:iagree: This was really interesting to read.

Tracy, Are you planning on using a curriculum to teach the printing, or just by example/copywork/whatever? I'm also intrigued...

What sounds more appealing to you? Chilling out with the kids on the beach, or spending some alone time with DH? (Don't you dare feel guilty for taking two trips without kids.) It sounds like you are leaning towards leaving the kids home, and just feel a bit guilty for that. Don't! The kids will have a blast staying with family, and then you can plan a family vacation that is more appropriate for them, and you can ALL enjoy yourselves, without the pressure.

46 out of 60 - 76.67% I am not surprised at the ones I got wrong, more surprised at the ones I actually got right...

Yes, there are plenty of us here who are secular. And, what I have especially appreciated, is that those who prefer curriculum with a Christian worldview do not make the assumption that everyone feels the same way.

Some of us are just shy. ;) Seriously though, in real life it takes me a while to warm up to people, and when I'm with a group of people I don't know, I take my time and observe before jumping into the conversation. The same on the internet: I lurk for a while, getting the feel of the place, before I post. (Watch out though - when I do warm up to people, they can't shut me up! :lol:)

I find it too easy to skip exercising when I'm sick. And then when I start feeling better, it's hard to get back into it, and too easy to say, "I'll do it tomorrow." You're not feeling 100%, so don't feel like you need to exercise 100%. Go out for a walk, but it doesn't have to be brisk, and it doesn't have to be 4 miles. Just go out for 1/2 an hour, and then allow yourself to come back in.

I am the queen of silly forgetfulness lately. My sage advice: When setting out to go for a run, put on your sneakers, rather than your flip-flops. (That was Monday.) If you take the time to make yourself a water bottle, and strap on your super-cool fanny pack that holds it, perhaps you should take your water bottle with you on your run. (That was today.) And to add to it, I forgot to take the kids to gymnastics yesterday.

I did know - I've been. :D When I was in high school, my sister and I stayed with some friends who live outside of Paris, and they took us there one day. (Bless the mom who did - 6 kids of her own, and the two of us - 8 kids ranging in age from 18 to 5.) We all had a blast.

Explode the Code (Almost finished with Book 1) Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading Various Readers (BOB books and others) Zaner-Bloser Handwriting K Saxon K and Saxon 1 Singapore Earlybird Math (1A - 2B) Nature Study Various at-home science "experiments" (no curriculum, just lots of exploration) Free art (well-stocked art cupboard, with paints and markers, and collage stuff, and everything imaginable, with free access throughout the day) Lots of P.E. (gymnastics, tae kwon do, bike riding, swimming) Lots of read-alouds. (Starting to read longer picture books and chapter books.) Field trips to the zoo, science museum, art museum, parks, etc. We keep everything relaxed, and don't feel the need to do everything every day, or even to do anything any particular day. When she is interested, we do lots of school one day, and then maybe nothing for the rest of the week. She's making progress in the basics - reading, handwriting, and math - and is intersted in the world around her. Can't ask for anything more.

I got mine too! I'm 12 pages in, and off to read some more before bed!

How was that walk Doran? Way to go! (Cheer, cheer, cheer!) I am happy to report that I did run/walk this evening. I could have gone over to a friend's for dinner, but I didn't. Yay me!

I have this that I got at Target. It holds the kids DVDs (non-kid movies are in the closet in my room, my house has an obscene amount of storage and shelving in the closets). I like it a lot. I searched their website, (trying to find what I have), and Target has a lot of other, similar cabinet-type storage options. I think a nice bench or ottoman would be great if you can find one you like.

We went away for the weekend (totally unplanned trip), and I did absolutely nothing. I even brought the workout gear, but it still didn't happen. Come 5:00 tonight, however, I am going for a walk. (Unless it's raining, and then I will force myself to do some stuff at home.) (I am telling all of you, so you can hold me accountable.)

They ship too, so you don't have to worry about how you are going to get all those books home!

Another vote for Baby Jogger. Great stroller. And definitely possible to run while pushing two kids (2 and 4 year olds).

I like the look of Zaner-Bloser Handwriting much more than HWT. It's just prettier. (And I like pretty.) Echoing pp here, but you definitely don't need to Teacher's Manual. As for practice, I do think it has more practice than HWT. For the easy to write letters, I think the amount of practice is sufficient, but for some harder letters (lowercase d or g, for example), we have needed a little extra practice. I wouldn't recommend ordering the paper, (I don't think you'll use enough for it to be worth it - we certainly haven't), but rather, printing off some extra practice pages from the internet.

