Definitely age dependent:) When my dd was a bit younger I bought this full-sized foam skeleton puzzle. It has the major bones included, and prompted a much more in depth study, for which we used anatomy coloring books... http://www.learningresources.com/product/mobile/skeleton+floor+puzzle.do?null

Well, we actually did/do use the materials in the student packets, including the word cards, for various things:) We have enjoyed the extra materials, like the silent E book, homophone lists, etc. My kid likes the 'cute' factor of things like the jail for rule breakers, having a color/sticker chart to mark of progress, certificates of completion, plural books and that sort of thing. I still do keep the box organized. She just doesn't need much in terms of review of words. We did/do play games with the green word cards at times. Even in level 1 I would let her do things like alphabetize them. The red sound cards she didn't enjoy until later when there were a lot more of them, and more complicated ones where she had to think of possibilities and variations-now they can be a type of puzzle:). The blue rule cards: we don't review those as the book asks because she has them down cold, but we made a game where you splay them out in hand like playing cards. she randomly selects 5-10 and answers those. I guess AAS IS quite pricy for what we do with it. I just never cared because she enjoys it and I love that it is all there, open and go. We absolutely could have done without the student packets, especially if I had been willing to put in the time/effort/creativity to still give her the cute-but I am not sure she would have enjoyed it nearly as much or gotten to where she is without effort.

Can't resist: I don't think if he likes to take apart appliances you should let him near ANY outlets, lol:) You might take a look at Snap circuits. I got my dd her first set at about that age and thought we could do the projects together...but they are pretty straight forward, and the schematics can be followed even by a non-reader. Eventually the kids get to a point where they can invent their own creations, and they are definitely grow-with-the kid toys since you can continue to add sets and components.

"Outlets for kids who like to take apart appliances" Nnnnoo! Please keep them away from all outlets or electricity when they are taking apart appliances! Danger, danger!

Well, I suppose that you could in theory, if you were willing to put in all the organizational work and such:) I only like the word lists in Natural Speller. It does contain all of the spelling rules (although I MUCH prefer the presentation in AAS, or even just printing off the rules from a couple of sites online as I did in the beginning) If you are just worried that AAS is too easy, I will say I panicked a bit after level 1 thinking it was a complete waste of time since I don't think Alex misspelled more than a word or two the entire level:(. In fact, I think it took me until halfway through level 3 before I could really appreciate how well all the rules and techniques came together. I know that for many accelerated learners it seems as though spelling as a subject is completely unnecessary...and honestly, if Alex had started a spelling program when she was older and doing regular writing projects I think I might have felt the same way! As it is, she is very rules-based and really, really enjoys spelling. She had thoroughly enjoyed going through all the levels or we wouldn't have done it...but I am so glad we did. I see the benefits of all the rules and time put in when she is spelling words from Spelling Bee prep materials. She will stop and think, and then reiterate a rule out loud as she applies it. We also gained so much more from doing AAS. We used the dictation sentences for grammar practice, did handwriting and learned cursive, and used the writing stations as creative writing starters:) So while I think you could probably create a spelling program using Natural Speller alone (that is pretty much what it is designed for!), I think you would be hard pressed to get as much out of it. It all depends upon what you are looking for. BTW, I never went that route but the AAS website has some specific ideas on how to fast track the first 3 levels or so for older kids that you might find useful if you decide to continue...but you can also make things more challenging by simply adding in much harder words that follow the rule taught in that step. We also played a game to add affixes and tenses to the given words, which definitely helps.

We have an 8-person tent that we used last summer in a 4 week long camping road trip to multiple national parks in different climates. We LOVED it. It is R.E.I brand, which was a change for us but it is very good quality. It also has the two separate compartments that can be divided up, and has a little storage area out the back. You will need a footprint and a fly as well. It is plenty big enough for 7, and your hubby will be able to stand up. I agree the specs on how many 'men' fit into most tents is very exaggerated typically, but this one really would. We also discovered you can turn most bodies under 6 feet 90 degrees and it is more space in this particular tent. We used it primarily for a family of 3 with a lot of climbing gear and a wheelchair, but did pack in the cousins for 4 days in it. We had 6 children under age 14 able to sleep comfortably in one of the vestibules, with 2 adults and a blender-child in the other:) http://m.rei.com/product/810168/rei-kingdom-8-tent/?cm_mmc=cse_PLA-_-pla-_-8101680018&mr:trackingCode=D63CD925-D358-E111-BC1B-001B21631C34&mr:referralID=NA&mr:device=m&mr:adType=plaonline&mr:ad=52774014400&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:filter=70389944200&msid=cU589dOA_dm%7Cpcrid%7C52774014400%7C

I am from Idaho and 'sweet tea' there is NOT sweet tea from the South, wow! When I joined the Army and went to the South I couldn't believe it was possible to drink that sugary concoction:) Interesting chemistry note: Sweet tea in the South is a good example of a supersaturated solution. Restaurants have to add the sugar to the boiling waster to get that much sugar to stay in solution. If they try to add it after the sugar just settles to the bottom:)

Such a cool idea! I went for the grilled cheese as it is the only vegetarian option and looks pretty tasty to me!

I get this and I don't even live there:)I am from the west coast of the U.S., where we seem to be marked more by a lack of an accent than a proper accent...maybe this primed me for living with hubby. He was born in Scotland, later moved to Yorkshire so he has a strange blending of Scottish/British/Yorkshire accents. Everyone I meet here in Texas asks where in the UK I am from, but I don't hear the accent at all:). Hubby, on the other hand, seems much more Americanized to me, and I laugh every time we land feet in the UK as he seems to immediately revert to native accent-and 'tops up' his accent for being back in the US:) Dd5 is also a hilarious blend. She was born in Texas (but has NO Texas twang as we have made sure of it, lol!) so has strange colloquialisms that are both British and distinctly American. She says things like 'boot of the car, car park, Wellies, Etc., with a slight British accent, but is very American in her slang and such:)

Me too:) I actually laminated ours at Mardel, and even laminated the stickers as the kid likes to move them just a smudge out of the way, or hold it, etc...(she is five!) I then strung them all the length of the hallway, which works pretty well to make a giant timeline.

I have a dd who turned five in December who loves spelling and is working at a very high level. Because she is so young I took her through all of the levels of All About Spelling through level 6, (we will do level 7 in the next few months) which is supposed to be HS level. I supplemented throughout with higher level word lists from several sources (one of our favorites is Natural Speller!). We now supplement with spelling bee materials.She actually combined handwriting practice because she learned to write at the same time, so I give her one of those dry erase boards that are slightly oversized with lines from Lakeshore and a fine-tip dry erase marker. AAS has dictation sentences and she can quickly write out the whole thing on the board, as well as create her own sentences for the words. There is a writing station part where she is given six words and creates a story out of them, for which I give her the lined kiddie journal paper with the top half blank to illustrate. These modifications have really helped, and we even switched to cursive after her manuscript was mastered:) Also, continuing spelling at a higher level like that (as long as it is fun for them!) turned it into a vocabulary program as eventually she was spelling words she rarely encountered.

I think everyone has moments of 'what if?' What would my life have been like without....it doesn't mean that kiddo is loved any less:) As I near the end of a very difficult pregnancy, one we waited for and tried for with five losses in between, I STILL am wondering often if it was the right decision! We are thrilled, excited, and terrified. My dd5 is extremely high-maintenance, I have health issues. We had gotten to the point where the baby days were over and spent a lot of time traveling. So many things that were possible will either no longer be or will be postponed for quite a while...and I worry a lot about being physically able to take both kids out. So I definitely understand the 'what were we thinking?!' Mentality...and the fact that it can exist concurrently with an inordinate amount of love of the little being that exists because of that decision (or circumstance:)

Hey, a marinara plant sounds downright awesome! Does in grow dinner?! Even if you have to keep pasta plants too, it would be sooo worth it:)

You know, I actually think the rule was printed on one of the card stock 'extras' that come with the student package now that I think about it. I can have a look, but it would have just been a black and white reiteration of the rule generalization I posted above. It may also be in the sample pages for level 2 online? ETA: I just had a look at the PDF of sample pages for AAS level 2 student packet and they do have some of the blue rule cards scanned in, including the one with the FIND GOLD rule.

We are going to try the pool today. The water is fairly warm and at least it will give dd5 something fun to do! Plus, it is Spring Break here and my hugely pregnant, grotesquely swollen state might act as birth control for the college Spring Breakers who will be out in droves at this pool:)

No, but hubby took pictures last night to show the OB tomorrow. It really is a bit shocking, and as long as I sleep with them elevated, take the Epsom salt bath and potassium, they ARE much better in the morning. Of course my appts are all first thing in the a.m!

I am going to talk to the OB about it...I have an appt every week, but Texas had a wee bit of ice this week so all the schools and even some doctors offices (like mine!) closed down in emergency mode:) I imagine the kids were all pleased though as the day turned out sunny and beautiful, but it really isn't fun to wait until Tues when you they could reschedule...

Oh, great idea...for some reason it hadn't occurred to me, but that is even what they do when you get a pedicure. Think I will try this immediately:)

Thanks, that's a good point. I am so miserable that I am really not moving and stretching like I should be! I am generally pretty active but have spent too much time lying down. Maybe some gentle stretching will help.

Ugh. I am miserable! I am hoping the collective hive had some ideas because I am getting desperate:( Please don't quote me as I plan on deleting the more specific medical details:) I am now almost 34 weeks and hanging in there well past when OBs originally predicted. I am determined to go as long as possible:) Dd5 was born at 36 weeks 5 days via csection althoughI did go into labor. A bit of background before everyone starts thinking preeclampsia: I am smaller and thin, really pretty fit in spite of my disability. I weighed about 105 before pregnancy and have gained about 20 pounds. Working on that, but baby is growing perfectly well and is even in something like the 75th percentile, yay:) my bp is always very low, and has not significantly increased-I monitor it daily for other reasons. The doctor thinks it is probably just 'a bad case of regular pregnancy sweliing' but is seriously exacerbated by the fact that I am in a wheelchair with poor circulation anyway. But really? By evening my entire legs up to my hips are nearly twice the size they are supposed to be! And incredibly painful/tender:( This pregnancy has been difficult and I have been in hospital several times. I am still on meds (both Zofran and another) for severe nausea and vomiting, which has resulted in blood chemistry imbalances (the cause of two hospital stays), so I can't help but think it may be related. I have been getting IV fluids and potassium, but adding the 2nd med has made all the difference so that hasn't been necessary more recently. So. What in the world can I try? My feet/legs are elevated whenever possible. Hubby massages them as much as I can tolerate. I am even trying Epsom salt baths in warm water, which seems to help a bit. Any other ideas, or am I just going to have to deal?

I have a photo on my iPhone that I took a month ago in London King's Cross station of platform 9 3/4 with a luggage trolley half embedded in the wall and Hedwig in the front. We took the blank one and then used photoshop to put each of my nephews in:) If you would like to do it with the girls, send me a PM and I will email the photo to you:)

Yes, the 'Find Gold' rule is in AAS level 2: it refers to single syllable words with 'i or o' followed by 2 consonants. (Such as in find and gold, n-d and l-d) "I and O often say their long sounds when followed by two consonants in single syllable words" Notice that it says often, not always, and the book offers a couple of words like print and lost where that isn't the case--but it is helpful:) Also, the parent note reminds that the 'O' is usually long before l-l and l-t, which is of course is still two consonants:)

Such a fun video xixstar:) Hubby and I just watched and played a bit on my 33 week belly...

Yes, this. The Junior Ranger program is awesome. In fact, we did almost exactly the scenario you are planning last summer. We flew to Hawaii and managed Volcano National Park, then stopped in California when we flew back to the mainland. From there we went to Boise, ID where my family lives and rented a vehicle. We then spent almost 5 weeks traveling from National Park to National Park, camping and stopping at zoos, monuments, and science museums along the way. If you have a family zoo membership and science museum membership this is an awesome way to break up the drives (as well as educational and cheap!) as most have a reciprocal agreement. Don't forget to buy the NP pass to save money and avoid a few lines. The National Parks tour lends itself amazingly well to a geography/earth science study as well as history. There are so many land features in that area that you won't find elsewhere. In Idaho, I HIGHLY recommend the extra drive out to Craters of the Moon NP as it is the only place short of Hawaii you can see the lava beds and walk through lava tubes underground. On the way stop at Bruneau Sand Dunes:) of course, Yellowstone and Grand Tetons have features you won't find elsewhere by the hundreds! Each of the NP badges you earn has a series of requirements you do to earn it. Some of he parks are more involved, but almost all have a history component of the park. YellowStone has one of the best, and since it was the very first NP it lends itself well to history lessons. Most of the badges require that you go to at least one Ranger-led talk, but you can do as many as you want and time allows-they are awesome and in depth. The kids complete a little booklet of learning activities (that they keep) so we picked up a few books on the history, the geo features, and the local animals at each park. We kept a nature journal and let Alex take pictures to put in. Also, you can buy a cool NP 'passport' to get stamped at each NP and each ranger station. This was a lot of fun too. Another fun way to add in a bit of history was learning a few facts about each state we hit. The motto of each state actually lends its of really well to the history on the go, in a laid back manner. For example, Wyoming is also known as 'the equality state' because it was the first to allow women to vote. This led to all sorts of discussions, YouTube videos, and oddly enough a tangent that inspired Alex to learn the Gettysburg Address when we came home:) Also, doing the Jr. Ranger program like that was fun, but didn't feel overwhelming as though we were trying to turn a fun family time into a school, KWIM? We learned and created memory pegs to build on. When we came home I helped compile all the pictures, postcards, and small paper-ish souvenirs into a big book, and we researched odds and ends to fill in. She loves that book! And she has a vest (sold at the parks) with all of her badges sewn and pinned on:)

Ha! Soooo much cuter than 'Phil' for a Groundhog Day baby, lol!