In one post, I called the rebate a tax cut because I was trying to explain that the payment will not be simply an advance payment of the tax refund you might otherwise receive in spring 2009. Later, in the post you quoted, I was trying to say that it's not a tax cut in the traditional sense; therefore, the terminology I used bothered me, because I didn't want to be misunderstood. It's a one-time only payment, and there will be people who receive the rebate who don't pay any taxes. In an earlier post, I said that I imagine there will be a way to claim the refund on your 2008 tax return if for some reason you don't qualify to have the check mailed to you in June. So yes, it will affect your 2008 tax return. But a lot of people are concerned that their 2008 tax liability will be the same as it otherwise would have been, but by receiving a "rebate" in June, their refund in spring 2009 will be reduced or they might even owe money. I was trying to explain that it won't work that way. I hadn't yet heard the mechanics of how the tax cut or credit related to the rebate would work (your post is the first I've read regarding that issue), but I know with 100% certainty that the payments will be related to some sort of tax cut or credit. That was the issue I was addressing. I'm also 99.99% certain the tax cut or credit will be temporary, which is why, in my mind, it's not a tax cut in the traditional sense. Clear as mud?

According to the SOTW 4 activity guide, the books are written for: SOTW 1 - grades 1-4 SOTW 2 - grades 2-5 SOTW 3 - grades 3-6 SOTW 4 - grades 4-8 For independent reading, I'm not sure what the official reading level is, but I think they'd be great for logic stage.

That's a relief.

They call dh Dad or Daddy.

The terminology I used in my earlier post is bothering me. Just as others have pointed out that this rebate isn't exactly a rebate, it isn't exactly a tax cut either. But my point was that you won't be penalized on your 2008 tax return, and that point still stands.

Vocabulary Vine by PaulaH who posts on these boards. We've really enjoyed it.

Exactly! Even if you use the rebate to pay bills rather than buying new stuff, it will help the economy, although perhaps not exactly the way the government intends.

Yes, the 2001 rebate was an advance payment, but it was related to the new child tax credit. So while it did reduce the refunds people received in the spring of 2002, it did not reduce them below what they would have gotten had the new tax credit not been passed that year. If this new rebate is passed, it will be a tax cut. It will not reduce your tax refund below what you currently expect it to be. There's no way in heck the government would give all that money out if it weren't a tax cut, because not everyone even gets a refund. And millions of people pay estimated taxes rather than having income tax withheld from a salary. I agree that the rebate is not the best way to improve our country's financial health in the long run. I'd much rather the federal government cut spending and stop getting involoved in matters beyond its constitutional authority. But OTOH, I won't mind having an extra $2,100 that I wasn't expecting this summer.

Coffee.

It starts getting phased out at $75k for individuals and $150k for couples.

No, this is in addition to what you would normally get back when you file your tax return. The last rebate was an advance payment of the child credit, which was new that year. Anyone who didn't get the rebate (but should have), was able to claim it on their tax return for that year. I imagine they'll do something similar this year, so in that sense, you could say it's an advance on next year's tax return.

I grew up in Accident, MD (in Garrett County, near Deep Creek Lake). I still love going home because it's so quiet and peaceful. My mom doesn't have internet access and my cell phone doesn't get a signal. There's nothing to do but relax! I lived in Baltimore for 1 year and then in the burbs for 11 years - Timonium and Parkville.

NE side. I work in Raleigh.

If your current grammar feels like busywork, take a break. But keep in mind that complex grammar concepts are taught in the jr. high and high school grammar programs, so you'll likely need to pick it up again at some point.

My very favorite Latin curriculum is Latin at Home by JennifersLost, fka Jennifer GWOTW. It explains the grammar being taught, all the necessary drill and repetition is built into the program, it doesn't move too fast or too slow. I keep hoping that if I brag on her program enough, she will finish the remaining volumes. :) But I suppose with all the new Latin curricula out there, it might be tough to continue profitably. My middle dd is using Latin Primer with the DVDs. It works well for her because she's a very visual learner and the DVD component really helps her to enjoy and remember the lessons. The program moves slowly enough that she is not overwhelmed (she is easily frustrated). I like Prima Latina for a very easy introduction for a younger student. My oldest dd enjoys Ecce Romani, but I think it would work much better if she had a teacher who knows Latin. It moves fast. Since it's reading based, she has to be careful to write and study the grammar as it's taught. Otherwise, she'll progress a few lessons and then hit a wall. The one program we used and hated was Latina Christiana. It's basically a "memorize this chant and don't worry about what it means" kind of curriculum. You would think the concepts would be explained in the TM, but they're not. I have not found any modern Latin programs that teach English grammar well enough to use Latin as a substitute for English grammar (imo). However, there are several out-of-copyright textbooks available free on the internet that teach English grammar explicitly and well alongside the Latin. My favorite is Latin for Beginners. I used it for awhile with my oldest dd, but she didn't not like the fact that the book has no color. Her interest level is high with Ecce Romani, so that's what she using currently. HTH

One of my sisters used to call her mother-in-law Marie (Barrone). I can't think of anyone else.

I like soft scrub best, but I can understand being hesitant to use it on a new tub. I tried Kaboom, which was okay but not great.

Go to the old board, to workshops and handouts.

With fees of $3,000 and savings of $500/month, you'd break even in 6 months. For a 2% drop, I'd definitely consider refinancing.

Please remove the dash in the link. Sorry about that!

Thanks! I feel better now. :)

In the new edition of TWTM, R&S is the first choice. But I imagine that if they revised the book now, FLL3 would be the first choice.

We were in a wreck just before Christmas and my car was totalled. The holidays slowed everything with the insurance company, so it took weeks to find out whether the car was totalled, etc. So we finally went car shopping last week and bought a van. It's a 2004 Nissan Quest, but it only had 18,000 miles and it's in like-new condition. We picked it up on Wednesday and I got rear-ended yesterday. The damage is very minor - the initial estimate is only $460, barring the discovery of hidden damage when they remove the bumper panel. But I am beginning to feel like I'm wearing a hit me sign!

We'd be offended if another family member was so close and didn't meet up. But our family's mantra is "the more, the merrier." :) If you truly don't want to meet up at least for dinner or something, I'd vacation further away.

You can find out more at http://www.visualspatial.org.