So knowing that they had been platonic friends for years before you met him, you would still require he end the friendship? I wouldn't be ok with them hanging out alone together, but she is happily married, he is happily married, and there is/was no alone time.

Hmm..our household is NOT very active most days. There is a 10 year age gap, so often I spend mornings working with my son or doing chores and my daughter tags along a bit, but mostly plays blocks/legos, colors, watches a leap frog video, looks at books, etc. Then after lunch she will watch a winnie the pooh movie on her beanbag chair, now that she doesn't nap, or lay on the couch and watch it. Days when we are super active she does still sometimes nap....today we had a big lunch then went to the science center, and she napped in car.

Hmm...my reason for thinking she doesn' t need it is that she sleeps 11 hours either way. Either a 2 hour nap and 9 hours at night, or 11 hours straight at night. So....it isn't like having a nap means more sleep for her. If I REALLY forced an earlier bedtime, even with a nap, she gets up earlier...oftentimes resulting in less overall sleep. (so say she goes to bed an hour early, she will get up two hours early in the morning!) So for those that say yes, need a nap, would that apply to a kid that sleeps the same number of hours, with or without a nap?

LOL, well, the only reason I know is that when we got married he was surprised I enjoyed tea so much, as his ex's hadn't. He had thought it was him. I was able to assure him it wasn't. That's why I know. And yes, we have a lot in common, she even homeschool's their kindergarten child. As for why he is friends with her, they remained friends after breaking up, for years, before I met him.

In my circle of friends there are several kids that dropped their nap around 2 or so. So when nap became a huge battle, and would make bed time stretch out until past 10pm, we tried dropping it with good success. Now she is passed out by 9pm at the latest, sleeps until after 8am, and is waking less often at night. When my mom mentioned nap I just said oh, she has dropped it for the most part...and she started to give me a guilt trip about how much sleep she needs, that it is too long to go without a nap, that until they are 4 they often need one.....etc. My daughter NEVER slept as much as my son, ever. Even as a newborn she didn't nap as much. Am I crazy, or is it fine to drop at this point?

But in the case of a recital, does that mean the child in the recital has no parent to watch her, after practicing all year?

thanks! I think my son will really do well with a lit based program, and will retain a ton. The books are too upsetting for me, some of them, but he will do well with them.

oops, one of those pics was supposed to be this one....

After dreaming of using Sonlight for 7 years, we finally are! This is Core H, which arrived yesterday!!!!

thanks everyone. It went very well, and we had a good time. (her husband was there too, if that wasn't clear before...in fact he wants to go out for drinks tonight with my husband, they have always gotten along well.) It wasn't awkward, and she isn't quite the supermodel I had built her up to be in my head. I also know that their relationship was not great, and, if nothing else, they hardly ever had tea, and she really didn't enjoy teaparties, if you know what I mean, so I just repeated that thought to myself on the way there....DH and I have GREAT tea together :) But seriously, it was fine. I did get a bit emotional right before we left, and said that I should get chocolate if I don't have a hormonal pregnant jealousy moment today. He was totally confused, and couldn't figure out why I would be jealous or insecure. God love the man, he really couldn't understand....but his lack of understanding helped in its own way. So it was fine, and I hope he is bringing home chocolate, lol. (he went to pick up a birthday present for my oldest).

sometimes what works in this situation is to have a litter box or rubbermaid bin and put a towel in it, then just change/wash the towels. Not ideal, but better than the alternative! (cloth diapers would work well and be easy to wash and hold up long term)

I'm guessing she didn't leave because her daughter would be heartbroken to have mom miss her recital.

my feelings are petty. She's a great person, and she and I have actually become friends of sorts on facebook, and chat often. so this should be enjoyable, if I can keep myself acting like an adult.

Today my family is going to hang out at the science center with my dh's ex girlfriend's family. I am a very jealous person by nature. I know...it's sinful, but there it is. Add in to it that she and he are still very good friends, although via email/facebook because she lives in GA and we are in FL. They are visiting, and we are equally pregnant, but she got pregnant at her thinnest weight ever (tiny), and I got pregnant at my highest weight ever (obese) and I'm feeling insecure. Not that I think anything would EVER happen, I know he loves me, not her, blah blah blah. But I could use some prayers to help me act nicely, and not be insecure or cranky because of my insecurities. Oh, and any extra prayers that my Aspie son does well with the crowds/new people and doesn't do anything that embarrasses us, or causes dh to be embarrassed, would be great.

http://www.memoriapress.com/descriptions/Copy-Books.html

Get the roomba. Our Costco has the pet one for under 300 dollars. It has changed my life. Seriously. I'd sell an organ to keep it. I have 3 big hairy dogs and had the same issue with hair. I think the hairballs were hiding under the furniture every time I vacuumed. The roomba goes under the furniture and avoids that issue. It is seriously awesome. Oh, and it gets right along the baseboards, better than a regular vacuum. Cleaning it is super easy and fast, and the Costco package comes with 3 extra sets of brushes, so you don't even have to clean it right away if you don't want to.

Whatever he has he needs something with an actual keyboard for typing papers.

Check out New American Cursive, from Memoria Press. The have a few levels and I think one is bible verses.

Well...I live in a 1450 sq ft house, and it is the biggest I've had, so your downsize would be an upsize for me. Sounds like a GREAT plan. 3000 sounds like way too much to clean.

Well, we just got back from a huge statewide homeschool convention. We kept remarking on how outgoing and polite all the kids were. It was crazy. So I don't think it is an issue.

Map Trek, from Knowledge quest. Biblioplan also has nice maps.

2 hours for summer for a 1st grader? Daily? That seems like too much. Generally people do 1 hour per grade level, I thought, even when doing full school. I'd do 1/2 a day and make it fun, or not do it. But that is from someone who gave up the idea of year round school for the very reasons you list. If I WAS to do year round with a kid that age it wouldn't be every day, and over the summer I'd be sneaky and do math games, educational computer games, read alouds, etc....

:iagree:

And that is horrid, and no woman should allow that situation to continue. Ever. My husband has a half brother, that he views as a full brother, and basically raised him himself. I knew what kind of parent he would be, and that he didn't view relationships by the blood in someone's veins. But more to the point, you seem to be advocating an isolationist lifestyle, if that makes sense. That marriage, even first marraiges, are not worth the risk of pain. That any relationship isn't worth the chance of pain. That seems so sad to me. Also, my son wasn't asking for a step parent. He didn't want that. But he was too young to know, and he is so grateful now, and I'm sure he couldn't imagine his life without my husband. eh...we are social creatures, and i think it is natural and good that we surround ourselves with other humans.