I completely understand... it's a huge purchase, and it makes you feel as if you've become placed in a location for a long time (at least in this real estate market). Both of those can be scary for people. I hope it goes well and you are able to create new memories in your new home soon! Best wishes! :grouphug:

Any other week but this one, I'd join in, as I love research stuff like this; however, we have a variety of appts. this week that are wreaking havoc on our normal routine. I'm eager to hear about your results though!

My favorite educational toy store had a 20% off the entire store sale yesterday! I was able to pick up all but 2 of the Playmobil pieces ds6 asked for (thankfully he only wants small PM sets this year!). I also bought for 3 out of 4 nieces and nephews. I LOVE Christmas!!!

bump :)

Sending prayers your way! Keep us posted!

Praying...

I've noticed some of you swear by oil of oregano. Would someone be willing to share what it is and why I'd want to take it? With all the swine flu, illness, etc. right now, I'd like to protect myself and my family, but I don't want to take medications. I don't have much holistic knowledge, but I'd like to start moving that way. If there are sites you'd recommend, I'd love to hear about them also. TIA!

I've lifted you, your daughter, and your family up in prayers. God bless! :grouphug:

:iagree: & thank you! I was having trouble finding the words for this story.

HUGE hits here have been... Legos & K'Nex Playmobil sets (especially the knights) Hot Wheels cars with plain tracks, none of their fancy sets Bruder trucks Connect Four Blokus Mr. Potato Head Play food & dishes Dress-up clothes (from Imagination - Toys R Us - Grandparents bought 8 outfits for ds6 when he was 3, and they both LOVE them)

Sending you lots of prayers right now as you deal with the aftermath of the fire. Thankfully everyone is safe!

I can't get the theme song to the Fresh Beat Band out of my head! It's driving me nuts!

Did you just want to squeeze his cheeks? :lol: Loved him in Saved by the Bell!

This was my reasoning. I only read the first page of posts, sorry if I'm backlogging us.

:lol::lol::lol: Isn't this the truth?! As I sit here still in my PJ's! Interesting thread as I hadn't thought about these things. I suppose I can be pretty naive about things though...

DS6 is going to be a great white shark. My sister is making the costume for him. He is obsessed with sharks right now. DS2 is going to be a fire fighter.

:lol: We never have leftover avocadoes here either! We LOVE them! I'm eagerly watching this thread though, just in case, because I'd have to ask your question if we ever had a half left. :)

I'm fairly new to homeschooling as this is only our 2nd year. I have 2 sons who are 6 and 2.5. We're doing 1st grade this year using the curriculum in my signature. I am a former 8th grade Language Arts teacher and middle school remedial reading teacher with a M.Ed in Elementary Education. It sometimes still surprises me that I'm a homeschooling mom now, but now that we are doing this, I can't imagine taking any other path than this one! When the idea of homeschooling first entered my mind, TWTM was recommended to me by a friend, and I knew immediately that this is how I wanted to school my boys. I also do some Charlotte Mason activities too. I believe the two methodologies work well together. DH is an accountant in one of the big banks here in NC. He tends to work many hours, but we are blessed with him having a job and how it allows me to stay home with the boys. We're originally from New Hampshire (southern part), although DH was born and raised in Texas (Arlington) until he was 7. Moving to NC was the best decision (aside from homeschooling) that we've ever made.

I'm sorry to hear about your car dying! Thankfully, you were able to get home though! Irony is a funny thing... As to the Kia part... we bought a Sedona minivan 2 years ago, after MUCH research, and we love it! My BIL recently worked for Acura for almost 15 years, and he said Kia and Hyundai are the cars to watch. Experts are very pleased with those 2 brands, and it is speculated they will begin to overtake Honda and Toyota. Granted, this was his point of view, but it matched up with most of my research, so we took the leap. Their warranty is fantastic; that gave us some security in our purchase as well. Hope it all works out for you! It will be exciting to be driving a new car soon!

I have a MEd in Elementary Education, but I have learned more in the past 2 years of homeschooling about what it really means to learn and be educated than I ever did in grad school. Being certified has nothing to do with the actual process of learning; a certified teacher can teach to the masses following a prescribed set of "rules" governed my an administration and bureacracy that is so out of touch with what kids really need. As a teacher, it frustrated me endlessly how little control & time I had to meet the needs of my students. All teachers struggle with this, so why put our children in a sub-par environment? Homeschooling allows me to teach my son at his pace (which is faster than the school's), and it allows me to control his environment. Whenever my neighbor came over one day and said, "Guess what N's 1st grade recess conversation was about today?" and her answer was "sex", I immediately realized the ps environment was not going to work for my family. I used to teach 8th grade, so I knew what was out there, but I was naive enough to think it wasn't happening so young. Society is too rushed, and as a result we are forcing our children to grow up too fast. I'm not okay with that. Childhood is sacred. Our Christian values are also sacred. DH & I felt our children needed a firm foundation before sending them out to the wolves (so-to-speak). Teaching them at home allows us to set this foundation before exposing them to adult topics and problems. Having been a certified teacher, another thing I must mention is the incredible quality of the curriculum choices available to homeschooling families. Some of the curriculum I've seen, reviewed, and used is top-notch... far better than you would find in a school. The resources are amazing, and they are often geared toward a variety of learners vs. the typical big publisher textbook (that usually contains errors btw) that expects everyone to learn by reading its little excerpts and doing basic comprehension questions. As much as teachers are "taught" to use the levels of Bloom's Taxonomy to reach higher level thinking skills, the implementation of it is so difficult because of the mediocre curriculum, time, and class size constraints. Once NCLB entered the arena, the reins were tightened even further, and true education is nearly nill because of these requirements. I could rant on and on. Certification is a piece of paper; however, you could have it and be the worst teacher on earth. I've worked with enough incompetent colleagues to know that certification means you've paid to get the paper. I've seen uncertified homeschooling moms with more passion and desire for their kids to learn while using unbelievable techniques that work, than a room full of certified teachers who are supposed to have all the answers.

Thanks everyone! These suggestions are exactly what I am looking for! Now to choose.... :D

Ds6 loves critical thinking types of puzzles, activities, etc. I'm looking to get him a workbook for Christmas that he can use in his free time, the car, etc. What would you suggest?

:grouphug: Wishing you all the best, and praying for a happy, long-lasting reunion.

My mother tends to go overboard for Christmas, so we keep things small here. DS6 is getting 2 puzzles, a couple of Playmobil items (he wants a whale and the shark w/diving cage set), books, and a couple of other small things including a game (we haven't decided which one yet). DS2 is getting books, a toy police car with sounds, and we're not sure what else. Oh, Santa will be bringing him a fire truck since that's what he's been into for a long time. I know my mom is getting some bigger Playmobil items for ds6 and a small bike w/ training wheels for ds2 (he'll be 3 soon).

I agree with taking her out now. I should have done this when my oldest was in preschool, but I waited, and it further hurt his behavior, attitude, and spirit. I was more concerned about what others would think if I pulled him because other moms were "so happy" with the school, teacher, etc. I've learned it's all about my child and family, and who cares what others think? Their core world is not my core world, and that is really what matters in the long run. Do what's best for dd and your family. PS - Sometimes getting dh's support is the hardest, but you already have it! That's great news for you! :)