We don't even *try* to cover every subject every day. We do math and language arts every day and then we decide what we want to do--history, science, logic, etc. And we spend 2-3 hours at a pop with one of those. I make sure it evens out over the course of a couple of weeks. I feel like it gives us a chance to dig deeper.

I LOOOOOVED the Wizard of Oz books when I was a child. I had a good collection of them when I was young and loaned them to my sil when her girls were little. That was almost 20 years ago and frankly, I'm afraid to ask for them back. Coming out of my parents' house they were probably in a cat-pee stained box and I wouldn't blame my sil if she just threw them away. And it's surprising how hard it is to find the old...from the '70's...hardbacks. I also loved the old girls' series books: Nancy Drew, Judy Bolton, Cherry Ames and there was another I can picture in my head but can't think of the name of. I also loved Betsy-Tacy. Even more than Little Women I loved all of Louisa May Alcott's children's books. I really enjoyed A Wrinkle in Time but enjoyed the later books in the series even more. One book I never see make these kinds of lists is Mandy by Julie Edwards (Julie Andrews). It's a very, very sweet story. Though I really, really tried, I could never get into Anne of Green Gables even though I love the miniseries to death!

I can see myself writing something like that. But deep in my heart, I stopped at one because I was so incredibly surprised that I had the ability to love a baby AT ALL that I was afraid of pushing my luck with adding more to the mix. People have told me that your heart grows, but I never really believed it. Now that ds is 11 and I am 42 it's too late and I really wish I'd tried for another. So don't let the comment get under your skin for a second more.

I want the dh to install a new kitchen sink. This one is porcelain and all beat-up and the grout surrounding it is mostly gone. The little grout that remains is just BLACK with mildew. It's gross. I want some new LLBean slippers and I want some pretty, comfy jammies. And that's about it.

I'm not familiar with that curriculum. We use Caesar's English I and I use the comprehensive quizzes in the teacher's edition. The lessons have only five words or five word stems. Mondays we read through the lesson and ds (11) writes down the words or stems and their defininitions in his notebook that day. Then T-Th we do a quick review, only 5 minutes or so where I will use each word in a sentence and ask him to restate the sentence in a way that *doesn't* use the vocabulary word, or else I will say a sentence and ask him which vocabulary word he *could* use in that sentence. With word stems I use a word containing the stem in a sentence and then ask him what that word means. Each quiz is comprehensive--so week one had 5 questions and week four has 20, so it's been pretty easy to do a quick review every day. But I imagine once we're in like week 7 or so I'll be limiting our daily review to the last 3-4 weeks of words/stems. By then he'll have been exposed to the earlier words/stems so often that they'll be second nature.

We're using TT7 this year for my 11yo ds. Even that starts off with a review of computation: Chapter 1 deals with addition and subtraction; chapter 2 with multiplication and division. I would not be afraid to go ahead and start with level 4, but then take it slow where needed--maybe have your ds make flashcards of the multiplication tables and work with him for awhile with those as you get to that section in TT. The daily worksheets in TT include the types of problems seen in previous lessons, so there is constant reinforcement of previously-developed skills. Ultimately I'd like ds in something more challenging, and I really considered changing to a different curriculum. But for now I've decided I like it. It *does* build his confidence in math and I'm now supplementing it with Singapore word problems for variety and to get him thinking about math instead of just performing calculations.

I chose History Odyssey. History is one of those subjects where I feel like my knowledge is very scattershot and I wanted to give the ds (11) something really well-organized. HO has a daily checklist of activities; ds can really work very independently, though I do the reading beforehand so we can discuss what he's read and I can ensure he's getting the key points out of his reading. Also, I liked the wide variety of texts used. Not just history texts, but some of the great literature of the time, and fiction set during that time. I spent a fortune--I bought every one of the recommended texts new--but it *feels* like a really well-rounded approach. The activities include mapping, summarizing, outlining, essays and other things.

We just finished our 4th week, so I'm not ready for a break yet, but here are the things I *will* do when I am: --Send ds to work with dad. He loves it. Ds spent K-5th grade in public school, so we've definitely had times where we had no childcare over breaks and dh and I have had to trade off taking ds to work with us (obviously, I'm not working now). Dh and ds have worked things out over the years such that ds can keep himself entertained and dh can do his work. Dh likes, I think, having the opportunity to show off his son once in a while. It's not something I'll ask for too often though. --Take a break on the same day ds's public school friends have breaks. That way we can host a sleepover and help ds's friend's parents with childcare on those nonschool days. --Have a documentary day. We already have documentary afternoons on Fridays. Ds gets his work done in the morning, then we make a special lunch and popcorn and sit in front of a documentary or two in the afternoons. --Snow days. Ds wouldn't be at public school on a snow day, so I have every intention of letting him sled and build snow forts and do all the things he would normally do. When I worked I had the flexibility to take snow days off, so it was another scenario where the parents of ds's friends would drop their kids off here and know they'd their kids would be having fun and staying safe. --Day trips. We live 15 miles north of Seattle, so I can see taking a day off and going down to the city and going to a museum, going out to lunch, shopping, whatever. I will say, I've had a couple of days ALREADY where I haven't been up to teaching and have had no organized back-up plan (I've been having big problems with my stomach and just had an endoscopy on Tuesday), which may be more like what you're talking about--a day without a plan and without the will to make a plan. What I've done then is have ds do the work he can do independently that don't require me helping him or haranguing him to get his stuff done (like math), get ahead in his literature reading, maybe do some back-and-forth reading aloud in his MCT books (we're doing the Town series), watch something at least halfway educational that we've DVRed (Mythbusters comes to mind) and then set him free. Worst case scenario: He parks himself in front of a computer game. But most of the time he'll go out in the garage and tinker. He knows what he's allowed to do out there without adult supervision and what he's not. Last week when I was recovering from my procedure he went out and built a mock-up of his latest invention (a binder that converts into a folding chair) out of cardboard.

I tried, once, to get my husband to just heat up some chicken broth with noodles and some chopped celery. He seemed so baffled by it and acted as if it would be SO MUCH WORK. Sigh. I just keep a stash of Progresso chicken noodle soup for when I'm sick.

Chicken noodle soup or mashed potatoes and gravy.

I just bought the Aristotle text to supplement what ds (11) is doing in science. Over the summer ds got his Technician Class amateur radio license and is studying for the next one up. There's a lot of radio theory-type stuff he's learning, plus he and the dh are doing a lot of things out in the garage--building different-sized antennas to compare the range of reception, stuff like that. It's good science, in my opinion, but pretty specific. I wanted ds to at least have something more big-picture right now, even if it's not hands-on. I find it goes pretty well with our Ancient History curriculum.

I can come up with a single most pretty easily: Not letting ds (11) start the day in front of the computer. It's something I'm guilty of--I get up at 6 every morning so that I can drink my coffee and read the news and FB on the computer. I've tried being respectful of ds's urge to do the same thing--if I want a little time like that in the morning, why would I deny it to ds? But what ends up happening is that is that I have to pry him away from it and we start our day at loggerheads. And things seem to go downhill from there. So now I'm sure to be done and showered before he gets up. Things just seem to go more smoothly if we have a nice breakfast together and get down to work.

Just adding my voice to the advice you've been given: Get some antibiotics as soon as possible! Hope you're feeling better soon...

I was a Russian Lit major in college and we used the older version of the Leed & Nakhimovsky text for first-year language. This one had the Zyuzya (alien) storyline. It was a deeply strange text--the 2nd and 3rd year texts continued Zyuzya's adventures. I can't say it was terribly-well organized, but it was unforgettable! I still remember my first memorized sentence: Kokoga tsveta vasha planeta? (What color is your planet?) L

Are you having gallbladder symptoms? I had mine done when I went to the ER for gallbladder pain. It's not like an MRI; you're not enclosed. I was very well-medicated when I had mine done. I had IV pain meds on board. I was in there for about an hour/hour and a half, but I think normally it would be quicker. They add a radioactive isotope to your IV and wait a bit before imaging. They're looking to see the flow of bile from your liver to gallbladder. In my case, there was no movement whatsoever. The tech thought that the tension of pain might have been restricting normal muscular movements, so I was given *3* morphine boluses over the course of the scan. Obviously, there was no discomfort whatsoever. Since they'll have to set up an IV anyway, you might ask about pain relief (if they don't automatically give it to you).

Our morning/bedtime read-aloud: Rumo. HS reading: The Complete Tales of Sherlock Holmes. Last night I finished up a rereading of HP and the Deathly Hallows. Current reads: The Secret History of the World, The Children's Book (Byatt).

Our family's best friend just started a contracting business last spring, so while he was waiting for "real" clients we hired him to remodel a bathroom. He charged $45/hr for himself and his partners. The way he broke it down was that he was trying to average out the skilled labor (plumbing, electrical, etc.) at $60 with the less-skilled labor (demo, hauling) at ~$15/hr. I considered it fair. And I went into it knowing that our friendship is of more value to both of us than what he would charge and what I would spend, so we came out of the remodel with our friendship entirely intact. He did provide me with a written bid, that completely outlined what the bid included and what it didn't. We did end up spending an additional $2200 on upgrading our electrical panel, but it had to be done. And E learned that it's another thing to check as part of the bidding process. BTW, we are just north of Seattle.

I agree that the feeling in control thing helps a lot. I also have an 11 yo ds and this is also our first year hs'ing. I didn't start out organized--I wanted to get a feel for how much we could reasonably accomplish in a day. But I found that lacking structure, ds would balk and get distracted and drag things out. Now, every morning I write what we're going to get through on the wipeboard and it's up to ds how quickly he gets through things. I don't let him rush through his work--if he's reading something, he knows we're going to discuss it. If there's writing to be done, he knows I want to see complete thoughts and complete sentences. Some things, like grammar (we're using MCT Town), we read together and I put practice sentences up on the board for him to work with. But the structure, coupled with the independence on what he does in what order seems to be working well so far.

