As the sibling of a person who gets way more help from parents than I am afforded, I get it and I understand. Big hugs. :( It's a very hard place to be in emotionally. I always felt like second best. It has gotten better but only because my brother got his act together and is doing much, much better. There's always hope!

I used to read aloud every evening before bed until the oldest was 7 or 8. This coincided with evening sports activities for us. Since we're busier in the evening now, we still read aloud just in the mornings. It's a cherished time, one that my high schooler doesn't want to end. So, my youngest would have been 5 or so when reading at bedtime ended. I still kiss them goodnight every night though. ;)

We don't have to have a portfolio or anything in my state. I used to keep all the previous year's work, then sort it and keep a few samples of writing and neat things they did. Now, I don't even keep last year's. I keep a few things I really like and recycle the rest. My oldest is starting high school in a few weeks. He will be attending an online, public school option. They didn't want to see anything. So, I realize now I'm saving stuff just for me. I need lots less. ;)

Wow. The mom must have a really terrible day. And she decided to take it out on OP. I would probably say something to her, that you understand she is upset and you didn't realize it was a push-button issue for her, but she is never to talk to you like that again. Ever. Not ok.

It wouldn't bother me at all.

BOTH! But, I watch Star Wars more because I live with 3 boys who like SW better. I love the original ST and NG. I'm a good nerd girl. Don't judge me on just these shows! I have a Dr. Who bathroom! With a crack in time and everything! ;)

I'm so sorry, Jean. Funerals of so very stressful. My uncle, who I haven't seen since I was 10 and stayed with me for 5 days when my dad died, chewed me out after the service because I listed the two youngest brothers (of 5) in the wrong order and he felt I slighted him. :( I get it. Try to let it roll off you. Be the duck. You have my thoughts and condolences.

If she enjoyed Hunger Games, she might enjoy: Uglies series by Westerfield Matched series by Condie Maze Runner series by Daschner Divergent series by Roth Shiver series by Steifvater

I'm so sorry! Lay-offs are really horrid. Dh was laid off for 16 months, all of 2010. I sure hope yours is a short one with a job around the corner, but here are a few things we learned along the way. We discussed our priorities. Home, food (obviously), but also the boys' activities. We wanted to keep things as normal as we could for them. We went down to one car. Actually, this one was done for us. 3 weeks after my dh was laid off, a drunk driver totaled his car. We were devastated at the time, but that meant no car payment and no extra insurance. We still have only one vehicle and are doing just fine. I started cleaning houses at that point to help with income. Every little bit helps. Ask people if they need help babysitting. Elderly people might hire you to do shopping, driving, etc. I got really good and couponing and shopping sales. No new clothes for adults. Boys got the bare minimum. No eating out, no fun stuff that required money. We did keep the cable though. It was on our list as the last thing to go. Our personal decision. It was the one thing in the entertainment category that we felt was important. We did cut it down to bare bones though. It was a horrible time in our lives. I never want to go through it again and have a few hang ups now from spending so long in limbo. But, here's a few positives that came from that period of our lives: The boys' got to know their dad in a much more intimate way. And my dh got to understand what I really did all day long. It's been amazing for our relationships. My boys learned that money doesn't equal happiness and even 4 years later are great bargain hunters and frugal spenders. We realized that desperate times didn't mean we couldn't laugh. We did and often. It's the one thing that saved us. I learned not to worry. I wish I could tell you how. I think it was that I just had so much to worry about that I couldn't worry about any of it. I learned to graciously accept help. And today I pay that forward. And we learned that, although it seems like it will last forever, it didn't. Good luck to you! I hope this time in your life is a very short one!

My youngest still plays soccer. My oldest quit when he was 10. My husband played on an indoor league until last year. We are in a rec league-not competitive at all. Soccer is cut-throat here. The competitive, club teams are very, very competitive. The average player doesn't stand a chance. This rec league has been great for ds11. He has fun, enjoys the game and has good friends on his team. In my part of the country, we see a lot of burn out with soccer players. The average age they quit playing is 12. The pressure is fierce. My dh has been playing soccer almost constantly since he was 4. :)

Another agreeing with Farrar. My youngest in particular needs lots of physical exertion. We have a trampoline that does the trick, but we also played Simon Says at that age. A lot. And lots of park days, bikes, scooters (even in the house!) and wrestling time with dad.

