I screamed a few times. Deliveries came fast and furious for me. The most I pushed was maybe 20". No epidurals because I was usually pushing by the time I got to the hospital. :ack2:

I think it would be better to move her ahead already. Our youngest child is the youngest -- and smallest (and somewhat immature) -- in his sixth grade class. He is taking some classes at our high school (3,000+ students) with some really big kids, and he's doing just fine. (Btw, we did not push for that; his school did.) One of the problems you might encounter is eventually getting a teacher who won't challenge your daughter. We had a second-grade teacher who had our son play games in the back of the classroom in order for him to fall adequately behind until the rest of the class caught up. After that experience, we switched schools. Keep evaluating what is really going on in the class, and if necessary, squeak! Or, supplement. Also, initially your daughter might feel a bit young and left out with the older kids in her classroom. They already know each other. I'd suggest setting up play dates if this happens. If you can do it over summer, even better. A few buddies in the classroom can be helpful. It sounds like she's doing great. Keep up the good work! :)

I'm not familiar with Harcourt or Excel, but we began using Singapore with our youngest son around second grade. No regrets here. He's in sixth grade now and is working on Singapore's NEM books and his school's Glencoe Math which we also like. We used both the workbook and the textbook, U.S. version. My son did about one lesson per day during summers and then two on weekends. I've also never seen them in stores. We bought ours online. Good luck. IMO, I don't think you'd go wrong supplementing math. It can really help to cement fundamental concepts.

Maui. I'd just plop myself down on Wailea Beach and chill. We go to Hawaii once a year for two weeks or so, and I never grow tired of it. :)

If you can put a photo on your nano, you should be able to upload flash cards with Flash My Brain (about $30), but I've only read about doing it. http://www.flashmybrain.com/ipod-flash-cards.php They also have an online library of flash cards made by members that you can upload for free. We use this program on our computer for vocabulary review and Wheelock's Latin and find it pretty nifty!

Why not do a review of Algebra I and begin Geometry concurrently if he's motivated to do so?

If you'd like to read a neuroscientist's perspective, you might find iBrain by UCLA neuroscientist Gary Small and Gigi Vorgan interesting. The book doesn't pooh-pooh the use of electronics entirely but explains some of the ways our brains react to screen time.

For about $50, a person can pay to get the password for a Yahoo e-mail account.

Bless your heart, Molly. I'm somewhat new but read your prior posts about your health. I just want to tell you that I know someone who was diagnosed over eight years ago, and is doing very well despite having a somewhat aggressive form of lung cancer, and she was in her 60s. The medications have improved so much. I will be keeping you in my prayers. :grouphug:

There are many different positions in engineering firms. My youngest brother is an engineer who works for Intel. His wife works in training and development (I'm not sure what the exact title of her department is) at Intel as well, and she has a degree in education from the former USSR. Her job pays about $40K which isn't too bad. HTH and good luck! :)

Weeds are messengers and are here to help fix our soil. For dandies, I use a cheap short kitchen knife to gather up the leaves and then sever the top of the plant from the root just below the surface. They will come back for awhile, but the roots are wonderful and worth keeping. The soil around them is excellent, and you'll often find worms -- nature's amazing rototillers -- around them. The root also acts as a wedge to help loosen compacted and/or clay-like soil, so it's really doing us a favor! Aren't you happy to have them now?! :D

KidsHappen, I am so very sorry. I can only imagine how painful this must be for you. I will keep you and your son in my prayers. Many, many hugs to you. :grouphug:

From what I understand, Frederick Dorrit, William's brother, was the guardian of the young dancer who was Arthur's real mother. Frederick played clarinet at a theater. Amy Dorrit's real father was William. According to e-Notes, her mother died shortly after she was born. I don't believe Amy or Arthur are related. Also, I think in the book, only Amy finds out who Arthur's true mother is which she doesn't reveal to Arthur for fear of hurting his feelings. I'm not sure about this, though. Does anyone know? Great mini-series! :)

Some people find that ginger is helpful. You also might want to discuss prescription medications with your doctor before you go. You don't have to take them, but it's good to be prepared just in case. I'm not quick to recommend meds, but motion sickness could make your vacation very unpleasant. I think many cruise lines can help, too, but I wouldn't want to chance it. In Germany, there is an interesting study going on with their navy to see if antihistamines might help. The theory is that some people produce more histamine which exacerbates their motion sickness. We were in Maui this December and were only able to drive about 15" on the very twisty Road to Hana before my son started experiencing extreme motion sickness. On the way back we had to pull over every 3-5 minutes so he could wretch on the side of the road. Poor kid! Next time I'm going to try to be better prepared. Have fun on your vacation. :)

Nope. It's good you do and says a lot about you. On the other hand, short of sitting down and discussing with your in-laws how you feel -- which might not help anyway -- there is probably little you can do except develop a perspective or philosophy to help you cope. I tell myself that my MIL's put-downs, lies, and behavior will help me develop patience. Avoidance and humor help, too! I also am going to tell my kids' future spouses to let me know if I'm treating them in a hurtful way. It's not easy. You have my sympathy, Ria.

Here is an article from Dr. Weil's website for you. (He believes they're not a natural cancer treatment, btw.) http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400528/Apricot-Kernels-A-Natural-Cancer-Treatment.html

7:00. 8:35 this year. 7:35 next year. Usually but not always.

Many prayers coming your way. :grouphug:

It sounds to me like he might have perfectionist tendencies and is a little pessimistic. A book that can help with pessimism is The Optimistic Child by Martin Seligman. It can help you to see in what ways your son is pessimistic and then how to discuss his explanatory style (the thoughts he has of himself) so that he can develop a healthier outlook. The book has helped me deal with my son. Good luck. It's not easy when our kids appear to be hurting.

We live in a suburb of Illinois. The high schools I'm familiar with will not apply Algebra I or Geometry toward the math requirement if it's taken in junior high. I don't know if this applies to homeschoolers, though. (We afterschool.)

That is disturbing. I hope the man does not get out any time soon. We live in a "safe" suburb just north of Chicago and someone has attempted to abduct pre-teen boys walking home from school (even when they're with buddies) or standing at bus stops. For those around the Evanston -- Winnetka area, the man drives a white van with racks on the exterior.

That is an expensive prescription. Yikes. I also flush. Is it just on your face -- or neck, too? For me, I don't flush if I avoid coffee or tea -- decaf or caffeinated. Woe is me! Weird, but it works.

Okay, I see what you're talking about now. Here are my two cents of advice: I would want to know what they use to teach and who is teaching and grading. Some of the instructors have more experience than others. My daughter taught a few classes for the Saturday Enrichment Program while she was at NU. She was told what the class would be about and then had to put the material together herself in a short period of time. (We used suggestions from the WTM to do this, btw!) It was frustrating for her because she didn't receive much advice or oversight. The classes she designed turned out fine, but personally, I wouldn't want to shell out the money for a class that was cobbled together like that. So, caveat emptor. Just make sure the class is well-designed and solid. Most of them are. A few of the classes look very good, and I think your child could get a lot out of them. http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/gll/program/academics/courses/enrichment/courses/

Which course? IP math?

My 11-year-old took the SAT this year with a small group of kids about his age. The administrator at the high school thought it would be best to separate the younger students from the older ones; we didn't request it. She even came in an extra weekend day herself to oversee them. I don't think my son would have felt intimidated if he had taken the test with the older kids, but it was nice of the administrator to do it.