I used my Mac's Numbers checklist option. I have a checklist for each chore in a page protector. I have every detail on there. We go in spurts using them. When I notice things aren't being done right (AGAIN!), I make them be used for each chore for a few weeks. We used to have on for the whole daily schedule, individualized for each child but once they got the routine down well I stopped making them carry them around.

I always like traditional spellings :) No one knows how to spell anyone's name anymore so you won't be singled out. Even traditional names, people are asking for the spelling now since everyone is getting used to odd spellings. 3 of my kids have AA names and no one pronounces or spells them right, it doesn't bother me as much as I though it would. 1 of mine has a traditional English name, spelled phonetically and people still screw it up!

We send middle-schoolers and high-schoolers to over-night church camp. My oldest has gone and my brother and I always went as children. It is usually 6 nights and the kids all do fine. My only concern would be supervision but it sounds like that is covered. If you could afford it, it would be an awesome opportunity and a great experience.

Done :)

I have twins with ADD and step-children with FAS so I will let you guess :lol: Seriously some days I want to bang my head in to a wall! :banghead:

Your dog wouldn't bother me a bit, :) nor would I expect you to train him more. It sounds like he is doing what dogs are supposed to do- protect you! We live in a neighborhood where EVERYONE has dogs. They all bark when we walk in front of their yard on our way to the park. The only dog that annoys me is the neighbor's dog directly next to us. He barks the. whole. time my kids play in our own backyard.

Some of these are cute :) http://www.landsend.com/ix/girls-clothing/Girls/Tops/Color=Red/index.html?seq=1~2~3~4&catNumbers=400~401&visible=1~2~1~1&store=le&sort=Recommended&pageSize=24&tab=4

Yay! Your doggies are so cute! :)

A few Bible curriculums that get beyond Bible stories and basic reading and into theology but do not use KJV, many of us believe that for in depth study it is not as well translated as other versions. A really good German program that didn't cost a ton and did more with grammar and translation.

I am sooo sorry! :grouphug: :grouphug: How upsetting esp with your children present! We just moved from the Pac NW and I have had several experiences with the ku-you know what. My children are mixed and I was MAD. I actually yelled at the two men! Probably NOT one of the smartest things I have ever done! I was 19 and my boys were babies. I had no idea before that point that it was prevalent in OR. We were thinking about moving to NJ for DH's job in the next few years, maybe I should rethink that as a mixed-race family....

I had mine done in therapy as a teen, my brother had his done in the military, both of my kids have had theirs done as part of comprehensive testing for developmental delays, speech disorders and LDs at our children's hospital and my step-daughter had hers done in the same children's hospital as part of testing for her behavior issues. In my small part of the world, it is common :) ETA: I was rereading and saw we were talking about the adults. I agree that part of it at least might be adults with high IQs weren't served well at PS. My brother and I were at private school for all of elementary and middle and loved it. We did PS HS and it was horrible for us. I was never going to put my kids in public school because my experiences were so bad and my brother refuses to marry anyone who won't homeschool or at least allow his sister (me) to homeschool their future children. Our IQs are both over 140.

I was a single mom for ten years, homeschooled from 1st on but I got married last fall and have been married 7 months now :)

I was wondering the same thing! We are doing ECC this year and i really wanted to do a couple of things like that.

Wow! The 5 year old has a lot of anger if she held an 18 month old underwater while he kicked and fought long enough to drown him. The whole situation is so sad.

Our loving God Being able to be home with my children Family is coming to visit soon! My DH A new church in my new state

I was a single mom for a long time and my boys just couldn't be far from me at any point. :glare: I tried to keep it under wraps, even though they always walked in on me in the bathroom. I thought I did a pretty good job until the day I ran out of tampons in my bathroom and asked one DS to run and get the pink little zip-bag out of my car. He brought back a tampon from inside of it. I was shocked and said, "Honey that isn't what I asked for!" He said, "Well I knew you just really needed a tampon from in the bag for your period." I guess they will be helpful to their wives?

(Mine are only 10, almost 11, so take it with a grain of salt.) I was pretty strict and very consistent with my twins when they were little. People kept telling me I was too hard on them. Now my kids are always complimented on their wonderful behavior and I hardly EVER have to discipline or even redirect them. The other, was letting them sleep with me, carrying them around and in general loving on them. Conversely the same people from above would tell me I was spoiling them. I think the balance of very loving with strict follow through on rules worked out well! I don't know what I wished I would have done differently yet. We haven't gotten far enough for my mistakes to show through! Oh wait one thing is not push so much with schoolwork, turns out one has LDs and the other was just delayed. One is now making steady progress and the other, one day just started reading on his own and now is above grade level in everything. I stressed us all out way too much over learning to read! Pure torture every day! (Again, grain of salt, they are only 10! :))

I grew up calling it Indian Style but by the time I was teaching preschool at 20 (nine years ago), it was "criss-cross applesauce". At every preschool I have taught at they have called it that, so now it is stuck in my head. I think it sounds silly and really has no meaning yet I find myself telling the kids sit criss-cross applesauce instead of just plain cross-legged.

:lol::lol::lol: I guess I am juvenile because I am DYING over here!! LOL So freaking funny! I am really tired what can I say

I'm still using Tiger :blushing: I just can't justify the 130 to get Snow Leopard when we are short on money but I really, really want it! Now I really, really want Lion!

Wow! I seriously just read this ENTIRE thread before getting to the end and realizing it was from 2009 :lol: I'll respond anyway since I seriously spent 30 minutes reading! I agree and disagreed with a lot! My twins definitely aren't doing what some people probably think they should be doing. They are finally catching up though. One has LDs but they were preemies and had developmental delays and weren't ready for so long. Funny thing is once I stopped freaking out and pushing them to be ready, shortly later they were reading and writing! I know I need to :chillpill: more often! OTOH my pastor frequently says (of course in regards to our spiritual life but I think it applies elsewhere also), " No one ever drifted to excellence." I am very academically inclined and really want all my kids to be also, even though my step-children aren't so much (well aren't at all). However I do think that the social aspect of raising children to be well-adjusted adults who love God is much more important than where they end up academically. I also strongly believe you can be happy anywhere in life, dead-end job or not. Of course I hope for more for my children because I am human, but I try to remind myself that God has plans for people in every position in life, even if it doesn't make sense to me. That said I of course will continue pushing them to be their best!

Oregon takes the OAKS test 1-3 times a year.

:bigear:

I think your rules are VERY reasonable. Believe me, you can get into a lot of trouble with the door open to a bedroom. They can hear a parent walking down the hall and that is plenty of time to be ready to be peeked in on.

:lol::lol::lol: