[email protected]

I am going to delurk on this. We have a 4 year old, a 2 1/2 year old and an
8 month old. All boys. We just bought more software for the boys tonight.
We allow them to play with their software anytime we're not on and we're
available to supervise. Than, our four year old, is getting to the point
where he can play some of his games by himself. Almost all the software we
have is educational, but I'll have to say the only games that I really would
object to would be killing games.

I think having a computer is an advantage when HS/US, as it's easier on me to
"teach" certain things. Than is very independent and learns things easier on
his own. The computer provides a wide range of knowledge, right at our
finger tips.

We went to the zoo on Ground Hog's Day. Our local zoo has free admission in
Feb. but I didn't know this, so we took the money that we would have spent on
admission and went to the gift shop. The boys picked out some toy dolphins
and elephants. While playing with them at home, they asked me what sounds
they made. We looked at our video collection first, but alas no videos had
dolphins or elephants on them, so we decided we would have to wait to go to
the library. But then I remembered the internet!! So we looked up dolphin
and elephant sounds and lo and behold we found some sound waves. The boys
were thrilled with them! When we went to the library, they remembered that
we wanted to get books and videos on elephants and dolphins. So we had
several learning moments!!

Also wanted to add about support groups. I felt very weird about joining an
unschooling with all my kids under the "norm" schooling age. But I felt I
needed the support and also I wanted to feel the waters while I could still
gracefully back out if I changed my mind. I also wanted to give my husband
two years to get used to the idea of not only hsing but unsing! Than turns
five after the 1st of Sep. which is the deadline here. So this gives gives
us time to try out the water without a lot of comments from friends and
family.

We have one cat who is spitting up food. It's not vomit (sorry to be
explicit) it's barely digested food. We feed them quality dry food free
choice and free access to fresh water. We just got them from a friend in
Nov. She says that he has always had a tendency to spit up if he gulps his
food. But with free choice and a secluded room (it's our dressing room, we
have all our dressers and shelves in their with everyone's clothes and we're
in it in the morning to dress and at night to change for bed.) he shouldn't
have any reason to gulp his food. Also there doesn't seem to be a pattern,
sometimes he'll go a week with no spit up and then he'll spit up several days
in a row. Last week it got so bad and frequent that he spit up once in the
bowl. But then I switched to Purina Deli Cat to see if he'd like that
better, well he went a whole week and then this morning he first spit up and
then actually vomited twice with in a half hour. So now we're back to the
high quality food (I think it's Hills, but my friend supplies the food and I
can't remember specifically, it might be Science Diet.) Any ideas?

TIA!!

Carrie in WI

metta

Hairballs?
--
Thea <metta@...>

> From: CJWBLW@...
> Reply-To: [email protected]
> Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2000 21:22:18 EST
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Computers, support groups and cats
>
> Last week it got so bad and frequent that he spit up once in the
> bowl. But then I switched to Purina Deli Cat to see if he'd like that
> better, well he went a whole week and then this morning he first spit up and
> then actually vomited twice with in a half hour. So now we're back to the
> high quality food (I think it's Hills, but my friend supplies the food and I
> can't remember specifically, it might be Science Diet.) Any ideas?

metta

Oops, sent my last reply before I was finished. Has this cat been examined
by a vet for a congenital malformation of his esophagus? I've known of dogs
with this condition who were doing exactly what you have described with your
cat.
--
Thea <metta@...>

> From: CJWBLW@...
> Reply-To: [email protected]
> Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2000 21:22:18 EST
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Computers, support groups and cats
>
> We have one cat who is spitting up food. It's not vomit (sorry to be
> explicit) it's barely digested food. We feed them quality dry food free
> choice and free access to fresh water. We just got them from a friend in
> Nov. She says that he has always had a tendency to spit up if he gulps his
> food. But with free choice and a secluded room (it's our dressing room, we
> have all our dressers and shelves in their with everyone's clothes and we're
> in it in the morning to dress and at night to change for bed.) he shouldn't
> have any reason to gulp his food. Also there doesn't seem to be a pattern,
> sometimes he'll go a week with no spit up and then he'll spit up several days
> in a row. Last week it got so bad and frequent that he spit up once in the
> bowl. But then I switched to Purina Deli Cat to see if he'd like that
> better, well he went a whole week and then this morning he first spit up and
> then actually vomited twice with in a half hour. So now we're back to the
> high quality food (I think it's Hills, but my friend supplies the food and I
> can't remember specifically, it might be Science Diet.) Any ideas?