I edited my original response. I left out an important word by mistake as I was typing quickly so we could leave for dinner. Lesson learned! I had intended to say that I don't believe that its NOT environmental. Otherwise not sure how it would explain how one identical twin could have ASD and the other not.

Yikes. I meant to say I'm not convinced that it's not environmental. Typing too fast to so we could head out to dinner....sorry about that!

I have identical twin girls. One has autism. The other does not. So I'm not so sure I believe it's not environmental. Nor do I think it has anything to do with my pregnancy. Edited to add *not* before environmental

I agree. Where those calories come from makes a huge difference. I've used MFP in the past but I work out consistently five-six days a week and have for years so it would increase my calories based on my workouts and I had no problems following it. I'm on Keto now due to GI issues (SIBO and IBS) and my calories are lower than I've ever taken in on a daily basis but because those calories are coming from fat and protein, and not carbs, I actually feel pretty good. I don't track my calories but I use Carb Manager to track my carbs and find that my calories eaten are roughly 1500 per day. With my workouts I'm netting around 1100-1200 which typically would be way too low. I'm not looking to lose any more weight so I'm going to have to make some adjustments going forward but thats beside the point. If you are eating mainly carbs you will feel a crash at various times throughout the day. And I also agree with getting your blood checked. I tend to run low on Vit Bs so I take a super B complex which helps with my energy.

We are in a similar situation around here. Either you live in an older house not within a neighborhood or you are in an HOA. There isn't much middle ground. Our HOA is $150 a year but it includes trash/recycling pick-up and maintenance/landscaping to the neighborhood entrance and greenway entrance. We have no amenities in this neighborhood other than the greenway entrance. I wouldn't mind paying a higher HOA if the neighborhood included amenities we would use like a pool, playground, walking trails etc. I would have a problem paying much more than I'm paying now if we aren't getting anything out of it other than some flowers around the entrance. My in-laws live in an HOA neighborhood of patio homes. Their HOA is $400 per quarter but it's extremely regulated. There are rules specifying how early they are allowed to put up holiday decorations, how long after that holiday before they have to be put away, what kinds of plants they can have in their flower beds, etc. I find that ridiculous but that's why I don't live there. I have a love/hate relationship with HOAs. I get why they are there, and I feel that it protects the neighborhood resale value. They put regulations in place to maintain the overall apearance and feel of the neighborhood. Sometimes they do a better job than others. I think it depends on who is on the HOA board. There were times in the past where it was ridiculous. We had a large hail storm several years back and many houses (ours included) had roof tiles blown off. Literally three days later we get a letter in the mail.

Duh I never thought about audio books! I will have to give that a try!! I have a polyp on my voice box that may have to be surgically removed. This causes me to lose my voice very frequently so read-alouds are difficult for me to do. I love a good audio book! My girls are 9. One of them is really into pony/horse anything. Her current favorite is The Pony Club books. The other likes Kylie Jean books and fairy books. I have a list started but if anyone wants to give me some suggestions I would gladly take them!

Thank you for the encouragement! I've been kind of weary thus far of forcing them to read anything just because I want them to love to read. We really struggled a few years ago when I pulled them out of first grade. The school would send home readers that my girls did not enjoy, and they had to read the same books all week. So I took them to the library and let them choose their own (appropriately challenging) books. Fortunately I am finding plenty of books that speak to their interests so I'm in the midst of creating a list right now. When starting out I'm going to try books slightly below their age levels (something like Sarah, Plain and Tall) because the chapters and book itself isn't too long, and work my way up from there. I think I'm also going to have them fill out a reading chart with a special incentive when they meet certain milestones (10 books read, 20, etc).

Thank you all. My girls aren't "free reading" type of kids. I really really wish they were, because that's how I was as a child (still am) but they are not. So I have to tread lightly so I don't end up with too much push back or regression. I think I'm going to try a mixture that relates to what we will be studying in history, science and checking out the lists mentioned.

Since I pulled my DDs out of PS I pretty much let them read what they want, so long as it's age-appropriate, to help instill a love of reading. While they still aren't quite there they no longer make a big fuss when I force them to read. So next school year, which for us begins in a few months, I would like to create a list of books I would like them to read. I'm not sure how to go about this though. If you do book lists/required books, how do you create your list? Is there a generalized list of grade-level books you pull from? Do you theme your lists to coincide with science and/or history? Do you give your children a say as to what they would like to read?

