that's more chronological? Ds is finishing up his systematic study of the OT, and I'd like to move on to NT. But I'd like to try combining the kids. If there was something like BSGFAA student pages that was chronological (ie., NT only for us this coming year), I think we could use it with a variety of different Bible study programs. (I haven't made a decision about which program we'll be doing yet, but I would like a NT focus.) Any suggestions?

This is my first thought too. It's amazing how common it is---and how long it goes undiagnosed. People are totally shocked at how much food my ds puts away, and his BMI wavers between 1st-3rd percentile. He eats at least twice as much as anyone else in the house (adults included), and he's almost skeletal. We recently discovered he has celiac disease, and I'm hoping he can gain weight on a GF diet.

I would go with the largest SC-# kit you can afford. They have SC-100 and SC-300 and higher. Those are the kits that allow you to buy an upgrade, and I have a feeling that the child you described will LOVE snap circuits and spend hours doing them!:) When we were shopping, Ebay had the best prices on them.

I was also going to recommend trying to go gluten free. Ds had abdominal pain for months. (We had a heads up because we knew he had several risk factors for celiac disease.) He went on an extremely strict gluten free diet for 3 months. When we re-introduced gluten, his body had a violent reaction---total rejection. He's now gluten free and has no stomach aches.

It sounds like the baby won't be given the meds, but I'll share my own experience anyway. Ds was just turned 12 months when we first saw an allergist. He was 21 lbs, and the allergist recommended Benadryl for allergic reactions. I have no idea whether it's processed differently in a child whose immune system isn't going haywire. Ds had moderate and severe food allergies. FWIW, when he's very uncomfortable and upset (his allergies cause severe abdominal cramps and violent diarrhea), Benadryl does not make him drowsy enough to fall asleep---even when it's 3am and he hasn't slept a wink.

I allow an educational computer game as a lesson replacement one day per week. So when we did Timez Attack, ds could do that instead of his math lesson one day. He also gets free media time (computer or TV) 45 minutes per day, and he often chose to do it during that time too.

I should have mentioned this in my previous post, and I'm not sure how to edit with the quote.:001_huh: She could try taking about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with water before eating. If it helps, that's a sign of low acid. But if she's on meds to lower her acid, I'm not sure how accurate this "test" would be.

My oldest had horrible horrible GERD when he was little. Even on the max dosage of meds, he would refuse food for days at a time and lose weight or be unable to swallow non-liquids because of severe esophageal inflammation. We tried things that worked for others: dietary changes (dairy was his biggest trigger, actually), aloe vera, licorice root, chiropractic---oh, there's a huge list, but I can't recall at the moment. Virtually everyone with GERD does not have excess acid, as the pp mentioned. They have low or normal amounts of acid---but the acid is in the wrong place because the lower esophageal sphincter opens. When food is in the stomach too long, the sphincter tends to open, which is why vinegar or HCA supplements help some people. We used digestive enzymes for the same reason. It speeded digestion, moving the food out of the stomach, and the sphincter stayed closed much better. We had to try a few different enzymes until we found the "perfect" one, but eventually we weaned him off Rx meds and just used the enzymes. If celiac is an issue, it may be that she's sensitive to other grains also, as others mentioned. It's so difficult when there are multiple factors involved.:grouphug:

We watched the Squibs chemistry DVD this week (checked out from the library). What a homerun! The content is meaty but well-explained, and there are fun songs throughout the video. We'll be checking the library for others in this series. Just thought I would share! Here's a link: http://www.journeyed.com/item/Squibs/Squibs+Science/13988738 They are pricey, but hopefully other libraries have them.

My ds went to an eye dr at age 5. The pediatrician's annual check-up included an eye exam (read the letter kind of thing). We had also noticed that he wasn't seeing signs or able to read the clock from his seat at the table. I printed off an eye chart and did an at-home test which showed his vision to be about 20/50 in both eyes. The eye dr confirmed his eyesight is 20/50. The biggest difference we noticed? He can actually catch a ball now! :) I probably won't take my youngest to the eye dr unless there are similar red flags of some kind of issue.

The Secretary of State's office of your state should have info about what forms you need to fill out and licensing (vendor's license, registering business name, Tax ID #, etc). The IRS actually makes tons and tons of instructional materials available for free. (I even got an 8 hour video from them a few years ago--in addition to their instruction booklets which you can view online.) There is an income threshold that doesn't require licensing, but I'm hesitant to say what it might be. It's been a few years since I researched it, and regulations are subject to change. In my state, there are Small Business Development Centers where you can get free information and counseling. If you're seriously thinking about starting a business, they are a fantastic resource.

So glad you like it! Just a funny side note--my son received this as a gift last year (after he had already completed it). I encouraged him to save it for his little brother, but he wanted to go through the entire book AGAIN--and he did!:lol:

I would recommend getting some hormone testing and finding out what your levels are. I seem to be entering a pre-menopausal state, and my progesterone levels are 10% of normal. OTC creams are extremely low dose and wouldn't touch it. My SIL was so low in progesterone in her 20's that she required the equivalent of a 30 day supply of OTC cream every day to get into a normal range. Unless you have a very slight imbalance, OTC creams probably won't help much. I recommend finding a compounding pharmacist who can recommend a dr that prescribes bio-identical hormones. They will see where your levels are and give you bio-identicals to get your levels in the normal range(s). These links can help you find someone to help if you want to go this route: http://www.iacprx.org/site/PageServer?pagename=lookup_survey http://www.ecompoundingpharmacy.com/'>http://www.ecompoundingpharmacy.com/ http://www.ecompoundingpharmacy.com/

There is so much conflicting info about soy! I researched this several years back and discovered that unfermented soy (soy milk, tofu, etc.) and fermented soy (miso, tempeh) have very different effects on the body. It's been so long that I don't have the info any more, but a quick Google search brought this up: Fermented Soy is the Only Soy Fit for Human Consumption Unfermented Soy and Its Harmful Effects Non-fermented Vs. Fermented Soy Soy and Estrogen Dominance I haven't read these articles in their entirety, but it looks like they may contain some of the info that I found in my research on fermented vs unfermented soy. Another issue that comes up with soy is that it's often genetically modified--just FYI if you try to avoid GMO. HTH!

I'm glad to hear that some found it worthwhile. I posted it thinking that would be the case. One of the things I value about the WTM boards is the diversity that's found here. I was surprised at the sarcasm directed at a different viewpoint.

Does this mean that it is offensive and you'd like it to be removed? If so, just say the word! As I said before, I will happily delete the original post. Peace on this board is my priority.

I'm guessing the GI will do an endoscopy to confirm/rule out celiac. Even if the scope is negative, it is possible that gluten is causing issues for him (including low iron and weight). You may want to check out the celiac.com boards. I've found them to be very helpful (more so than the dr!).

I hope I haven't caused any offense. I just wanted to share for those who would find it worthwhile. As I stated in the first post, it is not an unbiased film. Sorry if I've offended anyone. It wasn't my intent to be controversial or persuade anyone--just to share with others who have a similar mindset. ETA: I would be happy to delete the original post if it is causing offense--just let me know.

Deleted. Reading between the lines, I can see that this *was* causing offense, and I apologize for that. That was not my intent at all. Peace and harmony on this board truly is my priority.

Have you checked your library? Our public library has this series. (Gotta love saving $$ through the library!;)) I checked it out to see what it was like and decided it was too soon for ds (who is 6). I set it by the door to return on my next trip out, and ds saw it. He wouldn't part with it for 3 weeks. I think he mostly jumped around and read sections that interested him, but his understanding was very good. Just thought I'd mention that--sometimes our kids can surprise us!

We spend approx 15 minutes per day on grammar or spelling (alternating every other day). We also do narrations 3 times per week. All told, less than 20 minutes per day. We just do school at home 4 days per week when there is co-op happening.

I may end up doing them on index cards, but I was hoping to find some I could print on cardstock. (I would just print out the ones we need which is mostly the ones above 12x12.) I'm currently using some flashcards in our Charlotte Mason memory system filebox, and they don't fit properly. I just store them in there vertically, and it works OK. I guess I just love the convenience of something ready-to-print instead of DIY!:tongue_smilie:

I'm looking for a site that has printable flash cards for up to 18X18. Division would be nice also. Does this exist? If not, is there a flashcard set that does go this high? Most seem to stop at 9x9 or 12x12.

YAY! Thank you! It's in the oven, and all is well!:)

Sorry to be alarmist, but I'm in the process of making dinner right now. Can I put Pyrex in a 500 deg oven? Or do I need to stick with metal?