:lol: Welcome to the dark side~ (Evil laugh.......) Thanks for the laugh. I think that homeschooling your kids is the best education that a MOM could ever receive.;) Seriously, it's made me take a long, hard look at almost everything that I assumed.............

Holy cow, this was my son for two years~ I thought that he was mentally challenged but he just learned differently than his analytical brother. We memorized the times tables 4 TIMES in one year. He would just 'forget' them overnight, after WEEKS of reciting them perfectly! :confused: I nearly lost it every day; I'd lock myself in my closet and ask what in the world I was doing, homeschooling this child..... I knew he was trying and I didn't want him to see me freaking out~ Fast forward two years, the kid is AMAZINGLY intelligent. He can memorize an encyclopedia after one reading and the same for his literature readings. He wasn't challenged, he just wasn't a right fit for the 'sit and learn' type schooling! *We switched from Saxon to Modern Curriculum Press math ($20) and he excelled with it. He did MCP for 2nd and 3rd grade and then we went back to saxon 54 with the Dive dvd-rom. He's now a grade and a half ahead for his age and he 'gets' it. YEAH!!!!!!!!!! :) *He LOVES workbooks. :confused: I hate them. *He likes having control over what order we do his subjects in. I don't mind a bit~ I give him a list of what he has to do and he checks them off as he goes. He absolutely loses it when he can't see on paper how much he has left to do for the day. *I give him a choice between two literature books to read vs. telling him to read 'this one' and he suddenly loves to read. :confused: Maybe try making it more 'fun' and giving him a little control over his day and see if that helps at all. We switched from grammar workbooks (crying every day) to learning latin via dvd (latina christiana 1 and 2) and suddenly that's his favorite part of the day. Homeschooling works best when you're flexible. Hope this helps! Hang in there and know that you are much more patient with him than anyone else would be. :D He's lucky to have you~ :grouphug:

So funny~ :lol:

Praying for you and sending hugs. :grouphug:

I'm praying for strength, wisdom and protection for you, your son and your attorney. Love you~:grouphug:

If you want information on natural substances, I wouldn't recommend getting it from websites that are run by the AMA. That would be like asking Monsanto if you should start using heirloom seeds for your crops~ :confused: :D

Jesus told us to 'love your enemies, do good to those that hate you, bless those that curse you, pray for those that abuse you. To the one that strikes your cheek, offer the other also.....Do unto others as you want them to do to you.' Luke 6.27-31 Many 'christians' wouldn't appear to be following His example. Don't shoot the messenger. (me) He never said it would be easy to be a true follower. But He did say 'Love your enemies and do good, lend expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. Luke 6.35 Lt. Moore doesn't sound like a follower of Christ, in words or actions. I'd be careful about modeling my prayers and thoughts after such a person. Even if it was said in jest, it's really not funny~:001_huh: Jesus could have certainly overthrown the evil rulers of His days, if He desired to. Jesus SURE didn't say 'Let me help blow your enemies to hell, we'll give 'em the shock and awe. Let's show 'em what we're made of boys.' :confused: :D ~~~~~ He also said that His Kingdom wasn't of this world, yet America seems dead set on proving God wrong by trying to set one up.................:confused:

We've been all natural forever. Some of my favorites: Bio-kleen laundry detergent: I use 1/2 of what it states and my 3 boy's clothes come out clean every time. No dingy colors and we've used it for yrs. I have sensitive skin and I've had zero problems with it. Biokleen dishwasher detergent: $8 jar lasts me 8-10 months and we do a load every other day. Method dishwashing liquid: $3 It seems to clean better than the other natural brands and still gentle on the hands. I love the Green Works bathroom cleaning products, buy at Walmart or Target. I use Crystal roll on deodorant. It's a little more than the solid, but I like it. :D Dr Bronners almond liquid soap with a loofah is GREAT in the shower. ;) Your skin will feel like a baby's bottom! I've spent TENS OF THOUSANDS $$$ over the years on skin care (natural and name brand). After throwing a temper tantrum over wasting so much $ on my face and STILL not being clear and smooth, a few years ago, I found a $10 bar of handmade soap that lasts me 4 months and has given me the clearest skin I've ever had. When I need a little more moisture, I use a few drops of Jason's Vitamin E Beauty Oil ($5) with a little water and I get great skin for $4 a month. :D:D:D Hair care: Giovanni is my favorite brand, as natural as you can get and still be soft and smell good. I'm not interested in saving a few $ while mixing up my own formulas. Too much on my plate as it is....... ;) Lotion: good old coconut oil, which we also cook with. As you can see, I get a LOT of my products from vitacost.com Their prices make it possible for us to stay healthy and spend about the same as we would at Walmart or Target. It's just a matter of preference. I get ALL of my supplements from them, as well. Hope this helps~ Dawanna Now, if all you guys start buying my favorites, there won't be any left for me, so don't listen to my recommendations! ;)

Can't stand it. We don't have cable either, as there is never anything on worth watching.

I LOVE reading them here. Who would get more excited about homeschool achievements than other homeschoolers?????? I say, post away~ :D

Since we started schooling year-round, I don't have that angst.:001_smile: Just sayin'................

That is so funny. The guy seems so serious~ Maybe he should stay home and make real pancakes?!

I'd check with your local home school group. They should have some phone numbers for you. I highly recommend testing. I've never understood why some parents get so freaked out by it. For what it's worth. I buy the test booklet a few weeks before my boys have to take the test here in AR. We do one practice run, and they consistently score WAY above their grade level. If we haven't covered it, I just tell them to take a guess, we go over HOW to take a test and I let go. My 12 yo (6th grade) son just tested and is a 11.8 grade equivalent in math and a 9.7 grade equivalent in language arts. My 10 yo (4th grade) son tested at a 5.2 grade equiv. in math and a 6.9 equiv. in language arts. THAT is motivating for me and it shut's up all of the family members who are wondering if I'm ruining my kids by keeping them home~:D

We school year round, usually four hours in the summer, which is right when the pool opens! ;) Talk about motivation........ Yes, I count it as a real school day, and they do extra reading in the evenings and on the weekend. We schooled through last summer and finished up everything by February 09. They are officially in the next grade already. It is too hot to do anything but swim here all summer long, so we school now and then take breaks in autumn, when it's perfect and everyone WANTS to be outside. I love it!

I agree. Unless it's a chronic condition, address it and carry on as usual. We all have our immune weaknesses. Some get colds, flu, etc. every time they are ill. Hers may be uti. It's not the end of the world; just find something that works and keep it in your cupboard to address it when it comes up. There is NO need to wait for weeks for relief; d-mannose will end her suffering~

I imagine that a garlic suppository might traumatize her for life~:confused: The only thing that works for me is d-mannose, whether a uti or a yeast infection. It is clinically proven to be the only way of getting rid of it and not making any future outbreaks even worse. I use UT Vibrance, but any d-mannose would be just fine. (google it or call your local health food store) My neighbor used it with her 7 yr old daughter, while waiting to get into the dr's office, and the burning was gone within an hour. I take a dose every 15 minutes for the first hour, and then take as directed for the remaining days. It knocks the burning out FAST~ Just keep taking it for the week or so that is suggested, even though she'll feel fine the first day. You must rid your body of all the yuckies, so it doesn't come back~ Hope this helps!

"The heroic books, even if printed in the character of our mother tongue, will always be in a language dead to degenerate times; and we must laboriously seek the meaning of each word and line, conjecturing in a larger sense than common use permits out of what wisdom and valor and generosity we have. The modern cheap and fertile press, with all it's translations, has done little to bring us nearer to the heroic writers of antiquity. They seem so solitary, and the letter in which they are printed as rare and curious, as ever. It is worth the expense of youthful days and costly hours, if you learn only some words of an ancient language, which are raised out of the trivialness of the street, to be perpetual suggestions and provocations. It is not in vain that the farmer remembers and repeats the few latin words which he has heard. Men sometimes speak as if the study of the classics would at length make way for more modern and practical studies; but the adventurous student will always study classics, in whatever language they may be written and however ancient they may be. For what are the classics but the noblest recorded thoughts of man?" from Walden by Henry David Thoreau c. 1845 I am reading the recommended books from LCC that my oldest son will be reading over the summer. I have fallen in love with Thoreau all over again........

