Our church uses what they call "care groups". They meet once a month, and they are divided by where people live. That way you can make connections with the people in the church who live nearest to you and can help you out in a pinch.

Oh last tip: if this is your first trip, plan well! My favorite planning aids: disboards, TourGuideMike, Touring Plans, Ride Max. (Google any of these. I don't know if I am allowed yet to post links or what types of links are prohibited.) I'm a lazy planner, so I like Ride Max. Disboards is a free forum with folks who are really helpful and are serious planning pros. TGM and TP are both paid websites, but I like them both for different reasons.

Being a total Disney freak, also with three kids, I can tell you where you can stay with a family of 5. Yes, it's strict. It's not Disney's rule. It's the fire marshal's rule. Port Orleans Riverside All Star Music Family Suite Fort Wilderness Cabins Polynesian and Grand Floridian have a few rooms that have daybeds. You'll automaticallly get assigned one of these if you book with a party of 5. I think Boardwalk Inn does as well. After that, you are looking at Villas through Disney Vacation Club, which can get really pricy. If you got a free dining PIN code/offer, the cheaper your room is the better the deal is for you. I'd go with POR if your 7 year old isn't tall for age. I have stayed at POR, GF and ASMu. My verdict: GF, POR, ASMu in that order of preference. GF gives you access to the monorail (as does the Poly, which has great kid-appealing theming), which gives you super easy access to EPCOT and Magic Kingdom. That alone is worth it with little kids. Going back to the room after lunch to take a break out of the hot, humid Florida sun is a blessing which has no price! POR only shares its buses with POFQ, which is a tiny resort right beside it. So, the bussing isn't too bad, but you should allow about 45 minutes to an hour for transportation time. POR has beautiful, peaceful theming. ASMu. I hated it. The buses are shared with the other All Stars. They are crowded. The lines always seemed to be longer. It always seemed like I saw at least 2 buses for Grand/Poly/Contemporary while waiting to go "home". I also loved ASMu because that experience plus the DVC tour convinced DH that it was time to "buy" into WDW!! Thank you, ASMu!!

Remind me to use my Christmas fund to buy up 30 of the hot new toy (whatever "it" is this year) and sell them on eBay for 4x retail because "TRU and Walmart are all sold out and I overnight, guaranteed delivery by Dec 24". Then help me convince my kids that Christmas really is going to be in Feb '11 due to unseasonably warm weather at the North Pole. :tongue_smilie:

There's a sucker born every minute and a fool and his money are soon parted? Sort of like on eBay where people bid an item up to over twice the retail price for an item currently available in retail.

Get her some coloring pages for anatomy classes. I think there are some websites that sell some that are more directed to the younger ages, but don't be afraid to teach her the proper names, in a matter of fact manner, for the sensitive areas of the body that people tend to be shy about. I would foster her love and fascination of the human body and its frailties. While, I didn't go to med school (my original intent before getting married and having babies), I did go back to school when my children were small to become an RN. I love my job. I feel that it's more of a calling than a profession. Most days, it doesn't even feel like work! Whenever we were allowed to choose someone to write about, I frequently chose female pioneers in medicine. Biographies and stories about Florence Nightingale, Elizabeth Blackwell and others. I read everything I could, both fiction and non, about biology, anatomy, biochemistry, medicine, nursing, etc. Encourage her to read. The material can get more difficult as she gets older, but every bit of information she learns and retains now will simply get continually reinforced over time as it is essential to the basic framework of biology, anatomy and physiology.

Just check to be sure you're meeting any requirements that the state puts on you. I think my state requires US History, Economics/Government and state history.

He with closed mouth gathers no feet.