I'm still thinking about what to do about writing for next school year when my twins will be in 4th grade. We do WWE 2 right now. I like it but I want something less structured for next year so they learn how to actually write a paragraph. Of every subject we do writing stresses me out the most. I haven't been able to find something that really works. I'm interested in IEW but every time I look into it I get overwhelmed. But right now I'm watching a Youtube video review of Writing Intensive A and I'm definitely interested. How is it for reluctant or inexperienced writers? Is it pretty user friendly for the teacher? How are the DVD's? I'm looking at a sample and it looks like some of the video instructions are around 40 minutes long. Do the children watch the DVDs as well or is this just for the teacher? And if they watch it, does it keep their interest? Looking for opinions. Thanks! Tracy

Thank you all so much for your replies. I'm relieved to find that I'm not alone in my experience. I kept feeling like I wasn't doing enough or the odd man out, so to speak, since we don't have that great community of homeschooling friends others seem to have. I do try to cater their interests independently, though I could do better at that. They each play their own sport, and one daughter took pottery for a few years and just recently asked to take a break. The classes I put them in at the Y are always together, but now I'm wondering if maybe it would be best to separate and let them each do their own classes. Except for PE...its the one day a week where I can actually get my workout in during the day and not the evenings! I was searching through one of the dozens of homeschooling facebook groups I'm on and found out that the neighboring county has a homeschool 4H co-op so I'm going to email for more information on that. And try to be more involved in those groups. I'm not on facebook as much lately and apparently, judging from just my homeschool group feeds, we've missed quite a lot. One of the groups is a homeschooling hiking group and we are signed up for a hike next week. Hopefully being outside, walking, will give me the chance to get to know some of the other moms better. There is also a homeschool field trip group and they always have a great calendar of trips planned. And I need to reach out more myself. I'm pretty outgoing and can chat with anyone while standing in line at the grocery store, but when it comes to meetups I turn into a bit of an introvert. It took me a long time to come to that conclusion. So when I'm at these events I need to try to include myself more and try to make some of my own homeschooling mom friends because yes, it does get isolating for me as well.

I would consider putting one of my girls back if she really wanted, but both hated school (like legit hated it) and are happy to be homeschooled. I think she would take homeschool over elementary school and more friends any day. But I still have that momma guilt when she says things like she wishes she could have some friends come over. As twins, and I imagine more so as identical twins, they are super close. They do tend to form somewhat of a "unit" when with other children which some kids may interpret as them being standoffish. We had a bit of that situation within our Brownie troop for the first year. The other girls in the troop go to public schools so it's not a homeschool troop. I think I need to do a better job of asking a mom/parent if their kids to come over to play (or arrange a playdate) either within our troop if if I catch them playing closely with a friend (or two) at an event. I feel like being "that mom" who posts on a homeschooling facebook group trying to find other moms with kids their age to try to arrange a playdate so my kids can make some new friends...but those things usually end up being so awkward!

One of my (sad) hobbies is watching airfare to Europe so I agree that from LAX I think $650 is a pretty good deal. You could fly into London and then book a separate low-cost fare to Germany but usually after you add up the fees (especially luggage) you may not save much. One thing I always do is look at surrounding airports I'm willing to fly out of or into. For me, as I'm in Charlotte, I expand my horizons to include flights from Atlanta, Raleigh and even DC. For us, Germany is more expensive to fly into than other surrounding countries for some reason. Last time we went to Europe we flew into Zurich and made our way over to Bavaria. This time, in a few weeks, we are flying into Venice and making our way north to Berchtesgaden (Germany) afterwards. Our tickets from NC to Venice were about $500. But that depends on how inconvenienced you want to be.

I wince even saying that, but it is what it is. Looking for advice or perhaps I'm just releasing all of the thoughts jumbling around in my brain. My twins are 9, in 3rd grade. I pulled them out of PS in the middle of 1st. We live in a great family-friendly neighborhood however we live just far enough away that most of the girls (there are only a few) around their age play together and mine are excluded. And there has been some drama in the past as one of the girls is super bossy. They used to play with a few boys down the street but as they've gotten older and more interested in boy vs girl things they have drifted apart. I don't really have any close homeschooling friends. I've tried. There are a lot of homeschoolers around here and I'm a member of about 15 difference homeschooling facebook groups in my area. But we are a secular homeschooling family which sets us apart from most (not all) of them and excludes us from all co-ops in the vicinity. We live near a fantastic YMCA that has a homeschool academy, so they attend homeschool PE and a class called Outdoor Adventures weekly. One daughter plays soccer, the other just finished basketball. They are both in Brownies. We attend classes at our local science center on occassion. We go to playgrounds and they will usually end up playing with a few kids. We also attend various homeschool events around town (homeschool open bounce at a trampoline place, homeschool skate, swimming etc) so they are around other kids. They just don't have any real friends that come over or hang out with or that they see on the regular. It doesn't seem to bother one of my girls. She has high functioning autism and it presents itself as more parallel play with other kids so she doesn't mind. The other mentions wishing she had more friends on occasion. But I feel bad. I grew up with neighborhood friends and school friends coming over. There were always plenty of kids around. I can't help but worry that they are missing out and that my pulling that out of school is to blame. I'm not blaming homeschool of course. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made for my kids. And I firmly believe one doesn't need public school to be socialized. But I'm at a loss as to how to help them make some true friends.

