I have 2 righties and 2 lefties. The 2 righties and 1 of my lefties it was obvious their handedness. The other lefty it wasn't clear at all. She is fairly ambidextrous honestly. She also has Mixed Brain Dominance. We don't do a lot of sports, but she prefers right-handed for most sports, including marksmanship and archery. She writes left handed. She also naturally mirror wrote.... When she was 4 she would write her name starting at the right side of the page, doing each letter backwards, moving towards the left. She reversed letters and numbers way past the normal age range too. Yet my other lefty never had those issues. From advice I was given, I also taught them to cut with scissors right handed. Haven't regretted that decision!

Not sure who the snorer is... but they should get checked for sleep apnea...

Let your kids watch Wild Kratts ( science), Cyber Chase (math), Liberty Kids (Social), Word Girl or Between the Lions, or something like that (LA) and play prodigy math ( more math ) and you have all main subjects covered for those required days... And all can be done while you doze in the same room. That is... if you are really worried about it...

I would have posted a picture of my daughter leaping up, but another scout photo bombed it... (parents participate, so another person had my phone). And I would have posted a picture of my daughter getting her Seeonee Award.... except they made no Ceremony of mention of it, except handing her a stack of crests/badges for her campfire blanket and scout uniform.

My 10yo daughter did her project for her cub Seeonee Award. Last week she leapt up to Scouts. We also finished the fundraising for her trip to the States with the troop this summer. And..... I'm done. I hate the new scout program here, and I hate how things are being implemented. I think the scout leader is great in that he cares about the kids and spends a lot of time and work on scouting, but I'm just not happy with things the last few years. It is a lot of little things. Like... my son has volunteered with the Beaver Scouts 5 years now... attending every meeting etc. First as a "Kim" (a scout that helps younger sections) and this year as a Youth Scouter (Teen age 15-17 that takes all the training that adult scouters do and then works like an adult scouter.) And my 13yo daughter has 3 years working as a Kim with Beavers or Scouts. And... no recognition at all. Not a thank you or mention even when recognizing adult scouters. And.... With the new program, it has become "Birthday Party Scouting" in our troop. The troop leaned that way before, but with the new program, so little is required. And although the badges are easier in many ways, trying to actually do them is harder. My kids went from EARNING several badges a year to pretty much earning none. There is so much more.... but I'm done. I no longer want to drive to meetings 2x a week, fundraising, feeling like a freeloader because the troop pays for my kids at things like bowling and laser tag (the troop is great for the no one left out due to finances policy... And my family lives on a disability income) etc. Haven't figured out how to convince my husband. I felt like this last year, but he talked me into registering them again. And the kids will not be happy. And I don't have an activity to replace it for my youngest 2. My oldest (boy) will be 16, and not interested in much of anything anymore... he is hoping to get a job... My next (girl) is 13 and also is heavily involved in Air Cadets... My other girls will be 11 and 9. They would be old enough to join Navy League Cadets... but it is the same night and time as the 13yo's Air Cadets, in totally different areas of the city. Scouts in another group is out in my opinion because of the cost and the program changes. Girl Guides... Maybe... but I think the cost even with assistance would also be a lot. Anyway... just needed to talk.

Split pea soup, cream of mushroom soup. I hated scalloped potatoes (and ham.... I hated it when dinner was ham and scalloped potatoes!), but I like scalloped potatoes now. When I was growing up, most of my friends had to eat liver and onions about once a week... it really seemed to be a thing. I was so fortunate because my parents NEVER made it. Turns out.... my dad bought our 'hamburger meat' at a butcher, and had a special formula. I'm not sure the exact ratio, but it was something like 5% kidney, and 20% liver. So we got that extra iron or whatever nutrition with almost every meal... And it didn't give it that horrid taste. (I did it a few times as an adult. Works great.... unless you thaw it in the microwave. I don't know why, but that makes that horrid liver smell and taste permeate everything!

A few years ago I was one of the cub leaders in the scouting group my kids are in. We had a new cub leader; after a couple of meetings he came up to me and said something like "I couldn't even tell your kids were homeschooled". I stared at him a few minutes, then said "thank you???" Honestly I was trying to figure out if he was expecting them to be so socially inept that they would stick out... while being mildly upset that they hadn't stood out for being so outstanding. I was a bit upset inside that obviously we were being talked about because I hadn't mentioned it. I probably shouldn't mention that a year later I discovered that the phone calls to cfs and the homeschool office to complain that occurred shortly after the above story were initiated by him....

Orphan is offensive??? And if Orphan is offensive, why wouldn't foster kid be offensive?

Unfortunately, 12 is the minimum age to leave a child alone here. Ugh! The law is slightly ambiguous, but cfs around here is going on the strictest interpretation. The big worry here IS someone calling cfs. A fes years ago cfs was called on a family here because of a 10yo and 8yo playing in a fenced backyard without a parent outside with them (the mom was watching them through the window while washing dishes). Cfs did the required intake interview, which includes a search through the house. They havd to, but ut sas ridiculas! I used to play outside as a toddler, walked to friends houses as a preschooler (including crossing a quiet street), and walked to school alone or with friends as a Kindergartener. Took the city bus all over the city starting at about age 10. (It was inexpensive summer entertainment to get on a bus and ride it for a while...) I babysat at age 11 (admittedly next door...). But horrors if my 10yo was to walk half a block to the playground and play there unsupervised!

I haven't read them all... will continue. But just had to say all the references to Winterpeg.... that is Winnipeg, and how cold it can get there.... Guess wherd I am. -50C with windchill. (-58F). It did warm up a bit today, so a couple of my kids went to scout camp for the weekend. (It is a cabin camp though. I doubt they will offer the chance to sleep in quinzhees...) https://winnipeg.citynews.ca/2019/01/28/extreme-cold-warning-in-effect-for-manitoba/

Similar cold weather here....

Canada Note that that was 15 (18) years ago... It was horrible seeing him get worse and worse that 3rd year. When I was trying to get referred (stupid doctor wouldn't refer me) he said it was a 1 year to 18 month wait list.... That was about 10-12 years ago. When I did get the referal, I was placed as super-high priority and had the test after about 2 weeks. My ob/gyn had refered me for a pre-surgery assessment just in case (there was a few risk factors). It was almost amusing... they would ask a question that could factor into a surgery, and my truthful answer was almost always the one that would be a concern. Anyway, they asked sbout any sleep disorders, I answered that I was sure that I had one but couldn't get a referal.... and as I said, within 2 weeks I had the sleep study.

My kids and I love rice paper wraps. Leftover stir fry is a favourite. Brocolli-slaw or matchstick carrots (raw or steamed). Leftover rice and veggies....

I agree on pushing for the sleep study. My dh was diagnosed with sleep apnea when there were problems from what should have been a day-surgery and they kept him overnight; whenever he would fall asleep, the oxygen level alarm would go off! But he needed a sleep-study for treatment... and it was a roughly 3 year waiting list. So we waited and waited. Near the end of the 3 years.... my husband would fall asleep constantly. He would be sitting cutting onions, and in the middle of cutting he would stop because he was asleep. He would fall asleep in the middle of talking to you... mid sentence... HIS! His sleep study night arrived... they said he had the worst sleep-apnea they had ever seen. (I don't remember the numbers....) He is not ever to sleep without his machine because the risk of dying is huge for him. He has a BiPap machine, with Oxygen added. It is fairly quiet, but has a slight darth-vader in/out noise, but quiet. Occasionally the machine got really noisy... it generally needed servicing. I now also have a CPap. My sleep study showed a sleep-disorder that is not sleep-apnea but is treated the same. I have wondered if my settings are just right (the settings were determined over a 1 week stretch... where I was over-due for a couple of days, then post-partum. I still remember the phone call as they assessed my results... "Did you know you wake up about every 2 hours for 30 minutes or so?" (Breastfeeding a newborn...) The nose-mask takes getting used to. I Also had to train myself to keep the mouth closed while I slept.

And yes, without mental health support the hoarding will come right back... and if it was cleaned up fairly forcibly it will come back much much worse. I have hoarding genes and a tendancy towards it if I am not careful. I used to have collections (mostly organized and recognizable as collections, and not an overwhelming amount... but more than normal. Stamps, coins, Scouting/Guiding crests, uniforms, manuals, and customizable card games, etc. I have a few things from some but mostly don't feel 'it' about them now. But cleaning up, decluttering, organizing stuff.... decision overlord! What do we do with 'this'. Throw out, donate, keep? If keep, where do I want it? Well if I knew where I wanted it, it wouldn't be in this stuff that needs to be gone through. Gack! I get worn out quickly!

No, a hoarder sees the potential use and function... in everything. My dad was/is a hoarder. Not quite to the total, complete garbage, but close. Our backyard had old school lockers, a fountain drink machine, ceiling tiles from a school's renovation, a few paving stones, a couple of sheds full of who knows what, etc. He always had a plan for the stuff or ideas on how it could get used. The one house we lived in, One entire level of the house had magazines, books, and newspapers piled 3 to 4 feet high. No furniture, nothing but reading material. A few pathways. He had read it all at some point, and would reread it. But think of it... about 800sq ft (the place was 900sq ft I think... so a bit less for the paths) x 3... 2400 cubic feet of paper. The house was on an acreage and caught fire (forest fire season.... cause is unknown still...) The firemen were all commenting on how hot that house burned... the hottest fire ever. The 2 car garage was full to the rafters. But yes, in his head there was a use for everything. Or collections. Or things that would get used.

My son has just officially become a youth Scouter! (There are various courses and training, as well as hoops to jump through, to become a scouter, and a youth scouter must do all of them the same as an adult scouter.) I am very proud. He works with the Beavers (ages 5-7). He now counts as an adult for the child:adult ratio instead of a child, as well as has the privaleges and responsibilies of an adult scouter.

I have my DNA up, and it has really helped my genealogy research. If some 3rd cousin once removed or something is a seral killer, I'd be happy if my dna helps get them arrested.

A history curriculum? Www.simplycharlottemason.com

Ii also self-taught when I was barely 3. I don't remember it... in my memory span I could always read. I think my siste played "school" with me one day. I was always interested in books, pictures of me at 18 months or 2 years old generally have me holding a book or looking at a book. I also have no clue how I managed it as my eyesight was so bad... I often saw double and I know how blury text is if I don't have glasses. My earliest memory is my mom looking at me and asking what I was seeing (my one eye was turned in). And one of my next earliest memory (age 3) is at the opthamologist appintment, and the doctor being astonished I could read (I always read outloud at that age). It affected the prescription. (I got bifolcals so I could see to read as well as distant... that would have waited until I was starting school normally.)

At 8:10ish amazon chaged to saying it will arrive December 25-27th, So I figure the 27th.

We have a packagd that amazon says should arrive by 8PM today. It is 7:45... I am not holding my breath. At keast it is my present to my husband, not one of the kids....

I just wanted to say that I'm sorry this happened to you. It is really stressful having cfs called on you, even when it is totally unfounded.

This clip from the west wing is the best explanation I have, although it is about Scotch...

Hugs. I have dealt with it, but not successfully. The truant officers even gave up. She is 28 now, and struggling. We did everything we could think of.