I try to keep in mind that my worst day homeschooling is better than the best day in public school. I am homeschooling and working to support me and my kids so I have had to let stuff go. What we have ended up doing is just setting a time for school. We prioritize during that time and what we get done, we get done. I've found that it helps me to not do anything else during that time - no dishes, no answering the phone, etc. Sometimes the littler people need extra attention, but I try to give them stuff to do so I can focus on school. Then, when we finish our time we all have a sense of accomplishment even if we didn't get to every single thing. I think it helps to have a mission statement so that you know what your priorities are too.

I am a single mom so I have to work, but I wasn't willing to give up homeschooling. I teach the Simply Music piano method in the afternoons. It is great because it is designed to be taught in groups, so my time is used much more efficiently than if I were to teach private lessons. So, I do school in the morning and teach in the afternoons. If you are looking for something to do I recommend that you check it out (even if you aren't a musician). I have a friend who is also a single-homeschooling mom who does this and she did not have much of a musical background at all when she did the teacher training. And she is a wonderful teacher whose students are becoming very capable musicians. It isn't a gimmicky program either. It seems strange to be able to teach it without having a music degree, or being a really experienced musician. But, as an experienced musician (I have a Masters degree in music) I have learned more teaching this program than I did getting my Masters. There were things in level one that I didn't learn in 6 years of college. You can check it out a simplymusic.com.

When I went on the pill when I first got married, I remember being woozy and dizzy and a little sick to my stomach. It passed as my body adjusted.

This won't help this time, but I read once to keep a bag of ice cubes in the freezer. You can judge how warm it got by how melted they are when it comes back on.

I had a realization about this topic last week. I'm not sure that "socialization" is what people are concerned about, but "culturization." Homeschooled children are not as indoctrinated into the culture as public school kids. I don't know if it is the same in India, but it is certainly often true in America. I saw the beginning of the movie "Mean Girls" on tv last week, which it turns out is about a high school student who has been homeschooled her whole life, but is suddenly thrown to the wolves in public high school. During one class she got up and started to walk out to go to the bathroom and was ridiculed by the teacher and laughed at by the class because she didn't know that she had to ask permission. I realized how much "culturalization" we are sparing our children when we homeschool them.

As a teacher, it isn't a curriculum that you can go buy. You get licensed to teach it through Simply Music. She can go on the Simply Music website to find out more. It doesn't take long to get licensed though. It does cost money, but it is some of the best money I have ever spent. There are teachers throughout the US. They are listed on the SM website. There is also a learn-at-home program that I believe was originally designed for homeschoolers who didn't have teachers near them. If she is interested she can call the Simply Music office directly, or she can certainly contact me for more info. I think my website is in my signature, or you can send me a private message with her contact info. Kathy

Hello! I have seen alot of posts up about piano lessons. I just want to share what I have found. I have taught music for years and have tried different approaches, methods and programs. I started teaching the Simply Music piano method about 18 months ago, mostly so I could teach it to my kids. (Before this gets deleted for "advertising" let me say that unless someone here lives in my neighborhood and signs up for lessons with me, I won't make any money off of talking about this.) I just am so excited about it. This method truly redefines music education. The results are so far beyond anything I have ever seen before. Students learn so quickly, and learn to play in a variety of styles with both hands from the very beginning. I just wanted to mention it. I apologize if this is an inappropriate post. I'm just so grateful that I found this piano program for my family. Kathy

Neil Moore. I have no idea what his IQ is, but he is definitely a genius as defined in the original post. He is the founder and creator of the Simply Music piano method. But, he is not just a musical geniius. He "gets' people in a way I have never seen before. And he looks at things, music specifically, in such a new and different way. I have a Master's degree in music and have never even begun to conceive of music the way that he does. His teaching concepts have honestly brought me to tears. He has set out to change the very culture of music and music education and I believe he will do it. He is also going to change the way we, as a culture, define who is "musical." Kathy

I just recently bought heatlh insurance for me and my four kids. I went through ehealthinsurance.com. I had a good experience there and it gave me an easy way to compare plans and learn about coverage. kathy

I have recently realized that I have a knack for making things harder than they need to be so I am looking to simplify a bit. I have also recently become a single-mom and am likely going to be working in the afternoons. I have been doing my own thing for my 4 years of hsing. I am thinking of going to MFW so that things are spelled out. Here's what I've been doing: Saxon math FLL Apologia Science SOTW history (with a little Beautiful Feet thrown in) A reason for handwriting Spelling Workout Highlights Top Secret for geography and problem solving My kids are going into 5th and 2nd grade, plus I have a 4yo and a 2yo. I am trying to decide if doing MFW would simplify things or not. I also like the way that they have Bible interwoven throughout and I like the philosphy of combining the best of Classical, Mason and Unit studies. I think I would miss Apologia science though. The two books that you do in MFW we have done already. Also, we have done Saxon since the beginning, but I know that MFW recommends Singapore. I like that Saxon is scripted, but I find the levels 1-3 to be tedious and time-consuming. I have long been hoping for an escape that I could feel good about. Your thoughts? Thanks, Kathy

Hi all! I was thinking of seeing this tonight. What did you think of it? Was it a fun movie, or depressing? Was it too mushy? I would love to know what you thought. Thanks, Kathy

Hello Hive Mind, I have the opportunity to see a movie without my littles and I am not sure what to see. I am looking for something that is entertaining and not too deep or at all depressing. Any suggestions? Thanks, Kathy

My understanding is that the DVDs were actually designed with homeschoolers in mind because there were so many homeschoolers who wanted this program. It was reviewed in a couple of homeschooling magazines a while back. http://www.simplymusic.com/SimplyMusicABreakthroughinMusicEducation http://www.simplymusic.com/ABreakthroughForStudentsWithSpecialNeeds I'm not sure how the DVDs would be for a student with prior experience though. You may want to call the Simply Music office in Sacramento and ask them. Good luck! Kathy

I so feel your pain. It took me about 2 1/2 years to learn to make edible ww bread. I also have a bosch and a nutrimill. I have 2 recommendations. These may have been mentioned already, but I haven't read all the replies. The Urban Homemaker (Marilyn Moll) has a great recipe. It is usually in their catalogue, or in one of her e-cookbooks. She also recommends a dough enhancer that she sells on her website that made my bread much more springy and tear-resistant. And you only use 2T per 6-loaf batch. The thing that helped me the most was that Crystal Miller, on her website thefamilyhomestead.com, sells an instructional cd on ww breadbaking. She has pictures of every step. That is what helped me. I just couldn't understand how to tell if the gluten was fully developed. After seeing her pictures I could bake bread. I've also found that adding much less flour than I thought I needed was a big help. Good luck. You'll get there. Kathy

I am a piano teacher. And I've found the greatest piano method on the planet. It sounds like what your son is looking for. It is all about learning a huge repetoire of great-sounding music very quickly. Most kids learn between 30 and 50 songs during their first year, and these are the beginners. It is called "Simply Music." You have to be certified specifically to teach this program so there are a limited number of teachers. But if you look on their website(Simplymusicdotcom) you can do a search to find out if there are teachers in your area. I have been teaching music for a long time and I cannot speak highly enough about this program. It is truly a breakthrough in music education. The approach to learning music is completely different than in traditional lessons. The goal of the program is for the students to have music as a companion for the rest of their lives, as opposed to the 'get frustrated and quit' model of traditional piano lessons. Feel free to email me if you have any questions about this method. Kathy

Thank you. That whole thing just didn't sit quite right with me. But, I haven't done enough ebay transactions to know if it was okay or not. Thanks, Kathy

Hello ebayers, I have an ethics question, or maybe just an ebay rules question. I bid on an item and did not win it. The seller had a duplicate item up for a separate auction. After the first one sold, the other auction disappeared and I got a second chance offer on the second item. I sent the seller a message and got him to agree to sell me the item at 10% off of the second chance offer price. My question is: does it violate ebay rules to negotiate a second chance offer like that? Also, what do I do now? I don't want to click "buy now" at the original price and then end up getting stuck paying that price. Do I ask him to send me a new offer with the discounted price? Thanks for your help! Kathy

I know there's alot about poop here already, but I never expected to have to wash poop out of my hair at 3:00am. Kathy

Thank you! That's exactly what I wanted to see. Kathy

HI! I did WW years ago and am considering it again. I did actually make lifetime member after losing 42 pounds, but then had two more babies and never made it back down. Are you doing the points or the core program? I am curious how many foods are actually on that list. Good luck! Kathy

Cool. Thanks! Kathy

I was looking at an item here and I would need to set up a google checkout account. Is it secure? Is it something you trust? Thanks, Kathy

Thank you for that good, old-fashioned giggle. And, honestly, the pics are small enough that I don't think even his mother would recognize him. Kathy

I also think that planning is they key. I have gotten to where I plan out two weeks worth of breakfast, lunch and dinner at a time. Then I don't have those staring at the pantry wishing we could just fast instead of eat dinner moments. I do try to keep a few "kit meals" on hand for when what I have planned just doesn't happen. I also have certain types of prep for certain days. On Mondays the kids and I don't get home until right at dinner time so I do something in the crock pot on Monday. I have been keeping my menus and eventually plan on putting them in a reusable format, but I haven't gotten that far yet. I also like trying new recipes so I actually like to do the planning. Hope this helps. Kathy

I just got home from Office Max. Yes, I had three things bound. Kathy