I would definitely explain what she saw, ie, watch the video and yes, probably have an uncomfortably early conversation on the mechanics of s3x. Because who knows what she might think is going on, you know? I'd I gain it would be really scary at 6. To me (I don't mean this harshly) I would see this as a failure on my part to protect her from the video, not in any way hold her responsible for looking at it. She just searched a word. Not that you would, but just in case, she obviously at 6 isn't searching for p3rn on purpose. Poor kid, and poor momma!

For a child, absolutely. If it is broken and doesn't heal right, it won't grow correctly. My Ds has broken several fingers over the years, and treatment has ranged from splints and buddy taping to full cast to the elbow. Each time it didn't particularly hurt per se (and he tumbled on them too, bad momma, before I decided to get him looked at) and could have been just a sprain, but an x ray showed a break. Some were easy hairlines, some were a big deal that would have affected him, but there was no way to tell without an x ray. The orthopedist at the clinic we are at now (been here a bit over a year) has seen Ds three times now, and last time said "I won't say goodbye, just see you later!". Snarky, but sadly probably true!

Well, since my mom (mid 60s) just adopted yet another parrot (and has 4 already, ages 7-26), and they can live 80 years...I'm a bad one to ask. Yes, I will get her parrots. I dont care for birds, they scare me for some reason. But they bring her so much joy, like my dog does. And if something happened to me (and my dh and kids) I know my mom who is not a dog person would take my dog. So I will take her birds, and care for them lovingly (if not joyously!) until I can find a good home for them. You will do the same- college is a long ways off yet, and it's not forever anyway. If the snakes need to live with you for a few years while goes to school and gets settled, why not? It's worth it to feed a passion, IMO. I just took hilarious photos of our bearded dragon wearing a Santa hat, get a wee hat from a craft store, stick it on the snake, and viola- a Christmas memory you will never beat!

That is about 11 billion kinds of awesome! Go you.

I only posted negatives earlier, so I will post some positive (unpopular) opinions. I love TLC. I watch Toddlers and Tiaras, dh and I even went as that for Halloween one year. He was the toddler, lol. I watch Dance Moms, and Honey Boo Boo. I actually think the Honey Boo Boo family is sweet and so much less messed up then the Kardashians or even the rat-race-running, super overachiever families around here I have as neighbors. I almost never admit to watching (and loving) those TLC shows, mind you. But I do love me some mindless trash tv!

I like it, but even if I didn't, I can't fathom changing a name given. Unless it's "Hitler" or something, and even then, I think I'd wait until the child was older and understood why and could pick a new one. It just seems wrong to change the name of a 4 year old child like that, when that is about all they have in the world that is stable and consistent.

I thought "the notebook" was lame and cheesy, and if I am your Facebook friend and look at your profile and see it listed (book or movie) as best!ever! I will judge you. Nicolas Sparks is the Thomas Kincaid of writing. Thomas Kincaid paintings are derivative and tacky. Any painting meant to match your 90s floral couch and painted and marketed for that purpose is just...wrong. Josh Groban is the Nicolas Sparks of singing. Gag me. Doe eyes at the camera and his playfully tousled hair and audience of swooning middle aged housewives...this is not music. This is muzak. Or however you spell it. I cannot sing, paint or write, yet still I judge.

Are you sure it was alive? Our petite, 8 pound cat has killed raccoons and possums, somehow. She is a homicidal maniac, though she hasn't ever curled up next to one of her kills and napped. Mostly they end up on the doormat, headless. Is the cat a teen trying to tick off Dad with a wildly unsuitable new boyfriend, by any chance?

My advice (I've had a LOT of cats) is get a boy kitty, they tend to be less one person cats and more friendly in general. Maybe he could visit a shelter or foster and find the perfect cat? Cats have such individual personalities it may be best to get an adult male with a set personality, rather than a kitten who might be an unknown. Some rescues are pig headed about adopting to families with kids though, be aware. The humane society and pound are much less selective and the volunteers and staff there will still work with you to find a good match personality wise- they aren't as institutional as some think, and if you explain your goals for a cat, they should be able to match you with one. I'd be a wreck without my cat, I've had at least one cat my entire life. I couldn't sleep well when I first joined the army because it was so weird to not sleep with a cat! I think cats are great pets, and a great calming presence to anyone.

If your vet insists on tests before prescribing rymadyl, and funds are tight right now, dogs can also take aspirin (never Tylenol though!). You can google for the dosage, it won't harm him to give him some for a few days and see how he reacts. Our lab also has dementia- I kept taking her to the vet certain she had cancer or a brain tumor because she was acting, well, weird. Turned out to be dementia. There are Meds for it, but our dog is on a lot of Meds already so we decided since it isn't too bad to not medicate for it (plus it's fairly new and results are uncertain). She will cry or shiver, get "lost" in the house, act strange. It is sad, but she isn't in pain and has more good days than bad so we just deal with it. If your dog is physically healthy (it sounds like he is) dementia is something to consider. At 12 we have realized there is just not much time left, so expensive tests and treatments other than pain Meds for arthritis have been stopped. Our vet wanted to do x rays for her hips, to see if it was just arthritis or something else, but we refused- we wouldn't do surgery at her age, so why bother?

My poor Ds is a bad/anxious test taker, and I will be honest, I am thisclose to just saying screw it, go to CC, it's hardly the end of the world. No more ap/sat stress, I can get my creative, intelligent, all around good boy back and he could actually enjoy the next few years rather than be stressed all the time. Maybe work a little (right now, he would never have time with this work load for schoolwork), discover a passion. No, we won't impress the neighbors, but...really, I am so close to saying just STOP all this crazy! (we live in a ridiculously high pressure area- preschools advertise they will set the path for kids to get accepted to the math science high school)

It's happened to me, on an I terminational flight no less. I was aisle, hubby and kids across from me. A very large woman came up, and stood awkwardly looking at her ticket, and the seat, and me, and the (large ish man) sitting in the window seat. I asked her if the middle was hers, and she turned so red and said "I'm sorry, it is. I don't know if I will fit". My heart just broke for the poor lady. I moved middle (I am very small) and the window guy and I both put our armrests up and she just fit, with me in part of the guys seat and her in mine and hers. It was uncomfortable, true, but geez, I felt so bad for her. And a bonus, since I wasn't next to them any more dh had to deal with the kids the whole way, I've flown alone with them many times and so it was a great break for me, squished or no, lol. I figure my cat howling for 14 hours on a flight from Asia (we are moving, what could we do?) drives people batty. Kids crying drive people batty. People throwing up or wearing too much perfume drives people batty. An airplane ride is pretty much guaranteed to make someone or everyone uncomfortable, annoyed and stressed, but that is how it goes. You just deal as politely and calmly as you can and get through it.

Breed is important- labs for instance are just total PITA until about 18 months old. That how we got our pure bred Lab from the shelter- shelters are full of 1 year old Labs whose people just can't take it anymore. They calm down around 2, fwiw. No matter the breed, your dog is still very young, a teenager really. He will not be like this forever. It sounds to me like he needs a LOT more exercise- way more. Wear that guy out! Run with him, throw a ball until he collapses, tire his butt out 2-3 times a day. I don't know your situation, but generally as a home schooling family you have far more time and attention to give a dog than other types of families. He doesn't necessarily need a big yard, our lab was an urban (population 20 million urban) apartment dog for years. Walks and exercise are key. Like children, a dog needs an investment of time to grow into a dog you want. It isn't as involved as children, of course. But you can't expect to not spend a great deal of time redirecting, exercising, correcting. That's why we get older dogs, lol, no patience for a puppy (plus they don't get adopted as readily). My opinion- it's too early to throw in the towel.

