I hear ya! My kids have never been real " schooly". We are all undiagnosed aspies...especially me! Anyway, I just figured we would do our best and I would trust the process. Homeschool comes in seasons, just like life! Some seasons we are academic, some seasons are devoted to sports, some to caring for ailing relatives or new babies....ummmm....life. This year, in my panic and foolishness, I enrolled my kids in CLE 's cover school. Can you spell disaster??! My 10th grader literally cried every day....we are 2 light units out of 10 into the year and we started in August! My 9 year old threatened to never leave his room again if he had to do one more fill in the blank! Now, there is no more funding for books or classes this year, so....I am trusting myself and the process.....and we are homeschooling again. We NEVER finish...we read, write, relate, draw, build, talk, talk, talk, listen, color, read, and then play a bit. It is not about finishing here...it is about the PROCESS. It is OK! My older 4 have gone on to college and have thrived ( except one ds who would rather play than work, but is happy and enjoying his life). We have all sorts of degrees and certifications among those kids....and they are educated, literate, and well-spoken. They are active in their communities. They are respected among their peers.... These younger 3 will be ok too. Is your son looking to go to an upper tier college like sme of the students on these boards?? For us, my goal is community college first. I want them to succeed in a small pond, before tossing them into a big one. It has worked so far for us. What is it that will work for your DS? Don't kick yourself....life is a learning experience. Nothing is wasted. I have seen you around these boards for years and I know you are a conscientious mom. The teen years are difficult and there are all sorts of could've, would've, might've should've, didn'ts, but those should not matter. What counts is you DID the very best you could, with what you knew, and how you could do it. No kicking your own @ss. Maybe it is time to re-evaluate your choices and have a heart to heart with your ds, and plan a move forward. CALCULUS in 11th grade!! SERIOUSLY! And you think you are behind, or that he is???? No way! I am blessed when my kids finish algebra and geometry by 12th. Anyway, you probably know my kids stories, they have been posted here before. I really just posted this to commiserate and send you hugs and let you now it will all be OK!

I do this...permanently. No cheats....and yes, I can do it. It is fine. My palate has changed. I am not sick anymore. After YEARS of being sick, I am not sick. It is worth every cookie I pass by. It is worth every slice of pizza! I FEEL GOOD!!! It is not cruel. I am going to put ds on this diet as well. His symptoms remind me of me before I was diagnosed with auto immune issues...I don't want his body to be damaged as mine was. Meds not only didn't help, they hurt. Good luck! Faithe

Cycle & barefoot class tonight. Oh my!

Thanks...researching.

Yesterday did 5.5 on the treadmill, but really had fun!! No plodding and steady pace...lol!! I did serious hill climbs, all out sprints, walking cool downs etc. I am not sure that treadmill ever had a workout like the one I gave it yesterday!! LOL! I really had fun! To the point I was laughing...now, isn't that what this is all about?? ( ummmmmm...yes, I am a bit nuts....runs in the family.)

Without a million problems on each page. Ds get overwhelmed too quickly...and does not need tons of repetitious work. He gets it!! I want him to do SOME practice, but not ad nauseum or to the point of tears. I tried crossing stuff off, but that doesn't work...he still sees them. Any ideas?? I have been writing him out worksheets myself, but that is getting old quick! ETA: this is for grade 3/4

My teein dd is obsessed with Dahl, some of his work is definitely more adult! I had bought her a book of his poetry, and boy, was I glad I read it before I handed it over. ( she was 8 when I bought it....lol! She read it at 15 and it is still risqué !)

Had a great workout week last week, crazy sore legs and all! Planning on running today...goal: 5-6 miles depending on whether I run inside or outside. Need to check my weather app!

I've " known" you for years, but didn't know your story. Thanks for sharing! You were a veteran when I started, over twenty years ago! Where did the time go??? And thank God for weird neighbors! They often turn out to be the best ones.

