We just started 1A, and I purchased the text, workbook, and HIG. I'm glad I got all of them. Although the math is still simple at this point, the HIG does include good ideas to introduce topics "concretely" and provides copies to make flashcards in the back if desired, plus the mental math exercises. There is also a very loose schedule in the front to help you plan.

Today is the first day of first grade!! :D When I really began researching homeschooling two years ago, first grade seemed so "official" when it came to the curriculums. I almost cried last night thinking about how fast the time flew! Here's to a great day with my "babies"!! They are so excited. :)

I'm sorry. :grouphug: I know how you feel; I was greatly relieved last week when swim lessons ended! It was highly stressful for me, and at times embarrassing. ;) One of my twins was jumping off the diving board and swimming across the deep end by the end of the lessons, and well the other...I decided it was best for her not to attend her last session. I don't consider myself the type of mother who never pushes her children out of their comfort zones, but I also felt the instructor was causing damage to dd that was going to be hard for me to undo. For instance, she was dunking her under the water when she would cry!!! DD was not scared of putting her face in to begin with, so I didn't want her to become afraid of that too. DD's problem was lack of confidence in actually swimming on her own. For me, since I know my child well, and she trusts me, I am just going to teach her myself. I know enough from watching this summer that I can work with her. I know exactly how far to push dd, and what kind of "psychology" works for her. :D If I were you, I would try to work with them myself as much as possible. I wouldn't avoid the water, but I would definitely try to find what ways your child is more comfortable...take baby steps if needed. Good luck! I hope things get better. :grouphug: Like a pp said, can you get in the water with them?

:iagree: TGM is awesome if you have the time to sort through and plan it yourself. I would only recommend TGM at this point if your park days are not planned and you aren't hemmed in by dining reservations. His best/worst parks days are spot on. Otherwise, if you already have your days mapped out, it's probably best to stick with Touring Plans.

Would it be possible for your lender to allow you to do a 27-year term? So that you don't loss your previous three years. I didn't think this was possible, but we just refinanced for an "odd term" of 14 years. DH didn't want to loss the years we had already invested. I do think if you plan to stay in this home, and you can get a reduction of around 2% in the interest rate, it is definitely worth considering. You'll pay a lot less in the long run.

That's interesting. I wish the doctor had run the entire panel initially, so I would know for sure (that's why I want it done now). I do know she ate Honey Nut Cheerios (almonds) as a toddler, so I feel like that will be negative. I think I also read almond is one of the less common tree nut allergens. Regardless, I think it will be interesting to get the results from the whole panel. And thanks for sharing that bit of info. It does give me a tiny shred of hope. ;) It would be wonderful to be one of those 9 out of 100!

I just made our annual appt. for dd with the allergist, and we will be retesting this time for the first time since initial diagnosis (at age 2, four years ago). This will be blood RAST, and this time I am requesting the entire tree nut panel be run rather than just walnut. I'd like this info for my own peace of mind, even though we will continue to avoid all tree nuts. I know that statistically dd has a very small chance of outgrowing this allergy, and I have no expectation other than the test will remain positive. But I can't help but wonder if anybody has any positive stories/outcomes to share in regard to tree nut, or even peanut, allergies. ;) At this point, I'd be thrilled to see any reduction in the RAST test from the "high" result we got initially, even though it will make no difference in how we handle it. So, any positive outcomes? Or should I say "negative" outcomes? :D

I would do it in a heartbeat! I also have a best friend that lives 12 hours away (I know, not as far ;)), but we have made that drive so that I can visit her. Our first trip was with our twins at age 2, and I was worried about them, but they did great. We were gone ten days, drove 2000 miles, and visited six states. My suggestions if you go for it. A DVD player is a must for us; lots of toys and great snacks. Take breaks to eat - get out and sit down. If your DH is less tolerant, would he listen to an ipod or an audio book with ear buds? It would really help drown out the noise from the kids and allow you to deal with them. Also, perhaps do a lot of night driving, while the kids sleep, if your dh is okay with that. My dh prefers not to drive at night. Good luck with your choice. You do need your dh to be okay with it because that is a really long trip, and it a lot of driving for him. But I also know how much you must want to see your dear friend. :grouphug:

My dad died of cancer in 1994 at the age of 38. I was 16. I still miss him so much. I miss his hugs. I miss that my own children will never really know him. But mostly, I miss our talks. We could talk about anything. :grouphug: to everybody missing their fathers today...

October and November are good times to go. I think Epcot has its Food and Wine Festival in October, so that may be more crowded. Last year, we went the week after Thanksgiving/first week of Dec. It was more crowded than I expected (I think the secret's out!), but we really enjoyed seeing the Christmas decorations and doing the special Christmas shows and events. September is also a great time to go, but still HOT. This is when Disney typically offers free dining, and they also have homeschool days and you can get greatly discounted tickets. You can gets lots of great info and feedback on the disboards.com

When are you going? I am assuming it will be in the summer since you are worried about crowds. I highly recommend Tour Guide Mike (subscription is around $20) or Touring Plans (it costs less) to help plan your days. TGM has the best/worst park days and his advice is spot-on. Yes, you want to avoid the EMH at each park! These sites also have great advice for which rides to hit first, what to fast-pass to maximize your time, etc. Good luck planning your trip! I love Disney, and am trying to talk DH into going back in Sept. for homeschool days. :D

Is it possible for you to volunteer at VBS in the food area? I have served in this area for the past two summers. This way, I can have input into the food choices (they no longer serve nuts) and I can double check all packaging. My dd is tree nut allergic, and this week we also have boys and girls with milk and egg allergy, plus 2 diabetics. I am so thankful I can be there to oversee my dd's food and even be helpful in making sure the other children get the correct snacks. Otherwise, my dd would be in the same position as your child...not attending. I wish your child could visit our VBS. :grouphug:

