Good question. I'm hoping people say they didn't get worse. Mine is only 5. :tongue_smilie: Brenda

I do this as well. It's like having the recess bell go off. :001_smile: For some reason my kids just go along better with the timer going off. My kids listen pretty well, but I would still get a bit of grumbling when it was just me telling them to come in or time to start x. With the timer, it's just "Okay mom, we're coming" just about all the time. Let's hope it lasts! hehe Brenda ETA - I also adjusted our schedule a bit. I wanted to get things done asap, especially phonics and math, but found out that for my kids, it was better if we started school a good hour or more after morning chores were done. They need plenty of time to play, play, play first.

:grouphug: So sorry this has happened. Although I believe that most people are generally good, there are still plenty of people willing to do whatever it takes to bring someone down for their own benefit. I wouldn't be surprised at all if this was the case. My husband lost his job last year because he was friends with another executive that got laid off. Even though it is illegal to do so, a new executive has told current employees that if he finds out anyone EVER talks to any of the ex employees, "their performance will go down" - basically let go. We are talking about a smallish company where people were friends for up to 10+ years, doing things together outside the company, etc. I understand the "omg, wtf are we going to do" feeling. We made it through and came out better for it and I am hoping that the same happens for your family!!! Brenda

Food and water (everyone seems to get very hungry and thirsty) Towels and more towels Beach Blanket Toys if your kids play with them including sand/water bucket Flip flops/shoes that you can take off and on easily & that can be washed off Magazine/book to read if your kids are not off playing in the water I don't know if you've been to the ocean before, but definitely make sure to keep applying the sunblock even if your kids don't usually burn. The rays reflect off the water as well, even if it is cloudy. Brenda ETA - If you are going to be there for 3 days and plan to spend a lot of time actually on the beach, beach chairs are nice unless you plan on lying down on the towel most of the time. If you're staying on the beach at a hotel, I'd ask the hotel if they have chairs that you can use.

Welcome! First of all, congrats on the triplets! I have twins so hats off to you! ;) I started homeschooling my kids about a year ago for their pre-k year and added just a little bit more this year for K. Last year I was able to do pretty much everything with them together since it was basically handwriting, math, phonics, scissor practice, lots of reading etc. One thing that became apparent this last year is that I have 2 very different types of learners. Don't be surprised if this happens and you at some point need different things for different kids. It's one of the things that I love about homeschooling. You adjust if you need to. You've been given a lot of great advice from previous posters (PP). As long as you and your hubby are on board, that's the main thing. You are already starting to get some comments, but one thing that I tend to say to head off any further comments are "We are doing what we think is best for our kids". You can usually tell if people are genuinely interested when they ask questions or if they are trying to push an agenda or get into a debate. Yea, you will probably need some thick skin if you don't already have it, but I'm sure as a mom of triplets, you are more than able to handle whatever comes your way! :D Brenda

Oh my! I don't have any advice, but I can understand why you would be burned out!! :grouphug:

Just saw this thread for the first time. When there was a few robbery attempts in our neighborhood last year, a couple of sheriff deputies came to the HOA meeting. They said they wished people would call MORE. They said it doesn't matter if you aren't sure or not, just please give them a chance to send someone out to check things out either way. They also said this applied to anything suspicious...they WANT to know about it so that they can potentially prevent something from happening if need be. One other thing that didn't make sense about the story the guy gave you. Why would he be "stomping" in the weeds looking for a taillight? So when he hears the "crunch" he'll know he found it, but wait...it's now busted! You did the right thing. I'm sorry you had to go through it because it is very unnerving. I've lived in or near big cities in CA all my life and it sucks to have to think about it when you go out. :( My friends and I have had way too many "close calls" to even list. Brenda

Wouldn't there be some kind of issue with using naked kids in a tv show though?? I'm guessing it's real. Just read about the mom who let her kid poop in the sand at the park. :001_huh: Brenda