Our current house has this. Our toilet area has it's own door within the bathroom so privacy isn't an issue. Never had a problem with moisture and our clothes. We do have a large bathroom and high 9 feet ceilings so that probably makes a difference.

I love BoxyCharm but if she has super sensitive skin it may not work out. They do send skincare from time to time. I also love FabFitFun. It's only a quarterly box but it's so much fun. There is always such a variety; home goods, cosmetics and skin care, accessories. I've gotten throw blankets, robes, sunglasses, body wash, nice kitchen towels. It's a great box.

Sleep! Besides that, read, walk, hike, visit local coffee shops, peruse the internet for useless things I decide I *have* to have....

For audio tours, I'm just going to say that I agree with much of the above. I have allergies that mostly affect my inner ears in the form of fluid behind my eardrums. I work out 5 days a week, wearing earbuds, and when my allergies or bad (or I have a cold) the earbuds can knock off my equilibrium and make me feel faint, shaky and nauseated.

So I made a big purchase on Rainbow Resources last week for our upcoming school year, and after much thought I chose WriteShop Junior Book D for our writing. It sounded great at the time. Now here I am, holding the Teachers Guide, and I feel the anxiety start to build and I haven't even gotten past the "required materials" section yet. I cannot believe how much stuff is needed for a writing curriculum. Now granted most of the stuff I probably already have on hand but still.... I have reluctant writers who will be going into 4th grade. We are currently doing WWE 2 and it gets it done but I'm looking for writing experience that isn't so scripted. From what I'm seeing I do like the overall concept of WriteShop. I think maybe my DDs could think it's fun. But we haven't had much success with curriculum with lots of moving parts (ahem AAS) in the past so I'm not sure. Can anyone give me their honest thoughts on the curriculum? Did it work/not work? Did it take a lot of effort each day to prepare for the lessons and get it done?

Thank you all. Nobody that I know that really speaks a foreign language fluently. I guess at their age I shouldn't take it too seriously and just try some things out. I know our library membership comes with access to a few free programs online so I'll have to give it a shot. We travel to German speaking countries on vacation so I'm partial to wanting them to learn German unless they have a strong opinion.

We use Abeka Our American Heritage. We are a secular homeschooling family so I do find myself glossing over some of it, but its fairly easy (we don't use the tests) and keeps my kids interested. SOTW was a huge bust here.

So my title speaks for itself. I would love to teach my 3rd graders a foreign language next year. Just not sure I'm adept to do that. I took 4 years of Spanish in high school (way back when) and I took 3 semesters of college German but I'm not super good at it, certainly not good enough to teach it properly, and I graduated over 10 years ago so I'm rusty with that too. So how do y'all teach foreign languages when you don't know the language? Are the teachers guides informative enough to allow you to adequately teach? Or do you outsource? If you use a curriculum and like it please list it. I've looked into the online courses (Rosetta Stone etc) but it seems like the general consensus is it's not enough? Thanks! Tracy

My twins will be in 4th next year...sniff sniff. That sounds so much older than third for some reason. "Upper Elementary School" and I'm not digging it! 🙂 Okay so here is what we plan on doing: BJU LA 4 WriteShop D (this is new, for my reluctant writers, so we'll see how it goes) Wordly Wise 4 Spelling You See D Zaner Bloser Cursive 4 I'm hoping to add in a literature study unit as well, for my reluctant readers, but still thinking this one through CLE Math 4 The Good and the Beautiful History Year 1 (we are secular so we'll see how this goes!) Big Book of Maps and Geography (continuation) The Good and the Beautiful Science Units (we love these) Artistic Pursuits for Art Evan-Moor Critical Thinking Grade 4 Reading Skills workbook Grade 4 Continue to work on keyboarding I usually sign them up for homeschool PE and an Outdoor Education Class through our local YMCA

My daughters didn't care to read when we first started homeschooling. They had required readers in K and 1st grade that they didn't enjoy. I started out with rich, quality literature but I decided to toss that to the wayside. I'm sure this is an unpopular opinion, but I decided that it was better that they read, period, then constantly force them to read things that don't interested them because it was "quality literature". Because honestly, I don't enjoy reading books on topics that don't interest me. So I took them to our local library and our used homeschool store and let them choose what they wanted to read. One of them reads almost any age-appropriate horse chapter books (current fave is Pony Club series) and the other likes those Fairy books....Soccer Fairy, Emerald Fairy etc. They still don't love to read, but they read daily without complaints and, better still, they can actual comprehend and explain to me what their books are about. We will eventually have to move on to some more serious literature (they are only 9) but we have plenty off time for that. For now I just want to instill a love of reading. I used to obsess over The Babysitters Club series when I was around their age and I think/hope I turned out okay! 🙂

I must have somehow turned my signature off. Sorry about that! She is 9 and a half. The dry skin was about the size of a half dollar maybe. I looked up seborrhea and tinner versicolor and I don't think it's either of those.