just request group membership too..3 kids here...yikes great idea thank you

thank you so much, I haven't homeschooled in a while, and am back at it...lol I came here today, in search of something just like this! again WTM comes to the rescue!

oh what a good recommendation...off to buy! I loved MOH, it helped me a ton!! I read it a few times and then passed it to a new homeschooler! I think it is a grand help!

We got SOS 8th grade history to give a whirl this year. My oldest did one month and then GED and is off to college, so he just faded away... my next son, has been on it since August, and here is the dumb part. HE is totally failing it. I would ask, how is it going, fine, love it. I got on today to put his sisters on, and I admit I am totally overwhelmed by this program...I struggled even setting it up, and obviously did something wrong, as I am just getting this. does anyone have any helpful hints before I just cry and cry? thank you

Appointments all on same day! If we are going out, we are ALL going! lol

no to an all nighter cleaning, but the title of this post did give me motivation to clean the table by my computer and grade all the science papers! lol!!

I have 4(boys 16 and 14) and twin girls 13, and I absolutely love it! They are a blast most times. The wavering between wanting to be mature and immature are a bit annoying, but we have found humor in it with them, and temper their moods with good communication. They have their moments....longer than the terrible twos it seems at the time, but for the most part they are so independent that life is a breeze... now my other 3? egads 4 year olds are plain exhausting!

I'm not a veg, but I do eat a ton of fruits and vegis! I have lost 75 pounds over the last 10 months, by eating good and walking/running 5K a day. I do in 45-50 minutes. I have hit a major plateau. I talked to a trainer and she said...ugh...that my body was going to need more burning of calories to push the plateau! So I am maintaining til after the holidays and then I will add more to my workout. I am going to add a step aerobics or body pump class 3-4x a week to push the next 30 pounds off!

Two bags of chips and a hug! bring some brownies here and there and enjoy yourself! What a lovely neighbor, I bet they would rather have you come relaxed than pondering what to bring.

lol in a heartbeat! if you do facebook, I am Anne Ofalamo there, or PM here or email at yahoo.com anneofalamo (cause my memory is just the first thing that went) lol

having a place in your house that is clean(and not your puter area...lol) helps me. When I clean my living room and I can sit in it and regroup and press on, that helps me. I am a big believer in less is easier, and the conveniences of this time can be a hinderance. Just nuke dinner (microwave), gives all that time to "relax" The busier I am, the more I get done. I clean the house in a routine, and let the other places wait. flitting from one room to the other for perfection will drive you and the rest of your family crazy...trust me, I have heaped this in the past on my family. I am done with that! I want to enjoy my kids, hubby and life. Part of that enjoyment to me, is a home that is clean.

you can blame my mom, she is visiting Ellsworth! She usually is in the Bay Area of California :lol:

Big big breath here....deep in, and exhale! We have adopted thru foster 3 times. Correction, we are in our third foster to adopt situation with 3 young boys. First adoption, a 4 year old boy, emotional roller coaster for me, the insane and wow I didn't realize how selfish I was! He did great, and connected very fast, especially with my husband. By the time he was legally adopted we had all bonded and life was good. Three years later, we decided to add to our family again. This time a sibling group: twin girls 4years old (had just turned) and their brother (11months older) and still 4. They had been thru the wringer, brother was the adult and twins were almost comatose in reacting. It was beyond insane trying to keep our oldest (now 7) from going off the deep end with sharing toys and his parents time. It took a long time to get balance and for them to bond as siblings. But it did happen, but oh boy, it is not like adding a baby to the mix, it is adding a whole gang of walking talking people! So......8 years later. My 4 kids understand the system, we are moving and grooving and doing life just great. One of the twins mentions, could we adopt more mom? My heart skips and forgets the growling part, but remembers the joyful parts. I talk to hubby, he is all for it. We talk as a family and agree, but really feel a sibling group is what we can do and would work for us. Enter 3 raw and hurting boys, 3, 5 and 7. We are 6 months into this, and it has been rough on our family. We are very close, and have good communication. In this, I have two boys going thru major puberty and growing emotionally, my girls are entering the insane 13 age (although with more grace than I had). So emotions can be the main hindrance. Our boys are normal to the eye, yet the pain in their hearts is way deeper than any of the other 4. We are now seeing a bit of bonding, but we went thru a major resentment period that my olders were fighting. They would come to us, so apologetic, but mom, I don't like them, I don't like them here, but I don't want them to go. It was beyond painful to hear, and feel the same in my own heart. My main word to you, is the burden on your heart is real, and it is not all rainbows and happy. But there is joy to be found and I would do it all over again!

I have found the classics (old b&w) are a good choice for family movies. We love them! The original cheaper by the dozen, Harvey (anything with Jimmy Stewart! )The robe, Quiet Man for an example. The old winners of Oscars, in 40s and 50s is a good starting place. After that, egads, Hollywood and I separate! ♥♥♥ Time with hubby, that is why our kids go to bed early! 1. Seriously, I will put the littles to bed with a hug and kiss, the bigs go to their room with books to read, and hubby drives to get milkshake or we have yogurt and just snuggle on couch, with nice music on and babble! WE listened to Brian Regan, or other Comedians (clean) and laugh. Sometimes we listen to Bill O'Reily's commentary. We don't have a TV, so we listen on Hubby's laptop. It is great conversation starters too. 2. We also have started getting up at 5:15am to walk 3 miles together in the morning before ANYONE is up! These two things make me smile thinking of them, and have so strengthened our marriage! ♥♥♥

this made me smile so big...as a mom (thru foster to adopt) who always wanted a big family, I did the same for years and years and just kinda dawned on me, holey moley, I am one now...lol:D