I've found the maps to be rather challenging to work with as well. Ds and I end up working together on the mapping activities, comparing the blackline maps to several other maps and approximating things as best we can.

A few weeks ago the dh and I bought a great big old bookcase that was salvaged from a junior high school. It's made of fir and has sliding glass doors with brass fixtures. I think it has a lot of potential...but I don't know where to start. Last spring my dearest guy friend started a contracting business and we hired him to completely redo our 1/2 bath and turn it into a laundry room (while still keeping it a half bath). He found a gorgeous, unfinished, solid, panelled door made of fir to use for that room, rubbed it down with linseed oil and put a clear coat on it. I love the way it looks and would love it if I could strip this bookcase down entirely and do the same thing. I know I need to hire someone to fix the glass doors so that they aren't so sticky. There's no way the dh and I could get them out ourselves. So that'll be the first step. The finish on the bookcase is so old...I can't really tell if it's painted a glossy brown, or stained a dark brown with a clear finish. Do I want to sand? If so, what kind of grit do I start with? I'm looking forward to this being a weekend project during the upcoming cold winter months...and no doubt asking more questions along the way.

Dh leaves the house around 6:45 and generally gets home anywhere from 4:30-5:30. It's a nice schedule. I like that we get to spend so much of the evening as a family.

For me, it is so interesting to read these stories. I thought I was alone, that no one had such a damaged mother as mine. What happened to women of that generation?

Mondays: 1-2: Ds (11) is taking a History of Ancient Warfare class at our Homeschool Resource Center Tuesdays: 1-2:15: Math Team at HRC; 4-5:30 home, but doing childcare for my good friends' daughter (she's 10 and has grown up with ds); 6-9 Microbiology lecture and lab (me) Wednesdays: 9:30-10 Piano lessons at HRC; 10-12 FIRST Lego League at HRC; 3-3:30 Piano lessons (me); 4-5:30 at home childcare Thursdays: 6-9 Microbiology (me) Fridays: 11:10-12:45 Advanced Orchestra at ds's former public school; I volunteer in there during class and help clean up afterwards while ds has lunch in the cafeteria with his buddies It's a little more than I would like, but ds is thriving on it.

I think your dad is hoping to give your mom a family to fall back on once he passes on. That's what my dad did. And I loved him, so I tried. Even though she left him for another man shortly after he was diagnosed with cancer. Even though he spent the last year of his life alone, in a pitiful basement apartment (my siblings and I lived in other states and visited when we could). I gave her credit for taking him to the ER when he suddenly lost use of one of his legs (that's when he found out the cancer had metastasized and that he had 6-8 weeks to live). I gave her credit for visiting him daily once that happened and for moving him to hospice care and for visiting him there almost daily the last 45 days of his life. I knew he didn't want her to be alone in the world once he was gone. And I was the only one of my siblings who would and could do that for him. It lasted two years. And then I couldn't do it anymore. When she left for the Peace Corps she sent me an email letting me know it was the last I would ever hear from her because I was selfish (I had foolishly asked her to consider getting a job, or selling some of her vintage clothing to help me pay for the cataract surgery she needed before heading to Africa), and that I should beware because eventually my husband and son would see "the real me" and leave me. She came home 3 months later with a lung infection, expecting me to take her in while she recovered. I just couldn't do it. I said no. I don't regret making the effort for my dad's sake. But in the end, it didn't work. I hope he understands. But I also can't recommend anyone knowingly getting themselves reinvolved in a toxic relationship. The only way I could try again with my mom would be if that she were able, very quickly in what would be a short conversation, to let me know that she was getting mental health care and *really* trying to deal with her demons.

This is our first year as a hs'ing family. Ds is 11 and would be in 6th grade. In his own way, ds is motivated to learn, but about the things he wants to learn and on his own terms. In 6 years of public school, however, there has never been a single thing there that has captured his imagination and made him want to delve in deeper. I brought him home for school because I want him to recognize the intrinsic *fun* in learning. It's something I want him to appreciate by the time he enters high school, because I believe it will make him a more successful hs student, which in turn will make him a more successful college student. Not that I necessarily *expect* him to want to go to college right away. I also don't necessarily expect that we will stop in the 8th grade. I like homeschooling. Our district's hs resource center provides us with a great community and other interesting opportunities for learning--FIRST Lego League competition and just last week he was invited to join the Math Team. I like that, already, in just a few weeks, how much closer our family has come--how much more time we're spending doing things together. So what started as a three-year plan become more open-ended. And I think for all of us too, we can plan to do it for x amount of years, but changing economic circumstances can change plans too. My homeschooling plans are dependent on my dh's ability to support our family without me helping him bring in money. I'm always mindful of and grateful for the opportunity we have right now to homeschool our son.