[Does anyone else struggle with this kind of strange thinking like I do? (cc)]

I feel this way, too. Life is great, and I worry that it's the calm before the storm. I look around me and so many people I know carry some very heavy crosses and I wonder why I have been so lucky and if my turn is coming.

 

I just keep praying and thank God everyday that I have been so lucky.

[What has been your biggest win]

I have been really impressed with IEW. Finally I know how to teach writing and my kids writing has improved tenfold.

 

Sonlight history and readers have also worked really well for us.

[Which dog breeds should we look at?]

We have had a golden doodle for the past 2.5 years and he has been the best dog ever. He has a wonderful temperament, is very affectionate, puts up with my rambunctious ds, and doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He looks like a great big stuffed teddy bear. Ours isn't overly big, about the same size as a lab or retriever.

 

The only issues we have with him is that his fur is high maintenance. He doesn't shed but his fur mats up when it gets long or when it gets wet. He needs a lot of brushing and grooming. But it's all worth it because he is such a good dog.

[Why don't I like my MIL?]

My mil has dementia now so things are different with her, but before dementia she was very much like your mil.

 

I couldn't figure out why I didn't like her. Looking back now I see that she was very passive aggressive toward me in a VERY subtle way. I thought I was going crazy, but some of her comments were so sharp and underhanded and mean, but in a way that made her seem innocent, and me crazy for noticing.

 

I can't even explain it, but maybe there is something like that going on with your mil?

[Okay, seriously, I've had it...]

This is exactly where we are going in February. I simply cannot wait.

Have a fabulous time.

[Have you had problems getting assigned seats while flying with kids?]

We have had mostly good experiences travelling with kids, but there have been times when we haven't been seated together. We have usually been able to rearrange our seating with people around us, sometimes the stewardesses have been helpful, but not always.

 

We have also been seated in the emergency aisles, and then the stewardesses are scrambling to find people to switch with us. This always baffles me, with more adults than children booked on a flight, how do 3 children get booked into the emergency aisles? It almost seemed like it was done on purpose.

 

Overall, air travel services have really deteriorated. I remember flying with my parents in the 70's and we were treated like royalty. (and no, we are not royalty, nor were we flying first class)

[Sonlight forums down?]

Thanks for passing that on! They have more issues w their forums than any other forums I frequent. And they just switched recently too.

 

Yeah, and their recent switch was more of a "down-grade" than an upgrade.

 

I've been having problems since last night.

 

(I'm starting to really like it here more anyway)

[Please be my filter.]

Send it.

 

I gave up on our homeschool group for this very reason. From what others have posted it seems to happen a lot within the homeschooling community. I find that so sad and discouraging. It really gives all homeschoolers a bad name.

[Gobsmacked]

This is awful. I agree with keeping her away from the kids.

 

My MIL tried to pull some similar tricks. Does you MIL not approve of homeschooling? I know in my case, it was her passive aggressive way of letting me know that she disapproved of what we were doing, or of me in general. She just saw less of the kids, which irked her more, which caused us to ignore her more. I was happier seeing less of her. Her loss, my gain.

 

Hugs to you.

[Please brag about your hs graduates]

My oldest was the quirkiest, most hyper kid you can imagine growing up. She's lucky I didn't kill her multiple times. And waddya know - she's totally her own person, confident, brilliant and competent. She's a junior at the closest Cal State school to home (she's a homebody), majoring in mechanical engineering, which she is TOTALLY suited for. I've called her my Spock Child LOL...she might be a teensy bit Aspie! She gets very good grades, loves her professors, doesn't get swayed by anyone, and is very focused. She loves kids, and is a fabulous AWANA leader (she got her citation award in high school) at our church. I'm so proud of the person she's become.

 

I am really enjoying this thread. The bolded above gives me some hope, especially for my ds. :)

 

Keep the stories coming. :bigear:

[melted candle wax spilled on sofa, help]

Place a few paper towels over it and iron, repeat until it is gone.