I would pull them now and DE-school them and you! I so recommend this site www.guiltfreehomeschooling.com she saved my brain! Take a month or two and play games with your kids. Take field trips, grocery shop together, thrift shop and just reknow them as kids. I struggled with this for 4 months, thinking I had lost so much time already...(I pulled ours at 4th, 5th and 7th grade). Finally, I just said, I am insane, my kids are too...we are done for one month at least. We took two, and had an out and out blast. We started back up and did two years in one school year time, but without the insane struggles. My 4year old is in preschool, he loves it and we love him there! lol:D

that one got me, and another about salvation thru faith alone being both catholic and protestant? I put neither and stand by that, and buddist and hindu always confuse me!

steak, shrimp or something grilled

A cure to the pasta sauce is to make a ton of it on one day,and then put in freezer bags for upcoming meals: Chicken Rigatoni (our name) Take bag of defrosted pasta sauce add 1/2 cup of whipping cream)makes it so creamy and good) and cup of mozzarella cheese. cut up chicken in small bite size pieces and cook in olive oil along with some garlic (onions if wanted) add to sauce boil rigatoni noodles, the ones that look like pipes is what we use. Add to sauce add chicken and pour in casserole dish sprinkle with cheese and serve with salad or green beans I make 2 at a time, one to freeze one for that day. Add prepackaged meatballs (or ones you made prior and are frozen) to defrosted sauce and have meatball sands I add green peppers and italian sausage also bread pork-pan friend (in olive oil) and pasta sauce over with noodles This is good for white sauces, red sauce or green chile' sauces too! You make your sauce in BIG bulk and then rotate with meats or cheeses. and Parmesan mixed with mayo over Chicken is divine baked! Salisbury steak (burger cooked in small servings, take out) make your favorite beef gravy, return burger pieces and let simmer 10-15 minutes, serve over noodles, rice or mash pots with vegi of choice BBQ chicken with homemade coleslaw my kids make all the above and get such a joy out of cooking...I make with them a few times, and then watch on the sidelines, they now can get it going if I am dead to the world or somewhere else. Huge help!

We don't have cable or a TV. Big savings I cut everyone's hair but the girls. They go to the Beauty College, and I do mine until I totally jack it up and have a sweet lady that fixes it about every 6months for low price. Menus! This is really huge, food waste is expensive. Buy what you need and use what you buy. Taking a roast and using it 3-4 times is like a video game to me. I win!! woot Online banking saves postage. Birthdays are low key, one present, and favorite meal at home, with dessert of choice. We do parties for age 5, 10 and 15. Learn new recipes. LIbrary, library oh how we love the library and parks! Adventure awaits and there is so much free!

we have been on both sides, egads we lived large at one time and it was such a joy to bless friends and strangers! lol and my husband would try to give anonymously, but when we couldn't we would ask them to please not take away the blessing we had to give. Now we are on the flip side and oh my goodness, it is so hard to receive. I mean it is horrible. But I have to also remember that we loved to bless others, it would just do something remarkable in our spirit. I can not take that away from others too. that all being said, what fantastic friends you have, that care about YOU guys so much and enjoy being around YOU both, that they want YOU Both there. That is some friends! That right there is rich beyond a bank account.

still not cool enough for stews and thick soups, but they sound good! just finished parboiling thighs in some liquid smoke water, and will be grilling for BBQ sticky chicken along with coleslaw (almost done, shredded cabbage and carrots) getting ready to make the gooey yummy stuff! and Baked beans (thank you for cans you just open) will have some Mandarin oranges on the side for surprise!

I was going to send you a PM this morning, because you have been on my mind and heart. Yeah, I guess I am a stalker of Denise! When you said, you had Heather for a therapist for your kidlet, my heart just filled with happy (and a bit covetous). I just want to tell you that this stranger is one who prays and believes (I broke my neck and God healed it) in healing. I will and have been praying for you. I know there are many others on this board you may never meet and may never come forward to tell you how you have touched our lives with your experiences and open heart to share them for us. ♥

I am with you! We loved it,and wish we could go to any of the places one day...they to us seemed more real than the other people in books! :D

oh yes to Beyond Consequences! We learned more from her in a 3 hour video then all the classes combined. Things that are real life and actually worked with our kidlets (7 all adopted thru foster) I am gonna totally step out on a limb here, I don't know you, your family or this young boy, when your brother said...I wish you were closer so YOU could homeschool him.... one of the big things we are dealing with is a child who is no longer an infant, but totally missed out on that one on one time with parents, not an aunt, or a teacher, but a parent. This is HARD, I mean hard to have an older child, above 5, who doesn't cling, but needs it and doesn't know how to ask. Taking less counseling time, and take that time for sit on the couch together, quiet or read a book together. Kids brains can be poked, prodded til they just shut down or react in a negativity, because then the attention they crave is felt, but it isn't correct attention so the frustration cycle continues. I can babble forever about kids and their insane actions, and I have spent many hours in tears, prayer and hitting my head wondering how, why? This boy in my non professional opinion from reading a few sentences truly needs quality AND quantity time with the parents that love him. School can fly out the window, let him play games and see that being with him is a good thing. Homeschool gives that flexibility....you can catch up later, getting his heart and head together would be my top priority. Please know, I could be 100% wrong, and totally off the mark, I mean no meanness or ill will to you or your family.