Thank you all so much. We are stopping homeschooling because we just can't right now. Finances and chronic illnesses and mad disasters of one sort and another (you can find my old thread if you're interested). I am not interested in Waldorf long term - my girls will need to be in school two and a half years and then reassess. That would be the year my oldest would start middle school. All of this has told me several things: 1. Waldorf is highly variable by school and also depending largely on the teacher. 2. It is gentle and beautiful but quite regimented. As someone said before, what I think I have taken is that Waldorf is likely far better for my children than the neighborhood public school or other private alternatives. For now. We visit on Friday and we (me and my children) will attend their first two days back next week. So I will enter with my eyes open doing the best as can where we are now. Thank you all so much.

So after much heartache and tears, I've come to the place where I can see that it's best for my girls and my family to stop homeschooling for a while. Oh, it's hard. We've looked at schools and right now I'm feeling like the best option is the Waldorf school in our area. It's quite a shift from the Memoria Press we've been using but I think its gentleness is really imperative for my slow, delayed reading, ultra-tender and sensitive DD9. Any advice either on Waldorf or on the switch?

We have been gifted with a gift certificate from church members to get DD9 what she desperately wants for Christmas - some kind of idevice and a way to play it. I initially thought a nano (it would mostly be for audio books) but then when I started looking at docks, it's looks like many of them aren't compatible with the 7th generation nano. I just need someone to tell me what idevice to get her, where to get it, and what to buy from where to stick it into so she can have sound through speakers that are cheap and easy. Can someone help me? My eyes glaze over at all the lighting cable, 30 rod whatever talk I keep reading about. Thanks to you all.

**This is a double post because I just realized that there is now this board. Oops. My brain is not working right** Just wanted to update since I haven't been around at all for a long time. Things have been very difficult. I am still grateful to the ladies who gave us a boost for my DD's birthday and some clothes - I still am planning to post pictures when we can. DD2 who is just 6 is having a pretty serious surgery up at Cincinnati Children's Hospital this Monday. We go up Sunday and will be there a little while. Cinci is the only hospital in the whole region that does this surgery. We have been to dozens of doctors appointments and in the ER and in the hospital nearest us so much the last month. We are moving to the big city at the end of the month. I am so nervous about DD's surgery. Her lungs are only at 70% and they've already told me she'll be in ICU afterward. Anyone have advice for what to do for the four hours plus that she's in surgery? I can already hardly sit still. Anyway. I continue to be grateful for all the encouragement and help and advice I have received here. This is such an awesome place.

Just wanted to update since I haven't been around at all for a long time. Things have been very difficult. I am still grateful to the ladies who gave us a boost for my DD's birthday and some clothes - I still am planning to post pictures when we can. DD2 who is just 6 is having a pretty serious surgery up at Cincinnati Children's Hospital this Monday. We go up Sunday and will be there a little while. Cinci is the only hospital in the whole region that does this surgery. We have been to dozens of doctors appointments and in the ER and in the hospital nearest us so much the last month. We are moving to the big city at the end of the month. I am so nervous about DD's surgery. Her lungs are only at 70% and they've already told me she'll be in ICU afterward. Anyone have advice for what to do for the four hours plus that she's in surgery? I can already hardly sit still. Anyway. I continue to be grateful for all the encouragement and help and advice I have received here. This is such an awesome place.

Walking through a hotel parking lot with my 8YO DD who was recently obsessed with license plates. "Texas?!?" she says, pointing to one, "I didn't know they had cars in Texas!" "Umm, sweetheart? What did you think they had?" "Oh, I don't know. I just thought they all rode around on horses. So what is it like?" :smilielol5:

So all day they've been back and forth with whether she's good enough to go home or not. Because she sounds clear no matter what. But she's coughing like she does when it's bad, she says she feels tight, and she is right at the top of her red zone. Her stats are good - 99 while awake. So everyone is treating me like I'm a worried idiot. What do I do here? Just go home knowing I can give every 2 or 3 hour treatments there or fight to stay here where I don't want to be and they think I'm nuts. Am I nuts? I'm not. I know her. Sigh. :banghead:

I've been thinking of you and praying for you and Monkey.

:iagree: YES! THIS!!! My DD has documented PFTs that show that her normal is about %160 of what is predicted. Her peak flows are also and ALL her doctors - her pulmonologist, her asthma doctor, her ENT, her primary care - all say that it's about her best scores and that's what determines her red zone. However, in the ER here in town, there is an RT who I've gone round and round about this with and she's spread the words to a couple of others, so now they always measure her height and take her predicteds from that. I bit my tongue so hard yesterday as the RT says to the doctor, "Post treatment she blew 150 which is 77% of her predicted." 150 is still in her red zone but I didn't say anything because we have really fought about this issue. I've brought in PFT documentation and it doesn't matter. Anyway, the doctor, bless her, said, "Wait a minute though, doesn't she have her own predicteds from her doctors?" The RT looked disgruntled and said, "I measured her though and I have her predicteds!" The doctor said, "Yeah, but I've seen her PFTs though and her predicteds are different." Then she talked to me about them while the RT fumed. I was so grateful to have a doctor who got it. I don't always. And I am so glad someone else understands what a pain and frustration it is!

We didn't have a lot of drama really...but with our first DD we had been planning on Sarah if it was a girl since before we were married. :D So when we got married, I got pregnant, and we found out it's a girl we said of course, she would be Sarah. Well, when I was about 37 weeks along, I turned to DH and said," Yeah, I don't think she's a Sarah." He was so flabbergasted and annoyed. He kept insisting, "You can't know she's not a Sarah! What does that even mean!!" :lol: But it was true - I just knew she wasn't. So in the end, we went a different way. I'm still not entirely sure he's forgiven me. Second DD, I was very attached to Noelle as a name. He nixed it but I really liked it. He really wanted the name Chicory. I was :thumbdown: We had a name battle but found a good one in the end that we both liked.

Sent me TWO boxes of clothes and shoes? My PM box got cleaned out and so I don't have your user name just your real one from the boxes. THANK YOU!!! We were running quite low on clothes and shoes. This place truly blows my mind. I am in awe and it's part of why I realize how much I have to be grateful for. Thank you... DD2 even wore the cute orange shirt with the dog on it to the hospital and has refused to take it off. She is calling it her "feel better shirt." Evidently the dog won't let anyone hurt her. What a gift.

Thank all you mamas. It was a horrendous night but it's morning and I am ready to embrace gratitude again.

She's asleep and I just ran to the vending machine and got some pretzel m&m's and some baked chips. Hopefully it will nix some of the rage. :glare:

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