Sweet Kari, I have been thinking about you and praying for you. :grouphug: I pray you can continue to find some peace as you work through your grief. It is so thoughtful of you to take the time to update, and thank everyone. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

:lol: :lol: I thought going from 0-2 was TOUGH! I'm thinking going from 2 to 3, in my case, would be a piece of cake with my 6 yo "helpers". :D

I lost my daddy at 16. I'm so sorry. :grouphug: :grouphug:

We went to Disney last year, and it was AMAZING! I highly recommend it. I think your kids would love it. Most of the attractions there are not high-intensity rides, but great shows and mild entertaining rides. We stayed on property and it was fantastic. If you don't want to be concerned with meal costs, I would recommend getting the meal plan. Perhaps you can go at a time when "free dining" is available. Since your kids are older, that would really help with the cost. Disney does have a Guest Assistance Card (GAC) for special needs people. It doesn't allow you to "cut lines", but does make provisions for waiting, etc. I don't know much about it, but perhaps someone else will chime in. Also, if you have special food needs (allergies, intolerances, etc.), Disney is fantastic about dealing with those. We had a fabulous time, and I'd really like to go back!! Oh, and also, Disney does allow you to bring your own food into the park. We took a very small cooler in our stroller and brought water and other drinks, and carried snacks in our backpack. Saved a bundle!

I don't know much about Saxon, but I believe it is more repetitive than some other choices. We are using Singapore and Miquon Math. Singapore is fairly fast-paced without as much repetition and Miquon is a great supplement that offers "hands-on" work with manipulatives. These programs use a lot of "discovery" options rather than just hard based math facts. I'm not an expert on this subject, by any means, as we are just starting first grade this fall. I hope you get some better responses. :)

I feel like this is a silly question, but I need a quick answer. :D I bought a small turkey breast to cook in the crockpot. I've never cooked a turkey of any size before! Anyway, the turkey is frozen and when I upwrapped it, it has the "rope-like netting" on the turkey (not the plastic netting I already removed). It's frozen to it, so I can't get it off... Question, can I cook the turkey in the crockpot with the netting on there, or do I need to defrost and cook another day?

For our family, I would choose the larger home and better price. In the end, we spend a lot more time in the house than outside. I would really want the extra room for my family. With the lower price, you have more options to improve things you want to and you can make your outside situation a little better (basketball court, etc.). If this is where you plan to settle down forever, then you will not always have children playing in the yard everyday. However, you will have children (and their grandchildren perhaps) coming for visits and holidays, so the more room, the better! :D Good luck to you - I know it's a tough choice!

I love squash. I can't wait until our plants start producing. My favorite ways to eat it are sauteed with onions and butter, and in a nice, cheesy squash casserole. :D

What about an insurance adjustor/adjuster (sp)? BIL is an adjustor for a major insurance company. He does have a BS degree and previously worked for a rental car company, but I don't believe he had any prior experience. He works from home, and doesn't travel out-of-state or work overtime hours unless there is a catastrophe. For instance, he is currently in OKC doing storm duty from last week's tornadoes.... He meets customers, looks at damage and cuts checks for homeowners. Pay is steady, workload depends on amount of claims (so sometimes slow, other times busy), and I think the pay is really good. Maybe around $20 an hour to start. Good luck!

I agree with the pps. Last night's episode was really intense, and I am rarely bothered by TV dramas. Even DH agreed with me it was perhaps a bit too intense. Like someone else mentioned, you may talk to your kids about this and help them process it. I kept getting up during the show, and making sure my girls were in the bed. They have been known to sneak in the kitchen and try to watch TV from there...that is until a scene last season with the smoke monster from Lost. DD couldn't help but make her presence known! ;) Grey's Anatomy usually is not as "bad" as last night's episode. But it is still never something I would allow my kids to watch, and certainly would never let someone else's child watch it...even a much older one. I'm so sorry this happened. I would be so upset as well. :grouphug:

Well, I'd go ahead and try the exterminator. You may have a company that is willing/can do something. When we had pest service previously, and I asked them about it...they were like, well, show me the wasp and I'll kill it while I'm here. :lol: I'm thinking - I can do that! I want you make them go away for good! Seriously, though, they said there was not a lot they could do because more will just rebuild. But if you have a big infestation that is visible, an exterminator may can help. Did I mention I hate these things? :tongue_smilie:

We always have major wasps every summer. They love to hang around our porches and build nests. Like you, we knock them down and we buy spray like crazy from Home Depot. We kill them every chance we get. We usually have one wasp per year actually get in the house, but I'm scared this year! We've already killed three in the house and it's not even June! I am keeping a can of spray in a central location so I can get them as soon as the kids start screaming! I feel your pain. My girls are terrified of them; one got stung at my uncle's last year and she panics more than ever. I can sincerely say I don't hate many things, but I hate these buggers. I am dreading the summer - they are at the park, the pools, everywhere. I know it sounds silly, but with two terrified children, their fear can be quite unmanageable with those ugly beasts flying around! Truthfully, exterminators here aren't much of a help. We just knock down nests, kill the ones we see, and DH is going to go in the attic this weekend and see if he can find nests; we aren't sure how they are getting in the house. I've read the best time to kill nests is in the early morning when they are less active. You can also build a "sweet trap", but it sounds like you have tried that. Good luck getting rid of these pests! And let me know if you have success with something new!

Kari, I am so, so sorry. I will be praying for you and your family...for peace and for comfort. :grouphug: