I found that thread and just started filing. I LOVE it so far!

Done! :001_smile:

Sunday and Wednesday are church so I try to do all the shopping after church on Sunday and appts on Wed before youth group. I hate not being home, it stresses me out!

From what I have heard the OAKS test is not hard. OR is definitely not at the top in rankings but not at the bottom either. This site you can find the rankings for grades and subjects, if you click on table after you find the state you want and subject it makes the rank much more clear. http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/states/

The schools in our zip are 6-9 with one 10, a magnet high school. The ES my kids would go to is the 6 of course lol. The suburb we just moved from that is smooshed up next to the suburb we are in now is where my step children were going to school a year ago before we married and the ES where DSD was is a 4 and the MS where DSS was is a 3.

I would agree that anything is better than being bullied. I speak from experience that the effects can be life-altering and long-lasting. My poor little brother would have been better off un-educated than emotionally damaged. He did eventually drop out and got his GED later. Turns out he was incredibly smart but couldn't handle being treated badly anymore. Of course she would have to be very dedicated to wanting to homeschool though :) I say encourage her!

I agree with many PPs we shouldn't make generalizations about either side. However, for me, even if my children turn out only "average" academically, there are so many other advantages. Between their LDs, food allergies and health issues, mine couldn't succeed in PS. My DS would have been completely left behind and in K he was already in remedial classes for reading, but now at 10 he is above grade level according to DIBELS. In PS he would have continued to be taken out of class for an hour every day until he caught up and missed all the classroom learning. Also in our family, while education is VERY important, character education and faith development are more so. I don't think evenings and weekends are enough (for us anyway :) ) to thoroughly ground them. In most jobs it isn't about being a super genius but about how you relate to people, basic skills and the ability to learn. I know in our area the elementary schools are awesome and the high schools, not so much! It also varies from school to school within districts. My DSS and DSD went to public school when DH and I were first together. I was impressed by the elementary school (well not by the teacher telling my child who to vote for because the candidate supported the teacher's union and would make sure they had books to read but by the academics I was) but I was horrified by the middle school. They wrote one essay all year in 7th grade, there was NO grammar instruction at all, no reading outside of class, etc. Although both step children were impressed by what the twins were learning in A Beka. I think PS vary so much from school to school in our state that it would be almost impossible to count on getting a good school for all ES, MS and HS. ETA: I agree with the PP and I think she said it better than I! :)

Take this for what it is worth. I have a bias against skipping. My parents put me into first instead of K but I tested into 2nd when I was 5. I was bored out of my mind all the way through school. The issue came in when everyone else hit puberty. I hadn't yet and like one PP said I was very mature but my interests weren't. I was socially ostracized. I became depressed and had emotional trouble in HS. Not to mention I was a 13 year old girl in advanced classes in HS with 18 year old boys. Not a good combination. I know this wouldn't be true for all students and some would do better. My parents were horrified though, I was such a leader with a strong personality they NEVER expected I would struggle like that emotionally. We all regret me ever skipping. My parents tell everyone who will listen, get a tutor, homeschool, do anything else but don't skip a grade. FWIW I am sure many kids would do fine and this is just my 2 cents. :)

1. What do you spend on groceries and household each month? Round to the nearest $50. $600 1a. How many people does this feed? 6 people plus daycare kids 1b. So what is your per person allocated budget? (The total per month divided by the people it supplies.) a little less than $100 for each family member 2. How often do you eat out in a month? 1 time for everyone together, DH picks up things every now and then 3. How often do you shop? I do big shopping once a month and get everything and fresh fruit and veggies, after it runs out we use canned. Once a week I get milk and bread. 4. What area of the country do you live in? Pacific Northwest 5. What is the cost of milk where you live? $2.09-$2.39 6. The cost of a decent pound of hamburger? Non organic is $3.69 7. The cost of a 5 lb. chicken? $1.99/lb not on sale 8. The cost of one lb. of apples? Depends on time of year and type of apple. Sometimes they are as low as 99 cents. Most of the year $1.69-$2.99 9. Any unusual expenses? I do some things name brand only. I have one child severely allergic to milk protein so he drinks rice milk, has special "butter", etc. His milk is $5 a gallon. My husband is diabetic and has just a few special things. We have a few daycare kids too. We don't buy any type of snacks and the only frozen food is corn dogs.

