How do you know they will have a sale on Omnibus in the fall? Is is Nov or earlier? How good is the sale? Thanks

How do you find out about instructors for VSPA classes? We are looking at their English/grammar classes. Recommendations? And did you ever do the self-paced omnibus? thanks!

Hello Susan, We have 3 boys and a girl at the end. They are 8 to 18 now.We sent our oldest son (18 and graduating this year) to high school the second half of his freshman year. At the time, our oldest was needing more accountability in his school and needed to learn management skills that didn't always happen with a homeschool environment where the teacher/mom was soft on deadlines. School did not save time - I spent a lot of time helping him adjust to a rigorous academic environment. My background in homeschooling certainly gave me the confidence to help him. I knew the grades were important, so I was able to help key into his learning style to get him through difficult courses that year. And he rose to the occasion. But it was tough to be focused on grades and management skills simultaneously. So, we sent ds#2 in 8th grade to a rigorous charter school and that was good experience. School also fostered a competitive environment that made my boys reach a little higher in their performance academically. They had to do the academics while dealing with social challenges, like meeting new friends and seeing a lot of worldly behavior. They are both doing great academically and socially. We were very careful about the schools we chose, making sure they were rigorous with strong behavior boundaries. My oldest son did struggle with feeling different because he had been homeschooled. It was a stigma he carried for the first 2 years. School kids do not take a kind view of homeschooling. He eventually overcame it but it took time and a great effort on his part. DS#1 started college classes his junior year and will have his AA when he goes off to college in the fall. As he has negotiated both high school and community college, I was there coaching him - homeschooling gave me the mindset to see the issues and the long range goals. When I talk with other parents about school, they seem clueless - very naive. Homeschoolers know the trends, issues and challenges our kids face and we network to find answers. Not so with parents I meet. For example, I knew before high school that I wanted my kids to go the dual enrollment route, so I looked into the entrance requirements for the toughest colleges (the fact that I even know dual enrollment is an option is because of my homeschool associations.) I also looked into transferable credits and coursework so I knew where my son needed to be in math in 7th grade to land in the right math in junior year of high school. In contrast, the parents of my kids' friends are on school boards, involved in classrooms, and finding tutoring for their kids, but they do not know about college entrance requirements or scholarship opportunities (these are the ones in high school now.) They seem to be focused on the here and now rather than the end game. Most of my homeschool friends have a long range view for their kids. We seem to know about all the options (CLEP v. AP v. dual credit, merit-based scholarships, part-time school options.) When I talk to others about what we are doing, they just listen without many questions. I end up keeping it short since they don't seem very interested. Homeschoolers seem interested in looking at all the possibilities. It is a different mindset. We also coach much more than parents of kids in schools. I think this grows out of the schools efforts to get the kids to be "independent." I think these parents do what the school expects, consequently taking a hands-off approach because they think that is what they are supposed to do. My third DS will follow roughly the same path - he started the same charter school in 6th grade. Though he is doing fantastic academically, he is having challenges with being too talkative in class. He is trying really hard to fit in with the boys in his grade. But, I laid out a plan to have the teachers sign off on his behavior in his planner after EVERY class - they enthusiastically agreed. They have repeatedly expressed that they wish other parents would do the same and be so involved in following up on behavior issues. They keep me informed. I also outlined a plan for his tardies (hard to be on time when chatting between classes!), and they went with me on that, because they didn't have a plan in place. I came to them and pointed out the tardy problem. I also had a solution. Most parents don't come with a plan in hand. They (this charter school) also let me take my DS#2 out of school each Monday for a Christian speech and debate group we had been in prior to when he entered school. They resisted a bit, but we met and I laid out my reasons and demonstrated why it would not hurt him academically. They accommodated my request, though it was unusual. As a homeschooler, I think outside the school's box. I will say that school schedules have hurt our vacations - we used to ski 4 weeks a year but cannot do that now as it is tough to miss that much high school or college. Sigh...those were the days! My daughter will be starting charter school or private school in junior high then onto high school and dual credit for an AA before she graduates HS. We are THRILLED with this option. It has had benefits beyond those we anticipated. We will tweak it a bit for each kiddo, but I am confident that I can get all of my kids through because I have learned how to do it - that is the power of homeschooling! I also think the different path we have taken will enable my son to adapt to college life more easily next year. He will go to a larger university in the fall, taking classes with junior and seniors as he is nearly done with general education. So, his varied experience in school should help him in this and in the long run as well. School was the option that my kids needed to see that the academics were important. Recently, my son's principal told me that she was amazed at how well my son was integrating and doing in school. My oldest son's teachers RAVED about him as did the teachers of my DS#2. They were impressed both academically and socially. (We did tailor our homeschool with an eye toward college, so I was not surprised that they could excel academically.) My sons know how to interact with adults, which really fostered strong relationships with their teachers (hoping ds#3 learns this!) Now, my son and many of his homeschool friends are in classes at the same community college. The teachers are noticing that these kids are at the top of the class and are all dual enrollment. I wonder if they will make the connection that these kids are from homeschool families?? That is a possible ripple effect of the homeschool movement. I am thankful for the years we had at home, when I crafted my kids education and socialization to fit our "vision." We have great memories and we put down a firm foundation in those cozy homeschool years. I also found a great network of friends who pointed me in the right direction and helped inform me of issues and challenges. It is a strong community. We are better for it. And that vision is the main difference between our kids' educational path and those who do not homeschool. Most parents are just following the path that the school lays out for them. That is all that they know. We know different. We know there are choices. We are blessed. I rambled a bit and I apologize for that. I hope this helps! Best regards,

I was on bedrest with 3 of my four kids. It is hard. Especially when you have other children that need your attention. BUT you must keep reminding yourself that it is temporary and helping this new life helps the whole family. Please have your helpers take the children out of your home - give you a needed break - it is stressful to lay and listen to what is going on/not going on. DO invite friends to come see you several times a week, if possible. I had a friend that came once a week who really didn't know me all that well in the beginning (she had heard I was on bedrest and had been on it herself so she had a heart for my situation) - now she is one of my dearest friends. But do tell them not to bring kiddos that are sick at all - even a runny nose! One gal brought a bunch of her kids and shared how they had been throwing up the night before! I asked her to leave right on the spot - I had to look out for my baby and family. You don't need that extra complication. Do ask friends who offer to help to come get your kids for a playdate (if they have kids same ages.) My kids got lonely and bored. We didn't have family near by to help though. I paid for every minute of help that I got. I did read and watched a lot of movies. After my last baby, I could not read a book (other than those pertaining to my kids school) for YEARS. Except my Bible. There are great podcasts too...sometimes positioning to watch or read was tough, but you can lay and listen. Watching home movies of your kids or your own from your growing up years with your kids is a nice way to spend some time with your kids. Do NOT read horror stories or any stories about pregnancy. I did that and suffered from a lot of extra anxiety. Don't. Reach for a magazine instead. I did stay awake during the day so that I was able to sleep most nights - as much as one can pregnant! And I just kept my mouth shut about running the house...I am such a nit picker at times...that was a challenge. But it was a big help to my hubby. I will be praying over you and yours. If I lived closer, I would come visit and start a friendship! Hugs,

Move the party closer to the co-op kids - find a bday venue that way and then just the one kid can come with you that lives near you - or invite that family to join you. Chuck E Cheese? Roller skating or bowling near them? I get it...we struggled with that when my boys were younger. Keep trying and keep inviting kids over for him!

Ours does not roll over and we are limited in how much we can put in...smaller amounts every year, thank you Obama et. al. in D.C...

We dress and get showered most days. I like the way they look when they are all cleaned up (and I ended up being the one looking at them all day!)...and we are more productive. I have found on the rare day that we didn't, we ended up seeing someone or going some place I hadn't planned. Also, I started putting my boys in shower when they were little so that they had something to do while I finished my routine in the morning. This just continued after they were old enough to not need constant supervision. Later, as teens, they didn't resist showering. I had a friend who does not need to shower more than twice a week - and she looks great - but she allowed this for her kids. As teens, they are resisting it and look mostly greasy and unkept. I know it is just one family, but the showering habit is working with all of my kiddos as teens (though it was an unintended benefit!) FWIW!

There is a Natalie Cole I worked with last year on a property tax case!

