reg's post above)--- even though it was in the land of frequent tornado warnings and in a city that totally shuts down for a smattering of snow/ice. If I didn't make class, it was an 'absent' as the profs were required to take attendance no matter what. *forgetting something meant you did without. Even if it was a term paper and it was due that day. Over all, I would be skeptical about even a 30 mile commute for all the reasons others mentioned. There is just too much that can go wrong which adds stress. I totally understand about keeping costs down, but I honestly think you would be better off either in a dorm, or off campus with a roomie or two. ESPECIALLY since you are also planning on working. College is tough enough without adding the stress that all those hours on the road cause and take away from sleep/study time.

I appreciate the info. I'm going back and forth between Driversed.com and National Driver Training (the two I was looking at before posting!) Our state doesn't have regs and our insurance company only wants the certificate from the school saying ds completed Driver's Ed. ?? I'm leaning toward DriversEd because it's so inexpensive compared to NDT (which is still a great deal!). It just sounds like we need that certificate. I never had Driver's Ed, so I can't stand the focus on that piece of paper. However, with a boy, that extra 10% or whatever the discount is will be a HUGE help in his insurance rates!!! Thanks again!!

I don't subscribe to the site you're talking about, but I can tell you that we were at Universal Orlando (both parks) last Wed and it was practically empty. We walked on every ride but for the Disaster one, and the wait was 10-15 minutes. Yes, we even walked on Harry Potter's castle ride (Forbidden Journey I think it's called?). Since we did both parks in one day, we did the non-HP park first, then hopped over to the other one. We did notice that by 3:00 'our' park got busier, probably from the HP people coming over! We had heard that everyone hits HP first, so we decided to be different and go later on in the day after everyone had had their fill. We guess it worked in our case! Now.... we didn't go into the wand store (there WAS a line for that, but not long...maybe 15 people?). If you have the choice, I would go on Thursday... school groups arriving for weekend competitions/locals probably will add to the attendance numbers on Fridays (my own logic there!). Don't know if I'm of any help, but I thought I'd throw in my $02 and give the thread a little bump for you. :D Have fun!!!

Has anyone's child taken one of the online Driver's Ed courses? If so, can you share your thoughts? How long did the course take to complete (weeks, months?). Ds 15 has a permit and already has 50 hours of driving (eligible early summer for real license), but we would like the discount with our insurance company for having completed 'driver training'. Our company only requires a certificate of completion from what I was told. We are unable to participate in any of the local schools' driver's ed classes, which is why we are looking at online courses. I did do a forum search and mentioned were: Driver Ed in a Box, Driver's Ed.com (through homeschoolbuyersco-op), and National Driver Training Institute, but the threads didn't really help much. If anyone can share their thoughts/experiences, I'd appreciate it!

I somehow missed the last few weeks' threads, but I've been reading and am on schedule. I have been rereading Jean Auel's books in preparation for the release of her final one in The Clan of the Cave Bear series. I have reread three so far and am almost ready to begin the fourth (I need a break between those books!) Since my last update, I have also read Bone Deep by David Wiltse which is a fictional serial killer book. Last night, I began book 7. Hide by Lisa Gardner. I'm not sure what it's about, but I'm thinking it's another murder mystery. I like the cop stuff. :D I enjoy fiction and have a hard time reading the heavier books that so many here read. I do, however, have several on my 'to consider list', so I'm hoping to find *something* I enjoy that isn't just fiction. I tried reading What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains (I believe that's the correct title) a while back and found myself skimming it (oh, the irony!), as it read more like a statistics text and I just can't get in to that. I hold out hope, though, that I'll make the transition from reading only fiction one day....

Regarding the bolded: "Sorry, next week won't work for us to have dd stay late for testing, and with her missing so much school and still not feeling 100%, she won't be turning in her make up work until next Friday." Only you know she won't be taking the test or turning in the work. Problem solved. :D Send the letter so it arrives Feb 10 when dd is home with you, as planned. Remember, The Hive has your back! :D