I think 'sugar' is a street term for c*ke, which would make me suspicious of their background.

I've been doing a lot of reading about AAS and am purchasing it to use next year with my 9 year old dd...also a good reader and poor speller. From my research and reading of a lot of independant reviews, I think All About Spelling will be a great fit for us. It focuses on phonics rules, and uses magnetic phonics tiles to practice the different sound combinations. It's not grade level oriented, so it won't make her feel dumb. One of the reviews I read said that a great reader can be a 'closet dyslexic' and still struggle with spelling. She recommended this program, and said she was seeing great results with her son. The program is based on the Orton-Gillingham approach to teaching spelling/reading which is used with dyslexic students. In addition to doing an advance search here (for thread titles only, and in the k-8 curriculum board only: 'AAS' and 'All About Spelling'), I also googled 'all about spelling reviews.'

A good friend of mine bought a set of 3 nesting cookie sheets. She keep the tiles she's not using on the largest one, and then she and her son each have a sheet to play on during the lesson. I thought that was a great idea. She just nests them back together at the end of the lesson and slides them back onto the shelf.

I LOVE the hand chopper thingy. I wore one out, and went on a quest to find one that was just as good. There isn't one. I finally broke down and bought another PC one, and found out that there's a warranty on it! :) I use it to chop onions and garlic (which I use in almost everything), veggies for soups, chocolate, etc. etc. It opens up and fits into the dishwasher, so it's simple to clean. It keeps me from having to haul out my big food processor. I love the stainless steel scoops too (but I bought mine at Publix for a lot less). Mini-server, spatulas, whisk...lots of great things! My Mom has the knives with the slide on covers, and we all love those too.

I went with my son's first grade class. They had watched a movie on Mummies the week before. The first 2 to 3 rooms are full of statues of all sizes, and the group I was with was *convinced* that every statue was a mummy. No matter what I said, they asked at each statue "What kind of dead thing is inside this one?" :lol: I heard one little girl whisper "I wonder what's in that one? Maybe a cat, because it's so small." It is an amazing exhibit, and I would like to go back with my whole family and really get a better look at everything. The Jewelry room is incredible. The only dissapointment for me was that all of the advertizing shows the tut sarcophagus, but it wasn't a part of the exhibit. :confused:

That is very curious. It's possible that your Mom is aware that you have a different biological parent, and your Dad is not...which could really make things awkward. It's not too unusual, as we have a couple of cases of this in our family tree. Often, the kids (and the legal Dad) aren't told. I too would be too curious to let it go, but you may have better luck getting in tight with your Mom and being willing to keep what you find strictly confidential. Is your Maternal Grandmother still alive? She may be willing to talk to you about it.

I have baked in silicone, and am personally not a fan. But I second the recommendation to let it cool completely before trying to remove it. I have had the best success with using a mix of shortening or butter mixed with flour...it makes a paste that you grease a cake pan with. Just wipe it in with a paper towel. If your test cake flops, you can create essentially the same look with a regular 9x13 and 2 dozen cupcakes. Bake your 9x13 rectangle, and let it cool. Trim the top and sides nice and square, and cut into your block shapes. Bake cupcakes, half filled in a muffin pan. Trim the tops off the cupcakes, and turn them, bottom side up on your lego blocks to make your dots. Secure them with a toothpick or straws. I would frost them individually in primary colors, and then place them close together on the platter. If you want taller blocks, then bake two 9x13's, and stack them together with frosting between before cutting. A firmer cake, like a pound cake, is going to give you a sleeker finished product. HTH!

I've been praying and thinking of you often today.

I've seen them make fun of plenty of hip, attractive folks who just can't sing. So I don't buy it that they would have expected her to sing well if she tweezed her eyebrows and had a snazzier haircut. They're critics. I think she's just got a very laid back personality, and is a little goofy and sloppy looking. Not things that engender a first response of respect from professional critics. But she has the pipes! :) I'm sure they've got her strapped into a chair somewhere, transforming her with a dazzling hollywood makeover...just tweezing, and clipping away. But she's still going to be the same sweet, goofy lady, and I hope that her success doesn't change that about her.

Hi Hen Jen, I'm sorry for your troubles. One of my fav. sites for health stuff with a more natural and DIY approach is www.welltellme.com. They have a very active community of ladies who post a lot about gluten free lifestyles including recipes, what tests to have done, etc. A lot of them use DAN doctors or Naturopaths, as they seem to be more in tune with rooting out the cause of allergies instead of just treating for symptoms. I'm sure they would be more than happy to answer questions for you. Here is a great thread on beginning a gluten free lifestyle, and another very interesting thread I've been following is called the GAPS diet. It's essentially an elimination diet with the goal of healing the gut issues that are causing food sensativities. Probiotics may also be of great help to you, and can be purchased at most regular drug stores. HTH!

