I blog mostly our "school" activities but I also put in anything else that I might put in a journal. I've tried many, many times over the years to do a handwritten journal and I've never kept it up for very long. I type much better than I hand write so blogging is perfect. The only back ups I've seen for blogs involve paying someone to bind it. I've been copying all my posts and pasting them into a Word document. I do it every 2-3 posts so it doesn't take long. I do paste them in order so the oldest post is at the beginning and the newest post is at the end (opposite of the way they are in the blog). I plan to eventually (maybe once a year?) print off the pages and put them in a scrapbook/binder of some sort. If my journaling becomes more personal I will probably set up a second blog and keep it private.

My husband is very happy today - Duke is his team. I'm less happy at everyone staying up until after 11pm last night (and littlest dd still woke up at 7am).

Claritan never worked for me at all. Allegra worked well for me but I stopped it while I was pregnant and nursing. Benedryl works great for me but I usually take 1/2 a dose (just one pill) to avoid the drowsiness unless its bedtime. Zyrtec doesn't seem to work for me. I have allergy induced asthma if I don't keep it under control so its been important to me to find things that work. Right now what's working best is Singulair on a daily basis and Sudafed (the real one - pseudoephedrine - that is now behind the counter) when needed. I reserve Benedryl for when I'm really, really bad (usually in the Fall) or want to sleep well. It is true that Claritan, Allegra and Zyrtec all need to build up in your system to work well. So, they need to be taken every day regardless of whether you have symptoms or not. (Ex-h is a pharmaceutical rep and has "sold" both Allegra and Claritan). Unfortunately the only way to tell what's really going to work for you is to keep trying things.

My oldest is in our public high school. It is a wonderful school - both on paper and in reality. It's one of the top high schools in the state (consistently in the top 5), its a magnet school for deaf kids and has tuition students every year (its preferred over many private schools). I recently heard of someone who bought a small house that they did not live in, so that they could have a mailing address in the district. I don't know as much about our elementary school (its a K-8th school). My son went for Early Intervention when he was 3 and that program was wonderful. I hear great things from parents in the neighborhood but I don't think any public school, no matter how wonderful, is the best fit for my son's personality and learning style.

My son recently did something similar with 5 x 10. He's very interested in number patterns, clocks, addition, etc. Since he's very young, with a very short attention span, easily bored and frequently wants to do things his own way - I've found MEP to be the best fit for him (after looking at and trying many things).

We love MEP here. We currently about 1/2 way through Year 1 so haven't been doing it long but it works wonders for my son (although I have looked through other levels when researching it and I belong to the Yahoo group). I looked at MUS, Miquon, Singapore, Houghton Mifflin (public school program) etc. because he wanted to do Math every day but can't handle a lot of writing, has a short attention span, is bored easily and likes to be creative (not follow directions exactly - he isn't even 5 years old yet). The mix of activities in MEP really keeps his interest and he's learning a lot without being bored or feeling overwhelmed. The gentle introduction of concepts, the mix of presentation (some writing, some hand-on, some discussion, some visual) is great. I've found the writing portions of the lessons are easily adapted to other methods (using stickers, stamps, etc.) but that the amount of writing is not at all overwhelming regardless. The parts of the program that use multiple children to illustrate concepts are easily adapted to using stuffed animals or toys. The program is online so there could be a lot of printing but I have seen people who don't print the teacher's manual but use it online. I do print it out since having the computer anywhere near would be a distraction for my son and I like to note how a lesson went in the margins of the teachers pages. It's mostly black and white (except the posters) so the ink use isn't too bad. I plan to gently start Reception level with my daughter in about a year.

Thank you for replying. I do agree that television, video, computers, etc. need to be limited for many reasons (lead to obesity from lack of exercise, short attention spans, etc.). The other threads just seemed to frequently mention the isolationism as the main problem but as long as its not getting excessive I don't see why television, etc. are worse than other escapes. Does every activity need to have academic value in some way (nothing mindless)? I know after a long day with hours of physical activity and intense academics, my daughter often wants something completely mindless to do. Sometimes she reads but if she doesn't have a book on hand she'll "veg out" in front of a movie. I often feel the urge to do this myself but my fluff of choice is often romance novels (which definitely have absolutely no redeeming value whatsoever).:D I know different people (including children) will have different needs for alone time. As Night Elf mentioned, some are introverts/some extroverts. I just wondered about the people who seemed worried about their kids hiding out in their rooms. Since we are here on a homeschool board I would assume we are very active and involved with our kids on a daily basis, so an extreme of isolationism would be less likely to occur regardless of what electronic entertainment was available. I'm not sure I'm expressing myself well so I hope I'm not offending anyone.

