I've judged that the time spent away from our objectives probably won't be worth the possible expertise of outside teachers until at least middle- or even high-school. Of course, I'm pretty protective of our school time anyway. I've no desire to join a co-op at this point. Mama Anna

I haven't read the thread closely - forgive me if these points have been addressed already. My dd8 is an accelerated reader and it's been fun! There are two things that I'd pass on from our experience: Someone here long ago said that for accelerated kids, you let them take in (as in "read") material at their skill level and ask for output (as in "writing") at their age level. For us, this means that dd8 has done a lot of dictation in her school life. She began SOTW 1 (not necessarily the best thing, but I just couldn't wait!) at age 5 - I did all the writing. WTM suggests it, and it worked well for us. What I'm trying to say is that your son won't have to be writing smoothly and happily by age six in order to do school. There's no reason to worry. The other thing is appropriate reading material. This might be a lot easier for you than it was for us because dd8 is very emotionally sensitive and books that are on her reading level (She's on Johnny Tremain right now, for example) haven't always been things that she can handle. Things are beginning to even out now as she's maturing. But as a 5 or 6 year old who could pick up Voyage of the Dawn Treader and read it independently, and for whom the chapter on the Dark Island would have given dreadful nightmares, life was challenging! Welcome to our world, and have fun!! Mama Anna

I don't know if this will help, but take it for what it's worth: Your sig. says your sons are 7 and 2. If that's still true, I'd major on a predictable schedule for both of them. For us, we try to do all our outside stuff on one day (combining library with Speech on Monday might work if it gives all Friday at home) during the week, with ballet on Saturday. Our school schedule is pretty structured (too much, I sometimes think), but it helps that the girls know 3Rs and Math (and Latin for dd8) must happen in the morning, with piano practice, History/Science/Art in the afternoon. I plan my week's schedule in advance, so if I know something is likely to intefere and I can adjust things to make it fit. When I remember it's coming. One specific suggestion: Unless gym in a required class in your state, it might help to cut the Open Gym that goes 'til 5:30 - that might help settle into a routine where DSelder gets school while DSyounger gets a nap. Whatever. You know your situation (and family priorities) so much better than I do! It's just a thought. :D HTH! Mama Anna

Nope. We live in an apartment complex and periodically find glass in the grass. But I probably wouldn't anyway because I grew up on a farm and TETANUS DANGER were words my parents drilled into me. I know there isn't nearly as much poo here in the city, but old habits die hard . . . Mama Anna

:lol: Yup! :lol: BTDT Any chance for peace once they're down and out? (Meaning "in bed and asleep.") Mama Anna

I've been to one large one and one small one. (I was on the planning team for the small one, so I had to be there.) The large one was a regional conference and the large-group sessions were way. too. big. And loud. I don't do well in loud, crowded situations and my paranoia was peaking there. It was interesting in that we met on a University campus and, in order to make sure there were enough bathrooms for all the ladies, they made the men's bathrooms into women's and decorated them with potted plants in the urinals. :001_huh::lol: I was chuckling over that one for a long time. Anyway, the small sessions that I chose were good. Very good. But there weren't very many that I was interested in - I felt like I picked the cream of the crop. The small one, for various reasons, felt like an almost total dud. It was supposed to be specifically focused on the whole "care-for-your-body/care-for-your-soul" theme. There were a couple of nice moments and two leaders who . . . well, you know how you meet someone, talk to them personally, and walk away with your worldview adjusted a bit? There were two people like that. If I hadn't been able to talk to them personally, though, it would have been utterly a waste of time. That said, I've generally avoided women's conferences since. It would have to be something incredible, with God clearly saying "Go!" to pull me out of the house, make my husband totally rework his weekend, and upset my routine. It hasn't happened yet. I'd suggest looking over the small group topics and see if there are at least two that really grip you - that you've "gotta have" - and then figure in all the other variables to see if it's worth it. If it's at your church, you may want to avoid going and then leaving in the middle, unless you can have a rock-solid alibi. The women who pour their hearts and souls into organizing such things often base their success on the numbers and seeing someone walk out in the middle could be taken almost as a personal insult. If you have to fellowship with them afterwards, it could be delicate. Unless, of course, they're real, authentic believers who will understand that what blesses them doesn't necessarily bless everyone. :) Mama Anna

