Hello to all the Mommies who juggle it all... I feel a bit odd asking for help with this, because I know so many of you juggle multiple kids. I am HSing one child - first grade, just turned 7. He's our only child at home. For the most part, everything we do is very intensive one on one... We have a lot of fun, we do a ton of projects. We also have a very flexible schedule, and I suspect that's about to change. We don't have a set school-time during the day, but just do what feels right through the day - we take breaks for play and reading aloud often. I have a weekly file set up, and we do the next thing till we finish what I'd planned each day. For the most part, we are on target for our year. DH and I have had a sudden gift - the stork will be visiting us in 9 weeks! [We are sooooo excited!] We have been planning another adoption, but didn't think it would happen quite so quickly. Now I am pondering how to handle the next 2 months - and beyond. Do I try to speed up with DS, and cram in as much as possible? Or just plod along at our normal pace while getting ready for the baby, and plan to fall behind a bit once baby arrives? And once baby is here... Can someone tell me about HSing with a newborn in the house? How is it? Are there tips or tricks? Is this a time to think about re-thinking curriculum choices for next year? It seems like most of what we do is fairly teacher intensive - Right Start Math, AAS, SOTW, our science, and more... but at 7, isn't everything teacher intensive anyway? It has been so long since we've had a newborn! I'm going to have to re-learn quite a bit about that, too. Any tips on that will be welcome, too. :)

Now I'm inspired to pull it off the shelf - thanks! Alley, I'll let you know when we've used it - about the time your new CD arrives and you won't need a review. :) We're in Northern-ish VA. Picture No VA, pass a few cow pastures, and there we are! Are you in VA?

We've been using R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey Life, and have been enjoying it. That is for my peace of mind, so that I don't feel I'm missing something critical. My science-minded kiddo (1st grade) would just die if we limited it to only Life this year though, so we follow a lot of rabbit trails. Lots of library visits and online searches to find interesting info and experiments. We check out every discovery type museum we find when traveling, too, which has been a lot of fun. We also supplement with Lentil Science - which was quite an experience to set up, but now that we have it all together it's a great activity. And, of course, we have the "science bin" full of safe science exploration tools - accessible all day.

:bigear: So glad you posted this... I had forgotten all about the CD - which is sitting unopened on a shelf!

I love our Continuous Ink System! I attended a talk by Sue Patrick (the workbox lady) and she suggested this as an option for less expensive printing. A laser printer would be great, but in the meantime, our CIS has liberated my printing. I even allow the kiddo to use our copier to make copies of his own artwork, books etc... You can google it, but basically it hooks to your printer cartridges and refills from a well on the outside. There are a few options to try, but you can google your printer model and see if there is one that will work. I think ours was in the $75 range, and I have been copiously printing since August. Eventually, I will order refills for the exterior wells, but for now - no need. It has been fabulous.

I've no experience with goats. But have given myself penicillin injections into the muscle. Do you have a specific needle for this injection? If so - it is probably the correct length. I would put it all the way in. If you're going into muscle, and you've found a muscular area - shouldn't have to go too far. Good luck.

Small whiteboards - love them. Giant dice - love those, too. We found a counting ball at Five Below - it counts bounces. We used it a lot in kindy for counting practice, and it was great for eye/hand coordination too. Target had some $1 games that I picked up recently - those have a been a nice change during the day. Giant chalk - we do a lot outside when the weather permits.

