Jessica, I know several homeschool moms who are nurses. All work 3 12-hour shifts each week (most work on weekends or evenings). I know in North Carolina, nurses start off between $35,000 and $40,000. I don't know if that's something you would want to consider, but just thought I'd throw it out there. How are you liking Savannah? I grew up there and I miss it. Blessings, Andrea

Thanks for all the great recommendations. They should keep me busy for quite a while. Blessings, Andrea

Hello, everyone. I love...love...love historical fiction. I've finished all of Phillippa Gregory's books and I'm working on Elizabeth Chadwick now. I'm making a list of books I want to read next. So who are your favorite historical fiction authors? (Time period doesn't matter.) Blessings, Andrea

Newbie, That is a hard one. I think one of the biggest issues you will find is making others understand that you are sick even though you don't LOOK classically sick. My DH didn't truly understand until I was hospitalized the first time. Even I didn't realize how sick I really was because I looked fine on the outside, but on the inside I was falling apart (and felt like it, too). I would say educate your DH because he won't understand what is going on with you unless you implicitly tell him. It may take more than once. It took my DH a while before he understood completely. While I was pregnant with DD...I slept 15 hours a day...everyday. I would just fall asleep wherever I was at. He asked my doctor what was wrong with me and she told him that I was chronically ill and pregnant and that I should sleep as much as I found necessary. If you can, ask your DH to come to your doctor's appointment with you. Have the doctor, instead of you, tell him about the disease. This will probably help him see the bigger picture. Blessings, Andrea

Hi, everyone. I think I posted in one of the previous autoimmune threads. I have Lupus and autoimmune thyroid disease. Most days are a challenge. Some of the things that have helped with the way I feel everyday. 1. Gave up ALL types of processed food. Including anything sweetened with artificial sweetners. (Like Diet Soda....which was VERY hard for me.) 2. Exercise. There are days I don't want to get out of bed at all, but I have a DH who makes sure that I do....and that I get in some exercise. Pain and fatigue are my number one issues daily. Exercise always helps even when I feel like I can't do it. 3. Know when to stop or say NO. Again very difficult for me. I have the worst time saying no to others when they ask for my help, but sometimes I just have to. There have been times when I've had to leave the grocery store in the middle of shopping because I just can't go anymore. If you feel the need...just do it and don't worry about the crappy things that other people will say. Not that all people do or think this, but some do. Those that knew me before I was sick know that when I say I have to stop...I have to. 4. Avoid stress as much as possible. Stress seems to contribute to most autoimmune diseases. This goes back to not overtasking yourself and not feeling guilty if you have to say no. If this means passing the buck....do it. I just want others with these issues to know that these diseases change your life. I'm 27. I certainly feel way older than I am. It took me a few years of stressing myself out and being hospitalized way too many times for me to realize a lot of these things. I simply can't do what used to be so easy sometimes. I guess what I'm trying to say is keep life as simple as possible and if you need to take a step back...do it and don't care what others think about it. HTH. Blessings, Andrea

I bought one for my DD this Christmas. Wal-mart has a pretty good selection of cameras for under $100. My DD has this one. It actually takes better pictures than my $200 Kodak Easyshare. HTH, Andrea

Personally, I think you are starting in the perfect year because you CAN start from the beginning and get in two history cycles. You would start with SOTW and add in additional reading like Story of the Greeks and Story of the Romans. You can preview these here. You could use the Kingfisher History Encyclopedia or the Usborne Encyclopedia of the Ancient World (I prefer this one, but you could use what you like.). For science it depends on if you are looking for secular materials or not. I like the Apologia Elementary series. I added in additional readings like Christian Liberty Nature Readers, Burgess Books, Science Encyclopedias, etc. If you were looking for secular, Prentice Hall Science Explorer is good. They may be a little advanced for a nine-year-old, but you would have to judge that for yourself. My daughter enjoyed these at 10. I like Rod and Staff for Grammar. It is not secular, but very thorough. I also like Saxon for math. These ideas are just to get you started. Everyone on this board has a different opinion and different things work for different kiddos. There are many options available. HTH, Andrea

Michelle, I'm going through something similar. My mother went through a crazy divorce after being married for twenty years. My father left and married his mistress half her age. She met this guy in March 2008 and they were married in June 2008. I wasn't very happy about it, obviously. She threw a fit that DH and I were married after dating for 1 1/2 years, and then married this guy after 3 months. Craziness. Honestly, the super quick marriage didn't bother me as much as something about him just seemed off. It still seems off to me. (I had this same "feeling" a month before my parents were divorced.) uhh...it's making me crazy. I don't have any great advice other than to make sure you voice your concerns to your mom. The emotions are such a crazy thing. Blessings, Andrea

Christina, I'm so sorry to hear that you are having such a hard time right now. You describe almost exactly what I went through last year. Abnormal pap and had to have a biopsy done. Biopsy was less than fun, but everything turned out okay. I also have lupus with several organs involved and I know how much those medicines help, but make things harder at the same time. If your disease is anything like mine it comes and goes and can be very painful. Usually stress makes it worse. So I wish you an expeditious move and recovery. Hang in there. :grouphug: Blessings, Andrea

Immune disorders can take forever to diagnose because they can often mimic other diseases. It took me two years to be diagnosed. It was suspected that I had System Lupus from the beginning, but their wasn't enough to diagnose until my kidneys crashed. I'm doing okay now, but I still have issues with the disease. Some days I'm fine....others I'm not. I, personally, think having a diagnosis is beneficial for a number of reasons. I also want to warn you against assuming that yours is a "worst case scenario". When you are researching on the net you will find a lot of worse case scenarios and even though you have the disease it doesn't automatically mean you won't be okay. I did this to myself when I was originally diagnosed. When I say do research I mean just be aware. Listen to your body. Mine always knows when I'm getting sick again. Just please keep in mind with all autoimmune diseases....no one can tell you how your disease will progress. Keep your chin up and if you don't LOVE your rheumatologist...find another one. I can't say that enough. Blessings, Andrea

Hi, I just wanted to send :grouphug:. I don't have scleroderma, but I do have Systemic Lupus which is an autoimmune disease like scleroderma. Autoimmune diseases have similar effects on the body. They cause the body to attack itself and results in inflammation like your doctor told you about. The inflammation causes scarring and the scarring keeps your organs from functioning properly. I know how frustrated you are right now. I've been there and I deal with terrible pain a lot. Everyday is hit and miss. I know some people swear by going gluten-free. I'll just say it didn't help me. However, it may help you. The best thing to do is stay active because your condition puts you at greater risk for heart disease and stroke (and it really will make you feel better...making yourself do it when you're in pain is the hard part). I hope I'm not scaring you because that's not my intention. Just read all you can and get a GOOD rheumatologist that listens to you. I went through a few and now have a great one. I hope this helps and please feel free to message me privately if you would like to. Blessings, Andrea

I've been able to find some of the books on manybooks.net. You can choose the format you wish to download them. Some even have audio versions. HTH, Andrea

I have 5-year-old twins and we're on page 87 of Phonics Pathways. We started it a few months ago. They have done very well and are reading words that they haven't even learned the rules for yet. (Don't know how they figured that out.) We do one page a day. I think that's plenty for us. Then we spend time just reading books. It has worked for us so far. I just had their reading assessed and they are reading on a second grade level. Just my opinion. You are probably the best judge of how fast or slow your child is capable of going. My boys could probably do more, but I just want reading to be relaxed for now. HTH, Andrea

Bev, I actually couldn't agree with you more. There are reasons that men serve in combat roles. HOWEVER, any woman that has served in the Army in Iraq can tell you that combat/non-combat jobs do not matter. You do what you're told to do. I too had a non-combat job and in Iraq I spent my days and nights doing vehicle recovery missions. (Meaning vehicles were disabled and our team went out to either tow them in or destroy them in place.) I've been shot at and seen some really ugly stuff. The effects of war are serious, and unless you've been there and know what I mean you can not understand. The way this stuff effected me when I came home was seriously different than the way it effected my husband. I think people make these assumptions that women should serve....and they should, but not in these type rolls. Something to consider when you think of this: Can you pull a 200 pound man that has been shot to safety? The answer for most women is no. I'm sure there are some that could. Bev is also right in that men treat you differently because you are a woman. Another reason women are not "supposed" to be in combat roles. Men are more likely to try to save an unsavable women than a to try and save a savable man. It's in their genes. Anyway, I'm the mother of six. When I joined the Army I didn't have a family and I was recalled years later after I gave birth to my youngest son because of some technicality that was in my contract. I spent a year and half away from my children and came back with some memories I'd rather forget. Like I said before, women should serve, but in different capacities. That's just my opinion anyway. Andrea

I like Chuck, House, Grey's Anatomy, and John and Kate Plus Eight. (We have six kiddos....it's fun to see how others handle it.) They're the only

Nice Schedule. I'm looking for one with a different Usborne book though. The one I'm using is the Usborne Encyclopedia of the Ancient World. This is it here. Thanks so much, Andrea

Okay, I've combined Story of the Greeks with SOTW. Does anyone have a schedule for Story of the Greeks with Usborne Encyclopedia of the Ancient World??? Thanks, Andrea

I have searched high and low and cant' find a schedule that combines the two. Has anyone already done this??? It would be such a great help. Thanks, Andrea

Hi, Pam. I have a 10-year-old daughter who is into sports. She's not a swimmer, but she likes basketball. She's also very into college football. She loves to read and is a fantastic little artist. I know she'd be very interested in having a penpal. Just let me know when and we can get them started. Blessings, Andrea

Are you still nursing? I would personally say that if your little one is nursing ok and able to eat then wait until you can get her into the doctor on Monday. If it's bothering her or bleeding, I would take her in as soon as possible. I've never had thrush, but females get these type of infections in other parts of the body and if you've had one you know that it's very uncomfortable. Just a thought. HTH and wasn't too gross, Andrea

