Have fun - we lived in Germany/Luxembourg for about 6 years mostly before kids and loved it.

We saw this a few weeks ago, it was great. My kids are still talking about it. It is almost finished, just a few more weeks to the exhibit.

Do you have a link to what you were thinking of?

Another vote against mini blinds. And if you get cheep mini blinds, you still might be able to see through them. And just FYI, if you get the bamboo roman shades, at night, with a light in the room it is almost as if you have nothing over your windows at all. In our new place we have two issues - people being able to see in and a light that shines very bright all night long right outside of the window. I got http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20160200 these to let the light in but not let people see in although you would easily see shadows. And then I put two light blocking thermal curtains sewn together to keep the light out. And those you can NOT see through.

I don't have one either - but we are thinking about moving to Texas, and I have lived in the Pacific Northwest by the water my entire life - I am SERIOUSLY thinking that I might just have to move the kids and I every summer if this happens. I don't think I will be able to take it. I choose CO over IL, because I like the mountains . . .

for all that have/will post this - please, please, come back and post what kind of replies you get - lol

We have 'always' had each room painted a different (but still 'going together') color. Including painting one wall a different color completely as a focal point, and having two different colors above and below a chair rail. And painted ceilings colors other then white (but here make SURE that you chose flat not gloss paint). Have fun, color is fun, if you don't like it, paint back over it.

I think with a chop saw and/or table saw you could make some pretty easy out of lumber from the hardware store and then secure them to the wall with a few L brackets on top. And paint or stain to your liking. I recommend L brackets for all tall shelving anywhere. If you don't have a saw, if you go to a 'local' lumber yard/hardware store and ask, they might be able to cut the wood for you. Then you would just have to drill holes and screw together.

Hello, Edit: We have decided to homeschool for this year, thanks.

My husband and I have meetings scheduled at two local private schools next week - they are quite different one is a religious school and the other is a waldorf school. Are there any questions that you can think of that we should ask to try at get at the heart of if this would be a good fit for our family? I feel like we are at a cross road, school vs. home school, and we just can't seem to figure out how to make both my husband and myself feel good about either decision.

I have this one http://www.officemax.com/office-supplies/staplers-hole-punches/staplers-long-reach/product-prod1780202 and I love it. Works great at making 'books' in the center of pages, and easy enough for the kids to use it, uses normal staples as well which is nice.

hmmm - I am a pretty main line Lutheran, and there is no way I would be comfortable signing that statement of faith, at all.

We have a Melissa and Doug Castle - it works well with the Schleich figures/animals we have.

yes, we are at three weeks and counting . . .

congrats - that is what I should be doing right now instead of being on the computer.

I really like Kahn Academy http://www.khanacademy.org/ they have some econ, banking, credit crisis and stats as well, all free.

I'd do it! We ourselves are contemplating the same kind of thing, except it would be into a 600 sq ft condo with only one bedroom with two kids. We are just waiting to see if some other things are going to fall into place because it would mean moving about 2 1/2 hours from where we currently live.

All we drink is water - so water they can have, as much as they want. I also agree with the air-popped popcorn. In summer we also do the homemade popsicles. I have also been known to make pancakes with fruit spread, not the real maple syrup.

That is my thought as well. I would do it sooner rather then later - the future is hard to predict.

My husband isn't technically here yet - but we are staring it in the face, and it is most likely going to require a move, no idea exactly 'when' or 'where'. His place of business is being shut down/involuntarily purchased not exactly sure which and/or to whom. I'm sure we will be OK, we have a pretty nice emergency fund, and prospects are 'ok' just that they all involve moving 'somewhere'. He will get unemployment and we have some other income coming in, and we have talked about me going to work if need to to bring in cash to try and conserve the emergency fund. For now it is just the uncertainty, and not wanting to talk about it in front of the kids until we actually have something to say. And the internal debate - do I buy food in bulk now with what might be the last paycheck because it is cheaper in bulk? Or are we moving soon to one place where we would have no storage anyways so I should keep cash or ??????

The idea of sick days has not even entered the discussion . . . yes, he fully expects me to follow him and his career, I have already followed him around the world once, and I would do it again with no reservations. But this is part of the reason I have not started my own consulting firm, it takes being in the same place for a while. . . and getting a full night of sleep which has only really began in earnest this past year, and this past year I have started doing barter and some things for money, although the money bring in part is not on my professional level (babysitting/daycare) Actually we only have 2 small kids, the 3rd one is a daycare baby that I am watching 40 hours a week. A few months ago I thought the issue really was one of money and figured that this way I could make money and be home with the kids. Honestly it has not worked out as well as I would have hoped, it is very much like having 3 kids, and it has enforced that yes, we really are done with two. Opps, he is home now, better stop talking about him. But I do appreciate the conversation, it has given me so much to think about. And no, we are not about to split up although yes, we do need to figure out how to work through this.

