May is an awfully long way away. Had it been so important for her to have you there she could easily have waited.

DS11 is my 'difficult' child, and like your DD is tends to be rather hyperactive, easily distracted and very sensitive, it's a potentially explosive combination. I think you're absolutely doing the right thing insisting she keep to a morning routine that enables her to focus and work efficiently. I can also imagine DS11 pushing the boundaries the way you describe, and I don't think there's anything wrong with relaxing boundaries like that a little from time to time, too much rigidity can be just as detrimental as too much freedom. With DS11 I am very firm, and immediately put a stop to any behaviour that I find over the top, but I also make sure that I do so in a very calm, loving way. He knows when I mean business by now, and knows that it's pointless pushing it any further, so has learned slowly, but surely when to back down. I believe her accusations that you make her feel like a "horrible person" and a "bad child" are merely said to play on your guilt. Whenever DS11 said things like that I would, again very calmly, tell him that I didn't believe for a moment that he was "horrible" or "bad", but that he had the type of personality that meant that we had to work on keeping him calm and focused when we needed to do schoolwork. I'd also point out the strengths of his particular personality: his enthusiasm, energy, and sense of fun. Obviously DS11 is not your DD, and much of what I've described might not work for you, but at least you know you're not the only one fighting this particular battle :001_smile:. Good luck!

Beautiful! That's the second treat you've given me today - I've just been looking at your other daughter's wedding photos :001_smile:.

What a beautiful family you have! And a very happy young couple. Thank you so much for sharing, they've really brightened up a very dreary February afternoon :001_smile:.

Congratulations, that's so exciting! Wishing you the very best of luck.

From a slightly different angle, Michael Morpurgo's 'Arthur, High King of Britain', the tales of Camelot as told by King Arthur to a small boy whom he rescues from drowning: http://www.amazon.co...59743482&sr=8-1

:hurray: :party: :hurray: Have a great weekend!

I'd take it to mean that there was probably a personality clash of some sort with either one or a number of their colleagues. I'd also be wary of blaming the employee, as I have seen situations where perfectly nice, normal people have been made a scapegoat in what might be considered a dysfunctional workplace.

:grouphug: Yes, it seems to have been a bad winter for illnesses, they do happen from time to time. It'll be spring soon, and hopefully you'll all feel a lot better.

:hurray: Long may it accumulate!

They're only down early morning until 11 am for me, which is actually a good thing because it means I get some housework done, then start school without any distractions. I think it's a WTM conspiracy to make sure we work/sleep more instead of wasting time here :laugh:.

DH is 53 and still can't spell a lot of words! He's dyslexic, as is DS13. DS11 has only been able to spell most words correctly in the last year or so.

Now I understand why you're 'unsinkable' :laugh:.

DH insists on a family meal most evenings. Some evenings, like today, different boys are in and out at different times, so I end up serving three sittings from 5.30 pm to 7 pm (which is too long long in the kitchen :glare:). I can see that as the boys get older weekday evenings are probably going to get more and more hectic and the family evening meal will probably get lost (I'll have to rethink my cooking routine). I imagine it'll then become more important to have at least one weekend meal with us all together; I believe that eating together is important to family life - also, DH likes to keep an eye on their table manners :tongue_smilie:.

Those photographs are spectacular! The couple must have been thrilled with them. I'm not at all surprised you're so proud of your nephew :001_smile:.

At 49 yo I have a completely different perspective on my hopes and dreams from those I had ten years ago. Over the last four years I've seen a number of people who were close to me pass away. I was the next of kin of two of these people and had the task of sorting all their paperwork and clearing and selling their homes; it was a very sobering experience to all but erase the physical evidence of someone's life. It really made me reassess what was important in my life. While I have still have ambitions and passions and dreams, I have found that suddenly relationships and simple experiences have taken over prominence in my life. These days I find that I'm OK with just being, enjoying a walk or a night at the theatre with my family, consciously appreciating on a daily basis how lucky I am to have my loved ones. Maybe that sounds trite too, but I just know that, when I look back at my life at the end, I want to feel that I've enjoyed every moment of what was, not agonised over what might have been.

:iagree: I'm sure I would have given up homeschooling by now if it hadn't been for the help, support and companionship I've found here. It's good to take the time to acknowledge our debt to TWTM from time to time.

We have mostly smooth, happy days. I find that the rough times come in 'phases' rather than days, and usually result from the way life insists on happening despite my best efforts to focus on school. When I'm totally focused on school and on enjoying being with my boys, then homeschooling is everything I dreamed of and more. My happiness diminishes rapidly in proportion to the number of extra, unforeseen, stressful demands on my time. If only life would conform to my homeschool schedule :tongue_smilie:.

Thank you! I suspected I shouldn't be on it as much as I am, especially as it feels a lot better in the morning after a good night's rest. I think my children may have to listen to more read alouds for the next day or so. I've just made an appointment to see my doctor on Friday am. At least DH will be pleased, he's been nagging me to go and get something done about them for a couple of years. I'm so pleased to hear that your surgery was successful :001_smile:.

I've had stiff, painful knees on and off for a few years. This week my left knee has become very stiff and swollen; I can hardly bend it at all, and when I attempt to I sometimes get an intense pain in it. I know I should go to the doctors, but previously the pain and stiffness have disappeared on their own. Does anyone have any ideas for reducing the swelling and stiffness, at least temporarily while I wait for a doctor's appointment?

Sounds like he could be the long lost twin of my DS5, also the youngest of four. How can they be so cute and cuddly and yet so heartless?

Thank you for this thread, it's a relief to know that there are others like me! At last somewhere I can feel at home.

:grouphug: I'm so sorry, that's sounds really horrible. I imagine you feel quite shaken up, as well as sore. I do wish I were able to come over and help your fabulous dd look after you.

I have the Canon Rebel T4i and absolutely love it.

Often. I rarely act upon it though. I'm a pacifist :D. I do find other people's snark very cathartic though ;). ETA I found the boy scout thread quite ... fascinating. Bit of a shame it's been locked.