Oh my goodness! Sending out warm, healing thoughts to your DH, and of course to your DDs, too. And big hugs to you as well. :grouphug:

We switched to a weekly study binder this year, and we both love it! We used workboxes for K and 1st. In second we did a version more like "work folders" but kept subject specific boxes for books and manipulatives/supplies for the week. This year (3rd grade) I opted for the binder because we are on the road a lot. Our binder is divided by subject, with daily tabs behind each subject header. That way if DS wants to work ahead for the week, it's easy to do. (I can dream, right?) We don't do the same subjects every day, but that was easy enough to accommodate when planning the binder. I wanted this to be truly portable, and we don't do many workbook type programs here, so that took some tweaking. Obviously, the workbook type pages are a breeze - I had the bindings cut off, they are all three hole punched, and those pages live in their own binder until the week they are put into the weekly binder to be completed. The other subjects were trickier. Mostly I had the bindings cut off, and had everything three hole punched. Some things I bought in PDF format, too, and printed myself. Then I put any papers that DS will need (lab sheets, WWE workbook pages, etc) behind the daily tabs, but I also have a last tab that's called "instructor's stuff" - that has the instructor's section for the week. So for SOTW, he has the coloring pages, map etc under a daily tab, but I have the AG pages behind the instructor's tab. I did this for WWE, FLL, SOTW & AG, GSWL and RSO. For FLL and GSWL, I just separated the lessons for the week under the daily tabs. For math, we use a combination, so I don't have daily tabs for that - although it would be easy if we were using a more worktext type approach. Behind that subject tab, DS has a DVD pocket with the TT DVD, Times Tales DVD, and a few other math DVDs. He also has a card which directs him to LOF or a few other supplements. Generally, he knows he will do a TT lesson plus one other math activity - he just has to check his daily checklist to see what to do. For spelling, I only included the progress sheet for AAS, and we check off the steps as he progresses. I have toyed with the idea of whole punching the AAS book, but have yet to do so. :) I have a separate section in the back titled "Loopy Extras" (a title I picked up here!)... Behind that divider, I have tabs for Art, Character Building, "Surprise!" and anything else we might add in occasionally. I use Scholaric for planning, and each week I do any adjustments to the schedule and print out the following week's daily checklists. Those are 3 hole punched and put into the front of the binder. The Scholaric lists will tell him if he needs to pull out the laptop to watch Happy Scientist as part of his Science, or if he needs to watch a specific Magic School Bus episode (I put those in the binder behind the Science divider, in a DVD holder), etc. Wow, this all sounds complicated, but it is truly the easiest system we've found! Oh, and since I plan to reuse some of these books for DD, when the time comes, I store each subject in its own binder. I just keep what's coming up for DS in the front, and file anything we've already done in the back, all separated by a divider.

We use All About Spelling, and it has tremendously helped DS with reading as well as spelling. It is painless, easy to use, and it works for DS - which is what matters most. :) Using the combination of manipulatives, whiteboard markers, and writing on paper, along with the auditory component helps. And we use the cards to make games, to keep him moving through review, etc. Hope you find what works for your kiddo soon!

We've always used a bracelet, but DS has requested a necklace. The jury's out on that one. The sports type bands are nice, but sometimes fall off - be aware. We print text on it, and also have info on file if they should call. When DS was young, I also liked that they could call us, if we were separated at Disney or something. :)

There's probably going to be a grieving process for you, and that's also normal. I had a terrible time at first, thinking of all the experiences DS would miss. Like your situation, his allergens were directly wrapped up in my life, so much that they were almost part of my identity. Once you've grieved, maybe you will pioneer a gluten free grain co-op, and teach others to make yummy gluten free baked goods. Your DH will be wonderful taste-tester, since breads are a comfort food for him. :) Small comfort, I know, but one can dream... One thing DH and I found is that the foods that were once comfort foods for us, that are now on the off list... Those foods are not so appealing now. There's something about knowing that a food can make your child deathly ill that just makes it less comforting. That came with time, too. Hang in there.

