As others have mentioned, I typically start my day with the preschooler. I love FIAR and COAH's Letter of the Week. So, I will read my dd a FIAR or BFIAR book and do an activity or two from LOTW with her. I have a little workbox setup for her where she can choose any other activities she might like to do, while I move on to school with the 1st grader.

Am I the only one who thought the craziest part of this post was the fact that the OP has been homeschooling for 27 years??!! It seems that many hospitals that offer charitable programs don't always make the information easily accessible. You might try calling the nearest hospitals directly. Bigger hospitals in the nearest major city would be most likely to offer charitable services. Someone somewhere will help you. You just have to make it your mission to find them.

I was going to recommend coconut oil as well.

Specifically regarding posts here on the WTM, sometimes I feel like I must live on a totally different planet from people who post here. I'm not referring to any one particular post, because it has happened many times. Am I the only one? Is it simply a matter of people coming from all over the map (figuratively and literally)?

I like to give them the benefit of the doubt that it's an autocorrect issue. ;-) With smartphones and tablets taking over the world in the last few years, autocorrect has also been running amok.

Exactly. It is not a good idea to maintain a balance, if you have the ability to pay it off. As mentioned, credit scores are made up of many criteria. It is important to have a fair amount of credit available but not actually being used. It is also important to have a history of using available credit and having paid it off. I'm always amazed at people who think it's great to have no credit cards, loans, etc. It is so important to maintain good credit, because you never know when you might need to use it. I'm no expert, but I do have an MBA in Finance. :-)

I don't think either one of us cares much...

Aren't there some earlyish chapter books for Little House?

Exactly! And if you are doing all of this without any help, it is hard. And that is what I got from this guy's article. I get so frustrated with reading on here how I must be doing something wrong if I am totally burned out and overwhelmed. I really am just trying to do my best with very little support. I'm not a martyr. I just don't have the help and support so many people on here seem to have. And that is a huge difference for moms nowadays. Most of my friends are in a similar situation. No family nearby. Not enough money for a maid or housekeep. Several little children at home all day long. It is different from the moms of the 1950's

Is there a way to at least throw in a few things you'd like to do? I know it can be hard to plan a family vacation with a little something for everyone. But, maybe a stop is some bigger cities for you? Or only hit a couple parks?

I wonder if they abstain during pregnancy... I've seen other women in similar circumstances say that they "never tell their husband 'no.'" I just presumed their husbands only lasted for like a minute, so it wasn't a huge imposition on their day. ;-)

Yes, unfortunately, I can relate. My dh can, as well. I have found that in some ways it is easier to move on by giving my kids a better childhood. But in some ways it's hard, because they are so darn clueless about how good they have it. :-) But, this is your pity party. Thanks for inviting me. I would like to give that little girl a hug and tell her that life will be better when she gets older. Hang in there.

What really stands out to me in these discussions is that, just like all aspects of life, people have vastly different experiences with staying home with kids. So much of it depends on what other support you have. Some people seem to have a lot of outside support and some people seem to have almost none. It's like trying to compare what people do in their free time if they have a million dollars in the bank versus no dollars in the bank. :-) I'm on the end of almost no support. So, yes, I tend to see things a little differently than the person who has help or time away. When I was pregnant with my last child, I was going to the ob/gyn with 3 other kids in tow. Forget about coffee alone, it'd be nice to have a pelvic exam in privacy. Ha ha! This is just to say that even if it doesn't ring true to your experience, it still is possible.

It sounded to me like he had infant twins. I'm pretty sure his wife wasn't able to pop into Starbucks and have coffee with a friend with infant twins in tow.

I thought this thread would inspire me, but now I feel really lazy... I have had some coffee and gone for a walk in the snow. I sledded down the hill in my backyard a few time. ;-) I sat in front of the fire dh built. Now it's time for lunch and a nap. We'll make some Valentine's cards in the afternoon.

I loved that article. I tend to undervalue myself in my SAHM life. I really liked the point he made about what would happen if you quit your job versus what would happen if the mom quit her job. (By quit, I mean totally left her kids like one totally leaves their job.)

We went out to dinner at The Melting Pot last weekend. I wanted to avoid the crowds. We tend to go out to dinner early. So, it was pretty quiet until right before we left. For the kids, I buy some treats and a little gift or two. We have a treasure hunt with clues to find the loot. I'm loving some of these ideas above. We are snowed in right now, so it would be fun to do a little more with Valentine's Day.

Maybe you can put loungewear on your gift list. ;-)

What do I call her to her face, or when I'm talking to my dh? ;-)

Sorry... Main Love Languages. So, yes, I would expect your husband to acknowledge that and work on the aspect of showing you love.

As several people have mentioned, it sounds like gifts are one of your main L

I might go ahead and start that antibiotic if it was still that sore. Are you able to nurse, or is it really painful? I'm not a big fan of antibiotics. Only 1 of my kids has ever had to take one. But this seems like it might need some further attention. As you mentioned, you don't want it to turn into an abscess.

We have beadboard as a backsplash, but I like the farmhouse look.

We have beadboard as a backsplash, but I like the farmhouse look.

We use Map My Hike when we hike as a family. It has all of those functionalities. I also used Ease Into 5K when I started running.