Any tips on reheating it? Do you add any water? Microwave or stove top to reheat?

I do not yet own a rice cooker. I am trying to determine if it will work for us before I spend the money. I had not thought about making extra and freezing some. That could work well, especially if I froze it in single servings and then just pulled out what we needed that night. I am definitely going to try this! We've tried keeping it for a day or two in the fridge but it is never as good as the first night. I also appreciate the information that rice "cups" are not necessarily the 8-oz. U.S. measuring cup size. That makes a difference!

My family enjoys rice but we eat small portions. 1.5 cups cooked rice is plenty for the 4 of us and I'll often prepare 3/4th cup rice when only 2 members want rice. The rice cookers that I've looked at say that they can cook 2 cups to (capacity varies from 6 cups and up). Can they really not cook smaller portions? It would be so nice to toss the rice and water into the cooker and not worry about it until the rest of dinner is ready. I have to watch the "sticky rice" variety like a hawk in the pot to be sure it doesn't boil over or burn on the bottom. I admit to relying on Minute Rice, especially when I'm fixing a 3/4th cup cooked portion, but it isn't our favorite.

My goal would be to keep it simple and as similar day-to-day as possible. How about this: Monday through Friday: 8 am to 12 pm - school subjects that require your participation Tuesday through Friday 1 pm to 5 pm work (16 hrs/wk) while DC do independent studies and/or free time Sat and Sunday 9 am to 1 pm work (8 hrs/wk) while DC are likely sleeping late or having free time

DD16 is the first to waken each morning so she keeps her reading near-by. She'll lay in bed and get much of her reading done before everyone else gets up. She'll also use this time to read self-selected books when she doesn't have any assigned reading to do.

Thank you, everyone! I do have hopes that DD will finish growing soon and will be able to wear her clothes and shoes for a longer period of time. Then I can see the value in buying higher quality! I will check out Discount Dance and the other suggested locations. I think DD can squeeze into her old leotards for the first few classes until we can get her stocked with new ones.

DD13 has outgrown the girls basic black leotards from Walmart. It was good while it lasted! I've done a quick search online at Walmart and Target and it doesn't look like they carry leotards in ladies sizes. I would love some suggestions (online or brick-and-mortar stores) that sell reasonably priced dance clothing. I know I'll be paying more than Walmart prices but I'm hoping to not pay at the dance studio store as they seem very high. Dance classes start Monday. *sigh* I was reminding DD about her classes starting and then stopped and took a long look at her, realizing that her body has really matured over the summer and that she'd better try on her leotard. Good thing I did, even though I haven't left myself much time to get a replacement. Thanks!

More Corelle here. It is close to perfect for everyday use. The in laws have given us stoneware dishes a few times in the past but they are thick, heavy, and end up chipped and/or broken over time. The Corelle seem to last forever, athough we have managed to shatter a few pieces (don't drop a plate on edge onto another plate sitting in the sink, is my advice). My very favorite bowls are a set of 10-oz Pyrex bowls that are sold for making custard. They are smaller and lend themselves well to small servings of dessert and/or using for side dishes at dinner. These bowls are tough and stack nicely. I have a larger set of glass bowls that are much newer but I'm about to toss them because of all the chips that have formed on the edge.

Thanks everyone. I was leaning towards waiting until Monday but when DH learned of the dog's symptoms, he called the vet and asked for advice. Since it is a weekend, they wanted to play it safe and see the dog before they closed. They did a physical but didn't really find anything specific wrong with him. His temp was normal and his lungs/heart sounded ok. They offered to do bloodwork but said they were comfortable waiting until Monday and doing bloodwork then if he was still sick. We decided to wait. The funny thing is, the dog perked up once we were inside the vet office. His ears perked up and he was wagging his tail; quite a contrast to his tucked tail and ducked head position that he was using at home. Once we got back home, he finally drank some water and ate his breakfast. His has been sleeping most of the day since then. The dog is vaccinated for kennel cough but I understand about it having limited effectiveness. We've had the kittens for 2 weeks and they are around 3 months old. We did talk to the vet about the kittens and their symptoms as well. She didn't seem too concerned with their sniffling/sneezing when we told her they were eating and playing like normal. Thank you, everyone, for your input. I know it is always best to get professional advise directly from the vet, but I appreciate the opportunity to pulse the hive!

I see now that there are too many variables to generalize. That's ok. I appreciate everyone's input. I'll just have to ask the mother/teen with our given situation and see what they have to say! Thanks.

I have a medium size all-American dog (aka mutt) who had several spells of reverse sneezing yesterday but generally acted ok between the spells. I've read up on the reverse sneezing and it is said to be benign (no cause for alarm). Today, he hasn't yet had another spell of reverse sneezing but he is clearly not feeling well. He refused to eat, refuses to play with our new kittens (whom he adores), not wanting to go out for walks, etc. Our vet is open until noon today but I'm not sure if I should take him in. I'm considering giving him until Monday and if he is still acting poorly, taking him in then. What do you think? Also, the new kittens have been sniffling and sneezing but otherwise acting normally; could they have given him some sort of virus or something?

As in actually staying in the house alone while the friend is out of town, taking care of the pets, putting out the trash, bringing in the mail, that sort of thing. DD has a teen friend who I think would love the chance to "live alone" for a few days and get paid for it the next time we leave town. Just wondering what the general consensus is for the age you would let your teen take such a job.

Welcome to the area! We know a girl who is very active in the Knoxville Children's Theater and we've attended a few of her performances. The kids involved really seem to love it. Until recently, though, they were housed in a run down building in a run down section of town. I heard that they were moving though so hopefully they are in a nicer, more secure, area. I encourage you to also look into theater opportunities in Oak Ridge, which is an easy drive from the Maryville area. The Oak Ridge Science Museum is nice and they do offer science classes to homeschoolers. They are pretty good for younger kids but my DDs quickly outgrew them (they won't challenge a pre-teen). The Tenn Kids Club group seems to be the only homeschooling group around here that is inclusive. DH offered fencing classes in the Maryville area for several years but finally burnt out and passed the torch to someone else. The fencing club still meets weekly but I'm not sure if they are teaching new students. The Smokey Mts nature courses offered through the UTK non-credit program have always looked awesome but I just haven't wanted to drive that far for a class. Let us know if there are other questions we can answer.

Yikes! That works out to $1 per visit (2 visits per day x 14 days). Only if the neighbor is a good friend! Seriously, if the neighbor has to hire it out to someone who pet sits professionally, she'll be paying a lot more than what we've suggested here for your son. Boarding the cats somewhere is even higher. Yes, we've done pet sitting for free and had it done for free for us, but only by friends or family. We pay anyone else.

Not always possible, depending on the cat(s) personality. Mine hide when a pet sitter stops by. As long as food is disappearing and the litter box needs cleaning, you sometimes have to just assume the cat is doing ok. I don't really want a pet sitter crawling around my house, looking under beds, etc.

How many cats? I'd suggest $5 a day for up to 2 cats, $10 for 3 cats, $15 for 4 cats. This would be a bargain for your neighbor and a good hourly rate for your son. I live in a low cost of living area. Edited to add: Just noticed that you have 2 cats in the title. Sorry, that's what I get for reading too fast. I revise my suggestion to $5 for one visit per day or $10 if the neighbor wants him to go by twice each day.

You are not a dork. You are my hero! I'd love to follow your lead but I'm too cowardly. I was terrified of deep water as a child and never learned to swim very well. Pegasus

I guess this is DAY 7 now and I wanted to provide an update. As mentioned, I'm focusing on kicking the sugar habit first and allowing myself caffeine as needed. I had coffee Saturday and Sunday morning but nothing caffeinated on Monday. By this evening (Tuesday), I had a headache so I had unsweet tea with dinner. Overall, I'm feeling much better. The dizziness and nauseousness has greatly decreased. I'm not as tired as I have been. I'm simultaneously making other changes too but have decided to give myself some slack while I get used to not drinking any soft drinks or sweet tea. I'm adding more fruits and veggies to my diet and trying to reduce portion size for breads/grains/pasta. Also have a goal to walk 30 minutes a day. . .not quite making that yet as I'm averaging 20 minutes. Thanks again for the anecdotes and encouragement. I feel like I'm past the worst of it and looking forward to making more goals to tackle!

Start a couple new threads with titles like "Need schedule/plan for XYZ Science" and see if there are some schedules/plans that other folks have already done for those specific programs. It is much easier to then tweak what they have to fit your student/school. It is not always necessary to start from scratch. Also, IMHO, it is perfectly ok to fudge grades prior to high school. We even just used "pass/fail" rather than assign grades.

I appreciate all the feedback and support! I've decided to follow the advice given to allow myself unsweetened tea and coffee. I can wean off caffeine at a later time. I'm really trying to kick my reliance on lots of sugary drinks. I do not think I have a virus but anything is possible.

Ok, thank you. I can make it 2 weeks. Just wanted to be sure this yucky feeling isn't my new normal. I'm drinking water but probably not enough. I'll ramp up my water consumption. The gum is a good idea; I need to pick some up for just a touch of sweetness. Any other "been there" stories?

So, I gave up my vice, drinking coca-cola, on Wednesday. I also gave up drinking sweet tea and any other sugary drinks. I expected headaches from the caffeine withdrawal but I didn't expect to feel so bad otherwise (weak/tired, nauseous). After two days, I finally had some unsweet tea on Friday and the headache went away. I had some coffee this morning to ensure that it didn't come back. So, no headache but still weak feeling and nauseous - essentially how I feel if I'm recovering from a bad stomach bug. I guess I need some encouragement that I'll start feeling better. Any idea how long it will take? --Sick Pegasus

The online Code Academy is a good place to start. You might want to add in some other resources to make it a full credit, maybe a book on computer hardware, systems, history of computing, etc. DD did 2 "semesters" of KidCoder (a purchased curriculum) and several units from Code Academy. Others may disagree, but generally computer science/computer programming is an elective in high school, and doesn't count as a science credit. I would still do a more traditional science course. There are lots of choices if you don't want to do one of the big three: chemistry, biology, or physics.

Wow. Yes. Actually, I think this was it! How funny that I remembered it as Dr. Who. You are awesome! I KNEW something was wrong when I couldn't find it with Google. It is such a relief to have this puzzle solved. My family and I thank you!! Pegasus

That is so cute! But not the one I think I remember. Thank you, though!