Hi Alanae! I'm moving up to Gastonia this week from FL so we're probably not to far from each other! We've been homeschooling our 12 yo ds since first grade and I'll be looking for some secular groups as well -- maybe we can get together! How old are your older kids? Carol

What is life without chocolate chip cookie dough?! :001_smile: Carol

Hi Aubrey, ARRGH how frustrating!! How's the baby? I'm so glad to be through with reserve duty for awhile and back home. Today's our first day of school! Looking forward to posting and hanging out here more often. Carol

:grouphug: Oh Aubrey he is beautiful!! Congratulations!! :001_smile: Carol

:grouphug: me too ... take care, Carol

Chiming in kinda late here, but, yes, I awoke at 6 am a split second before Niagara Falls flooded the bed the day my son was born ... no popping sensation at all and no labor until hours later when the doc put some hormone pill up inside me to get my labor going ... This is so exciting!!! :001_smile::001_smile: Carol

:iagree: as well! Of All the Nerve! I'm so sorry you're going through this ... you're right ... how are you ever going to sit around a campfire with her?! :grouphug: Everyone else has already spoken so eloquently ... just wanted to let you know I'm here rooting for you too! Carol

:iagree: with everything Lori just wrote. This was EXACTLY the case with handwriting for my ds, age 11, who has SPD and fine motor delay. Vision therapy and therapeutic riding lessons have helped him tremendously!! We also use Sequential Spelling (SS) and this year he learned to use the keyboard with a program from the SS folks. His spelling ability has skyrocketed along with his reading comprehension and writing ability. He'll be 12 in Oct. Carol

:iagree: I don't like them either ... and here in FL I'm always on guard. :glare: Carol

:iagree: Cake Batter is yummy .... also the new Cinnamon Buns flavor, Chocolate Chip cookie dough, Phish Food ... We have the B&J recipe book and make th Heath Bar Crunch every once in awhile ... YUMMY!!! Carol

:iagree: ... and I'll be away for two weeks starting next week ... will be going through withdrawal I think! :glare::001_smile: Carol

I would contact the Homeschool Legal Defense Agency -- they have tons of positive studies and statistics at their fingertips -- I'm sure they would help you; they are attorneys who specialize in defending homeschoolers nationwide. Go to www.hslda.org or call them directly at 540-338-5600. HTH, Carol

:iagree: with Carol in CA! :grouphug: and please be careful! Carol

:iagree: My ds, age 11, also has SPD/fine motor delay and everything Southern Mom has outlined -- we've done here as well. He now uses the keyboard for nearly all his writing and it has helped tremendously. Another thing that has benefitted him -- therapy horseback riding -- hippotherapy. We're fortunate to have a facilty just a few miles from here, especially since our insurance won't pay for any OT and the ps system said he didn't qualify for it. (Too long of a story to go into here ...) When he rides -- there is at least one person walking alongside and guiding him through OT exercises. You could try googling hippotherapy, etc to see if there's any facilities in your area. HTH, Carol

I always use the credit card and we pay it off in full every month -- and get the airline travel miles. Glad to know I'm not the only curriculum junkie here! :001_smile: Carol

We've used the Beautiful America copywork book this year for learning to use the keyboard and geography/mapwork. I've had my ds, age 11/5th grade type out each paragraph for each state on the keyboard, then I printed out the state maps from the Uncle Josh's Maps cd and had him locate the places and fill in the blank maps by hand. He started out typing just one paragraph per day and doing the mapwork separately but as his skill increased he's now completing all three for each state and finishing the mapwork at the same time. Up until this year his fine motor skills were still very delayed so this has been a huge leap forward for him! OTOH, I also ordered a couple of the ancients books for him (A Triumph for Flavius, etc) and the corresponding study guides and he hated them. :glare: I also use the LL for the Elementary Child, vol 2 -- the lessons are very easy and short and we do a bunch at the same time. I have a separate diagramming book. Next year, though, I'll be using Analytical Grammar -- btw the Queens consider diagramming "twaddle". HTH, Carol

:lol: I love this! Carol

Awwwww :crying: This thread made my day! Carol

Bobby Sherman :D Carol

Hi! I'm so excited for you! Here's one of my favorites that only has ONE egg -- homemade pineapple upside down cake: 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg, well beaten 1 1/2 cup flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup milk Cream butter. Add sugar gradually and then add the well beaten egg. Sift flour, baking powder, salt. Add alternately w/ milk to first mixture. Turn into 9" round cake pan on top of pineapple topping. Topping: Melt 1/4 cup butter in cake pan. (I do this while the oven's preheating -- just stick it in there for a couple of minutes then take it out again) Add 1 cup brown sugar Place pineapple slices/cherries/peaches/nuts (I like pecans best) close together. Pour in batter. Bake at 375* 30-35 minutes. Flip out right away onto a large plate with a rim if possible. Also, here's another reipe I have for chocolate cake with NO EGGS! Its from my great grandmother's WWII recipe files when eggs and butter were rationed. 1/4 cup cocoa 1 cup milk 1 3/4 cup sifted flour 3/4 tsp baking soda 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup shortening 1 tsp vanilla Add dry ingredients together. Cream shortening and add dry ingredients alternately with milk. Beat 1 min after all flour is added. Bake at 375* for 20 minutes. (Makes a one layer 8" cake) Frost as desired. HTH! Carol

:iagree: :glare: Anyway, I'll bet they're just jealous because you're so petite! :D Carol

We have one dog and one cat -- Dog -- Clarence, named for a dog in a Scholastic Book I read when I was a kid, Clarence the TV Dog. He's a wirehaired fox terrier. Cat -- Sweetie Pie, aka Gato (Spanish for cat) Carol

My ds, age 11, is allowed on our street (the sidewalk, that is) and can go around the retention pond/block on the opposite side of our street. He has to wear his helmet and can only ride on the sidewalk. Its a half mile all around the pond. Our street borders the pond on one whole side; we live on the side across the street from it. There are houses and sidewalk all the way around. That's it. Around the pond is our whole little neighborhood. He's not allowed to go down any side streets out of our neighborhood. Carol

:iagree: Awwww!! They're soooo cute! And big! I'm used to kittens -- much tinier! :001_smile: Congratulations! :party: Carol

How about keeping her in the crate during the day -- unless you take her out to piddle before you let her run around? She earns some freedom AFTER she piddles outside. Our dog Clarence came from a pet shop -- and would piddle right in his crate! :glare::glare::glare: At least you're that far ahead! :001_smile: Good luck -- believe me, I know how frustrating it can be! Carol