Susan in TN Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 35 minutes ago, KrissiK said: I’ve never lived in a house with a basement. Nowadays houses are built on a concrete slab. I grew up in a house built in the 50’s and that had a crawl space underneath. Very few houses with basements in California. We have a walkout basement - it is rare to have a basement in this area due to all the limestone or whatever, but since our yard is on a slope, it works. We don't have water issues so far. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 This could be totally off the wall for spelling but my guys spelled better when they got to pick the words. I let them get theirs from literature or writing models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 I am not an innate speller. I grew up believing I was terrible, but I am not as bad as I thought I was. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Grapes are delicious. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 1 hour ago, ikslo said: I’m going to have him try TTRS this summer, I think. And read. And games. I can’t bring myself to throw a workbook at him when I really don’t think it’ll help. It makes me sad to think about it. The thing that helped my spelling most (I've got no visual memory for words) was lots of copywork typing--basically typing up encyclopedia articles. I wasn't doing it to improve spelling--it was my ADHD way of approaching research papers for school. I would type everything in and use that as my notes to write. Spelling is still a weakness, but spell check helps. I do a funny thing when I type where I regularly substitute homophones or near homophones for the word I intend. I'll catch it if I proofread because it's not like I'm actually confused about which spelling/word is which, but something in the processing my brain uses to type words leads to frequent substitution. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 I LIKE GRAPES! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 My oldest two kids are natural spellers. I've never used spelling curriculum with either of them, or even phonics past about halfway through 100 EZ Lessons, but they can spell every word they have ever read. Must come from dh, he was a county spelling bee champion. My third child is dyslexic and takes more after me in her spelling ability ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 We have a half basement. Split entry house, basement is down a half flight, main floor up a half flight of stairs. We've not had any flooding but folks in the neighborhood with deeper basements have. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 I will have lots of grapes at the end of the summer. You are all invited to visit. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 58 minutes ago, Slache said: This is like a super power! It really is. One of many!!? 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 23 minutes ago, maize said: I will have lots of grapes at the end of the summer. You are all invited to visit. So will we. We have three varieties growing in our backyard. We can have a progressive grape tasting. First go visit Maize and then come see me. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 5 hours ago, maize said: Spelling is overrated. I'm all for extra PE, music, and foreign language and less spelling. Yeah, it's all fun and games until someone misspells your name on your paycheck, lol. 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Booya. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 How do you keep squirrels and other critters from eating all your grapes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Day 137 steps Day 8 hips 4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 1 hour ago, Susan in TN said: How do you keep squirrels and other critters from eating all your grapes? I don't, but they did plant peanuts in my kitchen garden so... okay? I don't know. We can't grow grapes. I posted on the grocery thread. People are spending $70/week and still get more vegetables to their kids than me, the urbanite who served her kids french fries, cheese, eggs, and gravy, and called it a Canadian delicacy. Literally the only green thing consumed was green gummy bears in the after-recital treat at the mall. I feel like living proof that money can't buy taste, class, good habits or health. But I'm going to die trying! 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 @Ellie may know my actual IRL cousin who is ULTRA frugal and who is one person who might actually come close to a $100/week budget in a medium COL area. ? Maybe I should shut up. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Good Tuesday Morning! COFFEE first! Tsuga - we're not good veggie eaters here either. Dh didn't grow up eating veggies much so he only likes a few. I couldn't eat them during pregnancies (which was about half of a 10 year period). So here we are. I've decided it's more unhealthy to feel guilty about it. ? ? 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Good morning! I am going violin shopping with a friend today - she'd like a second pair of ears. I don't know what kind of COL area I'm in. I'd say low to medium. OK, just looked it up. The chart says we are 4% below the national average. Does that mean roughly medium? Another site puts us at 133 out of 100 and another has us at 120 out of 100. Who knows. I aim for $200 per week for groceries for 6-8 people, which includes toiletries and paper goods and stuff. Coffee! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 7 hours ago, Susan in TN said: How do you keep squirrels and other critters from eating all your grapes? I keep the grapes in the fridge and don't open the door for squirrels. I'm a natural speller. I felt that French spelling made perfect sense--far better than English--but you have to go by what you mean more than how it sounds. DS is definitely behind in spelling but does fine on the standardized tests: he knows the right spelling if someone else puts it in front of him. That's a completely different skill from thinking of a word or hearing it and then having to write it down. