Have you seen the Book Wizard from Scholastic? I think it's pretty cool. You can put in age or grade or reading level, interests, etc and it will find books for you based on your criteria. Now, they aren't screened for content, so then I do more research, but it's helped me find some new or off the beaten path titles. There are only so many times that I can have Secret Garden or Anne of Green Gables recommended! And it goes up to 12th grade. HTH!:D

Thanks for the heads up on these Cherry Ames books. I just looked them up and my library has at least a dozen!!!:001_smile:

There was a thread here recently that led me to find the Zaner website. It has a completely free tool where you can type in your sentences and it will print them out in their font on the lined paper for your dc to copy. The only thing I didn't see was the little arrows that they need when first learning, but I'm sure those are in the purchased workbooks. But I thought it was a cool tool for typing in poetry or Bible verses, or whatever, to use for cursive practice and copywork. Also, I LOVE the idea of those Queen picture study ones, but it seems like there was only one sentence per day...? That seems like very little to me. I'd like ideally for my dd to do at least 5 sentences at a time, but maybe not do it every day. Am I just not looking at the samples right? Please enlighten me!

Well, I won't send any hate mail, but will respectfully disagree. I guess you are entitled to your opinion and if you don't like it so much, then it's a good thing for all of us that you moved away.:tongue_smilie: Town Lake has been renamed out of respect for Ladybird Johnson who has done SO MUCH for the beautification of Texas. While it's hard to get used to calling it "Ladybird" Lake, it's a fitting tribute. And Austin has grown because it's a great place to live and raise a family. Cedar Park, my home town and suburb of Austin, was recently named by Family Circle magazine as one of the top 10 best places for families. And I can say that it is. :D Austin is still very hip, very fun and has lots and lots to do, but maybe it's not the "cowboy" experience the OP is looking for. And San Antonio is an even lovelier example of urban sprawl. But it is a fun place to visit. What's already been mentioned is fun, and I would also add that if you have a little extra time, the zoo there is very cute. For what you are looking for, I'd also vote on Ft. Worth. Museums, restaurants, rodeo, all of it.

That's the only scene I wish they would have done without. It was very true to Kirk's character, but my 8yo looks at me and goes "what are they doing, wrestling?" Um, yeah.:001_huh::lol: We also didn't like the scary ice planet monsters, but again, true to the series. It wouldn't have been as good to make it G rated though, so we took our chances. I an dying to see it again!

So these are the messages that come through to your email, but you don't get them on your FB page? Just wanting to make sure. I DO NOT need that this morning!:ack2:

I make my own burp cloths. I use cloth diapers, the good Gerber ones, and just sew a satin blanket edge on each end. This way you can make 12 pretty inexpensively, customize the blanket edge for the sex of the baby and decor, and they wash wonderfully - very stain resistant. A friend made them for my dd and since she was a spitter-upper, they were on hand all the time and eventually became her "lovey". She is going on 9 and still sleeps with one and still has at least 5. They've been washed so many times they are soft as silk now. Since they became so loved, I made them for my ds, too. We call them "raggies". Best bonus, they are all identical, so if you lose one it's not the end of the world! This is now my go-to baby shower gift. No mom ever has enough burp cloths!

:grouphug: Praying here too.

Can you post a link? When I looked for it I found the Discovery Education site but it's a lot to navigate through and I don't know exactly what I'm supposed to be looking for. Thanks!:D

Doing that now!!!:D

:001_huh::glare: "self-aggrandizing, society phobic mothers" ? :confused: Um, okay. Good grief.

Sounds like some of you are starting really young, but the website made it sound like they should know long division before starting. Can I assume that my dd going into 4th grade and who will be in Singapore 3A&B this coming year could do it? Start with the fractions book?

:001_huh::confused::lol: I think I will have to print out this response and study it for a while for it to sink in. And then I'm sure you can expect a pm from me! :lol: I tried the drag and drop scenario with my dd's Sansa clip and it didn't work. Of course the Mac recognized that I had a device plugged in, and I could drag to the folder called "music" for the device, but it never uploaded (or sync'd) with the device. And I don't know enough about Macs to mess with it. I would really truly LOVE to figure this out without buying an iPod because I think a little Sansa clip is all I need, not to mention that dd has one I need to manage on this computer, and my ds is fast approaching an age where he wants his own music player too. A $25 clip is perfect. DD's music is mostly cd's that we purchase, but I would like to get back to using iTunes so she could buy songs here and there. And I'd use it for long walks listening to books on tape, Spanish lessons for myself, music, etc. Thanks for the info, I am off to try to figure it out!

I refuse to eat seafood. Of. any. kind. And I'm from San Francisco. And, no, I'm not allergic. So please stop telling me how delicious it is, and how I should just have one teensy bite. I said "NO THANK YOU!":cursing::ack2::leaving:

I haven't found this so easy to do. We have a Mac. It's a good one, a G4. We have iTunes, and iLife, but no other media software on it. I have tons of music in iTunes that I used to listen to my old iPod with, but it was a 1st gen Shuffle and died. I wanted a screen, but can't afford a Nano, so I figured I could get a Sansa or something. Nope. iTunes won't recognize it. And for some reason I can't even download Windows Media Player for Mac because it won't unzip. I was so frustrated the other day I just about picked this thing up off the desk and threw it out the window. So I think my problem is that even if I find a way to convert iTunes music to mp3, I still have no media player that will recognize the player and sync with it. Macs are great, but sometimes very frustrating. I need to revisit this issue now that cooler heads may be prevailing. Cause I really want an mp3 player to walk with, but don't want to spend $145 for a Nano!

:grouphug: I think saying goodbye before dad leaves with the pet. I just think the scene at the vet's office and the decision process is so very hard for kids to understand. I'm so sorry for your loss.

That's just what I was going to suggest, a cat. We have had cats before on our ranch that would bring us birds and lizards and snakes and rats even. It's yucky, but they think they are bringing home the "kill" to their family.:001_huh::ack2:

:lol::lol: That's so funny!!!

Anyone ever see the movie "Shirley Valentine"? It was so funny! I haven't seen it in forever, so I may be romanticizing the plot, but I remember thinking it was great. About a regular London housewife who gets a chance to go on holiday to Greece and doesn't return. Of course, she meets hot Greek guy and her values get muddy, but still, the idea that you go on vacation and just. stay. there. Sounds good right now.

And it was Martha's idea and she exec produces it! It's very funny, indeed.:lol:

Isn't 18" the American Girl height also? So it depends on if you need those kinds or baby clothes. I'm going to look at that link b/c my dd lover her Am Girl and those clothes are so expensive!

I agree about the unreal world of "knowing" everyone. One time a close friend of mine was frequenting a really nice restaurant and she and her husband requested the same waiter each time. No introductions were made except the waiter who introduced himself as "Hi, I'm Steve, I'll be taking care of you". But he was good so they sat at his table maybe 3 times over 2 months. Lo and behold, there he was requesting her to be his friend on FB?!?!? So weird! I was recently contacted by a guy I had a few dates with the summer before going off to college. I haven't thought about him since, and here he shows up requesting a friendship on FB. I've ignored him. On the other hand, I accepted a friend request from someone I used to work with. The very sight of her face and name every day reminds me of the very painful way I left that company and how hard it was for me to heal for so long after that. I have regretted it ever since and have wondered about deleting her. She won't know?

Don't you guys think the smaller size would be okay with just 2 kids? I read a review that those ladders for the bigger size pools are pretty rickety and not good for older or larger people. I don't know that I'd even get in the thing, but would like the option I suppose, to cool off on a hot TX day, but don't think a rickety ladder sounds like my cuppa tea - I'm not what you'd call petite. Experience or ideas about this? Should I just not worry about it and get the bigger size so the kids have plenty of space?

Oh! I think my kids would die of excitement if I got them one of these. And we have the PERFECT spot for it. This house has a concrete pad in the middle of the backyard where a hot tub used to be. We've used it like a patio surface, and had a sandbox on it, etc. But right now it's empty and glaring and ugly. PERFECT for a pool! Now...how to convince dh that this is a good idea.....:thumbup1:

We went to Mexico last year, and that's where I'd go back to. Specifically the beaches south of Play del Carmen. It can get very isolated down there. Some hippies and some adorable Mexican villages where no one knows who you are or cares.:leaving: Guess I'd better take some Purell and a face mask though, huh? :scared: