So glad to hear that things are going well with your recovery and the little one. One babystep at a time. You are right not to focus too far ahead.

So glad to see the comments on internet/screens. We recently revamped internet rules in our house. I'd gotten relaxed (but actually still strict by most standards) about portable devices and social media thinking the social life aspect was important. And, it is, but limited. In our house we now limit all internet to 2 hours a day (and my kids only text over the internet) and the devices have to be in the common area. And the number one thing that seems to have improved both my older kids disposition/mental health status has been a no internet after dinner rule. They hate it, but are a lot (I mean A LOT) happier. My kids at least have a sweet spot for non-school screen use (and it seems to be an average of 2 hours or less a day). Anymore and mental health goes down hill. That's my reflection. I have no advice as I am in the midst of raising teens and have never felt less like I know what I am doing. Even things like "not hovering" and giving them privacy which I thought would be no brainers for me have gotten complicated by situations and outside influences that are actually dangerous (not just dangerous in my overprotective mind) and where I do need to supervise and hover in ways that impact both my kids and make me crazy because I really can't do what I thought was right in raising teens (and professionals agree with me). It's even hard to read Scarlett's texting thread bc so many parents would think our texting limits are over controlling and headed for rebellion. But we have experienced huge problems with unlimited and only mildly supervised texting. huge So I feel a bit at sea adrift. I wish I could go into more detail, but can't. I guess I wish I'd known how much there isn't a rule book for teens. And how much is just trying to do your best without a rule book and without being able to lift an exhausted, over emotional kid up, cuddle, feed them and put them to be and have it all be better in the morning. And the tech thing being new, with no history to rely on is just plain tough. I worry about my kids when they leave our home. Hopefully by then they'll recognize how much worse things get when they are addicted to their screens. And the younger ones will not get handheld internet enabled devices until they are 16 or so. Maybe that is the wrong thing to do, but the way we did it seems like the wrong way, too, no matter what others around here may say.

Dd had reflux from around 3-5. We saw a pediatric gastroenterologist. Oddly, I don't remember everything that we did. The doc did give us foods to avoid like tomato, chocolate, onions and some other things. We certainly did not have her on meds for the whole time, but did for a few months. They did not make a huge difference. At one point she had a scope to look at her gastrointestinal tract and see about irritation. That wasn't right away, though. The diet was first as were the meds. The crazy thing is that what "cured" her seems to have been a case of the chicken pox. It is probably a crazy coincidence, but from the time she had the chicken pox, she has only very rarely refluxed (as in went from telling me 5 times a day to only mentioning it once in 2 years. And I do ask occasionally).

Yeah, 2016. Not a great year. At all.

And the problem doesn't seem to be ACA, it seems to be bureaucracy.

Do you have to go? I'm not sure I could.

Me, too.Try not to take it personally about the play date. It could be the time of year. I flaked on my son's robotics meeting and a chiropractor appt this week and, while I am usually feeling barely on top of things, j actually rarely forget things like that. The week before Christmas is disorienting bc the schedule is different. And, gently, I hope you and your partner can consider outside help for your relationships. You deserve to feel cherished.

There isn't a right answer here. We spend way, way less and that is okay. $200 is okay. What I don't think is okay is putting it on credit cards or spending that much because you feel you "have to" or the day won't be good. But, I do think it's important to come to an agreement with your dh. Is the money there? Why is he worried? Is he afraid that much will do some harm to them? Communicate, but try to be aware that his way is okay, too.

I do this, but with a wet paper towel.

In my family growing up stockings were just for the kids. We do shoes here )bc we do presents for St. Nicks day not Christmas ) it never ever occurred to me that dh should get anything special. But we do mainly food anyway-gingerbread men, chocolate coins, oranges and candy canes. Ad it turns out dh does often get some other kind of candy and splits it around. But I kinc if see the shoes stuff as a grownup Goethe kids thing that we tag along on.

Yes!

Agreeing with Mark. I would either back up 10 lessons and redo them or --what I do with Saxon is figure out the problem (let's say Ds consistently misses concepts from lesson 31) and go back and reread/teach that lesson and then redo all the problem that relate to that lesson. Kahn academy can help with targeted review. Also, I give DS s chance to redo the problems on tests do I can see if he just missed them from carelessness or lack of understanding . Then I target that skill and review it before moving on. I also keep up with his daily work and go over missed problems with him.

I don't think you are a brat. I do just want to share, as a not gifts love language person, that it is much harder for him to do than you might think. It is really hard to "keep your head in the game" about a love language that you don't share at all with another person. Gift giving to gift love language people makes me totally anxious. First, I don't think about it until it's late--even if I set an Amazon reminder. Then I sweat trying to come up with something. Then it feels lame because great gift ideas only rarely (seriously once every 2 years or so) occur to me. But none of that has anything to do with how much I love the person and knowing that I am blowing it just makes me feel worse and worse and want the whole thing to go away. I really need excellent wish lists. Now the not looking at wish list thing I don't understand. Also, the stocking thing. But could he ask your oldest to fill the stocking? Do you do very complicated stockings? Are they huge? We only do gingerbread cookies, chocolate, oranges and candy canes. I would probably be lost otherwise. could you make a list of great stocking stuffers?

My thoughts on that are that, particularly if you are older, attitude and the way you carry/present yourself goes a long way. Think of how the English nannies ran the show with regard to the kids. The parents did it the nannies way, bc they were the professionals. Now, I'm not suggesting that, but being confident (as you can be having raised kids and how I felt having taught for 10 years) goes a long way in presenting an image that you know what you are doing. Also, don't let yourself be treated like a servant. Have boundaries. Of course you are there to care for their children and need to be responsive to what they want. However, they should respect you, treat you well, pay you well and not take advantage. Be very clear.

I was for a year after we moved to Canada and I couldn't teach. I went through an agency (which I recommend). I have considered doing it when I'm done homeschooling. I liked it. I had an excellent relationship with the family. Go into it as a professional and expect to be treated as such. Be clear with boundaries (hours, what work you are willing to do, housework, etc.). Keep short accounts (both financial and with any issues that come up). Try to have a match on discipline and general child rearing philosophy.

I'm with all of you. I would like winter to only be in December. I know some older folks who leave for Fl. right after Christmas. Maybe I'll go with them this year. I was made for the South! When we retire I don't want to live anywhere north of Wash. DC (Well, unless it's the Pacific NW--somewhere with Jet Stream warmth). Bleck. How did I end up here????? We were interviewing in Southern Virginia when we got the job here. Should we have waited????????????????

Your house, too? My oldest can only sing Hamilton at the top of his lungs.lol I'm actually glad the resale value in NYC for tickets is 3000 $ because even my kids understand that that is an insane amount of money for a ticket and there is no way we could afford it.

I would say he gets btwn 9 and 10 hours (falls asleep around 10 and wakes up at 7:30 or 8). I think if he always got 10 that would be ideal for him. Less than 9 and oh, boy! grouchy city.

:grouphug: I am so, so sorry. I can't even to begin to imagine how hard it is. Make sure that you are able to let loose at some point irl, okay? Praying for your family.

You are not alone. . . . .

😔 but at least he was playing hockey-that's how many a good Canadian would like to go.

I agree. She was horrid! I can't even believe she was able to treat you that way. And, yes, but yourself something you love and put it under the tree.

That's odd. They were graded on my ds's. Maybe he took a different version. His was a Sat. PSAT.

I am so, so sorry about this diagnosis and pray God will heal you completely. To be honest, what I would do is chose some kind of all in one curriculum that is planned out. I would consider Sonlight first, as we used it in the past and loved it. I would also look at My Father's World and BJU (particularly as the have the online streaming classes). I would begin transitioning my children into which ever I chose now so that they knew how it worked before I started not to feel well. Alternatively, in PA, I would also consider the online charter option. For Foreign Language, I would consider Homeschool Spanish Academy as it is directed by the Skype teacher and very easy for the parent. May God grant you peace and blessings.

What kind of scores would you consider "doing well" for her on those tests? That will help folks guide you bc some folks only consider a text as being good prep if there child scores in the 700s. Others are fine will 550 or 600. And make sure she uses Kahn Academy for prep. Ds and his best friend did well on the SATs (one got a 680, the other an 800) using Teaching Textbooks and Kahn Academy practice, but they had finished Pre-Calc. The BF's sister got a 590 after TT Algebra 2, but she had never been super strong at math (and it was the old test, so not really comparable). Have you considered using 8/7 with her? Algebra 1/2 may move too fast. Dd has successfully gone from 87 to Algebra 1 this year.