Thanks for the links. Amazing that she was pg just a month after the reversal! Do you think that the desire for another baby is just a normal grieving process for that time of your life? I wonder if this is something I am going to "get over" and be happy with our choice when all is said and done.

Three years ago I had my beautiful baby girl and I was 100% sure I was DONE. My dh had a vasectomy when she was three months old and we were happy with that decision up until, I'd say, about six months ago. I'm really having some baby fever and am wishing I hadn't made such a permanent decision. It was a decision made during the most stressful time in our lives and we probably should have waited for the dust to settle before going through with it. Has anyone here had any experience with vasectomy reversal? Also, is this just a phase that I'm going through that will pass? It could be that I am just grieving the passing of this stage of my life. On the other hand, I am only 33. Why did I make such a choice when I still have, (possibly), another ten years of fertility? As you can tell I am seriously conflicted. I would love some advice please. :confused:

What has finally worked for me is to re-define hunger. Whenever I get the urge to eat, I ask myself if I am hungry or am I just not feeling full? I have found that I don't really need to snack and I have smaller portions at mealtimes. It really was a mental switch that I had to trigger and I have a whole new attitude toward food now. In the past I have tried W.W. and Sparkpeople, but I find the tracking just makes me obsess over food and I end up "cheating". Now, I finally get the whole "eat to live, don't live to eat" deal. I know..... easier said than done right?

:bigear: I'm curious too. My son is doing the Woodcock Johnson next week as part of his neuropsych eval.

In my opinion the kids should be supervised while grooming/tacking their horses. This is not just for the sake of the horse, it's a safety issue for your daughter and I think it was an unfair expectation. The care and well-being of the horse is the teacher's responsibility. I rode at a stable for years with a borderline abusive instructor. If you continue at this barn, I would make sure that you are always present. Secondly, why was this horse being used in lessons the day before 5 other kids are riding it in a show? It should be rested if the show schedule is that heavy. Not to mention too busy being bathed, clipped, and braided for the show....

:bigear: I have the same question for my struggling writer going into 6th grade.

:bigear:

My guy has been pumping for 2 1/2 years now. It was the best thing we ever did for him. Congratulations!

I just wanted to chime in and say hi. My oldest ds has high functioning autism so definitely falls into the visual/spatial category. I have no tips really; I am fumbling my way through myself! He was diagnosed almost 3 years ago with type 1 diabetes and has been pumping for 2 1/2 years. Autism and diabetes makes for an interesting combination as you well know. Anyway, no advice really, I just wanted to let you know you are not alone! I know it certainly feels that way for me since I don't know of anyone IRL that deals with these issues and homeschooling as well.

I don't often cook, and if I do it's done on the weekend. Breakfast is toast, cereal, or oatmeal. Lunch is something quick and easy like sandwiches, soup, or pasta. Dinner is prepared when dh arrives home, and we prepare something together, so it's more of a time for us to connect rather than a chore. My kids don't often snack during the day, but if they need to they can choose from the fruit bowl. I don't know when I would teach my kids if I was cooking every day.....

Three out of four of my kids did this. It happened shortly after potty training was established. I think that this is the time when going potty stops being rewarded, and nobody is making a big deal out of it anymore. Suddenly it's just a chore, and other things are far more interesting. It lasted about two weeks with all of them during which I just reminded, reinforced, and suffered through it. The only advice I have is to keep the mop handy!

Not very close. Dh learned to cut himself off emotionally from her when he was 10 and was sent to boarding school against his will. He still has a lot of lingering resentment over that.... He had a very traditional stiff, British upbringing.

I am in your situation right now. I have never told ds that he has autism because we are still working on an official diagnosis, and it's just plain hard to find the words. He is self-aware enough to notice he is different from his siblings and his peers, so when we tell him I think it might actually be a relief for him. It's been suggested to me to equate it with his diabetes. His brain works differently than other people; just like his pancreas. You could do the same sort of thing; equating it with sensory integration disorder? Just an idea.

I carry all ds's meds in a carry-on. Nothing goes into checked luggage. I also carry copies of all prescriptions and a doctor's note. I've never had a problem going through security; they see this stuff every day so you should be fine. Enjoy the trip!

My 2yo recently started doing this. I got a crib tent. It's literally a tent that zips over the top of the crib so she can't climb out. Now she stays in the crib till a decent hour whether she likes it or not!

I will always be understanding and sympathetic if my kids are tired, under the weather, or coming off a long break; however, that is no excuse for being disrespectful in the classroom. I get it. I am having a very difficult time with my almost 7yo right now too. We start every school day with a list of expectations, (ie. respect, obedience, etc.), and if he does not meet these expectations he knows privileges will be lost. I have to be very firm. Hope that helps.

We are doing a cornish hen now. I think we are on week 4 or 5? I've lost track. I didn't think I would be squeamish, but I've been forcing dh to change the salt mixture the last couple of times, and I think he will have to finish the project for me! I wish I'd heard the apple idea BEFORE I started this! The kids are ridiculously excited about it so we have to finish it, but I REALLY don't want to. :tongue_smilie:

With my 10yo I spend 3hrs, 4days/wk. That is 100% one on one time. I always feel badly when I read these threads and hear about 5 to 6 hour days, 5 days a week. I start to think I must not be doing enough, but I have to keep reminding myself that this is what works for my ds and try not to compare. Of course, my 5 & 6yo boys need the same so I hear you when you say you are always engaged. It's exhausting, but necessary.

which one worked the best for you? I am considering trying medication for anxiety and depression, but am worried about the side effects. Any btdt advice?

Absolutely seek help now. My 10yo suffers from OCD and is in therapy. This isn't something that gets better with time.

We have pretty much the same approach to bedtime. They go into quiet time at 9:00, everything is turned off/put away at 11:00, and the little ones are asleep very shortly after that. My oldest, however, doesn't go to sleep until well after midnight. He has always had extreme difficulty sleeping and I let him read, if he needs to, until he feels sleepy. I deal with the morning tiredness by working with the other kids before lunch and letting him wake up in his own time. He does his school work after lunch. It works for us and I too enjoy the fact that everyone sleeps in. Hope that helps.

Hi everyone, I am new here. I have been lurking for awhile, but this is my first post. This is my third year homeschooling and I still feel like I'm feeling my way in the dark. My oldest really struggles with language, (high functioning autism), and I don't know where my expectations should be. Trying to get this kid to write makes me want to jump off the nearest bridge. He hates the physical act of putting pencil to paper so I have been teaching him to type, but it's a skill that is slow in coming. I have him writing in a journal daily and more often than not, I will find one sentence entries which can easily take him half an hour to write. He is doing a research project for science and needs huge support from me to accomplish it. Unless he has a script to work from, he just doesn't have the language skills to accomplish it on his own. Sometimes I wonder if maybe I am stunting him by offering him so much support and that if I forced the issue he might surprise me? I am looking into speech/language therapy for him again, but I am cringing at the $120+/hr cost. I never feel that I am doing enough and at the same time I am overwhelmed with what I am doing. My 5yo and 2yo never get enough of my time and attention and I am tired of trying to homeschool with toddlers and their never ending need for MOM. Every year I have said to myself that next year will get easier, and then another year goes by and it doesn't! I am only 3 years into this; I don't have the luxury to be burnt out already. Sorry, this is turning into a novel and more of a vent than a question! I guess I'm wondering where my expectations of my kids and myself should be? I often wonder if I am not requiring enough of any of us, but especially my 10yo in grade 5. I need to figure out how to RELAX or I am going to drive us all crazy!