I'm having a similar crisis. I have two adults living at home, so I've been in denial about being in an empty nest sooner than later. Even though I have a degree, I honestly cannot support myself financially. DH and I have very little in common. He lost his job (19 years) this past spring and has had to take a job away from home. I do have grandchildren, but I'm not the type of grandma who wants to babysit. I'm 52 and ready to be an individual, not start over with parenting little people. Once my youngest finishes school I'm sure DH will insist I go to work though I won't be able to earn much.

I know. Lol! In our church culture, young men are encouraged to marry and start families. Anyone over 25 who is still single is jokingly referred to as a menace to society. I assume he's dating to find a spouse rather than dating for fun. Maybe "I shouldn't assume" should become my mantra. I know I need to chill. :chillpill:

Thanks for sharing your experiences. :)

Yep, random. ;) I should have left it out. I guess one of the things I've wondered about is if his sister-in-law is taking care of him. How independent has he really been?

Yes, you are right. :)

My 20 year old daughter didn't date during her teen years. Guys her age didn't seem interested. Last year she had a year long friendship which morphed into a dating relationship with a young adult who was about six years older than her. The differences in religious beliefs were too great so we weren't too worried about marriage. A few weeks ago, 20 yodd went to her oldest sister's house and met one of their friends. 20 yo and this young man hit it off and they are now dating. They enjoy being together, they have similar interests, and they share the same religious beliefs. The sticky part? He is 10 1/2 years older than her. Yep, he's 31. Assuming this relationship continues, what are some issues my daughter needs to be aware of in the future? I've read on the boards before that older husbands can start to slow down in middle age which can sometimes cause friction. My daughter is a low energy person to begin with, so hopefully that wouldn't be an issue. He lives in the same building as his brother and sister-in-law though he seems to have his own bachelor pad. I'm not sure if he does his own laundry, etc.

Congratulations! :001_wub:

Big hugs! Whether we mean to or not, we raise our kids with certain expectations. It's hard when they come to us and share a different version of how they want to live (or the consequences that have already happened). I've shared a lot on this board. It has been a life saver to be able to talk with people who share their wisdom when I'm having a meltdown and am incapable of being open minded. I would never choose to go through these things, but they have opened my heart to be more accepting. My kids have changed me for the better.

I'm attempting Eat to Live (Dr. Fuhrman), but I don't know what I'm doing yet. It's a huge change for me. I ate a lot of salty, processed foods. I probably miss pizza the most. We ate Papa Murphy's Pizza at least once a week.

:wub: Friendship is real!

I have not seen this book, but it might be worth looking at when it is released. Help Your Kids with Study Skills

Thank you for sharing. Such a positive and hopeful story.

:grouphug: So glad you have an answer. Hope you can get some rest tonight.

I talked with my grown daughter yesterday and the theme was very much the same. Sometimes you just need to vent. :grouphug:

I'll add more hugs. :grouphug:

The Teaching Company has a course - Mastering the Fundamentals of Mathematics. Too bad it isn't on sale right now. Maybe you could borrow it from a library or a friend. For just basic review this summer, we are going to use Math Minutes.

This breaks my heart. One of my girls was suicidal this past autumn. It was the scariest time of my life. There was absolutely no reasoning with her and she felt no hope whatsoever. I felt like we were fighting a battle with our hands tied behind our backs. There is no good answer to the question "why?" DH's brother died in January (possible suicide) and we had his parents out for dinner on Mother's Day. It was tough.

Oh, and you totally deserve a re-do for your birthday. When you are feeling better, have another birthday celebration. :)

That sucks!!! I hope you quickly find what YOU need to care for YOUR body. After watching my mom struggle with IBS for years (in the pants, side of the road with fire ants, potty in the back of the vehicle at all times, etc.), I cried when I found out I had IBS also. I thought I was going to be house bound for life. I wish you the best in finding what works so you can get out there and live! :grouphug:

Wow! That is frustrating!

Thank you for the link. :) Someone on the group suggested using a different computer to get the lower rate. It worked! When I first found out about this service a few months ago, I was going to subscribe but I hesitated. When I went back to the website later, the price went up and was too much for our family. I was so bummed! I kept returning to the site and checking to see if the price had changed - using MY computer every time. This afternoon I tried using my daughter's computer and the $179 annual subscription was offered. The website said $29/month, but when I clicked on the free trial the lower price was offered ($19.99/month OR $14.99/month for an annual subscription). I'm so excited!

DD will be 14yo but I'll count next year as 8th. We always work a year "behind." I homeschool like I write papers. I write the paper first then go back and write the outline. As we homeschool weekly, I record what we do and a plan emerges as we go. It's crazy but it is the way my brain works (or doesn't Lol!). A couple of things will affect how next year turns out. First, DH is losing his job. We have no idea what the next year will hold for us as a family. Also, I have a ton of resources on my shelves and this is my last child. It feels like an all you can eat buffet every day - a little of this and a little of that to the point where my plate is overflowing. Math - we'll finish R&S 8 this year, but I don't have a plan for Algebra. I have Teaching Textbooks but it might be too wordy for her. We like traditional. English - continue working through R&S English 7 Memoria Press Lit. Treasure Island? Wind in the Willows? Anne of Green Gables? I have quite a few on my shelf, so I'll pick whatever suits my fancy at the time. American History - working our way through A History of US and MP's The Story of the Thirteen Colonies & the Great Republic together. We'll continue the same next year. World History - a mishmash of K-12's Human Odyssey vol. 1, Mills' The Book of the Ancient World, World History Detective, and history encyclopedias MP's Christian Studies IV and New Testament at church. Possibly the Iliad using MP's DVDs Science - encyclopedias and ? Latin - we're in Lively Latin Big Book 2. Neither of us is strong with Latin, so I'm unsure where we'll be by the end of the year. I have so many cool books on my shelf that I want to use and this is my last chance/kid. It's going to be a fun year. :)

My daughter also lives in the area in an older home. Her house has a crawl space so it is off the ground, but it seems much less humid than ours. My guess is she has fewer problems because they have central air while we have electric baseboard heating. Also, she has carpet and we have bare floors. We've also had more trouble with bookcases when they are against the outer walls. I have more than one Rubbermaid container out in the garage. There doesn't seem to be any difference between the books stored in containers on the concrete floor and the containers on shelves (3-5 ft. off the floor). The ones I use are Roughnecks. They aren't airtight so I'm stumped as to why the books do better. Here's what I found online: A cool (room temperature or below), relatively dry (about 35% relative humidity), clean, and stable environment (avoid attics, basements, and other locations with high risk of leaks and environmental extremes) Our house stays at about 50% humidity during the winter. 35%? I wish! When books must be packed away for storage, do not wrap them in common household plastics (plastic kitchen wrap, garbage or cleaner bags) because these emit harmful gases as they degrade. Storage boxes made from alkaline corrugated cardboard designed for the purpose are available from conservation suppliers. Avoid storing boxes of books in attics, garages, or basements, where temperature and humidity fluctuations are great, where pests may be a problem, and where leaks or floods are common. Always allow at least four inches of space between the boxes and the walls, ceilings, and floors.Many book materials are attractive to pests. Rats and mice, silverfish, and a host of smaller insects are common troublemakers. Watch carefully for signs of their presence. Vigilant housekeeping discourages them. If there is an infestation, consult a conservator. I understand the struggle. Sadly, I have more books than "safe" spots in my house, so I've been giving them away. I try not to worry about curriculum if I know it isn't something I'm keeping long term.

We live in a very damp house in the PNW which I believe has a concrete slab foundation. Under the bed or near the floor is off limits for books. I've learned the hard way that books get ruined by mold/mildew unless they are at least a couple feet off the floor. They also do better on shelves where there is better airflow. Surprisingly I've found that my school books have fared better in Rubbermaid containers out in the garage. I don't put anything in with them to keep out moisture and they aren't wrapped. We have a small dehumidifier that I've been running near the bookcases in my bedroom. It helps, but I'm pretty sure running a dehumdifier is why my electric bill has gone up. We used to live in a house with a daylight basement. Part of it was unfinished and we made the mistake of using it for storage. Pretty much ruined everything. And if it wasn't ruined, it smelled moldy. Good luck with figuring out how to safely store your books. It can be a real challenge in a damp area and in an older home.

So sweet! Thanks for sharing. :)