I know he gets really anxious, yes. We haven't done any test prep yet, he did take the PSAT but I wanted that to be truly "cold" to know what we should focus on. He has a lot of test taking experience- it just isn't very good, lol. Online classes, he chokes on the tests. Standardized tests, same. His Russian teacher actually sent me an email about it yesterday- they have new testing requirements this year, apparently, and his teacher said Ds has a b in the class due to getting Ds on the big, every 4 weeks tests, but he has perfect scores on informal quizzes, all homework, etc. His teacher feels Ds really DOES know this stuff, he says he is doing the best in his class, but for some reason, bombing the tests! I see him study, sometimes I help him, he knows how and he knows the info. But call it a test and-? I just don't get it. It seems to be recall under pressure, he makes really dumb mistakes, on info he knows. He doesn't run out of time on timed tests, he said he finished all but one PSAT section. Maybe making a testing "plan" and practicing it, like read the directions, read the question, answer it, re read it, or something? Wolfmeis, it is exactly those test type writing/logic type things he bombs. He overthinks, or something. I am a great test taker too, and I can't figure out why he can't "see" the answer, when I know he knows it! It's too early to really fret about sats, we will do test prep for them, but just overall, testing for him is such a struggle. I guess it's good he is an active participant, always does all home work, etc and those seem to balance out the poor tests, but I worry about college!

Ds has been dual enrolled in public or private school since 6th grade, for foreign language and electives (band, music theory, art, choir). He has done standardized every year since 2nd grade. He has taken online, co-op, and private classes. In every scenario, he has done poorly on tests. It isnt a matter of not knowing the material- it's taken me this long to definitively realize that. His foreign language teacher at the high school is truly stumped- they recently implemented more testing (Cc?) and the teacher says Ds is the strongest student in his class. Yet, he has bombed, or at least not done great, on the tests. Ditto online, co-op, every conceivable testing situation. I know he gets really nervous, but I thought exposure (hence the yearly standardized testing and dual enrollment early) would help. But it's not. Any advice? What can I do? He is a sophomore now, and sats that count are looming! He can't explain it, and neither can I- I always assumed he just wasn't prepared or studied enough, but truly, that is not the case. It's just...tests. Help!

Not because of it, but Ds would never had been able to keep up school and 30 hours in the gym a week by the time he stopped at level 8. I always felt so sorry for those poor fellow 10 year olds getting up at 7 am for school all day, and training all night. Another perk- it's a socially acceptable reason to home school, lol. People seem to get it more than "we just don't much care for public school". ;-)

It must have been LA Law Corbin, I've never seen Psych. I truly never gave him any thought. Now I do. I tell dh he looks nice today, and he asks "Corbin Bernsen nice?". Seriously, it's that bad. Do. Not. Tell.

The most annoying verbing-of-a-nonverb is "purpose". I purpose to Fellowship in a God-honoring way. Gag.

I once admitted to dh I had "that kind" of dream about...Corbin Bernsen. It was a GOOD dream, lol. But I don't find him attractive, so it was really weird, so I told dh about it. He's never let me forget it. Never. Corbin Bernsen gets mentioned far too much. Learn from me!! Don't tell!!

My mom, sister and aunt were on Maury. The story that aired was very different than the real story, but they didn't much mind as it wasn't terribly serious and kind of funny. Their same episode had a paternity dispute and some kind of girl wrestling. Please don't kick me off this board for admitting that.

Ballet is the same for boys and girls at his level. I was going to ask if perhaps the boys class was just too advanced- typically boys begin in the same classes as girls and progress through the beginner levels until separated out at the intermediate level. Unless the school has many boys or the school has very few, the typical progression is classes of mixed genders, then adding in a boys class in addition to the mixed gender class (typically when girls begin pointe work, which boys obviously don't do). So it's possible the class is just too advanced for a very beginner and he would be better off in a beginner class (that will probably be mostly or all girls, but it's all the same at that level). but it sounds like this class is for beginners, so maybe not? I can't see the harm of looking up basic positions and terms on YouTube- ballet is a language one needs to learn. There are many, many videos out there online to help him learn the terms and positions, or at least get acquainted with them so he feels more comfortable. I can't see the harm in that! I have a ballet boy, too, always happy to see another discover this world!

Me too, please! I had planned for Ds to take bio at the cc but that may not work out now. I need a home based but independently graded class for biology. Any reviews on landry?

My youngest was at dance, so I asked my oldest (15). He looked at me like I was nuts and told me not to ask his brother that, because he likely had a whole list. I'm not sure how to interpret that?

I can't do dancing smileys, so I gain them please! I so, so, so wish Ds could attend a school like that!

I didn't vote, and I don't want to talk about my marriage. But I am extremely grateful to have checked this board, clicked on this thread despite thinking it would just make me blue, and finding Tap and others posts. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for that.