I've been looking through the threads on kids having televisions and video games. I lot of responses have mentioned concerns about not wanting kids to have too much time separate from the family. I know when I was a teenager, I needed time away from my family. Time to just relax, read, daydream (we didn't have a tv, computer or any video games of any kind). Without that time, I probably would have had some real problems with depression. My oldest and I spend a lot of time together - we'll sit together and watch a movie, we discuss books, go shopping) together and we spend large amounts of time in the car - which is a great place for conversations. But, she also likes to spend time in her room alone after being around people all day at school and dance. How many of you have teenagers (I think teenagers are more likely to want alone time than younger kids)? And do you limit how much time they are allowed to spend in their rooms, even if its reading or doing something constructive? Do you force a certain amount of family time each day? or do they seem to prefer family time to being alone?

My kids have tv's in their rooms and my teenager has a laptop. For my oldest, she went through a very hard time when I divorced her dad and wound up with joint (week on/week off) custody. The only way she would sleep in her own room was falling asleep with the tv on and when I remarried when she was 10 it became necessary for her to sleep in her own room (not appropriate for her to sleep with me and her stepdad). Her tv does have satellite but with anything rated Mature or R blocked. Her laptop/internet is also restricted and I frequently check and make sure she hasn't figured out how to bypass things. She goes to public school all day and has dance 4 evenings a week plus Saturdays so doesn't spend a lot of time in her room anyway. She loves to read and gets good grades so I don't worry too much about the television. My youngest two also have a tv in their room but we don't have a family room, basement, den or any "bonus" rooms in our house. The farthest point in their bedroom is only 10 feet away from DH and I sitting on the couch and their bedroom door is always open. They mostly watch dvd's and mostly after dinner when we're all settling down getting ready for bed ("quiet time"). I know when I was growing up I spent all my time alone in my room with a book. We didn't have any television at all until I was in my teens but that didn't stop me from spending time away from my family. Every family has its own set of needs and circumstances and we make our decisions based on what works for us as individuals.

We have less than 800 square feet with 5 people and a large dog (and only 2 small closets). The biggest issue I have (besides the clutter which could be solved by getting rid of junk) is the lack of quiet space. It is impossible to be anywhere in my house and have quiet. You can always hear a television, or someone talking, or kids yelling. Just something to consider. We don't want to move because we are in a wonderful, quiet, dead end neighborhood with a real community of people who work together, socialize together and help each other - yet we are less than 10 minutes from major highways and easy commutes for DH. We have an excellent school system (my oldest is in public school and we're planning to give the younger ones the option when its time for high school). Eventually we plan to rebuild on our current property but we're not looking to do more than 1200-1500 square feet total. Our main issue is we don't have enough bedrooms (only 2 right now).

I got my first when I was 32 years old - to celebrate my divorce - it's a Native American dreamcatcher on my left shoulder. 8 years later that's my only one but I'm thinking of getting something with my three kids names (since I know I'm definitely not having more). I love that yours has meaning. Very cool.

I know, I was shocked when she came up with forensics. Although, my degree is in Biology and dh (her stepdad) is in Chemistry so at least we can help her with coursework if necessary. I definitely never had anything that I felt passionate enough about to spend 10,000 hours at except reading. And that wasn't done to get better at it (although I tested a college reading level in 6th grade). My daughter is about to turn 16, has gone to PUBLIC school her whole life and is currently at approximately 9,360 hours of dancing - not counting performance time and will certainly hit her 10,000 before graduating high school. That would be practice hours only. In all honesty - she's never going to be a prima ballerina. Ballet is not her passion - she does tap, jazz and musical theatre, in addition to ballet and pointe. She's probably good enough to dance on Broadway (her old dance teacher is a Rockette) but there are thousands of dancers that are just as good. So, while I've always encouraged her to continue dancing I've also always emphasized studying something that will lead to a satisfying career (once she was in high school anyway, she could call it a fall back position if she wanted - the career life of a dancer is pretty short at best). We didn't encourage, transport and pay ($$$) for her dance because we thought it would lead to a lucrative career. It was something she loves, that keeps her in good shape, taught her responsibility and gives her a lot of poise and maturity. We can never know which of our kids passions may lead to a career but I think we should encourage them (without pushing our dreams), even if they are never more than a hobby.

I've definitely spent my 10,000 hours reading. We didn't have a television until I was in my late teens (and I grew up in the 80's) so I spent a lot of time reading. Our local librarians knew my brother and I by name. It's still what I do...constantly. Before getting remarried, having more kids and becoming a homeschooling SAHM I was pursuing a teaching credential. I don't know if public school teaching would have satisfied my needs but homeschooling definitely is even as young as my kids are. I love researching, compiling lessons, reading aloud. I was a docent at a local zoo for 10 years, including teaching classes to new docents and I greatly enjoyed that. My younger kids are pretty young to have any passion but my oldest has been a competitive dancer since she was 4. When she first started it was just a cute, fun thing for a little girl to do. I never thought it would still be her passion 12 years later. She has averaged 15 hours a week for 12 years and has no desire to quit or slow down. (wow, I just calculated that out and it still hasn't hit 10,000 hours). She's planning to minor in dance with a major in either fashion design or forensics. She realizes how hard it is to make it as a dancer so wants to teach dance to kids while working in another field. Of course, she's still young (almost 16) and things may change.

