My son (he is a twin) has this HUGE need to be *cool* in new social situations. It's hard to explain via a message board but he just started playing basketball this season and because he tries sooo hard to *look* cool it comes off like he doesn't care..does that make sense? His twin is out there trying and working hard(sometimes messing up) and he's o.k. with it...not so with his brother...he's more concerned with how his hair looks(he wore it in a fauxhawk tonight or the fact that he didn't have cool basketball shoes..than his game)...The same with baseball..he truely is the best player on his team(and I think he knows it) but sometimes he's trying to act so cool..he makes mistakes that the coaches know he wouldn't normally do. The funny thing is around his homeschool friends..he's normal-he acts like himself and doesn't put on airs..even in new homeschool situations..its when we go to new sports things(where all the kids are public schooled) he pulls this *cool dude* act out... How do I restore his confidence? He expressed to me he's scared to mess up in front of the other kids which is why he doesn't try but it comes off like he has an attitude and doesn't care..but it's really he isn't confident. How do I make him see that it really doesn't matter what others think-whether they think he's cool or not, whether he has the cool shoes or hair doesn't matter...I feel like it's something I've done somehow. I know we all want others to like us but I honestly don't know how to address this sensitively...help!

Does anyone on here know how to qualify for this..ie..how much land you need to have etc?

Has anyone taken Financial Peace University online? I noticed he has that option now..is it the same as the in-person classes? The classes offered near us don't provide childcare and we don't have family near by..nor the budget for aweekly babysitter.

Oh my! Those are some large electric bills. We just built our new home in June and live in N.C. Our home is 2900sqft 2 story. The most we've paid has been around $150 (thankfully!) Our home is *almost* energy star qualified(the wood burning fireplace knocked us out of getting certified completely). I think it has to do with it being new and having Anderson windows and higher R insulation. Our last home was a historic cottage that was only about 2000 sqft and we would pay much, much more in electricity...

Has anyone used this program before? I just found it online and it seems reasonably priced compared to some of the other classes I've looked at. If you haven't used this but have used another writing course online(for elementary age) would you mind sharing? (-:

Do you have any ideas for handmade gifts the kids can make for their daddy? We've done the paint your own pottery place quite a bit but looking for something else this year, any ideas?

Santa ALWAYS wraps presents but only in red paper(this is something we made up-we didn't grow up that way-Santa wrapped in whatever he had available when I was a kid:lol:)... I was born in NY but grew up in Fl..hubby is from NJ... We live in N.C. now.

I'm looking at Greg Landry's online English 101 for 4th grade next year(along with a science class) but it's really, really expensive(around $600 per student, per year) I have two students. I'm interested because I'll have a new baby and really want the boys to have the same level of education next year but I need to be able to be a little less teacher intensive on my part. Do you know of another GREAT program that I could look at that encompasses english(Grammar, spelling writing) that is cheaper? My husband said we could pick one for the boys(meaning science or English from is academy and I'm leaning toward science since that is what he is known for) I just need to find another English program then...any suggestions?

I agree-I emailed him about that and he said if it was posted they knew what they were using, if not, then it hasn't been decided. It's such a huge expense and not being totally sure. We were unhappy with another online science class we took this fall(not with Greg Landry) so I'm scared to make that mistake again.

Just to clarify, I know what it means it just sounds *different*, ywim? I'm an Orthodox Christian but attend a Catholic church(so that may help you understand where I'm coming from)... I guess when those instances come up, I'm just curious when that got started and how that trancended from ancient churches beliefs to now claiming *I'm saved!*...she also made comments about attending a church service this weekend and someone blowing on her and she fell down...so obviously, we go to very, very different churches:lol:

Interesting..I'll have to look that up-I bet your right mammaduck..

I was speaking with a woman yesterday and she mentioned she "got saved" at 8 years old. I've heard this alot visiting many different Protestant denominations through the years but never could really grasp this for myself(I believe in something a bit different about this but we won't get into that here:001_smile:)..It got me thinking when I got home on the historical context of this term and when churches started to use this...does anyone know? And please, this is just a question..I truely mean no disrespect if someone believes they got saved at such and such time...I'm just curious if the early Protestant churches did this or is this relatively new?

We have them(along with a high deductable catatrosphic policy). We have just submitted our first bills for our pregnancy and they are supposed to submit them next month-hopefully, it will all go well (-:

Has anyone taken any of his classes? I'm looking for next fall. In addition to his science classes, he has added several others including English. I'm looking to make next year a bit easier for me as far as teacher intensive because I will have a new baby. His classes look good but they are expensive($400 per class per student)any input?

Well, I'm almost exactly like you..my twins were born in 2001(yours are about 3 months older)...My husband and I went back and forth for years about having another one. Well, we decided to try and now I'm pregnant. I'm S..C..A..R..E..D..to death! What is getting me through this(besides support from some great friends) is that everyone I've talked to have said that if you have that desire that you will never regret having one but will regret not having one..I'm just holding on to that as I tread through this...