Mh DH teaches Financial Peace (Dave Ramsey) and counsels LOTS of people with bad credit/loads of debt. He sees it all and says you NEVER know what people are truly solvent/debt free. You CANNOT tell how wealthy people are by the outward appearance. And we have had friends who are RICH - like sold a company for $180 mil. (They later fell on hard times!) So, don't compare the outside of another family/person with the inside of your own - you really do not know if they are solvent! All we can think about is our own situation. And each of us will be rich if we are out of debt, raising great kids (some of the best kids I know now and growing up were in the lower bracket socioeconomically), and happily married (if you are married) - even friendship is a luxury that is sometimes there and other times absent (life can get busy with raising kids so you don't have time for past, current or future friends.) You can have all of these things on very little money! Ramsey says, "Live like no one else now, so you can live like no one else later." That has encouraged me many times and through humbler circumstances. If it bothered me and made me feel uncomfortable to be in a Bible study where I had to host others who had more, I would find another study (Been there, done that - left the group with the couple who sold the company for $180 mil). It would be hard for me to focus on the Lord if I was always looking around...And there is always someone with more! I have also left a group where everyone had much less and they were always talking about it and pointing it out - I felt so uncomfortable after trying to reassure them and reach out with help. We are all in the middle somewhere - we just need to learn to be content where we are (and work to be debt free!!!) FWIW,

The job market here is a bit better...but I think we could renegotiate if he provided evidence that he applied. I think it is important to set the standard and then modify later as needed. Good point though! Thanks...always looking for the holes in my plans ;)

The written contract is a powerful reminder. We did this for driving and it seems to be working (written expectations.) Many of his friends (otherwise good kids with HIGH grades) have had tickets and wrecks. Our driving school taught how powerful a written contract can be in deterring bad driving, especially for young men. Likewise, this contract for college money really spells out our expectations. I think it is harder for anyone to "break" their written word. The drinking will be hard to police, but it will certainly be a deal breaker if there is discipline from his school (or the law) on that account. It is a step towards owning his future to have a contract with us - we are not obligated to pay for any college, so he needs to step it up (sign on the dotted line ;) ) for this added luxury!

We are just coming up on the college tidal wave now. My ds is a senior and looking at college for next year. We TANKED in '08 - my DH is in real estate. We got on board with Dave Ramsey and paid off all debt except the home mortgage and our rental's mortgage (we are looking to sell the rental this year.) DH makes a lot of $$ which puts us out of the need based scholarships. I will come back to this point below. When I say he makes good $$, I don't mean that paying for college is easy. This background will help you understand our approach. Keep in mind as you read that there is need based scholarship money and merit based scholarship money. So, here is what we have done: We have required our oldest to complete 2 years of college towards his AA (our state has guaranteed transfer and most of those classes will transfer to most colleges outside of our state as well). This was our first "college" payment plan - this is a lot cheaper than paying for any college as community college is much cheaper and he is still living with us anyway. We also PUSHED (no, we demanded) good grades (he has a 4.3 - in part due to the weighted GPA from college courses) which has given him additional merit based money. It has added benefits, like colleges LOVE seeing a high school student who has so much college done - WITH all A's except one college algebra wherein he got a B. That got him more merit based $$ b/c having completed half of his degree makes him more likely to graduate (they are looking for students who will graduate - this makes them look better and that is good business!) For our income bracket, it is worth it for us to save for college (because we are out of the need based scholarships b/c we make too much $$). So, we have saved 2 years worth of what it costs in-state with some discount for merit based scholarship money. It is on him if he cannot graduate in 2 years - he should be able to as the drudgery of gen ed classes are out of the way while still in high school (and they counted twice for high school and college credit in our state!) IF he wants the money we have saved in our 529 plan, he has to agree in writing to the following conditions (breach of contract and he forfeits it to the younger siblings) 1. he will not take out student loans (we will run a credit report each semester to ensure he does not sign on for this debt) 2. he will work to take care of the difference (work study, internships or other job - students who work usually do better with grades) 3. he will choose a major that actually will result in a higher salary out of college (e.g. we will not pay for "women's studies" or house painting...the first does not usually result in real jobs and the second can be done WITHOUT college and earns the same salary.) He has already chosen marketing and finance; in taking the college classes towards this AA, he has discovered he really does like this major - another benefit of doing college while still in HS. 4. he will not drink underage 5. he will take 12-16 credits/semester and complete in 2 years or less. I have HEARD that saving in a 529 plan can actually result in making it look like the parents can contribute more than another family with the same exact situation (# of children and # of children in college at the same time and income). They look at EVERYTHING on that FAFSA. Look at a FAFSA online to see how they will look at you. In that situation, you may want to forego saving for college (I have heard the need based $$ ends somewhere between $110 and $180 - for the household - verify this as I have not.) They consider assets like rentals, 529 plans and other savings (we have 6 months of reserves as my husband is self employed and Dave Ramsey recommends it) when determining what you can contribute. So, if you have no 529, then there is a greater "need" that they may meet with scholarships. Some recommend putting the 529 in the grandparent's names, but that is risky. If they are ill or incapacitated, then the govt will look at their assets, including the 529 for purposes of Medicare/nursing home contribution. Or if they die, it can become part of the estate...really hard to predict those possibilities as parents age. We are already out of the need based just on our income alone, so the need based analysis and whether we have assets is irrelevant - thus we are saving in the 529 as it is better for us to have the money available since we will have to fund any difference anyway. We are going for the merit based though so... The ACT/SAT tests are ALL IMPORTANT!!! You need to look at preparing your kids NOW - now matter their age. They need short passages for reading comp - not entire books only (homeschoolers are fond of reading lots of books, but you also need to practice A LOT with short passages as found on these tests.) Math is key - especially algebra, geometry and trig. Timing finishing these just before the test is smart. We also use Saxon 3rd ed. b/c it combines alg and geometry in one book. The ACT science is really reading comp with charts and graphs. Start looking at these tests (buy the practice books on Amazon with the REAL tests) and see what you will need to teach your kids to prepare them. These tests are weighted EQUALLY if not more along side the 4 years of grades that are reflected in the GPA (I think this is stupid, but such is the system now.) I have heard these tests will be changing to reflect common core...so keep up on them. Start educating yourself on these tests - they have been around for nearly 100 years (first used in 1926 I think) and are not going away anytime soon. Big business too. I wish I had stressed vocab like in Shurley grammar (uses word pairs of synonyms and antonyms in vocab, which is hugely helpful in reading comp and in vocab/eng passages as seen on these tests.) I still stressed (and still do) a classical approach along side test prep. If college is not on your radar, then you should not worry about all of this...probably should not be reading this post either! ;) Remember, it is all BIG BUSINESS. They want students who will stay and pay for four years - attracting the best helps with this. They attract the best with high stats for GPA and SAT/ACT. Then they want alumni to contribute = BIG BUSINESS!!! So, you have to give them what they are looking for ultimately. Service hours and activities are really for the scholarships, especially outside scholarships...but that is another post and I am out of time. These are of secondary importance, grades and test scores are king in this endeavor. If you have service hours and activities but your grades and test scores are low, forget merit based money for most kids. One of the smart things I did early on was to look at what we wanted in the end (4 year college) and worked backwards. So, if you want to see your kids to to an ivy league 4 year, what do they require? (4 years of english, math, science, language...GPA? ACT?) It is all online. Then you can see how to pace/schedule school so you can hit those marks in high school. If you are not going to be ready for Alg 1 in 9th grade, how will you complete 4 years of math in hs that are algebra 1 and above (can still be done, but I am just giving examples.) It has always been helpful to work backwards...in all areas for my kids (morality, manners, etc...) Also helped to talk to them about where they will end up in giving them vision. My 8 yo dd already thinks about vocabulary for her ACT test! That is what I have learned so far, FWIW! Anyone is welcome to correct or improve this post...always looking for new/better info. I have a lot more to say about the benefits of college while in HS.

I was forever the one doing the inviting when my boys were young. And it was worth it - they have lifelong friendships in all likelihood. But I am over it now. I leave it up to them to get together with those friends. I didn't get invited by people to do anything until my kids have gotten older - now I have lots of invites. I turn them down half the time, because, when it comes down to it, I want to have memories with my family. And as my oldest gets ready to leave home, I can see how fast it goes. Not getting invited forced me to look inward to my husband and kids. It has paid great dividends. I have a great time with them. And I pursued interests of my own as well. Lonely? At times; but then I choose to be a friend by calling someone for coffee. (I don't want to put all of the pressure for my social needs on my husband or kids either!) It also made me take a good look at who I was spending time with - who are those friends that were a DRAIN on my time and energy (asking me to take their kids or talking on and on about their lives without asking me about mine constantly)? I eliminated those time wasters from my "social" time. I still help those people occasionally, but I no longer look to them for some girl time when I want to connect. I realized that I was reaching out because I wanted to connect, but all I really ended up doing was "ministering" to them. Ministry is great, but reconnecting is important too. Less is more now when it comes to girlfriend time. I wish I had chosen more wisely when I was younger. I think it is also important to remember that having little ones is a busy and demanding season. It is hard to invite others into the chaos! I would have worried less about play dates if I could do it over - just be home with my littles. And I would invite kids without the moms - let the kids play while you relax or get some laundry done so you can have fun with hubby later! And my hubby is so great - he often got the short end of my energy stick. Why was I chasing other friends when I was SOOO busy with our littles? I should have been saving my time and energy for my hunk. The moms can stay all afternoon sucking up reserve time and energy (as they sit across the table telling you all of their problems) that could have been used to host a fun gathering at another time...This way you can still invite those great kids without the younger siblings that you may not want to have in your home and it is a bit more free for you in the long run - that is my experience and hindsight. Hope this helps!