We don't do anything made on shared equipment. If it says "may contain" ... It's out. There is no law stating that a company must list "may contains" so unless I know that a company is committed to providing that info, I'll either call directly or skip their product, so that adds another layer of complexity. Everyone is different. Our comfort zone does not include *anything* made on shared lines, even if they wash and sterilize. Testing has shown that there is still a chance of cross contamination, so we skip taking the chance. It's/ a lifestyle adjustment, isn't it?

:grouphug: You've already got the answers you need to this, so I'm just going to send support and say, "Welcome." The world of food issues is hard, and whole families have to make concessions. Being paranoid, especially at first, is normal and is part of the journey to finding your kiddo's safe comfort zone. If you *do* keep the grinder in a separate building, please don't forget to change your clothes before heading into your main house and spreading gluten particles.

Handprints (in fabric paint - buy it at Michael's) on white dishtowels. They wash beautifully, and last forever. Big hit here. Could do the same with potholders. Paint your own pottery places - the handprints on tiles like a PP mentioned, or handprints wrapped around a coffee mug. A stepping stone kit with handprints. Oh, wait, not if you're shipping - might be too heavy! Photo calendars. Framed artwork. Framed pics. Now is a good time to go get a great deal on a studio pic, get it printed and frame for the holidays.

Oh my goodness! You were worried a few days ago! I'm so sorry. I hope she breathes better soon. Big hugs!

What a great idea. I'd never thought of that. He seems to be breathing fine, thankfully. And the itching settled down within an hour or so. Whew. Thanks for the hugs & well wishes, Dana and TammyH!

I want to cry. DS has food allergies - lots of them. We deal with so many life-threatening allergies - it's a dance every day in the kitchen, and a big production if we go to one of the few restaurants that are safe for him. I call *every* company that makes processed foods or ingredients, but I make most of his foods from scratch. He also has a wheat allergy - a true allergy, not an intolerance to gluten or Celiac - though it manifests as asthma and eczema not anaphylaxis. (Yet, according to allergist.) On top of that, he has gobs of pollen allergies and his OAS is out of this world. Raw foods - he can only manage sliced apples, tomatoes, and lettuces. Until today, grapes were fine. Grapes are now causing throat burning and itching, into his ears. No feeling of throat closing. Aaaarrrrrggghhhhhh! When does this stop? I don't want to give him Benadryl tonight as he's scheduled for a food challenge in the doc's office on Tues am. If I give Benadryl it will take another 3 months to reschedule (he has to be Benadryl free for a week prior to the test). Just needed to share this with someone...

Nope, step-parenting is hard, hard work. Definitely not for sissies! My skid is 21 now (where does the time go?) and we sure went through a lot together. Whew. Smoms.org got me through it. All 12 years +. Cathryn Bond Doyle rocks! You might check it out - great, supportive forums. :grouphug:

I print this out for my planning binder also. We have Grade 3, and DS loves it. It is not going to last us a full year though, as DS is an art boy. If we did only one lesson per week, obviously it would stretch out longer. I think, too, that if I skipped some weeks and did holiday specific projects instead of HAS those weeks, we could stretch it the whole year. As it is, I plan to add in something else once we get through the lessons. Absolutely think it was worth it for the price, whether it lasts the whole year or not!

Thank you!

We use one for allergy reasons, too. Prelit is much easier! Make sure the branches are sturdy enough to hold ornaments. Our last came apart into 3 pieces, and those folded up. It was fairly easy to store and put together. I prefer the trees that look real... My favorite was our tree that finally retired last year... I bought it at the wholesale florist warehouse years ago. It was beautiful. Unfortunately, we no longer own a business to gain access to the wholesale florist, so we're on the hunt for a retail tree, too. I'm thinking of trying Costco, and our local high end garden shop. If you come up with other leads on good places to try, I'd love to hear them!

Yes. Write it all down, make notes for yourself. If you can also write down everything that's happened, everything relevant, to give to the police - they would probably appreciate that.

