Help me pick a name for a blog. I'm starting a blog with my students. They are aged 7-9. The idea is a platform where they can practice their writing skills and be writing for an audience. We did a class journal, but the parents and kids are wanting something computer based. The students ask a lot of interesting questions during class time, many of which I don't have the answers to. So, I thought the blog could also be a place for them to research these questions and write short paragraphs explaining what they've learned. But I'm stumped when it comes to blog names. Ideas?

I'm in such a funky mood. For my birthday dh took me to a super crowded Sephora to pick out some make up; it's on a shopping street I particularly dislike. I hardly wear make up. I have tons, I just don't wear bright red lip stick on a daily basis. I couldn't find anything I needed/wanted; so, then he said lets go out for dinner. We went out and he was on his phone the whole time, reading stuff (not aloud) and texting etc. -- a huge pet peeve of mine. I love that he did something for my birthday. I'm not complaining. It was sweet. I just feel sort of moody that my dh of 12 years doesn't know me better. Is this fairly common? Is it just a guys and girls from different planets type thing?

A friend with eight kids told me about his three-foods rule when my eldest was four. It's worked out well for us. The three-foods rule: each child/person can have three foods they don't like and are not obligated to eat at anytime. If it's not on their list of three they must at least have a bite's worth. No complaining or bad-mouthing foods -- someone else might like it so it's disrespectful. This rule has saved us nagging and stressing. From time to time a kid will switch out an item on his list for a different one, but they aren't allowed to change at each meal. Everyone has a list even me :) I hate eggs and always remind the kids that they are on my list. They get a kick out of trying to get me to taste them, and I emphasis that I make them even though I don't care for them because I know others like them. Dh: soup, potatoes, stew meat Me: eggs, cream sauces, emmental cheese Ds1: bananas, yogurt, chickpeas Ds2: fish, green leafy, tough meat Ds3: Squash, sardines, walnuts Ds2 definitely made sure his three were inclusive :). I think it helps too to remind kids that they may not like the way a food is cooked but that doesn't mean they don't like the food item per se. My oldest had eggplant on his list for a few years. One night at the table he was making disrespectful comments about the rest of us for liking eggplant and being generally unpleasant. So, I told him he had to eat a piece. He has liked it ever since to the point of asking for it to be included on the menu. There's hope!

As a former homeschooler: The first year I put my kid in school I had a similarly frustrating incident. I was told the reading curriculum would cover pre-reading concepts and the alphabet. After a month, ds who was already reading, was bored and distracting others. I tried asking for this to be acknowledged and was repeatedly told that Kindergarten students could not be tested for gifted-ness, but that I could talk to the principal. I did and was met with the same reply. I wore out my welcome. I didn't realize at the time that I needed to ask the teacher to "differentiate" the lesson. In the spring, a student teacher arrived and decided to test his reading level (grade 4) and he got different work during the reading period. Turns out the school was super accommodating. The formerly "difficult" teacher was very behind him to make sure he was progressing in his reading even if he had a different level than the class average. Turns out we'd just had a communication error. There was educational jargon that I was not aware of and my word choices meant other things to her than they did to me. May you be as lucky! As a current teacher: There are numerous reasons why my students do not take work home. I feel that once a student has put in eight hours of work they need to step back from it and take a break which can definitely include implementing the things they've learned in school. I'm concerned with the weight of kids' backpacks. I have parents who redo the students work or help to the point of dishonesty. I have kids who never bring the work back resulting in an incomplete portfolio and difficulty reviewing material during class time. I have parents come in and tell me how I should be doing my job. It is the school policy which I must uphold according to my contract. Parent teacher conference days are many teachers' nightmare. It often feels like a day of being tossed to and fro at sea. Each parent, however well-meaning, pulls in a different direction with his specific desires or teaching suggestions or explanations of why his child should be an exception. It is the most exhausting day of each semester for me. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm definitely more of my better self at the beginning of the day than at the end. You might try seeing if you can schedule a morning slot. I think looking at the finished work should be a natural part of the meeting. Unfortunately time slots can be mitigating. If you ask in advance the teacher should be able to accommodate you. Hope this gets resolved quickly for everyone involved. :)

Thank you. Thank you. Been looking for this everywhere. :)

I can't remember the name of this poem or how it goes. I know, a lot to go on! All I recall is that each line seems to make absolutely no sense until the reader realizes that a comma is needed in the middle of each line. Something like: I saw a bird making bread I saw a girl composed of thread I saw a ... I really want to use it with my class to teach them the importance of respecting punctuation. If it rings a bell...

Thanks for all the ideas. i think I'm leaning toward Island of the Blue Dolphins. Is the content okay for third grade?

I need a book for our book club, third-grade, that has water as a theme. It could be just a story that takes place on a boat or anything that touches on water. I'd thought I was going to use "A Walk to Water", and but based on the reviews online, it seems to have an older audience. Any ideas?

My dad said I was completely potty trained night and day at nine months. I was walking at that age. None of my brothers or sisters were though. Every kid is different! All of mine have been potty trained completely (meaning no diapers in the night, in the car, at daycare) by eighteen months. I'd say take his diaper off and have a potty handy for him to go to.

I just found bed bugs in my bed! We bought a used bed frame! On inspection this morning it seems there were eggs on the frame that just hatched. Tiny little bright red buggers and my arm is covered in bites. None for dh. Arghhh! Dh just threw away the bed frame and our mattress and quilt and rug. I've washed the rest of the bedding in scalding water and put it through the drier on high. I vacuumed, and washed the vacuum with scalding water. I cleaned the baseboards near the bed with alcohol, and plan to wipe it daily for three weeks with alcohol. Is there anything else I should be doing? I don't know if I'll sleep well for weeks. I'll be waking up every few minutes to check for bugs.

Would strongly suggest NOT doing this. He is her daddy and whatever separated her parents does not claim the right to make her relationship with him formal. Speaking from my own experiences, she'll hate the awkwardness or worse yet eventually resent you or step-dad for the consequences even if she loves step-dad too. He can't take her biological dad's place. He has his own.

I guess to the doctor we go.

Ds (6) has patches of spots all over his body for the past few months. This last week I noticed more patches than usual. They look like goose bumps. They don't itch or bother him. Has anyone seen this before? Could it be a possible food allergy? They heal up rather quickly, but reappear somewhere else just as fast. I put a picture of the spots on his leg.

Asterix and Obelix

I'm looking for a debate on evolution versus creation. The ideal would be one where a geological observation is presented and both sides discuss why and how that same observation fits their theory better. I would like my son to be able to make an educated inclination. I don't personally care which side of the debate he ends up on. I hold to the theory that both sides are wrong. I saw the Ken Ham vs. Bill Nye one but it wasn't really what I was looking for. If anyone knows one, much appreciated.