I think it's nice for a host to ask, but unnecessary for the host to forget to ask and then feel guilty.

I hope you're right that it's about consumer demand, but I don't think you can rule out the nanny state aspect completely. Think about it -- they already offered apples. Now they're just including them by default. ("We can't force you to eat this fruit, but we're going to insist that you buy it as part of the package.") Given what the response here has been like, not to mention what the general public response might be, it seems more like a "solution in search of a problem" -- unless you factor in the legislative demand. For our part, we just get the two-cheeseburger combo for the kids to split, because I don't want the toys around the house. I almost wish the apple bags were 2x as big, because it's never quite enough. My 3yo will eat an entire large sliced apple by herself. Four measly slices? Gimme a break.

Thanks all! I'm just thanking God for the confirmation of some decisions we made in the spring. Helps give us insight for the upcoming year. Keep at it, everyone! Day in, day out, just keep swimming!

Can't put this on FB... I needed to share this with my hs "colleagues," so shhhh, this is our secret, OK? ;) Today I found out the 2010 scores for the highly regarded, National Blue Ribbon, private school near our house ($10K/yr.). This year DD11 beat them on every subtest, and DS9 beat them in 7 out of 10 subtests. :party: DS was encouraged, since he'd been disappointed in his results (as he should be, given how he hurried through the tests). I'm thrilled, simply because the next time my mom or my sister asks me why I don't put them in this school, I have real data to shove -- I mean, give them. :D

Thanks! It helps to hear from someone who's been through the online class. My dd will be taking Latin I there this year and I'm mulling over my GB options for HS.

All of the boys were given passport pouches on lanyards that they wore around their necks. The leaders checked the pouches in and out each day, so all was accounted for until the end of the camp. TY for the insight.

This boy is entering fourth grade. The mom's (now ex-)boyfriend was the assistant den leader. I don't know what the mom's plans are for supervising him at future meetings. She may not be available to be there. We have another SN boy in our pack, but his dad is a den leader for a different den. When issues come up with that boy, he goes to his dad. BSA's new "program delivery system" has detailed lesson plans for a full year of den meetings, so it's more "open-and-go" than ever before. Behaviors I've seen: -- Yanking toy horseshoes out of other boys' hands because he needed to have an even number of red and blue ones. I tried to explain to him that I understood he really wanted it that way, but that sometimes he'd end up with an uneven number, and that was OK. But he mustn't yank them out of others' hands. He could ask other boys to trade. -- Being very resistant to going with the camp nurse to take his meds. Mom says he takes them on his own each day. Having it imposed from outside was a problem for him. (Didn't see him take meds unless nurse made him, but I assume he takes them at school during lunch or some other regular time of day.) -- (Background: All boys were provided with achievement record books at the beginning of the week, in which the leaders would sign off on whatever requirements were completed each day. The boys would then take the completed books to their packs for recording the data and ordering awards. Long story short: an important, necessary booklet.) Another scout leader handed the boy his new book, and he threw it across the room, saying emphatically that he didn't like it and didn't want it. Maybe he disliked the color or the font. Who knows. I tried to explain to the boy that even when we don't like certain things, a scout is still polite, and we don't throw things across the room because that's rude. We don't have to like everything. I hope that helps pinpoint it a little. I wonder if the SN kids' parents would be willing to give the rest of us a mini-workshop on what triggers to expect, warning signs, what works, what doesn't. Some parents are open about these things, and others aren't. Hence my questions to all of you. Thanks for your help.

I fail to understand how it's "mean-spirited and snarky" to encourage someone to investigate what a college actually teaches by obtaining the college's own documents rather than relying on others' opinions alone. Sounds like JFS's post hit a little too close to home. Oberlin is a school. I'd like to think that the people who run said school can handle the fact that some find it "too this" or "too that." They might even consider it a badge of honor in certain cases. If the issue you're having is that you really like Oberlin's worldview and you object to hearing it called "off-the-wall," then may I suggest thick-skin transplants? ;) I count 62 majors with 17 (27%) containing the word "studies." As a general rule, the word "studies" in the title of a college major is shorthand for "Political Correctness and Left-Wing Thinking." Now, that is what some people are looking for. The OP is not. (The real-world employability of college graduates with said degrees is an open question.) As JFS mentioned, the majors are only part of the picture. To gauge the level of "off-the-wallness," you look at the catalog to see what courses are actually offered in those majors, what they cover, and what perspective they take. Is "Russian Studies" primarily "Russian History"? Is "Musical Studies" a fancy name for a standard music degree, or is it a degree where you talk a lot about music, but perform little or no music? You don't know until you look at the catalog.

You have Seinfeld to thank for that. And he's... Jewish... hmmm...

Yes, he's full Korean. My oldest dd is strawberry blonde, with freckles and very fair skin, but neither dh nor I are redheads. DH has some red in his beard, though. I have a couple of uncles with red hair ("Big Red" and "Little Red" -- seriously). So I think it's just a recessive gene showing up.

We have a couple of boys in our Cub Scout troop who are autistic, and I wanted to ask the moms here for their best tips on functioning as a group leader with someone else's autistic kid. One kid in particular can be a handful at times, and the main leader who helped him closely will not be with us anymore. I was this boy's leader for day camp, and while I did my best, I'm not sure I had the most effective methods for getting through to him in order to maximize his participation and minimize his resistance to certain things. I'd like to be able to pass on more wisdom to any incoming leaders (as well as the remaining leadership). A simple, clear list of do's and don'ts would be helpful. We really want Cub Scouts to be a great experience for all of our boys, neurotypical or not. TIA!

How did you like Omni through VP online? Was it tons of work, or was it just right?

Wow, what random luck. NOT! Always great to see answered prayers.

A few weeks ago I was at my dd's ballet class. I never go because my mom takes her for me, so I don't know all the kids there. I saw one girl there who happened to be Asian, but all I noticed was that her leotard had a bow on it and the other girls' didn't. I had a little chat with a guy who turned out to be her dad. I asked which kids were his, and he gestured toward his son and daughter. Like an idiot, I said, "Oh, the one with the bow on her leotard?" ('Cause I'd been staring at it.) And he got a little miffed, and said, "Yeah... she's the only Asian girl in the room." I wanted to crawl under the couch. But I tried to explain that I know so many families with adopted kids that I try not to assume which kid goes with which parent anymore. It didn't seem to help. On a side note, some friends of ours are a mixed-race couple -- he's Korean, she's a redhead. One of their kids has red hair, like his mom. Have you ever seen a redheaded Korean baby? CUTEST. THING. EVER.

Duh... Walmart! ;)

I think I have the solution. Ditch the "nursing bra" and substitute a toy laptop. That way little girls can pretend to nurse while they surf the WTM boards and check FB. We'll be RICH!:lol: And for the "little mommies" who work and can't hs, they can take the laptop with them to "work" and drop the "baby" at the "sitter." My point being... whether or not this particular doll is worth buying by anyone at any price, the idea that it's "creepy" and "bizarre" for little girls to imitate their mothers in this way strikes me as :001_huh:. Hello?! It's how kids learn almost everything. It's normal human development. Even the Bible talks about copying others' behavior in order to learn. (We don't learn most things by constantly seeing what not to do. It's generally the reverse.)

Well, the world is full of dolls that cry, wet, and crawl, and no child needs one of those. They make some with binky-sucking noises, too. Plus, think of the upgrades! Pretend lanolin jars, pretend nursing pads, LLL Barbie! :-D

ROTFL. That is hilarious! "Give that baby a dill pickle!" Nom, nom, nom...

"No thanks, we'll sit right here in the car and drink it."

This article had me shaking my head. People find it "creepy" and "bizarre" that little girls imitate adult behavior with dolls. :001_huh: As if little girls don't already do this with dolls that don't make the sounds. Have they never seen a girl "feed" a doll solid food, or push it in a stroller? These (probably childless) urbanites are so sequestered and ignorant of basic human behavior. People are weird. :rant:

I think we'll be seeing more and more of these. Discussion?

You could go to a coaches' camp to learn more.

Leather and tan car. Sure, there's mileage to consider, but there's a lot to be said for the ability to hide and remove dirt.

I've been pretty happy with my Hoover SteamVac.

Yes, exactly. I think Wendy was saying that the idea of letting someone else have all the planning and decision-making fun would make the whole notion of homeschooling unappealing to her. I was just pointing out that many people homeschool to give their kids what they couldn't get in ps. Some people find all-in-ones constricting, others find that they solve the problem of "reinventing the wheel." It's funny... when I talk to other homeschoolers in real life, the first question I usually hear is "What [boxed] curriculum do you use?"