I love our klean kanteens, when the kids are little they have the sippy lids from Avent (just to let anyone that knows about Avents early sippies...these are different) and with the adapter that you use for the Avent sippies, you could use a bottle nipple. We have tons of these! I'd say from personal experience, order all the ones you want and then add a few extra sports tops lids, since those are the ones we use most. Even little toddlers can use the sports lids. Also, a bottle washer for when you "forget" that you had milk in one is good. I use the Avent bottle washer... Carrie:-)

We love LOF. We've used LOF fractions and now we're on to decimals and percentages. I also ordered their first "beginning algebra" with companion book and their Calculus book for my 13 and 16 yr olds who are in public school, because they wanted LOF books. I think they're a bit too simple sometimes, and he's still working out some incorrect answers. I had my daughter do the fractions book and wasn't careful enough to have a place for her to store all of her "math pages" but will have her store the next books more carefully. I also only have her do the first 1 or 2 bridges...and do one bridge on the whiteboard to make sure that she's understanding the processes. She does her times tables and divisions, but we still need to work on those for speed and accuracy. Overall, we love LOF and think it's a great book. I keep Saxon for explanations to some problems and wouldn't mind hearing of other math programs that people are using with their LOF:-) Carrie:-)

Would it make you feel better to know that developmentally it's thought of by many to wait for reading? It's hard on developing eyes... Wait until she's a bit older to become frustrated, think of it like when you were teaching her to walk or brush her own teeth well. It's truly not going to matter (unless there's a real problem) if she reads at 7 or 10. Do things with her that make her learn orally or with manipulatives....Smile, relax, count the number of chocolate chips to put in the cookies...."take away" 20 and then add back some.....Enjoy life because you learn more than just academics you are concentrating on right now. Give yourself a break...and then everyone a cookie and some milk...:-) Carrie

We love our KKs, too, and have to say that if you take mismatched socks...they make some cute covers. For the baby ones (12oz) I took socks and cut them down to size...could have serged the tops to make them more durable. You can put some cold liquids in and not have them sweat and they are easier to hold, too. What I want it the colored ones, we just got a big order and I'm dying to pull some out for myself! Now, if my dog would stop chewing the sport tops off the kanteens!!!

For us, it would be no reading, except if it's a book that I actually wanted read, and working on "hard chores". These would be things like moving bricks, stacking wood, ect. This would be for a certain amount of hours, done with a good attitude. (so in other words, NO sitting around:-) until after physical labor. BUT, they would be included in family activities. More like grounded from their rooms:-) Anything that gets them moving around (chores) and not having "by themselves time" like videos etc. Also, they would be grounded from videos and such (except for if it's "family time") until their teacher said they were cooperating for a period of time. (And they would not be promised that it would only be restricted for a specific amount of time....) And, even though we would talk through it, they would be in the biggest trouble for lying. You can work anything out, if you're honest.... (at least in a perfect world:-) Carrie:-)

I really can't understand not liking any pets. We always had to have our animals outside(growing up), and that's not really fair to most pets. Our present dog is one from the humane society; he was suppose to be a poodle/airedale mix which would be a low shedding dog. Oh well, he's a shedding, allergy prone dog who just chewed through two sports tops from our Klean Kanteens. Sometimes you just wanna smack the dog, but your head and heart come together and you look at those eyes:-) And, basically everyone agrees, hitting dogs doesn't work:-) so you hide your food better...and all food containers. That's probably my dog's only bad habit...stealing food. He's just about perfect with everything else. IF you choose to get a pet for YOU and one that's good around your children, I'd say...consider what you're willing to put up with. (Our 16 yr old still can't stand our dog, and my husband is just kinda so so with him. I always tell my daughter that someday our dog will save her life and she'll have to love him!) So..what can you put up with? Hair/fur, puppiness? paying money to purchase the dog? I'd suggest talking to lots of people about breeds and such...before. Make no impulse decisions. Puppies turn into dogs as babies turn into teens. Make sure you want them for 20 yrs. It's a long time! I love finding out more about what to do with my children and dogs. I've stopped vaccinating except for rabies and I'm feeding him raw food....It's an exciting adventure. Sometimes I feel bad that I don't take him out enough, but I do arrange doggy playdates and he seems to love lying on our couch with us, by the wood stove...being massaged! I think the reason our dog is good to be around is because when we first got him, we kept him right with us on his leash (even in the house) for the first 2 weeks and took the time to go to weekly training at a really good training spot... So, I think if you want a dog, you need to remember that you really have to "tomato stake them" when you first have them so they can't get in bad habits! Anyway.... My dream dog, if I was to purchase one from a reliable breeder, would be a lagotto :-) They don't shed....(they have "hair") But for now, our Brownie is our sweetie:-) Carrie:-)

About the chicken pox vaccine... And, if you any problems with the issues of what types of cell lines the chicken pox vaccine is taken from, you might choose to not have that one given at all. If anyone has any new info, it's welcomed, but last time I looked the chicken pox vaccine is from a human cell line. (and with all the research I could see, it's from a fetal cell line....)

http://singnlearn.com/ I was just looking at the Geography songs last night. Not too childish, and not too hard:-) I also like Statris....is that what it's called? It's like "States" + Tetris....anyway, you kinda drop the states in their correct location. Even I like to play it:-) Carrie:-)

We knew a homeschooling family with 8 children who allowed their house trained goat inside their house. She said that the goat was easier to train than a dog...and she had white furniture and a spotless house! SO, that may be one advantage:-) They can be a member of the family??

This looks very good! I just called the company, which is small, and talked to him about the program. I believe that I will order this for first grade, for my son. I really like the abacus component. The man said that it is being used in some US schools and that he used a previous edition while in school. (in Japan) Thanks for reminding me. There are so many good curriculums.....I can see how it'd be easy to be a junkie:-)

There are so many different parenting styles and choices that we make as parents. It's kinda sad to me that we judge each other harshly if we disagree. For Christians, I believe that one day we realize we will know the truth and we will all be surprised about at least one idea we had on earth! I don't believe (moderate) spanking is wrong, I nurse my children for a really long time, I wore my babies in slings/ Ergos for years (until 3-4 years old), I let my babies/ young children sleep with us, I didn't circ my son:-) I never gave him formula, don't have them pumped with vaccines... I like wooden toys when I can get them for my children, I believe in "home-learning" I've talked to shepherds and sometimes acting as a " shepherd" doesn't mean just carrying the sick, you can give a slight "swat" to a stubborn one. (but sometimes they just need "led") Usually there's something I think I do better than others.... That doesn't mean I am! I like reading Love and Logic and also Gentle Parenting sites and books, and then, I also like reading all the books here that I read about here. I enjoyed the Pearl's Book, ok, the Ezzo's I'm sure I agreed with much, I like the Tripp's book and then the next one about Instructing Your Child's Heart. The Pearl's magazine has really sweet things in it! Like, when their daughter (married with children) does her housework, she involves her little ones in "real" work by modeling behaviour...cheerfully! They sweep and do dishes together...etc. Imagine, the way she said it, it sounded like Charlotte Mason/ Waldorf etc.... I think sometimes we just start shooting before we realize that in the midst of some things we don't agree about, that they must be "child" abusers. I love taking the good and leaving the rest! Carrie:-)

Can you say that parents must attend the class with their children. You'll do one lapbook, and the children and their parents can all do one each. Really, there's enough room to do a lapbook for weeks! :-)

Crisco works...after the bath, don't dry very well...rub in Crisco and then "soak" in a "pillow case" type wrap....Works great! :-)

Omnibus -v- Challenge (Classical Conversations) I'm wanting opinions from people familiar with Omnibus and CC. I am really interested in how you like either one. I know that CC doesn't have a concentrated history part, although there's room at the end and during Christmas, I guess. Right now, we have one level of CC and I'm considering whether it's better to focus on getting other CC levels or someone to find someone to teach the Omnibus. I really want my daughter to be in a "group" situation once a week and then do the work on the other days..... Thanks for any opinions!

I'm wanting opinions from people familiar with Omnibus and CC. I am really interested in how you like either one. I know that CC doesn't have a concentrated history part, although there's room at the end and during Christmas, I guess. Right now, we have one level of CC and I'm considering whether it's better to focus on getting other CC levels or someone to find someone to teach the Omnibus. I really want my daughter to be in a "group" situation once a week and then do the work on the other days..... Thanks for any opinions!

Oh wow, you can keep a 14 yr old out of the fridge? When my brother was this age, my mom would buy those cheap little pizzas (Tony's) and he would eat those and other food....all the time. At our table, my mom always had great healthy food for him...and then he'd eat tons of that, too. "Boys need lots of hard physical work, lots of food, and lots of sleep" :-) PS. She didn't talk about spanking her 14 yr old. ;-) And, even though it's not all discipline I'd use, there's a book called "Creative Discipline." I don't use it all....I use what I agree with and spit out the rest.....

I've bought some really cool docs at the goodwill for $15. For me, they're great! I probably have about 10 pairs and they are not "used" as you might think. Maybe a bit, but now they're molded to my feet:-) So, I guess it's what kind of shape and shoe you're talking about. When my parents were married, my father was totally embarrassed about my mom shopping at thrift stores. He asked my mom how much money he'd have to make for her to stop shopping at thrift stores, and she told him that there's no amount that he could make to have her stop. One of the seriously wealthiest couples we know goes thrift shopping together. With money comes freedom from peers! Who cares if you can afford $1000, if you can find it for $50! :-)

Hey there, How about trying the homeopathic bed wetter "pills." My nephew was wetting most nights and with this....the first night and after were dry:-) Good Luck!

Oops.

I believe that we have a happy medium at our CC. We are doing suggested topics. Some of the tutors have it so that they actually assign a topic. It's up to the tutor. On the other hand, this last week one of the students had missed a week and gave a presentation on one of the other weeks. The most important part for us is that the children learn how to speak in front of others, with few "ums" if any and make eye contact. Since we are doing IEW, some of them also use the Key Word Outline. I have decided that with CC, I'm most concerned that in Essentials, I use it as one way to teach my daughter self-discipline in organizing her time. If she doesn't choose to get her work done, she'll have to work to earn the money to pay for the lesson, because it's not my responsibility to nag her to work on her assignments. I want her to learn to keep on task and turn in work. I really love IEW and hope that we can attend a live IEW seminar and student workshop.

We have our dog inside (70 lbs) and he has free range, while we are here. He's inside one of our 3 crates in the van, downstairs when we're gone, or inside our bedroom when we're sleeping. I read a book before I got him about how dogs need to be with their leaders as they are pack members. I really took to heart the part about them bonding with you while you sleep in the same room. If you having them in your room isn't practical, pick one of the kids that it sounds like fun for. We have a special foam mattress for our dogs crate in the bedroom, so he circles round...goes to sleep and settles down for the night. He goes outside to run around for a bit and to have playdates with the neighbor dog. My latest thing is feeding him raw food. I'm so excited about it. I'm trying to feed him for the same price as when we did dog food. SO, at least since I've been studying how to feed puppies, I've realized that I really think it's important for them to eat no grain. Dogs eat protein...cows eat grain:-) Carrie:-) PS, The best thing we did was go to dog training with someone who has trained German Shephards used for Police Training. It has saved us and it only was $85 and you can go back free for the life of the dog. (Except he still steals off the counter!) Carrie:-)

What Cycle are you doing?? Hearts.....hmmm Carrie:-)

How Exciting:-) As my husband is pretty good in Russian, he's talked about adopting a child or children who would come over knowing Russian. He thinks it'd be a little less traumatic for...well, him! I would want to teach her English, but I'd also show importance to the language that she knows. I'd want to take the opportunity to share some of her heritage and language. There are places here that you can gather to celebrate other "like" cultures with the ones that you/they left. I've always thought that I'd want my children to remember their first tongue as they also gain mastery of English. Would you mind sharing what type of program you're in that allows visits to the US before you decide whether you should adopt?? Carrie:-)

I would freak out if I saw a 5yr old with a newborn, but they are your children:-) The reason I think it's kinda a big deal, is the fact that if your 5 year old drops a newborn, it's different than a 6 year old drops a one year old. I always figured that a 1 yr old has a better chance of living. But, like I said...they are yours:-) Then again, I'm the kind of person that straightens car seat buckles on other people's babies:-) But, lovingly:-) Carrie:-)

I have to pay $18 to take my dog somewhere where they walk him once a day for $5 extra (for walking/playing with him 25 minutes) and I have to give him an extra vaccine, which I hate to do. SO, I'm taking it that they've paid boarding and are happy to get 2 days for only $20, in their own house! Carrie:-)