I am going into this next school year with two little ones. I would love to find some fun but educational things for my 3.5 year old to do while my older one (starting high school :eek:) is doing her work. My three-year-old is my loud one, so it can help to have some times where her attention is focused on something a little quieter. (especially when I am helping my older dd with math :)) She loves to pretend to do school, so I think she would really enjoy having some "school" things for herself. I will probably be putting together an order for next year's stuff soon, so I would love to hear any ideas for my three-year-old. Thanks! ETA: I'm looking for both things she can do on her own and things she can do with me. I didn't know if I was clear in my post or if I made it seem like I was only looking for things that she can do on her own.

I found the boards while reading TWTM a little over 9 years ago. I was about to start homeschooling my oldest dd (kindergarten at the time) and was scared out of my mind! I was interested in classical education, and a friend recommended TWTM. Kindergarten turned out to be a great year, so we kept homeschooling. Now we are approaching high school next year, and I am scared out of my mind again! I don't post a lot, but I am here often. I have learned so much from the boards over the years.

I don't have many posts because I lurk much more than I post. I guess it's the introvert in me. :) I "listen" to the conversations more than I join them. I've been here for the last 9 years. My dd is getting ready to start her high school years, and I've been coming to the boards since the summer before we started kindergarten.

This is also where I'm at. I feel so overwhelmed homeschooling through high school with the little ones. (although I only have 2 little ones - you have your hands full, Jo.) I am having a hard time doing the balancing act.

Oh, I know there are men with long hair in the South. My point was how well it is accepted or not accepted. Long hair on guys is generally much more accepted in Californian culture than in southern culture. We know from experience. :)

Thank you all! I appreciate the replies. My dh would prefer that I not go into detail about the location or the church at this point because sometimes it is a small world. :) If things work out, I'll definitely let you know in terms of location, and I'll probably have more questions for you all. :D At this point he's still trying to decide if he should keep the hair. Also, Sandra, thanks for the link.

LOL at the panel beater. I've never heard of that. My husband is actually a pastor, so this job is in a church. He doesn't want to cut his hair but is willing to if it isn't culturally acceptable there. Most of his ministry has been in California, and the long hair has been a positive thing there. I would hate for him to cut his hair. He looks soooo good with long hair, but I understand if he needs to.

My dh is interviewing for a position in Australia (we are currently living in the US). He has long hair, and we are wondering whether long hair is culturally acceptable in Australia? Also, is it accepted in some parts of the country and not others? I know, for example, that here in the US it is acceptable for a guy to have long hair in certain areas of the country (California) but not others (the South). Also we have been in some churches here that are more accepting of a variety of different appearances than others. Thanks! ~Nicole

I'm going to get some picture books for dd (almost 3) for Christmas. You guys were awesome with board book recommendations when she was turning 1. So what are your favorite picture books?

This is what I use also. After using many natural deodorants that did not work for me, this works so well. I will never go back to a stick deodorant again. My 13 year old daughter was so frustrated with deodorants that did not work for her teen body, and now she uses this and is thrilled that she is no longer stinky. :001_smile:

I'm not sure about milk supply since I weaned after four weeks (8 wks pregnant) of finding out that I was pregnant, but I felt absolutely awful while nursing and pregnant. My dd was 1 yr 10 mo old when I weaned her. Once I weaned her I still felt sick and tired, but it was sooooo much better. I eat a mostly vegetarian diet, so I don't know if that contributed. The other reason I weaned is that I had spotting and cramping for the first 10 weeks of my pregnancy, and it concerned me to continue nursing. I've never had spotting during pregnancy before, and this was the first time that I had ever nursed while pregnant. As others have said, it also really hurt to nurse once I was pregnant. However, I have also known women who have happily nursed while pregnant with no problems.

My 2-month old dd is the same way on her back. She hates being on her back and will wake up instantly if placed in the crib. Her arms and legs end up flailing, and she just can't sleep. Babies have a reflex called the Moro (falling) Reflex which makes it hard for some to be on their backs. I read that swaddling really helps them to sleep on their backs better. I just purchased a Miracle Blanket and I am amazed at how well my dd is sleeping now. She relaxes so much when I swaddle her and will be content in her crib until she falls asleep. She wasn't sleeping well at all during the day before we started swaddling and would be so fussy be evening because she was so overtired. Now that she's getting more sleep she is much happier in the evenings. I would definitely try swaddling before I would put a baby to sleep on her tummy.

I'm with you, I love California and really miss living there. I'm really hoping that we'll end up back there someday. Even though I grew up in the midwest, it is very much "home" to our family after living there for several years. It is the place that we enjoy the most and feel like we fit the most.

I have 2.5 weeks to go. Due June 15 with our third (and final) daughter. I have mild pre-eclampsia and am on bedrest, so not feeling very well here. But this is very usual for me at this point in pregnancy. The crawl to the end is not much fun. My weeks are filled with non-stress tests, blood pressure monitoring, ultrasounds, labwork, etc. I feel like I've been poked and prodded enough already! I'm so excited for her to be here but am nervously anticipating the end, because I hemorrhage horribly in my deliveries. My last delivery was a nightmare which resulted in a blood transfusion and many more unpleasant things, but I won't bore you all with the details. Congratulations to all of you!

Joanne, I agree with you. I hate intervention, and I can't tell you how many times that homebirth or a birthing center has seemed so attractive to me. It will just never be a possibility for me with the type of pregnancies and deliveries that I have. And especially when one is pregnant for the first time (without a history of good pregnancies and deliveries), she really has no idea what her delivery will be like or what complications might arise. Hospitals are equipped to handle much more if things go wrong. Obviously the OP has a history of previous deliveries, and I think that is a helpful gauge. But I agree that there is way too much intervention at hospitals, and that those interventions can cause complications or problems. It's a hard decision, and there is a lot that one needs to weigh.