I get so excited when I have fresh tomatoes to pick!!! I love to simmer chopped tomatoes with some fresh basil, garlic and olive oil in a skillet and then toss it with some bowtie pasta. YUM!! BTW, I've read that heated tomatoes with olive oil and garlic are very effective at preventing cancer.

I never had much luck passing the 1 hour either - and hated the 3 hour test (but passed it each time). When I asked my midwife if I could just skip the 3 hour, she was very much against it and reminded me that your risk for gestational diabetes does increase with age. So, I found a good babysitter and brought a lot of reading to do. :001_smile:

I love it!! There's nothing like an organized space to motivate learning! :001_smile:

I've read over a lot of the posts, and there seems to be a very negative view of the Ezzos from posters who have never even read the book Growing Kids God's Way (remember Babywise and Growing Kids are 2 different books- one focuses on babies, the other is a parenting philosophy). So much of what you have talked about is either what you've heard or read "about" the Ezzos. You have a right to your opinion, but please at least read the book first. I have one friend who was totally against the Ezzos for the same reasons some of you have written, but after she read the book, she loved it! It is about training the heart! It is not about "controlling" your kids like robots. First time obedience is not about the child doing whatever you ask him to; it is simply your child coming when you call him. There is a big focus on learning your child's love language and building a strong family identity. Carla Link (who homeschooled 3 kids), speaks about some of the issues that come up with schooling at home and how to deal with them. Different personality types are discussed as well. Spanking is only one form of correction - there are also logical and natural consequences, reflective time-outs, repentance, forgiveness and restoration. Do I agree with absolutely everything? Of course not. But there is a lot of wisdom to be gained from their book. I'm not trying to sell anybody on their stuff, but if you are even the slightest bit interested, please focus on the posts from people who have actually read the book.

Thank you :001_smile:

I'm still figuring out the forum, and I noticed when I go to my page that lists posts, some posts have blue envelopes, some red, some red with mail coming out...? Would someone mind explaining it to me?

Wow! I guess I'm in the minority here. I think what most people are upset about is their philosophy on baby schedules (Babywise). They believe babies should not be fed on demand (they should be on a 3 hour schedule), that babies should sleep in a crib, etc. My babies did not do well on a 3 hour schedule until they were about 2-3 months old. At that point, they fell right into the pattern of feed, wake time, then nap, and they were ALL very happy babies who slept through the night early and woke up happy! :001_smile: So, I'm very thankful for that book. Growing Kids Gods Way is their whole philosophy on parenting. It is a series of tapes with a book based on Biblical teachings of child rearing. They do believe in spanking for first time obedience issues, so if you are against spanking, it may not be for you. I got a lot more out of Carla Link's Mom's Notes which is based on their philosophy. You can check it out at www.momsnotes.com. She is humorous to listen to, and has a lot of wisdom about rearing kids. I have followed a lot of her suggestions (structuring your child's day, first time obedience, parenting inside the funnel, etc.), and my husband and I are very proud of the way our children behave - at home and in public. Our kids are happy, secure, well-mannered and respectful. They are constantly complimented when we go out in public for their manners and behavior. (Once on vacation, a couple we didn't know paid for our entire meal at Cracker Barrel because they were so impressed with our four kids!) I'm not trying to brag about my kids, I just feel that a lot of folks have misjudged their parenting program to be something it is not. Several of my friends have used Mom's Notes also, and they ALL have great things to say about it.

Momof7 - I have also been very interested in your posts about writing. Do you mind going into a little more detail about how you do elementary writing?

I love going to Sam's Club, but I end up walking out of there with about 6 items totaling around $100.00! The membership fee is $40.00! Does anyone really save money by shopping there? Anyone think it's worth it??

Just curious- is the blood clotting disorder MTHFR gene mutation? My sister and I both have that. I ended up having 4 children with no miscarriages; however, my sister had 3 healthy pregnancies and then 2 miscarriages. This latest pregnancy, she gave herself a shot every day for 9 months (Lovinox?) and progestin suppositories, and her beautiful little boy was born in May this year! :) If this is the blood clotting disorder you have, I believe the success rate is very high when you use the Lovinox. If you're healthy otherwise, I don't think 37 is all that old to have children. That being said, it sounds like you have your hands full already. It is such a difficult decision to make because we all know how wonderful children are, but we also realize how hard life can be! Maybe try to figure out why you are overwhelmed.. is it homeschooling? Aspergers? housework? the fact that the younger 2 are so close in age? the temperament of the youngest? no help from family? I ask because some of these things you have control over- some you don't. If it's the stuff you can control that overwhelms you, maybe you could get a handle on that stuff and seriously consider adding to your family. If it's the stuff you have no control over- maybe not. When we were going back and forth over having another child, I felt that the only thing I knew God was leading me to do was to honor my husband's wishes. My husband said, "Let's try for a couple more months, and that's it." (My husband is a teacher and we were running out of time to have the baby in the summer when he's off.) I got pregnant that next month, and I can't imagine life without my baby girl!! We just knew "someone" was missing in our lives! So, my advice to you - try to discern what exactly is overwhelming you, talk it over with your husband, discuss it with a high risk OB, and of course pray about it.

I highly recommend reading Created to be his Help Meet by Debi Pearl. I’m quoting a portion of the book that spoke volumes to me when I read it. It is a letter from a woman who realized a little too late that she had been a foolish wife… “The things I did or failed to do were not everyday, constantly overt, in-the-face actions. They were subtle, ebbing and flowing , but there, nonetheless. -When my husband acted selfishly at home, allowed his temper to flare, and sometimes said curse words, and then went to church and acted spiritual, I wish I had prayed positively for him instead of withdrawing a little emotionally from him and letting my cynicism and lack of confidence in him be so manifest. I wish I had openly showed love and acceptance of him for himself, not impatiently waited until he acted right. -When he failed the children, failed to have devotions, failed to be spiritual, failed to lead as he should, I wish I had completely trusted God and maintained unity, honor, reverence, and submission with a glad and trusting heart. I wish I had kept the children honoring him and praying for their dad instead of allowing my martyred attitude to manifest itself so openly. -When he tried to make up to me for some failure, I wish I had not been so cool, waiting for him to “suffer†a little more and be more intense and sincere about his apology. -When he spent money I thought we didn’t have, I wish I had remained quiet and trusted God. I wish I had shown continued confidence in him, regardless of his decisions. -When he wanted me to do something, and I didn’t want to do it, I wish I had cheerfully complied instead of making him sorry he asked. Hardheadedness is not a trait to endear any woman to a man. -When he needed a woman to believe in him, admire him, approve of him, accept him, regardless of his failures, I wish now that I had been the one to give him those things. -When I thought that keeping his faults before him – just small things he did and said- and keeping myself a little standoffish in my approval of him, was the only way he would change, I wish someone would have taken me aside and told me how badly mistaken I was to think that it was my place to apply and keep the pressure on. -When we were in the company of his family and our friends, I wish I had not taken on a martyred air when he left to go off and do something on his own. -When he did not know how to show love, and I felt a void emotionally, I wish I had borne all things and hoped all things, and loved him unconditionally, instead of giving up inside and turning to friends and family for my emotional support and needs. I never saw the need to endear myself to him. I took for granted that he would fulfill the husband’s moral obligation to love me. … Time passed. The marriage strangled to death from the load of mistakes, sin, and selfishness on the part of both of us. One day, to my shock and surprise, he just left. The children and I were plunged into near poverty. He no longer felt the natural desire to protect and support his family. I received the minimum child support. It was never enough….Some of you don’t believe this could happen to you. In fact, you may well be thinking that it would be a relief if you could get him out of the house. You think, “Well, I’m healthy and strong. I’m emotionally secure. I can handle it. I am pretty and will find a good man. I have family who will help me. I have a good church to support me, and could get counseling, etc. … These are all the things that foolish wives may think. But I know better. My experience, as well as thousands of others, proves this outlook to be a lie. Carolyn†I’m sorry it was so long- but it was powerful!! One more excellent quote from the book, “Wisdom is knowing what you “bought†when you married that man and learning to adapt to him as he is, not as you want him to be.â€

I have had problems with regularity for years- up until just a couple of weeks ago when I started eating Activia yogurt. The probiotics in that stuff are amazing!!!!!!!! My kids love smoothies with yogurt. I mix the following in a blender: Activia (light vanilla- has less fat and more fiber), a little milk, frozen blueberries and raspberries, a little honey and a few ice cubes if you like it more like ice cream. They LOVE it! I have popsicle molds and pour the leftover smoothie in the molds for quick, healthy treats later! :001_smile:

I agree that decluttering makes a huge difference!! One time my basement flooded, and I was sooo happy to have an excuse to throw a lot of stuff out!!

You need to check out Joanne Calderwood's website www.urthemom.com - she sells homeschool student planners that are made specifically for independent learning. It's a very unique planner in that the child writes down the assignments each day - not you. It has large envelopes for holding assigments, a place for the student to record his grades, etc. I think it's exactly what you're looking for.

I know some of you out there have shining wood floors and sparkling windows! Now that I have off for a few weeks, I really want to do some deep cleaning. The problem: I am not a good cleaner. My house never looks/smells clean no matter how hard I try! I had a maid come once, and I was amazed at how clean she could get my shower and how much nicer my house looked with the dust gone! So, if cleaning comes naturally to you, please share some of your secrets!!! Thank you! :001_smile:

This woman obviously has no idea what goes on during those unsupervised bus rides. I remember sitting in the front seat of the bus when I was younger bc I was terrified to sit in the back with the big kids. I think most parents would be shocked to know what kinds of sexual activity goes on in the back of the bus. I was a middle school teacher for 7 years, and the stories I heard would make your jaw drop to the floor!!! My children will NEVER ride the bus - even if they do eventually go to ps!!

My husband was against homeschooling in the beginning also; I think he thought I just wanted to hs so I could still take my nap in the pm instead of picking up the kids from school!! After he saw ds's test scores, he was very proud and pleased. Now, he's very supportive! I think most husbands have that fear that we won't take the job seriously, and the kids will be holding up signs on the side of the road when they're older... "Need money/job, I was homeschooled!" :001_smile: So, my advice would be to ask husband for a trial year, and at the end of the year, have them tested to see where they are. I have a feeling once he sees what a good job you're doing, he'll be on board. It's also nice to see how the family bonds grow stronger when you're together more as a family.

Thanks for posting this! I love this idea!

Don't worry about the fawn - I copied the following from the Windstar Wildlife Institute concerning touching baby wildlife... "That's a widespread myth, if you touch a wild animal you'll wind up killing it," said Laura Simon, field director of urban wildlife for the Humane Society of the United States. "We've all heard that we should not touch a baby bird because the mother will know and abandon it. Birds have a poor sense of smell, and the mother will never know you touched the baby bird." And that applies to all the wildlife you might see. "Mammals don't really care if a human touches their baby because the maternal instinct is strong," Simon said. "The only animal that might notice is the rabbit because they are sensitive to disturbances and to the human scent. I tell people to wear gloves if they're concerned about it, but even the mother rabbit, if she smells a human, will be happy to have her young back."

This was an amazing experience! The fawn could barely walk-it had to have been only a few hours old! When my kids approached, it wasn't scared and actually came to them! Mom was close by, but didn't seem to mind (maybe she was still recovering from labor?) Anyway, I'm sure they'll never forget this!

Favorite parenting book - is not really a book but a series of notebooks and cds called "Mom's Notes". Carla Link and her husband who are both affliated with Growing Kids wrote the series based on the Ezzo's parenting philosphy. EXCELLENT advice for everything you encounter as a parent for ALL ages. She even discusses things like different personalities and how to handle them- building a family identity, etc. If you are interested, she has a website www.momsnotes.com. I'll admit, the series is very expensive, but if you have friends/families that can go in on it with you, it helps. Definitely worth every penny!

I find it very interesting that so many people have read this thread (over 1,000!). If the Rainbow Resource company knew that this many people were waiting to see how they would handle this situation, I think they would be more than willing to make it right!!!! Their reputation is definitely on the line here!

Unfortunately, this disease runs in my family big time!! I'm always reading up on the latest medical news about ways to prevent it. The latest findings show that curry could be huge in protecting your brain from alzheimers. Bring on the Indian food!!!! If you're interested, you can read about it at www.medicalnewstoday.com.

I bought the teacher's guide and even the previctory drill book - don't waste your money. I don't think I've used the teacher's guide at all except to learn that a child should not miss more than 4 words per timing and for the recording form. The form is not necessary - you can simply record the page number, number correct, wpm, date etc. on a notebook page. I never bought the worksheets. Seriously, all you need is the little blue VDB, a digital kitchen timer, some sort of reward system and a piece of paper to record their time/page # on and you'll be set! The book gives some instructions to parents on the first couple of pages and lists the goals per grade level. I did not use it as a spelling or phonics rules program- although you can use it as such. Each day, we spent 3 minutes on the book - (3 one minute timings). There are 5 columns per page, so we would vary our starting place for each timing. When your child is first starting out (especially if reading is a difficult subject for your child) I would just do one timing and then have dc try to beat his/her own time- instead of trying to meet the goal for the grade level. After my child was doing fairly well in the program, we switched to the grade level goals. If my ds missed more than 4 on any of the timings (even if speed goal was met) he could not get the reward for that page. In order to meet goal, no more than 4 words can be missed on any of the 3 timings AND the average of the three timings had to meet or exceed the goal for his grade level. Although I didn't require it, my children often spent a lot of time in the evenings practicing their page so they could get a prize the next day!

The VDB is a fantastic resource for building fluency! You can use the book through the 8th grade! The words get more difficult and the reading goals per page increase (kindergarten goal is 30 words per minute and 8th grade goal is 130 words per minute). Some of the words at the end of the book: independence, superintendent, administrator, magnificent, reproduction etc. I went to the dollar store and bought some trinkets and candy and put them in a treasure chest. Whenever my kids met their goal for the page, they could pick a prize. They LOVED this! If you didn't want to spend money, you could use tickets for rewards (stay up late, movie night, no chores day, etc.).