Rest of the week: Tuesday: boot camp type w/o Wednesday: barefoot class/ cycle class Thursday took a good walk Friday: cycle Today I am off to boot camp and cycle class....my 2 favorite instructors. I am already pretty sore :-(. But, will give it my best. This was a god hard week. I also signed up for a few races the spring. Now I feel like I am actually in training. It is a nice feeling.

I have kids in both camps....how is that for driving a mom nuts?? My one dd wanted the text, the tests, the guide...the tell me what to do so I can be done. Lol. I have another like that now. So, basically, by following an inside the bx curriculum, you are outside the box in a homeschool sense... :-) J/k! In our homeschools, we have to do what s best for our particular students! Find what sparks them, and go with it until it doesn't anymore. My most out of the box kid is a big fat pain in the @ss, quite frankly! He is a difficult kid, so teaching him needs me to be constantly on my toes and full of saintly patience. I vacillate between radical unschoolish and drill Sargent. My other dd is easy to school outside the box because she insisted on one for years, until this one actually. She is fascinated by great literature, poetry and art. She s not stem focused in anyway whatsoever....so, I have to force her to do math, but everything else is easy peasy and then some. Middle ds is a textbook list kid. He is an avid reader in his free time, but school is school....lol. So, we have lots of boxes...sometimes we are in them, sometimes on them, sometimes we use them to build something else, sometimes we crush and recycle.

Actually, this was exactly what I was talking about. Idea grappling is a wonderful thing.

Oh yeah, I have several of those...and the gray hair and chewed off nails to prove it....

Yes, but it is what we do with those boxes!! Do we stack them up and stand on them to see beyond or do we climb inside and shut the lid?? Does the box become a tool, a means to an end? Or, does it become a confinement that causes one to feel hedged in. Yes, we all have boxes! Some of those boxes contain beautiful gifts....some of those boxes need to be left at the curb for the the next pick up. I tend to choose my boxes carefully :-)

Dumb bells!! Squats...lotsa them Lunges. Lotsa those too Swings, presses, bicep burners, wood chops, Russian twists, 45 minutes/ 450 calories

With my oldest dd, we did science outside...literally. She was not ever going to be a STEM major...she is now a graphic designer. For her, after failing miserably to teach her using textbooks and a typical course of study, I chose to use her giftings. How: I took a typical scope & sequence and what her transcript and course descriptions should entail into consideration....then, I book searched to find books written for laymen interested in each topic. She would read these books, draw diagrams, label parts, do experiments, write lab reports, research extensively and then a few longer term projects. She loved this!! Made it her own and learned way more than ever possible with a textbook. Some kids learn better from texts ( I have 2 of those). But for her science was just not going to happen unless she was going to fail it. She knows SO much that during college she ended up tutoring other kids in astronomy. ( One of her favorite courses). I still cherish her notebooks. They are gorgeous and one day, her children will be able to see them! This daughter also used her 4 year history cycle based on my college art history book. We divided it over 4 years and used the art study as her jump off point/ spine. From there, we studied cultures, governments, languages, architecture, literature, poetry, etc. Both boys took technical classes for certifications as heating technicians, air conditioning techs, water treatment techs etc. One son did a year long study of philosophers. One son studied Japan. One was fascinated by Russia...Russian art, authors, music....he was fascinated!! He spent over a year studying Russia.... As far as filling in the boxes and meeting requirements: way back when, Barb Shelton has a book called Home School Form-u-la which may still be available. I never actually used the book, but I was set free to do my own thing in High School by her writings. She showed me there was another way to accomplish what needed to be accomplished. She showed me I could keep up teaching a CM type education and it could be as rigorous as any education, even without textbooks for every single subject. We still used them, but they became tools in our tool box for us to use as we needed....they were NOT the devices of torture they have become for us in the last few years. I had to learn to trust myself, and know I could guide my kids, I could get them what they needed and as long as I didn't allow my poor self esteem to get in the way, we could accomplish really cool things!!!!

I have graduated 4 kids...completely out of the box! Truthfully, I was burnt due to life circumstances. Life just kicked my ass these last few years and in order to continue homeschooling, I depended on a workbook curriculum. It was fine for a while, but, basically sucked the last few drops of peace right out of me. Anyway, I am by nature a box checker in a house full of kids who were homeschooled and lived a lifestyle of learning since birth. Having a school at home experience has caused them to hate school work and not be too fond of me either. I have some bridges to rebuild before we set back to the books...lol! We will NOT stop learning, because...well...how does anyone do that?? I have a 10 th grader who loves literature, loves art, loves music...she is talented and beautiful, has a mean streak a mile wide...lol. Given the books and materials she can keep herself productively occupied indefinitely. My older kids have all gotten into college...2 oldest have a few degrees between them...lotsa letter etc. Oldest ds decided on college later...he is pursuing dreams, working hard...doing what he loves and he is happy and financially independent from us since he was 19. #4 is in community college part-time and working in our business part-time. Lyme disease put a monkey wrench in his original Plans, but did not steal his spirit. He is a well adjusted, wonderful young man. We did not do high school like the school....at all....ever. We read extensively across many genres...aloud. We wrote, we drew, we painted, we composed, we dramatized, we visited, we competed, we served. We found opportunities. I would like to have this now, again with my young bunch....these crazy, kookie kids. I can see even after one day, their lights are coming back on. They are at ease again. The stress of the next workbook assignment, the test to catch them on what they DIDN'T learn...it is gone!!! I apologized. I cried. No more boxes!!! Even if it means an extra year home....or more work on my end. ( it is always more work on my end...lol). Anyway, Lisa.....I know you got this!!! I know I got this too. :-)

We have been inside the box for the last year or so, and you know what??? I broke the freaking box this morning!!! I finally figured out where my stress, anxiety and unhappiness was coming from! It was coming from inside that damn box!!! I paid GOOD MONEY for that box!!! Why?? Because once again, I let my fears get ahead of my better judgement!!! So, now for the next few weeks I have to work on getting my relationship back with my kids and away from checking a box in a plan book that tells us how far behind we are.....UGH!!!! Life is TOO SHORT!!! Enjoy Sailor Dude!!!! Enjoy doing what you do!!! The Doctor is turning out just fine!!! The boys were so happy and relaxed today. They got learning done. They laughed. They created.... We HOMEschooled <3

Did a cycle and a sculpt class tonight. HR monitor clocked almost 2 hours and nearly 1,000 calories. No wonder I am hungry! Lol!

What games do you guys like?? I'd like to order some.

I am dealing with this right now too..after 20 years and graduating 4 kids ( will graduate # 5 this spring) it is time. Dss will probably begin public school in September. I bought a stay of execution....dh wanted them to start this spring. I am sad and mourning. I really wanted to see this thing out to the end....but, I am also a crispy critter....too many years of burning the candle at both ends and in the middle too..... I don't do failure well, but at this point I need to do what is best for my boys. I think they will thrive in a more social environment....and I will have time to heal. I can always bring them home again if I have to.....

Planning to run on the treadmill at the gym for the first time ever. I usually do that at home, if I ever do that...but my favorite trainer and my workout partner asked me to come, so....I am going. We'll see how this all goes.... Later: got in 5.5 in one hour on treadmill.

Ran 3 1/2 on the treadmill this morning.... Until ds tapped me on the shoulder, scared the heck out of me, and I almost broke my neck.... OY!

This is the reason I avoid them I do have one or 2 occasionally, because I love them...but otherwise I pass. Mainly because I have inflammation and auto-immune issues they are a no-no. If I did not have these problems, I would be eating potatoes and tomatoes!! Oh, I make the all time best bread and pancakes from green plantains!! Recipes on Paleomom.com and pinterest. yummy!!

Yep.... Big problems... Lol! But seriously, I want some colorful, or at least a strip of design or color on the leg.... Not on the waist as I wear longer shirts to hide my belly roll. Anyone have links for cool workout wear that is thick enough and will wear well?