Our family came very close to having to put dad in a nursing home. (He died before we actually moved him from the hospital.) Dad was too ill for Mom to take care of alone and not sick enough to be hospitalized--and he had Alzheimers on top of his medical problems. It was soooooooo hard to tour nursing homes with the idea that we were going to place Dad in one of them. It just wasn't something we wanted... My sister and I went with Mom to look at three places. We all thought one of them was much more suitable than the others, even though it would have been a longer drive for Mom. I think some of us have the idea that family should take care of family. And that is true to an extent. I don't understand placing a loved one in a home for convenience. But I do believe that circumstances can dictate the **necessity** of a nursing home. And if you've come to that point, I think you have to ditch the guilt and see that this solution is the one that really is the best. As someone else mentioned, love them. Visit often. Don't beat yourself up.

That was very nicely said--and very accurately reflects my thinking as well.

I watch it and enjoy it. Kate can be caustic at times...but I probably would be, too, if I were trying to deal with the pressures she's under every day. I can't even imagine--even after watching the show--what it must really be like to deal with 8 kids, 6 of whom are the same very young age, day in and day out. You'd have to be super organized and anal to get anything done. (Like take a shower yourself.) I recently saw a "behind the scenes" show, which was very interesting. I think the kids benefit from having all those extra people around!

Go to court. I did that once in Florida. I forgot to get the new plates for our car...I'd been too busy throwing up umpteen times a day. DH and I were out for the first evening in, oh, months, when we got stopped. The officer told me that if I got the plate, the ticket would only be $10. So, I went to pay the ticket and the court clerk said it was $52. Long story short....I refused to pay the fine as I still had time to meet the deadline. Then I went home and researched it. Turns out the officer AND the court clerk were wrong. According to state statute, the fine should have been $22. I realize that's peanuts, but it was the principle of the thing! On the advice of an attorney (friend), I requested a court date. When I showed up 8.5 months pregnant with all the print outs of the statute, the court officer asked me why I didn't get the plate. I told her I'd spent most of the previous months being sick and had forgotten. I had to provide proof that I'd purchased the plate and my case was dismissed. I paid ZERO.

Sewing room...I'd love to be able to put up my machines and ironing board and not have to drag them out all the time.

Bravo for you for working on your doctorate. I finished my Masters and said, "done!" I clearly remember my student teaching supervisor telling me the first day I arrived..."Forget everything they tried to teach you. Now you'll learn how to teach." And it really was true. So much of the theory of teaching from the college classroom failed to make it as reality in the teaching classroom. I learned more in that semester than in the other 3.5 years. Wish it could have been longer...I might have been a much better teacher. Yes, I finished and taught for 5 years before I left to be a full-time mom. Yes, I finished my Masters to preserve my lifetime teaching license in Indiana. Do I feel qualified to step into today's classroom after being out for over 20 years? Absolutely not (nor would I want to).

Pretty much my thoughts.

This is an area where I fall soooooo short. I know I need to be more disciplined...and that's really what it comes down to for me...discipline. I've never had a cleaning routine, and it's a habit I need to embrace. Maybe we need to start "House Cleaners Anonymous." Hi, my name is Sandy and ....

Short answer: no. I'm not at all concerned about my kids being "culturally adjusted" to the world. My older kids were old enough to make a choice when HP came out. Neither of them was interested and I was pleased, frankly. I think HP opens the door to real occultism...and that's not something I'm interested in. My youngest isn't reading on his own yet, but I wouldn't allow him to read them because of my spiritual concerns.

So...do you know how to start it?? I had some years ago and would enjoy having it again. (the rest of you can throw eggs now)

We did the grammar sections through book 8. That's enough grammar, IMHO. We concentrate on literature and writing in high school. If I saw grammar problems in their writing, I'd do review...but R&S prepared them very well and it's not been a concern.

My dd is a college junior and used TT Alg. 1 and 2...she's an English major, though! My ds, now a junior in high school headed for pharmacy school, has also done TT Alg. 1 and 2 and we plan to do TT pre-calc this summer. He did well on the math section of the PSAT (hasn't taken the SAT yet). I really feel that he'll be OK in the math required for pharmacy. I know there's lots of discussion about how "rigorous" TT is and, honestly, I don't know that I'll use their earlier programs with my youngest. (My plan is to stick with Singapore through 6B as older ds did, then jump to Alg. 1.) BUT...here's my theory: I can't teach higher level maths. Can't afford a tutor. So I must find material that my dc can digest and learn from on their own. (That's asking a lot.) TT did that for me--and was affordable. The most "rigorous" material in the world does the student no good if it's not understood. I'd rather have a program that my dc understand and retain than one they struggle through and understand nothing. Just my .02.

