BS in English Education but I never taught in a classroom after student teaching/graduation Instead I went into Technical Writing/Editing. No papers to grade! . . .until I started homeschooling.

(((TeaTotaler))) This news comes at a time when you are very depleted and stressed. I will certainly pray for the family, as well as for you! That is a very sad situation.

Yes, the days of the week we are home. This normally works out to 3-4 days a week. They are old enough to go without, but not for too long. We sleep for one hour and read for one hour. I particularly like them to rest on Wednesdays because we are out late at Bible Study--otherwise, my 9yo is so tired he falls asleep in the car on the way home and then gets messed up waking to get to bed and trying to go back to sleep. I am in introvert and desperately need that quiet time. I wish I could nap then too, but I need a longer nap to feel better. I take a nap on Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon whenever possible. I read, return phone calls, etc. I guess we are a lower-energy family. My children get cranky if they go without a nap for more than two or three days straight.

(((Crissy))) I am so sorry. My prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time. And for your mom too. I learned at age 12 that even if you know a death is coming and you think you are prepared, . . . you aren't. It still hurts incredibly. However, I am glad that you got to spend some time with your grandmother in the last few weeks.

Love RS4K. We have done the Pre-Level 1 Chemistry, and now we are doing Level 1 Biology. Fab stuff. The Calculus program is on my wishlist, so I'm sorry to see that people have had trouble with it.

I hope she is. She will have earned every penny, several times over. And yes, I do think it is tacky.

I checked the "I schedule it" one because we have a dirt pit. When they go out to play I specify whether they can play in the dirt pit or not. I also specify whether they can turn on the hose or not! We have sort of gotten into a dirtpit-recovery routine when they come inside. It sure helps that the laundry room, complete with slop sink, is right near the entrance they use. Oh, I also have them wear rubber boots so that their feet are not so dirty.

This won't be a fun answer, but I believe the answer is to work on it together. At that age, young people are very sensitive to anything that smacks of hypocrisy or "do as I say not as I do." I would recommend sitting down with her, admitting you haven't been a good example in this area, and apologizing. Then I would tell her that it is a new day, it is a discipline that you both need to learn, and you are going to work on it together. Then really commit to working on it. It's hard. It know it is. But I believe that part of the reason that we get children is to help *us* grow up. Teens are great at helping us identify our blind spots. If we grow with them in areas we are weak, they will respect us even more for continuing to learn and improve as adults. If you don't know how to "work on it," get some help. A professional organizer, a counselor, whatever. (((Faithr))) Please know that I am not typing any of this with a snarky attitude. My struggles happen to be different than disorganization, but mine are every bit as challenging.

Live without an internet connection! Live without books!

I never learned how to drive a stick shift. I never dated anyone other than my husband. I have never given birth vaginally.

I'm sorry you're still having so many problems. At least the doctor didn't blow you off or say stupid things, but of course you're still in the same boat as before, so there was no real tangible help. I am glad that some of the earlier eruptions are calming down. I will continue to pray for your health, a job for your DH, and help during the moving process. One can at least hope you end up somewhere warmer *wan smile.* Thanks for the update.

OK, I'll bite: What does ramping up look like? (I'm wondering if I need to ramp up my DD more instead of keeping DD and DS together.)

How to prepare depends somewhat on how large/involved the convention is. Here is what I used to do when going to a large convention in VA or NC: 1. Wear comfortable shoes. I log many miles trudging at these things. 2. Carry a sweater. Some rooms are hot, some are cold. It varies. I also carry a folder with pockets to put the program and a legal pad in to take notes. This is also a good place to put any handouts you get. I also use a fanny pack to avoid having to carry a purse. Oh, and since my DH also goes, we usually carry walkie-talkies. 3. Bring something with you to carry stuff. I have one of those rolling crates with a handle. Some people use a small/medium wheeled suitcase. 4. Plan ahead of time which sessions you are going to. We would always sit down with the workshop listing a couple of weeks pre-convention and decide which sessions we are going to, if we are going to split up for any, and which ones we wanted tapes/CDs for. Nowadays, the conventions usually offer a CD with all of the sessions on it, and I usually buy that. It saves a lot of grief! If I have to miss a session for some reason, I know I will be able to hear it later. I plan what sessions I am going to based on what I need. Do I need encouragement in a certain topic? Am I about to hit a new phase in homeschooling (e.g., transition to logic stage)? What are subjects I am weak in and can get help (e.g., teaching art)? Are there sessions that are hands-on and hearing the tape won't be as effective as going in person? Is there a homeschool speaker I've been looking forward to hearing in person? Am I simply interested in a certain session topic? 4. Bring a wishlist. This includes curriculum I know I am going to buy, curriculum I am considering buying but want to see in person, and curriculum I am simply curious about. I use Rainbow prices as my "benchmarks" and usually put the Rainbow price next to each item so I have an idea of what it costs. This helps me identify good deals. 5. After I decide which sessions to attend, then I know what time I have remaining for shopping. If I don't have enough, I will go back and refigure which sessions I can just hear later. I like to keep it about 50% talks and 50% shopping. I have three phases of shopping (1) browsing, (2) shopping, and (3) committing. Browsing: I try to take one turn through the curriculum hall without buying anything. Who is here? What is new? I try to stay away from the large discount people on this pass. I just note where they are. I return to them when I am looking for something specific. Sometimes I have found gems this way that are not widely known. Pay attention to the small vendors that you have never heard of before. I also usually buy major Christmas/birthday presents for the children at these conferences, so I look for suitable gift items. There is usually a toy vendor or two with cool stuff. Shopping: Next, I try to locate the items on my wishlist. I start with things I want to see in person. I try to do them first so I have time to look at them. I also try to find the items I am curious about. I still don't buy much at this phase. Committing: Sometimes I do this at the end. If my shopping time is limited, I might pick up "must haves" during the shopping phase. I buy as much as I can from my wishlist on the floor. This saves shipping, and it also supports the vendors who have gone to the trouble/expense of showing up. I do try to shop for a reasonable price. I also usually leave an order with Rainbow at the end of the conference for things I can't find, because they will not charge me shipping. 6. Used Curriculum Sale. If your conference has a used curriculum sale, make sure you leave time to shop there (you may be assigned a time). This can get overwhelming, so prepare yourself. Just go and see if anything jumps out at you or just look for things on your wishlist. Often my DH and I will split up here, each with a copy of the wishlist. After we select items, we sit down in a corner and make final decisions before purchasing. Have fun! I hope this helps.

