Heart and Hands, by Elizabeth Davis is very good and will tell you a lot. People also recommend Gregory White's Emergency Childbirth, but it is not my favorite; it was pretty basic for a repeat mom, IIRC, and I remember thinking some of the advice was out-of-date (can't remember what, though; I haven't looked at it in about three years). I watched a lot of birth videos online to show my little ones what natural birth was like. If you're thinking of doing an unassisted birth, that can be a very reasonable option for a low-risk woman, if your heart is in it (as opposed to doing it because you feel like you have no other choice). You will probably want to research many options for things like stuck shoulders, possibly even writing them down in case you or your husband panic. You may want to find a backup midwife, who will come if you need her or not, and/or who will come afterward to check on you and the baby. You also need to look into how to get the birth certificate in your state if you do an unassisted birth; it's trickier in some than others.

Mostly KnitPicks. Sometimes Joann's/Michael's/ACMoore, especially if I have coupons. Sometimes one of the really nice independent LYS, but they're expensive; if I want Cascade, I buy it from them.

Oh, yes, sorry; that was unclear. Yes, we used SOTW2 for medieval, along with parts of H. E. Marshall's Our Island Story for English history. And a lot of supplemental stuff. :)

We did medieval last year, and this year, we're doing American history. At some point, whether it's this spring or not until the summer when our new school year starts, we'll go back to SOTW, ancients, and after that, we'll see. I was just thinking today that it would be so nice to have a SOTW-style US history book.

I just asked a similar question, with regards specifically to my 7yo son; here's the thread: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3625817#post3625817 I ended up ordering the instructor text to use with him plus my own copywork sheets and narrations based on our history readings, but I also ordered the full level four workbook for my 10yo daughter, because I think she needs more than I realistically have time to do.

Thanks, all; I've ordered the instructor text to use with DS1. We'll see how it goes. :)

Okay, that's good to know; I did look at the evaluations online, and I think he probably would be okay to start in Level 2. Still, though, could I do it with just the big instructor text, or do I really need each individual student workbook?

I got it through Christian Liberty Press. I did find any practice tests when I googled.

We liked Macaulay's Castle and Cathedral and Platt's Castle Diary a lot too. We also really enjoyed Good Masters, Sweet Ladies, King Arthur and His Knights, Our Little Norman Cousin of Long Ago, and The Making of a Knight.

I like the online CAT myself, mainly because it means I don't have to drag everyone out just to test one or two children. I also like it because it was a good fit for my easily-distracted child -- one question at a time, click a bubble, no finding the right spot on a sheet of bubbles. And the results were in my e-mail inbox within minutes of her finishing the test. Also, when DD took the test, the level she took was given to kids going into 4th, 5th, and 6th grades, so if we needed to test every year, taking this one again would give a good assessment of her progress.

I have a degree in medieval history, mainly focusing on British history, so we mostly focused on Europe, particularly the British, but we enjoyed the little jaunts into other areas as well, especially as mentioned in SOTW2. That was plenty for my kindergartener and third-grader (who were all about the knights and castles anyway). There were many more supplemental materials available for Europe than for other areas. As they get older, I would like them to learn more about Africa, Asia, etc.

Okay, my oldest son just turned 7 and is a first-grader this year. I'm looking at Writing With Ease, Level 1 for him. His printing is, I think, excellent for a first-grade boy, though I think he needs more practice in listening and narrating (which is why I'm looking at Level 1 and not Level 2). Currently, I print out a sheet of copywork for him several times a week, and a few times a week, he dictates a couple of sentences to me about whatever we've read for history. I'm cool with making my own copywork for him, and I think the narrating is good to do with the history readings, so I'm a little reluctant to spend the money to buy the full WWE1 workbook. However, I wasn't sure if the WWE Instructor Text would have enough detail about what I should look for in his writing, what I should encourage, etc. In that respect, how does it compare to the instructor section of the WWE workbook -- good enough detail, or really lacking in hand-holding for the parent?

I agree with this. My kids start rejecting the rods after a while, but they start out using them, and the visual representation really helps them get it. And when they get confused somewhere along the way, I pull out the rods again to show them a concept. You can count three of the white rods and three more of the white rods and show them how three whites make a light green, and then two light greens make a dark green.

I'd go for the minivan. I've had both, and the minivan gets way better gas mileage and makes for easier third-row entry. Plus, with the third row in use, the minivan (2001 Ford Windstar) actually has more cargo space than the SUV did (2000 Ford Expedition).

I thought that one was funny, and some of the others too. I didn't really like the cereal with a ladle one, as I thought it also perpetuated a stereotype of homeschooling mothers/SAHMs in general being lazy. We all have less-than-productive days, but I thought some of them were a bit much. I loved the homebirth one, though! "I'm just testing the placenta smoothy" -- LOL!

