Totally, 100% agree.

RAW files are the native format file that a camera shoots. For Nikon files, you would need either Nikon's software or Adobe Bridge or Lightroom. For Canon files - you'd need Canon or Adobe software. RAW files contain more data than a JPEG file, which is compressed. Essentially, a RAW file captures a broader range of values (light to dark) per pixel than a JPEG file, which captures minimal info. Raw files are also easier for correcting or fine tuning white balance. I've always compared RAW files with digital to negatives with film. It's the best "original" you can get. At this point, I wouldn't recommend getting anything to correct the files (if they do need correcting). I'd wait and see what you really end up with. How were the files that she gave you? I noticed you said you transferred them really quickly. Were they even full resolution or were they screen resolution? I'd be curious to see some.

Very helpful information. Thanks for sharing!

It sounds like she doesn't know what she's doing - both as a business person and as a photographer. I've studied photography, taught photography at the HS level, been self-employed as a photographer for many years, and I am confident in my abilities, but I almost always turned away weddings because if the slightest thing goes wrong, you can't redo the shoot. No amount of Photoshop can fix an improperly shot image. And this is where a large problem lies. With the advent of DLSRs, people think the ability to buy a camera gives them the ability to take a good image and open up a business. It's just not so. If I were in your shoes, I would ask her point-blank - did the images just not come out? If so, I'd still want to see them to find out what, if any, is salvageable. If she admits she messed up, I'd ask for her RAW files (hopefully she shot RAW and not JPEG) and see if another (experienced/qualified) photographer can make any improvements. Hopefully she's just really slow on her post-processing and the images are ok. If not, I'd check with professional organizations to see if she's a member, and if so, report her. http://www.ppa.com/ http://www.wppionline.com/ google Professional Photographers of (your state)

Honestly, I had never even heard the term "working memory" prior to his diagnosis. It was described to me as the memory you need to remember the beginning of a sentence once you've heard the end of it, or the ability to repeat back a string of numbers. My son could not recall 5 digits after he immediately heard them. My son really didn't remember much of anything either. We would do a math lesson on Monday, he could follow the directions and get through the lesson, and the following day he would have no idea how to do the same problems. It was like this with pretty much all his school work. He was also very slow to explain things. I used to tell DH that I could go and make a sandwich while he was thinking of what he wanted to say. And my older son is extremely talkative, so I was constantly having to tell him to wait and let his brother finish speaking. Wow - recalling all this - things have really changed around here in a good way. Anyway - whether or not CAPD and memory are related, I don't know.

I had suspected one of my sons had CAPD, and after testing it was determined that his primary issue was his working memory. It was recommended to us, and we opted to put him through Fast Forword. Fast Forword addresses both CAPD and memory issues. It was expensive, intensive (2 hours/day, 5 days/week for 7 weeks - all at a Speech & Language pathologist's office) but for him it was truly transformational. It's been a year since he did it, and he's a different child today (all for the better). If you do have testing done and they offer Fast Forword as an option, I'd be more than happy to share more of our experience with it. Debbie

I think smaller is better. If Adam's Tiger Den had been smaller, he may have stuck with it. He hated it because the kids were WAY out of control, the poor den leader was trying so hard to keep them focused, and the parents did pretty much NOTHING to control their kids. Adam ended up on the bottom of a "pile-on" with a bunch of kids he barely knew. He calmly looked up at me from the bottom of the pile and said "This is why I hate this." I'm still holding out a ray of hope that he'll want to join Scouts when he's in 6th grade, but it's not looking too promising... Eric's Boy Scout troop is on the smaller side (around 20 boys) and it's great.

My boys know the work has to be done, but they still whine sometimes. I really don't like them doing their work with a bad attitude, because they're not learning like they should. I've come to a point where I'll take away school books and tell my kids they are not allowed to work until they are in the right frame of mind. It's amazing how one minute a child can be whining about their work, and the next minute begging for it to be returned. Also, as other posters have said - having an organized home is a huge help, both to me and my kids (and DH, but he's not around during school time). When the house is not neat/organized, I have as hard a time as my kids do in focusing.

:( I'm sorry. I do know what you're going through.

We did change churches last fall, primarily for our kids. We went from a small church (which we had been at for almost 20 years) with very few kids to a mega-church with hundreds of kids. It's been an adjustment for all of us, but we have no regrets. We still love the people of our old church, but for us, it was the right move. How do your kids feel about your current church? Ours were at a point where they hated going to church. :( Our older son had only one other boy his age, and they had nothing in common. Our younger son had one great friend there, and we were sad to say goodbye to him.

I don't sort either. Never even thought about it.

The good: My 12 yr. old has his board of review to make 2nd class this week. He's plugging away at his Personal Management MB, and will be doing Photography and Traffic Safety this coming Saturday at a MB Day. He's currently a Patrol Leader. The not so good: He and one other boy are officially picked on because they're homeschooled. I don't get why kids are so mean... So far he does not want me to get involved, so I'll respect his wishes. All in all - DS loves the scouts, and the other boy that is homeschooled is a great kid. I'm glad my son has a friend like him. :)

Have you looked at the Sonlight core reading lists? That's a good place to start. I've found some books my kids love through Sonlight.

I've always wondered how your mom's floors were always so spotless. What does she do? Are your floors darker than mine? I know mine are super hard to keep clean. The dust just blows in the front door and lodges under an end table in the family room. And then there's the dog hair. Ugh.

My son's favorite songs for skip counting are from Rockin' the Standards. http://www.rockinthestandards.com/site/ They have a link to iTunes on their site.

I'd recommend getting a Wacom. I've had two over the years, and they've both been great. I currently have a Wacom Intuous, which is wonderful, but I think anything they make will be good. The Bamboo line looks like a good fit for your dd. http://www.wacom.com/bamboo/index.php ETA: Posted at the same time as MomofOnefunOne :)

Another vote for skip counting. My 9 yr old loves the songs from Rockin' the Standards.

Here's my two cents: Talk to the coach. Find out if she needs him to be there or not. Honestly, if a child doesn't want to be a true part of the team, it can really drag the rest of the team down. Then again, sometimes losing a player can put the team into a position where they don't have enough players at all. Remember, for most kids' sports, the coaches are volunteers. They're giving their time for the benefit of the kids. It can be quite frustrating as a coach to see kids quit simply because they're "done" without any regard to how it affects the team. And as much as my DH has wanted to be "done" coaching some teams, he's never quit mid-season. When my older son was 10, he reached the "done" point about 2/3 of the way though the baseball season. We had him finish the season because he chose to be there and he had made the commitment. Once the season was over, we never pressured him to play again. He's chosen other interests that fit his personality better, and he gets our full support there.

I would look on KEH.com. (I linked straight to the Canon 35mm Camera outfits). These are used cameras, but KEH is a reputable company, so I think it's a far better option that risking a purchase through ebay.

Thanks!! :thumbup:

I have not read through the replies, but I wanted to throw in my two cents. I've battled eczema most of my life, and now one of my kids has it. For a long time, the only relief I got was from Triamcinolone cream, which I wouldn't recommend, as it is a steroid cream. I've found in our home that milk is the #1 culprit. I figured it out through an elimination diet. A dietary change has done far more to help than any ointments or creams ever did. I hope you can get her cleared up. It's no fun having it :(.

My DH has also met someone named La-a. We had never heard of it before. A friend who is a teacher had a student named Joytotheworld. One word, and it was all her first name. I also knew someone a long time ago named Rainy Day.

:grouphug: Let me know what your Ped. says, ok? And whatever the Dr. says, stick to it (I know you will). Even if it means she can't kiss the kids.

We had the same one as ChickenPatty for years. The kids loved it. We have a small backyard, so we stretched it from the kids' fort (up high) to a telephone line. The main drawback that I saw with it was that while my kids learned how to use it and I felt safe with them on it, I was always a nervous wreck when other kids were on it. We had kids drop off it unexpectedly - but fortunately no major injuries. After about 6-7 years or so of being up year-round the cable started to weaken and finally began splitting when a neighbor boy (big kid) used it. While it lasted, it was a great toy, and worth the $ we paid for it.

It's only 91 here in Orange County. Yesterday I had to turn the AC on. I'd love some real Autumn weather.