This is only my second year homeschooling, and we're only into first grade - so I'm not always the best resource for what's worked consistently because I'm still figuring this out. I lived with CFS, fibromyalgia, Myofascial Pain Syndrome and then an MS diagnosis for 5 years - till a very astute doc figured out that I had undiagnosed infections. It's taken me 5 years to go from bedridden house-hunting for a one-level house to living again. I'm not 100% now, by any means, but we manage. I still have Addison's, Hashimoto's, PCOS, chronic migraines, and a few other issues as a result of having had undiagnosed infections for so long. Just grateful every day that I can walk up stairs again! And I'm hopeful that these remaining issues will become more manageable with time. Like the above, I take very, very good care of myself. Homeschooling for us isn't negotiable - we are committed. And it has to happen. So we have a different system. I see the threads about daily schedules, and ooooh, do I wish we could do it that way. But it's not possible, and we do what we can. We do a lot on the couch, on the floor, on the bed... anyplace comfy. And we do it in spurts throughout the day. Because my adrenals don't function, it takes me a long time to get moving in the morning. So my kiddo has morning play time while I commune with a few cups of espresso. Then we do a few lessons, take a break, do a few lessons, take a break. We do the essentials first - math, reading, etc. When we break - we read aloud, we play games, the kiddo builds or creates... We listen to a lot of audiobooks. So it is generally educational, but not necessarily part of a curriculum. Like the above, I follow "do this next" type curriculum to be sure I don't miss anything. And I supplement a ton with fun stuff, my favorite being anything that I can get the kiddo started on then let him have at it while I get some rest. There are days when not much happens, and then days when we just fly through everything and get a ton of extra stuff done. So it evens out. DH does Science Saturdays. And he works from home, so if I have a "nap emergency" I can count on him. DH also does piano lessons, and in a pinch can cover most anything I do. Oh! And if you can implement Quiet Time - it's wonderful. But honestly - I have found that the best thing I can do is figure out my personal best time of day and capitalize on it. Right now - my best time is 2 pm till 6 pm. So we do the majority of our work then. I know it's unconventional, but it works. If that "best time" changes - I'm sure we'll adjust. Oh... And we've made a lot of changes over the last 10 years just to keep living easier with chronic illness. We love our crockpot. We freeze extra portions of meals, we keep a stack of paper plates in the cabinet for the really bad days. We eliminated house plants. We automated all of our bill paying. We pay for a housekeeper (thank goodness we can afford it!). There are a lot of little tricks that add up to make life easier. You might also talk to your doc about supplements. There are some helpful supplements. And when I was really in the thick of it, Provigil - taken sparingly - was helpful, and got me through the day when nothing else could do it. Good luck. You can do this!

Wait... Did I write that?? Substitute dogs barking for the bird, and that's our house. We are not up and at 'em early people here, so our day starts later, after many infusions of caffeine.

Field trips! I am a glutton for field trips! At the moment, I am pondering an overnight trip to Philly for the opening weekend of the Silk Road exhibit. We don't have to go, but it sure is a good excuse for a family outing. Ink - we switched to a continuous ink system and the savings has been spectacular. Paper, card stock, art supplies - we go through more than ever before. Time - I admit that I enjoy planning, but there are times I'd like just a tiny bit of that time just to do something, anything, else. Have to figure that one out.

I haven't heard the same comments, but I can see them in old friends' eyes. 20 years ago... I was a field archaeologist. I trekked long distances and camped every weekend. Now my big outing is to the park for a playdate. Seriously, I never thought I'd be a stay at home mom. Never. Neither did anyone else! But I love it, and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Maybe when someone comments, you could throw out a, "Yes, I have - thank goodness!" comment and embrace the change so they can see that you are happy? Just a thought. I have friends who will never understand the choices I've made. They are still living off the grid, filming documentaries and world traveling. They see kids as balls and chains. We get together once every five years as traveling allows, and I see their eyes glaze over if we talk about the munchkin too much. We've gone different directions. As for camping every weekend, my DH has made the same comments. I have issues like yours, and our solution has been to explore non-camping options while I try to get back on my outdoors feet after an extended illness. We've stayed in cabins so we can go on day hikes, car camped semi-locally (not my favorite, I am not a car camping kind of girl), and I've sent DH out camping with the boys. We've also moved and our current area doesn't leave me with a pounding desire to be outside in the same way that our last area did. He needs to have his outdoorsy needs filled, even if mine are now less.

You will do what's right for your family. Trust that whatever decision you make will be right for you and for the baby. Ooooh, but my heart is pounding just reading your post! DH and I are in the midst of our second home study, and then we'll again be waiting for a call. In the interest of this thread - I'll out our ages - I'm 39 and DH is 40. And we are actively hoping to adopt again!

Like the above poster, I'd be cautious on consuming it. My son with multiple food allergies was not allergic to coconut oil, then began developing hives on his hands/wrists when using soap that contained a coconut derivative. Then the tell-tale (and scary) throat symptoms started when he consumed coconut oil. He now has a confirmed coconut allergy - bummer. For us, it was one more in a long list of severe allergies - so it didn't change our lifestyle considerably, we always have epipens, etc on hand because he's anaphylactic to many foods. Have you checked to see if it's definitely the coconut oil and not another ingredient? Put a small dab on her inner arm, maybe, and check it in half an hour?

Thanks for all the replies, and for the honesty. :) After reading everything - and the links provided as well (thank you for those!) - I have a plan. We are going to try the bookshelf method for the square games, in the hope that this will keep them semi-organized while in plain sight. I am relieved to have found an option other than the Ziploc bag method - that was not appealing, but I was considering it for space reasons. I'll do some rearranging, and maybe this will solve part of the problem.

So sorry your daughter has Lyme. I hope they caught it early, and checked her well for co-infections. Even if her co-infection tests were negative, you might want to familiarize yourself with pediatric symptoms of them and keep an eye out, as there can be false negatives. Some co-infections require different types of meds. I've had 4.5 years - yes, years - of abx treatment because of Lyme and co-infections. I know - there's controversy there. But I have a great, great doc, and have been off abx now for 2 years. The strides I made were amazing - so it was needed and worth it. (I can walk again!) Anyway - as for probiotics... VSL #3 is wonderful. Theralac is great, too. And in a pinch, I use Culturelle. Please consider adding in Saccharomyces Boulardii - a beneficial yeast. It can help to prevent developing C. Diff while on abx. C. Diff is a serious and hard to treat GI infection. S. Boulardii can help to prevent it. Very worthwhile. It's available in several forms, or you can even pick it up at CVS. Florastor is a common brand, and has been well tested. Oh, and do take them 2 - 3 hours away from the abx.

We are swimming in games. We love games. Games are adding a lot to our school day, and we are amassing quite a collection. But we are very short on storage. We currently have them stored in a chest-style coffee table. It's not a bad system - we have them on their sides, rather than stacking them. But it's difficult to get to some of the games due to the shape of the chest (they tend to stay out of sight out of mind), and if there are any drinks spilled on the chest... We have to pull everything out and dry them off (if the drinks spill down the cracks where the chest opens)... I have done this one too many times! A game closet would be ideal - but we don't have that option. Any other ideas? I have a few cabinets that we use to store bins of playmobil, and could move the games to the cabinet... but then we are left with figuring out where to put the playmobil! Aaaaahhhh, it never ends.

I have not attended the ones this January - but thanks to your post, just registered for "Flashcards: There Is Another Answer." Perfect timing, as we have been feeling the need to play more games here lately. I did attend a RightStart webinar last fall - different topic - and found it gave me renewed enthusiasm for the program. Hoping that this one will do the same, as we've been in a slump here. Thanks for the heads up!

That's it. The out *there* part is unbelievably painful. Waiting for them to be ready for help... It gives one a deep, deep ache in the chest... I'm so sorry that there are others in this place... Hugs to all going through this pain. May all our children come home (not literally, of course, only come back to making good, solid choices in life). TXMary, I hope that your son's situation is not so extreme, and that it is resolved soon in the best way for all of you.