I would do what you believe is right after some hard thinking. If a verse or a word of thanks feels right, go ahead. If just a card signed with your name feels right, do that. There were some good ideas listed about content. I am glad that he is repentant. It could be worse! But I can understand how you would still be somewhat unimpressed at being forced to spit out flowery prose. I hereby give you permission to NOT obey your mother's unseemly pressure. There is no rule that says you have to write something read-out-loud-able. She was wrong to pressure you to come, and she is wrong to pressure you to write something profound. I highly recommend you do what will make you feel good to look at yourself in the mirror and that will still seem right after he has passed away. Hugs!

That is funny, Crissy. Our prayers are with your family. It's great that you're writing all of these things down. You seem to be doing such a great job at cherishing the moments you have.

I think I have been here pretty much since the beginning. I was Sherrill in VA (two places in that state), and then Sherrill in WA. A few months ago, shortly before the board change, I changed to WTMCassandra.

I basically had a very similar situation, and mine are currently 5th grade and 4th grade. I decided to go with the latter plan: Bibliplan round 2 and CW. It came down to $$$, honestly. I already had the Biblioplan, and I realized I owned a lot of the upper-level books recommended. Biblioplan worked just fine for us. Also, I already had CW and it was working too. I decided not to spend lots of money fixing something that wasn't broken. I think I would've been torn between TOG's writing suggestions and CW. From what I've seen, the TOG writing suggestions are great, but for my children, they would have been too much in conjunction with CW. You'll have to decide what will work best for you. Remember, there will *always* be great curriculum out there that you don't have time to do. It's hard to see it go by. But your children will be fine with either choice.

Oh, and Jan Karon's Mitford series, of course, if you haven't read it.

Anything in the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters. Hilarious! Mystery, romance within marriage, whimsy.

I've always dreamed of owning my own bookstore--half new Christian books and half homeschooling new and consignment. I don't know if I'll ever do it because I would hate the business part. I'm only interested in the book part ; ).

I have run into this problem myself. A few times I've tried to "rep" people and it wouldn't let me, and it has been so long that I didn't remember "repping" them the first time! I haven't had time to get involved in the "rep parties" either. So, let me see if the system will let me "rep" Robin for this excellent suggestion . . .

I would like to echo what a lot of other wise ladies have said: Start with what you have. It will be a huge adjustment just being responsible for all the learning that happens, all day long. I'm a big CW fan, but it's very teacher intensive, and I could see a beginner seriously burning out on it. If I were you, I would start with ABeka or R&S for language and take it from there. If the others subjects are going well and you want to take the subject on, you can buy CW later and use the ABeka or R&S to supplement if you want (you don't have to . . . they use Harvey's beginning with Homer). Spelling Power is also very teacher-intensive--if I were you I would start with Spelling Workout (a no-brainer for the teacher). Then, if other things are going well, you could consider switching. Or, if you decide to go with CW later, the spelling would be included. I personally have three teacher-intensive subjects: Math (Prof B), CW, and somewhat Latin. That's about all I can handle. Adding in Suzuki Piano sometimes makes me psycho (it's also parent-intensive), so my DH handles most of the practice oversight. I know I could not take on one more teacher-intensive subject. Oh, I guess you could call history teacher-intensive too since I read out loud a lot (SOTW+Biblioplan). Sometimes I have to go in the bathroom and hyperventilate. And I have only two children. So take things slow getting started, and be kind to yourself. You can do this!

Get Thee to Kinko's. Or OfficeMax. Or Staples. Save your sanity while you can! Let them print the crazy thing. Life is just too short for those kinds of hassles! Thus saith the voice of experience. (((cin))) Of course, you can do whatever you want to, but I'm just sayin' . . .

Don't compare. Actively appreciate your new climate/geography for what it is, not what it lacks compared to the old one. This was a biggie for us when moving from tree-filled Virginia to an arid climate. We *love* our new area, but it's verrrry different from where we used to live.

I am a HUGE Brother Lawrence fan. :iagree: I think he is a wonderful inspiration for mothers, homeschooling or not. What he did was so much like what we do. And he figured out how to worship AS he was going. How many Moms try and try to have a separate "devotions" time only to find that the Devil pokes their children to wake up as soon as the Mommas sit down with their Bibles?!:glare: I think MY job is "daily," but can you imagine washing the dirty dishes of 200 bachelors, day in and day out? Uuugggghhhhh. :tongue_smilie: I LOVE Brother Lawrence. He is at once immensely practical and immensely spiritual.:001_smile: