I was there where you are a year ago, and dh decided it would be best if the kids went to school. They went to school and I took more courses. There was a bit of time where I had a bit of a crisis- when I realized that homeschooling DID define me as a person and I had to move past that. All in all, sending them to school was a very good decision for us. I planned on HSing again in the fall but they all want to go back, and dh thinks if they like it so much and are doing so well than that is what they should do. I agree. When we enrolled them we decided that we would reevaluate at Christmas break and they were loving school. Nothing has to be permanent and there is nothing wrong with a tired mom taking time out for herself for a bit. HS is awesome, and very hard.

I looked forward to the future where nights of uninterrupted sleep would actually happen Thus far I don't think I have had a full night's sleep in 11 years. There are various reasons for this. :glare: Do you actually sleep through the night? How do you make this happen? I cannot figure out how do it short of knocking myself out, wearing ear plugs, and an eye mask...but then I worry that if there were an emergency we would all die because my dh sleeps like a rock. And for anyone needing a little humor in their day, I wrote this piece about my latest adventures during the middle of the night.

THank you. I feel better now. :grouphug: When he said it, even though he is a kid, it felt like a slap in the face. I stayed calm and explained things and we cleared it up, but the hurt stayed with me. He is highly extroverted and we live on a farm with only older people as our close-ish neighbors. He really likes being parts of clubs at school and starting clubs, the sense of camaraderie he gets with the friends he has made. His teacher loves him and how willing he is to ask questions. The kid even LOVES homework, and he does it first thing when he gets home. When we homeschooled I think he argued more than worked. I want them home for next school year because PS was just a temporary thing so I could get my head together after a horrible emotionally stressful 2 years with taking care of my mom who had leukemia and grieving her death. OUr school district is one of the top in the country and I am reasonably happy with the academics, though it surely isn't perfect. Dh thinks we should do a trial run of HSing over the summer with him and then see where we are all at by August.

I was without coverage for a few years due to repeated denials for coverage from insurance companies because I had had a prior depression diagnosis. Dh is self employed so we have to get individual coverage. During the run around trying to find coverage a lady I spoke with at one of the insurance companies told me that she has seen people declined for tennis elbow. :glare: I finally have coverage and will be going to the Dr for the first time in 4 years. It was a nervewracking time period because any time I got sick i just had to pray it wouldn't get bad. Between our monthly premium and a 5,000$ deductible we pay around 10,000 a year or a family of 5 before the Insurance company pays anything. I haven't had experience with prescriptions yet, so I don't know how that will go. Im almost afraid to go to the Dr. anymore, because what if something is wrong with me...and then dh gets promoted and we move again and have to get new insurance? I hate even having this worry.

That he wants to continue on with school next year because he feels he learns more there than he did when he was HS'd. I nearly started crying. I pointed out to him that he wasn't behind when he started school, that he is very interested in learning and is engaged during class and doesn't zone out like his classmates, that his brother had a near perfect score on the 3rd grade reading test he took within the first few weeks of school, and that was because of how they learned when HSing. I also told him that HSing just looks different than PS. Part of me was pretty angry too. For the five years we homeschooled, even through the time when my mom had cancer, and even after she died, and then when I finally started back to school myself, his education was the VERY first thought in my head. Some days, after fighting with him to do assignments (because he would fight me- I pointed that out to him too) I would cry and feel like a huge failure. He is a kid, a nearly 11 yo kid, and he is going to have a very different perspective...but man, that really hurt.

My title is bugging me. I typed my op out on my phone.:glare:

Anyone else have one? Mine is gone about 60- 80 hours a week. What are your best tips for functioning well? Mine has had this schedule (self imposed I might add) for several years. One thing I have always done is early bedtime for kids so I can decompress for a couple hours at night. Now that they are older it isn't working so well. We used to do family breakfasts but I stopped. Lately doing all the outdoor and indoor and maintenance jobs has been wearing on me. I'm also in college and while the kids were in school this year they will be coming bck to hsing in the fall- but i worry thy might just make me more crazy. Lol!

No. I don't. I really need one though. Lately I've been feeling so lonely I feel like I'm suffocating. It's my fault though- I'm not the best at pursuing friendships and I take a long time to open up.

I should probably answer too... This year as I am pricing things, I am already at nearly 800 for all 3 kids, and that is just curriculum...and not including read aloud and other books or supplies. Im going to get as much as possible from the library. For extra curriculars.. Right now we just have TKD for one kid that is running us 150 a month. I want to put him somewhere that costs less but he is doing really well where we are. :glare: I still need to add on: Ballet for dd Fencing for my oldest (he was doing it but then his instructor disappeared, odd timing too as he was Russian and two days later a news story broke about Russian spies) Then violin for 3 kids, and for me. Choir HS gym and they want art classes too. When I look at the cost of everything I want to faint.

Per child? Do you count activities throughout the year also? I am just wondering how much other people spend.

These http://www.delta-education.com/siansplash.aspx?subID=5&menuID=17

Probably around the end of August. I still have to plan out our schedule for next year, going to do a 6 wks on 1 wk off thing. I also realized that after my kids have been in school all year that we will need time to re-acclimate to all being with each other 24/7 so we will just do fun learning things over the summer.

We will be using this too. I have been hoping for an Orthodox curriculum for years now, and this is so exciting!

I agree!! Currently I am thankful that my boys, on their own accord refuse to look at immodestly dressed women. My oldest who is almost 11 will tell me, like when I was trying to watch Wonder Woman with my dd that "she is NOT dressed appropriately and we shouldn't be watching this, and that is not a good example for my younger sister" My 9yo son agreed. I guess my kids are fuddy duddies too. I soooo hope they stay like that. It wasn't something I purposefully taught them, and I am not all that conservative. But yes, lately the overt s*xuality everywhere I turn is getting tiring.

Both of my parents are dead, but my kids did see me take care of my mom when she had cancer. I hope they remember that.