As I sit here reading up on the forum, my husband actually came home early from work. He and our son are giddily chasing each other around the house with Nerf guns now, completely driving the dog nuts but making me laugh hysterically. I love hearing my son laugh as he slides across the kitchen wood floor, all the while trying to nail his Daddy with a nerf bullet ...for some reason it just made my afternoon! The fact that my son is homeschooled, and was able to be here and just drop everything so that Daddy could come home early and play with him is priceless. I love this! :)

:iagree: It is really hard sometimes to make decisions that our kids rebel against, but in the long run, if we know it is the best thing for them, it can make it a bit easier. At 11, she does not know what is best, but out of your love for her and what knowledge you have of the current things that are going on, you do. :grouphug:

:grouphug: I understand your frustrations... just know that while you do what you can for your niece, your sister and BIL may not change until they have a reason to. You are a great Aunt and sister, and one day, your niece will be so grateful!

:001_smile:

:iagree:

No, just wondering why it seems so fascinating to everyone. For you, I understand the personal connection now... but it has been all over the news for the last few days, and we have wars going on and people dying and so many other crazy things to deal with. FWIW, sorry for what you went through, I cannot imagine that kind of betrayal. :grouphug:

:iagree: Well said! :)

Wow, really? So, my saying that I have better things to concern myself with than Arnie's love child was that offensive? Sorry, but I have a right to my own opinion on the matter too. Other people's lives are just that... other people's lives. It is awful that this affair is played out in the public because there are several kids involved who are going to be reading things like what we here are posting in forums and on bogs. They did not ask for it, and do not deserve the fall out. As for me, I feel more need to make sure that I am doing the things that I need to be doing and representing that to my son. Didn't mean to ruffle feathers.

I use M/D/Y, I guess mostly because this is the way we Americans were taught in school. I have never really thought too much about it though!

Praying! :grouphug:

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

I can't believe that this topic is so much more active than some of the others. I was looking through new posts and this one just keeps cropping up. I have not gone through to see opinions, but I think I have more important things to worry about! :001_huh:

:lol:

:iagree:

Oh I have felt this way at different moments so many times over the years. Then, I take a deep breath and remind myself why I started hs in the first place, and that I am experiencing so much with my son that I would never have had the chance to otherwise... and him with me. That is education in itself. He is learning what he needs to learn, at a pace that we set, in a time when we can help him the most. Do not beat yourself up... I think that we all go through this sometimes! It is because we love them so much and want the best for them.

Gracious... glad that you got it back so quickly and that it turned out okay.

Oh to be this organized! :) I think that I would go nuts trying to put that together! LOL I usually plan year to year, because there are always new things coming out and my son's interests and learning styles may shift a bit. However, if I could get a general plan put together for through HS, I think it would be a huge relief!

:grouphug: Nope, not too harsh! :) Just stick to it, and after a couple days, you should start to see a change.

I think that it is a very thoughtful and kind thing to do. In sharing her circumstances with you, it already means that you have a relationship that is a bit closer, and so I do not think that it would be awkward at all. Just let her know that you are doing it out of love and that it is something that made you feel really good too. Just let her know that you'd really like her to spend it on herself on something she will enjoy. A Visa gift card would probably be great, simply because she could use it anywhere, and if she had a couple dollars left on it, it could be used to put gas in the car or get groceries or something. Blessings to you for being such a great friend! :)

This soooo drives me crazy! I think that it also has a lot to do with how the group leaders lead, as well as how young people are being taught to treat others these days. It just seems as though kindness and manners are not things that a lot of people are teaching at home, and we certainly cannot depend on the ps to teach it! We work really hard to teach our son the importance of these things, and we get compliments in public... people are actually shocked that he will say yes ma'am, or open a door for a lady, or stand aside and let someone enter before him. Of course, he has his moments. LOL But I find it so sad that it is so uncommon that people act so shocked and come to tell us how rare it is that they experience a child with manners.

Whew! I have spent the last while going through this thread and learning so much. I wish that I had been utilizing this forum over the last year that I had been a member... there is so much knowledge to be had. I am struggling with some of these same issues with my son, and like you, it breaks my heart to see him struggle so much with this. My math skills were never truly all that strong either and I have to confess my patience level with him has probably decreased as the past year has stretched on. You all have given me a lot of hope and a swift kick in the pants, and for that I thank you! Here's to taking a step back, allowing my kiddo to breathe a bit and making this a bit more fun when we start back up. :001_smile:

My son, at 9, is exactly the same way. Oh my goodness, so much wasted time with the dawdling and squirming around and complaining about how long it takes... and then a light bulb about a week ago. Like you, I fear that by the time we begin next year he will have forgotten it again!:tongue_smilie:

Your list sounds wonderful. I have been thinking about the same thing the last few days, and trying really hard to remember that these summers with him home here with me will not last forever. I have been wanting to take some day trips and explore parts of the state that we have not been to before. My son has taken an interest in photography, so maybe he would like to take some pictures while we explore. Would love other ideas as well!

My name is Sheli... which rhymes with Kelly... and like you, I find it more trouble than it is worth on most days. But I would imagine if someone lived in a state which required more record keeping than mine, it would be more useful. :)

New to you, but adding my thoughts and praying for you and your family. :grouphug: