Congrats!! :hurray:

Wow, that's fascinating! DD is doing a summer study on astrophysics, and we just learned about the double slit experiment yesterday. It's all she's been talking about, so this was perfect!

Yes, we love CLE too. It enables dd to work more or less independently, and most of the time she does understand both the procedures and the concepts. We've tried a few other things (like BA) that were total flops for both of us, so I think we'll stick with a traditional curriculum when we switch over. We will probably go with Saxon, as the spiral approach seems to be good for her. Just curious which resources you've used to supplement CLE? I think it does a decent job of teaching concepts, but I'm always anxious that we're not getting enough.

Well, this is old, so you've probably read it, but The Notebook is the sappiest sad love story I can think of. Actually, everything I've ever read by Nicholas Sparks would qualify as a sappy sad love story... Which begs the question: Why do I keep reading Nicholas Sparks?? :ack2:

Thank you Kate -- this looks like a good place to start! My dd isn't really struggling with her work right now (we just started finding common denominators to add or subtract), but it's hard for me to tell whether she really understands or is just applying the algorithm. Today on her practice sheet she found the correct common denominators but kept the numerators the same. When I pointed out to her that this couldn't be correct (e.g., 1/2 does not equal 1/6), she understood, but I couldn't give her any explanation as to why she should multiply the numerator by the same number as the denominator. I was a decent math student (but a much better English one!), and there is so much that I can do but not explain, if that makes sense. Hopefully this will give me some ideas. Thank you all for your suggestions!

Dd is just beginning to REALLY work with fractions, and I'm discovering that I don't understand them well myself. Certainly not well enough to explain them to her -- not past walking her through the procedural steps, anyway. I never "got" fractions in school, and looking back, I think that's probably why I struggled in algebra. I want to make sure dd has a better foundation. We use CLE, which is light on conceptual teaching, although there is some, and I've been able to supplement that on my own up to this point. (For other reasons, we don't want to switch curricula right now, although we will be changing in another year or so.) Where can I go to get a crash course in fractions so I can make sure dd understands them? Are there resources that she and I could work through together?

Well... I didn't learn to put up a ponytail until high school. My baby sister (9 years younger) could do it before I could. To this day, I still can't use a curling iron or any kind of styling apparatus besides a hair dryer. I just keep a really low-maintenance style. My mother used to get so frustrated and ask me if she was was going to have to go with me on my honeymoon to do my hair (FTR: she didn't :D ). But something about the awkward angle has just never clicked for me. My dd10 has been tying her shoes since kindy but she still doesn't tie them well. They're always loose and coming untied. If you watch her you can tell she hasn't mastered the motions; that's why they're loose. Heaven help us if that poor child ever wanted to do anything more than brush her hair. I keep her in a low-maintenance bob as well -- and even that has its days. That's a function of not really caring how she looks, though. I expect it may change as she moves into adolescence. Not sure about the connection to reading. Both dd and I were early and advanced readers. There could be a connection, I suppose, but it sounds like a motor skills issue to me. Practice and patience are probably the prescription here.

I think you are totally awesome. :) I completely agree about having that voice in your ear. The app I posted above does this also. It's so much better when you don't have to keep watching the clock.

Dd10 has started fixing lunch for herself and ds, which is such a big help for me. Unfortunately, it means my kiddos are eating an awful lot of pb&j these days. I'm looking for simple recipes that are reasonably healthy and that dd can make using a toaster oven or microwave. She's not comfortable using the stove by herself yet, although we're going to work on that this summer. Neither of them cares much for cold cuts on sandwiches. They are pretty good about adding fruit (usually apple slices or banana, or fruit cocktail) to their meals, but if we could figure a way to work in an occasional veggie, that would be great. They do sometimes make cheese toast, or little pizzas on English muffins, but I'd like to find some variety. Any suggestions?

Trust me, if I can run, ANYBODY can run. I was the chubby girl who always came in last during the mile in middle school, with literally the entire grade sitting on the bleachers waiting for me. Talk about humiliating. I never thought I would be a running evangelist, but here I am. I do lots of other kinds of workouts too (all new for me in the past 18 months or so), but running is 100% "me" time. I plug in my favorite podcast and completely zone out for 45 minutes or an hour. I don't have to talk to anybody or think about anything but breathing. It's heaven. Good luck! You ALL can do this! You are not in competition with anybody but yourself, so just keep working to do a little bit more today than YOU did yesterday. You are already ahead of everybody on the couch!

My best advice is to go for time, not distance. You can build up speed after you build your endurance. I started with something like a 20-minute mile; now I can do it in 12. The apps are great (I use this one: http://c25kfree.com/, but there are several), and you can absolutely use them even if you don't run the entire time or distance it recommends. Keep repeating that workout until you get it, then move up. I'm actually repeating the program this summer, focusing on pushing my speed during the run segments and using the walk segments for recovery. I've never been very particular about how long I wait after I eat, etc. (my stomach is not sensitive), but YMMV. Do drink lots of water. If you have access to a track at a gym or local high school, use it at least some of the time; your joints will thank you. And if you haven't been properly fitted for a good pair of running or walking shoes, DO SO BEFORE YOU START! This is especially important if you are overweight or out of shape. Never stretch cold. Do it after your warm-up, if you must, but better to wait until the end when you're loose. Or so says my trainer. The foam roller is your friend. Take it slow and work up, but remember that sore and injured are not the same thing, so don't use it as an excuse (ask me how I know people do this). Look at soreness as a badge of honor -- and remember that the soreness usually works itself out as you move, so exercising is better than sitting! (Of course, if you are truly injured, seek proper medical attention.) Not sure what kind of injury you had, but if it was piriformis syndrome, I've had that as well. Again, the foam roller is your best friend. Rolling out your hip before and after a run can make a HUGE difference. I needed to do this daily when I started running, and now I rarely have any trouble with my piriformis. PM me if you want more info.

Yes to this! I am not a dropout, just a remedial student. :D Depending on your beginning fitness level, you may have to repeat weeks (maybe more than once) but don't let that stop you! Just keep pushing until you can get to the next level!! When I started, I could not make it a full lap around the track. Now I regularly run two miles and am working on a third. I've taken over 15 minutes off my 5K time. Just don't give up!

Dd learned that packing an open bottle of face wash straight inside the suitcase is not a good idea, even if you're only going up the road to grandma's. Guess we'll be replacing part of the $50 Harry Potter boxed set we gave her on Sunday for her birthday...

I don't think I graduated from anything until high school. There was an awards day at the end of the year in middle school, but it included all grades (6th, 7th and 8th). There might have been some kind of special assembly in 5th, I don't remember. AFAIK, none of the public schools here do any kind of graduation before 12th grade. But the preschools do. Our school even has real caps and gowns and the Pre-K'ers have professional photos made in them in the spring, when they do school pictures. And yes, it's all kind of silly. But dd was ADORABLE in her little mortarboard, and I can't wait to see ds in his next year! In short, I wouldn't be bothered if they didn't do this, but neither am I bothered that they do.

It's probably growing pains/hormones, but wearing a bra during the day may help. It would certainly be worth trying to see. I have always been on the larger side (up to 36DD) but any tenderness is usually related to my cycle. I do find that wearing a bra helps with that. Since this is new territory for you, you might find this website helpful: http://frysauceandgrits.com/2013/08/bras-guide-how-they-should-and-shouldnt.html. She has lots of good information about finding a bra that fits correctly. Which is, of course, important no matter what your size, but perhaps more so if you've got lots to hold up. ;)

Had dd's birthday party yesterday. She wanted a Harry Potter theme, so I busted my tail hand-making all the costumes and props and planning out a bunch of activities based on the story. The guests each had their own robe, wand and cauldron, plus Hogwarts diplomas and more. We invited 15 kids and got FOUR RSVPs. Her best friend's family didn't respond even when we'd texted and sent a Facebook message (in addition to personalized mailed invitations to each of the kids). They live 45 minutes away so we don't see them in person unless it's planned. I had hoped at least a few guests would show up, as surely that many people wouldn't neglect to sent regrets. But no. :glare: Of course I had to assume they all were coming or run the risk of having them show up and not have their props. It was an awesome party, and all the kids had a blast. DD was very happy, and I was so relieved. I'd been afraid she would be disappointed. But seriously, how hard is it to send a text or email acknowledging the invitation and politely declining??? Even if you don't want to or can't attend the event, can't you at least acknowledge that it was kind of the other person to want to include you?

