Welcome, Andrea! I'm glad you've found your niche with your boys! :)

Praying for your dh!

I think I saw St. Elmos Fire when I was 12 or 13. I'm appalled that my parents let me see it at that age, but I remember loving it and wanting to be Demi Moore. I thought Rob Lowe was amazing, and it was shortly after that he was arrested for sexual assault (or something like that). I must have seen Dirty Dancing by the time I was in 7th grade because I fully remember having a Patrick Swayze poster on my wall during that year. Anyone remember American Anthem about the gynmnasts? I used to love that movie too.

I also agree with needing to deschool your children. At this point, you all may need to get used to just being together more often than before, especially at this time when the usual routine would have been to attend school. Your kids may be feeling some unsaid anxiety that they are no longer doing the norm. Or, maybe they are bucking you because you are trying to do something more "schoolish". Remember, homeschooling does not have to be (and it works better when it's not) school at home. I would stop doing the curriculum you have, but do not get rid of it. Do fun stuff, like the reading together, field trips (explore your new area), search out local homeschoolers and try to get together with them. Just adjust to your new surroundings first, and then, a couple of months from now or after Christmas, ease your way back into the curriculum. Ask your kids what they are interested in learning about right now, and run wild with their ideas: use the library, do experiments, travel to places that spark their interest if possible. Just BE together, get used to one another, and ENJOY each other. The formal curriculum can come later. Wishing you the best & welcome to homeschooling!!! :grouphug:

Another no for Nevaeh here for me too. Yuck. Evangelina is beautiful though!

Praying!

Hello! :D

Ladies, you are hysterical! I needed a laugh so badly, and here I sit with tears streaming down my face and hurting sides! Thank you! Now... carry on... :D

Thank you for the disclaimer, and I can completely understand how you would make a different decision. When I first read this, I bristled, thinking you were implying no one should get pets unless they can afford them. We COULD afford them when we first got them. I've always had pets who were family members to me, and they've always lived a LONG time. Our financial situation has changed... believe me, I would have kept my cat alive if I could have afforded to do so. We had to set a limit to protect the means of our family - the people in it. After reading your post a few times, I realized you said NEW pets, and I calmed down. :) The boys have already asked if we can get another pet, and we resoundedly said, "NO, not now". In our opinion, it would be completely irresponsible to take in even a fish right now due to the costs. Thank you for underlining NEW to clarify.

:iagree:

nevermind...

I haven't read all the responses, but I voted "maybe" because it really depends upon whom it's coming from. Some people are kind and really mean it, while others are just being snarky & jealous.

I love how postive your post is despite your situation! God will bless you. Praying for you :grouphug:

Thank you to everyone for your support and responses. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate them, especially from those of you who know where we are at. I wish I could say I was in a place financially to maintain the insulin, diet, etc. but we just aren't in a place where we can do it. The cost of the long-term maintanance is too much right now. Plus, we now may have to rip up two rooms of carpet (which we cannot afford) because of all the places in which she's urinated. I always said I would be one of those pet owners who would do whatever it took to save my animals, and we've done that in the past, even going into debt for them. Dh vowed after those experiences that we would not do it again. With 2 children who really need clothing right now, an unstable job market, expenses we know are coming up, and the holidays around the corner, we had to make a decision. I HATE that we're doing this... HATE it passionately, but I feel as if we don't have any other choice.

We're struggling with the health of our cat right now, so I completely understand how you are feeling. You've done all the right things! I hope she is well soon! :grouphug:

In April and May I did a fitness boot camp that kicked my butt. Over the summer, I've been speed walking 3-4 miles with a friend 3x/wk. On the off days, I walk with my boys, and we try to go hiking on the weekends. Dh & I are starting P90x on Saturday.

Our cat has been urinating throughout the house, and we learned today that she's pretty sick (diabetes). She can be treated, but it is going to be very expensive. We cannot afford to treat her, and we are heartbroken. We'll be putting her down tomorrow, and I feel like the worst person in the world. She's cuddling next to me as I type this - I'm going to miss her so much.

It's been a while since I've read it, but if I remember correctly it is dark in parts, yet it ends on a bright note. However, 5 & 6 were also dark, so if she's made it through those... I really loved 7. I think Rowling did a fabulous job of wrapping it all up. You learn even more in 7 than you did in 6, and in 6, I felt blown away!

I had this pretty severely with both of my pregnancies, so I slept with my splint on every night. It helped tremendously.

Dh managed to find two at Christmas for crazy low prices, so he bought one for each of the boys. They played with them initially, but they broke within a month - still made noise, but stopped moving. In that time, I also had to replace the batteries once as they really drain through them. I wouldn't recommend them.

I haven't read others' responses, but most definitely full-time.

I suspect my cat has a UTI, so we are going to the vet tomorrow. Today is the first day I've actually caught her urinating outside of the litterbox; however, I've been trying to clean the urine from the playroom carpet for 3 days. Since we have 2 cats, I wasn't sure which one was peeing there until today. What have you found to be the best thing to eliminate urine smell from carpeting aside from replacing the carpet?

I'm right there with you!!!! I hate how I look in photos.

:iagree::iagree::iagree: We really detest going back to visit our families... we try to avoid it at all costs, actually. My mom comes to us 2-3x/yr and my inlaws are usually 1x/year (although I'd prefer they don't come at all - yes, I'm evil when it comes to them). We fully understand! :grouphug:

The start of each school year is always the most difficult, especially if you are new to homeschooling. I just opened my FB account to see pictures of all my friends' children on their doorsteps for their first day of school picture. Prior to this year, this would have made me feel worried as to if I was making the right decision and wistful as well. This year, there was a small pang of it a few days ago when a group of moms and I were together. I'm the only one who homeschools so I just sat there listening while they lamented getting up early, all the supplies they had to buy, new teachers, etc. As much as they were griping, they still had this "bond" that I do not share. I was wistful then, but it didn't last like it used to; rather, I began to think of all we will do because other kids are in school. If this is your first year, try to let those feelings go... it's normal to feel unsettled since you are taking such a step out of the norm; however, keep reminding yourself as to WHY you chose this route. Those reasons will always trump the wistfulness. :grouphug: