If NEM seems a bit "scary" to you as it does to me, Singapore Math is offering Discovering Mathematics now. I've been told it is designed for the same students as NEM but is a bit easier and much more appealing. I've got to make a decision soon since my daughter is almost finished with level 6 but am still leaning toward NEM.

The placement tests can be found at singaporemath.com. edited to add, there's a forum there as well. The moderator is great about answering questions of all kinds, including correct placement. Judy

In 3A, the student begins working with the bar diagrams used through level 6. It's an important "jump" in thinking the Singapore way. If you haven't already, I recommend giving him the placement tests. The placement test results should help you decide which level is best. Singapore Primary series works very well for my older daughter. Maybe it will for your child as well.

Why wouldn't you want to use a keyboard unless the keys were weighted? I know very little about music - sad isn't. Money is a huge factor for me. I haven't found affordable piano lessons until this neighbor began offering lessons. Thanks so much. Judy

Great answer! Thanks for the laugh.

My neighbor agreed to give 30 minute lessons. My girls are thrilled. We start after Labor Day. Thanks everybody for the advice and information.

My neighbor is offering piano lessons in her apartment for $15.00/hour. But she only has a Yamaha keyboard not a real piano. We don't have a piano either - no room for one! My DDs, 8 & 11, would practice on a small keyboard. Both girls want to learn to play. Do you guys think this situation is doable? My budget doesn't run to more expensive lessons. Even at $15/ hr, it's a challenge. Both girls would be beginners. Also do you think 30 minute lessons might be enough considering they're rank beginners? I'm not sure if my neighbor would consider the shorter lessons but it might be worth trying. Thanks so much! Judy

There have been times in the past when I've voted for the "better" of two candidates even though I didn't particularly like either. But this time I feel strongly about both McCain and Obama. After much prayer, I decided to vote the way I believe best regardless. Now I have to decide who among the multitude of others should get my vote hence my question.

As of now at least, I'm not voting for either McCain or Obama. Would anyone who's voting for a third party candidate tell me who and why. This is the first time I probably won't be voting for one of the two primary candidates! Thanks so much.

My daughter carries an epi-pen as well. She's never been kept from an activity because of it. I thought epi-pens were designed so the average person could use them with no medical training or for that matter much training at all. They're really easy / simple to use although of course the situation requiring their use is potentially life threatening. But there are so many conditions that are potentially life threatening. How many people are to be eliminated from bible study because of medical conditions. How sad that a Christian organization would keep a child from participating for such a reason.

I'll pray that it works out so you can continue homeschooling! I think it would be good idea to keep quiet about your concerns without of course lying until you see how the merger works out. Speaking out too soon may very well label you as a problem employee. Not to mention, you could lose a good job. You'll be in a stronger position to negotiate more flexible hours after you prove yourself to the new managers. Now they're likely looking for candidates to eliminate. At least that's been my experience working for a company that merged with another.

This is a topic where I have strong feelings so please know I am trying to be gentle with my words. Why were you so positive she hadn't given birth to her daughter? Maybe her husband is from Guatemala. I would also have been very irritated at the assumption that my daughter was adopted or not "from here" from a stranger. For me the worse approach you could take is assume my daughters are adopted and start a conversation about it. I no longer feel I have to educate anybody on the subject of adoption with our family as the basis. If you want to talk with me about my daughters, start with complementing them and tell me something about yourself. Are you adopted? What is your interest in adoption? Some children are uncomfortable having their family situation / history discussed with strangers even such apparently innocuous questions about where they were born. When I'm asked where my children were born, I start by telling the person where I was born. That equalized the situation in my girls' eyes. I hope this makes sense. When you are a conspicuous family, differences can be unnecessarily magnified in the minds of the children by questions such as yours. I hope I would have answered in a gentle tone of voice but I also would have said from here and shut down the conversation. My desire is to be polite but I no longer will have conversations with strangers that focus on our adoption. It's been too hurtful to my daughters. I will, however, talk with almost anybody about adoption in general if you approach me privately.

Do you think they took a picture of him with the fish? That would make all the difference to my 8 yo daughter. She could celebrate later with all her friends and relive the experience again and again. For some reason, she also doesn't have the "victories" my older daughter does. Partly because my older daughter is naturally more in tune with all that goes on around her. She picks up social clues much quicker than I do.