I use FB Purity to filter out all that annoying stuff. Makes FB a much nicer place, IMO. This. A crazy weight-loss fad has swept through our social group in the past few months. I am so sick of seeing a photo every time they eat a "fat-releasing" dinner (they don't "lose weight," they "release fat" :001_rolleyes: ). Not to mention all their stupid hashtags about how they're going to change their lives. Gag me.

Prayers and hugs.

If they like musicals, there's always West Side Story! I was a HUGE Newsies fan when I was about your oldest's age... I must have seen it five times in the theater. Drove my parents slowly insane with the soundtrack (on cassette!)...

We've used Noeo Biology II this year for 4th grade, and although we usually do it together, dd is definitely capable of doing it on her own. Most days involved reading (heavy on Usborne books), vocabulary, and writing a narration or drawing a picture. There are limited hands-on components in the biology course, but they used the Young Scientist Club kits, which she can pretty much follow independently. Other subjects might have more experiments/need more supervision. Logos Press is a Christian company, but Noeo is a secular text for all intents and purposes. I don't recall any reference to anything of a religious nature, except possibly a "head's up" note in the TM when evolution was covered. My dd always want to do more science than we get to as well, and oftentimes we supplement with lots of library books. She's been known to spend several hours with her nose buried in the science encyclopedia! :)

Oh no! That makes me sad. :(

I'm not sure it's as simple as a degree or even a hierarchical structure. My sister and I have had long conversations about the (seminary-educated, mainline denomination) pastor of the church our parents (and dh and I, reluctantly, for the moment) attend. People here fall all over themselves to rearrange their lives based on whatever he advocates -- religiously, politically, what have you. This weekend it was a diatribe about how all couples with kids are basically sinning by worshiping their kids, and they need to take a weekend at least once a year and go away by themselves, no kids, because your wife (this was directed at men) is #2 in your life, after God, and kids are #3. Nothing abusive about that, per se, but I guarantee you at least a dozen couples are planning a getaway as we speak. My sister says, "If I'd known that all it takes to get people to do whatever you tell them to do was a seminary degree, I'd have gone there instead of law school." Fact is, pastors/ministers/religious leaders have ENORMOUS influence over those in their care. At what point that influence crosses the line into abuse, it's hard to say. I think education is extremely important for pastors, but for reasons of preventing abuse, I think limiting the office to those who demonstrate an understanding of its authority and a commitment to wielding it carefully is the best place to start. Easier said than done, for sure.

We're making our first foray into the logic stage next year too. I'm nervous but excited!

:party:

We're just wrapping up WWII in SOTW, and I felt like SWB did a good job covering the topic thoroughly, but without unnecessary detail, IYKWIM. It might make a good jumping-off point. Is there a particular aspect your ds is interested in? You could make a great study of WWII-era submarines, battleships, and airplanes, for example, and wrap the history around that without needing to delve too deep into the details. My dd (10 next week) LOVED How to Split the Atom (which is not specifically about WWII but more the general science). She's asked for all the other books in that series. I personally think at this age it's important to look at the best of human nature that is brought out by such a crisis, so we've talked a lot about people who worked as part of the Resistance -- hiding Jews, etc. My dd has been particularly interested in the children who were sent from London to stay in the country during the Battle of Britain. I didn't feel like she was ready for The Diary of Anne Frank or The Hiding Place yet, but there's tons of great children's literature about this era. I'm going to get Number the Stars and possibly a few others for her. I'd be interested to hear what you come up with too!