hhireno I also had to furnish a second home that is used year round even though it's in Maine on a lake surrounded by mountains. We chose to go to auctions and give the place some serious character rather than duplicate our home look. It was so cost effective and so much fun. One little choice I made which turned out to be a very good one is I bought Dutailier glider rockers (six of them) to put in the main room so that each person can have their own chair plus I had a sofa. The chairs are always in use lol. I put them in a circular fashion around the room and facing the fieldstone fireplace. I avoided leather as it gets sticky in the summer and chilly in the winter. Outside of mattresses and box springs all my wood furniture came from auctions and ebay. I kept the bedrooms simple as I didn't want to be working as hard there as at home. We redid the kitchen and put all drawer cabinets in a shaker type look, very light. We find drawers much easier for storage. I'm sure you'll make all the right decisions. Ours came out to look very very cozy and a place where people love to visit. Good luck!

Oooo! My favorite subject! BOOKS! ;o) The "Ramona" series by Beverly Cleary, follows Ramona as she grows up, family relationships are a big part of the plot/theme of these books... everyone learning to get along and repsect each other through funny but normal situations. She's a great girl with all the normal ups and down of being a kid. They are my DD's favorites, she is 9 now. Cleary has many other children's books, definitely an author to collect. Several Judy Blume books are for kids that age: The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo Frecklejuice and the "Fudge" series, Superfudge, Fudge-O-Mania, Double Fudge. (Fudge is a kid.) The Spiderwick Cronicles is a fantasy series, think Harry Potter for younger readers. The books are MUCH shorter than a HP book! Much more managable, with some sketched illustrations to keep it interesting. Andrew Clements, another author writing for that age group. And if you want to take her beyond chapter books, try the poetry of Shel Silverstein. Excellent, and she'll read them for years to come. If I sit down to read Shel Silverstein with my 6 y/o, my 9 and 12 y/o's are soon by my side, too. They all enjoy the humor and eccentricity of his poetry and drawings. While the vocabulary is managable for a young reader, they have to think a little harder to "get it" with some of his writing which makes them great fun to read together and talk about. Although other poems are just plain silly fun. Lemony Snicket ("Seris of Unfortunate Events"), Ronald Dahl ("James and the Giant Peach") and E.B. White ("Charlotte's Web") write for just a tad older, but a high-reading 7 y/o could read them. Finding a good series she will follow is a great idea. Also consider introducing her to different authors. If she likes a book, she should look for others by the same author, even if they are not in a series. I am helping to set up our school's bookfair tomorrow, and I am so excited! I'm hopeless when this is what I get excited about. But there you go, I love to see all the new titles and I LOVE LOVE LOVE to help the kids find the "right" book when they come to shop. Most authors have websites now where you can get a really good idea of what their writing is all about, and find some fun activities for kids to go along with the reading. So google the author and check it, it will be fun. If your GD finds an author she really likes, don't forget to try the author's website for fun kid activities. If she loves to read, introduce her to good children's literature and start a lifetime of appreciating literature. There is some fantastic literature for kids, with themes and characters and conflicts that they will relate to and that will make them think.

Both of our sons have been in the gifted/talented programs in our K-8 district. Older DS is now a freshman in HS, in all honors classes. OUr district does not "test for giftedness". Participation in the program is based on a combination of things, including teacher observations and recommendations, classroom observations by the gifted/talented teachers, test scores on the standard tests given to all the children (Gates-McGinity being one) in which they must score at 97% or above to be considered for the program. While the enrichment of the gifted program was fun for the kids, most of the programs at the elementary level are not geared to advance the subject matter, but more to advance the thinking process and depth of exploration of a subject. In other words, in the gifted classroom sections, the kids may work on the Civil War, which is what their classmates are also doing in the regular classroom. However, the gifted kids will do something with greater depth or challenge, but still on the same subject matter. Older DS participated in the MIdwest Talent Search sponsored by NOrthwestern University, and took the SAT (the same one taken by high school jrs and srs.)in 6th grade. Don't know if younger DS will be invited to take it, as he is only in fifth grade now. But again, the invitation came because of test scores on the standardized testing, not because of some special screening we did or testing we sought out. Kids can be gifted/talented in one area and not in others. There are some great websites and books on giftedness, but in truth a lot of the "characteristics" that they mention seem to be present in lots of kids I know. My older DS was a very early reader, like the poster's son. He was reading at a second grade level before he started kindergarten. But rather than seeing that as a problem, we saw it as a benefit for him as he went to school. It was. I will tell you that while there are things that the school can offer, you might also look into your local jr. college - they often have a "kids on campus" type of program, part of which is geared to gifted/talented kids, in which they can take advanced classes, etc. Gifted/talented kids can benefit by being in a regular classroom, and being leaders. Neither of our boys has EVER complained about being bored in school, whether in their regular classroom time or during gifted/talented classtime. Watch what is happening to your child, and seek out interesting experiences to enrich him, but do not let the concept of being "gifted" worry you, unless HE complains about his learning experiences.

Sophie has the original set, but I'm pretty sure she has an easier version, or a condensed version as well. I'm sending her to check.... Okay, she's back, and she brought two. :) She has one that's a "Great Illustrated Classic". It says on the back cover, "In a specially adapted version by Eliza Gatewood Warren". It's hardcover, has 14 chapters, has large print, and has a black and white picture on every other page. I'm flipping through, and I'm thinking it might still be difficult for your grand-daughter if she's struggling to read. The second is a "Troll Illustrated Classic". It's "Retold by Joanne Mattern" and "Illustrated by Renee Graef". It's a thin paperback, but there's still quite a bit of writing to it. I think it would be appropriate. There are colour pictures on every page. It seems to be easier reading. I THINK the first one I mentioned is simply condensed, whereas the second is rewritten at an easier reading level. I could scan a page of each to give you a sample, if you'd like....