Met at 18/20..married at 22/24..waited three years before we had our first son. We'll celebrate 18 years this fall :). It's been pretty great..never perfect and we've had our struggles but what marriage doesn't. No regrets here :).

I'd personally worry zero. :)

I'm glad that you're seeking out medical expertise and hoping that you get answers soon! A few years back my dad had a really bad virus and one of the temporary effects of the virus was that his eyes began to cross...so there is a really good chance this could just be a nasty, persistent virus. Keep us updated!

Lol..I walked into B&N the other day and saw Gwyneth's annoying face smiling at me from the cover of this book. When I saw that the title was, "It's All Easy" I actually laughed and said out loud, "Gwyneth, you're such a stupid lying liar."

When my older ds was 4 we joined a homeschooler Swim and Gym at our local YMCA. Of that group of young, preschool age homeschoolers I would say about 50% of them are still homeschooling 10 years later :). None of the families who went back to traditional school did so before 3rd grade and most of them transitioned when they were entering high school. That's our experience :).

Not the individual word lists..for example, in Lesson 89 the practice paragraph reads... "The queen creeps to a sweet plum tree. She sits on the green grass. Plop! Three seeds drop on the queen. The queen peeks at the strange seeds. The queen bites a seed. Bad queen! The seed makes the queen sleep. The queen wakes up and peeps. The nap has make the queen late. She has to rush to get home on time." I would say that if she can't read the practice paragraph for the lesson easily and fluently then perhaps take some time and review. I'd probably go back to the lesson where she can fluently read the passages and start reviewing from that point on. Maybe create a game for her which requires her to read words and sentences made up of the sounds learned so far. :)

Thanks :). So a good benchmark for beginning BA3 would be that they have mastered addition and subtraction?

Can she read the practice sentences paragraphs that go along with each OPGTTR lesson somewhat fluently?

I keep hearing about this Beast Academy so I took a look at the website and noticed that it begins at level 3..in an ideal world with a developmentally right on target kiddo would BA3 be geared for a a 3rd grader then? Thanks!

Uh..not dot downplay your kiddos test results..and I can't vouch for where ya'll live..but here in NY the CAT test is pretty well known among homeschoolers as the "simplest" test out there. It is most definitely easier than the annual CC aligned standardized tests administered here. It's the test we give when we just want to get the testing done and out of the way and maybe make sure that the very basic grade benchmarks have been met.

Oh. My. Gosh. That finale was FANTASTIC!!! The opening scene leading up to the trial was just perfection...the music, the cinematography...all of it. I had an inkling that Cercei was going to blow the whole place to bits. A few weeks ago when she asked Qyburn whether the, "..rumors were true.." I was like, "Huh..wonder what that's all about?"..and then last week when Tyrion was talking to Dany about her father and mentioned the wildfire Aerys had put all under King's Landing (including the Sept of Baelor) I was like, "Wait..no..she wouldn't..would she..yeah, she's probably crazy enough to do it." Tommen's suicide was just..sad. He was the rare Lannister in that he had a good heart and a sweet spirit. I think after he came to the realization of what his mother was he saw no other option. While thinking she was protecting Tommen, Cercei unwittingly self fulfilled the prophesy the witch had told her many years before. It was awesome to see the R + L = J theory confirmed. I was hanging on to the fan theory that Jon was a twin with Meera Reed being his sister but no such luck. They were born in the same year and Howland Reed was the only other survivor at the Tower of Joy..it could be plausible that each of them took a baby..it was also interesting that they cast Meera with an actress who looks similar to Jon. Oh well, we can put that one to bed I suppose. I was also holding out hope that Lady Stoneheart might still make an appearance this season. Boooooo. Why did we spend so much time mucking about with the Brotherhood Without Banners and the Frey/Riverlands/Jaimie plot lines this season if it didn't lead to Lady Stoneheart making an appearance..I was really hoping she'd show up to avenge the Red Wedding and kill Frey. I was also a little disappointed that the show didn't check in with the White Walkers. Who has the Horn of Joramun..is it the horn that Sam found when he found the stash of dragon glass? Will the horn bring The Wall down or will something else?!?! And what is going to happen when Dany shows up in Westeros?! What is Cercei going to do when she sees that Tyrion is with her (she's going to lose her sh*t, that's what)?! I would imagine Dany is going to want to take out the houses which removed her family from power which would include not only the Lannisters but also THE STARKS! Is George R. R. Martin (or, excuse me, The Lord of Light) really going to make me choose between Dany and Jon because I can't (I won't) do it! Will the theory that Dany has been going down the same path as her father and that she's really been the villain in training all along come to fruition?! She does seem to revel in killing..even when she convinces herself it's all in the name of justice..didn't Tyrion just have to talk her down from burning a bunch of cities to the ground including the innocents living in them as well? Didn't she also confide to Tyrion that when she had to kick Daario Naharis to the curb that she felt nothing. Is any of it going to matter when the White Walkers breach The Wall?! G.R.R.M just better not die before he finishes those two books.

