Then I'm not interested. I have enough work going on in my life - I'm not ready to start a 4-H club. Thanks, though!!

:confused: Now how would I go about doing that? Seems like a bit of work....

I think she is thinking of the "gift tax" thing because she mentioned something along those lines. Just a little background - she bought this for herself some time ago and doesn't really use it like she thought she would. She's looking for a Kindle for herself now. I've always joked with her she could send the iPad on to me if she ever found she didn't want it. I was a bit surprised she was asking for a receipt of some kind so she could consider it a donation but then I quit trying to figure her out a long time ago. We did offer to buy her the Kindle in exchange for the iPad, but she wasn't there to take the message so I have no idea how she'd feel about that. Thanks for all the input. I knew in my gut it just didn't feel "right" but it's nice to know I can back it up somehow.

I'm not sure how to go about doing this (or if it's even right) but my mom wants to give her iPad to dd to use for school and get a tax deduction for it. Is there a "right" way to go about doing this?

I don't have one, but I really want one for my kitchen. I'd get the one with the stools that would fit underneath and it would double as my kitchen island.

I've done that before with a trash bag. I've bagged it all up (while they were scrambling) and taken it "out" to the trash. It only worked when they were younger, because I couldn't stand the thought of just throwing out toys (there were some really nice ones in the bag). They just hid for a while and slowly went back into the rooms. Now, I motivate my oldest dd with selling things on consignment and she gets the money. It's a great way to get rid of those she's not really playing with any more.

Aww man! We're just down the road in Knoxville, and while a bonfire sounds AWESOME we won't be able to make it :(. Sending you a pm, though :)

Thanks for the input! Anyone else?

It's not just yours. My ds has also pooped in the front yard. Boys.

same here- mainly if I try and "search" something. I'm also had trouble getting to the Peace Hill Press website....

I remember reading Misquoting Jesus and thinking WOW! It definitely makes you think. I can't wait to start reading some of these other suggestions. Great thread!

OK, I'm gonna fess up here. I tried WWE when my daughter was in 2nd grade and did not like it. We both found it dull and after a while, I quit reading the passages aloud and just gave them to her to do on her own and then quit altogether. In Cinci, though, I heard SWB speak about writing for the early years and now I totally understand WHY WWE is set up the way it is. So my questions start with where do I go from here (we're starting 4th in the fall)? DD is an avid and skillful reader, she does really well in her LA (we're using CLE 300) but we are lacking in the "writing" department. Which writing program/level would you recommend for me to start with?

how creative!! Exactly what I was thinking!!

:lol: love it!

Actually, before we started homeschooling, *I* was the one who said "no way!" because I didn't have any confidence in my teaching. DH had very strong opinions against public school and we couldn't afford private school - so he was the one saying "we're gonna homeschool our kids" even when I said "no, we're not". He was/is very supportive although occasionally he wonders if we've made the right decision. DD is veeerrrrryy social and there are days she doesn't see another child other than her brother and he wonders if it wouldn't be better if she were in school where she would see other children all day. He also wonders if keeping ds home as he gets older is a good idea, too, because ds loves sports and I think will be pretty athletic as he grows. But then, we were always thinking we'd do this year by year and decide as we go. (After Cinci, though, I'm thinking of committing to schooling right up through high school :scared:). Another issue that comes up occasionally is the cost of homeschooling - the curriculum, the umbrella schools, extracurricular sports, co-ops - it all adds up and I don't think he was expecting that.

I haven't seen anyone mention using Rid-X for their septic. Back when we had a well/septic, we used this once a month (I think) just to keep the septic healthy. Also, you might want to check on how many bedrooms (people) it's rated for. We've been shopping property and some are rated for 3 bedrooms, for example, so if you have a large family, that could be a factor. A friend of mine had to have the sewer lines in her yard (she's in the city) repaired because those flushable wipes aren't really flushable. The guys working on her yard even showed her (once they dug up a pipe) how much they clogged up so if you use those, you might reconsider something else. This is so true! We lived at the end of the power grid and lost power all the time. We used to call each other when we saw the streetlights come on. The point about the generator is very important to know. We always make sure the main breaker (at the top of the box) is OFF so that there's no power traveling back through the lines. Definitely have an electrician walk you through proper usage.

... to peeling old contact paper? We're having our cabinets painted and I had this great idea to peel it up instead of have them paint over it :tongue_smilie:. Any suggestions or should I just let them paint over the contact paper? Thanks!!

It is absolutely, 100% ok, to let school go during this time. I love what Kristine had to say about maybe having the children help in little ways like reading to him or helping out around the house. The bottom line is family and being there for family. You're setting an example to your children that while having a good education is important, there are times in life where *life* is important and this is one of those times. Don't beat yourself up over this. I'm so sorry you're going through this. If it were me, I'd be a basket case (I'm a big ol' daddy's girl). (Edited because I just saw your response.)

Have you read "Parenting with Love and Logic"? It was something I read a long time ago (at least 5 years ago) but some things stuck with me and dinnertime battles was one of them. I haven't read through all the pages of this thread but from the first page, it seems most follow the concepts presented in the book. "This is what's for dinner. You can eat it or go hungry but there will be nothing else offered for dinner nor any bedtime snacks. If you choose to make yourself a PB&J, there will be a deduction in your allowance because money has already been budgeted and spent on dinner and that PB&J you're fixing tonight is taking away someone else's lunch tomorrow. And if you don't finish your dinner tonight, it'll be saved and you can have it for lunch/dinner tomorrow night." Sorry if this is a repeated idea from previous posts :)

:lol: I don't really have the problem of kids coming over (since there aren't any, really, where we live) but I love the idea of a sign. I'll be tucking that idea away for future use.

If that's what my mom had, those things last FOREVER! I'm still using it for my ds. The label disappeared a long time ago but it looks just like that one, only older. DH and I just use a little fan/air purifier thingy on my nightstand.

We've used it two years now and will next year, too. DD loves it. It's a very independent program - in fact, I don't even plan on using the TM next year for the 400 level. I just ordered the workbooks and the answer key. As everyone else has said, it's thorough, constantly reviews previous topics, and includes everything for LA. The only thing we do different is we're not focusing on the writing projects (there are a few book reports scheduled in the 300 level that we skipped over) and I imagine we'll skip the writing in the 400 level since we're looking at a separate writing program.

Ditto that!!

I can't stand HOAs but my DH loves them. He likes that they provide guidelines for people to maintain their houses to a certain standard (no extra cars/boats/trailers in the yards, etc.) but I don't like the restrictions. If I want to paint my front door red, it's my house, I should be able to. If I want to put up a six foot privacy fence, it's my property, I should be able to. I worked as a property manager at a NC beach for a while and that's when I learned the most about HOAs. I really, really detest them.

I saw those at Sam's the last time I was there but they didn't have my size :( Those are super-cute but I can't justify spending that much. DH tried those for running and they didn't work out so well. Off topic, he's now trying the Merrill Trail Gloves and likes them better. It's hard to re-train your feet to run on the balls of your feet instead of the heels, but it's supposed to be much better for your body in general. Think of all those Kenyans running marathons barefooted! I think I could comfortably spend about $30 if they fit right and lasted a long time. I'll check out the tevas and I'd love to find some Chaco flips on sale somewhere.