This is both a flock and pastoral issue. If the pastor isn't walking what he talks, neither will the congregation. And if the pastor walks his talk, but fails to shepherd, lovingly, the flock he tends, he is still the most responsible party. And of course, the flock itself has issues if they are unwilling to provide for the fatherless. I know you aren't widowed and the children's father is living, but he abandoned his family. For all intents and purposes with regards to the church, it is their Christian duty to provide aid to your family. I don't mean leeching from the church. But aid when and where needed. Which also means sometimes you need to tell people what kind of help you need. I'd be very hurt by this. I would talk about your feelings with your pastor and if he is unconcerned, I'd find another shepherd.

Oh, I'm so glad to find another full time nurse! I've gotten lots of discouragement from the well-meaning, but thoughtless, who tell me that it's not possible to work FT and homeschool. Seriously? There's 10.5 hrs each week where there's not at least one parent home. Some weeks, when I work a night shift and DH's off day is the next day, that there's only 7 hours that week where they are cared for by my sister, who lives right next door. It can't be that difficult when there's only 7-10hrs per week with no parent present. And those 7-10hrs they are still sleeping and then eating breakfast.

Hi all! My name is Amy. I have 3 kiddos: DS10, DD9 and DS8. They are presently in 5th, 3rd and 2nd grades at the local public schools. Because of the state of the local public middle schools, that is absolutely not an option whatsoever. Due to work schedules and financial obligations, private school is not an option. Which leaves homeschooling. My kids are not really very self-directed. I know I will need to be sitting at the table with them making sure they are working and not goofing off. However, I want to utilize self-teaching/learning type materials as much as possible because I recognize the importance of being able to learn independently. (I survived nursing school, which I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy!) I was considering utilizing multi-level materials for both science and history in order to minimize the time required. I was considering Apologia Science or God's Design and either History Revealed or Mystery of History. I would simply place all three children into the same science and history curriculum until I need to split the oldest one off into middle/high school subjects, like American Government, Biology, etc. (I am having him "repeat" 5th grade at home due to some straggling this year. I plan to test him forplacement both in his language arts and his math and place him appropriately.) Thoughts? Because I am a nurse and work 3 nights a week, that means we will have 4 full school days each week and the other three days each week would be simpler activities, not unlike the reading they presently do in their free time. My husband works days, so there is very little time that one parent or the other is not home. That time is covered by my sister babysitting for me. It amounts to 3.5 hours each morning after the nights I work until I get home at 8:30ish. (That's 10.5hrs each week for the bean counters out there! ) My sister stated that she and her children didn't like Apologia's Astronomy book, but that it was due to the children's reading levels. It was too far above her youngest one and the text was not engaging to listen to it being read aloud to him. This concerns me, however I understand the books, which I've ordered, are popular and hold a decent resale value. If Apologia doesn't go well, God's Design was to be my next choice. Thoughts? For history, they've already had "social studies" up through their current public school grade levels, which I feel should have provided them with a basic idea regarding communities, etc. So, I've decided to start into real history with them. I've been looking at Diana Waring's History Revealed and the Mystery of History books. I haven't ordered either of these yet. Thoughts? For math, I've already ordered Math Mammoth through a group buy. I ordered it on CD, since I am having some minor PC problems and fear the impending replacement would cost me the loss of any materials I download. I plan to give each child placement tests, but looking at the tests, I can already see that my oldest will not pass the 5th grade test. He may even fail the 4th grade test. For grammar, I was looking at KISS grammar or perhaps Easy Grammar for all of them. Maybe moving into Saxon grammar with the oldest one later into the year. I plan to review phonics with them as none of them were taught with a full phonics style of learning to read. All of them read a "grade ahead" of their present grades. I don't put a lot of faith in the public school's powers of assessment though. My oldest can not write very legibly at all. His writing still looks like a 1st grader's. I plan to work intensively on that with him. I haven't researched any writing resources though. Thoughts? For Bible, I found some free Bible curriculums online. Wow! That got long! Blessings to those who read the whole thing! Gratitude to those who choose to reply with their thoughts and advice! Amy (If the above looks familiar, I have posted it on one other forum as well.)