There are a few glass-top dining tables here: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/dining/21825/ Also check out Ikea's mix-n-match office tables. You pick the legs and the top and set it up. You might need two, depending on size. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/workspaces/11844/

Check out Catalog Choice online. Many companies have agreed to use their "do not mail me" list. I used to get lots of catalogs but now only get 5-6 copies per year, all at Christmas time. I have 5 magazine files for papers and I deal with one box each weekday: TO SORT (dump everything as it comes in, sorted on Mondays) TO PAY (bills for which I need to take action with, done on Tuesdays) TO DO (anything I need to get done from the mail, done on Wednesdays) TO FILE (everything I need to file, done Thursdays) TO READ (throw in anything I want to peruse and read on Fridays) If you keep up with it (and I sometimes don't) it's just a few minutes/day except the reading. That's why i put reading on Fridays so it can lead into the weekend if needed.

There's also an inspiring college acceptances thread you can post to: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/484961-class-of-2014-college-acceptances/

We just paid $2998 for 2 kids, 2x/week, for the entire year. This works out to $14.41/kid for each 50-minute class and reflects a pay-for-one-year-in-advance discount and a sibling discount. Tests are $50 (includes test, belt, medal, and certificate) and $15 to change the date if you miss. Shoes and uniforms are included.

I would say we spend about $400-$500/year. My neighbor with 2 kids in DS spends about $1k/year on clothes, baked goods, back to school requirements, PTA stuff, etc. She's got another in K so soon it will increase. The nearby private school is $15k/year and the dream school in the next town is $23k. (It really is a dream school, with fantastic teachers, a diverse student body, personalized pacing for each child, tons of art and music, a huge garden, and a "no homework" policy until 7th grade. I I were rich it's the only school that could tempt me away from homeschooling....) I don't count classes as hs expenses because they would take them even if they went to the local ps. The first year was the most expensive as I made a few missteps and also bought math manipulatives like C-rods and clocks. I think I spent $700 that year. By re-using materials or only buying the student pages for DD, she's about 25% of the cost of DS.

:grouphug:

I have a small business a few hours/week now. I'd like to expand it because I really enjoy it. I also hope to remedy some of the gaps in my own education. I see that as a lifelong endeavor, one I'll be able to devote more time to after homeschool.

Check out Have a New Kid by Friday from the library. It has great ideas. The first part of the book is as the title promises, a 5-day plan. The latter part of the book tells you what to do in specific instances. It's often espoused by Christian families or booksellers, but there's very little Christian content in there, just a small section on what to do if your teen won't go to church. The gist of it, in your situation, would be that you've given away your power. You have almost all the real power and the teens have very little. They have the power to yell and pout and slam doors, but not to head off the Baylor, get rides to activities, buy clothes and food, have cell phones, etc. The situation has become too lopsided in their favor. Fixing it is painful but can be accomplished quickly if you stick to your guns.

I'm making little "squeeeee" noises and I cannot stop.

This has all been very interesting to read. I can offer a different perspective... Muslims arrive at the mosque for holidays in much greater numbers than on your typical Friday. Some of that has to do with the fact that our day of worship is typically a working day. At the door (sometimes separate doors) males and females are separated except for young children, who can go with either parent but often end up with the mother. So already families are split up except in the case of single parents with young children. Everyone sits on the floor except people who are unable to due to injury or because they are elderly. For the prayers, Muslims line up in rows facing the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The rows are flexible in terms of distance between them because everyone is on the floor, not fixed pews. Eventually room will run out in the entrance area and people will be asked to move forward to fill in any gaps in front of them. People will also move around because the prayers should be performed shoulder to shoulder, so if a person in front of you has nobody on one side you should move forward and fill in the gap. In this way people often do not end up sitting with the people they came in with. Uniformity and the collective take priority over sitting right next to friends or family. It's really not a big deal to sit together for us. We're all there, we're all near each other, we're all worshipping. Just another way of looking at it, from the outside. :blush: I'm not sure what would happen if Muslims were given pews. Given the state of the parking lot on Muslim holidays, it could be a disaster. :lol:

You know you're a homeschooler when... :thumbup1:

I would mail a letter to their corporate office giving them the order number and a deadline for sending a return label. I would tell them that after the deadline, if I had not received the return label, I would be keep both the refund and the heater. I suppose if they wanted to they could later charge you for the heater if you kept it, but you could dispute that with your cc company. I doubt it would get that far. Amazon.com Inc. 410 Terry Ave N Seattle, WA 98109 After that I would donate the heater guilt-free. Edit: Keep a copy of the letter in case there's a cc dispute later. I doubt there will be.

My parents had gone 25 years w/o a claim and then made one for the roof after high winds removed some of the tiles. The claim was $3k and soon after their rates went up for having made the claim. The new rate was enough to make up the $3k for the company in a few years. This was State Farm.

We have some family in Indiana who love western MI but are getting too elderly to go on their own. We were actually formulating an idea to take them there and the UP next year. I've never been but they love it.

Fiction: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski Non-fiction: The Smartest Kids in the World by Amanda Ripley

Agree with the recommendation to check the library. Ours had quite a few.

I've been meaning to get some of the Vandiver lectures. I think she was also recommended by regentrude? last year. Will have to check out Levine.

I'm thinking about getting the Latin 101: http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/courses/course_detail.aspx?cid=2201 Does anyone with actual Latin experience have an opinion? What courses are other people thinking about this year? Do tell! :drool5:

I'm Muslim and I love Gospel music and Christmas trees so much. Does that count? :)

I almost always answer. We've had some break-ins in town while people were out. My working theory is that the burglars knock and then try to come in if they think the house is empty. I'd rather answer than have someone try to enter. Sometimes I answer through the door and say I'm not available for the same effect with less hassle.

I saw a political cartoon in which Jeff Bezos (founder of Amazon) offered to trade Obama a working healthcare web site in exchange for some drones.

No recommendations, same problems though. :laugh: I've been thinking about bodyweight exercises because there are 4 of us in 800sf and I don't have room for more equipment. I do have one thing that I would recommend and that's a pull-up bar. Forgot about that.

Breakfast Shower Pick up house Laundry Lunch Brine for turkey Brownies Pick up turkey and 2 bags of ice Get turkey set up in brine Dinner Try to fix botched recipe for spiced pecans

I'm sorry I don't have time to make a longer post but I'm way behind on Thanksgiving prep. I haven't even one the shopping and must get out the door! Here's an example from Emory University or what to do when presented with legal requests: http://web.library.emory.edu/about/privacy-policy/subpoena-warrant.html Note the Patriot Act provisions.

At our library you have to decide to opt-in to having your history stored. Probably many people to opt-in, but it's nice to be able to opt-out. I've checked out many books and if I want to keep a record of a book I write it down. If I check my history at the library it's empty except the books I currently have. I prefer it that way. I think it's important for people to be able to fulfill their desires for knowledge on any topic such as terrorism, drugs, anti-government protests, NSA spying, particular diseases, mental health problems, etc without worry. I don't believe a person's circulation record should be tracked and possibly held against them. Here's a page from the ALA regarding this topics: http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=interpretations&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=132904 Personally, I don't want to wind up in some court case or other situation in the future and have my library records subpoenaed. I don't even check out books on controversial topics, myself. But I think in general it has a chilling effect on the flow of information if people feel the government or others may track or use against them their circulation records.