I blame no one but myself for the "average" education I received. I had opportunities and I blew them off. I never studied, I never read the assignments. I tested well so I could scrape by on test scores without doing much work. I went to a somewhat progressive public school in the 80s and early 90s. I actually remember using some of the materials used by some wtm'ers (Miquon, Jacobs, Hake Grammar, etc.) We had Block 8 scheduling from grade 6 through high school, solar energy before it was "cool," open classrooms and open floorplans, small class sizes, outside classes when possible. To me, though, it was just a lame school.

Constantly. Occasionally it "feels" overwhelmingly loud and I get mad at myself because I'm trying to do something enjoyable (usually either tEa or sleep!)

Mine have held up pretty well, but I have an older version.

I'm an Insta-Friend. Introverts probably hate me. The phone thing is a little weird though, and the other mom probably felt the same way. Usually people arrange play dates on Facebook or by email around here. I generally don't need someone's phone number until they are actually leaving their child at my house, which usually doesn't happen in the first few get-togethers. I have let my kids FaceTime with Kid Insta-Friends, but I'm always in the room with them. I'm glad it worked out for you, Quill.

I misjudged how deep of a puddle the trusty ol' Camry could drive through and killed it in the middle of an intersection. Thankfully, two awesome young men were right behind me in a delivery truck and pushed me off the road quickly. It started back up after 5 minutes. My ds said to dd, "See? This is why homeschooling is better than public school. You don't miss the adult adventures."

That was so thoughtful of him!

This is a wonderful suggestion. My mom did this for me when I was in college and it was so helpful. I don't think I would have bought items like these otherwise. You just don't think about buying vitamins when you're 19, and if you do, you're thinking, "Too bad I can't afford vitamins. I bet they'd come in handy around all this illness." :-P

We don't tie allowances to chores here. They do chores because they are part of the family. They receive small weekly allowances to learn basic accounting. They have to save half and they can spend half, but it's all done in the same cash box so they have to use a log to keep track of what they can/ can't spend, what they have spent, and what they have received. It sounds complicated, but my 8 year old can handle it so it's not *too* complicated, I guess. Dh audits their record keeping every couple of months to make sure they're on track.

I use Clinique concealer and Cetaphil moisturizer. I use Revlon ColorStay foundation, but I use a nice foundation brush and am able to keep it light around my eyes. I have Lancôme eyeliner on right now and my eyes are yelling at me. :( The Lancôme eyeliner works so much better than the Clinique, but the Clinique is ten times more sensitive-eyes friendly. I have found it also helps to use gel drops before I go to bed. Oh, and face wash makes a difference too. I can use the pHisoderm or Basis soap bars, but not liquid for some reason. The only liquid wash that doesn't bother me is Murad Renewing Cleansing Cream, but the Basis works just as well for a fraction of the cost. In short: Clinique is your friend. Learn to like it. :D ETA: Lancôme shadow doesn't bother me, nor does Mac. I can't find a mascara that doesn't bother me, so I'm going to be checking out some if the suggestions in this thread!

I loved that one!

It depends on the child. It was a fun brief departure from our regular math program, but I won't be buying any more LoF books. I see how some children could learn that way, but I am not the mother of one such child.

If you buy whole star anise, is it typical for the stars to be mostly broken? Or is this a "you get what you pay for" kind of thing? I ordered online, didn't pay much, and now have 7 oz. of star fragments.

That spending percentage graphic is totally depressing me, btw. I can't imagine spending less on healthcare than food, but I'm glad so many have the opportunity.

I have one a couple of towns over but I'm not a member. Thank you though!

We love the fifth grade science, but there just isn't a lot of science in the syllabi for younger grades.

Oops, sorry. I guess I don't know what that is. I thought you meant a whisk attachment.

I'm not much help! I just ordered this one yesterday, but I haven't had the chance to use it yet. I'll know in a week or so if I love it. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DOK0R2O/ref=ox_ya_os_product

21% of our net income; annual income is <200% FPL. (Edited. My earlier percentage was figured on gross income instead of net.)

Nope! ETA: Unless 75% of that time was spent whining. We certainly had some 6 hour days when my whiny one was in 2nd! :)

I went from eclectic to Oak Meadow this year. I think I can now say I've supplemented, tweaked, and adapted it to death. It's now more like "OM-flavored WTM."

We do Christmas with my family whenever dh can get 2 or more days off in a row. It's 3 hours away and it's a horrible day trip. We prefer to spend the night. 99% of the time, this does not happen on Christmas day. It's usually the weekend after Christmas or the weekend after New Year's.

I didn't get anything weird (yet. We still have to do Christmas with my parents this weekend.) but MIL gave ds another travel Yahtzee game. This is the third year in a row she has given him travel Yahtzee, plus she gave him one for his birthday last August. She's not that old, but she does have several grandkids. She must just get confused about whom she has given it to over the years.

I bought it from this lovely Etsy seller. She did a wonderful job, and it's bigger than I thought it would be. It looks like a large, heavy bar of soap with his name carved in it.

No way! We celebrate from Solstice until New Year's. :)