I loved Lord of the Flies and Charlottes Web. I enjoyed Dante's Inferno and liked Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. I liked the Scarlet Letter. I definitely lean toward the Science Fiction-type classics - 1984, Picture of Dorian Gray, Brave New World. I liked the Iliad and the Odyssey (I love Bulfinches Mythology). I could not stand Pilgrims Progress (the most boring thing I've ever had to read). Walt Whitman was boring and weird ("I am a transparent eyeball"- 30 years later and I still remember that line.) I think the early American writers were by far the hardest for me to get through. Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass I enjoyed as a kid but as an adult - Lewis Carroll was definitely doing some heavy drugs. I agree about Pinocchio - even the Disney movie is scary and depressing. I never had to read Moby Dick and probably never will at this point - I know enough about it to understand literary references. I never read any of the Little House books but I loved the television show. :)

Old movies should definitely be safe - there's nothing objectionable in them. Wizard of Oz Sound of Music (although its LOOOOONG) Anne of Green Gables My dd LOVED Enchanted. I love the message - the princess saves herself instead of waiting for the prince. :-) I haven't seen it in awhile so I don't remember if there may be any iffy parts but I don't think so.

We buy things as we need them (I'm always ordering more books). We're currently using a free Math program so we will just print out the next level when we need it, I buy Manipulatives as they come up and I see a use for them (I just ordered an abacus and a geared clock). I'm using a free Phonics program (progressive phonics) with ETC workbooks - I'll just buy the next as we finish each one. Right now we are doing Unit studies for Science and History/Geography so I order things as we need them but in about a year we'll be starting Real Science Odyssey and History Odyssey and I'll buy the new "year" whenever we finish the old one. I like this method because its a lot easier to come up with $25 or $50 at a time rather than $200 all at once. Plus, I love shopping so this way I get to have the fun all year long. :D

Sounds like you're talking about Tangrams. Melissa and Doug also have a few different sets - one easier/one harder that they call pattern blocks. Amazon search shows a few different types. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=tanagrams

My oldest daughter and I are very close but we never did any formal rituals. I always made sure I was there for her to talk to, had time for her when she needed me and didn't brush off her questions or concerns ever. We do spend a lot of time in the car because she is a competitive dancer. Her studio is about 45 minutes away from home plus there's the competitions themselves. We often have some of the best conversations in the car.

This is why we no longer go to the town Easter Egg Hunts. To many of the kids are way too aggressive. My son is not aggressive at all and he had other (older) kids push him out of the way when he was reaching for eggs. He'd end up with one egg and get upset. We do a Hunt in our backyard Easter morning for just our two little guys and my Mom's Club does one where each kid gets a set number of eggs so they get to have the fun of a Hunt without the aggravation.

He had a year of occupational therapy while he was in Early Intervention. Didn't really help. They were able to occasionally get him to participate in messy activities (they liked to do painting with shaving cream), he used to be worse with the waterfalls, but nothing gets him to eat something he doesn't want. They often used different foods doing exercises as part of the therapy and he was very frustrating to them. Other than I would like it if he would eat some different foods (although that wasn't my oldest dd's strong point either until she was 8 or 9) none of it really affects his daily life in any way.

This sounds like my son too. He's very sensitive and emotional, hates getting his hands dirty, hates certain sounds (waterfalls, even quiet ones bother him), hates the sun in his eyes and is an EXTREMELY picky eater - will never try new things, not even candy. I don't consider any of this a disability. Just little quirks of his personality.

For smells I usually use baking soda and vinegar. Sprinkle baking soda inside and on the lid, then add vinegar. It will bubble up and can usually remove some pretty strong smells.

I'd go but probably only with another adult or teenager along. Your kids are pretty young to be able to handle it if you went into heavy labor without another responsible person along.

Check with your vet. Ours recommended shaving our dog as he got older and didn't handle the heat as well. Samoyeds are originally from Siberia and are not adapted to warmer weather (ours prefers hanging out in the snow). Probably not as big of an issue with a Border Collie.

Sounds like my son. He never progressed beyond individual words and making babble sounds. He started Early Intervention at our schools when he was three and within a couple months was talking much better. He was declassified at the end of the year. He had speech therapists, occupational therapists, and 3 special ed teachers/aides in a class of only 6 kids. They were never worried about any other problems since his speech was the only thing that seemed "off" (most of the other kids in the class were autistic). He still mumbles some words and pronounces some things a little off but most people say they would never think he had a problem (he never stops talking and talks to everyone he meets). You mentioned your son was a visual learner - my son is too. A VERY definite visual spatial learner. He's learning phonics, loves math but is a lousy listener - he has to see it to learn it. If you are concerned, then get him tested but I've found that some people just love trying to make you think something is wrong - they seem to think it makes them sound intelligent. You know your son best.