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Good Morning!! I am a natural speller and I have found it very hard to teach spelling because I have no idea how most people learn spelling. A few of my kids are natural spellers, a few are average spellers, and one is a creative speller. The creative speller is very much an auditory learner and spells words phonetically. I only got to French 2 in high school, but I don't remember having much trouble with spelling. It wasn't as intuitive as Spanish, though. We don't grow grapes, but dh's aunts do and they make a wonderful grape juice (full of sugar) from a recipe handed down to them from their mother. It is soooo good. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Where do you go to find reliable information on COL? One site that said we are 20% higher than the national average also said our state income taxes are 125% higher than the national average, which is stupid because TN does not have a state income tax. I need to go do something useful. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 8 hours ago, Susan in TN said: How do you keep squirrels and other critters from eating all your grapes? We don’t. Raccoons got a lot.. well, most of our Flames last year. Birds eat them, too. I see some vineyards that have thin strips of Mylar hanging throughout. The idea is the shininess scares the birds away. I’m going to try that when our grapes start getting ripe. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Good Morning!!! COFFEE!!!~D I slept like a log. Two Benadryls will do that to a person. not much going on here, today. It’s not supposed to be quite as hot as yesterday, but hot enough. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 7 hours ago, Tsuga said: I posted on the grocery thread. People are spending $70/week and still get more vegetables to their kids than me, the urbanite who served her kids french fries, cheese, eggs, and gravy, and called it a Canadian delicacy. Literally the only green thing consumed was green gummy bears in the after-recital treat at the mall. I feel like living proof that money can't buy taste, class, good habits or health. But I'm going to die trying! I probably spend $175/week for 7 people. More this time of year because I spend about $25/week on fresh strawberries. The thing about veggies is... you can buy all you like, but if your kids won’t eat them.... My kids are not overly fond of veggies. They will eat peas and corn and green beans (if there’s lots of bacon in it). Youngest DD likes salad, so she’ll eat that, too. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Morning. Caffeine. Editing. Revising. It's go time. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Morning. We love veggies. It is mainly a question of planning. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanalouwho Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 10 hours ago, Susan in TN said: How do you keep squirrels and other critters from eating all your grapes? I keep them in the fridge. ? 3 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 9 hours ago, Tsuga said: @Ellie may know my actual IRL cousin who is ULTRA frugal and who is one person who might actually come close to a $100/week budget in a medium COL area. ? Maybe I should shut up. Really?? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 11 hours ago, Susan in TN said: How do you keep squirrels and other critters from eating all your grapes? There are no squirrels here. I know, seems inconceivable. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 12 hours ago, Ellie said: Yeah, it's all fun and games until someone misspells your name on your paycheck, lol. Names aren't standardized, so it doesn't really matter if someone is a good speller. I had to get one child's name changed just yesterday on his state immunization record. His is the less common of two traditional spellings, but the way they had it on the record was something I had never seen before. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 These are the times that try men’s souls. And mothers’ patience.???????? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Good morning. Juliet is now slightly bigger than Libby. Though Libby is fatter. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 I'm fatter than Libby. We are huge veggie eaters. I made sure we made that transition before the kids were born because it was very important to me. I might not have had vegetables before I was 10 so I kind of swung the pendulum the other way, but it's veggies, so it's okay. I blame a lot of my poor health on my diet as a child. Work today. Poop. We kind of have a moving/debt payoff/home buying timeline now. ish. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 3 hours ago, KrissiK said: We don’t. Raccoons got a lot.. well, most of our Flames last year. Birds eat them, too. I see some vineyards that have thin strips of Mylar hanging throughout. The idea is the shininess scares the birds away. I’m going to try that when our grapes start getting ripe. We tried the mylar thing. We also tried pinwheels so that there was movement. Short of metal caging, it really depends on how determined the wee beasties are. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 My grandparents grew up on a farm where what they grew was what they ate....apples, pears, cherries, an entire garden full of organic produce, a pasture with beef, and a front yard with free range chicken. My grandfather and his sister live on fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and pie. They won't eat any fruit or veggies. They are OLD. I'm not sure what to make of them, but I don't turn down pie (though I probably should). 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 59 minutes ago, myblessings4 said: I was exposed to tons of veggies as a kid (homegrown, home preserved and fresh, mostly, and served daily) and still wouldn't eat any until I was an adult, for the most part. When I was in college, I spent a week with my college roommate's family and they had a small lettuce salad with dinner every night. I sort of clung to that idea and that's what we do, for the most part. We all like salads more with Krissi's salad dressings. All my kids will eat lettuce in some fashion, though some will just grab a handful and stuff it in their mouths plain, just to get it over with. Like a goat. Dd9 seems to actually like vegetables and may get grumpy if we don't leave enough for her to have a second helping. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 No one should ever turn down pie for any reason, except certain death. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 I went violin shopping with my friend. It was fun, and I played some very nice instruments. Then I came home and played my own violin and realized that I really have a very nice sounding instrument. I should get it appraised. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 33 minutes ago, Susan in TN said: When I was in college, I spent a week with my college roommate's family and they had a small lettuce salad with dinner every night. I sort of clung to that idea and that's what we do, for the most part. We all like salads more with Krissi's salad dressings. All my kids will eat lettuce in some fashion, though some will just grab a handful and stuff it in their mouths plain, just to get it over with. Like a goat. Dd9 seems to actually like vegetables and may get grumpy if we don't leave enough for her to have a second helping. Now I know why your kids like to play goat simulator. That is your kids, right? (Though I still don't know what a goat simulator is and why one would want to play it. . . ) 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Libby is a lot skinnier now. I cut enough fur off of her to make a large chihuahua. Or maybe a french bulldog. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 I still have to clip Libby. But I will need help doing that part because Libby can't stand long enough without suddenly collapsing. I managed to get through the scissors cut without taking her to the doggie ER (like last time, sigh.). I don't want to hurt her while clipping. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 57 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said: Now I know why your kids like to play goat simulator. That is your kids, right? (Though I still don't know what a goat simulator is and why one would want to play it. . . ) Ha! It is. They explained it to me once and I still don't get it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 I think we'll have chef salad for dinner tomorrow. Tonight is tacos. Taco Tuesday! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 I'm back. iTired. OK, people, so my oldest DS is taking credit recovery this summer for flunking English both semesters in Christian School. He's doing it with a really good on-line charter. I was really dreading it, but he's actually doing well. It takes him FOREVER to get an assignment done, BUT.... he wrote a good essay about "Everyday Heroes" on his dad. He just submitted it today. And he's not arguing or complaining. This charter has got an interesting schedule, too. They don't give the kids 5 classes and a semester to complete them. They do 1-2 classes at a time for 8 weeks. And then they do another class. I think he could really thrive in this environment, because he has trouble juggling everything. But....we need to get him to want to do it. He does like his school, although I can see it causes him a lot of anxiety and his grades suck. #isaidsuck. So, I can't see how just saying, "You're going to do this now" would work. DH and I have discussed it and while we will definitely say it is an option for him to continue on in this on-line school, if he decides to go back to Christian High School, then for certain he will be on probation first semester. No D's or F's in any class. We are sacrificing a lot for him to go there, and he needs to work hard. If he messes up, then he will come home and do this school for sure. But at least then he will have been warned. I would just rather him decide that, "Hey, I can be successful here, and I like the lifestyle and I want to do this instead of Christian high school and save my parents a boatload of $$." 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 17 minutes ago, Susan in TN said: I think we'll have chef salad for dinner tomorrow. Tonight is tacos. Taco Tuesday! I'm not sure what else we're having for dinner, but I just picked a meal's worth of green beans from the garden so we're having steamed green beans with bacon and sautéed mushrooms. Yummmmmmm! 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 1 hour ago, Jean in Newcastle said: Libby is a lot skinnier now. I cut enough fur off of her to make a large chihuahua. Or maybe a french bulldog. Or you could knit yourself a scarf!? 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 1 hour ago, Susan in TN said: No one should ever turn down pie for any reason, except certain death. An Ode to Pie by KrissiK Pie. I love pie. Cream pie. Fruit Pie. Pumpkin pie with real whipped cream. Boysenberry pie, fresh from the oven with a side of high quality vanilla icecream, right there on the plate, melting just a little so the melted icecream mixes with the berry juices. Pie. 4 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 1 hour ago, Susan in TN said: I went violin shopping with my friend. It was fun, and I played some very nice instruments. Then I came home and played my own violin and realized that I really have a very nice sounding instrument. I should get it appraised. Yay for good instruments! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 I'm gonna go make myself some lemonade and paint a birdhouse. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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