Cheering here too! Go, R! Kudos to you, LB, for supporting the kids. Blessings,

"You are not the center of the universe." said to the child who needs to hear it.

:auto:We're cruising along with: SOTW+Biblioplan for logic stage Classical Writing Professor B Math

We have had a family game night for YEARS, and it's only this last year or so that it has become fun most of the time. I can relate to the people in a dream world where children didn't melt down over games. I used to get so aggravated/discouraged that this supposed "fun" time was one discipline issue after another. It was very tedious. HOWEVER, after much working on sportsmanship, conduct, relationship, and with TIME, things are much better. When they were younger, we too stayed away from games where you send each other back to start or wherever. Some games where that didn't have any strategic value, we took that feature out of our family rules. Now the children can play Sorry and Trouble without pouting when sent home. We rarely have discipline issues now, except that DS still has to be reminded almost. every. turn about passing the DICE ON TO THE NEXT PERSON! That gets old. But for a long time the supposed fun game night was little fun for Mom and Dad. Now we are starting to reap the benefits, so I'm glad we hung in there. They are good sports now. Hope this helps.

I reviewed both of these recently for a co-op I'll be teaching in the fall. I would take AG, hands-down. I'm using Jensen's Format Writing for the writing portion, but I didn't like the grammar part when I saw it. I thought it used unusual terminology and explained things in a way that didn't speak to me (and I was an English major in college and a technical writer/editor for about 15 years). AG is very detailed and comprehensive, and it does a lot of diagramming (I'm a big fan of diagramming as a tool to help understand sentences), so I like it. The downsides to AG are cost and possibly complexity (depending on your POV). The teacher's manual has all of the answers and possible variations, though. But I must say I haven't actually USED either one yet. So YMMV. Hope this helps.

I have about 12 bookshelves full of books. I sometimes say that I homeschool just to have an excuse to buy books. Having said that, I am trying to curb my habit somewhat. I use the library for "preview." If they have it, I check it out and decide if it's wonderful enough that we want to own it and read it over and over. If so, I put it on my Amazon wish list for when I see a cheap used copy for sale or when I have Amazon credit from selling books. I too have had the experience of needing a book and the library not getting it until weeks or months later from another branch or ILL. How frustrating! So I end up buying a lot of history books and such and selling them later. I also try to keep books moving. If we are done with them, I tend to sell them. I have kept a few "keepsake HS books," but I try to keep them to a minimum. They take up about a tub or so: PP, beautiful Christian readers, etc. If my children have outgrown books like grammar stage history items, I sell them. I hang on to good literature: classics, most Sonlight titles, Lamplighters, Hentys. I still have some of my own books from my childhood. I agree with the people who like to have a good library at home. We are quite conservative, and I am VERY choosy about what my children read. We buy some Sonlight titles for "fun" books ; ). I try to keep twaddle and what I consider objectionable out of my home. I like to think that my children can pick up just about any book on our designated shelves and I will approve of it. I do have a section that I think is too "adult" for my children but would be approved for later reading, and my children are good at staying to their designated shelves. Since I would have to say so many "no's" at the library, I prefer that my children have a bunch of "yes'" at home. If I find out about a book I think they might like, I reserve it ahead of time at the library, take it home and preread, and if I approve, they can read it. Approved books this week included the hilarious "Harry's Mad" and "A House Full of Owls." But I never let them "graze" at the library. This house is the first place that we could have a "library," made out of the formal dining room. The good news is that it has lots of natural light. The bad news is that it has so many windows and is so cut up that it only holds six bookshelves. But that's OK. It's a great house that has plenty of room for bookshelves elsewhere as well. I really like having a designated library, though. So, while I think I own a lot of books, I do try to be choosy. Hope this helps.

Both of my children, a boy and a girl, participate in an art class (taught by a professional artist), chess, horse vaulting and riding, handbells, and piano. So there's a mix of traditional and non-traditional. No professional sports or scouts in sight, though.

