Thank you. I'll look into these suggestions. I have a history of mild chronic depression so I may be headed that way again. Thanks, again!!

My DD's going to be the death of me. She turned 14 a week ago and has me on edge pretty much all the time lately. I'm really feeling stressed as in headaches, tight shoulders, irritability, etc... When I get stressed I don't handle things like I should so it adds negatively to the dynamics of the situation. I'm all about quick fixes. I need something that will calm me so I can handle her better.

That surprises me.

This is my question, too. Not always, but a lot of the time people, complete strangers even, feel the need to express their homeschooling concerns when they find out we homeschool. I don't give them my opinion of traditional schools when they tell me where their children attend. I wish they'd realize I don't give a **** what they think.

We started using xtramath a few weeks ago and it has helped my kids recall the math facts much faster. It's free, which is a plus, and it starts with addition facts and then progresses to subtraction and then multiplication problems once they master the addition. My oldest two enjoy doing it (14 and 10) while my youngest (8) gets frustrated with the 'Race the Teacher' part. I'm going to make her continue with it, though.

I never did either until my youngest DD started loving them. For whatever reason, they crack her up and that endeared them to me.

I think there were 6 stooges...Moe, Curly, Larry, Shemp, Joe and Curly Joe. I'm not exactly proud about knowing that. Curly's a family favorite, btw.

I have a refurbed Sansa Fuze that I got off Woot!. It's lasted a long time and has taken a lot of abuse. I highly recommend them. Here's a link to a pink one. You might find it cheaper elsewhere. http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Sansa-Fuze-Video-Player/dp/B0015L0TBI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1317826958&sr=1-1 ....sorry for the long link. I don't know how to make the little one.

I completely agree with this!!

I'm hope I'm not driving you crazy....but what about pain management? My son gets terrible migraines on a regular basis. Do you know of any music that might help?

How about music that aids in concentration? My DS is very bright but his mind wanders. It takes him forever to finish his work.

You should make it in this thread.

That's how it is with me, too. I know better but I still feel a tad uneasy. It's the same with a black cat crossing my path.

Ack...I can't believe I just typed it. I just noticed the number of visitors for the site was 666 (I did it again ~shudder~). It's silly, I guess, but if my total at the store is $6.66 I'll grab a pack of gum or something to change it.

The 'how things are made' segments are my family's favorites, too. I could have done without those weird puppets, though.

My oldest started TT this year and DS (10 year old 5th grader) said he really wanted to start TT, too. He's currently using MUS. He whizzed past the 7th grade level assessment test. I'm hesitant to start him in Pre-Algebra, though. Actually, I'm scared to even skip 5th grade....let alone 6th and 7th. I'm sure part of my anxiety stems from my good ol' public school upbringing but I'm also afraid of him missing vital concepts. Is there a lot of review in TT's Pre-Algebra that would prevent him from having gaps in his knowledge? He picks math up very quickly so a review may be enough. Thoughts?

This might sound too simplistic but I found totally reorganizing our homeschool area along with my kids' help reinvigorated their learning 'want to'. I gave them their own shelves, new pencil containers, baskets, folders, etc... It sounds kind of silly but it really helped. Also, maybe you could let them choose some unit studies on their own. This would give them a hand in the process and would allow them to study something that truly interests them. Who cares if it's about baseball or something we consider trivial because it would add some enjoyment to their studies and possibly motivate them in other areas of homeschooling. My friend really likes the products from this site. I've never used them, though. http://www.unitstudy.com/

Thanks so much! The one I was looking at was from 2009. I'll go ahead and get it. The wiki link should help keep me on top of the changes.

I'm looking for a world atlas for my kids. I'm kind of embarrassed to ask this but......how many years back could I go and everything still be accurate? I realize things change all the time but I was hoping to save a little dough.

That makes me physically ill. It's all about money. Screw the individual and worship the almighty dollar.

Horrible. Just sickening. I can't understand why his father continued to send him to school. Was he not aware that the bullying continued after the initial attack? Considering the kid had been appointed a protector, I assume the father knew.

LOL! That's funny! Now...what's the name of that bra? I could use some age defying lift.

This doesn't answer your question, but my 3 kids started out at a Montessori school (my youngest still goes there) and they don't have homework. They do work at home, instead. My dad thinks it's the dumbest thing he's ever heard. Basically, they want the child to do hands-on, real world learning at home instead of workbook type stuff.

Who is she?

I'm thinking about starting this: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml I like that it spells out exactly what I need to do and for how long I need to do it.