If they are claiming to be a homeschooler, but aren't teaching their kids, yes. Sadly, I've met some of these, and their kids were not getting an education. If moms don't feel the calling to homeschool, that's fine by me; however, I still think it's a parent's responsibility to be involved with their child's education in whatever form that takes. You don't have to homeschool to be involved in a child's education and learning. Ria

I did, but not with external pressures...they were internal ones, lol. I had expectations for myself, and I worked hard to achieve them. For example, I expected a school day to be structured and not be sidetracked by other things in my life (laundry, friends, errands, etc). It took discipline to consistently meet my expectations, but I did it. I took educating my kids very, very seriously, and worked hard at it. I don't think you would call me a relaxed homeschooler, lol, but I got the job done and the kids got a great education (and, lest you wonder, they loved being homeschooled as well!). I've moved on from homeschooling, but I see the rewards of my 15 years of hard work every day. :) Ria

Cheryl, I'm so sorry. I will pray for your family and all who knew and loved Jeremy. :grouphug: Ria

What's done is done, and yelling and screaming won't fix the Hummels. I'd superglue the heads back on, pack them well, and put them in the attic for a few years. Unless you can keep them in a locked case it's just not realistic to expect them to survive a houseful of young children. When your youngest is 12 get them out again and it will probably be safe for you to display them. Pam is so right - kids are more important than any thing. Your kids aren't confessing. They might never confess. Believe me, the one who did it knows and won't forget. Pack the stuff up, don't yell, and calmly tell the kids that you are sad that the figurines are broken but realize that you shouldn't have had them out in the first place. Then move on. Ria (whose dh broke his mom's antique Hummel collection when he was a boy and his mother did just what I'm suggesting. Those Hummels stayed in the attic until he was a teen!)

My five sons never wrestled or were physical with each other. We didn't allow running in the house, so if they wanted to play tag or something it had to be done outside. Physical contact as part of playing didn't happen...they just never did it. (Physical contact as part of being mean, ie one kid hitting another, did happen. Not often, but it did) Ria

Hang in there, Laurie. This isn't all that uncommon, believe it or not. Dh's dad found out he had kidney cancer just like your dh...went in for a scan related to gall bladder and they noticed something small on the kidney. Like your dh, he was told he had cancer and had to have the kidney removed. He's just fine now, and it's been almost 10 years. I'll keep your family in my prayers. Ria

LOL! You've got a great sense of humor. I'm so glad you and your family are unhurt. I hope the house is repaired quickly. Ria

LOL at the "hell no" bit. Too funny! I wish I had some advice for you...maybe just get her some dolls at Goodwill until she outgrows this? Ria

Oh, this sounds fun! Can I join you, too? I don't have a preference...just tell me what to read. Ria

Here's the reading list for his 11th grade Honors English at the local public high school: A Long Day's Journey into Night (O'Neill) Another O'Neill play of the student's choice Picasso (Stein) Tender is the NIght (Fitzgerald) The Fountainhead (Rand) The Bald Soprano (Ionesco) Death of a Salesman (Miller) A Streetcar Named Desire (Williams) The American Dream (Albee) The Zoo Story (Albee) "The Sandbox" (Albee) The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (Zindel) Waiting for Godot (Beckett) The Rhinoceros (Ionesco) Ballad of the Sad Cafe (McCullers) Poetry to include Whitman, Frost, Eliot, Dickinson, Hughes, Angelou, and others As I Lay Dying (Falkner) A Modest Proposal (Swift) Love is a Fallacy (Schuman) Slaughterhouse Five (Vonnegut) Brave New World (Huxley) 1984 (Orwell) Walden II (Skinner) One Day in the Life of Ivan Denosovich (Solzhenitsyn) "Civil Disobedience" (Thoreau) "Allegory of the Cave" (Plato) Additional utopian novel of student's choice It's a pretty neat class. Intense, but fun. Ria

I'm a Christian and have no problem with them whatsoever. I suppose it depends on what your particular beliefs are as to what you might or might not find objectionable. Ria

My dh has one of the soft-sided lunch boxes as well. He usually takes leftovers (I try to make enough at dinner so he'll have a lunch) but I also keep flour tortillas, some shredded Mexican cheese, and a few cans of refried beans on hand. He can make a burrito and microwave it at lunchtime. Ria

Goodwill and Salvation Army are great places to find good clothes inexpensively. It can be fun to check them out. For me, getting better jeans was a good start. I got Lee Stretch jeans...they're just more form-fitting than my old LLBean ones. I got regular blue jeans, but then also got tan, khaki, light green, and dark brown. What a difference! Also, a pair of shoes other than sneakers makes you look a bit more put together. Ria

Not one of mine, but a good friend's child had one and needed surgery in Feb. The doc tried many things prior to surgery, but nothing worked and it was getting worse. After the surgery she said it was by far the worst she'd ever seen. Ria

He could be a bunch of grapes. Dress in either green, red, or purple and blow up balloons in the same color and use safety pins to attach the stems of the baloons to his clothing. You could complete the outfit with a hat adorned with felt leaves. Ria

I simply couldn't use it. I could feel it...and it felt wrong! I use Instead now, and love it. Look for it at the drugstore...it should be near the tampons. Instead is similar in theory to the Diva or Keeper, but it fits higher up, more like a diaphragm. If you rinse it after empying it you can use one for your entire cycle. Ria

How about those cookie or soup mixes in mason jars? There are lots of recipes online, and they are easy to do in bulk. Kids can help easily. Ria

My guess is that someone already pulled her aside and told her how that her comment was hurtful, so I don't think you need to do that. If, however, you notice that she's avoiding you (because she's ashamed or embarrassed) I would approach her and gently explain that there are no hard feelings. She's probably going to be a lot more careful of what she says from now on. Ria

I agree that I'd have a problem from a safety standpoint. Our very-coordinated 8-year old dd dropped her baby brother years ago. She tripped over something in the hall. It was very frightening. BTW, I did not know she had picked up the baby, although she often held him on the sofa or when sitting on the floor. A child can be strong and appear able to hold an infant, but accidents do happen, and little children just are not as coordinated or used to handling infants as adults. Ria

Hey...I just glanced at your blog and saw that Logan had his tonsils out the other day. How's he doing? He is just too cute. I loved his pic on that website you linked the other day. Ria

I am proud to announce that this morning I lit the coal stove! And with just one match, too (anyone who has a coal or wood stove will appreciate this, lol). Ria (warming nicely in PA)

Would you believe I'm out of yeast? Grrrrr. At least I got the English muffin dough done. While that rises I guess I'll run out to BJs and buy more bulk yeast. Sigh. Ria

Wasn't it JMGmom? I'll never forget the day she went totally off her rocker and started posting vulgar insults to everyone on the boards. I answered her in a horribly rude way and promptly emailed the mods to remove my post. LOL. Ria

Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk I'm a woman's man, no time to talk. The music's loud and women warm, I've been kicked around since I was born. And now it's all right, it's okay, you may look the other way. We can try to understand the New YorkTimes' effect on man. Just stayin' alive over here!\ LOL. Seriously, I sing along when I hear the songs. One came on at Wegmans the other day while I was at work, and the entire pharmacy dept. was dancing and laughing! Ria

Yes, I do now. But you changed your name!! Are you really afraid of bees? Ria