I'm 45 and have dc ranging in age from 2 to almost 23. I really enjoy spending time with women of all ages but finding the time and workable scenarios for getting together is challenging. Most young moms I know are working full time outside the home and juggling that with family life and various activities. Most women my age or older are also working full time outside the home and are either looking after aging parents or grandchildren or both. Most homeschooling moms I know have older children, are involved in older-children-orientated activities and some have part-time jobs. This is different from where we used to live, where most of the moms had younger children and everything revolved around activities for them. In both places, I've had the full range of younger and older dc all at once. I do look forward to the times when I can get together with someone for deeper engagement than, "Hi, how are you?" There so much to give to and glean from relationships with women at the various stages of life.

I'm sorry. I know it hurts to the core. I pray God's comfort and peace will be yours as you walk through these hard days.

Butter and olive oil here. One molecule from plastic? Ugh! That's right up there with white bread containing plaster of Paris!

We got ours at Office Max on sale for around $24. It's 3' x 4'.

Before marrying, I worked as a copy editor, reporter and bureau chief for a newspaper. My dh was a widower with a young son. When we married, dh and I took vows as husband and wife, ds and I took vows as mother and son and I adopted him shortly after we all tied the knot! :) All that to say we decided it would be best for our new family if I came home. After only a year of marriage ds #2 came along. For a few years I had a part-time PR business from home working with non-profits, but than God called dh to seminary in another state. We picked up stakes and spent the first two years of seminary living in and running a bed and breakfast, starting to homeschool, and adding a dd to the mix. In that time the Lord really blessed the B&B and it became busier and busier. Though I loved the job and all the interesting people we met, at the end of two years of juggling family, homeschool and a steady stream of guests, I was needing some down time. We moved to an apartment for the remaining two years of seminary and I became a full-time SAHM. Since then our family has grown to include eight dc and, like most of you, I have found my current occupation to be the most challenging and fulfilling job I've ever had!

Tammy - I haven't looked at MSN at all. I'll check it out. Susan - I appreciate that thought and I do want to be respectful of their privacy. My teenage dc are 15 and 13. It isn't so much a matter of trust but that my dc benefit from some things discussed in follow-up conversations with us. Even for some of us, conveying ideas and thoughts in cyber form can be challenging. Being able to check in on their conversations from time to time lets us give feedback on the impressions they are giving. Would you say this would be an indication they are not mature enough for the privilege? JFS (Sorry, I can't see your name in the reply box page) and Lady Katherine - We have allowed the to email and IM (IM just recently) but we do not do My Space or Facebook. My ds is also allowed to participate in his online Latin class chat (it's a requriement) and to text message students participating in the chat using a viewable program connected with the class. We, too, have internet filter, the computer in a central location, permission requests, and time limits. Has your rule against email and IM been an across-the-board standard from the get-go or was this the result of abuse by one of your dc? I appreciate all your input on this. It's helpful to hear others' perspectives as we try to discern the best course for our family. BTW JFS, I am also known as Mean Old Mom around here! LOL! Conversely, My wonderful dh is referred as Dandy and Delicious (Delicious?? Haven't figured that one out yet) -- at least until he needs to be the heavy! Blessings, Sandy

In the other post on internet protection options I mentioned how K-9 does not yet have IM monitoring but will at some point in the future. Do you monitor your dc's IMing? If so, in what way? Two of my dc have started using AIM. Prior to this, they've either emailed friends or used an online course's built in TM to talk with classmates. We have discussed with them our desire to respect their privacy but also the need for us to maintain oversight. Neither of them have acted inappropriately or been in contact with questionable characters but sometimes conversations have gone in directions that have benefited from follow up with Mom and Dad. With AIM there doesn't seem to be that option since, short of standing over their shoulder as they type, the conversations cannot be saved. I don't want something as invasive or potentially security breaching as keylogging but neither am I comfortable with no access at all. Anyone have any thoughts? Sandy

We have also been pleased with K-9 -- and you can't beat the price! :) We tried the Safe Eyes free trial. I liked that it had the option of setting up individual accounts for each child (time allocations, acceptable websites, etc...) but with the number of dc we have, it actually made it more work than just having one general account and password with the same conditions for all. With K-9 you can schedule the hours when internet connection is available and easily override it when needed. You can customize the website block/exceptions and also override those when needed. It's worked very well for us. The one thing it doesn't have is IM access/monitoring settings but the creators have said that they are hoping to add that in at some point. The other thing that we all either laugh at (or groan about) is K-9's way of alerting you to a blocked website or telling you it's not time to be on -- Zander, the company mascot, barks at you. Scares you half to death if the sound is turned up and you aren't expecting it! We have our comp centrally located and when you've been barked at everyone knows it! My dh loves it. My dc's response if they need to get on and cant, "Mom, the dog's barking again." He's the only pet we own at the moment and the upkeep is so easy! LOL!

