Fun! Maybe something like Ostara or Eostra or a variation, or Persephone... I think dd's passion for mythology is contagious!

You know, my perspectives in them changed drastically when I actually had a child, and I visited other countries like the UK where they are used more frequently. Walking down the High Street where FIL lives (a medium sized market town) in the UK was an eye-opener. For the itty-bitty walkers gaining independence it is almost standard. The streets are more crowded because people actually walk there, and the need to keep the kids safe in situations like crowded train platforms, road crossings, etc., make harnesses very practical. What I observed is that the kids become almost 'leashed trained' and do not seem to yank and pull and throw fits on them. They are used to them, and it doesn't seem as though the older kids (young preschool age) even need them as they have learned to stay safely by the side of their parents from a young age. So when I had Alex we never used a stroller as she rode in my lap in the wheelchair. But she very quickly wanted independence and was indeed a runner. This was terrifying for me as I physically *could not* move quickly enough to rescue her when she did this. We are very anti-spanking in our house, but I can tell you we were extremely tempted to spank in those situations in sheer desperation of keeping her safe-honestly, if I believed it would have worked for her we probably would have done it:( So we went with a harness. She hated it at first, but we presented it as 'walk with a harness or ride in mom's lap.' Her independence won out every time. It sounds truly awful, but I think they have to be trained with a harness just as an animal does with a leash, albeit maybe different means:) And it won't take long! Not to mention, the harness is very short-term! They soon learn the safety radius and gain a bit more control over their impulses:) If a physical harness bothers you, we also used a radio version that simply emits a beep when the child gets out of a 3, 4, or 5 foot range. My sister used this with one of her kids (but at a bit older age) more warn herself as he is special needs and she has several other kiddos underfoot as well...

Something that was a lot of fun and did the trick when my dd was learning to think in terms of division and number bonds was a really fun game I found on YouTube called 60-second sweep. I will link the video, which also has the honeycomb 'chart' you can print: Basically, it is a chart of all the products for the multiplication of numbers 2-9. The goal is to go through them all in under 60 seconds naming the factors. It sounds deceptively simple but it really helped Alex think 'in reverse', and tie it all together. Obviously you will want to make sure he understands division itself, but the game is perfect for getting those facts down and thinking in terms of number bonds.

Yum, the best we have found by far is a vitamin chewy made by GNC. They are like candy! So good:) https://www.google.com/shopping/product/11449976193509667855?q=gnc+vitamin+c+chews&client=safari&hl=en&biw=375&bih=628&ei=PurzVObzMMbYgwSlgoPQCA&ved=0CHoQjTMwAA#reviews

Definitely. The title alone. But what about math with patterns? Wait... Maybe omit 6's and 9's and make up a whole non-satanic curriculum on a base 8 system?! No seriously, OP, I am assuming that you truly meant this seriously...all levity aside, if you are seeing those connections I doubt you will enjoy Beast Academy. There are so many different curricula that I am certain you can find something that will do the trick. Maybe some of the Ed Zaccaro books would provide the stretch/challenge you are seeking without the added stress?

My mother did something similar for my dd5 with ballet! We just could NOT fit it into Alex's schedule at the time. I found a really cute DVD on Amazon that actually has little girls learning the names of ballet dance moves and dancing (and tap, jazz, etc). It is adorable. I bought it along with the original Angelina Ballerina books and 4 gorgeous James Mayhew books about a little girl called Ella who is transported into the Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Cinderella, etc., with a Magic music box. I then told her we could sign up for a ballet class when it was possible. It ended up being a 'princess' ballet camp for Spring Break. Some of the local studios do week-long little camps for the kids with a princess theme. If you don't want to or cannot commit to a class, you might check and see if this is an option for SB or summer. This is the video: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00008QSAZ/ref=mp_s_a_1_55?qid=1425101386&sr=8-55&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=ballet+videos Oh! ETA: we also purchased a wooden closet clothes bar with the metal supports from HOme Depot and put it in the wall in her room. It is a perfect 'barre' for her to use as she watches the DVD lessons...one of the local studios uses the same thing for the little girls to practice in as they wait for their classes:)

