THEHotel is all suites. Very, very nice with plasma tvs in bedrooms, living room and bathroom. No casino, but it is affiliated with Mandalay Bay and you can walk indoors to their hotel, and also to the huge underground shopping mall. Very nice pool area, several pools and a lazy river. Have fun!

Have you considered refunishing your existing floors and having them hand scraped? Less expensive than replacing, true hardwood, and dogs can't do any visible damage.

Thanks, everyone. I think I might apply. It is very small (single digit class sizes) and the job is for two class sections only. Plus I think it would be an amazing educational opportunity for me. I'm going to have to think about it pretty seriously. Thanks for the info.

Would a Jewish school for girls, very small, lots of religious instruction, hire a non-Jewish person to teach an academic subject?

Peyton also went through FLL 4 before starting MCT. When she does the Practice sentences, she just diagrams them at the bottom of the 4 level analysis page. It is pretty straight forward after FLL. I don't draw the frames for her, she figures it out. You will need to give instruction on diagramming things that weren't covered in FLL, like appositives. The 4 level analysis makes the diagramming a snap!

Here is what we have going on: For history we are using History Odyssey, so reading, map and writing assignments are built in. We discuss the reading and other related topics, and we also spend a lot of time comparing the maps to a modern map so she has a sense of where these ancient events took place. For science she is using Elemental Science Biology. We read and discuss, then she does the experiments and activities. This is "my" area, so we spend a lot of time discussing the science and the history of the science. She writes an essay each week on the topic studied. We use MCT materials for Language Arts. We have a set time to work on it directly, but I am always bringing the grammar, vocab, and writing skills up when she is working on her history and science. I still don't have a handle on what we are doing for literature. She is 11 and doesn't love reading, but she's a decent reader. At this point I mainly address it as described in TWTM, but I'd like to get a bit more formal as the year progresses. In addition to the above, I am only teaching her on MWF. She works on her own on TTH. She has a planner, keeps track of her weekly assignments , and figures out how to pace herself for the week. I think this skill will serve her well in the future.

And there it is. And I think that is a great decision for many families. Not everything is about the money.

This is what it comes Down to for me. I generally ask an adult how they prefer my children address them. I personally prefer Miss Amy. It drives me nuts when I request that and the parent declines and insists that their children call me Mrs. R. It is not showing me more respect to call me something I would prefer not to be called. Usually, with the vert stubborn ones, I say that they should then call me Dr. R. I do teach my kids to use Mr. Mrs. Or some other title when that is the person's preference.

My son is in PS 7th grade. This year we we paid $45 for himto participate in orchestra, and I donated another 50 to cover the cost for kids who can't afford it. I rent his bass and pay for weekly lessons. So the total for orchestra for the year will bea little over 1200 for the year. We paid $35 for school supplies. He packs a lunch so factor in a few bucks for ziploc bags. So, for us, we could do public school for 50 bucks a kid if we got him in a free elective like drama or choir. I'm pretty sure I could come out way ahead with a pArt-time job. :001_smile: I don't think the economic argument is the best argument for homeschooling. There are a lot of really good arguments, don't think that's one of them.

:grouphug: I'm sorry, Joanne. I pray that something really wonderful will come of this sorry situation.

So we shouldn't have any standards?

That would be so awesome!

No one said they were only talking about women, and most have acknowledged that there are certain parts of aging/ health changes that are out of our control. But I still fail to see an issue with wishing that one's spouse would maintain a reasonable level of self-care within the limitations that nature imposes upon us.

I'm trying to understand why one wouldn't want to try to be physically attractive to one's spouse? What's the downside? I know that Bud loves me with or without make up, with 20 extra pounds or not, in sweats or a cocktail dress. He would never leave or badger me about my appearance unless I was simply unhygienic. But I know he likes it when I look a certain way, so, because I love him, I make the effort. There is no downside as far as I can see.

This.

Romy goes to the neighborhood church preschool. Last year she went MW, 9-2. This year she'll be in the 4 yo class on TTH. The time she is there is for her to have fun, do messy crafts, and play with kids her age while I work on some studies of my own. I teach her phonics, math, and some other topics on the days she is home. It works out really well for us.

For me I can tell a dramatic difference in how I function. Maybe it's a bit of ADD, but when the house is a mess, I don't think as clearly or function as efficiently. Plus, it's just nice to have a tidy place for living.

Ditto.

It's fine. If you likethe looks of FIAR. then go for it. Your oldest child is young still, you aren't going to mess her up. This is a great time to get a feel for what works for your children AND for you. We are all guilty of curriculum hopping, because there really is a lot of cool stuff out there. Enjoy yourself, watch to be sure your kids are learning and having fun, and don't worry about the rest. IMO, at this age, teach reading and numbers, then just learn! It doesn't have to be systematic. Your daughter might like digging for all the little critters that live in the soil and learning about them, then she might like to learn more about a prairie lifestyle after you read Little House, or you might both like doing something systematic like FIAR. It's all good. Believe me when isay that you have a lot of years ahead to stress about switching curricula. Kindergarten is not the year to stress; it's a year to enjoy and set the tone for a lifetime of learning. You that tone to be joyful, because learning really is a joy! Be sure to save the globe hopping curriculum, because you might want it again. Or parts of it anyway.

I just want to say that I wish everyone would stop posting picture of their car's thermometer on Facebook. We all know how hot it is, tyvm. (102 degrees at 9:22 pm to be exact.)

I remember that summer. We were moving back to TX and I flew down here, 8 months pregnant at the end of July and walked through a bunch of construction sites looking for a house to buy. It sure is nice in February, though!

We are going to be in Austin that weekend. Funny. It is of course going to continue to be crazy hot, so I would plan for indoor activities if at all possible. In Allen(right next door to Plano) they have recently opened the shops at Fairview. There is an ice-skating rink as well as a bowling alley called Splitsville, which I thought was going to be an ice cream shop! Gloria's is a good Mexican restaurant with a little spray area for the kids to run around in off the patio. Also, in the Colony is Hawaiian Falls -a big waterpark with slides and wavepool and such. Stonebriar and Willow Bend malls are nearby, big, nice and air-conditioned. Have fun!

I'm excited about homeschooling "University Model" style. Instruction will be on M/W, independent work (with me around for assistance) on T/Th, and a wrap up with museum trips, etc, on Fridays. Were working on getting dd-almost-11 working more independently, and this will give me time to myself to work on a few things I've got going on. Dd4 goes to preschool on T/Th.

Joanne, This is a blog of a former poster here whose husband had liver disease. It's truly amazing how they turned it around: http://josboys.typepad.com/blog/2007/10/it-truly-is-a-m.html As for you, I hope you are going to see a doc who has been recommended by someone you trust. Then I would lay it all out. He or she may have some ideas besides thyroid, but I would definitely insist on the thyroid panel. I can't imagine any doctor *not* ordering that for you with your symptoms and family history. My thoughts are with you both as you sort through this all. :grouphug: Amy

I do Crossfit at a local box. I would definitely recommend joining a box rather than trying to do it on your own at first; there are just too many form issues to master and the training they give you is key, imo. I read a lot about CF before I joined and one of the things they brag about is their willingness to modify. The trainers at the CF I go to work very closely with us to be sure we are using proper form and selecting the right amount of weight. The last thing they want is an injury! I did Zumba (which is really a lot of fun!) 3-4 time per week for two years with results that were pretty minimal. After my first month at CF I could see significant improvements. The two are not the same. I would find a local box, go talk to them about your issues and then see what you think. Mine also required a two week "ramp-up" course when I joined, to be sure I had a good understanding of the basics. Good luck!