Dh is out delivering pizza right now. His company advertises that the delivery fee doesn't go to the driver - you might want to check a company's website on that. For him, a "stiff" is anything less than a dollar. This is considered a real bummer, although it's understandable if the pie(s) are really late or there was a mix-up. It's more of an insult, though, if the delay or mix-up are not the driver's fault. (For instance, horrible weather, the store is short of "insiders" and the pies aren't getting made quickly enough, or the person on the phone wrote it down wrong.) Dh gets paid "mileage," which is a set amount per delivery. I believe it's less than a dollar and is figured weekly from local gasoline prices. This means that short deliveries are nice and long deliveries stink, especially if there's a mix-up. He also gets paid less than minimum wage for hours worked. (I'm thankful he gets wages after reading about the pp's dh!) An average night's tips/mileage brought home usually is about $3.50 per run. $4.00 is good. Anything above is literally a cause for praising God. I'd suggest taking several things into consideration when you figure a tip. 1) If you're making a big order for a church or organization, do a percentage. 10% works well here. Your driver will bless you. Churches are known around here (and the last place we lived) for stiffing drivers on large orders. Not a good witness. :001_huh: 2) If you're a long way from the store, pleeeaaase tip well so that the poor guy can recoup his gas usage as well as feed the wife and three kids at home. 3) If you order fairly regularly and you want to see a genuine smile on your driver's face, make a point of tipping well - maybe $5 an order - each time. They'll really appreciate you and begin going out of their way to keep you happy. 4) Before you stiff a driver, make sure you know he/she is actually the one at fault. And give grace during snowstorms, etc. That's likely someone's Beloved out there struggling through the storm so that you won't have to. I know there's a bias to this post. But dh says, "If you can't afford to tip decently, you can't afford to order the pizza." And, as the person responsible for stretching his wages/tips across the month, I whole-heartedly agree! Just for the record. :D Mama Anna ETA: You're supposed to tip a waiter or waitress in a restaurant 20% if the service is acceptable, 10% if it's not very good. Now think about this: a delivery driver risks life and limb every time they get in their car to bring someone their food. When was the last time you heard of a waiter or waitress getting killed on the job? We get mugged and get into accidents. Now, tell me if your conscience will allow you to tip less than 20% for reasonably good service?

I remember that at our first dd's U/S (done by an Asian Indian in Nairobi, Kenya), when we expressed delight at having a girl (he almost refused to tell us her sex) the technician was pretty wowed. I was privately convinced our second would be a boy, so I was surprised to find out another dd was on the way - not unhappy, though. Then, for our 3rd, I was frankly somewhat disappointed. I knew she would be our last and I had to grieve a bit over not having a son. The technician probably thought I was a bit distressed, but I was fine in a day or so. I do remember apologizing to dh on the way home from the appointment, though. "In roughly 13 years, you're going to have three hormonal teenage daughters and a possibly menopausal wife under your roof at the same time. I'll apologize now, just to get it out of the way!" It is nice to have all our toys/activities oriented in one direction - very convenient! However, having heard that daughters often have a special bond with their fathers and sons with their mothers, I do sometimes regret that I don't have a son as well. But then, if God wants us to adopt, we can always change that! Just my 2 cents. Mama Anna

This is me, too! Mama Anna

Dh inevitably goes for rice to accompany any egg-based main dish. I'm not sure why. Just a thought! HTH! Mama Anna

"Dd5, use a Kleenex, not your tongue." Only on reflection did I realize how disgusting that sounded. Then I just had to post it here!! :) Mama Anna