I'm confused. I've never read the book and have little to zero knowledge on raising a godly tomato. However, I read the passage you posted, and am confused as to how the author encouraging a child to smile equates to promoting fear, spanking, corner time, or lecturing? Is there another passage you could post that shows where the author specifically advocates doing these things when a child displays sadness or other emotions aside from happiness? Thanks :)

I took the same approach with both of my kiddos and it seemed to work well for us :). Both kiddos were reading fluently at a 2nd grade level by the time they were four with relatively little effort. Continue to read aloud to her as much as you can :). Early on we introduced letter names/sounds by playing with blocks, fridge magnets, sidewalk chalk, ABC puzzles and books, etc... The "Leap Frog Letter Factory" video was a favorite of both of my kiddos :). Once she can recognize the letters (both upper and lower case) you can introduce the concept that letter sounds blend together to form words. How quickly kids grasp this concept is highly individual. For some kids it's right away..for others it takes some time. It's not uncommon to take a year or more after they've learned all of the letter names/sounds to be ready to blend them into words. You don't really need a curriculum to do this..you can use magnets, letter blocks, etc.. Once she can confidently blend letters into CVC words you could start with a gentle phonics program such as Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading. You could also begin to introduce some sight words. Google the Dolche sight words list to get started :). One of the first independent books both of my kiddos read was a Dick and Jane treasury. The Dick and Jane books take a sight word approach using some of the most common sight words encountered. It was nice for them to be able to read a book right away without having to sound every word out..once they get more experienced with phonics you can switch over to phonics based readers :). Once she can confidently sound out simple words and has a little bit of a sight word vocabulary build up just start looking for appropriate books at the library to read..books like Little Bear, Frog and Toad, Mouse Tales, Green Eggs and Ham, etc.. Continue to practice and continue to increase the level of challenge in the books you're choosing for her as she progresses :). Most importantly, follow her lead! She'll let you know when she's frustrated, disinterested, or in need of a break :). Happy reading!

First, how old is your daughter? Second, what are you looking to gain from the program? :)

Maybe I'm missing something...I took a look at the sample..is that it for September? Just a list of a few activities, a handful of book recommendations, and a recipe for the month? And it's $179.00?

Wow..ya'll sure do get worked up something fierce over the Duggars around here, lol.

Both my boys loved "Kipper's A to Z" :).

Kipper and Little Bear are our favorites :). Kipper is on both Netflix and Amazon and Little Bear is available on Amazon :).

I only have one (I'm more of a sucker for a good ghost story, lol) and it's... Return to Me Best. Rom-Com. Ever.

Oh..that would be all of the Stephen King and V.C. Andrews I could get my hands on :scared: . I wouldn't recommend either, lol!