Can I still jump in if I'm a native PNWerner but have been gone forever? I grew up in Snohomish, WA, went to college in Bellingham and honeymooned on the Oregon coast.

Today's race-to-the-window event for my boys was the street sweeper going up and down the street clearing away the after-winter muck. Of course, this is NY, so there are no guarantees we are actually post winter yet! You gotta love the boys' enthusiasm for anything manly. My guys are out there surveying the situation at the mere sight of an oversized vehicle that might have anything to do with digging, earth moving, tree felling, electrical lines, etc...And if those aren't happening they go outside and find their own manly things to do. Yesterday it was digging a big hole in the backyard in search of fossils, cool rocks, or just anything beyond dirt! LOL! Time for me to go to bed - even with the title I missed the dh part! But my dh loves all that manly stuff, too! His head turns and his eyes look longingly whenever we pass a mini bulldozer or a little dump truck, especially one with a snow plow - real ones, not Tonka!

I've had the first edition for years. I devoured it at first and then read through it again. I followed it pretty closely for a few years but less so now. It gave me a structure and form as I ventured into putting together our curriculum. I still keep it close at hand for times when I need to refocus or am just feeling disorganized.

251485FF 10% off a purchase of $35 or more through 4/22. Happy shopping! Sandy

I know exactly what you mean. With my twins, we used R&S math up through 4th grade but my one ds was getting bogged down. We switched to Horizons for 5th grade for a change of pace and a little more fun in the exercises. That part has gone well but both my sons have commented on how much better R&S was at explaining things, both in the TM and in the student textbook. I have had to come up with my own ideas for how to help them grasp the challenging concepts. That isn't particularly difficult but it takes more time. With R&S the ideas were already there and they were understandable and solid. It was a bit tough for them to decide whether to return to R&S next year or stay with Horizons. They've decided they like the assignments better in Horizons, so I'll need to do some planning ahead to help them through the trouble spots. I also sometimes find my ideas for conveying a concept aren't working. At that point, I usually get my older ds or dd to give their input on what worked for them. If we're still at a loss, it's dh to the rescue when he gets home from work. This is definitely the case for my older dc's high school math questions! Also, I don't know if you are planning to continue with Horizons after 6th grade. I guess that might make a difference in your decision. With all but one of my dc, we've gone in a different direction in 7th grade, except my oldest who used Scott Foresman texts up through 7th grade, tried Saxon for Algebra I and ended up using Chalkdust through high school. My next oldest also did Scott Foresman through 6th, than Lial's BCM, then Chalkdust Algebra I (which didn't work for him), then settled into Teaching Textbooks Algebra II and Geometry. Dd did R&S up through 6th, tried BCM and hated it, went back to Scott Foresman UCSMP for 7th and is currently doing TT Algebra I. I don't know if you'd want to jump around if you are going to go with Saxon eventually, but my dd really did get a great foundation with R&S and I so appreciated their thoroughness. Teaching Textbooks is another one with good explanations of what needs to be done and why, although the cost for the younger grades seems high. I'm more willing to pay the higher price for the higher maths because they are areas where I really need the help. Hope you find a solution that will work for you! Blessings, Sandy

Gwen, What curriculum did you switch to? My dd isn't crazy about science in general and she didn't put forth her best effort with General Science last year. I told her we'd stick with Apologia Physical Science this year and if she did put her all into it and still didn't like the text we'd go shopping for something different. So that's where we are right now. She's in Module 11 right now and we'll finish off the year. Now I'm looking for ideas on what to use for biology next year.

Thanks Maverick! Our state convention is next month and my dd is going with me. Maybe we'll wait and take a look at the A Beka text and others when we can hold them in hand. If anyone else has any insights please jump in!

I also agree with the other posters. At that age (and sometimes beyond) my dc were/are so much more free in their narrations when they don't have to write it out. Depending on the child, I would just write out their narrations as they gave them and stop at that or go on to have them use the written narration for copywork.

Despite my diligent brushing, I had lots of cavities when I was young. Haven't had much as an adult. None of my dc have had cavity troubles thus far. Only our oldest has had a sealant. On a related note, has anyone used white oak bark powder to treat cavities? I have never tried it but ladies on another list I'm on say it really works.

I also order online from Milestone Ministries. Both the online stores that sell R&S tack a packaging fee on to the shipping so I try to order everything I need for the year at one time. Otherwise, for example, I might be ordering a $2.50 workbook and have to pay the shipping and the $3.95 packaging fee on such a small order. They've been nice folks to deal with though.

You should be able to find them at Walmart and drug stores. When you put them on your grandson make sure they are placed correctly on the pressure point and check periodically that he hasn't moved them around. I've used Sea Bands with great success during my pregnancies. I do have a few of my children who get car sick and yet I'm not sure I've ever had them try the bands. How did that escape me? Adding them to my shopping list!

A few weeks back my dh had surgery on his leg to remove some several overly large veins. And what did he come home with (besides pain!)? -- a wormy white specimen of his veins, of course! How convenient for my twins, who had just been reading about the circulatory system. But the vein was out of context - one ds asked why it wasn't colored. "Um...," offered big sister, "because it has no blood in it." "Oh yeah," brother replied, with an I-really-did-know-that shake of his head. Now I have to mention that the specimen, in its bottle, somehow ended up in my bedroom, a fact I didn't discover until two weeks later. It then found a nice home in the garbage.

Old Victorian house. Slow moving renovations on all of it, which we are doing ourselves. Biggest dust-accumulating (talking daily dust piles) place I've ever lived. Very few closets. Not nearly enough shelves. Seven dc still at home and running around the place on a daily basis. The gathering and purging of stuff that comes from nine people of varying ages sharing space together 24/7. Not sure whether we're schooling and fitting cleaning in or cleaning and fitting school in, but the two together make an all-day affair. Yup, definitely constantly cleaning...and dreaming of clean spaces and a place for everything...and at least one finished room! But glad for what we have! Sandy

My two oldest children have used Apologia with no problems beyond just staying on track. My third child has done General Science and is 3/4 the way through Physical Science. She doesn't want to stay with Apologia for biology. She says she finds the Apologia books overwhelming in the amount of reading and has a difficult time keeping up because she has to do a lot of re-reading to comprehend the material. I'm wondering if anyone has some non-Apologia suggestions for biology. I've read some good comments about BJU but it sounds like it might be even more rigorous than Apologia. My oldest used Abeka before starting Apologia in 9th grade but that was years ago and I'm not familiar with their high school texts. Thanks, Sandy

I agree with Chris. The only change we made was to switch to a A-F grading system (although I think I wish I could feel good about P/F). Up to high school we use excellent, good, fair, poor for assessment. Also, don't feel as though you need to report hours spent per subject. Just continue to note the total hours per quarter, which rounds to 248. I didn't know this with our first high schooler and I painfully tried to keep track of and report the hours in each subject. With our oldest, now graduated, we stopped reporting after he turned 16 but that was just before the new requirements regarding college matriculation came into play. Our second oldest will turn 16 this summer. The attendance requirements also changed. Since his birthday falls in August, which is between July 1-June 30 school year I must file reports for his entire junior year. It used to be where you only had to file up to the 16th birthday. My ds is planning to go to a SUNY school for his first two years so we may end up filing through his senior year in order to be eligible for the superintendent's letter. I'd rather just be done but we'll weigh the options. He's also hoping to start dual enrollment next year so that may come into play since that also has to be superintendent approved. You know, either they are able to do the work or they aren't, so all the hoop jumping is a bit annoying. But hopefully it'll all go smoothly. Blessings, Sandy

All of our Henry and Mudge books have been well used and continue to be well loved by our dc, so much so that I'll probably be needing to replace some for the youngers coming up. Have to check out the other titles as well!

5' 6-1/2" My 13yo dd is gaining fast and looking forward to passing me by. My oldest ds has passed his 6'3" dad and the 15 yo is at 6 ft. so far. There are five more dc coming up and I'm pretty sure I'll be looking up to all of them.