My taxes still go there. My school system is great, apparently, but a lot of the parents would choose working over volunteering. I don't think they even make a conscious choice in most cases. Why is their choice more valid than mine?

I love this place. Congrats on setting up a business!

I just want to take this opportunity to put in a good word for my favorite, "Loyal Schmidts", which my grandma saved seeds for from her neighbor, yes, Loyal Schmidt. I've kept those suckers goin' for 15 years now! I usually get at least one that fills a quart jar all by itself. Because of that, I suspect they were once upon a time some kind of "mortgage lifter" or "beefsteak" varietal. They are a treasured member of my garden family. :-)

First we worked on then cleaning up all the toys every night. One in a while I bring them in for a pointer or two, but generally I'm satisfied with their effort. This isn't a chore, just part of the bedtime routine. When housekeeping started to feel overwhelming I made a big, rotating list of chores, based on the things I needed help with and what they were capable of. So the kitchen floor gets swept a few times a week. It isn't perfect, but much better than when I wasn't able to get to it at all. Similarly, the toilets get regular attention. One chore a day on top of school, clean-up, etc. has been enough. I may add more if it makes sense later. Every so often I re-jigger the list. It is a 6 week rotation right now. The variety helps my kids, although many of the chores repeat over that time. They will also do other work as I ask them, which is great.

Defrost the freezer and let it completely dry out. If the freezer and/or fridge go into storage you may want to putt a box of baking soda inside to keep them from getting musty? Neither of those should be laid down on their backs. Don't forget to take the washer hoses, or better yet, invest in some of the metal-braid ones that won't ever burst. Good luck with your move!

First, my ds had eczema, and gradually outgrew it by around 6. Ped. had mentioned this was possible. No dairy allergy, but he is allergic to peanuts, for what it's worth. I did a pre-emptive night nursing that I found casually mentioned as an aside in one of the baby sleep books. It gave me the illusion of control over the situation. Ha. For a week I tracked when baby woke up at night. Perhaps move your ds to his own "bed" for this. Then for the next three nights I woke them half an hour before they (presumably) would have woken and fed them. Every third day I moved everything back a ½ hour. Took forever, minimal crying, gave me the illusion of control. One warning, don't make any changes to the plan during the night. I always regretted that when I did it. Hope you find something that works for you!

Thanks, I put it on hold, along with the reading rainbow episode. I love my library!

My dd just signed up to perform in the Nutcracker which limits our free time so much I just let my family and in-laws know what I hoped would work for everybody. Politely and with flexibility, but I didn't want anyone to suddenly come up with wild, big, never-been-done-before plans. :-)

I like the thoroughness of America's Test Kitchen. This weekend I was perusing their book, The Best Make-Ahead Recipes. Basically that tell you how to cook meat (2 chickens, turkey breast, etc.) and then get two or three meals out of it. I wish I had your freezer right now!

Oh, and if your mouths are all full, you might enjoy selections from Poetry Speaks to Children.

Are you familiar with the William Carlos Williams poem This is Just to Say? It would be fun to pair that with Gail Carson Levine's book Forgive Me! I Meant To Do It perhaps write your own false apology poem. Not as serious a suggestion as some of the other great books in this post.

This is what I was thinking. Also a basket of knitting like Stripe suggested. How fun to come up with all sorts of subtle references to the books!

Go slow if that helps people adjust. Maybe start by just using the new plates at lunch, or something? Some of the gluten-free crackers are good, perhaps substitute those sometimes at first? It is ok to ruin or of things sometimes. I'm just getting comfortable with that idea. Can you make some of this "not your idea"? Doctor says, or nutritionist says, somebody else to blame? Good luck. Sounds like a rough hill to climb.

Make it a picnic? Bring donuts to the park, or slap a skillet on the grill at the picnic shelter and scramble some eggs. I bet you will have the place to yourselves. Eat at the food court of the grocery store, buy some breakfast pastry and cold drinks (that can be tricky) and some Go-gurts? Alternatively, offer to do it if everyone is ok with giving up "something that would cover the cost at a later date"? Hard to build consensus, though ..

I wrote a check for the semester to the piano teacher who comes to our home (that is a little happy dance right there, no?) and she said both students get the sibling discount, so I happily re-wrote the check for $40 dollars less.

Welcome! I wouldn't try to combine two SOTWs. That is a lot of information and there is really no rush. If you are excited about SOTW 3, do that, and add in all the rabbit trails you want (meandering side trips off the main topic). OR spend a year focusing on U.S. history. You will find people who have done both. The four-year cycle is nice, but just a guide line. I agree with you that it would be better to stay with SOTW 3, rather than 4, which has longer, more intense selections. Also, the activity guide with 4, if you choose to use it, introduces outlining.

I guess this is an aside, but why in the world does she want to be there? I love the break I get during piano lessons. They love having an area where I defer to them or the teacher. Maybe she is lonely? Your SIL I'd in a tight spot. Accept that it may not turn out week no matter what she does. She should day something like, "having a parent in the room for lessons was a new idea, but am finding it to distracting for me. I would enjoy continuing to teach Jane, but I would need you to remain in another room. I understand this may not suit you and you may feel like you need to find a different teacher."

I'm almost always on my phone, so likes are never visible for me. When I look at a like in my notifications I can click on the person who liked my post, "post you made" or the name of the thread. They all take me different places.

I had to go back for a "diagnostic" mammogram. Plus-no problems. Minus-whoo-eee! That bill was surprising. Apparently my insurance only covers me when I'm healthy, but if there might be anything wrong it comes out of my pocket. Grumble.

I think they just don't have a "next question" ready. Try shifting the topic to something they know about (them, usually). Then the conversation can continue while they process this unusual information. If I am successful then sometimes they come back later with a relevant question. I'm a SAHM and I don't always have a good "next question" either. What I want to ask is "Yes, but what do you do all day -hobbies, chores, read, shopping, t.v., teach, train for a sporting event, other...?" But we all know how well that question goes over. :-) Instead I tend to wait and see if they offer me a hint. Some days I handle it all better than others, I assume that is the same for everybody.

Wow. You have a lot going on. I think you are doing a smart thing.

Started today. Yesterday I plotted out the schedule for the year, then added a week's worth of random days off so that we would end the regular schedule concurrent with the local schools. We run close to that schedule anyway, and it was encouraging to see some "surprise" days off in the year. In the summer we do half days when everyone is home. It will be a week or two before I am comfortable with the schedule. Stay the course! Only 179 days to go, more or less. :-)

Not at home, so I can't search my bookmarks, BUT maybe you just need someone else's American History outline so you can go along and pencil in your resources. That is basically what I did, although I didn't already own any resources, so you are ahead in that respect.

Mine is small. I try to have it empty and off for the month of August, or so. By then we've eaten the pork and it forces me to rotate out the rest of the stuff. I leave the lid open and once all the ice has melted I drain it out and wipe down the inside. Then I can start it up for the fall garden and the next half-hog.

Dance Mat Typing is a free learn-to-type program from the BBC. He may find it childish, but you could balance that with one of the practice tipping games where you fight bad guys. Haha. For Spanish look at Getting Started With Spanish (GSWS) by Linney and also So You Really Want to Learn Spanish (SYRWTLS). I don't have personal experience with those, but both get good reviews.