The Hobbit by Tolkien Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe by Lewis Treasure Island by Stevenson 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Verne Journey to the Center of the Earth by Verne Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Pyle Beatrix Potter Treasury Winnie the Pooh by Milne Frog and Toad Treasury by Lobel Little Bear Treasury by Minarik

Well, that changes things~ Are you are online seller? Do you have a link that we could go to and take some of them off your hands, as well as getting you a little cash to help out the situation? I don't care if this is against forum rules. If we can't help each other out, what good is this forum, anyway!? I'd love to help~ I'm praying that you will feel at peace amid this chaos. I prayed for that all day, every day for months, and I feel that peace, even now. :grouphug:

My husband was laid on in Nov. We've been living on unemployment since then. Honestly, when it happened I was in shock. We went from making $100k a year to $400 a week. THAT will freak you out, trust me. I thought that I was being punished by God. Trust me, He doesn't do that. Little did I know that He was taking us on a journey to discover our true selves. We've become closer as a family, as a couple and decided that we are in a better place right now. We are making decisions based on how they affect our future, not our bank account. I have started my own company, which I've dreamed about for a year and a half. I can't tell you how we've been BLESSED by being laid off~ I'm not crazy.:D I just feel 'free of the blinders of life'. My kids are learning compassion and trust, instead of how many Lego's the neighbors have........ We've lived with family and now in a family member's house, and we've had everything that we need on $1600 a month. I know that is a lot of money to a lot of people, but it wasn't to us. Now, we realize how little you need to really be happy......... :grouphug: Take a deep breath, exhale and realize how blessed you are to have your health, your husband, your kids and a future. If you lose your dog, will you live? Yes, you will. If you lose your books, will you live? Yes, you will. If they are giving you that much stress, just call goodwill and load the truck for them! Do whatever you have to do to keep your family together. I'm not being mean, I'm being real~ We could be all living in a refugee camp.............. THEN, we would have something to freak out about. God will provide for your family~:001_smile:

Hang in there and be careful with your expectations. My oldest, struggled with reading until late 2nd grade. He now reads college history texts at age 12, FOR FUN. Second son, was reading great at the end of kinder. Reads unabridged literature like it's going out of style, at age 10. Youngest, started reading at age 4.5 and hasn't slowed a bit. He freaked out at age 4, when he realized that he was the only one in our family who didn't know how to read.:D Thank goodness that I struggled with the oldest, or I would have thought that it was going to be easy with my other two. They are all different and develop at their own pace. The second son; I had to teach him the multiplication facts 3 TIMES! We worked on them for a solid YEAR~:tongue_smilie: Your son will get it. Just be patient and stick with it~ You may have to try a different teaching method or curriculum. All three of mine learned to read differently. It's all part of the non-stop FUN of home schooling, right? :lol:

Registering is not really a big deal. EVERYTHING that you do on the internet is logged somewhere, anyway. Every google search ever done from your computer's address is saved, etc. You even have to register to post here. lol Pandora has you register because it saves your station(s), as well as marking which songs that you like, and don't like, so that you hear only songs that you'll love. It takes a few weeks for your station to figure your music taste out, but once it does, it is COOL~ I understand the privacy thing, but there is really no such thing on the www, imo.

I've been using it for 3.5 years. It's amazing, and I LOVE that it's still free. I kept waiting for them to be 'discovered' and start charging a monthly fee, but it's never happened. Yay Pandora!!!

Do you stagger the chosen problems or just do 1-35 and choose a word problem?

Thanks to Pongo, I was able to buy the 'almost' chalkdust prealgebra materials on amazon. My 12yo son was on lesson 1.3, which meant that his dvd lesson today was an hour, and he had 186 problems to do. How do others implement this? I've had him do evens only, but he still spends 2+ hours a day on math. I'm not sure that this is the best use of his time. And if it helps, math is a breeze for him. I can't get him to break it up into two lessons. He refuses to stop until he's finished the entire set of problems! I WANT this program to work for us, but I don't want to wear him out. Any input is greatly appreciated~