I found the Baby Whisperer books very helpful as an adoptive mom to an infant. The BW has a way to set a schedule and is supportive of bottle or breast feeding, and so it can be more inclusive to adoptive parents. Congrats to your sister!

Our domestic adoption was through an agency, and so I can't talk much about private. But a good list of adoption attorneys can be found here: http://www.adoptionattorneys.org/

I bought A Living History in the spring for my third and K girls. Now that I see Elemental, if it were just for a K or first grader, I would do Elemental just due to the price and simplicity. However, ALH is great for my older DD. My younger just needs more help with it.

Hugs. It can be so hard to hear tough things about your child. Please visit the SN board. There are many of us there who have typical and SN kids!

Just a thought on Preparing vs CTC. If your daughter mostly fits skill wise with Preparing, could she do some independent reading to help her stay somewhat connected to the history cycle? Preparing is only four days a week, which would give you an extra day to add in as needed. BTW I have a son w/ DS and hope to use LHFHG with him some day!

I live in the suburbs outside of number one. Moved here ten years ago (dh's hometown). He had severe asthma as a child. My oldest DD just got diagnosed. And I just was issued an inhaler for "bronchial issues"at age 41. Hmmmm.....

Math Ninja. There's a Lite version, also.

Thank you! These all look like great ideas!

Just wanted to add -- this is for non-homeschool things. I already have a school notebook.

Hello! I'm trying to set up a central notebook or area in our home for all of the schedules, to-do lists, phone numbers, etc. I am initially thinking of a 3-ring binder but am interested in what other people do! I'm hoping this will help with household info, as I'm starting to take classes myself, and my DH and a trusted caregiver will need to know routines, contacts, etc., when I am doing school. Any ideas or links you have are welcome. Thank you!

Heart of Dakota. Very user friendly!!

Glad to hear that GW is starting to cooperate! This is essentially the plan we used: http://www.bedbugbattleplan.com/content/blogcategory/16/33/

We had bedbugs almost two years ago. It was horrendous. DD brought them home from camp. Several months and thousands of dollars later, we finally got rid of them all. I will post a few things here, and feel free to PM me for more info. -- Heat is the only thing that kills bedbugs. A dryer on high heat for 30 minutes will kill them. -- Contact a reputable exterminator. -- Go buy some giant ziploc bags and/or clear garbage bags. Put every piece of clothing and linen in the dryer for 30 mins at a time, then move immediately into a bag and seal tightly. For most items, we used big bags and cable ties. Then I picked about five days' worth of clothes for the big ziplocs. Toss anything you don't want. Seriously. Our entire top floor (bedroom level) we heated clothes and packed up completely. We lived out of our five day bag and then had a separate "dirty bag" (sealed to prevent anything getting out) that would be laundered regularly. Yes, I did this with three small children. It was horrible. -- We bought a Pack-Tite, which is a huge heater. Some exterminators rent them. We put everything that couldn't go in the dryer in the Pack=tite, such as clothes, toys, etc. The good thing is that now my husband puts his suitcase in there after he travels. We bought all new mattresses, or you can buy special bedbug proof covers. We steam heated every inch of the bed frames, dresser drawers, carpet, etc. It was a nightmare, but you CAN get through it. Good luck.

Thank you all so much for your comments and support. Today is a better day. We had Henry's eligibility meeting, and the same people who wrote those tough-to-read assessments just gushed about how cute he is, how well he is doing, and how they want to help him get the right support to do well in preschool, etc. Yes, it is SO hard to see the black and white. But those low numbers helped get him the help he needs. Thanks for sharing and caring! Blessings, Gwen

Hello! I'm an occasional poster here. I homeschool my older DD's and hope to homeschool my son, Henry, who is 2 1/2 and has Down syndrome. For now, my husband and I have chosen to see if he qualifies for a special ed preschool located in the elementary school right near our house. We have heard fabulous things about the teacher and program. The asst principal of the school has a son w/DS. We feel like this is the right place for Henry in the fall. But to get there, he had to go through evaluations. And I got the paperwork to read today in prep for the eligibility meeting and IEP. Oh, my goodness. It is SO hard to read about your child in terms of numbers. And his evaluators were sweet, competent people. But to read that your child is in the single digits, percentile wise, is hard. So, yes, I had a little pity party. Went to visit a friend, and while our kids played, we cried together. It isn't fair. Henry is so beautiful and wonderful. Numbers don't capture him. But then I wiped away the tears. Trying to see the right thinking here. The low numbers may mean he gets MORE help. And no assessment can capture my lovely, hugging, blessed son. So I'm gearing up for a good meeting...but also hoping that people see my son for more than who he is. Thanks for reading and letting me vent! Blessings, Gwen

I've been using SL books to supplement our study of American history. We use another main curriculum (Heart of Dakota Bigger), but when it has reading time scheduled, I bring in some SL books like Squanto, Matchlock Gun, Johnny Tremain, Courage of SN, etc. Most of the books I bought here on the Sale board, used but still in good condition!

Yes, I will pray for you. I, too, would like a fourth, and while our circumstances are different, I can relate. I would like to adopt, and my husband is against doing so again. He is fine with three and doesn't want to mess things up (his words). It's good to reach out, to know you are not alone. HUGS.

What about - pasta with chicken and veggies - add a can of black beans and some cumin and make enchiladas or tacos

Just wanted to say how cool this is for me to read! I have a 2.5 yo son w/DS, and I've been unsure about whether homeschooling will be something I can tackle. I love reading your posts. Thank you!

OK, total novice here. Reading in amazement, wonder, and blessing. Heard of these things in passing, long ago. Grew up in a very conservative setting, in a suburb of Washington, DC, to parents who were completely un-crunchy, but now I live in the country and am trying to do better for myself and the world. Any advice for a 40+ woman w/endometriosis, plus 2 C-sections? Think the moon cup will be too long, given my familiarity with my parts. Lunette, perhaps? Also...laughing internally about any men who may have stumbled upon this post. TMI, for sure!

Since my son's situation is chromosomal, I actually don't mind the medical term (trisomy 21), but I really dislike the term Down syndrome, since the person whose name is attached (Dr. Down) called people "mongoloid" and "idiots" at the time. But I love the idea of just forgetting. It is a great thing to do -- just focus on your kid! Reminds me of something I read recently about an older man who has T21 but who said, "I used to have Down syndrome." http://skiingthroughlife.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/i-used-to-have-down-syndrome/

Awesome!!! BTW -- LisaK - I'm an hour south of you!

Congrats! My oldest is Isabella Caroline. Caroline Elizabeth Caroline Eliza Caroline Faith Caroline Elliana Caroline Annalise Caroline Michaela Caroline Rebecca

Great suggestions so far. You DO have a lot going on!! - Love the idea of looking to see if you qualify for respite care. It has made a big difference for me. - I try to find fun things for the kids to do while another is in therapy -- card games, simple workbook page, etc., that still are somewhat school related. - I try to have "therapy days" for appointments. I try to have Mondays and Wednesdays devoted to school time, if at all possible, and do therapy Tuesdays and Fridays (and sometimes Thursdays). This helps me and the kids know mentally that Mon/Wed is definitely a day to focus on school. - I assign an older sibling to have time with my toddler, allowing me one-on-one teaching time with another child. Five year old can watch Signing Time with brother for 20 minutes. Big sis can read a book to brother, etc. Good luck. Best wishes. You are obviously doing well because it sounds like some things are going well!

It is very hard to maintain patience, kindness, gentleness, self control, and all the other things. I agree with what others have said about taking care of YOU, too. Somewhat of a side note, I wrote about this idea of patience and not losing it recently for a blog -- Myth of Supermom (Christian content in the blog). Blog link is in signature.