Ugh, thanks everyone:) I managed to at least get it off the walls and generate a huge pile of laundry for tomorrow. I tried to work on the carpet (Kand, the tips in your post were really helpful!), but was a bit of a tearful mess, lol. Dh decided it just isn't worth It, and wouldn't I love to have the carpets all cleaned before the baby arrives anyway? He moved everything into the spare bedroom for the night so I wouldn't look at it and be tempted to get up and try to clean it again, and says he will call the professionals in the morning. Geez, I feel like it is a bit ridiculous, but.... In the other hand, I am feeling like I have one of the best hubbies in the world tonight, and my dd5 thought it was a grand adventure:) "Wow, even mummy's make messes! And when mommy' make messes they are HUGE!"

Yeah. So tonight my hugely pregnant self was already miserable, with heartbearn, indigestion, and feet swollen to the point where Fred Flintstone himself would be envious. Hubby took one look and sent me to bed with my feet propped up whilst he made dinner. He made nachos with all sorts of toppings, which did not stay down despite the Zofran:((( No worries, says he, I shall make you a nice bowl of inoffensive soup and cheese on toast in a bit:) awwww:) Well, having never been preggers himself, Tomato seemed like a fine choice...and I, not wanting to hurt his feelings, set it on the bedside table. In a perfect storm of crazy, random events, huge clumsy me managed to knock the bowl off where it somehow bounced and coated every available surface including the beige carpet, the walls, the library books (we have out 60!), the ceiling fan, myriad pillows, blankets, etc., with bright red roasted red pepper and tomato-y nastiness. I screamed and hubby about broke his neck getting to me thinking my water must have broken, and was actually pleasantly surprised to discover the disaster....but HOW am I going to get this out of everything?! Can it even be gotten out of carpet? Ugh. And I can't even have a glass of wine! Someone, anyone, please drink one for me...

He, he, I hope you didn't get the same unfortunate mental images I did:)

My dd5 has decided to do worm farming:) No joke, sometimes worms sell for as much as $9.00 per pound, it is green, kid-friendly, and can be run in a composting setup on a smaller scale. We went to a garden show recently and a lady there does it on quite a large scale as a full-time job. The best part is that you can start out with a very small investment, even a pound of red wigglers reproduce very quickly...and if the child loses interest all is not lost:). It is also educational, deals with compost waste in an earth friendly manner, and so forth... Here is just a quick link but there are many more out to there... http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/22/want-to-make-extra-money-while-being-green-try-worm-farming/

Today my home health nurse was here, and asked dd5 to draw her a picture of anything she wanted (to keep her occupied whilst we were busy). Dd was not fooled and quickly came back with a sheet of paper with a tiny pencil dot in the middle. The nurse said something like "oh, where is your drawing? Are you starting with a dot?" To which Alex replied indignantly "That's NOT a dot, that is a two-dimensional model of my brother's blastocyst before it became an embryo!" Blink. Gotta love NOVA documentaries...

SIX large dill pickles, an entire pint of cherry tomatoes, and the last three of the Fox's ginger creme bickies we bought home...and several Tums because for some reason I have horrid hearburn, lol. Of course, it can't be related to my eating so I am blaming it on the enormous baby belly I have forcing my stomach into my throat😳

Awesome:) I don't know how they award it either, but if it calls for votes I am sure the Hive can help. Love to hear if it pans out!

Ha! I brought back 2 dozen Marks & Spencer individual mince pies in January for my dd's class that didn't get used. They are going to get thrown away...I am happy to make them to you when I go to the post office Monday if you PM me your address, free of charge, in the spirit of missing lots of things British:)

One other thing: One really great thing my eventual SIL did the 1st time I visited: she put a basket of British sweeties, biscuits, and crackers into my room. This was a lot of fun to nibble at and kept me from feeling uncomfortable if I got a bit peckish and didn't want to say anything:)

Oh, definitely London! The atmosphere is the best part:) Although I highly recommend that you serve her tea at home first. If you haven't grown up with it there are little things that she can learn that will definitely make her feel more comfortable in a more formal situation. How to use the filter, add more water to make sure her pot doesn't run dry, which sugar cubes are traditionally for coffee or tea, what 'white' means, etc... You won't believe how many little things one has to learn if you didn't grow up with tea other than throwing tea bags into a jar of water on the porch, lol.

This might sound strange, but when hubby (British) takes me (American) to the UK 1-2 times per year, one of my favorite things to do is just go to the grocery store for a long, leisurely look around. I pick up all sorts of random items it would be fun to try. Our first meals in country are always Indian food because it is just so different in the UK, but we also love to eat UK Chinese food there! Traditional fare is always a given, although we are vegetarian so it is a bit different. However, I adore the fact that so many veggie options abound in the UK and everything is so clearly labeled:) Make sure to find or make a good pasty as well:) I also fell in love withYorkshire puddings and roasties, with veggie Bisto gravy, so that is an option as well:) If for some reason you end up with a vegetarian, a wonderful version of fish n chips can be made with Haloumi:) ETA: don't forget a proper or somewhat so tea room:) in North Yorkshire we visit Betty's routinely, is there something similar near you?

I bought a roll just like forty-two, which I needed for another project... But before that I used random leftover magnetic advertisements and cut them into pieces. Those ones that get delivered, or come in the post? I just save them and use them for all sorts of projects with a bit of hot glue...

For the kids, definitely take a look at the Signing Time series. They are DVDs done in vocabulary themes, like outdoor signs, kitchen signs, etc. lots of songs and movement, and fun. There are some episodes on YouTube for samples, the library generally has them, and many PBS stations have started playing them. It is a great way to get started and will make it fun as well...

I am not sure what ages you are looking for, and we have used quite a few of the resources others have listed. Of course, for the younger set we LOVE Signing Time for vocabulary... Funnily enough I just recieved an email from Two Little Hands Productions (that make SigningTime) and they have announced a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for their next level: teaching ASL grammar and sentence structure. I am adding the link for anybody who might be interested. The campaign seems to start Friday so there is not a lot of available info except on Facebook for now: https://m.facebook.com/SigningTimeRachel/photos/pb.121888342226.-2207520000.1424919267./10152678911517227/?type=1&source=54&refid=17

Hubby was born in Scotland but grew up in North Yorkshire so he likes a couple of variations. He says sometimes in Norh Yorkshire you hear jokes about 'Yorkshire Caviar' and it is mushy peas with a bit of vinegar mixed in. Sometimes they will also be minty... Sorry dear, that is all you:)

Ah well, it was fun while it lasted... The sun is out now and the snow is gone:( Probably back to TShirts and shorts for the weekend😄

I know, right?!!!! I just dropped my dd5 off at preschool for her one full day of the week, but am planning on picking her up at lunch if the snow sticks JUST so she can come home and play in it before it is gone:) Make hot chocolate and tell her snow stories about growing up in Northern Idaho, lol. However, driving her to school was downright frightening. Not because of road conditions but because most Texans have no earthly idea of how to drive in snow. And many are too busy gawking or calling everyone they know on their cellphones to tell them that they are not even paying attention to driving:( I will avoid the grocery stores today at all cost as people will be desperate to buy up bread, milk, batteries...generators:) Giggle. I LOVE the snow!

I think it gives them great pleasure to save up questions for those moments when you really need for them to be quiet! It never fails. Today I told dd5 I needed to make a quick phone call and needed her to give me a few minutes of quiet. I was on the phone less than five minutes total and recieved all of the following questions, plus many I just tuned out: Mom, did you know Deinosuchus could grow to 35 feet long?! Mom, can I have some goldfish? Mom, can I have pasta for dinner? (At 9:00 am) Mom, do you know where my blue markers all went? Mom, when the baby is born will he have fingernails? All of which resulted in Mom? Mom? Why won't you talk to me mom! I REALLY need you to talk to me mom! Tell me it is just the age. She was so patient when I was in the phone even a few months ago:)