Janna, if you and your husband reached this decision together through Scripture and prayer, and your husband still believes you are doing the right thing, if I were you I would just hold on for a while. You're expecting soon, and there's a real possibility of PPD, so those things together may be influencing your emotions. I think you should wait, if possible, to re-examine this conviction until you feel you are clear of PPD some time after the baby comes. Then see if you still do not have peace about the decision. Sometimes when I have been in the maelstrom of something heavy like you seem to be describing, I have personally been too distraught to discern God's presence or his voice. However, invariably, when I have remembered to cry out for help, I can look back *afterwards* and see God's hand. But I don't always perceive it in the midst of the storm. I'm going to PM you . . . but publicly, let me say that you are very brave to put this "out here." The system won't let me give you rep points because it says I need to spread it around, but I would rep you if I could. I think it's the time of the storm to simply lash yourself to the mast and hold on until things clear. Blessings,

Well, now, aren't you *special!* Seriously, congrats.

I recommend that you show up, look for needs, and simply meet them with little or no discussion. I have been close to two or three friends who went through horrific tragedies, and they said that they could never think of what they needed. If the person said, "Call me if you need anything," they didn't have the initiative to follow up. Each family said that the people who were the most help were the ones who were close enough to know what was needed and simply just stepped in and did it. For one family, I became the official tissue person. I bought boxes and boxes, brought them to the house, gave them out at the various funeral events, etc. If I saw anyone crying, I brought them a box. For days. It was an honor and a blessing to be the tissue woman. The older daughter was sad that their flowerbeds were not in good shape for people coming to visit: Some people brought mulch and flowers and fixed them, and the daughter was so grateful. Just go and be there for them and do what comes to mind or to hand. What to say and do will take care of itself. The Bible says mourn with those who mourn, and I have found that to be the wisest course of action. Blessings to you as you minister to this family.

We do eat sandwiches sometimes, but we like leftovers for lunch. Could you make extra at dinner the night before and then reheat it for lunch the next day? I prefer something "hot" for lunch also and am not that fond of sandwiches, so I can sympathize with your son. If you're in a pinch for something hot, how about grilled cheese sandwiches? They don't take long, and at least they are hot.

I haven't read the replies, but I think it's hilarious that this thread has stayed up for WEEKS! I keep seeing it in the "new posts" search! Too funny. And yes, I have felt like a thread-killer occasionally.

I haven't had time to read all of the responses, but the biggest hit here is the dirt pit. Together, we built a large, cool, big-kid wooden playset when we moved here since we already had a pea-gravel area. However, there was also a nasty shed that we pulled down, leaving a huge square of dirt. We *were* planning to do some landscaping there, but in the meantime they started playing in it. Later in the season, I just gave up and framed out the thing with beams so it wouldn't keep getting larger ; ). Dirt pit + water hose + buckets + wood scraps for bridges and such = hours of filthy, engineering bliss

Tanya, You are in one of the toughest situations I've heard of. Any decision you make is going to be hard. So, lots of hugs, first. Second, how old are your children? I think it matters how old they are. I can't help thinking that if you could finish your degree and at least work one year, digging out of the financial hole, homeschooling after that might not make you feel so trapped. At least then you could return to work later if possible. But if you quit before getting the degree, having taken out loans, ouch. But you will have your children only once. Ouch again. The younger they are, the more time you would have to regroup, the more I would say (and this is NOT like me) try to eke out one more year in the schools. What about creative solutions? Is DH willing to *really* help make this happen? Like afterschooling your DD to help her cope better since she's begging to homeschool? Could one of you arrange to work second shift or weekends and tag-team parent for a year? What about finishing the degree and then working part-time, if your children are older and could possibly be alone to work on SOS or something for part of the day? Do you have an older niece or nephew that you could bring to live with you for a year and pay them to help out? I will pray for wisdom for you and your family. I'm sorry you're going through this.

Yes, they sure are magnificent. Regal. He chose just about the tallest tree in our subdivision. I'm glad I had at least some zooming capability in the camera. I guess seeing an eagle in the wild is a perk of moving to the Pacific Northwest. There are a few in Virginia (where I used to live) but they are very rare and you typically have to hike in and sit for days to see one (which we never did). The funny thing is that several cars drove past, saw us parked there and outside the car gawking, and just drove on by like there was nothing unusual happening. It was a BIG DEAL for us.

Thanks! I do feel a bit smug that we came home and looked through a photo book on "Alaska's Eagles" that I checked out from the library for our AK/Iditarod study. This was the first time any of us had seen a wild eagle.

My husband left for work this morning and then returned almost immediately to tell us that there was an eagle in a tree down the street. We hopped into the car and drove down there--and sure enough, there he was! Naturally we forgot the camera, so I had to drive home and then back there again. With our 5x zoom, I was able to get some decent pictures (I'm no photographer). I'm going to see if I can attach two pictures here.

