Good for you, Swellmama! I think you've definitely made the right decision! I never would have made it as far as you did with that child. Enjoy your break! I hope your health issues are able to be sorted out during this time as well.

:iagree:

:lol::lol::lol:

We just came back from a weekend in WNC, and I told my dh that we will move there someday. I really fell in love with downtown Hendersonville, but I would happily go deeper west toward Waynesville too. Flat Rock has a great history to it, and the homes are gorgeous, but very much outside of our price range. We're in the Charlotte area now, but I truly love when we travel to the mountains (about 2-3 hours depending upon where we are going).

Would you pay $100 for a couch in mint condition that is not even 2 years old? It's micro suede. Or should I talk them down? Btw, the family selling it is from our church. I've never bought used furniture before. :001_unsure:

10.5 months

My boys would love a snake like that. I wouldn't mind, but dh probably would! ;)

Great! Thank you!

After the house fiasco, you can handle anything... having the NEW house to look forward to will help you to make it at your parents. Remember, living with them is only TEMPORARY :) Congratulations!!!

:lol::lol::lol: Remember, they must be bumblebee colors!!!

:iagree: I'm putting my money on this! You could write about how you asked for ideas, and the crazy women on the forum you founded helped to remind you that if it weren't for humor, we'd all be committed by now (self included)? :D Actually, you have received some great ideas! I'm partial to "gifted kids not wanting to work" and "how to homeschool when the child in reality is not the one in your head". Looking forward to reading what you choose!

There's a native Spanish-speaking homeschooling mom who is opening up her home for Spanish immersion classes. Students will be taught through lessons in math (measuring, etc), science, and games, stories, etc. She will not speak English to them at all. This is exactly what I've been looking for my ds9. Is $15/class a good price? Classes are 1 hour and they will run weekly for semesters.

Oh, I love it!!! Thanks, Mrs. Mungo!

I understand, and you are not alone in feeling this way. :grouphug: My three closest friends (all homeschoolers) and their wonderful kids have all moved in the past 6 months to places hundreds (or thousands) of miles away. I have many days where I feel completely alone. I know it will get better, but when you're in the mire, it feels like it won't. I've learned it's okay to have down days if they are here and there, not constant. For me, I need to grieve the loss. Maybe you do too? :grouphug:

Prayers are with your daughter and all of you. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Be honest with your sister. Explain why and stick to your guns; do not feel guilty for having standards for your family/children. Raising your daughter is more important. eta: could your sister sleep on your dd's floor while bf sleeps on the couch?

Putting up boundaries can be one of the hardest things to do, but I think it's great that you are helping your dd to do this now rather than saying she needs to put up with/accept that type of behavior. This will help her tremendously in relationships in the future. I wish my mother had taught me that when I was a child rather then my having to figure it out in my mid-30s after being hurt repeatedly because I thought I deserved the behavior.

Although I am not part of the Orthodox church, this is so well stated as to how my faith-walk has been. I'm constantly bringing it back to God, and he is answering me. It's when I deny Him, deny that I am doubting, that I falter.

Yes. I think as human beings, how could we not doubt at times? There are many inexplicable, bigger-than-us things that go along with having faith, and sometimes our mere human brains get in the way. Doubt could be instigated by other people, a circumstance, or even just our need to ponder. Whenever I feel my faith fading or I begin questioning, I go back to the Bible and believers who are stronger than I am in their own faith walk. I ask the questions, seek the answers from those who are knowledgeable (a pastor, renowned Christian author, elder in the church), and I pray. It may sound ironic to pray when my faith feels weak, but it is then when God answers me heartily. We are not meant to know all the answers; hence, the need for FAITH. I cannot fathom the alternative of there being no God because there's too much that is beyond reasoning; someone had to have brought it into being.

I felt this way for the first 3 years of homeschooling. We're going into year 5 this year, and the ps kids went back to school today. I am elated that my kids are not standing at a bus stop at 6:30 in the morning! Now we can go places without crowds! There are so many pluses, but I did have to grieve the "loss" of me time that all the other moms were posting about on Facebook. Once I got over that, all has been well. Give yourself time.

That looks like a fabulous room! How I love IKEA!!! Great job!

Our church has an amazing children's church for grades K-5 on Sundays. It mimics what the adults are getting downstairs in that they have their own opening worship (often with teens leading it live), a teaching relative to the Bible and how it relates to their lives as kids, and then small group lessons to go over the teaching. Downstairs in the main auditorium, adults do not have the small group part as we do those outside of sermon time (small group studies during the week), and our subject matter is usually deeper, more intense, or on a completely different part of the bible. There's also a separate program for children birth-age 4 in another part of our building. I serve in the nursery taking care of the babies. We have separate rooms for 1s (who are walking well), 2s, 3s, and 4s. The 1s and 2s have playground time, snack, and indoor play time. The 3s and 4s also have some indoor playtime, some outdoor playground time, and a short Bible lesson and craft each week. On Wednesday nights, there's another service for kids grades 3-4, 5-6, and our youth (7-12th). Each of these have their own worship time and teaching time as well as small groups, games, fellowship, and study. All are age appropriate for where the kids are in terms of development. I cannot say enough good things about the foundation my boys are receiving through our church in a way they can understand. Between our church and the biblical instruction we are providing at home, I feel like we have our children on a good path. I wish I was raised in a church like ours.

:iagree::grouphug:to both of you.

If you want NC and are intrigued by Asheville, you could also go to a surrounding area in the mountains of NC. Hendersonville/Flat Rock is nice as are Brevard and Waynesville and all are easily accessible to Asheville. We moved from NH to the Charlotte, NC area, and I find the humidity to be fine because everything is equipped for it whereas in NH, many places do not have AC, so they feel dreadful. Our worst months are July & August, imo. March thru May are glorious as are mid-Sept to November, even Dec. We are so happy in NC. If you want to stay west, Fort Collins, CO is a great location. We have some good friends who live there.

Same here, and we have trained our boys so well that they become annoyed at houses where this is not the practice. My eldest, who is a rule follower to a fault, freaks out because germs can be spread. I'm just happy I won't fall in!