Voted no! :)

My son is the same way: asthma, hyper-reactive but also has a milk protein allergy. I second magnesium, vitamin D3 and vitamin B complex. :) They have helped some, also we have just started pro-biotics, it is supposed to help the stomach kill the germs before they get any further. HTH

So I would have said any place without tall trees, green grass, lots of rain, a very small amount of snow, and access to a coastline not beach. (Can you tell I am from the Pacific NW LOL. Beaches are nice to visit, no offense, but i LOVE our rugged and wild coast.) Guess where I found out I have to move to in 6 weeks! SLC, Utah *sigh* I'm a little nervous! (Or a lot nervous!)

Awww man! I just read the gluttony thread... Now I feel guilty thinking JALAPENO CHIPS!! :tongue_smilie:

EVER EVER drink too much, even if the kids are all the way asleep! My DH and I were celebrating and we NEVER drink so I got a little (or a lot) tipsy. Then my DS developed a fever at 1 am and started throwing up. I was attempting to help him while running into walls and falling into the bathtub. Thank goodness he was too sick to notice! He is my hyper-reactive, asthmatic and all I could think the whole time was OMW I am going to have to call 9-1-1 because we can't drive him to the hospital! What a horrible mother am I going to look like! Luckily he waited for ten hours to react horribly and I was then ready to drive him to the hospital. I was terrified the whole time it took the alcohol to get out of my system though! I definitely did NOT get to sleep it off. Goes to show why I should have listened to my Dad lol there apparently is never a good time for me to drink in excess! I said this one last thread too but it always makes me giggle to think of it so I will again- Skip down stairs when the ceiling has an overhang. I hit my head and gave myself a concussion. And I was fully grown and felt really dumb.

Apparently I am a control freak too. The other night DH said, "I am just not going to help anymore! I never do things right!" After I said, "Honey just lay the shirts in the drawer nicely so they will all fit." I thought I said it politely and helpfully. Whoops, maybe I should have just let him do it? But. It. Drives. Me. Crazy.

If I am sick or complain then my husband will step in. His version though is sitting on the couch and directing children to do what I asked him to do! *sigh* I was a single parent before though and am just thankful he pays the bills and has no problem with me staying at home and homeschooling.

I have just started Hitler, A Biography by Ian Kershaw I will catch up! Why I picked a 969 page book out of the library to do it with though I don't know. That was not what I went into the library looking for! :) Book a Week in 2011 1. Everything She Ever Wanted by Ann Rule 2. Captive Queen by Alison Weir 3. Church History in Plain Language by Bruce L Shelly 4. The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory 5. Hitler, A Biography by Ian Kershaw

I feel kind of mean now! If we are leaving the house they have to match. If they are staying at home I let them pick although I have to be honest that is drives me nuts! I keep thinking of how the shirt that matches those pants is going to be clean while the matching shirt will be dirty. I know. I have issues.:001_huh:

:grouphug::grouphug:

I will be praying! :grouphug: My son and I have made that trip many, many times so I know how scary it can be.

Awesome! Praise the Lord!

Love it! Thanks for sharing! I have long been telling people that reading makes you smart. My kids always ask how I know something I am telling them and the answer invariably is "I read it!" :)

What's for lunch? I had a turkey and cheese sandwich. The kids had PB&J What's totalling rattling your brain today? Just found out we have to move 800 miles away and I've only moved once before! What's been fun for you today? Spending some time in the sun! Even if it is barely above freezing, it isn't cold and rainy!

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: I have more than one :) 14DSS: I am so glad that Uncle is safe from missiles in Iraq. Me: How is he safe from missiles? DS (with a "how stupid are you" look): You know. The big, dome forcefield that protects him. Me (while trying not to laugh at him): Where in the world did you hear that from? (Meanwhile I notice that my 10 yo twins are literally falling off their chairs laughing in the kitchen.) DS: The twins said that his base has a forcefield, you know like in Star Wars. Me: Umm no honey. They don't have forcefields in real life. DS10: I have 20/20 hearing Mama, that means its really good and I can hear the lowest sound at the doctors. (BTW he doesn't even have 20/20 eyesight lol) Me: What did you do at church today? DS10:We sang "Sing, Sing, Sing" and a song that was unknown. Me: Unknown to who? The composer was unknown? DS10: No Mama, unknown to me. Sorry so many! Obviously I think my own kids are adorable lol

Welcome! I am pretty new too but I LOVE your blog! I can't wait to see more posts. :001_smile: