I want to be that cool homeschooler with kids who love learning and spend hours of their own time inspired following rabbit trails and researching/learning about personal interests. Instead, once they are done with the day's assignments, the kids wander off to their rooms to sing along with the radio, torment the pug, and construct Lego cities. Or they are begging to go to a friend's house to hang out. How do I get from where we are to where I'd like to be? Or can we? I know part of the issue is our schedule. I teach 3 days and DH supervises for 2... On his days, he is often working from home and doesn't even check the kids' work, much less encourage anything outside of getting "Mom's list" done. My days are crammed with checking their work, catching them up on whatever they missed, getting through our day's work (including all of the science, history, art, music, and whatever other hands on things will get done for the week), and then general life items like errands, bills, cleaning, etc. So... Please help. How can I make school less of a drag for everyone and still get everything done?

Make it so!

with the soothing sounds of Dan Fogelberg!!!! Muah ha ha ha!!!!

We ALWAYS brine our turkey. I never liked turkey until we started doing it. It is juicy and flavorful. We use this brine: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cider-Brined-Turkey-with-Star-Anise-and-Cinnamon-368272

With DS, I waited 12 wks. With my second pregnancy I waited 14 wks and then miscarried at 15. With my 3rd, I never told most people since I miscarried twins at 9 and 12 wks respectively. With DD, I waited 16 wks.

We use CLE and supplement with Fred. Fred seems to help make the kids really think about math in both concrete and abstract terms. However, both of my kids need the drill and kill of CLE for retention.

My inlaws moved nearby a few years ago but for our first 10 Christmases together it was just me and DH. Here are some things we used to do: On Christmas Eve, eat a special dinner. Then drive around looking at lights before going to midnight Mass. On Christmas Day, make an awesome brunch and go to a movie or cuddle up and watch a Christmas movie marathon. .

We have fun making them. I usually buy a kit that makes a little village and we spend an afternoon listening to Christmas music while we put it together. We all have fun doing it. It's a nice tradition.

We do what works. I still follow the history and science cycles. I use some of the suggestions from WTM (i.e. FLL, WWE, and Spelling Workout for DD's LA). I steer clear of computer programs and tend to use "living books" where I can. However, DS hates to read so that presents a challenge to staying within a classical homeschool and Latin has fallen to the wayside due to our weird split schedule for teaching. I can't stand Rod and Staff anything so we've branched out in math and language as well. I could go on, but suffice it to say it was a great starting point but no we have found our own path.

What kits/labs have you tried and enjoyed? What field trips would you suggest? My kids are 7 and 11.

We have one that looks similar to that first one. We've had it for 12 years and it works well. We bought ours from a company that replaces the CO2 canisters and delivers syrup and juice concentrates but you can also use Torani syrups, Soda Stream syrups, juice, etc., to flavor the water. Enjoy!

My inlaws live in the same neighborhood as we do. We have Sunday dinner every week and usually see them for a quick hi/bye once or twice/week. My family is in WI and we are in WA so about 2500 miles separate us. I haven't seen them since I went home for a wedding almost 2 years years ago. Normally at least one of my siblings visits each year but no one came out this year. My husband's brother lives in PA (over 3000 miles away) and we haven't seen him or his wife since 2004. Their daughter is severely autistic and they are afraid to put her on a plane. Our travel is limited because not only is it expensive to fly 4 people across the country but since neither my husband nor I have paid time off. Any trip we take becomes exponentially expensive due to travel costs plus lost income.

Mind has them too! I really love my library system!

I don't like them. I think kids/teens/even college kids can get away with whatever, but they look ridiculous on anyone over 30. However, that's just my opinion and I'm not a fashionista so take that for what it's worth. I also want to echo the warning about choosing where you sit wisely. My friend ripped the heck out of my leather couch with her blingy butt, and I have scratches on my wooden kitchen nook from another. Also, do not do a TJ Hooker-style hood slide in them as they will scratch the paint on your car-- a lesson my son's friend learned that the hard way.

Nope. I borrowed it from my friend and gave it back after the wedding.

No Fed Ex in the plaza.... but undoubtedly there was some snooty lady in the Starbucks, lol.

I doubt they clean the tables very often. The tables/chairs are those metal mesh type and are shared between Starbucks, the Thai restaurant, and a little burger joint. I have never seen anyone clean them. Usually people get up, throw out their garbage, and leave, and then other people sit down at the tables before anyone comes by to clean them. When I sit there, I spread napkins out like a table cloth before I eat/drink my coffee.

So I bought lunch at a little Thai place (in a strip mall next to a Starbucks) and thought I would sit down at the tables outside to eat. The man to my left decided to make a phone call and loudly air his grievances over his current court case against a former employee loudly for the whole world to hear. Him I could block out with happy thoughts about my delicious lunch and the lovely sunshine. However, the man to my right plopped his little ankle-biter dog up on the table and let it eat from his plate while he was also enjoying the same lunch... Really? Your dog? On the table? Eating from your plate? GROSS!

When did Jesse become the one with a moral compass?!?! Love Breaking Bad!

PS here gets out in late June and starts back after Labor Day. We make a point of finishing at least a week before PS and starting a week later. This year, our start may be even later because we have a mid-Sept vacation on the books.

People here get on to the freeway without getting up to speed. Then, while still driving 15 miles under the speed limit, they slide all the way over to the fast lane, cutting off/slowing down all lanes of traffic. It drives me absolutely crazy.

I have the Bacon socks. They are my favorite to wear with my Boy Scout uniform. I wore them to WashJam last year and had a lot of people take pictures and compliment my choice in hosery. I also have knee high rainbow socks that I regularly wear to play volleyball. And knee high octopus socks.... and black socks with pink and white argyle and skulls... and black socks with red and white argyle and skulls... and rainbow skulls.... and jellyfish.... and.... And the guy you saw with the kilt and Oregon socks might have been my husband had he not been at BSA camp last weekend. Then again, maybe it IS a PNW thing....

When I'm in the car, sometimes I put the radio on the local rock station and am happy to hear new music by old favorites like Slash, Alice in Chains, and Black Sabbath, as well as some newer bands like the Killswitch Engage and the collaboration of McCartney, Grohl, Novelselic, and Smear (McCartney and the remaining members of Nirvana). For the most part, I do not like pop or country music but am exposed to it at work. I do like some of the stuff by Pink and Kelly Clarkson that I hear on the radio at work, but I don't get the big deal about Mumford and Sons or the Luminieres. I guess I'm not a big folksy music person. And I absolutely prefer older country music (mid-90s and older) to the new stuff that I hear.

What site did you use to order GrammarLand? I know I can download it as an e-book for free but I prefer print. Thanks.

Our Troop doesn't take a break. We have meetings every other week instead of every week and we work on swimming, canoeing, and other outdoor badges. We also camp once/month and do a day hike once/month all summer long.