I would look at the surface of the training area. When our dojang was hardwood, it was really hard on people's ankles and knees. I eventually had to wear light shoes with some arch support, and that helped. Now our dojang has a soft mat over the entire floor and it's awesome! It's easy on the joints, and break-falls, self-defense and even sparring is so much nicer. I know that it was a big financial purchase for our TKD school owner to buy this mat, but it was a wonderful investment. Adults and teens are training from many more years past their first degree black belt than they used to.

The Cricket in Times Square - better than me reading it because the music the cricket makes is great Charlotte's Web - I loved the version with E.B. White reading the story. BBC production of the Naria series Lord of the Rings - because who could read all those names, songs and poems out loud!

It did for me, but my chest went as flat as my belly!

Yellowstone is awesome! I think it would be much more fun for children than Mt. Rushmore. Glacier National Park (Montana) and Waterton National Park (Alberta, right across the border) are both very beautiful.

I don't know if it's ever been filmed, but there is an "Anne of Green Gables" musical. It's performed in Prince Edward Island regularly. My elementary school did it when I was in grade 5 or 6.

Bachelor of Human Kinetics Masters of Science - Sport Psychology Despite my parents initial concern, I was able to get great jobs both in Europe and back in Canada with these degrees. I also use the information learned on a daily for my children, myself and others in the homeschool community.

That was me, too, for years! Now I've discovered that with the right clothing, I'd much rather run longer distances in the winter than in the hot and humid summer. The 4-month training schedule I used from my course for my marathon had us run three times a week - one short run, one longer one, and one long one that gradually got longer up until the race. So I only ran 6km, then 10km, then from 15 to 32km in a week. It isn't tough to fit in just three runs a week, and for a half marathon, all of these distances would be shorter. I always thought that the training would be a lot more than that, but there's a risk of overtraining and getting injuries if you don't follow a good schedule and try to do too much.

Yes! You can definitely do this! I ran my first half-marathon at age 45 last year, then my first marathon 5 months later and just ran my second marathon 4 days ago (now age 46). I trained for my first marathon with a group, and that was so helpful. In Canada we have the Running Room, which holds running courses for all race distances. There must be something similar in the States. It's really good to have a weekly training schedule that you can check-off as you go. It's also nice to have a group you can share your experiences will, either irl or on-line. A training course will also give you lots of tips on basic running technique, shoes, clothing (for all weather), stretching, injury prevention, injury management, mental training, eating, hydration and race preparation. These are so helpful to have some solid information on to make your running experience the best it can be.

Hugs to you, Moxie. As a Catholic mom of several children tightly spaced, I can understand the physical and spiritual struggles you and your husband are facing. I hope that you both can find a solution that strengthens your marriage, and your relationship with God. No advice, as this decision is so personal for you and your dh. I hope that you find peace and can shed the feelings of guilt.

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I'm not sure how old your kids are, but 20 minutes a day is great! When my dc were really little, it was really fun to see what reading different books would inspire us to do. We might act out a poem or short story with our hands or bodies for fun or to help memorize it; or go looking for spiders after reading Charlotte's Web; or explore other 'bunny trails.' Now we do a lot of read-alouds with our curriculum, and the part we all enjoy most is the discussions that come up through reading really good books. We're having a great time with "Detectives in Togas" seeing if we can help solve the crime before the characters in the book do. If you are enjoying the process of reading, discussing, maybe doing, and enjoying these precious moments with your children, I don't think the time limit or 20 vs 60+ minutes will be the important factor.

Bumping

I've been using Singapore Math for all my children since the beginning, but my oldest isn't thriving (and we've finished 6B anyway). She's trying out Jump Math 7.1 and I really like the gentle progression with lots of repetition. I'm considering moving all my kids over to Jump Math, even though they are doing very well with Singapore. Does anyone have long-term experience with this program? It follows the Ontario Ministry of Education curriculum a lot more closely than Singapore, being that it was developed in Canada, which is a bonus for us. My other question is that Jump Math only goes up to level 8, which means my dd would need a new program in a year. Any recommendations for Canadian programs for grade 9 - 12 that are similar to Jump Math?

We've just finished 3 years of an American/Canadian history study, comparing the two parallel "births of nations." Depending on how you want to approach your own family culture within your American history study, you could do a comparison from the Native point of view to the European settler point of view. But for a 6 year old, I'd start really simply and perhaps include an education on the culture and history of your family's tribe in Washington, with hands-on activities and stories, field trips and visits to elders. Seek out literature and material from non-European authors. As your child gets older and you broaden your American history studies, she will have a solid knowledge of her Native culture and be able to recognize the biases in many American history books, and you and your children will be able to have rich and meaningful discussions together.

I'm guessing that a big issue is that in order to have ingredients banned the government has to have more control over what is allowed and what isn't. America isn't really big on giving over more control to government.

Alberta - Rocky Mountains are amazing! Long, cold winters with the warm perks of chinooks (if you get them). Explosively warm springs. No humidity in the summers. No Provincial sales tax. Friendly people and courteous drivers who stop to let pedestrians cross the road. National Capital Region, Ontario - Beautiful and colourful Autumns. Great snow for skiing. Shortish winters. Warm and humid summers. Lots of museums, cultural activities as well as outdoor activities. Big city perks for a small city. Quite multi-cultural. Norway - Beautiful climate, not too cold in winter and not too hot in the summer. Gorgeous scenery with mountains, fjords and valleys. Amazing wooden structures - churchs, houses, outbuildings, etc. Lots of outdoor activities. No mosquitos!!! No bears or animals to worry about when camping. Delicious breads and dairy products.

I'd go with jeans with some spandex in them, too. You can also do some strength training in the gluts area to build up more muscle there to give curve.

Norway is not cold in July/August. It is beautiful - swimming in the ocean or lakes is very common in the summer. Don't let the northern location fool you. The gulf stream keeps the temperatures very pleasant both summer and winter (for a 4 season climate). The scenery is breath-taking, there is lots to see and do culturally/historically. Amsterdam is also a wonderful city to visit. Also not cold at all in the summer.

If it's the quantity of reading the full Anne of Green Gables that is the issue, I'd go with a shorter L.M. Montgomery book before an abridged version of Anne. "Story Girl" is an amazing book, for example. "Chronicles of Avonlea" is also nice, as it's got short stories, so those who read quickly could go at a faster pace.

:lol: It's necessary to lock the door, isn't it? The minute I pick up a little special snack, my 6 year old is right there. He's got this internal radar system or something.

Sports with speed and higher opportunities for collisions or impact with hard objects (boards, other players, sticks, balls/pucks), and opportunities to fall from heights have higher rates of serious injuries, like head and spinal injuries and broken bones. So football, ice hockey, lacrosse, motor cross, gymnastics, diving, horseback riding, for example. Other common injuries in sports are from overuse or "rough" use, such as stress fractures, sprains, tendon/muscle tears, tendonitis, bursitis, etc. These can occur in pretty much any sport or physical activity if it's done for long periods of time with intensity. They are certainly not reasons to avoid sports, just reminders that our bodies are not invincible. Like another poster mentioned, it's important to weigh the benefits and risks/costs of a sport. The child should enjoy it, the parent should be comfortable with the cost, time, instruction and safety standards. All the best exploring the wide world of sport! Hope your family finds a good fit.

Sounds like new shoes would be a good start. Go to a quality athletic shoe store and tell them what the shoes will be used for - include some examples of the movements. Running shoes may have good support, but not have the ankle support you might need if there is a lot of side to side movements in your activity. I can't use my running shoes for playing tennis, for example. On another note, if your joints are in pain and have swelling, resting, applying ice, compression and elevation is the recommended treatment. Swelling is a normal body reaction to accute injury. Taking diuretics may seem to eliminate the swelling, but may end up masking an on-going injury ultimately resulting in more damage to the joint.

:iagree: In our elementary schools, there is less and less time for physical activity, and no qualified phys. ed. teachers actually teaching the phys. ed. classes. Then with homework to do at home, there's little time to be active after school either. No wonder there are more and more kids being medicated so that they can sit still all day, and the obesity rates are increasing.

Is she part of a swim club/team, and training daily at age 7? That sounds like a lot. I'd just take a break from the pool and keep fit other ways that your family enjoys, like biking, skating, walking, hiking, running, playing outside, etc.

You have been through an awesome lot these last months, so it sounds pretty normal that you'd be exhausted and not excited about homeschooling. So sorry to hear about your miscarriages. :grouphug: I'm in my 7th year, too, and had a REALLY tough time letting go of summer and getting back to the "grind stone" of work with homeschooling. It's been getting a little better as we've kept moving and doing things, though. I feel like I'm "faking it until I make it" and it's working, for the most part. I agree with the other poster who suggested you take good care of yourself, with sleep, food and exercise - plus some time alone or with a friend to enjoy yourself. Maybe re-start an activity you used to do years ago, or try something new. My dh and I got back into playing tennis after a 15 year break. It's been so much fun!