With our twins, 2 wasn't bad. 3 was a DOOZY! Don't get me wrong, they were super cute and all, but boy was that a rough year and no one even mentions it! I thought I had lucked out when they turned 3, but it was like someone flipped a switch a few weeks after they turned 3! :D Plus I spent 1/2 of my day sitting in the bathroom waiting for one or the other...joy. Brenda

Is there any way to block off the box area or enclose it with temporary fencing or dog fence? I'm a bit confused about the setup so I don't know if this is even an option. Of course if you don't care if you ever see the lady and her dog again, you wouldn't need to. Is it only a problem because there is leaking or is there a chance there is a safety issue as well for others like little kids? I'd tend to fix the more obvious problem which seems to be the box, but if it's because she has an unruly dog, then that's another issue entirely. :001_smile: In the end, it's your house and you shouldn't feel bad about deciding who gets to come over or not. Brenda

:grouphug: That's rough! I hope everything works out!

This is just wrong. I went through potty training my twins a couple of years ago. We always kept a potty seat in the back of the van for our 9+ hour road trips to my parents. There are places in the middle of CA where you can go 1/2 hour to an hour with no public restrooms. Another question is why didn't anyone say anything??? At least go tell an employee.

Just a little fyi. :001_smile: If you are in a city, I wouldn't advise her to put on headphones and close her eyes. When I lived in SF years ago, there were rapes happening around the campus area I was at. Police were telling women they need to be aware of their surroundings and not look like easy targets which included wearing headphones because then you couldn't hear someone approaching. It's sad that we have to worry about it. Brenda

I think your son is at that age where some kids have empathy and others are still developing it. I wouldn't be worried at age 6. Do a search for empathy on google and you will find a slew of info. Some kids are more naturally empathetic and others need some guidance in that area. Brenda

Sending prayers your way! Brenda

It hasn't happened to me, but I have heard of it happening many times unfortunately. Sorry you have to go through it. Brenda

Take one of the ingredients that he decided you "didn't need" and make the recipe and serve it as such. So if you were planning on having tacos and he didn't get the taco shells, serve him a big pile of taco fillings. BBQ chicken without the bbq sauce...not the same. That would get the message across loud and clear I think. :D Brenda

Wow, what it is with a lot of men and grocery shopping?! My dh is pretty good about it for the most part because we were on such a strict budget for about a year, but I still make a point of saying "please do not buy anything not on the list". That usually works, but if I don't tell him, he'll come home with the most random things. :001_smile: Brenda

Ok, I had to laugh at that. :D Brenda

:iagree: Brenda

:grouphug: Prayers for your daughter Brenda

I'm in the San Diego area. A lot of people here drive in the parking lots like they do on the streets...reckless. I can't even tell you how many times people have started their cars, backed up with speed and THEN slammed on the brakes and THEN finally decided to look as pedestrians had to jump out of the way for fear of getting hit. Unfortunately not only do you need defensive driving, you need defensive walking here We have gorgeous beaches, great weather and lots of things to do though so I keep telling myself it makes up for some of it. :tongue_smilie: Brenda

My kids are just in their "K" year so it is mostly fun stuff, although we have been doing phonics for about a year because they started to read on their own. Not as easy for me to make that real fun these days. hehe They think that PS is just a bunch of kids playing out on the playground as that is what they see when we drive by sometimes. :001_smile: Brenda

I do Once A Month Mom meals, but I only do them about every other month because I do like to cook and there are plenty of yummy things that don't freeze well. Some of the meals are completely cooked and frozen while others are prepped (like marinated meat) and frozen, then cooked on the day to be eaten. I have a separate freezer and seeing it full brings me a sense of relief. :D I know...it's a bit odd. Brenda

I hate thinking about the movie Mommy Dearest about Joan Crawford, but I can't stand wire hangers! We keep a couple in the coat closet for those times when they come in handy, but that is it. All others must be plastic (with the exception of dh's thick metal pant hangers) and WHITE! There are too many more to list. That is scary. :lol: Brenda