I received a response from dictionary.com: And I just checked; the objectionable sentences weren't listed anymore. Hmm, makes me wonder about the reason behind the "where did you hear about this" question ... :huh:

From my email to dictionary.com ... edited because the browser messed up the formatting ... if it's still messed up, I'll just leave it ...

This koshary recipe looks pretty authentic ... http://allrecipes.com/recipe/egyptian-koshary/ Edited to add: I limit gluten ... this is NOT a good meal for that! But koshary is so tasty that all my gluten reservations go out the window, and I eat like there's no tomorrow :)

Koshary. Absolutely koshary! It's the one dish that I know of that's really Egyptian, not Lebanese-but-eaten-a-lot-in-Egypt. You can find it in stalls on the street all the way up to sit-down fine dining. I never learned how to make it, but I understand that it's easy though time-consuming. Let me find a recipe ...

What a tribute--both to your father and to the God Who created and molded him! I'm so sorry for your loss.

Maybe what I've seen interpreted as a home visit is really just a meeting that can occur anywhere? In any case, I can't do that, either, really, unless a Skype conference counts :)

I posted there, too, and only received the response that I can't meet Maryland requirements. But my query has only been up for a few minutes, and there aren't anywhere near as many people there as there are here :)

That sounds promising, especially since I doubt I'll get a pass on Maryland's home visit requirement. Thanks!

I just found out that although I'm not going to be in the U.S. when I start homeschooling kindergarten, I will need to provide a copy of and follow the laws/regulations regarding homeschooling for "a selected location." Almost certainly, I eventually will move back to Maryland, so I'm thinking that I should find out and follow their regulations. However, one aspect of what I've seen of Maryland regs may be impossible for me to satisfy (a home visit) since I'm overseas, so I'd also like to learn about Virginia's rules--if I can meet those but not Maryland's, then I may designate Virginia as my "selected location" instead. I'm about to start my internet search for the official regulations, but I'm hoping that some members of the Hive live there and can tell me what it looks like for you to follow Maryland's or Virginia's requirements. The not-from-the-official-source summaries that I've seen for Maryland indicate that parents who choose not to use an umbrella school must maintain a portfolio--I'd appreciate it if you could tell me what you include in your portfolio. Also, it looks like you have to submit to a home visit? Virginia ... I haven't looked into that enough yet to have any specific questions, but if there is a portfolio requirement, I'd love to know what needs to be included in yours too. Thank you!

Those are not petty reasons. It is so completely understandable and normal to need a break--no one who has lived outside their home culture, and especially no one who has gone from a highly developed country to a developing country, would ever think less of you for needing this change. My situation is about as different from yours as it could be and me still live outside the US--I've lived in developing countries, but in an insulated little pocket of expats with luxuries and privileges that most expats and almost all local citizens must do without, and with annual trips home, and I STILL felt at times like I was just done, over that, ready to go home for good already. I never acted on it, because my husband's career that has us overseas has us in countries for set (and relatively short--2 to 3 years) amounts of time, but honestly I'm not sure I could make it for 6 years in any one of the locations we've been in, even though I have come to love them all in their own way (and still desperately miss my first non-US country, even though I wouldn't move back there if given the opportunity due to their current political/social upheaval). I have the utmost respect for you and your family for staying as long as you have. If it is time to go home, then it is time to go home. It's that simple. If it turns out that it's time to go home for a while but not forever--maybe a year for a break, then consider going back out; maybe until the kids are in college--that's fine too. This can be "going home forever," but it doesn't have to be. Do what's best for your family, and don't worry about what others say or want. Feel free to vent and process things here. The whole repatriation process can be difficult--share it here or wherever you feel most comfortable.

Praying for your little girl's health, for you to have peace, and for the doctors to have wisdom. Praying comfort for your daughter, and peace and wisdom for your husband as he navigates the ER with an uncomfortable little one. Keep us posted!

Greenville Zoo is a very nice little zoo. Two key words: "nice" and "little." It's a great place to spend a couple hours, maybe half a day ... maybe longer if you get the baboons going and enjoy the show. But you really can get through the whole thing in just a couple of hours. But it is very well done for what it is.

