What is working for us right now is having two separate school schedules. One is a rigorous, intensive schedule that fits in everything I want to do (history, science, art, music theory, foreign languages, etc.) These subjects are in two loop schedules, one for the morning and one for the afternoon. The schedule also includes devotional, memory work, music practice, language arts, P.E., snack break, meal times, and math. We start at 7:30 and end by 2:00 (unless the kids don't finish something in the allotted time, in which case they have a homework period at the end of the school time and have to finish before they can go play). We try to complete this intensive schedule 2-3 days a week, enough time to get through our loops once. The remaining days we follow our "light" school schedule--devotional, memory work, math, and music practice. We fit these in around whatever other things are happening that day. I reinforce the subjects that we only get to once a week by incorporating them into memory work--so our memory work includes things we studied in science, history, foreign language, etc. When things get tough (like this week with everyone sick) we can fall back on just the basic schedule.

:iagree: :iagree:

This.

I have a cousin who wo rked for NSA for many years and was quite happy with his job. Don't know anything beyond that, but my cousin is a great guy (smart, fun, social) and I can't imagine he would have liked the job unless the work was interesting and the people good to work with. I think he started out with an internship when he was in college, so he was able to get a feel for the work and the agency before he signed up.

I would love to contribute as well. I've never made a quilt square before, but I think I will enlist Honeybee's help. I'm actually thinking that if I could discuss this situation with her just a bit, and if she helps me with the square, she will be better prepared to be like this brave girl and come tell me if anything horrendous happens in her life.

I say go for it. Can you add the xanthan a bit at a time until the thickness seems right? It shouldn't take much.

Ya know, I think every birth is just so different you have to let go of expectations and just take things as they come. My third was a lovely water birth, I was jubilant. #4--well, pushing was sheer agony, no matter what I positions I tried. I was honestly grateful to my OB for getting very stern with me and telling me I had to get that baby out because honestly I didn't have the willpower to push myself to that point. Those two births were drastically different--but I suspect a big part of that was #3 being 11 days early and 7lb1oz, while #4 was 8 days late and 9lb7oz. #5 was again really painful when it came to pushing, and I was scared from #4. He was only 8lb1oz, so I just don't know...I didn't experience that kind of pain with any of my first three, all were unmedicated births, I'm starting to wonder if my pelvis has become less flexible or something.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

I hope next week goes better for you. None of my kids is a diagnosed aspie, but we have very similar issues with anxiety/difficulty with transitions/meltdowns. We spend a lot of time in the lobby or in Primary with a child. A couple of weeks ago I was quietly working in the library when I heard an all-too-familiar wail; I peaked out the door and saw my five year old lying on the floor at the end of the hallway in full meltdown mode with two perplexed primary workers standing over her trying to figure out what to do. She spent the rest of the block in the library with me...

Well, we're all sick, so it was mostly a stay-home Sunday. I went to Sacrament Meeting with the two kids who were feeling OK, then came home and let dh go to Priesthood. Firefly was fussy all night and by this morning was wheezing, so I took him to the dr. --turns out he has RSV and an ear infection. Now I wish we had stayed home from church entirely and really, really hope we didn't share with anyone. Firefly wasn't at church but I'm sure the runny nose and cough making the family rounds is all the same virus, and there's a good chance we're all contagious. Now I'm thinking the kids will have to miss choir on Wednesday because I don't want to spread this to other families.

If they don't have requirements then the requirements have been met--the federal government just wants your homeschool to be legal.

We've all got something, but I don't think it's the flu. off-and-on fever for the kids, stomach cramps,diarrhea, cough, runny nose....now I think the baby has an ear infection. The kids and I all got flu vaccines (flu-mist) so I sure hope it protects us. Baby is too young, and dh inexplicably opted not to get the free vaccine at work. He's willing now to get vaccinated, but it's only going to happen if I make the appointment and send him in.

We use coconut oil. It needs to be applied frequently if the skin is extremely dry.

Spent about $300 at the grocery store today--$250 for food (stocking up) and $50 for household needs (diapers etc.). And $20 towards flowers for a sweet mama who just found out she is mis-carrying :(

So my kids have no money of their own and pretty much never have had. I'd like to start teaching them to save and manage money, which means they will need some money. I'm not super excited about the idea of a straight allowance--that feels like building an entitlement mentality to me. At the same time I'm not willing to pay their for their regular chores--those are things we all do because we are part of a family and we all need to pitch in to make things work. I am considering a system where if they meet all their regular requirements cheerfully (school/chores) they would receive a small amount (incentives are good) with the ability to then earn more by doing extra work--they can't earn anything for extra work if they haven't done the basics, and they don't get awarded for doing the basics unless they complete everything (and cheerfully). But I don't know. Introducing money into the family economy feels risky somehow. I'd mostly just like to hear what others have done in their families that has worked. What have you done with regards to paying kids or giving them an allowance that you are happy with?

I'm reading Raising Cain: protecting the emotional life of boys I have to mostly stick to non-fiction because I get lost in fiction and neglect my family.

This makes a lot of sense--but with my particular kids I have to make sure that they are not too hungry. If their blood sugar gets low they get really, really cranky. A snack about two hours before dinnertime means everyone is in a better mood at dinner.

I'm looking at the daily task calendar right now. I haven't had any time to dedicate to this yet--most of my energy for the last two days has gone to getting us up and running with a new daily school schedule. Still needs some tweaking... But anyway, looks like Jan 1 was set up a collection station for donate/sell items; don't really need to do that, I always donate rather than sell and I've always got a plastic bag or two hanging on a door handle to collect things. Then they go to the corner of the garage and eventually to the back of the van. Jan 2nd was create a binder for a household notebook. I have a binder I made a couple of years ago but haven't used recently, I need to go dig it out. Jan 3 Is create a template for a daily to-do list that works. I'm off to the Donna Young site, I think I remember a form over there that might work for me.

1/1 $22 food 1/2 $6 food 1/3 $5 food

I'm in.

Waiting is just fine.

This could certainly vary by state/circumstances. The only caveat is if you check the diploma box the college/university is required to verify that the diploma came from a legitimate school not a diploma mill. If you check the homeschool box (and your student has in fact met the homeschool requirements in your state) the college/university is not required to further verify. Presumably if you homeschool under an umbrella school of some sort that is considered a legitimate private school the college will be able to verify that.

Jan 2 $6.00 Food

Wow! Thanks for posting those.

I'm a wanna-be writer. I have multiple stories started, and I would really love to finish one. I have a children's book that has been jostling around in my brain for about 7 years now. If I actually get the writing going on it would any of you be interested in reading chapters as I finish them?