I voted yearly and weekly. Yearly I order the books and supplies, print out the entire PDF pages, get bindings chopped, get TMs spiral bound, organize everything, etc. Every week, I put each day's work in a file folder. I write down the lesson plans in a teacher's lesson plan notebook. As we finish things, I use a highlighter to cross them off (so I can still see what we did). I put his completed work in another file folder and at the end of the week, I file those pages in a 3" 3 ring binder.

Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians. I think there are 4 or 5 in the series. I find them hilarious; I don't know if the humor would go over a 9 yo's head. It's always worth a shot though.

Have you checked Rainbow Resource or another major distribution site to see if you can get things from there? $150 order=free shipping (I don't know what you're planning on using, so I apologize if this is a useless tip)

Like, like, like and MORE LIKE!!!

Links appreciated :D For either the 1st grader or the preschooler or both. The 1st grader will be doing ancients and biology then earth science and astronomy. The fun things don't necessarily have to correlate with those subjects though. Anything fun will do. We already have a 50 piece rock and mineral set. They both love it. :auto: Ready, set, go!

:scared: That will be a cute little handful! Congratulations to your family! I nursed Digby for two months while pregnant. The first month I didn't know I was pregnant and then went another month. I'm not sure I have any tips, he was a year old by then and I weaned him. But congratulations!

The Lodge brand gets pretty good reviews and is a lot cheaper than the Le Creuset. Very cheap on Amazon if you can't afford the Le Creuset. And I don't know if any stainless steel would be good for chili (or maybe it was the height:diameter ration) but even with my super thick bottomed pot, I burned my stew. Majorly.

Walk, walk, walk, walk and more walk. :grouphug: Make sure you have your bag packed and everything completely ready. I had a friend who hung out for 5cm for a really long time and her active labor went super fast.

My stainless steel stock pot is made by BHG. I got it at Walmart with a pasta insert and a steamer insert and the lid for $50. The stainless steel is really thick and durable and well made. Next I'm going to get an enameled cast iron pot for things like sauces. Cast iron and stainless steel shouldn't be used on high heat. But they retain heat so well you don't really need to use it on high (though sometimes when the food cools it down so much, I boost it on med high for a few minutes then turn it back down to med). Those two materials don't warp. I will never again by anything with Teflon. I've been through so many sets and the coating ALWAYS peels off eventually no matter how carefully you use wooden or plastic utensils with it or wash it by hand. Waste of money to keep replacing them. Cast iron and stainless steel can last a lifetime with proper use. And learning how to cook with them does have a little bit of a learning curve, but it's not too bad.

As a fellow renter I feel your pain :grouphug:. Yet there are positive aspects to renting as other people have pointed out. Try to focus on these instead of all the negatives. A house you can't afford is not a blessing and will not save your marriage. You would be trading one set of stress for another. You said your husband MIGHT enjoy all the handyman work and feel like he was working towards something. But until he's actually in that situation, you don't know what he really will feel. He MIGHT end up hating it, feeling completely overwhelmed and resent you (whether it's justified or not) for getting him into that mess. Please do not let your dad do this deal for you, unless you are completely desperate. Mixing finances with family is a risky business that often ends up with hurt feelings from at least one party.

My brother is a CS major and never had a problem with math until he got to linear algebra in college. My mom was so funny: "He did Calculus in high school without any problems." "Yeah mom, this is harder than calculus." "Oh I didn't know there was a math that was harder than calculus." :lol: Anyways, the point of all this: he said that he would watch the Khan Academy videos to help him with the linear algebra. Maybe they would work for some of the other subjects too. I'm planning on using them (and Life of Fred) to get a better understanding of higher level math.

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8601000-megan I think this is the right link for mine. If it's totally wrong, somebody please let me know. PS I only signed up a few days ago. I have read more than 24 books. I just couldn't think of many at the time.

Then I wouldn't worry about that yet. It's ok. Your four year old can do his activities next to you. You can still give lots of hugs, kisses, smiles, etc while working with your oldest. (or at least I think you can. we work at a little kid table and I sit in a little kid chair. maybe it would be harder at a normal sized table :lol:) but I do think my two year old likes to spend so much time with us because he gets a lot of attention that way. Again, maybe it won't for you, but I was really surprised at how well it all worked out. When he's ready for more formal schooling, maybe your older son will be a little more independent. If not, I wonder if you set the timer for 15 minutes and let him have a break, but not leave the room, you could probably get in a little with your younger son. For a kindergartener, you'd only need a few of those a day. I do that for my 6 year old, he runs around a little then comes back to work when the buzzer goes off. I think it can be done. It may involve a lot of tweaking and trying new things. I was relieved when someone told me to give it six months. It was about the sixth month when we found our groove and got it all to work. If it takes an adjustment period, that's ok too. And if you absolutely must send him, there's no guilt in that. But I do think it can be done :001_smile:

Oh there are so many fun ways to keep him occupied without resorting to the TV and that don't require a lot of attention from you. Scour Pinterest for some great ideas. My kids like to cut things. They like to use plastic tongs from the dollar store to move pom poms and large beans around. You can make some sensory bins. You can draw a large outlined letter and have him paste cotton balls to them. You can cut colored pipe cleaners into 1" lengths, put them in a clear plastic tupperware or mason jar and give him a heavy duty magnet. You can get a book of file folder games and make a bunch. You can buy a lap sized dry erase board and some dry erase crayons. You can let him just play with Cuisinaire rods without having to try teaching him math. Just let him play. I prefer the MUS blocks because they are like larger Legos. My two year old like to take a big 100 square and put the other blocks on top of them and make various designs with them. You can get Geoboards or wood pattern blocks. So much fun stuff for a kid his age. I keep everything locked in file drawers. They can get one thing out at a time but if they want something else, they need to clean up first. You can let him do these activities at the table with you and your other son. When your older son is doing something independently you can try to get some "schooling" in with your younger. If he's not ready for formal academics yet, don't worry. I would think at his age it's ok to have a year of just fun stuff. Have him tested for dyslexia and if he has it learn how to work with it. If he isn't dyslexic, then try again in a few months. Honestly, I thought adding my 2 year old to our homeschooling routine was going to be the worst thing ever. It turned out great. He gets to do fun things or play or join in whenever he wants, but it allows me and my kindergartener more time to get everything done. Best decision ever.

http://www.latter-dayhomeschooling.com/2012/03/free-books-at-your-fingertips.html This blog post has a lot of good ideas

My standards couldn't get any lower. That's why we're trying to raise them :D. Thanks guys. The three year old can handle the dustpan. Last year he had a lovely habit of tossing the food he didn't like off the table so in an effort to get him to stop, I'd make him use the dustpan to clean it up. I'm not expecting him to be able to sweep the whole floor and make it beautiful, but more of getting all the big stuff that falls off of his and Chuck's plates. I can also have Pigby take care of the bathroom trash. With a little grocery bag liner, he ought to be able to pull it out and tie it up and put a new bag in. I like this idea.

and anyone else with a clean house! :D What chores do you have your children do? I'm about ready to go crazy with the housekeeping. I feel like their little maid, picking up after every little thing they do. :cursing: I know it's my fault for letting them get away with it, but no more! I am going through the entire house on a major purge so everything has a place. Once that's done, what can I get them to do so we can maintain the clean environment? I'm thinking Pigby (6) could clear and rinse the dishes and wipe the table after every meal. Digby (almost 3) could clean up the living room with my supervision and help. He could also probably use a dust pan and broom to get most of the big stuff on the kitchen floor. Would it be reasonable to start training Pigby how to wipe down the bathroom? (Ok I understand how stupid this makes me look, so please don't laugh. Cleaning is really not my strong point) Also, what can I use to clean the bathroom with instead of paper towels? Growing up, we only ever used paper towels. Would washcloths be ok or would that just be too gross to consider? :blushing: I'm thinking of having chore time three times a day for about 5-10 minutes each, plus a clean up of their room before they go to bed. Thoughts? Suggestions? Please help a recovering slob. I'm worried about homeschooling and cleaning and cooking and working and hobbies fitting into my life when they are older. If I don't get this under control now, I don't know if I can do it all. ETA: oh and if there are any other age appropriate chores for a 6 yo and 3 yo, please let me know. I need them doing as much as they can when they can. I don't want to raise slobs like myself.

Rainefox, what other stupid "smoke and mirrors" type tricks or unnecessary interventions are common in ob? :D (You don't really have to answer that. I'm not a pot stirrer, just a sassmaster.)

I'm sorry he's such a jerk. :grouphug:

Whenever my DH gets whiny about the food I make (he usually whines about spaghetti too often) I remind him that the Israelites got in trouble for whining about the manna everyday and that maybe, just maybe, he should start thanking the Lord that he has something to eat at all and has the lovely wife who prepared it for him ;) For practical advice, what about oatmeal for breakfast. Eggs at Costco are about $5 for 5 dozen. You could hard boil a bunch for the week and have one with the oatmeal. More than that, it's hard for me to advise you without knowing what kind of meals you are already making. At $300/month I would kind of assume that you've found a way to stretch it as tight as it will go. Oh just thought of fried rice! (sorry I'm really tired and my brain isn't working too well anymore). Last week I stretched one chicken breast plus some eggs and a few slices of bacon, leftover rice and a 1/2 bag of frozen veggies for our whole family plus some leftovers.

I know nothing about allergic reactions but wanted to give you a :grouphug:. Good luck tonight and tomorrow.

I think so. DH used to have a blue collar job and on it, we felt rich! When that company went under he ended up taking a desk job that pays less. I think we still live very well considering. We only have one car and we live in a 2 br apt without AC or a DW. But it's not a basement apt (what we lived in before) and we have a washer and dryer and 2 toilets (a must when living with three boys). We aren't on any assistance. It's not the life I want to lead forever, it's just temporary until my husband starts his own business.

Thank you, what an excellent post. I'm going to go find that Ensign article and try this with the other talks. And I don't have time to reply to everyone, but I did want to say "Thank you" to everyone who gave me some great advice. I downloaded all the sessions and put them on my mp3 player. I'll get to listen while washing dishes.

I hope this one works. It was taken with DH phone, but little children don't hold still so there's a lot of blurs. Sorry it's ginormous. I tried making it smaller, but obviously failed at that. I don't know how to really fix it. But they're still cute.

Thank you. I went ahead and bought the Kindle version. In the review it said the book's thesis statement is: They believe in Christ, but they do not believe Christ. This has been my problem for far too long (even before my parent's divorce). I'm going to go ahead and start reading.