How do you know there are 53 posts in her siggy? Where do you see that? I read something about hybrid views, but from 2008....are you in a different reading pane view? If so - how do you change it? And - while I'm picking your brain - when I subscribe to threads, I'm not getting the daily email notifications I'm requesting. I check which email and the type or digest/response I want, but nothing...got any suggestions? THANKS!!

HERE!

what does this little jewel do?

still checking, don't mind me.....now seeing how to pull quotes from different people in a thread.. overcoming major fear of public embarrassment here......thanks for not throwing tomatoes and laughing... :party:

again still testing - no reply needed....:D

trying to figure out the QUOTE feature....how does it work!

When I subscribe to threads - I'm not getting emails...anyone know why? : (

I'm new, too. I like to call our style "Classical Un-Schooling"...DS likes the ring to it!! When we manage to do HS, it's classically based, but when DS isn't there, we hit the interest-based, child-lead learning for a bit until he's ready to jump back in with a ready and cooperative brain. I think, from what I have already read in this forum, you could call yourself "Flying Purple People Readers" and no one would even blink! I get really intimidated sometimes, when I read about what other HSers are doing (in those nifty tag lines in the signatures..where they list 14 types of curriculum for each of their ducklings)...and then I remember that they don't do THAT every day....silly me! I have already found a group of moms of only children here....I really thought I was the only one in the whole world! Just the fact that there's someone else like me out there makes me smile and feel encouraged! I'm sure when I dig deeper..I'll find some moms of little 10 year old boys who would rather never do school and play sports and forts all day.....I can't wait to talk with those gals!! My son has a processing speed delay...I'm sure I'll find some moms of those kids here, too. I think this is the Noah's Ark of the Homeschooling Community...where everyone is respectful and the rules are enforced. I love the fact that the ACTUAL person after whom I *TRY* and model our basic HS style is on this forum and checks in periodically...to even answer some of our questions! That's cool!! Good luck connecting with good support here! I'm sure you'll find it! : )

Oh, this would be neat! Please do add it!! I'm new and ALL over learning this forum and taking it with me!

I know what you mean about receiving valuable support from your friends, neighbors and support groups...I like to say friends are the family you choose. My sibs and I are spaced 7 years in between each ..me 40, sis 46 and bro 52. We were never close due to age differences. My sister and I are pretty close, now, but she's never been close with my son due to her own issues and life choices that I do not judge. My brother is his own person with his own family - relatively uninvolved in our day-to-day lives. My parents were older (by 70's standards - they were 32 and almost 40) when I came along and have not been a real presence in my DS's life due to illness and old age fraility in the past 10 years. My son has a great network of friends and playmates. It's a good life we have and we are out there, doing it..this life thing. It's not easy, some days, to do the go, go, go pace of life. I look at it as an investment that will payoff 10-fold in the future. I try and focus on the fact that he will not NEED me forever and soon may not even want to be SEEN with me as a teen. It will come full-circle as he grows up ( I HOPE ).

Oh - thanks..That does help. While your helping a newbie....Does the big POST REPLY button at the far left do the same thing as the little QUICK REPLY button over to the far right....ie do the replies land in the same spot....just tacked onto the bottom of the whole thread? Reason for asking...when I went searching for my 2 posts on this entire Hivemind Forum, mine was at the top...sort of buried, as opposed to landing at the bottom where it's easy to locate. Is there a tutorial or help spot somewhere on here that can help me out without me bothering you and other members? THANKS!

I just spent several minutes reading through posts that I 'THINK' were made after mine. I spent 20 minutes trying to FIND this thread, I thought I subscribed, but had not. Please be patient with me figuring out how to navigate this forum. I'm trying..really trying and it's SO confusing and makes me feel so old and out-of-touch.... Stuff just pops up all over the place, so I'm not exactly sure to whom or where I'm posting/responding, but here it is: You all sound so heartfelt and involved! What an amazing and positive group of women...I'd love to invite every one of you over for lunch and tea for what I know would be hours and hours of sister chat!:001_smile: There's such a resource in this group - I hope to learn more about you all!

Oh my stars...now I see my post...and your very kind response!! Do you know why did it stuffed its little self up underneath your post versus making a nice, big box of it's own? Oh dear..the utter frustration of all this stuff!! : )

I made a post to your thread and it's not here. I'm new to forums and the blog world...and this is why I don't bother...I try and never get anywhere. Did you receive my post personally...how was I to post it publicly? I want to be a part of this community, but I don't see a rulebook or how-to book. Any help you can offer is so much appreciated.

I am new here and mama to DS age 10. This is my very first post -I'm so glad to read all of your posts. I really thought I might be the only HSer with one kiddo!! It can be strange in the HS world where families have many (often many, MANY) children. For those of us who have wanted more, but the universe had other plans, it's very emotional. Sometimes you feel judged, not only because you have ONLY one child, but judged because you spend your time and resources on HSing your one-and-only ...just to have him/her called spoiled and you called indulgent. My kiddo is SO very social and would have really enjoyed a houseful of sibs....even if he was arguing or debating them! He craves social interaction 24 hours a waking day and no matter how hard I try, I'll never be a 10 yo boy!! We have a rocky relationship..he's a smart kid, a bit high need - always has been! We love him for the world, but he drains us to the core most days...even at 10! We have worked very hard (mostly me - DH was deployed a lot when DS was a baby) to be sure DS has always been around and interacting with other kids. To us, this meant a good deal of time away from home. Had there been sibs at home, we may not have been on the go as much. that same pattern, although necessary, continues today and makes me pretty tired with little time spent at home accomplishing my home agenda. We have thought about adoption, but the expense is prohibitive. We also considered fostering-to-adoption, but have so many fears about that process and that adding another possibly high-needs child into our family mix could be detrimental to all of us. Follow your heart, if you think you want more, then don't wait. We did and now, we can't. I agree with several others who have said that having no more children is easier to regret than having more. My biggest fear is not that my DS will feel the lonely burden of our care when we are old - we intend to provide for our own needs. My biggest fear is that he will feel lonely without adult siblings to share his life with...we stay close with his cousins to help keep a strong family bond in tact. I don't know that I'll ever get over my fear that something could happen to DS before our own passing and we would not have any other children. You will find the right choice!! Good Luck!