What is your repayment goal? We have a little over 100k. We are living in a rental which we like, but we don't want to buy a home until we have our "first mortgage" paid off. My sister-in-law is doing a MD/PhD program and I know she is well over the 100k mark, probably a lot closer to 200k and her husband is an electrical engineer, but I don't know his loan amount.

My husband is an attorney and we have a big amount of loans. Our loans are consolidated and we are enrolled in IBR (Income Based Repayment). This article makes it sound like everyone will be on the IBR standards like the 20 year max repayment timeline and the 10% payment standard, although IBR is based not only on income, but family size.

My friends found a water moccasin in their sink. I am so scared of snakes.

Is it still worth getting if you don't have any children in the logic stage? Is the whole book different?

We are old calendar Orthodox Christians so our Christmas doesn't begin until January 7th and then keep it up for at least the 12 days of Christmas. We are a young family so we've been working (or rather I have) on a date that is right for our family. I definitely do not want it up in November, although I need to figure out some way of putting up a small tree (probably a table top feather tree) to hang our Jesse Tree ornaments during evening prayers at the start of Advent, November 28th. Then our tree (which if at all possible will be a real tree) up the eve of St. Nicholas, December 18th so we can enjoy it on St. Nicholas Day, December 19th or just make the 19th the day we go search for our Christmas tree.

I am thankful for such a beautiful day in Missouri.

I think of bisoctti as a fall/winter treat to go along with coffee. I would love to bake some today when I finish cleaning up my kitchen. If you have a favorite biscotti recipe please share it. Also if you eat biscotti with tea what flavors do you think pair up nicely?

I have heard in Waldorf schools children bake bread in the shape of the letter they are learning.

Do you have any recommendations for the little ones? Or would you just recommend getting one that will last forever? Part of me doesn't want to spend money on one that I will need to upgrade in a few years, but if it is that much better to have a beginner map I'll do it.

Sorry I have no advice for you either, but wanted to say I'm another born and raised West Virginian. I grew up in Wetzel Co., but now live south of St. Louis.

I want to get some very nice maps for our learning/play room. I was thinking about putting them above our two cabinets that hold our current Montessori materials and toys. After talking with my sil she thinks I should have them lower so Robby can see them closer up. If this is the case I need to find a large large wall map to put up on a wall. Perhaps in the bedroom or hall way? I have seen some information lately about how maps don't show the correct size of certain countries. When I asked my husband about this he said any 2D map could not convey the correct size perhaps because of the curve of the Earth. So maybe I don't even need a map, but a LARGE globe. You tell me what is best, hive mind.

Those with math journals, do you use a 3 ring binder or a composition style notebook? I like the composition notebooks or these http://www.amazon.com/Bienfang-2-Inch-11-Inch-Notesketch-Horizontal/dp/B001KZH1KQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_T1?ie=UTF8&coliid=IBX0XFZJMV80P&colid=36U6R3WHU7FS however I'm sure a perfectionist (something I'm going to have to conquer before Robby is "in school") I think I would prefer the 3 ring binder so I can only keep the best entries.

I just looked up Ooma and they now have a wireless adapter. This is nice if you have wifi in your home or get wifi free if you are in an area that has free wifi. I am just nervous about not having a landline and there being a power outage and not being able to call for assistance for an emergency.

This thread just got me nervous about teaching LA. I am going to need to relearn a lot, or learn this stuff for the first time. :-/

If speed is the primary reason for teaching cursive, perhaps SuperWrite or Shorthand could be taught instead. I took a year long course in high school at my ps in SuperWrite. I don't use it much anymore as a sahm, but I find myself using some of the shortcuts when I am writing lists, etc. Although, you might need to know some cursive before you learn SuperWrite.

Are these books equal to one a year? If so does that make the Apples book prek? Pre-K Apples K Butterflies 1 Cats 2 Dogs 3 Edgewood 4 Farming 5 Goldfish 6 Honey Is this right?

To make BetterWorldBooks look even better paperbackswap.com credits are now $3.45 each. So $3 used including shipping is the best online price per book you can get, I think.

My goal is to create a great library in general. I do have specific authors I want in that library, but I don't usually have any specific ones I need when I am browsing used shops. I usually end up buying ones I have never heard of, but look promising. Like What Spot? I found today at the Goodwill. Never seen it in my life, but looked like something my son would enjoy. I looked it up on Amazon when we got home and every review said it was a favorite book with 5 stars. We'll see how Robby likes it tomorrow. Its in our main book basket now.

I just went to BetterWorldBooks. Why have I not known about this site!?! Free shipping and most bargain books under $4. Even if I buy the $.01 books on Amazon used you have to pay the $3.99 shipping. This is great with the 4 for $12... $3 books! Yay! $4 is usually the most I want to spend on a used book when we are out searching, unless it is a beautiful bound book or vintage.

I have started using librarything.com and I do enjoy "the trill of the hunt," but it really feels like this may take forever! I really have a hard time getting rid of books, but also want to not have twaddle or branded character books. Sometimes I have a book and don't know if it is good enough to keep or not. I debate and debate whether I should keep it on the shelf or donate it or post it on paperbackswap, etc. I really want our collection to be nice and special and not just full of any old book. I do this when we are out hunting too. I will just go over and over in my head about the quality and price, etc. Then later there is always a book I see on Amazon and remember seeing it out and think I should have gotten it. ugh. I love books. It is a difficult, but I think worthy goal of creating that home library. I do worry about that day when no one will be here to read them. I hope we'll have grandchildren and great grandchildren to enjoy them someday, but Robby needs to grow and enjoy them first. :)

Spent our Family Day Saturday going to used book shops. We went to three used book shops, our friends of the library used book store at the local library, a second hand children's store, a religious store, and Goodwill. I got about 10 books for my little one. I am slowly building a library, but feel like I'll just never have the selection and volume of good, beautiful books that I dream of having. Its so frustrating to think I spent most of the day, all though it was a great day, for such little bounty. Is this a strange feeling? I should just be happy I found a few good books. One was a really nice Mother Goose book. I know if I truly want to have a home library this will become my occupation for the next few decades. Anyone else spend days searching like this? Or should I just buy a couple books a week/month on Amazon?

I used up the last of our paint I bought for Christmas for my little one. We had Clementine Art natural paints. I really liked them. The paints were creamy and bright. They were expensive and I need to find a more economical alternative that is still quality paint.

I've never heard of a math journal, but I am excited to hear more about it now.

How does this sound for a "schedule" 9:00-9:15 arrival and circle time 9:15-9:35 music and fingerplays 9:35-9:50 story time 9:50-10:20 main activity 10:20-10:40 snack time 10:40-11:00 free play Please give suggestions.

Please do go on and on. I am newish to homeschooling and especially printables.