Last year I got bombarded with so many emails about that sale ... it drove me crazy, and I ended up unsubscribing from a LOT of blogs and webpages because that's all they were talking about, and they were ALL talking about it, and I was getting basically the same ad 5 or more times from different sources, with different ads being repeated every day for what felt like forever. I'm not sure if they toned it down this year or if all my unsubscribing last year saved my sanity this year, too, but I only received a total of about 5 messages about it this time. I looked at it once this year, but I'm not really interested too much in digital products other than books I read myself for fun on Kindle (and I'm sure books for my daughter once she's reading independently for fun) and very specific, carefully chosen digital products like Tapestry of Grace DE or Math Mammoth's digital version. I don't want to end up with a lot of digital products that I haven't specifically chosen and know I'll use. Like the OP, I'll just forget they're there.

All ears here. I plan to start LOE Foundations this fall with my will-be-5yo daughter (who may or may not rebel at doing handwriting other than HWOT, do we may or may not use LOE handwriting at all), and her handwriting abilities are only slightly more advanced than those of your children, or at least they used to be; I realized a couple of days ago that after a few weeks off, she no longer seems to remember how to form letters.

I'm pretty sure they don't exist anymore.

I can't quote on my phone, but, Cinder, I wonder if maybe we have it backwards? Maybe you see a lot of potato salad in the deli because it isn't selling, whereas the slaw flies off the shelves? Lisa, if you're experience is that there's a lot of potato salad left over, I'd go with slaw instead.

I voted for potato salad, as I think it's what most people would prefer. However, for me personally, fried chicken and biscuits require cole slaw. I grew up with KFC most Sundays, so I'm all about fried chicken, biscuits, slaw, and baked beans ... maybe also some green beans if someone was on a health kick.

Sorry, apparently an extra "/" got into the address. Let's try that again: http://thefederalist.com/2015/05/07/5-ways-to-handle-current-events-fatigue/ I'll go fix the original, too. Thanks for letting me know!

With all the tragedies unfolding in the world, I find myself often turning away from rather than toward those who are suffering. I found this article last weekend through the Living Unabridged blog (I think the blog author may be a Hive member?), and it was helpful to me: http://thefederalist.com/2015/05/07/5-ways-to-handle-current-events-fatigue/ Maybe it will be to you as well. Edited to fix link--I hope it works now :)

I think what I *should* do is stop and talk to the boy, try to find out where the parents were and let them know that he was doing something dangerous. What I *would* do more likely is one of two things: call the police so they could respond and keep the boy safe, as I would worry about negative reactions from the parents if they didn't like my interference, or go about my day, feeling guilty and worried and thinking I should have done something, anything, to protect those children who were behaving in such a way as to make it clear that they needed supervision for their own safety.

If you're going to disengage entirely, this is the route I would take.

If I significantly preferred one location over the other, I'd go with that one. If not, I'd talk to local suppliers and contractors and price out the work I'd want to do on each unit. I'd go with the one that came in less expensive and/or less annoying.

Or maybe something from ... What's it called, Harry and David? The gift basket people, if you don't bake and don't rent to give chocolate.

I wouldn't try to go expensive, as it sounds like you can't compete with what they can buy for themselves. I'd go with something classic and nice but making no pretense of expense. Chocolate covered strawberries from Shari's Berries would be my go to unless someone was allergic. Otherwise, a box of nice chocolates or some homemade fudge or cookies would work.

Yes, definitely, poor OP. This thread was begun on the curriculum board, not the chat board. It addressed a specific audience (Christians, though I do think that in order to get the information desired, it would have been better to specify YEC Christians). It asked about a specific resource. When people complain that they feel attacked by posters of various viewpoints on these boards, they often are told to make their questions more specific, to post on the educational boards rather than the chat board, to address threads to a particular audience. The OP did all those things, and this thread still derailed. What more could she have done? Is it really so hard for posters who want to talk about tangents to start spin-off threads? (Yes, I'm being hypocritical here by not starting a spinoff thread, but this thread has been so thoroughly hijacked already that I don't think it does additional harm.)

Another great option, with a nice high weight limit. Thanks!