Honestly, I think you are probably right. I was talking with him and trying to figure out what it was he wanted to spend money on and see if I could rearrange the budget to accommodate for it. But the stuff he came up with, well, lets just say that he basically wants to be able to spend at least 50 dollars a day on frivolous stuff and another 1000 a month on 'nice toys'. My gut reaction is that me going back to work is not going to even bring in what he has his heart set on, and is going to bring so much stress that it is going to rip us apart because I am going to resent it. The thing that gets me though is part of the reason I am not having a real job is because we have moved so much for his. Oh, and I am bringing in an extra 900 that I can do with the kids and that is still not even enough for him. Uggggg, we have a lot to work though. Too bad our oldest is already 'school age'.

I think the main thing is that he is envisioning a more comfortable lifestyle if we were both working. I have a maters degree and previously held jobs where I was making about the same as him, however, this was with me working a job where 50+ hours per week is expected, and it is not the kind of field where you can get a part time job unless you have your own business as work as a consultant. Which we have talked about doing, because it is really the best way to me $$$, it just takes time and you have to establish yourself. But, the thing is, and the main reason why we have not done this, was two fold, because the youngest is finally old enough that he has stopped nursing and is ok being with a babysitter situation (no family to lean on) but we have also moved on average once a year to a different geographical location for my husbands jobs. So, it just never made since for me to do this, we both agreed. And ever right now, we might -most likely- be moving AGAIN, and we have no real idea when or where. Even though, in theory, after this next move, we should be settled for a least a few years. And I think that I could run a business and home-school because by then the kids would be old enough for drop off programs that we could use for child care if we were still living someplace with no family. I found out last night that one of his concerns, and the reason why he wants a private Christian School (she currently goes to a secular one) is that he is concerned that we are not doing a good enough job of transmitting our beliefs and that to take his exact words 'the kids need a daily dose of dedicated Jesus time'. I am not even sure I can convey how upset on several different levels I am by this statement on his part. Although in the moment I did not reply and simply changed the situation. I don't think he is flat out against homeschooling, just that the right private school is where he would like to see them, and that would require me to be bringing in money too.

Well, I was trying to not make the original post too long, but the reason that I currently do not have the time is because for most of the year I have been working on the main fundraiser for the school that brought in over 1/3 of the operating income. I was working on this many times while she was in school at the office, or doing 'home stuff' because I was working on it at night after the kids were in bed instead of doing 'home stuff' then. For doing this, we did not pay tuition for 7 months of the year. Which leaves us with needing to pay tuition for the other three. So then, the way it worked out was that the week before the event, I started watching a baby for pay so that I would be bringing in money to cover the tuition that is now due. So now, the event is over, but I have a three year old and a baby with us, needless to say, it is kind of hard to help out in the classroom - the baby in particular is a HUGE distraction for the kids in the class. Even morning drop off if the baby is awake is quite the commotion. However, I do not think this would stop me from having the time to homeschool. And I would not be doing the fundraiser of course if we were homeschooling.

Hi, I'm new here and posting because I am hoping for some words of advice. At the moment I am a stay at home mom, and have been sine I got pregnant with the oldest. We have two kids, ages 5 and 3. The five year old is currently at a private school, which we like, but don't love. I think with time and lots and lots of parent involvement it could be ok, but frankly I don't have the time and feel like I am paying 600 bucks a month (plus all the other stuff that goes along with it like field-trips, school shirt, help with fund-raising, work parties, etc. etc.) I should not have to be an un-paid assistant to a class that has a 1:7 ratio already. So I want to homeschool next year and see how it goes. My husband thinks this is insane and thinks I should get a 'real' read 'good paying' job and that we shold put both of the kids into full time school/daycare. I think that A- the youngest is too young still and I don't want to be away. and B - that the 'real good paying' jobs where I live are all really 50+ hours per week kind of jobs and I don't want us both working those kinds of hours. I didn't have kids to let someone else raise them. Any ideas on how to change his mind? And no, we can not afford to send one/both of them to school and me not be working :-(