Well we've been homeschooling for about 2 years. I have lupus and I'm having a flare and I started extensive treatment this week. I will be in and out of the hospital for who knows how long. I have six children. They are 10, 6, 5, 5, 4, and 1. When my DH and I discovered I was having another flare, we decided to put the boys in public school. I know this is the best choice for my family right now, but I'm devastated. My boys seem to like school enough. Our twins were placed in Kindergarten. They are reading very well and have already finished 1st grade phonics because they excelled so well at home. My six-year-old son was placed in kindergarten because he didn't do well on their assessment. He is a struggling reader and because I chose to focus more on phonics than sight words this year, he is stuck in kindergarten. He doesn't have a learning disability per se, but he has been developmentally delayed since birth. Basically he gets things, but it takes him longer than most other children. To me, this is just ignorant. He needs work on sight words, but it was as if they thought I was an idiot because I haven't had my son memorize 30 sight words yet. Everything else he is up to par with except handwriting and that is due to the fact he despises writing with a passion and his handwriting definitely reflects it. I fully intend to pull my kids out just as soon as I'm cleared by my doctor. I'm still working with them at home as well, but the sheer attitude I'm received from the school just makes me angry. I am far from an idiot and I've spent money out of my own pocket to get my six year old speech therapy and reading support because the school system refuses to help me in the process. Plus, my twins are stuck in a class where they are not challenged at all. I feel like all my boys are being punished because I started teaching my children to read when THEY were ready, not when the public schools says they're ready. For example, my twins started asked what things said when they were 4 1/2. My six-year-old just started do this about two months ago. I'm sure many of you can relate to this and have had different results with different children. I'm very sad about all this. We just don't have any other choice right now. I miss seeing their smiling little faces and want them home so badly. Blessings, Andrea

It's been awhile since I went to basic training, but they did allow retesting until graduation. They will not allow him to go on to AIT until he has passed the PT test though. If he has combined AIT and Basic training, they won't allow him to go on to his duty assignment until he has passed it. At least that's how they did it 8 years ago when I went. HTH, Andrea

I'm a female veteran and just thought I'd throw in my two cents. I was recently medically retired from the military. I served in Iraq in '05 - '06 and was medivacced after I became extremely ill. As far as BAS goes, I received BAS while I was in theater and I continued to receive while I was in medical hold pending my medical board and was able to eat at the hospitals or dining facilities for free. (This is their policy for all wounded warriors. All weren't wounded, some were sick like me.) Part of the reason they don't take BAS from soldiers is because a lot of the time soldiers are kept at different medical facilities away from their families. I was sent to Walter Reed for awhile and then Fort Bragg while my family still lived in California. The Army would not send me back to California for my medical board then and wouldn't pay to have my family brought to me. (They do have a progam now that allows this to happen.) I finally just spent my own money and moved my family to NC with me. The only complaint I would have with the whole process is that it was so difficult to be with my family. I was gone from home for a year and spent another 6 months in the hospital before I finally said to heck with it and my told my husband to sell everything we owned if he had to so that our family could be together. The medical board took forever, but I'm happy to say, after a huge fight, I'm medically retired. (Those of you in the military know how hard it is for this to happen.) To be honest, the Army took pretty good care of me after I was finally sent back to the states. (While I was in Iraq is another story.) I know there are others who weren't as fortunate, but I can tell you from personal experience that the government is doing a lot to better take care of soldiers. But then again, that's just my opinion. FWIW, I actually support McCain, and my veteran husband does as well. HTH, Andrea

I just reread my post and it sounds so dreadful. LOL I'm off the steroids now. My disease has been in remission for 6 months. The latest flare was brought on by having a baby. DH and I tried to get pregnant for 4 years. I finally figured it just wasn't God's will. The day I went in to have a tubal my doctor, who told me I'd never be able to conceive again because of the Lupus, told me I was pregnant. (Go figure.) Steroids are good for fattening up babies though. I had to deliver my littlest one two months early and she was 5 pounds and some change and as healthy as can be. I just hate that the "go to drug" for my condition is steroids. Can't it be something that makes me skinny instead?? I'm already hypothyroid, too. Give me a break man. :) I hope you feel better soon. Andrea

Oh...don't you love prednisone. I have Systemic Lupus and prednisone (and many other icky medicines) have been my life for the past three years. When I have a flare, I'm put on super high doses of it (just finished my round of 90 mg a day for 7 months). It's so hard. Prednisone is known to increase blood sugar and make you feel like you haven't eaten in a year. I packed on some weight and now I'm losing it again. I go through this at least once a year and there is not really a whole lot you can do about it. I just wanted to encourage you because I know how it is. I was very thin my entire life until the lupus. Sometimes I want to skip the prednisone all together and go straight for the chemo drugs because I dread the effects and have ended up on them anyway after months on prednisone . (Isn't that so vain.) :glare: Anyway, I think this post went from your venting to mine. Sorry. Lots of hugs though! :grouphug: Andrea