my latest plan has us schooling monday and tuesday, wednesday off for deep cleaning, school again on thursday and friday. this keeps the break short enough so that coming back to school isn't a hard adjustment (he never wants to do school after a week off) this also keeps the house from getting too messy. two days between deep cleanings means I don't have a mountain to climb in one day; it's much more manageable. also notice that this is my latest plan. i've had several others. to me it seems like homeschooling with littles involves a lot of flexibility. it's not so much about making the perfect plan, it's about constantly evaluating and adapting.

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: I keep dreaming about the house I grew up in. It was sold when my parents divorced. It still makes me cry. :grouphug::grouphug: Hopefully time helps heal your heart. I also cried when selling my Baby Bjorn and the single stroller. And the car that we brought Pigby home from the hospital in. I totally get attached to the memory of things too. It will be ok. (more hugs)

I have one night off a week. I will either go to the dollar theater or the library and play on pinterest. once I went to office depot to get some things laminated and while I waited I went and got some dinner. so nice to be able to eat without having to feed little children. at first, dh was recommending I go out, but so often things would come up and I would make an excuse to stay. I wasn't trying to manipulate him, but not getting a break kept taking a toll on me and I was having meltdowns all the time. again I wasn't trying to manipulate him, I just kept thinking I could power through it. finally dh put his foot down and was the one to push me out the door every week. it really helps a lot. also, he has meetings a lot during the week, so I use those times to read or watch shows our whatever I want. it sounds bad, but I really love that quiet time to myself.

Haven't read all the replies. I voted other. I wouldn't call them trashy, ugly, or low class :confused: but I've yet to see one that I thought made someone look better. I don't think they're beautiful and I don't have any of my own. It doesn't bother me that other people have them. I don't care what they do with their bodies.

I would at least put them in photo books. That would keep them organized. Toss any that didn't turn out well at all, ie, someone's finger in front of the lens. The thing with decluttering, you need to get rid of stuff that you could replace if you had to. Photos can't ever be replaced if you get rid of them. Every year we make a DVD of some of the best photos of the last year. We burn two copies and send one to my mom and one to my in laws. They like looking at them, but it also provides a backup should something happen to the computer and our external hard drive.

We have 2 bedrooms. One for DH and I, one for all three kids. DH built a bunkbed for the boys and DD sleeps in a crib. It's kind of rough dealing with the transition as they wake each other up. But they do start learning to sleep through it.

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Don't watch Willow!!! The beginning is scary and will scar a small 4 year old girl for life. Stay away, stay away! (Ok, yes I was the 4 year old girl who saw the beginning and had nightmares and am still too scared to watch Willow. :leaving: Fine, supposedly other people really like it. Or something. Whatever. *harumph!* :glare:) :tongue_smilie:

Last time I saw her in anything was Twilight. I wanted to scream, "Stuttering and sputtering do not count as emoting!!!!!" I also wanted to tell Rob Pattinson to stop widening his eyes, he looked like a creepazoid. As for this movie, someone on FB said, "For those of you thinking of seeing Snow White and the Huntsman just know that its basically the same plot as Willow, except I think that in Willow the princess talks more." And that is all I know about that.

I think you are overreacting. of all the things teenagers could do, the color of their hair would be far down on the list of things I care about. her attitude and kindness to others would be much more important. if she does well with those, consider yourself lucky. the color of a person's hair matters about as much as the color of their eyes or skin. it's the stuff on the inside that counts!

I think it's a super cute idea and now I want to do them too!

oh yes please

Day camps?! Day camps would be fun. He has been absolutely heartbroken about Liberty, I'm trying to find other things that will work. Do they have a co-op, is that what teaching things are for? Because I would so totally love a co-op. I know not everyone likes them, but I really want one so Pigby can have some social time.

I think it's a different one. Although you can definitely send me the info for the one you're going to. What's a Venus Transit Party?

Oh my heck, I am such a goofeth. I totally thought you were still in Georgia. Wow, not sure what I was smoking. But :grouphug: on your DH being gone so long. I hope they can get it all worked out. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Walk, walk, walk and walk some more. :001_smile: Good luck!

Cabinets that lock. We have filing cabinets that lock because we don't have room for a big tall one. Only letting them have one thing out at a time helps although it's still really annoying when he takes the 250 pieces of wood pattern blocks and throws them all over the room. :glare: Better that than the blocks AND the rubber bands AND the crayons AND the paper clips AND the lapbooks.

He usually writes, has meetings with his business partners, plays with his nerd poker stuff. Sometimes we'll watch Scrubs or Psych or something on Netflix. I usually read or am on the computer. Lately I've been trying to get a wiggly Digby to go to bed. 11 pm and the kid is still awake!!!!!! :glare: *grumbles grumbles grumbles*

That's what I was thinking. "Really, we have to legislate common sense now?" :banghead:

That would be nice, let me know if you do think you can make it for a little bit. We could even do lunch! :D Oh geez, I'll have to look that up. I check these things so infrequently, I always miss stuff. Oh btw, I tried emailing the person who does the science classes and never got a response. Do you know if they're doing any in the summer or just in the fall and when registration is? PM me if you need to. Thank you. Phew, I'm so glad I have you around to keep me in the know. I never know what's going on.

I thought you lived on the east coast. *Crosses fingers that your DH magically shows up so you can come, even if only for half an hour*

I've never been either. I'm mostly excited about the 1 1/2 day vacation I get :D I told DH that I expect Pigby's schooling to be done, the house to be perfectly clean, and healthy meals made and he can't just stick them in front of the TV or smart phone all day. :lol: http://uhea.org/exhibitor-list.html Here's the list of exhibitors in the curriculum fair. I only plan on buying MUS so I don't have to pay shipping on it in six months. http://uhea.org/workshops.html Here's the list of workshops. There's a few that look really interesting to me and a few that look kinda interesting and I'll go to those if I have nothing else to do.

1 week until UHEA conference. Who's excited?!?!?! :seeya: I am!!!! DH has Friday off and will be spending (hopefully) quality time with the little turtles. I will have 1 1/2 days all to myself :party: If anyone wants to meet up, let me know. Curriculum fair is free, so if you aren't going to the actual conference, we can meet in there.

I also remembered: Anytime DH says something about them, I respond with a line from the LOTR movie, in my best :lol: Ian Holm voice. DH: Chuck sure is cute. Me: Course she is, she's a Baggins! DH: Pigby is really a good reader. Me: Course he is, he's a Baggins! DH always wonders what sort of hanky panky went on with me and a fictitious hobbit :D Ha!

We had fun once Digby learned his name. You could call him anything and he would always have to deny it. For example: Me: "Digby, you're such a goofball." Digby: "I not a goofball, I Mao-um" Over and over, round and round. He would even deny being a human, a mammal, and a boy because he not a boy, he's Mao-um (how he pronounces his name). Also, I used to call the kids turds. In a loving way. It's weird, I know. But DH didn't approve, so then when I slipped and started calling them turd, I had to add a little "l" sound. So now they are all my turtles. Pigby and I used to have a lot, but those have gone by the wayside as I got slammed with sleep deprivation from the younger two and just don't have that much energy anymore. I blinked an he grew up

I got mine for about $30 at the Staples store. Do you have one close by that you can check out?