Maybe a stiff brush, like you would use on cast iron, would work? Also, the Pampered Chef scrapers are really great for getting off stuck-on food. Maybe some baking soda?

Yes, this. DH and I have not been able to afford to exchange gifts for Valentine's Day, Christmas, our birthdays, or our anniversary for the past several years, and he, in particular, likes giving gifts. Let your DH treat you, and enjoy it. :)

I've had a watch for about ten years, and its battery lasted for the first several. However, in the past five years, I think I've replaced it six or seven times. I have the lifetime battery deal with Zale's, but they no longer do it (I've still gotten my money's worth from them). A jeweler told me that when watches start to go bad, the batteries don't last very long, though that did not make a lot of sense to me. I wonder if batteries are just lower quality anymore.

That's exactly what I would have wanted to say -- "Does your wife know you pay this much attention to another woman's clothing?" (Though, people do notice habits. I wore skirts for about 18 months straight, but last winter, when I was pregnant, I switched to jeans, because it got cold, and I didn't want to deal with maternity tights. One of my friends from co-op stopped by to drop something off and mentioned later that one of her teens who was with her commented that she'd never seen me wear pants before, which was true, as we were newish to the group. So maybe it wasn't odd that this guy noticed, but it sure was rude for him to comment!)

I actually took two years of chemistry in high school (and one of biology and one of physics) and took the AP Chem Exam (though I only got a 2 on it -- I don't do stressful tests very well, and our class wasn't quite as rigorous as it should have been, not being a specific AP class). For math, I selected both "Calculus" and "other." Through a special program, I took both Calculus A and Calculus B (4 credits each) from a local university, during high school (the same course that engineering students take) and could have taken Calculus C and Differential Equations too, but I opted to take two semesters of Math for Elementary Ed majors instead, since I knew I didn't need another calculus class. Had I not been part of that program, I still would have taken AP Calculus at my high school. I fully expect my kids to take Calculus in high school, and I can see that DD is on that track so far.

My copper-clad Revere stainless stockpot is still going strong after 13 years and does fine on my flat-top stove. My Farberware stainless is also in good shape, but some of the handles have come off. I almost always cook with cast iron, the plain kind, not the enamled kind. I use it for everything and would highly recommend it.

I think I would still need some way to transfer the photos from the camera to something where I could access Dropbox, but it does look like it could be handy for sharing the photos. Thanks!

Maybe someone more techie can help me. If we needed to be away from home and needed to be able to take pictures and videos and e-mail them all to someone else, what would be our best option, the best combination of ease/convenience and cost? This would be for occasional use, but when we needed it, we'd really need it. We have basic cell plans (that are sufficient for talking and the occasional texting) and cannot afford to get a contract that would allow for internet/data plans. So that's not an option. We do have a very good digital camera that also will take necessary videos. We do not have a laptop, so we would need to get something to which we could download the camera and then e-mail the files. Some options I'm looking at: -Eye-Fi card for the camera. Cheapest option, I think. No plan required -- just go to anywhere that offers free WiFi, and e-mail the pics/videos from there. Is that right? -WiFi-enabled digital camera. Can they e-mail the video files? I think this would be fairly expensive, and I think for the same price, there might be another option. -Old Ipod Touch or something that can take pics/videos and then use the free WiFi to e-mail them. Problem is, I think the ones that are in our price range don't have the cameras. -Pay as we go smartphone. Advantage would be that it could be instantaneous; someone on the other end could see as we see. I just know nothing about megabyte usage and how expensive it could get to view things "live," or to e-mail pics and videos. But no need for finding a WiFi spot. -Gently used netbook that uses Win XP. Download the camera to it, and use free WiFi spots to e-mail the pics. I don't think any sort of plan or contract would be needed for this, right? This could also have the added benefit of providing internet access for directions and such while away from home -- just find a library, McD's, coffee shop, etc. If I wanted this to need no WiFi spot, I'd need some sort of plan, right? Any other ideas for us?

I think church or a Bible study would be of great help to you -- other people to lift you up, walk with you through life, encourage you, etc. I think you might also find it helpful to talk directly to God. Tell Him that you're looking for a new direction, that you want to serve His people, etc., and see what He opens up. I'm a big believer in laying whatever's on your mind at His feet, and even though He already knows your needs and desires, there's something productive about coming right out and saying it. Also, books and commentaries can be helpful, but be sure you keep going back to the Source, directly. Everything else is a human's interpretation; the Bible itself is the Word of God.

:lol: :lol: :lol: Linoleum is on my list. And yet, it refuses to go away as well.