We have had medi-share for about a year. So far we've been pleased. We chose it over private insurance because it covers maternity and over Samaritan (and a third option I can't remember right now) because it functions the most like insurance. When we go to the doctor or ER there are copays and we are dealt with just like a person who has "regular insurance". So far we've been to urgent care a few times, dh has been to the dermatologist and I just had my pre-natal visit. For some reason the doctor listed my visit as a well- woman exam so it wasn't covered. I have to call later this week to see if that can be changed. I will say even though I am a pretty conservative Christian it is still a little odd to me when I call customer service they want to pray with me:001_huh: I'm a pretty reserved person and wouldn't ask a stranger for prayer so I'm sure it's my issue. They do also ask a lot of questions but I am okay with that because I knew it going in. We have a fairly high family share option to keep our monthly cost low so I will be taking advantage of the bill reduction services in the next few weeks and will let you know how that goes. I had to have stitches at urgent care last month & an ultrasound this week so I have bills adding up.

$8.99 per pound for beef and around $18 for a whole chicken. It's not cheap but we eat meat less in general now so I just pay more to get healthier/better quality.

There are a lot of interesting articles on the internet right now about Houston because Jeremy Lin (or the Tim Tebow of the NBA this year) just signed a contract to play for Houston. Since he's coming from New York lots of know it all reporters feel the need to compare Houston and New York but I saw this article about church options for Lin and thought of this thread. http://blog.chron.com/believeitornot/2012/07/for-jeremy-lin-houston-church-hunting-advice/ I would also say that the idea that a place can't be conservative and diverse isn't necessarily true. We recently moved from a very small (approx. 100 members) mostly African American church that was VERY conservative to a large church with 6000+ members that is very diverse but still convervative. I forgot to mention the medical center in my previous post. It is another great reason to live hear and a contributing factor to diversity because there are lots of jobs. I love Austin to visit but it is a more liberal culture in general. Dallas is also nice but Houston imho has more to offer.

One thing I like about the little algebra puzzle book I mentioned earlier in the thread is that it has the puzzles that don't use negative numbers marked with asterisks so you can do them first. Dragonbox introduced dd to the concept so she understand addition/subtraction but we haven't covered multiplication of negatives yet. I figure we'll do the other puzzles first and then cover that.

Thanks for the links. I am going to check some additional things out. Between the accelerated pace and the need to fight off boredom math curriculum is definately what we have the most of at our house.

I will admit to not reading all the responses so sorry if this is a repeat but Houston meets your criteria. It's very diverse, lots of culture but still the south and if you live in the suburbs you'll find it to be pretty conservative. Some suburbs more than others of course but it's the Bible belt. There's a church on every corner where I live. I don't want to get too specific on neighborhoods but if you want any information on the area feel free to pm me. Because of large employers like Nasa & oil & gas companies there are people from all over the world in Houston. The economy is also pretty steady here. Our house market hasn't suffered like a lot of the rest of the country and unemployment is low. The negatives about Houston are heat and mosquitos but you said you can handle that.

Trying the picture link again

We didn't do math today because dd had day camp at the homeschool store near us. I never leave the homeschool store without purchasing something:001_huh:. Today it was a skeleton game and an algebra math puzzle book. I figured we would add it in to the rotation. After dinner we played the skeleton game and then dd said let's try that puzzle book. She then proceeded to work on this for 20 minutes straight while giggling and having a great time. One time she was daydreaming and I said focus. She said, "mom, please don't say 'focus', it makes this sound like lesson time and lesson time isn't fun" I shut up and she cheerfully finished the rest of the page and asked if she could do some more pages tomorrow. I attached a picture because this is a pretty cool workbook. DD normally doesn't love math but apparently the picture at the top makes it all worth the effort. It's called Algebra Antics: Mindware's Best Number Problems by Evelyn & Susan Christensen. ETA: I can't seem to get the picture to work...will try again

We seem to be coming from a similar place. I am not in a hurry but I'm finding when dd is bored she hates math and I really don't want to foster that hate by stretching it out more than she needs to. Once we get past fractions and decimals using several programs concurrently and mixing in some puzzles/games should slow us down while still keeping it interesting.

Thanks for all the input. Today's plan (which is always subject to change:tongue_smilie:) is to go through Epsilon & Zeta quickly and then start either aops pre-algebra or mus algebra. I've decided we're going to watch a DVD lesson a day and do one page of practice and then move on to another lesson the next day instead of several days of practice. Since there is systematic review built in it will meet my need to be thorough but allow her to learn something new everyday to fight off the boredom. She's also going to mix in math puzzles, cwp, LOF fractions & beast academy a few times a week. We'll give it a shot and see how it goes. At that pace we should finish the rest if Epsilon and all of Zeta in two or three months (allowing for all our summer/travel interruptions). We can then start whatever program I decide to go with around October.

