I like creative, quality music, that moves me emotionally. That is subjective, I know! I am drawn to music that is rhythmically and melodically and harmonically interesting to me. That can mean: jazz, classical, some R&B, Adult Contemporary and Pop. I also love gospel (black) and hymns, when done well ;) . I even listen to bluegrass occasionally, but only like certain artists in small doses. I am a singer, and love harmony groups like Take 6, and New York Voices. There is a lot there in those kind of harmonies/ arrangements for me to sink my teeth into. My favorite singer of all time is probably Ella Fitzgerald. What I find myself escaping from as soon as possible: most rock, most pop, most country, almost all rap and folk. This is why I have Sirius Radio...commercial music radio stations and I do not get along ;) .

We are doing MFW K and loving it. The plan is to do their first grade program next year, and add in Song School Latin. I think it is pretty open and go, which was nice for this newbie! I may do TWTM sometime in the future, but for now, I am happy with the hand-holding and structure that MFW provides :) .

I'm 44, and have used Lancome's Dual finish ( with moisturizer underneath...have to give it time to dry/settle in) , as well as concealed for under my eyes. It works, is easy, and covers imperfections.

Absolutely not!! And I am so sorry you have to deal with this!

In case anyone might be interested... JC Penney has a World Map shower curtain on clearance sale right now. I just ordered one for my boys :) . If you use the code (extra30) and choose their store pick-up option, it should cost just 7.54, I believe...what a deal! I am looking forward to using this to reinforce geography memorization by hanging it over the tub in my boy's bathroom :) .

I like him, and have only heard good things about him. He was the featured speaker at Hume Lake Christian Camp one year when I was in charge of a group of teen girls. He was the best youth speaker I'd ever heard, before or since.

She was not saying that a gay is more likey to be a child molester. She was saying that molestation experiences can cause a person to turn to a homosexual lifestyle.

I saw a video of him, and I must admit that was my overwhelming impression. If that were his struggle, it would make more sense to me why they could still hang out as buddies now. They have probably been no more than room mates for quite some time. I am just glad she finally gets to move on with her life. She is still young, and still has the chance to experience the kind of love a husband and wife should have for each other.

Me, too! My dh and I were friends at first, and my attraction for him grew. He wasn't the "ideal" type I had in mind, so I didn't recognize him for a while! I also agree with the the poster who said that you have to like your mate. I have had more "chemistry" with another man I dated previously, but did not like, love and respect him in the way that I feel for my husband. It has been my experience that if the respect/trust/true friendship isn't there, then the attraction starts to subside over time. If those deeper elements are there, I think the attraction/romantic love has a chance to continue to grow. That has been the case in our marriage of 7 years so far :) . I feel badly for Lisa's children,but, as for Lisa, I think she is about to embark upon a much happier chapter in her personal life.

Yes, yes, and probably so. There is no question that I would fly into a protective rage if anyone threatened one of my children, or any family member. There would be no thought of anything but stopping the attacker. I might not be so totally unconcerned about my own safety if it were a stranger being attacked.....I hate to admit that! I would hope that I would do everything in my power to stop a stranger from being harmed, just as I would hope a stranger would step up to protect my loved ones.

We are moving to the Houston area, close to Tomball ( bordering the Woodlands). The heat and humidity are going to be tough for me, too. But, I can see lots of positives about the area, too. There seem to be tons of groups and activities for homeschoolers there. It is pretty, with all the pine trees. There are lots of shopping and restaurants around. The Woodlands area is so nice, and our proximity to all it's amenities is a happy thing! I think living in a neighborhood you really like, and having more income might go quite a long way to making it better for you the next time around. But, like other posters have pointed out....not much can be done about the weather :) . Hope it all works out great for you and your family!

We are moving to Texas in a couple of months, from So. CA. We will be living in a suburb North of Houston, and I have been amazed at all the co-op opportunities there are....it's like I'm landing in the Mecca of Homeschooling. I was told by one of the co-op leaders that there will be so many homeschool resources and activities to choose from, my problem will be weeding through them, and saying no to the ones we won't have time for! I love that there will be so many social and educational resources available ; and there is such freedom there to educate my children without having to jump through a bunch of regulatory hoops. But, that's just me ;) . Also, the poster upthread is so right about the big homes there, all with big game rooms upstairs! I am so excited to have a dedicated homeschool space in our new house!

I am so sorry your family is going through this. :grouphug:

You are my kind of girl!! I was thinking of something just like this with a soaring ceiling, and a gorgeous chandelier :) . Our new house will not be nearly that grand....but we do have a high ceiling, at least ;). Oh, and we are going to have a mudroom next to our utility room, in the home we're building, with access from the garage. That will serve the function that you were talking about. It even has a cute built in bench where the top opens up for storage of shoes, etc. I like that it connects to the garage, which will be the way we will enter and exit, for the most part.

I also agree that Ashley is very low quality. We bought a dining table and chairs, as well as a coffee table and end tables from there...and those will be my last purchases ever! My suggestion is to wait for a 40% off sale and get a good couch at Thomasville, or someplace similar. We bought a leather couch from them 3 years ago, and it still looks great and feels great to sit on. The boys have spilled liquids on it, but it dries as good as new. Stains wipe off! Also, leather doesn't trap stinky odors that are bound to happen with kids! We are going back to Thomasville to buy our dining and more living room furniture, but we are waiting for their big sale in Dec/Jan. Never pay retail!! You might also be able to get a nice used leather couch that has been well taken care of....we have some nice consignment shops in our area that carry high end pre-owned stuff for a fraction of the price. Hope that helps, and good luck!