What antibiotic did they give you a scrip for? I'm guessing he needs something powerful and specific...otherwise they tend to go generic. Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

Sinuses. Diane W. married for 22 years homeschoolind 3 kiddos for 16 years

Persnickety flibbertigibbet strumpet...that one comes in handy sometimes and doesn't sound quite as harsh as other word choices :lol: Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

I would phone your local TV station and explain the story to an investigative reporter. They may decide to pursue it. Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

I'm doing parts of it in conjunction with WinterPromise's Animals and Their Worlds for our science program and I really like it. It takes some extra planning work, but my son is really enjoying the activities. I will probably continue to use it as a supplement. Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

My dd has drill team practice every other morning at 6 AM and on the off mornings she has ballet at 5 AM. Yeah. :glare: She also has drill every other day after school...except on Wednesday nights when it's from 6-9 PM. This is our first week of school, and I'm still working out the kinks. I'm making a new batch of freezer meals next weekend and that will help tremendously with meal prep. Chores get done between assignments...."You work on those math problems and I'm going to throw a load of laundry in." I try to follow a pretty strict housekeeping routine, but some days it works better than others. Hopefully I'll catch up this weekend and next week will run more smoothly. In theory. :lol: Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

Sadly, I tape flag AND then highlight them item on the page. You know if it's your hobby, you really have to go for it. :lol: Diane W.

Well, actually I have taken it. It works. No problems in the morning. Very mild muscle relaxant. Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

Thank you so much for the kind words!! :D Diane W.

Well, I'm a total diehard and I'm putting on my Winston Churchill hat to give you my "Never give up. Never, never, never give up!!" speech. My British accent stinks, but you get the idea. :lol: This is our 16th year of homeschooling. And, yes, there are years where I have sat at my kitchen table and thought I must be insane. All the other mommies have lots of free time. They DO things during the day. They don't have to vacuum eraser shavings off their kitchen floor twice a day. They have HOBBIES. Real hobbies, not just highlighting the Rainbow Resource catalog. :glare: Yes, that's a hobby of mine. Weep for me. However, I PROMISE you that in the end it will be worth it. My oldest is 20 and my dh and I could not be more proud of him. He is an excellent young man with great character. And, you know what? It doesn't really matter that we didn't finish that Latin program in 6th grade or that I switched his math course four times since 1st grade. Yes, that poor child went from Calvert math to Saxon to MUS to Videotext. And you know what? He's not scarred from it!! :lol: And, he can actually do math! And, he's grateful that we chose homeschooling. All his friends told me CONSTANTLY, "I wish my mom would homeschool me." That told me all I needed to know. My dd is 17 and is finishing up her senior year. She is on the local high school drill team, but she is not interested in taking any other classes there. She told me, "Mom, I actually want to learn something. None of my high school friends do any real work." And again, I am hearing from the girls, "Tessa is so lucky. I wish my mom would homeschool me." My youngest ds is 9 and right now, he's not thrilled with any kind of formal education. Whatever. He'll get over it. :lol: That's one thing I learned. Do not pay too much attention to the individual days in your homeschooling journey. You'll be ready to jump off a bridge. And, you'll tend to focus on the difficult times and forget the fun stuff. It's important to remember the fun stuff. And, if you find yourself wallowing and over-burdened....take a week off for fun. Go on field trips. If we're having a hard day, we pack up, head for the park, feed the ducks, eat our lunch, sketch in our nature journals and do some spontaneous science...leaf collecting, bark rubbings, etc. Follow that up with another field trip...maybe the zoo or a nature center. Check books out of the library...read a biography of Audubon and look at his bird paintings and have your children sit outside quietly and try to paint in his style. Make a bird feeder and see what kinds of birds come to your yard. Check your field guides. There you go.....one week of quick and easy science complete with projects and FUN. Even if you're not into unit studies, take a week every so often and do one that focuses on what you enjoy. Your math and grammar will still be waiting for you when you get back. Most importantly.....enjoy your children and enjoy the journey. It goes by WAY too fast. Don't get yourself all bunched up by the details. That's all they are. Take a deep breath and go have fun with your kids. And, you CAN do it. You ARE making the right decision. You WILL have the help you need. There IS support out there. Just ask for it and we'll crawl out of the woodwork. :D Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

We love the DK animal encyclopedia. My son devours it and we use it with our science program.

Hmmm, Vegemite. I lived in Australia for 2 years and I guess it grew on me. I can eat it if it's spread VERY thinly on toast. Right after I got to Sydney, just waving my toast over an opened jar of vegemite was enough. :lol: The best way I can describe its taste....coagulated soy sauce with a hint of malt. Yes, it's that yummy. But I promise, unbelievably you will start liking it. There is a jar in my fridge as I speak. Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

Ok, I'll try. There are 6 different workouts. Two serious cardio. One lower body strength and toning. One tummy workout. One all over strength training. There is also a "training" workout to teach you the basic moves you'll be using and a bonus workout....similar to one of the cardio ones. The teacher has a HEAVY Brazilian accent, so sometimes he's a little hard to understand, but he makes up for it in enthusiasm. I like it because it's fun. The workouts are shot in a studio and on a beach in Rio, and the outdoor beach scenes are really nice for some atmosphere. The girls (and one or two token men) he has working out with him are enthusiastic and very smiley. They really keep the energy up. And, I love the cardio workouts. They're dance moves and their fun. No Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred drill sargeant here!! (I also have that workout and use it, but she drives me batty!!) I also like that all the videos have a counter along the bottom of the screen telling you EXACTLY how much time you have left for any given move (keeps me going during the leg lifts) and how much time is left in the overall workout. The package also comes with a well written guide and schedule for using the program and a really sensible and easy diet plan. Overall, it is one of my favorite workouts ever, because it is the total package. You honestly don't need anything else....unless you get tired of the dancing. And.....it REALLY does shape your butt!!! :D Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

Yep, those drugs are fine. Not extreme at all. I probably would have asked for a stronger antibiotic, but the Z-pack might do the trick. I've just seen better results on other drugs with stubborn/repeat sinus infections. And, please do go back in two weeks if you need to....it's not something to mess around with. Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

Anything and everything but iceberg. That stuff has never darkened my doorstep and my kids don't even know it exists. :lol: I also cut up lots of other raw veggies for them to snack on during the day and put them on the table when we're doing school. Carrots, celery, cucumbers, pepper slices, jicama, cherry tomatoes, etc. They can dip them in hummus if they want. Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

I LOVE my Brazil Butt Lift workout. It's fun, challenging, keeps my interest and really works well!! So, two thumbs up for me!! Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

Hmmm, everyone has given your such amazing answers, forgive me if I repeat anything. "Most HSers who have made it for the long haul make a habit of..." Being organized and having a schedule they stick to. School comes before anything else. By that I mean, before phone calls, before running errands, before other friends. Time suckers are everywhere...avoid them like the plague!! We don't get distracted or sidetracked...we do school everyday. Self-discipline is required for the long haul. "Most HSers who have made it for the long haul always..." Think of homeschooling as a way of life. It is just who we are. We are homeschoolers. Public school is not an option in my educational philosophy. Yes, it's harder some years than others, but tough. We are focused on the long-term goals, not the short-term problems. "Most HSers who have made it for the long haul never..." sweat the small stuff. And, most of it is small stuff. As we always say around here...."Everything glides off the ducks back. Be the duck." :lol: It also helps to look towards the future and remember, in homeschooling....the days are long, but the years are short. Before you know it, it's over. I still can't believe my oldest has graduated and my dd will this year. It went by VERY fast! Thank heavens for my 9 year old! "Most HSers who have made it for the long haul prioritize..." School and family first. Everything else is gravy. See the above answer. Oh, and most important of all.....it is WORTH IT!! Every tantrum over math problems, every failed science experiment, every moment spent agonizing over curriculum....it is all worth it and I would eagerly go back and do it all over again in a heartbeat. The memories we've made and the relationship my dh and I have with our children is priceless. And, I know it wouldn't be the same if we hadn't embarked on this wonderful, wacky adventure we call homeschooling. Cherish it. Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

Well, it's pretty much 1955 around here and we're Ward and June Cleaver. :lol: It's not my dh, it's me. He's always willing to help out, but I feel guilty, because he works so hard everyday outside the home, so I consider the household chores my domain. Having said that, he does empty the dishwasher with regularity and pick up if things get too messy. Other than that, he empties the trash, takes care of the cars and all outside chores and the yardwork, etc. I do all the traditional inside the home "Suzy Homemaker" type things.....which I enjoy, so we're very happy here. Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

