We're not returning to our co-op this year, and it has created drama, despite giving two months notice we weren't coming back. I was overly involved to the point I was spending 15+ hours every week working on something for co-op.....in addition to homeschooling, housework, and working part-time. As I started thinking about returning in the fall, I was having anxiety just thinking about it. After praying and talking to dh, we decided it was best to step out of it. I gave notice, drama resulted....we won't be able to go back, but maybe that's for the best. :)

I completely agree.

I would vote for option 1, or at least move to an area you would be comfortable with the schools. Whether you put them in or not, it gives you more options.

Pacfic NW

I'll clarify my post, that I've homeschooled for the kids, because I think they've benefitted. But, I also regret it for me. And now that they're a little older, I'm not sure the benefit is as much.

I completely agree. I often feel the same way. I don't regret having kids and couldn't imagine life without them. I don't really regret staying home when they were very young. Homeschooling, though, I'm not sure it was the best decision for us.

I really like the Aveeno Positively Radiant tinted moisturizer. It blends well and is only about $17.

I agree that I also wouldn't let dd exclude a couple kids from a group/class for a birthday party, that would be rude. However, if she only wanted to invite one or two from a group that she is closest to, that would be fine. I don't expect she invite the whole group in that case. Depending on the type party, we often included younger siblings. Or when they're at the neighborhood park, I expect them to include all the kids in what they're playing. The main problem in this situation was the mother's ranting over 'mean' behavior that didn't happen, or implying that my dd and her friend 'had' to invite her dd into what they were already doing. They were going to her friend's house, not playing at a public park. And, IMO, they weren't mean to the little girl.

I'm sure I'm not cool. :-) I don't like either, but can tolerate Star Trek.

Mom's behavior was ridiculous....I could understand a little if this were an only child, but this little girl has 4 siblings (all under 12). She has never played with my dd and her friend. They have all played in a group (with 8-10 other kids) at the park occasionally. She normally plays with her next door neighbor who is her age, but she has been on vacation for a couple weeks, so she's bored.

Just talked with dd and her friend about exactly what happened and what was said to little neighbor girl, as they were at friend's house when neighbor mom came to my house. Dd and friend were walking across street to go play in friend's backyard. Little neighbor girl asked if they could play. Dd's friend said they couldn't play right now because they were going to her house, and her dad (who works from home) only lets her have one friend over at a time, which is true. So, dd and friend continue to friend's house. Little girl goes home tells mom they were mean to her, mom storms up to my house to lecture me and get me to make dd play.

I've also been on both sides, and it's hard. But, I do think it's part of life that kids (and adults :)) can't make other people be friends with them. I do not tolerate any mean or rude behavior from my dc, but I'm not going to make them spend time with someone they don't want to be friends with.

nm

Agree to see the dermatologist before doing anything else. BCP made my acne worse as a teen. I took BCP for very heavy periods and anemia. Then saw a dermatologist about the acne.....he put me on a combo of topical clindamycin and retin-a which worked wonderfully to clear the acne.

She shouldn't have been huffy. I work for our local library, and we are a very friendly customer-focused library. I can't imagine any of my coworkers acting that way. In our library, it's not generally the librarian's job to check in books, but I regularly accept and do check ins for people. And I never act huffy about it. If someone comes in with a book showing still checked out, but they say it was returned, I don't even question it. I go look on the shelf, and 9 times out of 10 it's there. Check in mistakes happen fairly frequently, but I always apologize when I find a mistake has been made. Sorry you had a bad experience. :(

I take Protonix for GERD, and it mostly keeps it under control. If I do get breakthrough reflux, two Gaviscon seem to work best. I can drink one cup of coffee/day without problems. I also have had the water causing terrible reflux, too. My dr looked at me like I was crazy when I said water makes if worse. I could drink a soda and have less reflux than having water. I don't know why, but it definitely caused a problem.

:iagree:

Another vote for chuck.

FLL and WWE would be fine to use with Adventures. We did this when ds was 7, and it was a fun year.

Jean---if you are in Newcastle, WA, I highly recommend trying to get in to see endo Dr. Robert Murray at the Polyclinic in Seattle. He is excellent with thyroid. He has patients that come from all over the country to see him.

I also have Hashimotos. It's treated with a combination of Synthroid (t4) and Cytomel (t3). I've felt much better since adding the Cytomel. My dr likes to keep my tsh right at 1, and checks free t3 and free t4 as well. My endo says 'most' people in the US with hypothyroidism have Hashimotos.

Thank you all for your replies and wisdom...dh and I are talking and praying about our options for next year.

I 'think' he's fine initiating and carrying on conversations. He seems to be well-liked at co-op and his other classes. But, I will do some more observing of his interactions with others. We also don't shelter them completely from 'pop culture'.....he plays Minecraft, has Pokémon cards, they watch the Disney channel, etc. His self-esteem really took a hit after the bullying, and I think he is really afraid of that happening again. He was actually punched, kicked, choked (in the classroom) and ambushed in the restroom at the private "Christian" school he attended on multiple occasions. His teacher witnessed all but the bathroom incident and said it was completely unprovoked, yet nothing happened to the boys involved. Anyway, ds did have about 8 months of counseling after that because he was having panic attacks and nightmares. He's doing a lot better, but I've noticed he's not as comfortable around groups of kids as he was before. I think that's where he's struggling now. He says he'd really like to try school, but can't go through something like that again. I agree, that would be emotionally devastating to him.....and with the general middle school environment, I think he's more likely to run into trouble there than in high school. Still, I don't want him 'not' to do something just because he's afraid of the possible 'what if's'.

I've also had cats all my life. Only one had a peeing issue when he was very old (16 yrs old). I've also always had indoor/outdoor cats, so our litter box is rarely used.....and we have a lot of carpet.

During the school year, he's expressed feeling lonely off and on. More so lately that he doesn't have anything to talk about with the ps kids at his activities. And he thinks they think he's weird because he's homeschooled (no one has said this, though). He has one close friend at church (the only other child his age that attends). He usually spends the afternoon with this boy either at his house or ours. That's just once per week though, as this boy goes to ps and lives about 20 miles from us. There are a couple kids in our neighborhood that he plays with but they're a few years younger. For activities, we do a weekly co-op, taekwondo twice/week, Awana, homeschool PE twice/week, a weekly writing class, weekly art class, and music lessons.