I have substituted coconut oil for shortening in my pancake mix that I make, and it's wonderful! I also substitute a combo of butter and co in cookies. I buy the extra virgin organic for the health benefits. One of the things with both oils is that heating destroys some of the good qualities. So I buy the cheap-o coconut oil to bake with. I also use it to make soap and to pop popcorn in. I use the 'good stuff' for coconut oil fudge (with raw honey and cocoa powder), and in smooties...basically for the stuff where I am not heating it. Flax seed oil can be substituted for some of your regular oil in salad dressing. (I have started making my own mayo and salad dressings, as this gets me away from soy oils and MSG.) One of my fav. natural health sites is www.welltellme.com I get a lot of ideas and recipes there. :)

Shellie, I would call and ask them if they carry it. I think if you call and speak to the pharmacist, they will order it for you, and you can just pick it up the next day. I know that our WM can order special request items (that they don't normally stock) from their pharmaceutical supply companies, and it's there next day. I have order many homeopathic items that way. I think you can also find out online at their website which items can be ordered by your local pharmacy. (I think this is how I discovered this service).

Sculpey is an oil based modeling compound. It's very similar in texture to modeling clay (the kind that doesn't dry out). It does take a bit of warming up in your hands to become really pliable, but it's fun to work with. It comes in little blocks that are about the size of a bar of hotel soap. Their website has projects, tips, etc. http://www.sculpey.com/ I have found that Sculpey doesn't shrink like air dry clays do. It can be painted on; stamped on with ink; or before baking, impressed with stamps. It's very versatile. It can burn if you bake it for too long or at too high a temperature.

I think personality/disposition has a whole lot to do with appreciating beauty for boys and girls. My dh and I are both artists, and our kids are very in tune to beauty. Even though I think that personality does play a lot into beauty, I also think that appreciating and especially enjoying beauty can be cultivated in the home. I openly comment on and enjoy beauty, and try to incorporate this into everyday life. Flowers on the table, turning on beautiful music to complement breakfast, etc. I also try to give my kids opportunities in which to create beauty on their own that we can all admire. Little things like cutting out snowflakes out of paper for the windows, or decorating cookies, or even just dressing nicely for a special dinner. Both of my kids love to dress the table. (We have a family heirloom with a tacky protector on top of it, so we have to use a tablecloth all the time). They argue over who gets to pick the tablecloth, and get a lot of satisfaction about putting out candles and flowers. :) Every once in a while we'll have a special dinner with the nice dishes, and they love surprising Dad with that. Both of mine like to pick flowers, and we all look for tiny flowers in the grass in spring for dd dollhouse. We all love nature. I point out the intricate designs inside flowers, and the geometric patterns in petals and pinecones. This especially delights my engineer minded son. Ds especially has noticed females as beautiful since he was very young. He would say 'pretty gul, Mama" and loved to lay in the floor on his tummy and watch my dd ballet class dance. He told me when he was 3, "I like blonde hair. Blonde curly hair." Then he told me that my hair was blonde (I'm brunette). He's 6 now, and last year I asked him if he remembered telling me that my hair was blonde. He said "Yeah. That's back when I though blonde meant long.":lol: When I would get dressed up for something, he always notices and comments that I look pretty. And he used to say "can I smell you?" :D

My favorite site for natural heath advice is http://www.WellTellMe.com What has worked well for us is to put a few drops of eucalyptus oil on a washcloth or rag, and put it where the baby can breathe this in while sleeping. I run a humidifier, and I also like to elevate the bed (with a block of wood under the legs at the end where her head is). That way the drainage is more likely to flow down into the tummy instead of sitting stagnant in the ears and causing an infection. If you are breastfeeding, you can take/eat natural antibiotics and they will come through in the breastmilk. The most powerful are onions and garlic. I had a UTI recently and ate an onion soup (like french onion...it was yummy) and also was taking garlic juice mixed with honey. Believe me...it comes out in the breast milk. :) I would recommend eating the soup or garlicky foods about 30-45 minutes before breastfeeding. If garlic flavored breast milk doesn't sound too appetizing (and it really doesn't to me either!) you can go another route. One of the popular remedies on (the other) WTM is GOOT: Garlic Olive Oil Treatment. "GOOT is just 3 Tablespoons EACH of coconut oil,olive oil,and fresh minced garlic. Combine in a blender then pour through a strainer to catch the chunks of garlic that did not get blended. I just use a paper towel to apply. Store in the refridgerator. It is most potent fresh, and should be discarded after 3 weeks." GOOT is a thick paste that quickly absorbs into the skin. The fresh garlic has a compound in it called allycin (sp?) that helps boost the immune system and knock out colds. Coconut oil can be found at WalMart on the top shelf of the oils aisle (usually) and sometimes in the pharmacy. Here are some other ideas for treating baby colds that I saved for future reference: http://www.welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,3079.msg137883.html#msg137883 http://www.welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,3079.msg68224.html#msg68224 Use neem oil on a cotton swab and coat the inside of the nostrils. It isn't painful. They can't taste the oil, and it generally causes the mucus to quickly drain and prevents it from returning. The neem oil addresses any viral or fungal spores that may be hiding in the nasal mucus. Coconut oil: If your baby has icky eyes when they wake up, gently put some on their eyelids at naptime. I tried it my self, and it didn't sting...it only caused blurred vision, so I would only do this if they are going down to sleep. Probiotics: If you have any probiotics in capsule form, try emptying one on his tongue. It wil not taste bad, sort of like dry milk. Slightly sweet. This helps boost your immunity and can knock out many illnesses. 85-90% of the body's immune system is the digestive tract, and the probiotics (healthy flora that boosts digestive efficiency) is a great boost. I wouldn't use Grapefruit Seed Oil on a baby. It's too potent. Essential oils and other forms of highly concentrated natural remedies can be very powerful, and dangerous if you don't use them correctly (for internal and external applications). Protecting a baby's digestive enzymes is really important (which is why I don't like to use commercial antibiotics), and I feel much more comfortable using whole foods that have antibiotic properties. Our bodies recognize the antibiotics because we regularly consume them as food, and so our digestive flora is left undisturbed and the foreign bacteria are the only ones who are destroyed. Whole food antibiotics usually won't disrupt the digestive system of a healthy person, though some babies may even be sensative to onions/garlic (especially potent raw garlic!). The other thing I'll add is something that I've just learned. One of the key principles with using natural antibiotics is that they need to be used liberally and often until you feel better. Our bodies metabolize them (as foods) much faster, because they don't mess up our digestion like prescription antibiotics do. It's not as simple as 'take one every 4 hours for 10 days'. The great thing about them though, is that they are made up of SO many different compounds, that the bacterias and viruses can't adapt to become immune to them. Fresh garlic contains allicin, which is reported to have antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties...and as if that's not enough, it also BOOSTS the immune system. I believe it has a better long term result as well, as the body now knows how to fight off the germ, as it has beaten it before. sorry to write an epistle :) I am just very interested in natural health. Rosemary Gladstar's book Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health is a great book if you are interested in using natural remedies for your family. She has a section on infants and children's remedies, and tons of recipes. She's a bit 'new agey' but I just overlook that :)

Karen, I'm sincerely sorry that you've been unwelcomed. I hate that for you. You can totally sit by me, and I won't beat you with my Bible, secretly sprinkle anything holy on you, or stick tracts under your windshield wiper when you're not looking. :tongue_smilie: I have a strong tendancy, as a believer in Christ, to shy away from acquanitances who have different belief systems. It's just easier and 'safer' to buddy up to (nice) people who believe like me...common ground is so much more comfortable. I'm being really honest here. I don't understand where they are coming from, and think that asking them to explain where they are coming from would be rather cheeky and make them feel like I'm interrogating them. (I'm terribly curious.) Especially if we've just met and are in a larger social gathering. I will try to stick to subjects that we might have in common, but then that list usually gets narrow pretty quickly. I am an artsy person and have a hard time finding kindred spirits anway...and faith touches and colors so many aspect of a persons life. But I do try. I have also found that people who 'feel' out of place are tougher to get to know (myself included). :bored: I have found with friends who believe differently than I do (both Christian and otherwise), that the topic of beliefs can just be too touchy of a subject. With varying degrees of passion and education, each is convinced that we hold right beliefs, so each person gets the subtle (or not so subtle) idea that the other person thinks they are wrong, decieved, or need persuading. Ick. [shudder] But this largely depends on the personality of the person, and how secure they are in discussing their beliefs. One of my dearest friends is particularly passionate about wanting to convert me to her way of seeing things. I just sit quietly and listen, and then I avoid her for a few days to let her get it out of her system. This is, for me, a completely ineffective way of converting me...as I am looking for the nearest exit the whole time. :) I also will not enter into conversations with her children about our differences in belief when they are in my care, out of respect for her. I believe that she has a right to parent her kids according to her belief system. My kids can answers a direct question about how they believe or think if asked, but are not allowed to 'discuss' (argue) with their friends over any of the differences in belief. It's been a very good experience for our family to maintain this frienship, and we love them all very much. So, while I do teach my kids our (dh and my) beliefs, and I sincerely and passionately hold to my faith in Christ. We certainly don't like or dislike people based on their belief system.