That quotation was born out of desperation. I swear that DD absolutely cannot be silent if she is conscious. Talking, humming, singing, noises . . . AAAAGGGHHH! And I am an introvert who does NOT like noise. I've even been known to say "Noise pollution--please stop." But that's for noises/humming, not talking.

I agree that she looks like Claudia in that photo. We are big B5 fans here.

Oh. dear. You mean it doesn't get better? I've been known to tell my children on occasion that "Mommy's ears are full right now."

Crissy, if you'd like, email me and I'll send my list of links. It doesn't include everything I'm using, but it includes most of it (some worksheets I printed off so I didn't bookmark the site). I also got books from the library based on what they had of the various booklists recommended.

I read it just this week! Oh. My. I laughed until I cried real tears. Yes, it is overall definitely not for children, but I'm thinking about reading a little section of it aloud to my children (with a teeny bit of editing)--the section about "Major Wrecks." Horizontal Bungee Jumping. Six Skunk Night. Oh. My. Goodness. I also read "Race Across Alaska," the biography about Libby Riddles. We followed the Jr. Iditarod this weekend, although a lot less than we wanted to, because our *&&%$ internet decided to go out for the majority of the race! I hope that doesn't happen with the real Iditarod. This has been the first major internet outage in the year we've lived here, so I hope it doesn't repeat.

Yes, we have learned that the mushers have a term for it: "four off the floor." That means the dog is jumping off the ground with all four feet. Mushers try not to hook the dogs up until the last possible minute. They love pulling so much they just want to go, go, go. It is pretty funny.

Well, it's not that well-formed! I just read all the links I could find and printed out stuff I thought the children would enjoy. It's part E-Iditarod, part Homeschool in the Woods, part whatever books my library has, and part just cobbled together, a bunch of miscellaneous STUFF. I only have rough plans for the first three intensive days catching up: Today, the race; tomorrow, the dogs; Wednesday, the mushers. We're trying to get up to speed. There's a great site for "Iditarod Math," and teacher lessons from "Teacher on the Trail." I'll probably sign up for "Itidarod Insider" today. My plan is just to wallow in Iditarod stuff until we get tired of it. We will each plan one musher to track and do that each day of the actual race. To practice for that, we are going to choose a musher each for the Jr. Iditarod and try that first. Sorry I don't have more specifics than that. If you want to email me privately at s l f i n k AT m a i l DOT c o m, I would be glad to send my list of links. However, I have also printed out stuff that's not on that list . . . so you may still have to forage a bit. But there's lots out there, and it's pretty easy to find. Well, gotta run!

We are the family who has posted about going to AK this summer with Homeschool on the Seas. I started poking around my library's website for AK books to have my children read, and then I belatedly got around to reading my copy of The Old Schoolhouse that came a few weeks ago. Well! There were several articles in there about how it's great to learn about AK by following the Iditarod, and there were several helpful links to unit studies and an "E-Iditarod." And then I learned that the Iditarod starts on March 1! Eeeek! (The Iditarod is the longest dogsled race in the world and is run in AK: Iditarod website.) I started poking around those websites and--Oh. My. Goodness. There are tons and tons of free, way-cool things out there. There are tons of things at my library (it probably helps that I live in WA). Well, little just-turn-the-curriculum-to-the-next-page me just jettisoned our homeschool schedule and frantically planned a unit study in about 36 hours flat! I'm even going to give my poor children who will be trying to drink from this fire hose at least a week off Latin. (After that, I will need to squeeze at least that in.) Some students in the E-Iditarod have been preparing for about two months, and my children have to get up to speed, choose mushers to "follow," etc., before the race begins. So, I am posting for two reasons: (1) In case anyone wants to join me on this bandwagon and (2) To let folks who "know" me know that I won't be on the boards much in the next 3-4 weeks. We are going to go full-time on getting up to speed this week (there's even math and logic worksheets online!) and then see how it goes. I will be devoting at least 50-75% of our school time until the race is over, and who knows, it might stay close to 100%. (Except I'll need to get Latin back in there or things will be UGLY later.) So much for our history schedule for the ancients . . . we were already 4-6 weeks behind! . . . oh well . . . See you when the wild ride is over! My husband is wondering who I am and what I have done with his wife . . .