Yes, definitely, and we are right now! My youngest started preschool this year @ 2.5 years old (2 days wk/4hrs/day) because Dh demanded it for ME. My son LOVES it! Thursday is his last day, in fact. Ds#2 is extremely active, and it was interfering with my schooling of the older one. My eldest ds is an intense child, and my youngest was making him a wreck! Which then made me a wreck... and so the cycle went. Dh felt like he was coming home to an emotional disaster every day, so he suggested preschool. At first I felt I needed to wait until ds was 3, but the thought of a "little bit" of down time with ds#1 made me so hopeful. We went into it thinking we will try this until Thanksgiving. It has worked beautifully for our family, and our son will move up to 3 days/wk next year. We'll reassess after that if we'll keep him in for age 4 or if I'll begin his "official" homeschooling. I believe in doing what you need to do for your family. :)

:iagree:Acadia is STUNNING! We honeymooned there, hiking every day. We took a whale watch, ate amazing food, did some shopping, relaxed. It's one of my most favorite places. I cannot wait to take my boys there when they are a bit older.

Yes... we've vowed we will not be burdensome to our children, and we're doing the best we can right now to make that happen. After making some credit card mistakes early on in our marriage, we've taken care of those, and all we have left is to pay off my BA & M.Ed degrees. We'll be debt-free except for our home in 18 months. I cannot wait. We will then work on a huge emergency fund and then our house (the DR plan :)). We are on a strict budget, and we work very hard to not stray from it. My parents are both spenders, racking up tens of thousands in debt before their divorce. It bankrupted my father, and my mother has barely pulled through 15 years later. Her terrible spending habits are to blame as well since she is an impulse buyer. She will be working for a long time to support herself, her disabled hubby, and pay off debt. It saddens me that she won't be retiring anytime soon because she has so little. My sisters and I often worry about what we're going to need to do to take care of her. Sometimes I become irate just thinking about it because she just.does.not.save. I don't want to put my family in jeopardy because of her ignorant choices... BUT, I'll cross that bridge when we get to it, I guess...

Thank you, Kari. Praying for you daily... :grouphug:

:iagree:This is a fabulous synopsis. I'm really going to miss this show and how it made us think and discuss deeper life themes.

Now this REALLY puts things in perspective! :lol: I've never broken it down before... Take all the time you need! :)

LOVE them! I received a set for a wedding gift nearly 13 years ago, and they are still going strong. I wish I could afford to buy more.

:iagree: There's so much to process, but that is what makes the show incredible. Every step of the way leaves you wondering, questioning, pondering... It's definitely worth the viewing time!

It really depends upon how bad they are and what kind of stain it appears to be. Sometimes I can get stains out myself. The clothes have to be priced very CHEAP, and I have to love the item in order to buy it and use it. As a whole, I do try to avoid it, however.

These are great; keep 'em coming! We're not going for another year or so, but I'm a researcher so I'm asking the question now. :) It will take me that long to decide :lol:

Yay! Looking forward to this!!!! :hurray:

:iagree: PLEASE????

Dh and I are looking for a way to celebrate our 15 yr. wedding anniversary. We've never been anywhere tropical, but this is what we'd like. I think the furthest I could drag him is the Caribbean or Mexico for our first trip. We want a place that is romantic, where we can relax when we want, yet also have access to fun things to do that are outdoor oriented (hiking) or historical (Mayan ruins?). We're not sit-on-the-beach-all-day people, but we definitely want it available :). What would you recommend?

:iagree:

Six years ago, we decided we needed a change too. We were leaving NH, and CO, NC and TX were our top choices. TX because dh was born and raised there until he was 7, CO because I LOVE it there, and NC because dh's college roommate used to live there, and we loved visiting him and the area. We ended up in NC because dh wanted warmer weather of which CO would not provide; CO would also make us land-locked, and growing up 45 minutes from the beach we couldn't do that. TX was too far since dh wanted to be days drive away just in case something happened to either of our families. We've been in NC (near Charlotte) for 4 years, and it is the best decision we have ever made! The weather is fabulous, southerners are so nice, there's a lot to do around here, and we're only 20 minutes outside of the city. The homeschool community is very vibrant as well. State law for homeschooling is very doable and family friendly. We did findyourspot.com too! Everywhere we were thinking of going came up... have fun with it! Enjoy this journey... so exciting!!!!

Sending you prayers and :grouphug:.

Is it randomly or after exercise? I recently learned (if after exercise) that it's a sign of dehydration.

These aren't articles, but I still highly suggest them for anyone who is raising girls: Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher and for anyone raising or working with teens in general, I'm finding this to be very interesting: Hurt by Chap Clark I'm a former middle school English teacher and currently work with 8th grade girls at my church. I cannot imagine sending one of my children to school in middle school (jmho). It's a tough time in a child's life already, and the peer pressure/dynamics at that age are brutal. Girls, especially, go through so much during those ages that can truly alter their emotional state for the future in terms of self-worth/image, relationships, and happiness. Of course, every girl is different, and your daughter may be perfectly fine. However, you are the best judge and advocate for her when it comes to this choice. I think it's great that you are wanting to research it before making a decision. Wishing you the best...

Kia has come a LONG way, and according to my BIL who works for Acura as a parts and service manager, they & Hyundai are poised to surpass Honda. He has been in the car world for a long time, and he told us to stop worrying about Kia when we were buying because a Sedona was in our budget, and an Odyssey was not. We could buy a brand new Kia Sedona for less than a used Odyssey or Sienna, so after tons of research, we went with it. Ours is almost 5 years old, and it has been wonderful. It drives great and is comfortable. You can't beat the warranty, and the Sedonas have won a 5-star safety rating in all categories for years. That's just my .02! :) Happy car shopping!

Praying for you! Wishing your Dh the best as he begins his work search! :grouphug:

As a mom of two boys, my heart breaks for you. You have been in our prayers since we heard. Let God hold you in His loving arms right now. :grouphug:

:iagree: I need to remember this line whenever I get grief from others about my choice. Always remember this is YOUR choice for YOUR children. Ps is not all rosy... I don't know how many more years your friend's children have, but they may hit a wall at some point, and their perfect experience may not be so wonderful anymore. Granted, it may also stay wonderful, but that does not change the amazing education and experience you are providing for your children in the real world. :D

Having 2 boys of my own, although they are younger than her son, I cannot imagine her pain and she's been on my heart all day. I'm in for whatever too!

I know many ps teachers who support hsing. I hope they are open and accepting of your choice (as they should be being Christians :)).

Have you read anything by Emily Griffith? Something Borrowed is the first, then there's Something Blue after that. Those were my favorites by her. They're light, easy, and romantic.