[*mama26- URGENT- PLEASE READ* (Please keep this bumped to Page 1 all day)]

:grouphug:

[Penpal for alomost 12 yo dd..]

My dd will be 10 in April and is a great letter writer - she writes letters to people she sees twice a week. We are in the Atlanta area.:001_smile:

[If you have a large family, do you ever go see movies in the theater with the kids?]

For us it is a treat. The kids love to go because it is special. We are amazed at how much cheaper the tickets are near their grandparents compared to metro Atlanta. We also went to the $ movies recently and we will go back. I tell the kids for the price of us going we could own the dvd and order a pizza!

[Just a plug for Brimwood Press]

Has anyone used the audio book? We love to listen to books in the car and if it involves story telling I can probably get my kids to listen to it without too much complaining.

[Camping, Camping, Camping!!!]

Enjoy it! I would plan, plan, plan your meals. I made a master list of what we would need for every meal and check off the ingredients or supplies (a lot of time I would make it before we left and just heat it up) because you won't have syrup for the pancakes in the back of the fridge like you do at home. Also bring serving utencils... I went to a thrift store and got a ton of silverware and pots and pans that just stay in the camper so I don't have to pack everytime. I know everyone says to bring flip flops, bring them, but I always bring a rubber mat for the shower, I can't shower in slippery flip-flops without twisting my ankle. If your bring beer, bring a bottle opener.:) don't forget trashbags, batteries, books, games, pillows, extra blankets, if you have ones that still wet the bed, bring a water proof covering and laundry detergent. First aid kit of course, a camera. Have fun!

[Grandma's moistening kettle may have held off flu]

I did something right! Last week I bought a humidifier and dug out the old ones and have been running them none stop. I did this because my skin is so dry it hurts. Looks like it will do more than that!:)

[Flu city around my place]

My sister's kids got the medicine for the flu and were better in three days. I don't know when your symptoms started, but call the doctor for this medication to see if you are albe to take it. She was amazed at how quickly they recovered. Get well soon!

[Caroline Lawrence Roman Mysteries - opinions?]

This is from an 11 year old boy on the first one - "it was Ok" The first one involves killing dogs and that is very upsetting. Another girl I tutor said they gave her nightmares. So... there you go!:D

[Planning Trip to Washington DC.....Please HELP!]

you could easily spend four or five days in the FREE Smithsonian museums, don't forget the zoo. We also loved our trip to Ford's Theater and to Mount Vernon. Have fun! We had trouble finding places to eat (for a reasonable amount of money) but if you have a car you can drive a little to find something.

[typing program that teaches asdf jkl; and few words?]

We use Typing Quick and Easy. My 9 year old daughter types super fast and correctly. The key is to be consistent (isn't that true with everything;))

[Easy Grammar experience?]

LOVE IT! It uses the approach of crossing out the prepositional phrases so the subject and predicate just pop out at you. There is no diagramming, but you can use a diagramming workbook to supplement. I have used EG for three years and I am convinced my kids know more grammar than I ever did.

[Can you all talk me through this situation? All viewpoints invited!]

We are not there yet, but remembering that age... I do recall volunteering at the senior center on Valentines and it made me feel good to be loving towards others. I would suggest reaching out to others in the community (or the humane society) and maybe make a homemade meal together, no candles.

[Posting medical update on my 9yodd....please read if you can!]

We will be praying for you as well. In my situation (not so scary only lasted a week), I found that being calm in the doctor's office worked the best. I also asked if we could go into the doctor's office not the patient exam room to talk about treatment/test options. I prayed before talking to the doctor to help me get centered and to help me listen better. I wrote down everything the doctor said and even asked her to spell certain tests. When we were in the hospital, I found that the pediatric nurse was incredibly helpful, she could describe each test with remarkable details.

 

Good luck and know that you are not alone.

[Writing Program for 9 year old]

IEW does get faster as you go along. Boy! Those first few lessons have such a learning curve. Be patient, if you like it; it will get faster.

:)

[What do you consider essential for first grade?]

Reading! Writing! Arthimetic!

 

Pretty Basic.

 

I would also add teaching the child/student to do his/her best and to have pride in his/her work. I have taught public, private, and homeschool (grades K - 8) and oh what a difference to have a kid that CARES!

 

By the way I love first graders!:001_smile:

[Pencils and OCD]

I kid I tutor was the EXACT same way! I finally told him before we started to sharpen three pencils and that is it! He now uses mechanical pencils and I tell him the same thing - three pencils ready to go. I told him, basically deal with it. I know he has OCD tendenancies so I hope I have not ruined him for life, but he would seriously waste 10 minutes out of every hour sharpening his pencil.

 

Good luck and I can't wait to see if anyone else has had this experience.

[Is a Kitchen Aid stand mixer worth it?]

I have had mine for 15 years and it is going strong!

[Just for fun: what would it take to start a school?]

I had a group of parents who wished for me to start a school. They were even willing to fund it. BUT...the building cost way more than they thought, finding staff was way harder than they thought, finding students to pay tuition was way harder than they thought. So I ended up with 12 students in my home with one helper. I now run a tutoring service for homeschool kids and it is so much easier.

 

To open a school on your own you need MONEY! You need a ton of time, you need students, you need an incredibly supportive spouse and kids, you need more money and more patience than you ever thought. But seriously, you need to have a very clear vision of what you Want.

 

Good Luck!

[Tell me how to use Fact Families.]

After they understand the concept, I draw a little house figure and put the "family" in the roof and then the kids make the number sentences using them in the box of the house. My daughter likes this exercise and draws little flowers in front of the houses. It is a great way to keep her busy on the white board while I am working with someone else.

[I need some help on what brands to buy for kitchen items]

I have had my kitchen aid mixer for fifteen years and it is great! I can't comment on other quality items as I don't have them. But am looking forward to others answers.

[Anyone else NOT caring about the Super Bowl?]

My husband will be out of town, so I don't even have to turn it on! :001_smile:

[Latin or Spanish? Rosetta Stone?]

I would not use Latin Rosetta Stone. I want my kids to learn Latin because it is a base for so many languages; it is not my goal for my kids to be Latin experts, but just to appreciate words. We use Rosetta Stone for Spanish and have someone come in to converse with them. That is what we do - don't know if it successful yet!

[s/o Duggar family]

Perhaps Michelle and the older girls just looks so darn smart and collected that everyone seems pale in comparison.

[Please explain some things to me; what is a "witch" and what is a "pagan"?]

Ok, I am a little out of touch too. Do they (people who call themselves withces) actually believe they can perform spells? Really do magic? Do they honestly believe that Harry Potter exist? I am sorry if offended anyone, I am just in shock that grown-up beleive in magic.

[Do you expect your DC to go to college?]

We plan our kids graduating from college. Although I have thought that nursing school would be a great investment as well for a medically minded child, but my kids get way too nervous going to the doctor... We'll see what happens!