Welcome to the world, baby Irene! Beautiful, unique name.

I'm so sorry. What a gorgeous kitty. We had to let "my" 16.5 sweet Missy go last year and it was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make. I still miss her so, so much. Hugs to you.

Can you help me flesh out a 9th grade English credit? My original plans for the year have flopped - SL LA 120. It's just too open-ended and doesn't have enough direction for my son. He is doing the literature reading but composition has fallen by the wayside. I also struggle with grading compositions and being able to provide appropriate feedback. This particular son is very bright/gifted (Scored a 34 English and 33 Reading on the ACT at age 13) but needs a different approach with more interaction. I need to cobble together a true credit's worth of work for this year and he will be doubling up on work for awhile. We both enjoy watching and discussing The Great Courses together. So this is what I am thinking - The Great Courses - Analysis and Critique: How to Engage and Write About Anything 24 half hour lectures with corresponding exercises for each lecture (This will take us approximately 6 weeks to complete - we've already started) The Great Courses - Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft 24 half hour lectures with corresponding exercises for each lecture (This will take us approximately 8 weeks to complete) He will continue with the Literature portion of SL 120 with three or four persuasive essays based upon topics/issues of his choice implementing the"Lost Tools of Writing" style under the direction of a writing tutor. Each essay will take three weeks. He took a full year of writing with this instructor before, so she is familiar with his writing already. Supplementary reading: Woe is I by Patricia O'Connor Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing by Patricia O'Connor

It was a hard choice - but I went with the grey tabby. They are all super cute.

No, not really :) I'm already 44 and my youngest is 7 so I have quite a while left of homeschooling to go. We are also adopting a little girl with special needs who is now 6. I don't know yet what her schooling will look like, but it will probably be at home. When I am down to "just" one or two students I hope to have more time to teach private music lessons - maybe about 10 hours a week. I want to travel in our camper. And maybe I will have the time to tutor immigrants in English, be a volunteer doula, or organize a donation closet for moms in need. And I want to be an available Grandma if needed. I can't imagine going back to school and working on top of all that! Oh, education wise I do want to learn more Russian and Chinese.

https://chriskresser.com/treating-sibo-cold-thermogenisis-and-when-to-take-probiotics/ I found this transcript that tells why some probiotics are bad for SIBO and which ones are better. Also S. Boulardii is a beneficial yeast that I think can be helpful.

Haven't travelled a lot but 1) Hawaii 3) Prince Edward Island Alaska Iceland Russia a tropical island....

Cats also don't like areas that have mesh screen over them - that might keep him away.

Prosacea gel, improving my gut health, and watching my Vit D levels have worked wonders for me.

We have a Samsung fridge and it is terrible. Our Samsung dishwasher is also terrible. Hate Samsung appliances!

This sermon is read in every Orthodox Church every Easter (Pascha). So encouraging.

We don't have plans to move any time soon (because we love our current neighborhood and it is convenient for DH's work and all the kids' activities. A bonus is that we have a pretty low mortgage considering the area), but we keep our eyes on that neighborhood because 1. How awesome would it be to be able to walk to Church?! and 2. This house is not set-up for the possibility that a parent might need to live with us in the future or for "aging in place" - we have a sunken family room, sunken living room, and no bedroom or full bath on the main floor.

I did a little sleuthing on zillow based on your clues :) and unless there are some undisclosed problems I think that house looks fantastic! BTW, we went to an open house in that neighborhood awhile ago and met some of the neighbors. They raved about how friendly the neighborhood is. The commute on Sunday mornings shouldn't be too burdensome.

I think learning to swim is very important but I wouldn't pay those prices, especially with the job situation. Can they swim at all? If so, I'd look for a summer swim team at a local pool and investigate the pre-team. Even in our HCOL area, our pre-team (five days a week for about 6 weeks) is $150 for one child. My children have made tremendous progress when they swim every day.

I noticed you have girls. In my experience and those of my close friends, girls seem to do a better job of self-regulating when it comes to video games. Boys seems to become addicted much more.

If the class "as is" is worth 3 college credits why wouldn't it be worth a high school credit without adding anything? And couldn't you just call it Environmental Studies? Sounds like such a cool class!

I love my Feelgoodz.

A few thoughts came to mind while I was reading your post and this thread: I know that as soon as I start focussing on what I think I "should" or "should not" be feeling it makes things worse. It's OK to feel frustration, fear, anxiety, worry, etc. Feelings do not make you a failure! I think it's a form of perfectionism. No one in the whole world is completely mentally healthy all the time. It's part of the human condition. Acceptance is key. And please don't discount suggestions to look into your Vitamin D level (best supplements are D3 with K2). Low Vitamin D (an essential hormone) has been linked to anxiety & depression. Also, Magesium is another thing that most of us are deficient in - every cell in our body needs magnesium to function properly. My doctor recommends magnesium glycinate.

I have two boys, 13 months apart. They are currently 13 and 14. Oi!

this came to mind while reading your thread.. http://www.stevenson.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/public-history/

Yay for your dd! I've been wanting a place to brag a bit too :) DS14 took the ACT without writing this past Dec. (first time) He earned a 31 composite! We are so excited that he has now qualified for some automatic scholarships (if he keeps a decent GPA) but I also feel a bit stressed as I don't want to miss any great opportunities for him.

I think it's a Christmas miracle :)

One of my favorite charities is Love Without Boundaries. www.lovewithoutboundaries.com The founder recently wrote a book about the organization which is free for Kindle until the 10th https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Orphan-Amy-Eldridge/dp/0979463939/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481165818&sr=8-1&keywords=love+without+boundaries Highly recommended.

A little more expensive but high quality....Kettler Trikes with the real rubber wheels (not hard plastic, the real rubber ones won't slip on grass), dumping bucket on the back, and a removable push bar. We have one that's at least 12 years old, has gone through 4 kids, and is still in excellent condition.

We only have one cat at the moment. Our other one passed away in October at 16.5 years of age. She was my special kitty and I miss her a lot! I don't think I'll be ready to get another cat for quite awhile yet. Plus we have a lot of stress going on right now, so not the best time to add another furry family member. Edited to add a pic of my sweet kitty.