Here in Charlotte,NC the unemployment is pretty high and housing is still cheap(compared to other parts of the US). People are still moving here(lots from Florida and the NE-although it's slowed considerably due to those folks can't sell their homes in said states). I was up in Asheville last weekend at the Biltmore and it was packed. The tix are very expensive(I think) and you wouldn't know there was anything wrong with the economy going there...restaurants were on 2 hour waits, the Biltmore was packed, traffic was crazy. I do know(being a former Floridian) that they come in droves to see the leaves and change but it was really, really busy. I think that is a good sign..hopefully. I do watch the real estate market constantly( I just love to do that) and have seen home prices drop to 2007 levels-maybe lower and inventory is high but I have high hopes it's starting to rebound.

I've self deemed myself expert at moving and getting homes ready for sale(I've owned/sold 5 homes in the last 10 years). Get boxes now. Start packing everything but necessecities. Pack ALL your chockies(sp?) Pack/store all family photos and take 1/2 the pictures off the walls. Declutter everything and pack and store neatly in the garage against a wall or better yet rent a storage unit. Depersonalize your home while still keeping it *homey*, ywim? Take 1/3 of your furniture and store in it the rental unit. You want the space to seem open, CLEAN and airy but people don't want it to feel sterile. Paint a neutral taupe ( I personally like Sherwin Williams whole wheat color-it was on my last home-sold in 3 weeks- and I painted the whole house we just built the same color and I get compliments all the time)...paint all the rooms the same(unless you have some rooms that are dark or small-paint them 1 or 2 levels lighter on the same color card-it will give the illusion of the same color but will trick the eye into thinking the room is bigger and lighter)..hope some of these tips help! I love to buy, fix up and sell homes!

Just to add-with our flat fee realtor I had a lock box on my house, my home was on MLS as well as Realtor.com,etc. and my showings were done through Centralized Showing Service(which I HIGHLY recommend)... My husband an I are actually thinking of getting our brokerage licenses and starting our own flat fee real estate company because it's such a great idea and worked well twice for us...Hope this helps and good luck!

We've sold 2 homes in the last 5 years and both times we used a flat fee realtor to list the house(I think we paid around $1500) and then 3% to the selling realtor. The flat fee realtors both times did a great job with listing the home, pictures, flyers etc. First home took 6 months to sell(that's when the market started to crash..second home we sold last year in 3 weeks..) If we would sell again(which we would if the market would bounce back-I love to buy and sell homes(I know I'm crazy) I would do it the same way again. Why pay someone 3% just to put your home on the market? In this day and age, it's the internet pictures that draw them in...I've never had my buyers agent bring me a buyer..not that it couldn't happen I just never have had that.

Don't know..my family is Russian and it's always been my mom's (and mine)favorite holiday. But my father was born in NY(to Russian immigrants) and my mom was born in Paris(to Russian parents as well)... I went to a Catholic school and everyone celebrated it..like I said before we were aloud to dress up in our costumes at school so it seems the church was o.k. with it... When I was talking about people I knew that didn't do Halloween it was mostly Protestant homeschoolers...

So, EG and GWG have no writing instruction? Guess I need a recommendation on a pick up and go writing curriculum as well (-:

We are ditching Shurley English(3rd grade)..It's too much. My boys hate it and I frankly don't like it either. So, I've narrowed my seach to Easy Grammar, Growing with Grammar and CLE.. I need something that's pick up and go, I need something that's a bit easier than Shurley, I need something that they will retain the information...which would you choose?

Ughh...this frustrates me beyond belief...(could be pregnancy hormones..but still)... I've only ever experienced this within the homeschooling community. Before I moved to N.C. I had never heard of someone not celebrating Halloween...not that people didn't do it, I just never heard of it...I went to a parochial school for 9 years and we got to dress up for Halloween for school(they even..gasp..had Santa come during Christmas time)... Why does so many have to take this so seriously? Why can't we just have fun and enjoy the day without all of that? I have several friends who don't do Halloween and don't even talk about it and while it's their choice please don't shove it down my throat or tell my children it's an evil day and we shouldn't dress up. My boys have mentioned several times about so and so saying we shouldn't do it and sometimes my boys ask if it's o.k...that gets on my nerves! I love, love, love Halloween. I love to dress up and visit *spooky* houses. I love to *get scared*...it's all in fun... By the way, I consider myself a very devout Christian(Orthodox)... I just don't take things like this so seriously...life should be fun!

And yes...a 2 point expository paragraph that had pages and pages and pages of script for me to read to them before they did the paragraph...it was too much!!

Can I add that I'm pregnant and will have the baby next May...I'd love something that is a bit independant (-: