Yes, it's that easy. I do that for my husband. I don't usually buy 8 pairs but do regularly buy 3-4 pairs of shoes and return all but the one he likes best.

Since you don't have many options for shopping, Shoebuy.com and Zappos.com do free shipping both ways. My husband wears a size 15 so he doesn't really have an option to shop locally for shoes. I have ordered from both websites and ship back those don't fit without worry. He loves actually getting shoes that fit comfortably instead of settling for just ok.

I'm sorry. If you have local churches see if they have a pantry.

I grew up as 1 of 6 children with 5 of us within 3 years of each other. I much preferred having my own friends instead of having to bring two sisters with me all the time. We shared a room, were in the same classes at church, and in the same school activities. I love my sisters but sometimes I wanted a little privacy. I try to remember that with my own kids. When we invite people places we tend to invite all the siblings if we are going to the park or zoo or something similar. If it's just to play at our house it depends on the individual family. I have one friend with 4 girls but all my kids get along with them, so we invite the family and they bring whoever is available. There's another family who has kids all the same ages and genders as my kids, but I tend to only invite the oldest son to play at our house. My daughter doesn't enjoy playing with that girl unless it's outside and the mom and I are just acquaintances not really friends. I don't think there is really one right answer and I do try to be sensitive to the needs of each family. All my kids love to be invited places but I'm working with them to understand that it doesn't always happen that way.

You all have given me lots to ponder, thanks for the input. I'm still leaning toward no testing through the elementary years, we will see as they get older. I have a lot of time to make this decision.

Even given the history it should be fine at 8 & 6. My kids did crazy things at 2 years old that I wouldn't want held against me still. Enjoy the trip!

Congratulations and I LOVE his name!

I'm sorry!

I don't get the backpack question. How can there possibly be a correct answer to that question?

When I was much younger I couldn't eat before running. Now I usually have to have a banana. My preference though is to eat breakfast and then wait a couple hours to run, it just isn't always possible.

That seems dishonest to me, if the item isn't large I might just absorb the cost of return shipping and make a note in the review of the seller.

Fitted sheet, blanket, and practice. Although I would prefer my kids use a top sheet, it's much easier for them to make their beds without one.

My state does not require homeschoolers to do any sort of testing. Most people I know who homeschool do test their kids for their own information beginning around 3rd grade. Most of these people also have some sort of public school background though. Do you test your kids if not required by law? Initially I never planned to test my kids however, I now think I will at some point, so they will be familiar with testing when it's time for ACTs and SATs. I'm not sure if what it will look like at this point though. I'm especially curious to hear from those of you with older children as my oldest is only 7.

How do I add a picture? Can I do it via phone? My son caught three baby toads while weeding this morning. They are about the size of a dime. We have had an adult toad that hangs out right inside our garage door and under our downspout for the past two years. We haven't seen Marshmallow yet this year, but assume these are her babies.

I'm sorry. I really had to shake up my regular routine to start losing weight. I think sometimes something just has to click before you are really ready. I knew I needed to lose weight and knew what to do but wasn't ready to put in the effort consistently until a few months ago. 30 days of no Dr Pepper (my weakness) or eating out gave me a good jumpstart. I use LoseIt instead of MFP but they are similar. I talked my sister into helping me stay accountable. My husband isn't able to help me stay accountable but she is for some reason. When I asked her, she asked what kind of accountability I wanted. I didn't want her policing every bite but I did want her encouragement when my eating started getting off track for a couple days in a row. She also notices when I don't track my usual exercise and asks me about it, it's helpful when I feel like skipping a workout.

Precious! I love his full head of hair.

Are they typically just YA titles?

I don't think you gave failed, you have done what is best for each if your kids at any given time in their lives.

I bought the Walmart knock off last year for my then 6 year old to wear to camp. I didn't want to spend much because all the other parents told me their kids shoes had come home trashed in years past. They held up surprisingly well for $10 shoes, he ended up wearing them all summer. However, they did get worn out and my next son won't be able to wear them. My daughter had a pair of Keens that she wore almost a full two summers before passing them on to a cousin.

I wonder if it's the book selection. I love Paddington but it didn't work well as a read aloud at our house. Sometimes the timing is just off. We tried Winnie the Pooh as a read aloud and audiobook and couldn't get into it. A couple years later my son read it himself and loved it. What about finding out what it was about The Boxcar Children that they liked? Maybe that could help narrow down some book choices they like better. My son really likes talking animal characters but my daughter prefers real people. I think if a book is truly dragging it is fine to move on to something more enjoyable without finishing the story.

MN has wonderful state parks. We used to visit St Croix when I was a kid, not sure if it's on your route. Just northeast of Sioux Falls is Palisades State Park which is beautiful, a great stop for a picnic or hiking but the Falls in Sioux Falls are one of my favorite places. Also northeast of Sioux Falls in Minnesota is Pipestone National Monument, it is really interesting if you would like to learn some about Native American culture. I loved listening to the flutes being played when I was a kid. It would be a little out of your way but not too bad.

Yes, they freeze great. I bought some cookies from a girl for the birthdays of both my kids but she didn't have time available the day before the party, so I froze them. She had special instructions for defrosting them to avoid condensation issues but I don't remember what they were now. I have also done this with buttercream iced cookies I made myself but I wasn't as worried about how cute they were after they thawed, they were just leftovers. There are tons of cookie blogs, I'm sure you can find instructions online.

That's terrible.

I volunteer at the food bank once a month with my 7 year old. It usually involves sorting food to be distributed to local distribution sites. They have lots of opportunities, one is that they need people to answer phones for 3 hours a week. About every 4 months my husband and I prepare dinner for people staying at the local Ronald McDonald house. For the last two summers I volunteered at an inner city camp reading with kindergarten students. I hope to do that again this summer. This summer I will volunteer for a week at a church day camp my kids are attending. I have also applied to volunteer regularly with an organization that helps women who are trying to leave the sex industry (mostly prostitution and porn). I have gotten to volunteer at the house and loved the women so much I want to do it regularly. My grandma has volunteered at the hospital and Meals on Wheels for decades. Women at my church sew quilts for orphans and there are women who cook food for shut ins. Our local nature center and arboretum need volunteers to help care for the grounds. Our state history center has volunteers that tell about various buildings. A lady I know volunteers to feed and hold babies in the NICU. The camp my friend runs always needs people for random things from mowing the lawns to sewing curtains. I think if you have something you are interested in and don't live in the middle of nowhere, there are probably volunteer opportunities that maybe aren't advertised but if you ask you will learn about them.

(((((Hugs)))))