The molluscum virus is very contagious (hence the contagiosum :) A natural health forum that I visit had a thread about it, and they recommended a product called Larrea RX lotion to get rid of viral warts. It is a natural immune system booster that kills the virus: http://www.larrearx.com/products.htm#products Some products that kill the virus result in the bumps 'exploding' or the cores popping out :GROSS: So if you want to aviod that, another Mom had great success using Magnesium Oxide diaper rash cream to smother the virus. They went away with no scarring or exploding. :) HTH!

The original question was "Do you teach your children that your faith is the only correct one?" Believing that absolute truth exists (somewhere) or that it is reached from many paths doesn't make sense to me within my framework of faith in the Bible. (I hope I explained that in my post.) The all roads lead to Rome approach works only if you're dealing with a hub and spokes arrangement. I'm more of the 'there is only one set of stairs up to the temple' approach.:) If I have faith in something, it is because I believe it to be abosolute truth. It doesn't make sense to me that I could absolutely believe in something while doubting that it was absolute truth. So that is where my statement come from. I have never met a Christian that would say "I know and understand it all." We too believe in a path or journey, but that Jesus is the only path. ('We' meaning believers in the gospel)

I think the heart of your question is 'do you believe in abosolute truth?' Those of us who do will, to the best of our ability, teach that to our children. I do believe that there is an absolute and exclusive truth, and that his name is Jesus, and that His story is the Bible. But there is more than a lifetime of digging, seeking, understanding, applying and enjoying this truth! I teach my kids what I believe: That God created all things. As the creator, He is the rightful King over his creation(s). That God's story is written down in the Bible. It is the true story of God that covers the whole history of the earth from beginning to end. It was written by men under inspiration of God, and preserved by Him so that we can know Him, and know the truth. I teach my kids that all humans are sinful. We choose to make ourself king over our own world and life. This causes all sorts of problems, but mostly, we are telling God 'You cannot be king of me'. The Bible says that the result (cost) of this rejection of God is death and separation from God. I teach them that Jesus is God, and loved us so much that he laid down his rights and priveledges as God, and came here to live as a man. He alone was able to rightly worship God as King, and followed Him perfectly...he alone lived a life without sin. He did this so that he could lay his life down to pay the price (cost) of our rejection of God. This is called the gospel. This is the heart of the message of the Bible, and the essence of Christianity. The Holy Spirit leads us to understand and believe the gospel. When we believe, we are saying "Jesus is King of His world, and of my heart." Concerning other religions: I consider any person that believes the gospel (all of, and not in addition to any other means of salvation) to be my brother or sister in Christ. Worship styles and differences of opinion on other aspects of the Bible are just different flavors of Christianity. I like a variety of flavors. :) I believe in loving others (believers and unbelievers), and caring for the needs of other as the Bible teaches. I try to teach this to my kids verbally and by example in daily life. I have always had lots of different flavors of friends from all walks of life and religions, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The Bible is such an incredible living book. There is nothing else like it! It is so much more than moral teachings. When you are a believer, the Holy Spirit really makes the word of God come alive in study and application. To only see a book of morals and prophets is to miss the profound beauty and message of God. The message of the Bible (the gospel) is exclusive. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." So, this would be the perspective of a person who believes in the Bible.

I'm sad with you as well. I have also lost two babies very early on. If you can, get a hold of the book Safe in the Arms of God, by John MacArthur. It is a wonderful book for parents who have lost babies and young children. It's full of the scriptures, which point to God's character and give hope and peace about the life of your baby.

I love my Rowenta too. My MIL taught me to sew, and after using her nice Rowenta, I wanted to upgrade. I have an old Rowenta Professional Inox Steam Iron. The bottom of the line Rowenta irons aren't as good as the upper/mid lines. Mine is 120V 1200 Watt, and is model #DE-87.1A if that helps at all. Mine is an old model number though.

Awww :) It's the ACME Home Academy :thumbup:

As an artist myself, I have retained the most art history from the works that I admire and spend time with. Names, dates, and movements of art history are not really relevent in my life and have been long forgotten. I only dust off the cobwebs and do research if it pertains to a certain creative project that I am doing. IMHO, I'd be more worried about her learning how to keep her books and run a business than about being exposed to art history. Financial savy is way more practical and critical to an artist than art history. :) But I do think there's a lot to be gained from being exposed to and inspired by a variety of artistic styles. my advice is to have her do activities and create an art history sketch book that outlines the general periods of art, but focuses on specific artists or movements in art that inspire her. I would introduce her (chronologically) to the period of study, and the works of several artists. I would do this as visually as possible...maybe visiting a local museum and having a tour or guidebook that tells you about each work and the period that it comes from. Then have her find something from that period that inspires her to create. Not necessarily copying a work of art, but a maybe a poem, sculpture, or even a small collage to create a visual timeline or notebook about her art studies. Some museums allow students to make sketches from the art on site. But most of it could be done at home. It would be lovely if she could listen to period music as she works on her project. My most memorable art history project was when we were studying the impressionists. My prof. told us to bring in a small copy of 'your favorite impressionistic painting'. I chose a little print of Renoir's wife and baby. He told us 'now reproduce this painting on a piece of 20x30 heavy weight paper (college budget=poster board) using only torn magazine pages glued on for your colors. It was a very intense and fun project, and I learned a LOT about just using color to create an image. Reading the 'back story' behind a painting or artist is also something that strikes a chord with me, and I'm able to remember the artist and the painting much better than just reading facts. I have several 'coffee table' type books about specific artists that I'm most interested in, and I have learned much more from just reading about the lives of the artist and admiring their work in those books than I ever did in art history class. I think she would 'get' the most out of studying art history in ways that are visual, interesting, and that pertain to her interest areas. For instance, the movie about Beatrix Potter would be an excellent intro into exploring the life of a watercolor artist. I'd add in a biography and maybe an assignment to create an animal character 'in the style of' Mrs. Potter. One of my favorite illustrators, Paul O. Zelinsky, illustrates children's books in a variety of historic styles. I love looking at the different elements of his paintings/illustrations, and have learned a lot from just enjoying these books with my kids. His illustrations and paintings bring the old styles into a context of relevance with the stories that he illustrates. They are very inspiring to me and my kids.

Hmmmm...I'm not sure of the implication here that 'differences=imperfection.' That's just a teensy step away from 'differences=sin.' I believe that God loves variety, and can and is glorified in a variety of ways, cultures, celebrations, holidays, etc. And the specifics of what is celebrated is not so key as the heart of the ones celebrating. I see a definite shift between OT and NT in the way that commemorations are given to the people. The OT contains very, very specific instructions on celebrating Passover, down to defining the reason that it is to be remembered. Similarly, the levitical laws are very specific and detailed (if your bull steps into a hole on the sabbath...) The OT setting out of the celebrations, seasons, and laws was how God defined the culture of the Israelites. The NT is a world away from that type of detailed instruction. We are walking along with Jesus (from the viewpoint of his disciples in the gospels), hearing him teach, and watching him interact with people. It's very narrative. In this narration, we find the commemorative supper that is taken during Passover. It's so rich with symbolism in the timing, no? There are some 'do this, but don't do this' style passages relating to church organization which God preserved in the scriptures. But by and large, the NT deals with a heart relationship with God, through Christ as we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. It's a message that was to be spread to every culture and in every language. The true church is going to look (culturally) very different in every country. It looks different from one house to another...that's the beauty of it. :) Christ is celebrated continuiously in a variety of ways. I do agree that each man should honor his own conscience, and that we should not defraud one another for differing beliefs and convictions. But I don't entirely get the whole deal about carefully regulating the origins of your celebrations if you are celebrating Christ alone. If a pagan wore a red robe after bathing in honor of his diety way back in the day, is it wrong for me to wear a red robe after singing hymns in the shower? I'm much more concerned with the condition of my heart & why I am worshipping than with the incedentals of cultural traditions and frills.

I think you've just witnessed their house being cased for a break in. They were prob. checking to see what kind of TV and stuff they had, and how easy of a hit it would be. I had a similar experience with being a s*cky neighbor. I watched my neighbors house get robbed, and was so naive that I didn't realize it until the alarm went off a minute later. Criminals are brazen (this was in the daytime!), totally casual about it, and work quickly. If it were me, I would call the regular police department phone # (it isn't an emergency at this point) and tell them what you saw. I'm guessing that they'll laugh at you if you tell them you think it could be someone looking for their kitty or an undercover police officer, so I would leave those parts out. They may already know the guys using that car, and the car prob. turned down into the neighborhood to either case or rob another house. Neighborhood watch alert...go get 'em girl!