This would be FABULOUS!!! Yes, you are using them correctly... this is one of my pet peeves too (along with there/their/they're and your/you're). :D

:) Welcome, Mr. Boo!

:lurk5:

One step at a time... you're doing great! Still praying for you!!!! :grouphug:

- to become debt free and stay that way forever. - to move to a house with land and privacy. - to continue to homeschool successfully and watch my boys continue to thrive. - to find peace with issues within my family (mom & sisters). - to find peace with friendships. - to grow deeper in my Christian faith. - to lose weight, become healthier, and to keep the weight off.

I CANNOT wait for LOST this season! Dh and I LOVE this show!!! I'm excited for it to start, but at the same time I'm dreading the fact that it will be the last of it. However, I really want more answers. I hope the ending is solid and wraps everything up nicely so we're all left content instead of irritated.

I have this on my shelf, and it's on my list to start reading this month. Thank you for reminding me that I shouldn't shift it further down the list.

I can't help laughing at these posts! My sons are young still, and we're just starting to think about venturing into sleepovers... where I'll be packing his bag. I am cracking up thinking of all I have yet to experience! :lol:

In the last decade I have .... earned my Masters Degree .... enjoyed a fantastic teaching job (for 7 years) .... birthed 2 boys .... helped Dh finish his MBA .... moved 1000 miles away from where I grew up and lived for over 30 years .... lost a couple of friends, but gained a couple more whom I adore .... have accepted Christ as my Lord & Savior .... bought my first house .... stepped out of a professional career to be a SAHM .... become a homeschooling mom, a route I NEVER thought I would take (homeschoolers were weird!:lol:). .... become a die-hard couponer and embraced frugal living (with more to learn).

Thank you for all your responses! These types of titles are exactly what I'm looking for!

I haven't read the other posts, but to be honest with you, we didn't. I was born in NH, raised there, all family still lives there, and after 32 years of life there, I moved to NC. Here dh and I can own a great house, have me stay at home with the kids, and we are still living fairly comfortably. It's SO expensive in New England! Living there can be done, of course, but we didn't want to make the sacrifices it would take knowing there were other places where we could realize our dreams better.

Always before bed, unless I am completely exhausted. Then, for about 30-45 minutes every afternoon when we all take "required" quiet time. It's how I recharge. It just stinks when the book is really good, and I have to FORCE myself to put it down so I can do my other responsibilities.

Having to be on for strangers or even family members is very draining!!! I'm suffering through this right now... very much wishing I could hide. My mom and stepdad are here. My mom is fine; however, my stepdad grates on my nerves (and my mother's!), so having him around has been difficult for all of us. I'm praying for patience practically every hour. I am longing for early Sunday morning, when I can bring them to the airport and have our home back. It makes me feel awful because I really enjoy having my mom visit. She's not the same when my stepdad is around though, and I'm tired of hearing their fighting/bickering because he cannot get along with anyone. Ever. Anyway, sorry to vent... You are definitely not alone in wanting your space! I hope it gets better for you soon!

Yes. I have an M.Ed in Elem. Ed, but I haven't taught in the classroom for 4 years. I don't miss the classroom garbage or where public education is heading, but I do miss the great relationships I had with my students and other staff members.

You also need to register your homeschool (using a Notice of Intent form) when your child is of compulsory school age, which is 7 in NC.

Forgive me! I didn't pay close enough attention to your OP... Yes, scheduling a time is a better idea then! :D I should have said... we have an allotted time in our day devoted to reading, and that is all that is allowed during that time. It's working well for us, but I have to be very vigilant about not letting it slip because then ds (even though he's only 6) takes full advantage of it. Wishing you all the best!

I read this in college (YEARS ago) as part of my New England Literature class, and I loved it!!! I wonder if I still have it in a box in the attic... hmmmm...

It's been only within the past year that I've heard of the concepts of young earth/old earth, and I've been asking many questions of my pastor (who is YEC). He has been very open about his beliefs & provides scriptural references, but then he's also very fair in saying that we truly do not know which is correct, and we won't know until we meet God in Heaven. A recent post about how you teach it to your kids has me thinking (especially because ds LOVES dinosaurs)... how will I teach him? I'm not asking for guidance in this as I'd like to come to my own conclusion, but rather, I'd like to educate myself better on both sides of the issue. DH and I have only been Christians for 4 years, so we are still fairly new in our walk. Before that I was Catholic, and none of these YE/OE concepts were ever mentioned. I received a public and a private school education consisting of evolutionary principles. Dh and I want to teach our kids from a creationist perspective, but in order to do this effectively, I feel like I need a better grasp of these ideas, so if there is a book you've read that really helped you to navigate the YE/OE waters, I'd love to hear about it. I'm open to reading separate books from each side and then comparing if such a book does not exist. Thanks so much!

I'm not sure how you will feel about this (or others for that matter), but I'd like to offer a suggestion. I've recently been reading some things about reluctant readers, and as a former 8th grade English teacher, I actually noticed a positive difference when I utilized these in my classroom. How about allowing them to read picture books? Or better yet, choose a topic with them and read the picture books to them? I'm not talking about Eric Carle (although he's fabulous) since that is for younger children, but deeper picture books that will open their curiosity, and hopefully get them to take the next step. I just read A Picture Perfect Childhood by Cay Gibson, and she makes some excellent points to the validity of picture books in terms of the visual appeal (different art mediums used), the beauty of the characters and their development, as well as the strong morals many of these books possess. She has suggestions for nearly every subject, including Shakespeare & the classics, to introduce children to a variety of topics. Maybe if your kids explored these before diving into a novel or non-fiction book, they would have that extra drive to read the longer, pictureless book? Or maybe a picture book would spur them into wanting to explore a topic they would have not otherwise noticed; hence leading to further reading? I'm just thinking outside of the box, which is often necessary for reluctant readers... All you would need is a library card and a great children's library...

I really enjoyed Where the Heart Is too. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is one of my favorites! Best wishes with your move and transition!

Congratulations! Wishing you and your new arrival all the best!

Just 2 for us, and this is the best fit for my family. Although, every once in a while I do long for a girl. That's when I remind myself that God would have given me a girl if I were meant to be the mom of one. It "calms" me when I think of it that way. :)

When do you plan on heading to NH? I was born, raised, and lived there for 32 years. The weather may affect your choices. If you are going in the summer, then here are my suggestions: Portsmouth is beautiful, so I second that idea, especially for the historical/museum aspect! The Lakes Region is gorgeous! Everything in NH is easily accessible from there. I'd find a place to stay in the lakes region, closer to the eastern side so you can travel north to North Conway/White Mountains, and then south to Portsmouth. Wolfeboro is a quaint, little town along Lake Winnepesaukee, and you can easily travel Route 16 north and south to the towns mentioned above. It's a beautiful scenic route as well. You also must do the Kancamangus Highway if you can. It winds through the White Mountain National Forest, and it is beautiful; hiking and fishing options are also abundant there. You can pick it up in North Conway, follow it to Lincoln, NH, then hop on Route 93 South to head back to the Lakes Region. It's a gorgeous state, and I miss the landscape immensely! Ps - I just noticed AmyinNH posted before me... her suggestions are PERFECT!!!

Me too! I was crying I was laughing so hard! He's hysterical!

Oh my... I Love, love, love my fridge!!!! I have a french door Kenmore with the pull-out freezer underneath. When you open both fridge doors, there's a pull-out tray under the produce drawers that allows you to store large trays of food, leftover pizza boxes, etc. I don't know what I'd do without this feature! I love that I can only open one door if I need something from one side, or I can open both for larger items. My freezer is large, and it has drawers that pull out so I don't have to dig through things or reach far back. My sister is amazed at all I can fit in it (she has a side-by-side she hates). I would by another french-door fridge in a heartbeat! I cannot tell you how much I love my fridge! :D