That's a great idea!

I'll send you a link to our website.

We used this same site and got a beautiful diploma which had meaning for my dd...not just the standard "Susie Snowflake is now a hs graduate." We also got beautiful announcements. (I might try doing those myself next time, but we'll definitely order the diploma.)

The more you practice relaxation the better off you will be. Here's one of the things I used to have my students do...get some clip clothespins and use them to simulate contractions. Put them on your ears (or someplace uncomfortable) for a minute-minute and a half and practice slow, deep breathing, consciously relaxing. It sounds nuts, but it does help. I never had access to a tub, but I think that would be wonderful. What helped me most was strangling my dh's arm, closing my eyes and retreating into myself. If I blocked out the external, I could concentrate on breathing and relaxing. (And I managed to have unmedicated births for my 9lber and my last sunny-side up baby who was small but very tough to get out!) I also found it helpful to have other women with me if for no other reason than to hold my hand and say "there, there, you're doing fine."

I was there on a missions trip in 1993. What a great experience! The people there were so hungry for God...we had huge crowds wherever we went. I have lots of wonderful memories. There was an open air market just across from our hotel. I bought a lovely bunch of flowers there for what worked out to about 3 cents US. Even so, I know I overpaid for them. The lady that sold them laughed cause she'd made so much money...and I was thrilled to have something beautiful for pennies. In the back of that market, they were selling meat that they cut on a tree stump...I avoided that part! The second day we were there, one of our ladies stepped off the bus the wrong way and broke her ankle. The first hospital they went to didn't have a working x-ray machine. The second had an x-ray on the second or third floor and no working elevator. One of the guys hauled her (and she must have weighed 250+) on his back up and down the stairs. When she got her "boot" for her foot, her dh asked if they could get a wheelchair. It was a 3 year wait for a wheel chair! Her treatment didn't cost her anything, though. The restaurants we visited had wonderful food. Be very careful of water in any form! I forget to be cautious about ice and paid for it in a big way! We were provided water bottles and Cokes, both were safe to drink. Take some of the little packets to flavor your water...someone thought to bring Crystal Light packets on our trip and that was such a treat. Take Vitamin C with you to help your immune system. Maybe it's just me, but I tend to get sick in new places. Massive does of Vit. C helped me.

I just bought an all-in-one and I think it's going to prove very valuable...no more running to the copy store which is 20 minutes away! (And it scans beautifully as well.)

I have an M.S. in Elementary Education and one of the last lifetime teaching licenses in Indiana. Doubtful that I'll ever use it...the thought of entering a public school as a teacher makes me shudder!

Personally, I read the first 4 or 5 pages of Gilgamesh and decided that it was one that my high schooler could skip. (And I had what was supposed to be the "tame" version.) Perhaps I missed something...but I managed to get a Master's degree and have never read it myself so I figured his life could go along just fine without it.

I have one in college, one a junior in hs...and a first grader. My oldest received a great scholarship to a private university and is currently serving as the president of the English honor society there. Much of that is due to her own initiative, but I do think that what we did at home enabled her academic success. My hs junior is taking SATs for the first time March 1...he did very well on the PSAT and I expect that he'll get great scores on the SAT. And like Kathleen, I enjoy a great relationship with both of my teens, which I am immensely thankful for.

Charmin...always Charmin. I can't stand scratchy TP. (Let's not even talk about what passes for TP in public restrooms--shudder.) I do buy when I notice it's on sale but, more often than not, I pick up a big pack at Costco or Sam's (and then we don't run out).

Congratulations! Love her name...

We waited till hs, but I wish we hadn't. I think it's so much easier for younger children to pick up language. I'll be starting ds7 as soon as my library hold is filled!

We went on a 10-day missions trip to Kiev when my kids were 5 and 2. To help them understand the length of time we'd be gone AND to give them something to look forward to...I bought them a "gift" for every day we were gone. Most of them were dollar store kinds of things--just little things. The day we left, I gave them a bigger gift (stuffed animal). I also helped them make a paper chain, one link for every day we were gone. Every day they took a link off the chain and opened their gift. It was a good visual way for my young children to know when Mom and Dad were coming home. They're 20 and 17 now and still talk about how it helped them get through Mom and Dad being gone. And this Christmas when ds7 asked over and over and over again...how many days till Christmas??? We made a paper chain and he loved it--couldn't wait to get up in the morning and rip off that paper strip!