I'm so sorry. Was it his heart? I ask because my cousin was 18 when he collapsed, and died within hours of being admitted to the hospital, it was later discovered he had diabetes and no one knew. My mom had my brother and I checked out every year for a while, she was so worried it would just show up in us.

Hello, I don't have any great advice however, I have been reading this blog over the last few months about a woman who has adopted many children, most of whom had been exposed to drug and/or alcohol inutero. The struggles she and her children go through have given me a whole new perspective and compassion for those affected by substance abuse. She is a wealth of information and is very open to helping others. So, if it helps at all here is her blog http://urbanservant.blogspot.com/. You sound like you are doing a great job!:grouphug:

I had never heard of it (from CA) until we moved to Ukraine. And while I never drove over there, our friends very much appreciated the gesture, because the cops there were looking for any reason to pull people over. :glare:

I heard a speaker address this once and he said if he's ever tempted to yell at his children he sits down! He said it's a lot harder to yell at someone if you're sitting on the ground. It made me laugh and while I've never done it, I've often thought about it when I feel like I'm about to yell and I can't help but smile at the mental picture of that grown man sitting on the floor:) It's hard not to use what was used on you, I think it's great that you see the problem and are trying to overcome it.

Congratulations!

:lol::lol::lol: That was funny! I grew up in CA but have lived in the Pacific NW for 5 years now. And the people up here tend to be umm....crunchy/earthy. My kids and I were meeting a lady and her kids at a park for the first time. She shows up, in her yoga pants, tennis shoes and her kids have a very healthy snack in reusable containers. She reminds her kids "when we're in nature what we pack in we pack out". My son pipes up "we Always just through our trash on the ground!" The lady looked horrified!! We don't leave our trash and I have no idea why DS said that but I was so embarrassed:blushing:

Thanks everyone for the reassurances. I think I will just count myself lucky for now, I'm not worried enough to call the Dr. It wouldn't do any good anyway, here everytime I call I only get a medical assistant and she says I have to come in to see the DR:001_huh:. Why call, you know. Heidi, after 3 boys I feel like I've entered a whole new world:lol: I am LOVING having a little girl! Blessings on your upcoming birth and daughter!

She's been sleeping well for about 2 months but has been sleeping longer naps and nights for about the last week or two. Maybe I'm just not used to a baby that sleeps:lol: She's is very mellow when awake (again a new thing for me:)). She's had great checks ups, been healthy besides initial issues with jaundice at birth. She's a lot smaller than my boys but again that might be attributed to her being a girl:) She's just a happy/content child, I should just count myself lucky:)

Hello Ladies, This is my fourth child so I should now how it all works but she is so different than my boys:) In particular she sleeps! I know I should be overjoyed to have a good sleeper but since none of my other DC were very good sleepers (some still aren't:glare:) but she sleeps a lot! What is too much. She is five almost six months old and usually sleeps from 7:30pm to 7am. A 2-3 hour morning nap aound 9am. A 2-3 hour nap around 2pm. And an hour nap around 5:00! I feel like she's hardly ever awake:001_smile:. My DH is concerned as well. Anyone have a DC like this or should we check with her Ped? Thanks

I used to read her teen series when I was in junior high and loved them!

I agree!!! When I just want to get lost in a clean, feel good, fast, read, I pick up one of her books!

Hated this book, I couldn't believe I had to read it for high school, ugh!!! That and The Handmaiden's Tale, yuck!

I've been reading your posts, and I'm so glad they were able to get your daughter in so quickly. I'll be praying that the report is well. :grouphug:

What a compliment to your DH and you as parents and your DC. Good job mama!

DH and I were young when we married and his parents had an "oops" baby so my SIL was 2 at our wedding and the flower girl! She's 11 now, a good kid but very spoiled. My BIL got married after we'd moved away from home and hid DW is nice but we don't know her well.

I am not an expert but I will share my personal experience advice. Sorry, if this gets kinda long:001_smile: When DS#1 was born due to major hemorrhaging my milk did not fully come in for 5 weeks! I too saw a lactation consultant (however she was horrible!!!and very unprofessional). I had to wake DS every 2 hours to feed, which wasn't much, then pump and feed through a feeder, then if he was still hungry supplement with formula. I tried mother's milk, and fenugreek. Nothing worked. I finally tried Domperidone (twice) and it worked. My milk came in enough that he wasn't struggling to nurse and he started gaining weight. In hindsight I would not wait so long again. My son got lazy at nursing and would take a very lonnnnggggg time to nurse and he also got used to eating every. two. hours....until he was 17months old!! So, I guess my advice would be do everything to increase your supply (look into the domperidone, it really worked when nothing else did) now, so your baby doesn't form bad habits. For the sore ni**les lanolin works great and make sure you let them air dry, it might seem weird but I also got a nasty case of mastitis. I think it's wonderful that you're doing so much to continue the breastfeeding, I got so many discouraging comments from older family members. Hope you get lots of rest and see improvements in your LO very soon!

This isn't exactly what you asked for but when I was looking for pictures of garages converted into school rooms I found this http://www.my3boybarians.com/2009/08/not-back-to-school-blog-hop-school-room-week/. There are over 100 rooms maybe there will be one that would help you:)

Yard sales! I get nearly all my kids' clothes at yard sales in the summer.

WOW! $3-5 for a mommy's helper who is 10yo, seems very generous. When I was babysitting as a high schooler and college student. I was always booked with jobs, I thought because the kids loved me, but maybe it was because parents loved me. I only got $2.50 and hour! I bet she'll be thrilled to work for you!

Here!:D

Thank you, you're right. I need to sit down and write out my reasons for homeschooling. I had great goals and inspirations for homeschooling and somehow got distracted in the midst of schooling. Perhaps, it was a good thing this teacher/school upset me, it certainly got me thinking! I think I'll spend this quiet Sunday afternoon reflecting on what I desire for my children, and hopefully work out a rough path for getting us all there. Thanks again, everyone. This thread has been invaluable.

I can't tell you all, how much I have appreciated all the words of encouragement. I feel better already:blush:. I'm not usually one who compares myself or my kids with others. Or even one to doubt myself (too much) when it comes to parenting, but for some reason, I left the park feeling so deflated. But you are right. I want to teach my DC the joy in learning. And I want to enjoy the journeys their on, I just need to remind myself of that, it's a process not a checklist. Thank you:grouphug:. This group is great!

Oops, I put the wrong number in. I was updating because 2 kiddos had b-days. I don't have twins; three boys 6, 4, and 2, and one girl 4 months:001_smile: Thank you for the comment though.

No, she didn't talk to him at all, beside asking his name. Her basis for the comment was because I told her, that he can read collection one(from costco) of the Bob books and is not all the way through collection 2. I told her he knows CVC words really well, but we have not covered long vowel sounds. But he would not have been able to read her little "test". Their curriculum is Abeka. We are on lesson 50 in OPGTR. We usually do 2 lessons a day. He hasn't had any problems with it so far. My DH thinks I'm crazy, that he's fine. A friend who has homeschooled in the past but put her youngest in public school for Kindergarten says her daughter can't even read that. That all she learned this year were sight words and her letters. I just feel that I've let him down, because he could be reading by now. I have really appreciated all of your thoughts, thank you.

I like Kingfisher, though I can't compare as I've never been to Exodus. But when we were living on campus at Multnomah, I'd go down to Kingfisher to look around a lot. I was just in there about a month ago, and they have a good selection, of new and old. Although, I found it hard to find things. They were reorganizing while I was there, but it's still difficult to navigate. The owner is helpful and knowledgeable and her daughter, who works there is very sweet, but doesn't know her way around as much. But there is a lot to look at and her prices are decent.