:lol::lol::lol: Yes. That is so true! Thank you for pointing that out. I crave more order, too, but seeing it laid out that way makes me appreciate my super creative family. We are not TV people, we don't often line up on a couch to watch TV. Even DH pulls out the easel and canvas fairly often. DS is always creating with paper - at least I've got him somewhat trained to use a "trash bowl" for the tiny bits! My mother visits often, and she is a working artist, trailing her supplies - metal sculpture supplies - wherever she goes. Wire cutters galore! OP, we too have a tiny house. 1200 SF, but approximately a third of that is DH's home office/studio. (Wow, I've never thought of it quite that way before, and it's enlightening!) We school in the kitchen and living room, and on the back deck and patio when the weather is nice. We use the library, the park, and I would love to use coffee shops but those are out due to food allergies. For storage, we have tons, just tons of bookcases. We do use a hallway in the otherwise off-limits studio part of the house for rows of bookshelves. Other than that, our books are in the living room on tall shelves with cabinets on the bottom to hold toddler toys and games. Every piece of furniture in our living room (aside from seating, hmmmm, ideas?) does double duty for storage. My teaching supplies & manipulatives, etc, are in a secretary type desk which DS uses as a writing desk in the living room. I am in the process of rethinking this system, but for now - adult-required science and art supplies are in a kitchen cabinet above a built in desk. Said desk has been converted to an art supply station - we use IKEA Trofast units on top and below it to sort art supplies. Beside that we have 2 Trofast units for specific subject bins (part of the modified workbox system we used last year), and science bins. Some drawers also hold toddler activities now that we have a little one on the loose.

:grouphug: I have one who presents like this, too. So glad you got an appt. Hope she feels better soon!

:iagree: We took DS to the pediatrician, who then referred us for psych testing. We met with the psych, filled out the forms - rating behaviors on a scale, etc - and then DS did a *lot* of testing with the psych. Homeschooling was not an issue. Although I think had he been in a school, they might have paid for the testing. FWIW, I fully expected ADHD an a diagnosis, for the same reasons stated by the OP. But what we got was... highly gifted, some ADHD tendencies but not enough to diagnose. Psych also felt that I had compensated well for the ADHD tendencies within our homeschool. She gave me more tips, and actually did help a bit. I stay very creative now in how we implement curriculum. :tongue_smilie:

:grouphug:

I wondered this, too. Also, I would ask for a test for Babesiosis. Both Babesia Microti and Babesia Duncani. Both can cause high fevers, but often get overlooked. Regular antibiotics wouldn't help. I know of several people who almost died before this was caught. It's often not on doc's radars, as sometimes people (docs) lump it in with malaria, and think of it as a tropical disease, rather than one that can be all over the US. ETA: I'm sorry. I overlooked the purpose of your post, which was to ask for prayer. If I overstepped in offering an idea, please excuse me. I'm sure your MIL has excellent care! Your MIL will be in my thoughts and prayers.

We adjusted most of our bills to come out closer to the paycheck date (in our case, the first part of the month). You can call companies and ask about that. Other than that, we just budget for the rest of the month. Once you're used to it, it's not bad.

My guy was like this in first, too. I used an online worksheet generator in the font we were using and first made copy work for him to trace. Then made worksheets with the copy work skipping every other line so he only had to move his eyes up one line. There's a great free site out there somewhere, I can try to find it for you, if you'd like. I don't have the same computer, so it's not bookmarked and I'll have to search a bit. I never put the copy work up on a board, but I don't think he would have managed that well at all.

Weekly cleaning lady. :) She does the major cleaning, we do the upkeep during the week. Lots of decluttering. Laundry daily. I have limited energy due to health issues, but even if I did not - educating our kids is my full time job. That is DH's take on it, and we both put that as our top priority. Next on the priority list is healthy meals. Next comes laundry and cleaning. We've got the top priorities handles, and we outsource the heavy duty cleaning to someone else. She doesn't do a perfect job, not the way I would do it, but her help means I can focus my energy on other things, or touching up little things she doesn't do, if necessary. I do think that if I didn't have such limited energy, I *could* squeeze in all the cleaning. There's time. But not energy. I physically cannot do it all. Non-physical breaks are necessary for me to keep going through the day. So I can sit down with a cup of coffee every few hours and check email or surf the internet, but I can't scrub baseboards or mop the floor and call that a "break." My body would just quit. We all do what we can.

We use them both, and find that they coordinate well. We don't do *every* part of FLL, if there is too much overlap though.