While it's entirely possible to progress to a semi-professional level with regards to your mastery of the technical and processing aspects of photography I don't think that 6-12 months allows you enough experience to put yourself out there as a professional photographer. If you're seriously considering going pro then I would allow yourself a good year of "portfolio building" first. Sit down, and figure out what your ideal full prices would be..taking care to consider how much time you're putting into a session (driving to and from, shooting time, editing time, emailing time, downloading time, delivery time, etc..), equipment costs, marketing costs, copyrighting costs, product costs, etc.. Take a look at other photographers in your area to see what their prices are like. Once you have your full prices set offer "portfolio building" sessions at a discount (for example a waived session fee and 50% off of print prices). This way clients will be aware ahead of time that they are getting a discount in exchange for you being able to gain some experience and build up your portfolio. Also, offering a discount off of your full price takes the surprise out of it later when you do raise your prices back up to your full price. Keep in mind that the photography business is a really tough business which requires a really thick skin. Peole will LOVE your photos...until they are their own and then you won't even believe the ridiculous expectations they will put on you (can you photoshop me younger..thinner..change my hair color..change my kid's shirt color..make my husband's eyes more open..can you photoshop happiness and cooperation into my children, lol). The market is terribly over saturated and you will ALWAYS be competing with photographers offering their services essentially for free (because it's not worth ANYBODY'S time to charge $25 for a mini-session and digital images). People won't care that their photos are of a much lower quality..they just want more for less $$. To be competitive you need to be able to put at a minimum 4-6 hours per day into your business...shooting, editing, marketing yourself, networking, improving upon your skill set. I promise I'm not trying to be a downer here, lol, I'm just trying to give you an accurate idea of what is involved in starting and maintaining a business like this. I gave it a go for a couple of years and just couldn't do it..the time and energy I was spending wasn't worth the money I was bringing it and it was sucking away my love of photography. Best wishes if you do go forward though!!!! :)

I have LLFTLOTR sitting here on my shelf and I'm pretty sure we'll never use it...if anyone is thinking of using it and hasn't bought it yet drop me a pm!!

I believe that for a uterine prolapse, yes, a hysterectomy would be a viable surgical solution. However, it's a bit of a double edged sword..when you remove the uterus you remove much of the supporting structure for the vagina, including the front and back walls which hold the bladder and bowel in place. Prolapse of the vaginal walls is unfortunately a common after effect of a hysterectomy.

Hi all :) Just wanted to share this resource I found for teaching chess to littles :). I found this when looking for a resource for teaching my 4 year old who asked to learn how to play. My older son learned with the "Fritz and Chesster" software but this kiddo isn't crazy about working on the computer. I like that this book organizes the lessons in an easy to learn, logical way and offers new information in bite size increments while including lots of "mini games" to keep things fun and engaging! At any rate, just wanted to share! :) http://www.amazon.com/Chess-Childs-Play-Teaching-Techniques/dp/193627731X

Chess mom chiming in here, lol. The best way to learn and improve is to play, play, play! Seek out local chess clubs, classes, or gatherings :). Learn and practice all of the basic rules and etiquette (how the pieces move, how to castle, en passant, shaking hands before and after, playing touch-move, etc..). Learn the "value" of each of the pieces (pawns = 1, knights and bishops = 3, rooks = 5, queen = 9) Learn how to take notation and to record your games. Study and practice the basic "rules" for the beginning, middle, and endgame. This link provides an excellent list of guidelines! http://www.chessdryad.com/education/sageadvice/thirty/ After you've done all of the above and are ready to deepen your understanding and skill level there are some great resources available! https://www.chess.com is a website where you can sign up for free and play games (either live online games or correspondence type games), practice tactics, study openings, watch instructional videos, etc.. http://chesstempo.com is a free tactics server where you can practice tactics. http://www.chessmagnetschool.com is a place which teaches chess concepts and principles at a customized rate. Happy chessing! :)