There's a product designed by a physician available on line that gently blows warm air into the ear canal to dry it. It's suppose to work very well, better than the alcohol drops. I've been tempted to buy it but the cost is a bit high especially since we don't swim year round. My daughters tolerate the commercial ear drops with glycerin better than my homemade varieties. Alcohol alone or alcohol / vinegar combination irritates too much.

Our pediatrician told me if there's pain when the earlobe is pulled gently, it's usually swimmer's ear. My daughters use drops after swimming to dry out the ear canal since my older daughter is prone to swimmer's ear. I hope she's feeling much better soon. edited to say: I don't like to use antibiotics but if her earache doesn't clear up soon, I would take her to the doctor.

Our pediatrician told me if there's pain when the earlobe is pulled gently, it's usually swimmer's ear. My daughters use drops after swimming to dry out the ear canal since my older daughter is prone to swimmer's ear. I hope she's feeling much better soon.

You're making me "homesick." I lived in Saudi and then Qatar in the 1980s for about 3 years total. Although some parts were difficult and even painful, I still miss living there but wouldn't want to go back to live. Strange contradiction isn't it! Enjoy your trip.

We'll be praying for them as well!

Both my daughters, 11 & 8, have DS systems. Fortunately both DDs also enjoy many other activities so I've not had to make specific rules limiting their use yet. As part of the requirements for getting / using them, my sweeties have to be willing to stop graciously when asked and to be willing to carry on conversations with me and others even if their games are more interesting to them. They've actually learned a lot about the art of conversation this way. When we first got them, I made a point to interrupt their game play unexpectedly to be sure they will react graciously. Since they have demonstrated to me that they can "handle" having the DS over many months now, I'm no longer concerned (at least not as much as I was when we first got them.) The games are fairly expensive but the really good ones can be played many times. Also, we buy used games at Gamestop. Used games there can be returned for a refund within 7 days. Ann

I'd also just serve whatever the church provided. I imagine most parents will expect their kids will be eating more "junk" food than usual at VBS. But as a parent, I would be thrilled if the snacks were healthy! As someone else mentioned, I would be much more concerned about the swimming. Will the parents be signing some type of permission slip or waver? Our church requires everybody to sign a waver before swimming in the pool owned by the church. When we've had church sponsored swimming parties at someone's home, a parent /guardian had to stay to be responsible for their children.

I'm a first born but I only had one sibling. He died unexpectedly three years ago. My SIL is now homeschooling both my niece and nephew. She's also a first born!

My TVs are older so I bought two converter boxes with the coupons. At Wal-Mart, the cost to me was $10.00 / box. I bought the RCA one because it is the only one I saw where the channels could be changed on the box itself. I know we'll lose at least one of the remote controls. This way at least we could change the channel. Universal remotes are not yet designed to control the converter box as far as I know. Living in an apartment, we can't have an outdoor antenna. Our indoor antenna is amplified which helps reception but even so we lost one local channel totally and we regularly lose the signal for some of the others using the converter. So much depends on where you live and how strong and direct the signals are. If you TVs are new, the converter is built in but otherwise older TVs will not work without cable in Feb. 2009. If you are interested in getting one of the converters, request the coupons now. Also buy the converter as soon as you can because Wal-Mart at least runs out of them regularly. Our local Wal-Marts have been out for several weeks. You only have 90 days to use the coupons. Time goes by quickly. Judy

Wow! Reactions such as many of these are why I never speak of my daughters' issues to anyone who doesn't "walk the walk." No reputable institution is going to admit a child with only ADHD. She likely isn't giving full details because they are personal and painful to her family. I feel deeply for the child but I also feel deeply for the parents. Please be very careful before you decide this mom is a terrible mom. She very well may be facing issues with her child that you can't even imagine! It is one of the loneliness places a parent can find themselves and one of the most painful and frightening. Judy

Does the end justify the means? My answer is an strong no it does not. A friend's teenage daughter has been diagnosed with PTSD. If this type of deception were perpetrated on her, she would very likely suffer serious and long lasting emotional trauma. The administrators and teachers can't possibly know the emotional makeup of each student or the problems they may have. Nor can they with any certainty know if a student has experienced the death of a loved one recently. If someone had done this to me soon after my only brother died unexpectedly, I believe I would have gone into shock. Will the school system take responsibilty for any emotional fallout from their actions? Most likely not; it will be left to the families. Judy

An acquaintance asked me about this program. Apparently, it's offered either as a stand alone program or a virtual school customized to each state's requirements. Is this a good program for children who are academically accelerated? I'm curious since I don't know anyone who's using it. Thanks so much. J.S.