TXMary2, your post resonates so strongly with me. You are not alone. DH and I have a 19.5 year old - he is DH's from a relationship prior to our marriage, and I have loved him and helped to raise him from the moment we all became a family - and before that as well. He always lived with us, and we tried hard to model good relationships and behavior for him. We have a long history and a lot of love between us. He now (as an adult) lives with his bio-mom, who is a struggling, unmedicated bipolar. And he has simply gone off the deep end. He's been making terrible choices - and his therapist has made it clear to us that it is indeed genetic (he is now a diagnosed bipolar also). There is an addiction component as well, and that is also genetic - on biomom's side, unfortunately. DH and I have never had to deal with substance abuse before, so this is new for us. We are walking a fine line trying to balance between helping and enabling. If he lived in our home, I think (no, I know) we would enforce the rules listed by Hen Jen. And there would be clear consequences laid out in advance for breaking those rules. One of those consequences would absolutely be moving out if the rules were broken X number of times. As it is - our kiddo is enjoying his freedom in a way we never pictured, and there isn't much we can do. It hurts, but maybe it's part of the process he needs to grow up. We have had to stop providing financial help, as the money is inappropriately spent more often than not. It has been one of the hardest things we've ever done. I could write volumes about the experience at this point - it has been truly heart-wrenching. So I understand what you mean about wanting to help but not enable. I think if our kiddo were living here... Maybe we could set up boundaries and a safety net for him, that he doesn't have now... and that might help. Not having him in our home has made us very helpless to facilitate his getting help. But then again - he's not ready. I hope that your kiddo can sit down and talk with you about your concerns, and figure out a way for all of you to co-exist peacefully and respectfully. Hugs to you.

We love most of the above. And we have another sweet favorite: A You're Adorable - this is a song we sang to our munchkin, and finding it in a board book was very special. It was a first birthday gift that he - still, at 6 - pulls out for snuggle time. It's available on Amazon.

Oh! Wow! Standing ovation from this mom, too!!! I rarely post... But reading about your daughter's experience made me cry. We spent New Year's Eve in the ER with our son. Anaphylaxis is terrifying. It was my first time giving an epi - and thank goodness that helped until the ambulance arrived. Just reading about your daughter made me so grateful - again - for everyone who helped us. We do so much to keep our kiddo safe - and this time never found the source of the allergen. It hit home how vulnerable we are, even in our safe zone. We truly depend on our emergency care helpers. Please thank your daughter on our behalf. Please tell her how grateful we are for what she does!

I'm very new here still, but wanted to say that the police can definitely send this letter off to the forensics lab. If you can, stop handling it (a little late, I know) and put it into a gallon ziplock bag. You don't have to physically take it the police station. Just call the non-emergency number, tell them you have received a suspicious letter containing threats, and they will send a police officer to your home. The officer will file a report, and take the letter to send to the lab, if s/he thinks there is a chance of finding info. You can ask the officer to make sure that the police will be driving past now and then to keep an eye on your house. And - added bonus - if anyone *is* watching you, they will see that you have contacted the police. Oh... and you might consider calling the post office as well. They would take this seriously, and your carrier may be able to stay on the look out for more suspicious letters. Could be worth a shot.

Oooh! These are yummy, and no peanut butter (my son is allergic): Our family calls these Nummy Balls: 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal 1/4 cup sugar 6 tablespoons butter, softened 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract Powdered sugar or Pearl sugar for rolling Combine butter, sugar, oats, cocoa powder, vanilla. Some recipes call for a tablespoon of coffee, and that sounds yummy, too. My son mixes these with his hands, but I use the mixer. Lazy Mummy. Roll into balls about the size of a meatball. Roll balls in powdered sugar. Put them in the fridge for 20 - 30 minutes, then enjoy! ETA: This isn't my exact recipe, but it's very close - I found it searching online. Seems about right, though.

Someone else reminded me... DH once gave me a year of coffee in the morning. Not once did I have to make the coffee. He either made it each morning before I got up, or made sure the coffeemaker was programmed and set up each night. It was heavenly. My absolute, all time favorite gift!

This year I am giving DH the Sketch a Day Journal, a nice set of pencils (still need to decide which one), and Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking. In his stocking, he'll have a BPA-free travel mug, and a selection of espresso pods for his travel espresso maker. He will also have tickets to see Blue Man Group (everyone in our family will have these in their stocking), and now I'm thinking it's time to check on hotel points here too! Love the calendar idea, as well...