Stomach/digestive symptoms are so rarely part of the mix that I don't really think that's the issue. Digestive symptoms seem to lead the pack on parasites.

This is what I think happens most of the time. It can just be so hard tell how to react to which.

Thanks for all the input. Kiddo is feeling sicker today, definitely fighting something off, but still singing except while actually complaining. My impulse is to wait and see, which y'all have happily backed up, but there is one more issue. Hubby and I are going out of town on Friday night to see a blasphemous musical, and the boys will be spending the night with my mother. The guilt that I will have laid upon me if he is sick and has not been to see a doctor may crush me. We shall see...

This is something I've been thinking about. How much is hypersensitivity (he's the same way emotionally) and how much is physiological hypersensitivity. On the other hand, stomach complaints are very rare.

A journal of ailments is a fantastic idea! That will really help me keep my thoughts clear about what's going on with him. Thanks!

I don't see any sign of infection. Other than the slight swelling on the right side of his neck. He doesn't seem like a sick kid to me. I just don't know what to do about the constant complaints. How on earth am I supposed to know when he's really sick?

No fever, but one side of his neck does seem to be slightly swollen.

Okay, team, I could use some help. My 8 year old is always complaining about tiny aches and pains as though he was dying. Daily. Headaches, muscle aches, toothaches, excessive itchiness, we've heard about it (usually at bed time). Last week, he went to the doctor for a headache that he swore he'd had off and on for a year and had just never mentioned to us. Our very sympathetic pediatrician did a neurological assessment and determined that his headache(s?) are probably caused by tooth grinding. This is a doctor who is, if anything, overly thorough. (He screened him for cancer due to some swollen lymph nodes last year.) This week, the complaint is a sore throat and painful swallowing. It isn't that I don't believe him, though he is in his room singing the theme to Doctor Who right now. He's been making sounds like he is trying to clear his throat all day. The issue is, if I took him in every time he complained, I would be there every week. How long can I wait and still be a good mother?

When my 11 year old gets rude during lessons, I shame him - something along the lines of "I hope you would never speak to (any other adult) the way you just spoke to me." This, and the follow up of "Then why would you speak to me like that?" is usually enough to tone it down for a while. But I feel your despair. I was there on Monday. Monday produced maybe an hour's worth of work over the course of six hours, and resulted in the children being banished from my presence while I watered the garden. Their foolish disregard of their banishment in favor of nagging me about video games was the final straw, drawing a strong response from the garden hose and a change of clothes for everyone. You are not alone.

I consider myself a homeschooling mom of two, but, legally, my boys are public school students. We are enrolled in a public charter school, and they have a "teacher of record." We do the teaching, we select the curriculum, we set the pace and provide and evaluate all the work. We go in to the school once a month and the boys talk about what they've been doing and the teacher selects a few samples of their work for their records. In exchange, we get free curriculum (though I always buy extra), $70 per month to spend on classes, and minimal paperwork hassle. So, do I need to change my answer, or do I homeschool?

I think that the fact that the secular timelines change is important to understanding how science works. It is an example of science changing to adapt to new data. This is the big distinction between science and faith. If you just pick one secular timeline to believe in, and then keep teaching that, regardless of any new evidence, you are not teaching a scientific worldview. You are acting on faith. This is a legitimate philosophical choice to make, but you must know what you are doing. I get that you are not interested in the debate, and want to keep things as practical as possible. This seems like a reasonable, pragmatic approach. I just wanted to point out that a secular approach is not necessarily the same as a scientific one.

I have to agree. Schools are perfect breeding grounds for epidemics, and schools have to protect the children who can't get vaccinated. This is information the schools need. However, I think that requiring the exemption forms to be signed by a physician, even if the exemption is filed on the basis of personal beliefs, seems inappropriate.

I went to a meeting that wasn't scheduled to end until 20 minutes after my husband had to leave for work, leaving my sons (8 and 11, though they will argue for 8 2/3 and 9 3/4), alone in the house for almost an hour. I did not panic.

This sounds wonderful Do you think they would sell to gentiles?

Our fridge is rarely empty, because that makes me feel panicky. So I don't do one big shopping. I hit one local store on Tuesdays, because they have double specials (the week ending and the week beginning) on that day. Hit another on Fridays, because that is the best time for me when they have their 48 hour specials. This would be necessary no matter what, since my sons are really big milk drinkers and I can't fit a weeks worth of milk into the fridge at a time.

Jeans do not do my poor, buttless hubby any favors. He looks great in a suit or a tux (we used to sing in choirs, so I'd see him in a tux regularly), but, I would rather see him in shorts than in jeans. Of course, I'd rather see him in a tunic, but we can't always get what we want...

Here's a couple lists of recommendations: http://www.amazon.com/Very-Best-King-Arthur-Books/lm/3B7IL6B8TUO25 http://www.amazon.com/King-Arthur-etc/lm/R1S6SFCBLKIWFQ/ref=cm_lmt_fvlm_f_2_rlrsrs0 I have a soft spot for Howard Pyle, myself. But I love Jane Yolen's Merlin trilogy, for an alternate interpretation.

I like the Barron's guide. I think the diagnostic test is VERY helpful. The one by the College Board is okay, but low on strategies.

We are switching to more independent work this year for the 6th grader, and the 3rd grader wants to be included in the design of the "big kid" day. So we have a lot of independent reading this year, and more in terms of "assignments." It's only been two weeks, though, so I can't comment on how it's going yet. Other than to say there is a great deal of complaining. More from me than from them, but a lot of complaining, nonetheless.

They aren't all smudgy? Washable crayons, and even the markers drive me nuts with all the smearing. These are free from smudge?

We previewed Ko's Journey and liked it very much. Had it been offered earlier in our math education, we would definitely have used it. But I can't see it being anything but a supplement. As someone else mentioned, there is no way to really get questions wrong. I saw someone using this exclusively develop a cockiness about math that later testing did not support.

My guys thought that they would hate Babies, but they adored it. They talked about it for weeks. Also Microcosmos, Rivers and Tides (some crude language in one or two segments - preview it if you think it will be a problem), and many other things already listed. But not Beakman's World. I can't stand that show, therefore they must also hate it.

The big problem with King Arthur for young readers looking for the "real story" is that so much of the real story is sexual - incest, adultery, etc. Any version for kids will have to change it, so the trick is to find one that changes it in a way that suits your values. Are you looking for magic and a fairy tale feel, or one that emphasizes the adventure? Something historical or something mythic? There are King Arthurs for Christian kids and King Arthurs for pagan families. But none of them will be the "full story" because the full story isn't appropriate for young children. (steps off of soapbox with a self-satisfied nod)

Wow! Thanks for posting this! This addresses EXACTLY the kind of issues that usually keep my guys from passing a bridge.

I don't know, but it drives me crazy, as well. I remember 80% of the time, but if my hubby takes a shift with lessons, I guarantee we'll be covering it again the next day to pick up the stuff from the back of the book.