Spinoff from the thread asking about good children's nature/field guides ... I would like to find a good field guide for Greece. I'd prefer one that's good for children, but if it comes down to it, I can manage with one for adults that I can use and then explain what I learn to my daughter (she'll be 5yo when we start using it). I haven't had any luck finding one online. I'm not sure if that's because they aren't available in English or if it's because my internet search skills need work. It needs to be written in English, as I'll study Greek but will not be fluent enough to make sense of a field guide written in Greek. I'm torn between wanting one that covers a bit of everything--various plants and animals all in the same book--and wanting a series where I could take the tree book when we're focusing on trees and the insect book when we're focusing on insects. In the end, I'll take just about anything that's (1) relevant to the area around Athens, Greece; (2) written in English; and (3) at a price I can justify. I appreciate any help the Hive can provide in locating this resource!

"This is a dad thing." Those are my husband's words. ("Unless your son's father is absent or completely unfit." Also my husband's words.)

http://www.wcnc.com/story/news/local/2014/07/30/cmc-emergency-room-closed/13357865/ Since NBC Charlotte immediately reached out to CDC rather than to any local authorities, you know where their minds are. However, that doesn't mean anything--it could be something as simple as a compact fluorescent bulb broke ... that's my hope anyway :)

:bigear:

I'm so sorry! That's a tough spot to be in. I'm sure you're not failing your son.

We recently had a no-gift party for my daughter. We wanted a no-gift party because we have more toys, books, etc., than we have space for already; we anticipated more gifts from family members; and we will be moving in less than a year--when we move, we will give away as much stuff as we can bear to part with, possibly a little more. The people to whom we will offer things first are the very people who attended my daughter's party, and I would hate for them to come to our "come and get it" open house and see their gift to my daughter sitting there, up for grabs. I also hate the idea of telling my daughter that she has to give away an even larger percentage of her stuff in order to get us down to an acceptable amount of stuff to move. (I'll be giving things away, too, as will my husband, but she'll feel it the most because of her young age.) Most of those who attended my daughter's party respected our wishes, for which I was grateful. Some had expressed that they didn't feel right coming without a gift, so I compromised with them and told them that items with a natural end-of-life were a good choice--things like sticker books, coloring books, or other art supplies. My favorite gifts that my daughter received at her party were a small bag of chocolate and a few homemade birthday cards. I also appreciated an activity book and a set of Minnie Mouse bubbles. Unfortunately, she also received some other gifts. I shoehorned them into our available space, but when my daughter is choosing what to give away before our move, these other gifts just represent more difficult decisions she'll have to make about what to keep and what to give away. Because our position and the reasons for it were explained before the party, I really feel that these gifts were given more for the benefit of the givers than for the benefit of my daughter. I used to feel bad for arriving at birthday parties empty-handed, but now I truly understand that sometimes it's more of a gift not to give one. If you or your daughter feel uncomfortable attending a birthday party without a gift, I'd call up the other child's parents and try to figure out an appropriate compromise, or just come up with an appropriate solution yourself--if you know the child's favorite treat to which Mom and Dad don't object (or at least don't object for special occasions), a container of that makes a great gift.

Would you mind telling me what you mean by a Reformed worldview? I understand that it means that God is in charge, but does it mean more than that? If you'd rather not get into it at all, I understand, and if you'd rather discuss it privately, I'm totally open to a PM. Thanks!

If your dog is a danger to her, and your family is allergic to her--either of the two, actually, but both together seals the deal in my mind--you're probably better off finding her another home. I'd contact a local animal rescue organization, explain the situation, and ask for their advice. They may ask you to continue fostering the kitten until they find a home, or they may have a foster home to which the cat could move immediately. In any case, if you rehome her, I'd do it soon. Kittens are so adorable ... just like older children may have a harder time finding a placement because so many families want a baby, older cats sometimes are overlooked in favor of the cute little bouncy kitten. But yes, I'd say the sweet, friendly kitten is likely to grow into a sweet, friendly adult cat, unless something happens to change her personality (such as repeated attacks from a larger, possibly territorial cat or a dog with a strong hunting instinct). It's really best all around for this kitten to move to a new home.

I grew up not too far from Greenville, SC. I love the area. It's a nice little city, with more culture and nightlife than you'd expect based on its size (though I'm sure it doesn't compare to the really big cities in that regard). It's relatively safe, relatively inexpensive to live there, and nicely located within a day's easy drive of beaches and mountains--a longer day's drive to DC and a much longer but still do-able drive to Florida vacation destinations. If I were to move back to South Carolina, Greenville would be my city of choice. In fact, on those days when my current international life seems like too much adjustment/confusion/stress to bear, it's Greenville I fantasize about moving to.