I did a 12 mile walk on Saturday, a workout video on Sunday, and then 1 hour of Tae Kwon Do yesterday, and a 4 mile walk last night. I would like to get a short walk or something in today, but looking at my schedule, it doesn't look likely. I did have a great salad for dinner last night, but other than that, I have not been making the best food choices. Something to work on...

Favorite of all time: The Chosen by Chaim Potok Favorite Beach Reading: Anything by Sophie Kinsella (Shopaholic Series, Can You Keep a Secret, Undomestic Goddess) I also LOVE David Sedaris. Very funny. Hilarious.

The link is missing the i in Jennifer. Click the link in the sig, it works.

Has anyone used a barcode scanner? Have any recommendations? I'm hesitant to spend the money without knowing if they're easy to use, and if they work well.

I have made my chart! My three categories are Tae Kwon Do (twice a week, scheduled activity), Walking, and Grab Bag (I made a list of different things I enjoy doing - yoga, elliptical, and a few workout videos - each is about 30 minutes, and can be done at home, while the kids are napping, for example). I am planning on starting Saturday, as that will make day 30 Marathon Day. (Several months ago I thought it would be a good idea to walk a marathon. I was enjoying the high of completing a 3 day, 60 mile walk for Breast Cancer. I think I was crazy at the time. But I have signed up, and it is in a month, and I have not trained nearly as much as I should have.) My goal for tomorrow is to make the monthly meal plan. I like to meal plan. I usually plan a week in advance, but then I take a week or two off, due to sheer laziness, so I think doing the whole month will be good for me. And I need to add some more music and audiobooks to the iPhone, so I have things to listen to while out walking. Off-topic: Jennifer, do you have everything ready to mail out tomorrow?

Honey baked lentils with rice. Would go great with your fruit salad. Roasted veggies with brown rice. Pizza. (Yummy mediterranean pizza - whole wheat crust, sauteed spinach, tomatoes, black olives, onions, feta)

These may not help you, if you have nut allergies as well. I am hoping not. (Recipes are from Vegan Lunch Box, an absolutely fabulous cookbook. All recipes are obviously dairy and egg free, and there is an index in the back, of allargen free recipes. I have yet to find a recipe of hers that I didn't like - and I'm not vegan, either...) Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins (LOVE these muffins. They freeze great too.) 1 1/2 cups barley flour 1/2 cup oat bran or oat flour 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp kosher salt 1/2 cup applesauce 3/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter 1/4 cup maple syrup 1 cup plain soymilk (Simply substitute rice milk, or whatever you normally use) 2 tbs. finely chopped unsalted peanuts About 12 tbs. fruit spread, jam, or jelly Preheat the oven to 375. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with nonstick spray. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, mix together the applesauce, peanut butter, maple syrup, and milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until well combined. Spoon the batter evenly into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops wiht peanuts and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the muffins on a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, use a piping bag with a sharp metal star tip to push into the top of each muffin and pipe a tablespoon of jam through into the center. Alternatively, I spoon half a muffin's worth of batter into the cup, add a spoonful of jam, top it off with batter, and then bake. You could also split the baked muffins in half and spread jam on them then. Nut & Seed Butter Cookies (Not a muffin or cupcake, but a treat nonetheless.) 3/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter 1/2 cup natural almond butter 1/4 cup raw sesame tahini 3/4 cup pure maple syrup 1 tsp. vanilla 1/8 tsp. almond extract 1/4 cup finely chopped toasted unsalted sunflower seeds 1 cup brown rice flour 1 tsp baking powder Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour and baking powder, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the nut butters, tahini, maple syrup, vanilla, and almond extract with a mixer. Add the sunflower seeds and flour mixture and blend until well combined. Using your hands, roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet (the dough will be oily). Flatten the dough balls, using a fork dipped in brown rice flour to make a criss-cross design in the top of each cookie. Bake for 18 minutes, or until cookies are golden on the bottom. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Hope these were somewhat helpful. (And really hoping you don't have any nut allergies, so you can actually use them.)

Can I join? Someone, please kick me in the butt! Besides, charts and planning is my favorite thing to do, so I'm at least in for that part. I'm great at planning things out, and starting things, but not so good at keeping with it.