My biggest editing factor is, "Is this helpful?" Soooooo many times in conversation with dh, I'm dying to say something only to realize that it would change the subject/bash him over old stuff/cut the ground from under his feet, etc. Most of the time (alas, only most) I manage to keep my mouth shut. I don't do as well with my dc - not sure why. Dh receives most of my rants so other people don't have to suffer them. But even with others, the "helpful" rule works. (Whether or not I always follow it.) I may reeeaaally want to tell my friend about an accomplishment I managed (or one of the dc finished) but find that it would be most unhelpful to her to hear about it right now - maybe she or her dc wouldn't be able to do it for some reason. I may reeeaaally want to share that bit of inside information I have about a particular situation, only to realize that showing off my knowledge (aka gossiping) would be really hurtful. (Duh!) "Helpful" does sometimes mean confronting someone or pointing out painful stuff. When I do that I edit very carefully indeed in order to avoid button-pushing language. (Here I am editing so carefully on this post that this is the fourth try I've made at this sentence. :)) I don't think editing makes you a phony. I believe I'm seen as a pretty up-front person IRL because I'm very willing to share myself with others - my history, my mistakes, my journey. Editing has to do with filtering out the hurtful things (like you were writing about, Jean) so that you can get your point across in such a way that your listener will hear it. Just because you can't stand a person you have to deal with doesn't mean that person has to be aware of your dislike, you know? You just don't give them a false impression that you want to be their friend for life. If you can't stand the dessert someone brought to the potluck and you're asked about it, find something to say. You know. A friend has me pegged now; when she asks me what I think of her hair and I say, "It's really different isn't it? Do you like it?" she knows I'm specifically not saying I like it. I don't lie to her and I'm not judging her. I just personally wouldn't be caught dead in it. Maybe I don't think it looks as good as her old cut, but I wouldn't say such a thing unless she specifically asked and I thought she was wanting to hear my opinion. It comes down to what a person is actually asking for and needing to hear in a conversation. If I'm able to figure that out, I try to give it to them if I honestly can. If I can't, I try to change the conversation. If my opinion is asked for and I fear it would unnecessarily offend them, I state it as gently as possible - "A soft answer turns away wrath," after all. I hurt/anger enough people in my life. I try my best not to do it without good cause when I can avoid it. I don't think I am a "phony." HTH! Mama Anna

I really like the ideas presented so far. I'd only add that, if gifts are of fairly good quality and yet not what your kids need, there's always the possibility of saving them to regift to friends' kids . . . I really have a hard time with the obligation of gift-giving in our culture! Mama Anna

I don't think I would. I've got dd8 copying her math problems out on notebook paper to save the workbook for dd5. She does her Latin on a sheet protector in wet-erase marker for the same reason. As a musician I've had copyright protection pounded into me until I'm sorta silly about it. Mama Anna ETA: I guess, for some of you, that would be the same thing as making a copy. It's not in my mind because I'm not photocopying it and it's basically the same thing I would do if we were unable for some reason to obtain further copies of the books. Which, with our present financial condition, we are.

My MIL is great! She had over 20 years of experience being a MIL before dh and I married, so she had the basics down really well. We have in common the fact that we both love dh so much - even when things are difficult. Maybe especially when things are difficult. Besides, you can say things pretty directly to her (if you pick the right time) and she hears you. Without guilt, pressure, or interference. I love that! I wish the girls could know her better instead of seeing her only once or twice a year. Mama Anna