LMHO.....this reminds me of a woman who used to be in our homeschool co-op. She knew EVERYTHING about homeschooling and constantly gave advice (unsolicited) to everyone else in the group.....in a very "in your face", abrasive manner. Someone finally had the guts to tell her (after she'd been lecturing my friend and I about XYZ curriculum for twenty minutes) that she had ONLY been homeschooling for three months and the people she was talking to had over 25 years of combined homeschooling experience between them (me, 10 years at the time, my friend 15. Oh, and my friend had 9 children), and that at this point in her homeschooling life, the best thing she could do was shut up and LISTEN. She mumbled something about how all the research she had done on curriculum should count for something. My friend pointed out that no, it didn't. She hadn't ever USED XYZ curriculum and she'd only been homeschooling a first grader for 3 months! It was once of the most satisfying moments of my life. :lol: Which I've always felt incredibly guilty about, but nevertheless......:D. Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

Yes, they do! Particularly during that year. Google it and see some of the descriptions.....apparently that was one of the worst winters on record! BTW, that is one of my favorite LIW books! Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

Uh.....no. Your husband has just as much say and just as much right to make decisions for his child as you do. And, he has the right to expect that you will take his suggestions (which, from what I've read so far have a lot of merit) and make some changes and compromise in how you are homeschooling his child. Now, as a homeschooling mom of 16 years, I will tell you that ALL a 6 year old child needs in a curriculum is to learn how to read and do beginning math. EVERYTHING ELSE (not shouting, just emphasizing) is gravy at that age. Especially when you're dealing with a child who has other issues. Your dh is right....freetime, downtime, playtime is MORE important than academics for a 6 year old. My suggestion would be to seriously listen to your husband's concerns and figure out how to finish your schooling before lunch for a few months. Then, after you've done things that way for awhile, sit down and have a discussion with your dh. My dh often offers suggestions after observing us doing our schoolwork for a day and I really appreciate it! He is able to point out things that I don't even realize I'm doing because I can't often see past the end of my nose. He is the father of my children and only has their best interest in mind and I am always open to what he suggests in how we can improve our children's education. Even if I might not initially agree with his assessment, we talk about it and come up with a compromise with the best interest of our children in mind. It seems like you are thinking of you and your son as the team and your dh as the outsider, when it should be you and your husband as the main partnership. I'd definitely try and implement what he is suggesting, no matter what subjects you need to drop. Trust me....it doesn't matter. He's only six....you have PLENTY of time for the other stuff. Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

Well, since I am the ultimate "tweaker", I always feel free to add or subtract texts that don't work for me. And, since Winterpromise is more a conglomoration of real books than an actual "text", it's never been a problem. Whenever Winterpromise uses a "spine", it's generally never given more importance than any of their other reading selections, and you can usually choose something else for the spine (provided it covers the same subjects) fairly easily. What I love about WP is how wonderfully well they integrate the historical fiction with the non-fiction reading, the hand-on activities, the coordinating websites, and the "make your own" books. Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

I would absolutely let her be on the A team. I would congratulate, encourage, support and do whatever I could to help her be successful at it. I would never, ever bump her down to the level below the ability she has achieved because I thought it might be too stressful or hard for her. As we like to say around here, "If it isn't hard, it usually isn't worth it." Shoot for the stars!! Of course it's going to be hard. Of course it's going to be stressful. And, she will love it!! As the mother of a pre-professional ballerina, I can't tell you how much stress we go through with lessons, rehearsals, performances, company drama, etc., etc. It's VERY hard and so stressful I want to SCREAM sometimes. And now my dd is on the drill team at the local high school as well. But it has made my daughter a more excellent dancer, and more importantly, a very determined young lady who always rises to a challenge and expects the best of herself. Does she always achieve every goal? No. But she knows she did her very best and she never settled for the easy road. Let your dd go for it. The life lessons she will acquire will be waaay more beneficial and last far longer than just the year she plays volleyball. Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

Clearly they have been conspiring with my children. :glare: I also think they say to one another, "Hey, do you want to see this neat trick? I can make Mom's hair burst into flames and her eyes shoot laser beams. No, really. See, she's trying to pay bills online and balance her checkbook. Watch while I call her name over and over in my most whiny voice and then tell her there isn't a towel in the hall bathroom." :banghead: Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years

I've done this for 15 years (ever since Mimi Wilson...author of OAMC...did a seminar at the CO homeschool convention) and it is a LIFESAVER!! Could not live without my freezer full of meals and my Crockpot. Your food looks lovely and don't you just do a little happy dance every morning when you know dinner is ALREADY MADE for the day??? :D :D :D Diane W. married for 22 years homeschooling 3 kiddos for 16 years