I'm going to read that thread tomorrow when my brain is more awake but dd tool LOF fractions to bed to read tonight because she saw it on the counter....she may insist on moving quickly with that and then want the decimals book. I'll also look at the "Key to" series. I just won't tell dh since I already have 4 or 5 different curriculums:lol:

I have no idea what we'll do after algebra. Every time I make a plan we end up doing something drastically different 12 months later so I've learned to just go with the flow. My planning extends to what comes next and that's it. We might do more than one algebra concurrently. I've found the bouncing around keeps her interest. She really didn't like singapore textbooks but doesn't mind the cwp.

I weigh 191. I fluctuate between 185 and 191 depending on how much eating out and traveling I've done in the last month or so. Before I had dd I fluctuated between 165 and 185 depending on how serious I was about healthy eating that quarter. A healthy weight for me (at 5'7 1/2) would be around 170 because I have pretty decent muscle tone. I am overweight because I eat more desserts and have more liquid calories than I should. If I eat right I lose weight relatively easily but I have trouble staying motivated because I feel pretty good, am in good health and exercise regularly. Plus dh has never been a fan of me being skinny. I normally play basketball for 1-2 hours 2 or 3 times a week and tennis another time or two each week. If I exercise 6 days a week I can pretty much eat anything and still lose a pound a week. If I exercise 3 or 4 times a week I maintain my weight.

Do you mean done with mus through zeta (decimals) or algebra? I've been debating which pre-algebra to start with. She really likes Fred and Beast Academy but mus is straight-forward and I am able to easily determine if she "gets it". She does math puzzles, dragonbox, beast academy and LOF for fun in her free time but insists she really hates math. I think what she really hates ismath worksheets and moving too slowly.

I have looked at hands on equations a few times and my end up trying it. We did dragonbox on the iPad and she loved it. Mus has pre-algebra and algebra. I haven't decided if that is what we'll do first or switch programs. Dd is 7 and probably would already be finished with mus pre- algebra but I spent too long insisting she do every worksheet:glare: I was new to homeschooling and in denial about how advanced she is and how fast she could go. One thing that I find to be positive about mus is the concept of algebra (problems like x+2=5) were introduced early on in the alpha level so to her variables are not a foreign or scary concept.

We already to cwp and beast academy. BA doesn't isn't going to cover anything she doesn't already know but she likes it. I know mus isn't the most challenging program out there but it is an efficient program to use for acceleration since it is mastery. Dd doesn't need tons of practice on a concept. We went through 20 lessons in Delta in about 2 weeks and then slowed down for the last 10 lessons. She's had no problem going from mus to cwp or other programs when we've supplemented.

Thanks for the suggestions. I think we'll start moving more quickly through Epsilon and see how that goes. Dmetler also reminded me that we have LOF Fractions which we should probably start. DD likes to read things in order and wanted to finish the elementary series first but she could probably do that in a week if I allow time for it.

Did you finish all basic math first (i.e. addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, fractions, decimals) or did you just address any gaps as they came up? DD is anxious to start algebra or maybe pre-algebra and is bored to death with math in general. We use MUS and have accelerated very quickly starting with Beta. We are now 11 chapters in to Epsilon. For those not familiar with MUS this means she has mastered addition, subtraction, multiplication & long division. I'm wondering if I should go ahead and start pre-algebra and do it concurrently with Epsilon (fractions) and then Zeta (decimals). Either that or we could just do a lesson a day and finish Epsilon and Zeta in about 7 or 8 weeks and start in the fall. Or we could just skip the rest of Epsilon & Zeta and dive right in to pre-algebra covering concepts when needed. I'm always afraid of gaps which is probably an irrational fear since I rarely have to teach dd anything.

I juice Kale and put it in smoothies but our favorite way to eat it is green eggs. We put Kale (or spinach) in the blender with eggs and then scramble them. Sometimes we add a little cheese or put the eggs on toast with cheese dor a sandwich. It is one of our meatless dinner options.

:iagree:

We have stayed at a lot of nice places on business trips but the Ritz in Key Biscayne Florida was hands down the nicest. The hotel was a vacation in and of itself and I don't consider massages, shopping or pedicures vacation either. There was a private beach with a "beach concierge" which was awesome. There were wine tasting functions, art shows, tennis courts, bike trails, a library/game room, incredible food...I can't remember all the details because it was 8 years ago. We didn't leave the resort for 3 or 4 days and it was a great vacation.

This thread is making me feel better. I have my first prenatal visit next week & I know we'll have to discuss my old age:lol: I will be 57. My answer a week ago would have been 49

We've battled ants at our house non-stop since hurricane Ike. What seems to help is treating the house outside all along the foundation, keeping it basically sterile inside like you mentioned and spraying vinegar water anywhere we find them coming in a room and spraying it all over shelves in the pantry regularly. That keeps them at bay but we haven't been able to completely eliminate them. I think we treated outside with Andro professional something or another. I know we had to try several things before something worked.

I see I forgot the link in the original reply. This is a link to make the sandwich at home without all the additives http://foodbabe.com/2011/07/24/chick-fil-a-now-open-on-sunday/

You might try this recipe. I made it and it came out pretty good. Next time I will use picked that are less sweet.