Your view of racing is much like mine. I'll never win and probably won't ever place in my age group unless I'm able to keep running until I'm really old. 😆. I do love to camaraderie of running the same race with other people though. I hope my first trail race involved much less blood!

I do have trail runners, I mostly hike in them. It's just about time to replace them though.

Does anyone run trail races? I'm thinking about signing up for my first, a 4 miler. I love hiking and I love running. I've done a handful of road races and while I enjoy them I want to try something different. I ran a half marathon in October and a 5 mile road race Jan 1, but my running has been fairly inconsistent since for various reasons. A 4 mile race on flat ground wouldn't be a problem right now as long as I wasn't concerned about finish time (which I rarely am). I'm familiar with the trails where the 4 miler will be held, it won't be an easy course but I think a good one for a first trail race. The race is in 3 weeks, I can get over there a couple times at most. There is also a grass path I can run on but until then I mostly just have paved trails at my disposal because I have to rely on the Y for childcare during my runs. What do I need to know? I've googled for tips but most are geared toward ultra races and I don't have any interest in those.

My husband is in Houston today, he really, really hates snakes though. Good luck to her!

I gave the schedule a quick scan last night, I had not planned to attend Thursday night but SD Smith is talking, trying to decide if it will be worth it to stay an extra night.

I miss sharing a room with my sisters. I miss all my siblings and wish we were close now like we were back then (geographically and relationally). I miss going around the neighborhood just to see who was available to play. I miss riding my bike to the pool and stopping at my grandparents for ice cream and to watch cable TV. Going to camp. However, I am thankful to be an adult too. I wouldn't want to relive all of childhood but maybe just relive a day as a 5 or 9 year old.

Is she wanting the general population to be able to view these videos or specific people? There is a setting where you can only view videos if you have a direct link. I use that to share videos of my kids with family members. If she is wanting to share with the general public you might want to turn the comments off. Other than that I'm not sure what else you can do.

Ok now I'm freaked out. Was the door not locked or am I just a weirdo who locks her doors all the time. How unsettling!

I don't love it, but it could be neat in the right place.

Do you get the take home sheets from BSF? There should be some suggestions on how to extend the weekly lesson. There are also sheets (green I think) for talking about the lesson at home with family members who aren't in BSF, obviously you would have to gear it toward your child. I miss BSF! My older kids aged out of the daytime program and my youngest isn't old enough for the evening program. As a family we have used "Leading Little Ones to Christ" as a devotion. It's an older book but I found a used copy inexpensively online. I can't find my copy at the moment, after my kids are tucked in I will double check the title. ETA the correct title is Leading Little Ones to God by Marian M. Schoolland. Every lesson is a virtue, a description, a few questions to think about, a bible verse, suggested bible reading, a hymn (most I don't know), and a prayer. It can be used as a script or a guide.

Thanks!

Don't feel bad. The co-op isn't living up to their end of the bargain. Be polite but do explain why you are leaving.

I just thought of three people I know in which the wives are youngish, don't work, and don't have kids. All have some sort of health issues though that make working difficult.

Most of the people I know who stayed at home with young children either went back to work when their kids started school (a couple shocked me) or started homeschooling. I was not planning to go back to work or homeschool and now I'm homeschooling. With my husband's travel schedule I don't really see how I could work even if my kids were in school, I would have to hire a nanny or something. I can think of two families in which the mom has elementary kids in school and she doesn't work. I do know a handful of empty nesters who never went back to work, they have been a great help to my family, being able to pitch in with child care from time to time. They also volunteer quite a bit in the community which is kind of like an unpaid job though.

So exciting!

I remember learning Chisanbop! A dear lady ran a learning enrichment program out of her home when I was a kid and she taught me. She became a sort of mentor in my life. She passed away recently but I had visited her a few weeks prior. She had dementia so conversation was difficult. She was unconsciously doing the finger movements of Chisanbop on my arm during my visit. I couldn't remember what it was called that day, but I knew what she was doing. *Sorry for the little sidetrack, that just triggered a special memory.

I used SM Essentials with my first child, a nearly 6 year old when he started kindergarten. I felt Essentials was too easy for him, he isn't particularly mathy but it felt like a preschool program to me at the time. After he finished I moved in to Miquon and SM Standards. I didn't understand Miquon well enough to just do that. With my current kindergartener she is doing both Miquon and SM. She loves math and likes spending a lot of time on it. Miquon is fun and kind of like playing to her. SM makes her feel like she is doing something big like her brother, I don't think you need two programs but that is what works for us.

I'm planning to be there on Friday and part Saturday. It's fun but a lot to take in.

My son started at age 6 texting my dad. He uses my phone and it's just a few times a month. He will occasionally text other family members but not friends yet. I don't have a problem with occasional texts at this age, it's an easy way to communicate. He won't have his own phone until he is much older.

Oh I'm glad you called. I'm sorry for your loss.

My oldest is 8 and it feels like in the past few months he had gone through some sort of hormonal change. I'm not sure how to describe it but he has had emotional outbursts that were atypical for him. Brainstorming some ideas here: What if you have a heart to heart with him and express your frustration about the situation? Ask him what is going on or what you can change. Maybe he needs an hour to play after breakfast or something. Maybe he doesn't need anything but just a little input into how his day goes. Then take a break from school for a couple weeks to reset the tone in the house. Maybe set aside one on one time with him one evening a week or every Saturday morning to help rebuild your relationship. I have recently begun taking my kids out to breakfast on Saturday mornings individually. I had intended on it being an occasional thing but discovered it is a really big deal to my two oldest children. They really like having my undivided attention and they are different when it's just me with them instead of a sibling too.

I'm not an expert but I would suggest giving her books slightly below her level until she gets faster. Anything that is difficult in her eyes, popcorn read with her. Sometimes it's not that the words are difficult but that a child is anxious about not knowing an upcoming word. Popcorn reading takes off the pressure. I know it is hard not to compare, but do your best! My friend's son is about to be 8 and he is just now taking off. He is a bright kid but has other strengths. Just like some kids walk at 9 months and others at 16 months, kids take off with reading at different times. Trust your gut though, if you think there is a vision or learning issue, get it checked out. As a side note, my husband is a much slower reader than me. However, he can tell you every detail of every article or book he has ever read. I can tell you the gist of a book I read previously but the details are long gone. Every person is different.

I find it annoying but it seems typical. Children's Place usually has black pants for boys, with the coupons and sales I've paid $7 for the last couple pair for my son. Their shipping is usually free over a certain amount or a flat rate so it isn't outrageous to order online.

I grew up baptist and now attend a church of Christ, I would not be offended nor keep my kids from attending a party that day. Schools around here do usually have spring break around Easter so that could affect party attendance if families in your circle tend to travel. I think if you have church going friends you should ask them, especially if you would be disappointed if they can't attend.

No advice but I'm sorry. Hugs and prayers to you!