 

Agree. I would try this. This is what we do if wax falls on clothing.

[Dumb Comment Of The Day...]

Congratulations on your new baby!

 

I agree that was a dumb comment.

 

I have 3: dd13, dd12, and ds10. I blew it, too. My favourite dumb comment was from a mother of two (one boy, one girl ... you know, the million dollar family) who told me that she was so lucky she had one boy and girl right from the start and didn't have to have anymore.

 

People should know better than to mess with a postpartum mother.

[When do kids grow out of being distracted?]

My ds10 is the King of Distraction. I am seriously considering having him tested. His lack of focus drives me to distraction:D and makes me batty. He has been eating his lunch for the past 2 hours and 20 minutes ... and petting the dog ... and going to the bathroom ... and getting his bionicals ... and.... and... and....

 

My dd12 took all the attention span and by the time he came along two years later there was none left for him. She has always had an incredibly attention span ... even at age 2 people would comment on it.

 

My dd13 is somewhere in the middle.

 

As for when they out-grow it, I don't have an answer for you. It seems to me that some kids have it and some kids don't. With all three of my kids, their ability (or inability) to focus was evident from the toddler years.

[What do you think of these UGG Boots?]

They made me smile :)

They're not my style, but I love seeing them on other people.

[People's Sexiest Men 2011]

The only one I both recognize *and* agree w/is Tim McGraw. For me, its not just his looks, but his talent and knowing he's married 15 yrs, a Dad...

 

Alec Baldwin? Ick.

 

I agree. Alec Baldwin may have been sexy 20 years ago. Now he's just old and getting fat. imo.

[People's Sexiest Men 2011]

Bradley Cooper is a cutie ... and sexy, too. That picture doesn't do much for him, though.

[If your children (ages 9yrs) got a lot]

Good point about needing basic multilpying and dividing skills first.

 

Looking back at their problems and what they got wrong though were just silly mistakes....like forgetting to simplify....

 

trying to help one of them remember to ask herself which number they are dividing the two numbers with ....or else she comes up with some strange numbers.....

 

 

Now my next question:

I was hoping that key to fractions would explain more about why we have to change the division sign to multiplication and then dividing....then multiply by recipricals....

I was hoping they could have shown it by using fractions circles or something like that...explain the why we are doing that...heck I would like to know...he was never explained to me WHY just the how......

 

 

Does anyone have a good source that explains it and shows you how to teach that?

 

Also one of the word problems totally stumped us..... The November 18 homework one in level 2. I don;t totally understand it myself to explain it to them....

 

I use the Key to... series to reinforce skill work. It doesn't do much with explaining concepts. My children have used Singapore Math, Teaching Textbooks, and this year we are using Saxon for the first time.

 

Math is a sore spot for me. I was never really good at it and I really worry about teaching it properly. Dh is really good at math, but is terrible at teaching it ... he just confuses us more.

 

I am bumping this for you, hoping that someone else could answer your questions for you.

[If your children (ages 9yrs) got a lot]

I had my 11yo 6th grader do Key to Fractions last year.

9 seems a little young to me. Maybe they need more work with basic multiplying and dividing first.

[has anybody bought an excavation kit??]

My son loves these. The only problem is it lasted about a day. He chipped away at it and then was done. He often asks for another one because he enjoyed his first one, but I'm not sure they're really worth the price.

And it's very messy. I put it in a rubbermaid container and then gave it to ds to chip away at it.

[I need to buy girls cotton tights and girls underwear. Any good deals/brands?]

I always bought my girls tights from Gap or Please Mum (a Canadian store). But most of the Please Mum stores in our area have shut down recently.

[Favorite Harry Potter toys/games?]

There is a Harry Potter Lego game that my children really like. Also, a friend recently recommended the Harry Potter Clue Game. My children will be getting that for Christmas.