Dh and I took this whole thing about 12 years ago, so my memory may be a bit off, but I found a couple of things interesting. For one, it was really plain to us what we were because of what language we would use when we were making up from an argument or "difficult discussion." We were near newly-weds at the time, and both the arguments and the making up tended to be a bit more extreme than now. When dh wants to bless me, he makes the bed, cooks lunch, or does dishes. That would be acts of service. Now, he's not nearly as free with words of affirmation (he grew up in a home with very few), but it's apparently his secondary language. Near that time I was trying to come up with a cheap anniversary gift and ended up making a small sign for our fridge entitled "Words that Make Me Think of You" and listing as many positive traits/adjectives as I could think of. We've moved . . . 14 times or so since then? And we still have it. I've suggested getting rid of it at least 3 times and he gets this hurt look on his face. It seems to mean an awful lot to him. Gifts usually mean just about nothing to him. They do to me and I've just gotten used to giving him a short list and time to shop when a gift-giving occasion comes around. And flowers? Well, if I ask him specifically, he'll bring some. For me, it's physical touch, hands-down. When I greet my girls, I find myself touching their hair, hugging them, tickling them, whatever. It's even easier to see it in myself now than it was back then. And my secondary language seems to be gift-giving, but only because it was trained into me. My mother shows love through gifts. I have this understanding that you're supposed to show love through gifts. But I often don't really feel blessed by gifts people give me. (Especially her. I'm still recovering from the travel urinals she sent in preparation for our Thanksgiving road trip. :001_huh:) So, my point is that someone may have a love language they don't practice all the time, and someone might practice a love language they don't necessarily receive well in. At least, from my experience. (That was a rambling reply. Hope it helps!) Mama Anna ETA: Dh just read this and pointed out that he does sometimes bring me flowers without being asked. He's right, too! (Sorry, Dh. Maybe I'd better find an act of service to do . . .)

Dd8 was five days early. Dd5 was 2 days early. Dd2 was 2 days late. I was not blessed. Mama Anna

Going from my college Italian Diction course, I'd say "chop-peeno" with all long o sounds. A doubled consonant gets held a little longer than a single one in Italian. Accent is on the next-to-last syllable. Hope that's right! Mama Anna

This is my first time to post on one of these threads. :) Tuesday I ran 3 miles. My knee felt uncomfortable. Wednesday did an exercise ball routine Thursday I ran 2.5 miles. My knee felt fine. This morning I did the exercise ball routine. (I've got to do this in groups - there's no way I can manage to be on here every day and not "fall in!") Mama Anna

My suggestion (take it for what it's worth) would be something consumable. It won't be as expensive, likely, as other gifts she'll receive, but even if she always gets it anyway, it shows you know her well enough to know what she likes. Bonus points for you if you can make it! Homemade cards? Truffles? Lotion/Body Scrub/Hand Scrub, etc.? I just try to remember that it's the thought that counts. (At least, I hope it is! :) ) Mama Anna

This is for all you exercise people! I'm a casual runner. I plan to work up a foundation over the winter to begin training for a half-marathon next spring. I've read that it would be a good thing to add some cross-training that covers both cardio and strength. The recommendation a friend gave me was 30-Day Shred. I'd rather stay away from that one due to the reviews on potential knee damage. (I've never had knee problems, but I'm 35 and currently without medical insurance. I don't want to take the chance.) Do you have any recommendations I could look at? I'd like to keep a session at about 30 minutes or so if possible, and it would be great if I didn't have to purchase anything more than the video and free weights. What say the Experts? TIA! Mama Anna

:grouphug: Sorry it's being so rough!! Can you tell us how many kids you're dealing with, what their age/grade levels are, and how long you've been homeschooling? Thanks! Mama Anna

I've never read Rob Roy, but going from the other Scott novels I've read, I'd say Ivanhoe every time. There are almost as many good funny quotes in there as in the Princess Bride, yet it still deals with some serious topics. Rebecca is just about the perfect heroine, too. Of course, I've only read it about 5 times, so I'm pretty biased. But once you get past some of the arcane language, it's just cotton-pickin' hilarious! HTH! Mama Anna

I had to get four stitches for a cut just above my knee. It was the summer before my freshman year of high school, and the doctor/s mentioned that it was a bad place for stitches. I was too young for them to expect me to not bend my leg for the duration of the healing, yet every time I bent my knee too far the skin would stretch while the stitches didn't. It took longer to heal because the stitches couldn't keep the edges of the wound together. I ended up with a pretty wide scar there (maybe .5 cm) and even the stitch holes scarred. I don't mind so much, though. When people ask, I can tell them truthfully, "Oh, that happened when I dropped my brother's car on my knee." Great conversation opener, you know? :D If there's no infection and no bad smell, I would be okay with it. But then, that's me. Mama Anna

Dd8 was in the bathtub when she was 2 and let one. She looked surprised and said, "Mama, I blew bubbles!" Immediate family term created. Mama Anna