Test scores MATTER for scholarships...and the scholarship opportunities are SO MUCH BIGGER for first time freshmen. My son will have his AA completed by the time he finishes high school (dual credit program in our state). At one time, I thought he could bypass these tests and come in as a transfer student...but then I began to reasearch scholarships and found they are HIGHLY contingent on test scores, like it or not! So, we are looking for an affordable test prep that will bring it up to a 30 on the ACT (that is where scholarship money really begins...though some would argue it is 28 - I have done extensive research/meeting with college admissions/financial aid and I would say it is a solid 30.) My son is like this gals dd who does not test well but has a high GPA...this is the system we have. It is probably "broken" but unlikely fixable before we need it to be fixed! HTH

I had a hyper thyroid YEARS ago. The doc wanted to do some invasive (radioactive) tests...I decided to do a bit of research. I came to the conclusion that I was eating too much iodized salt (iodine powers the thyroid)...so I cut it out and the thyroid and all symptoms disappeared immediately (within weeks). I do get iodized salt at restaurants and in processed foods, but other than that I eat uniodized salt. Seems to have cured the problem for me. I really wanted to avoid the radiation as there is an increased chance of breast cancer when you go through some of the radiation treatments associated with thyroid problems. I am not a doctor...this is just my own experience. Hope this helps.

My son loves to watch comedians on YouTube...we watched Jim Gafferty tonight. It was clean - a bit of adult humor about childbirth...but I had previewed it so skipped those parts. Brian Regan is good too. He (ds) laughs so hard -sooo fun to laugh with him. He also still likes to go out to eat with me and dh. I try to listen whenever he has time...he is a busy 16 yo. And he still likes to tell me his plans...I am so enjoying this older stage. Oh, we go to movies occasionally. Also play golf with him (dh does this.)

P.s. son pays for his monthly insurance plus put in $ for the deductible in case of accident. If no accidents when he graduates, we give back deductible towards his own car. I little skin in the game, KWIM?

I want my teen driving ASAP so that we can "mentor" them for a few years while they are learning...a lot of the real learning takes place when they start driving alone. Don't get me wrong...we paid big bucks for my son to take a skills course training in addition to the regular on street driving. He learned to handle a vehicle on ice, in traffic, when there are obstacles, etc... And we got more than the minimum hours driving with him for a year with his permit. But driving alone is different...we felt he was ready...but I am still glad he can call before he leaves so I know if he is not home to start looking! And he tells us about near miss situations...we talk about how to handle it better next time. We get 2 or more years to mentor him before he drives far away to follow his dreams. I guess I like to let go in stages!

FB says Grace was found and is safe! Praise the Lord. Perhaps someone could update to let others who are praying and/or concerned know?

My dh lost my wedding band as I was having a c-section - I had to remove it for surgery and handed it to him. That was mearly 7 years ago. I still had the engagement solitaire...but wore it in a hot tub this past Dec. and the sizeable diamond fell out at some point. Looked high and low - in the pool filters and beyond. So, I now have a diamondless ring (and yes, I had the prongs redone a few years ago...chorine is BAD for gold!) Dh wants to get me something new. Having lost the diamond, I am reluctant to buy another expensive stone! Insurance did not cover it. Neither did the jeweler. So, looking at less expensive stones that look like diamonds...what are your thought on cubic zirconia? I still want platinum for the setting. Advice?

Talia Laila Sooo fun to name!

House sit! Have an adventure! Those 10 year olds are going to start growing up exponentially...this time is perfect to do it.

I went through a study on Leviticus that totally opened it up..the worship therein was amazing. I was surprised at all of its treasure...Christ is in it all! What have you found?

For those of you with older, graduated kids: What did you NOt do that didn't matter anyway?

They did a great job presenting their SMART wheel product to the investors. They did not talk about their education. As we were watching, my dh said, "I bet that they are homeschoolers!" So, we googled them and found that they are homeschooled kids.