Libraries are so different! About 7 years ago, our library went to an automated check out and check in service. The check out works by scanning your card, entering your PIN, then setting the books on a scanner. You don't scan bar codes; you just place them on the scanner 5-10 at a time depending on the thickness. The check in machine is located in the lobby and works by putting one book on a conveyor belt at a time. It scans it in and records it as returned. You have the option of having a printed receipt. I always print it out because one time is shows I returned the book, but for some reason it didn't reflect that on my record. It was an easy fix. You still have the option of using drop boxes. OP, in the future I would refrain from saying it was the library's fault and that's the reason you want them checked in while you wait. People can take that personally and be defensive. Can you say that you are concerned that you are close to the limit and would like to check these books in right away so you can check more out that day? Before the auto services, yes, I had some not-so-nice librarians. I avoided them. ;)

Also a mom of two boys and dh is one of 7, 5 boys; I grew up with a brother. Being mean and hurtful isn't "being a boy". I don't know if I'd seek professional help, but I would definitely start working on behaviors that are disruptive to your family.

RC, I left out the sugar last year, too! It was so gross! I thought of one more. I made a cake for my parents anniversary one year. They were out of town and would be back late at night. I was probably 16. I made the box cake but obviously left something out. I'm thinking the oil. I frosted it in the 13x9 and decorated it, then went to bed. They couldn't cut it. It was like a hard cookie with frosting. LOL We still ate some of it the next day. It wasn't as bad as you'd think.

My first Thanksgiving hosting in my own home, I didn't fully cook the potatoes then mashed them. They were so, so gross! I thought I hid my disappointment and grumpiness; it was only immediate family after all. Years later, my husband and brother still tease me about the "mashed potato meltdown". :/

Yes. Those outfits sound fine. There's a wide range of normal for funerals/memorials here. I rarely see traditional black. My condolences. :(

Day after Labor Day in Illinois. Sooner in Nevada. Schools start here August 25 this year.

*gently* Luanne, this is the second thread I've read today you are trying to derail. Please stop. Kids, I voted skirting, but very unprofessional. I think it's the closing that bothers me because it excludes non-Christian religions. I think a general call to prayer for the school year would have offended me less.

I'm so sad for your loss, Jean. Sending you good thoughts as you learn to navigate the hole in your life in the days and months to come.

No, I don't know. But, Office Max cuts bindings and spiral binds for a decent price. I prefer to cut the bindings off the activity guide and other workbooks and have them 3 hole punched. I put them in binders and can pull out pages as needed.

Super cute! Welcome to the pixie club! :)

Another PK here. (Preacher's Kid). Religion isn't logical. It's not logical to believe that hundreds (or thousands) of other gods throughout history are not real gods, but the Christian god is. A book is just a book. A story, just a story. Even if it has a good moral and teaches a good lesson. And the Bible is used as a weapon against people more often than note. I've seen too much of the inner workings of churches and churchgoers to believe the majority actually follow the teachings of Christ. Be kind. Feed people. Be kind. I just don't see a lot of people following those rules. I remember as a young child being told to ask Jesus into my heart. I did. Repeatedly. I felt nothing. And I thought there was something seriously wrong with me and that I would be damned to hell. At 8. Shaming. Guilt. Patriarchy. Misogyny. The death of my father. He is not in a better place. The best place for him to be is with us. Period. It's not for me. I came to atheism slowly, my religion falling away from me. I felt lighter, freer, and calmer without the baggage of my youth.

Good thoughts your way, Jean!

JOAD is for all levels- beginners to advanced. They earn pins for reaching milestones, starting at a score of 30 or 50 (out of 300). :)

My ds11 is an archer, although he uses a compound bow. We have a 20 yard lane in our backyard. We are lucky to have a wall backing up to the end. I recommend lots of practice. :P Ds rarely misses anymore. Instead, he Robin Hoods the arrows, which is sometimes worse. It ruins one, if not both, of the arrows. (Robin Hooding is knocking one arrow with the other. They have special ends that prevent damage, if we remember to buy them.) He has changed the type of target he uses to prevent it. There are some pretty inexpensive bales at Bass Pro, if there's one in your area. Or there are several you tube videos that show how you can make your own out of rags, cardboard, foam, etc. Ds also shoots on a team through a JOAD (Junior Olympic Archery Development) program at a local archery shop. Fees vary, but we pay quarterly and the fee includes range fees for that quarter. He competes in 4-6 competitions a year. Archery has been a great sport for us!