How about chili? Canned beans, ground beef, can use a premixed chili powder in an envelope rather than buying all the individual ones to make your own. Jiffy cornbread mix. Omelettes work for breakfast or dinner, as do pancakes and eggs.

I appreciate where you're coming from. But this example--and keep in mind, this was an *example*, not the point of my post, although you'd never know that from the responses--stems from my own experiences interacting with homosexual people. I'm not saying that their sexual orientation isn't part of who they are or isn't important to them. I'm saying that there are homosexual people who think of their homosexuality just the same as most heterosexuals think of their heterosexuality: it's a part of who they are, but not necessarily the most important part. This is where the example came from: Some homosexuals with whom I've interacted (some only brief interactions, some more prolonged professional or social relationships) identified themselves first and foremost as homosexuals. If asked to describe themselves, they'd say something like "I'm a homosexual who works as a psychologist," with the emphasis being on "I'm homosexual," and the career/hobby/whatever-the-other-thing-is is secondary, less important in their overall view of themselves. Any negative statement about homosexuality would be met with immediate defensiveness. These people presented themselves in such a way that everyone who met them knew immediately that they are homosexual; that is exactly how they wanted to be identified. Others identified themselves first and foremost as something else. If asked to describe themselves, they'd say something like "I'm a psychologist who also is homosexual," with the emphasis being on "I'm a psychologist," and identification as a homosexual is secondary. Any negative statement about homosexuality (assuming it was not a direct attack--that of course would elicit a defensive response) would be met with the attitude of "hey, you're free to disagree with my lifestyle, like I'm free to disagree with yours, not a big deal." These people presented themselves in such a way that, depending on the context in which you met them, you could know them for a long time before it came up that they're homosexual. They didn't actively hide it; they just didn't feel the need to bring it up when they were in contexts where personal lives weren't being discussed. For example, when I was interviewing one man for a background investigation (that was my job then), I asked if his friends and colleagues knew he was gay. His response was "My friends do. My colleagues? I don't know, they may. I don't hide it from them or anything, but ... they're my colleagues, not my friends; we don't talk about our personal lives at work." He wasn't in the closet, so to speak, it just wasn't a facet of his identity that defined him to the extent that he needed everyone to know about it. In interviews with his colleagues, I discovered that some knew he was gay ("you know, I think he mentioned a boyfriend once, after I mentioned going out with some girl"), some didn't seem to know, and not a one of them seemed to care one way or the other. (This is the most clear example, but I've known homosexual people socially who also seemed to have this attitude--"yeah, I'm gay, so what, it doesn't define me." I knew one man in a mostly professional context, with limited social interaction, for two years before he suddenly announced that he had a boyfriend, thus "outing" himself, though he hadn't hidden his sexuality before; it just never came up because he wasn't dating anyone or actively looking for a boyfriend at the time.) I'm not being dismissive of homosexuals or of homosexuality as a self-identification. I'm saying that there are some homosexuals for whom it is the single most defining aspect of themselves and there are some for whom it is not. Those for whom it is the single most defining aspect of themselves are more likely to feel judged for being homosexual, just as those for whom being a homeschooler is a key defining aspect of themselves are more likely to feel judged when others denigrate homeschooling, and those women for whom their career is a defining aspect of themselves are more likely to feel judged when others say that it's better for moms to stay home, and those for whom their religion is the defining aspect of themselves are more likely to feel attacked when others follow a different religion. I really don't understand why it's such a big deal that I recognize variation in the degree to which sexuality is a defining component of someone's self-view. I'm not saying one way is better than the other. I'm not making any moral judgment about these two styles of self-identification. I simply recognized that I've seen variation and that it is related to how likely the individual is to claim that he or she is being judged. Apparently homosexuality is not to be mentioned at all, in any context, not even as the best example I can come up with of a different topic. So noted. With that said, I'm done discussing it here.

Oh, yeah, I forgot about him! Did they show everything with him? It's such a decidedly nons*xual thing in that episode that it wouldn't have even occurred to me. I don't even recall how far into the series that was.

I *love* SG-1! Later episodes, to the best of my recollection, don't have anything too bad in them. However, the first or second episode has full frontal nudity (woman, of course--they don't show naked men on mainstream TV!). It is not necessarily sexual in nature so much as the Goa'uld evaluating the body as whether or not he wants his mate to inhabit it ... so I guess there is some sexual innuendo, but it's evaluation, not the act. The movie is nowhere near as good as the series, but you'd need to have at least a basic concept of it. Either watch it or read a summary from iMDB, if you want to get past the nudity early on in the series.