Hmm, that is a good option, especially for the price! More to consider ... thanks!

I'd like to think my husband wouldn't give out my number under those circumstances ... What country/region of the world is she from? I'm wondering if cultural factors are influencing her behavior, and if so, if there are culturally appropriate ways to let her know that she needs to stop it. (She may not be getting your polite American hints.)

Thanks, Amira. You've given me some things to think about ... I'm leaning toward trying the crates first since they're cheaper and fold, but once I establish that I really will do as much walking as I think I will in Athens, maybe invest in something more like a Rolser. I don't think rain should be a problem; it's usually sunny in Athens, and this summer, I'll only use it at the convention.

We have lots of suitcases on wheels, but I'm hoping for something with an easy-access-from-the-top design. I could just keep the zipper pulls on the top, open just that part, and drop purchases in, but I get concerned about doing that with books (I don't want to dent them), so I'd end up pulling out of the way somewhere and opening it up fully to make sure everything was secure.

I'll be going to my first homeschool convention in late June. I'm taking seriously the advice to bring a rolling cart to hold all my purchases. Since I don't own one, I need to buy one, and if I'm going to buy one, I need it to meet the following requirements: (1) Sturdy enough (and roomy enough) to hold the weight of a bunch of books/supplies without breaking--I think 50lb would do it? (2) Foldable--it needs to fit either in a suitcase or in a box that I can mail to my new house at the end of the summer OR dirt cheap so that I don't feel bad getting rid of it at the end of the summer (3) Also something I can use for grocery shopping on foot at my new urban home this fall (unless of course, #2 was met with the dirt cheap option, in which case I'll order something specifically for groceries)--i.e., can roll on rough concrete, can use with a few stairs without too much problem, etc Please tell me what to buy! Thanks. ETA: For (3), I have insulated bags that I don't mind using inside a non-insulated cart, so that part isn't too much of a concern. If it becomes a concern, I've reserved the right to buy a cart that's specifically made for groceries once I establish that I will, indeed, use a cart for grocery shopping.

If I could deal with the pool (I personally don't want one and wouldn't have even looked at the house that had one), I'd go with #2. It sounds like the best, most functional layout for your family. Layout and location are the two big things for me.

I had my first period at the ripe old age of 9 and was using tampons for swimming by age 12 or so, I think. Obviously I have no problems with letting young girls use them. I do beg you, though, to make sure that your daughter knows that you're available to answer questions--I wasn't comfortable talking to my mom about it, so I ended up figuring it out just from the instructions in the box. It ended up being a painful learning experience.

If there's enough extra to pay for a cover school (and if it will continue to be enough extra in upcoming years), then I'd reconsider. My daughter will only be in K next year, and we'll be using a cover school solely to make the reimbursement process from my husband's employer easier to deal with. Also, my home state (Maryland) doesn't list specific standards that must be accomplished for homeschooling in each grade. Instead, they have a list of subjects for which the parent must provide "adequate instruction," without defining what adequate instruction is. So in your situation, if I didn't want to use a cover school, I'd make sure that the books included one or more books that could be said to be part of each required subject and call it good. It never occurred to me to look at the state standards for public school and use that as a list of what must be covered in home school--there are separate laws governing home education for a reason.

Clonlara? Haven't heard of that one, I'm off to Google ... (though we'll almost certainly go with the one we've chosen already, since they have experience with our specific reimbursement situation).

Could you print out a copy of your home state's regulations (or a user-friendly version) and show that you're meeting those requirements? That's the requirement we have to meet in order for my husband's employer to reimburse homeschool expenses. Another option, and the one I intend to use starting in the fall, is to use a cover school that allows you to choose your own curriculum. This can get expensive, but if your husband's company will reimburse enough to cover it, it may be worthwhile to enroll your child and then simply present it to the company rep as "my child is enrolled in this home education program, and these are the supplies needed." ETA: Feel free to PM me if you want the website for the cover school we'll enroll with in the fall.

I prefer honey in both my coffee (with which I also use milk, or cream as a special treat) and my tea. If I don't have any honey on hand, I'll use Splenda or white sugar in my coffee and nothing in my tea.