For my boys, my dh always gets them rockets with real motors and they blast them together. We have also been known to get the little r/c helicopters, but they BREAK easily...even when the only person using them is dh! My kids love crafts and I had my MIL get a big bucket of craft type supplies for them. They will love it! Especially my younger who is my crafter. Books are always good. Does he read? My oldest loves Judy Moody (hey, whatever works, right?) and I got him one of the books for Christmas (he opened it early). It has by far been his favorite gift and he read it within the hour!

Oh no! I would have just bawled! Bless his heart! 16 chickens? My Goodness...what kind of dog was this??? ETA: I just read the rest about the bunny and the cat. My mom's dog is not allowed at my house (different reason...she lets it potty wherever it wants and I don't deal well with animal urine and feces on my hardwood floors, bed, couch, etc. Not sure why??? LOL). After this kind of killing, I would tell your mom and dad that you would love to have them anytime, but the dog will have to be kenneled. They can kennel him/her in your town so the dog is not far from them, but that is just absurd. You lost 16 chickens, one bunny, and you have a bunny and a cat that are healing from wounds inflicted by this dog. Absolutely NEVER would I allow this animal near my home again.

FInd another doctor. I did. I recently had some issues and I went to a dr who did tests and immediately wanted to jump to surgery to remove something that "may or may not be" a problem. I didn't feel comfortable and I jumped ship. I went to another dr who made sense and took me and my feelings into account. Then, he left his practice and I found another doctor who is just the BEST to ever grace the planet. :) Keep searching. Having an abnormal Pap 5 years ago and then one just now does not mean you have to have surgery immediatey (unless there is something I am missing in your history). I had an abnormal pap 10 years ago (was tested 4 weeks after having my son which was just STUPID on their part, but I didn't know any better). My doc at the time was into the whole "Let's do all we can while you have good insurance that PAYS (free, State insurance)" and I am convinced to this day that it was fraud. He did the same to 3 other people I know right after they had babies! Anyway, I knew no better and I had a colposcopy (biopsy) and Cryosurgery. I am no worse for the wear, but it was a terrifying experience as far as telling a new mom at the age of 19 that she has "pre-cancer" cells. After having talked with other ob/gyns in the last 10 years (I have seen probably 10 different ones thanks to moves and such), I now know that protocol would have been to wait and see if the next pap was abnormal in 3 months. Sometimes it is hormonal, sometimes just a fluke, sometimes it even resolves itself. Also, DO NOT let a dr push you into having surgery. Unless you have major who-ha issues, there is no reason to go freezing your uterus or scraping cells and the like. If you are having abnormal bleeding, abnormal pain, etc, then sure...do the tests and make sure you are okay...but don't jump straight to surgery. Sounds like this man is out for $$$ no matter what the expense to you physically and emotionally. In short...FIND ANOTHER GYN!

So far, I have not found any of the grades difficult to teach. Picking curriculum was harder for my 4th grader than it was for my younger, but the actual school year is going well. :)

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I have a local bookstore that sells homeschool materials and they always have the ETC books. They are so much less expensive when you don't have to pay half their worth in shipping costs!

1A and 1B are really not Kindergarten books, at least not IMO for a typically developing K'er. My K'er finished Calvert K math and I tried going directly to Singapore 1A. Nope. Wasn't happening. So, I dropped back and got the Singapore Earlybird B (standards edition) text and activity book and that was EXACTLY where we needed to be. We are working our way through EB now and will start 1A around Feb 15th or so. If your child is just starting K, I would get the new Standards Edition Earlybird A and start there. I use the EB without a teacher's guide. It is pretty self explanatory. Here is a link: http://www.singaporemath.com/Earlybird_Math_US_Ed_s/135.htm

Very interesting thread. I have learned a lot. We use Singapore and love it. I am not sure what it "is"...I guess whatever these folks say it is because I don't go by the spiral/mastery thing. My son is learning better with Singapore than he ever has. If he needs further review, we utilize IP, EP, or CWP. We love love love SIngapore.

Did someone just refer to Roseanne in the same sentence as June Cleaver??? :blink::scared: :lol:

Have you tried taking chapter books slowly...one chapter a day for instance? If so, I would recommend the Judy Moody series. The print is large, there are pictures, and the books are pretty easy reads. My 9 year old is reading them...but trust me...he likes "easy." These are easy for him...would be probably right on level for your 6 year old.

Oh how sad! I will say a prayer for her.

I have read your posts since around the time you found out you had beast cancer. Let me tell you, as someone who is a total hypochondriac and fears every medical issue known to man, you are a great source of strength in my eyes. I see how tough you are...how your posts do not always center on yourself, how you have gone on with life even in the face of uncertainity. You are a strong, strong woman! And I want you to know and remember that! You have to remember that your teen is going through this with you. He/she lost grandparents and is porbably worried too about mom and mom's upcoming surgery. There comes a time in life when school is NOT the most important thing. Right now is one such time. If I were in your position, I wouldn't worry about school right now. Do what you can, the rest, just live! School will get back on track. Right now, it is your turn to need your family rather than the other way around. You are in my prayers and have been for a long time now. (((HUGS)))

I am going to put this gently...having been where you are about 3-4 years ago myself. It falls on you and you alone. You have to make the changes, get into the routines, and force the behavior until it becomes natural and enjoyable. Some will disagree, but I can't tell you that I have ever loved cooking. It is a chore...as is house keeping and sometimes, unfortunately, playing with my kids when I would rather be doing other things. With things like that, you just have to make the change. You know what you want to be...and you can not, WILL not be what you want to be without you and you alone drawing a line in the sand and putting forth the effort to become more motivated and more like the mother you want to be. It took me seeking a counselor, discovering a TON about myself, taking lexapro to ease some depression I have suffered with, and finally, just deciding to be the person I want to be. It has made the world of difference in my marriage and in my LIFE. Best of luck to you!

Bleach. Once every 2 or so months. Bleach. That is all. :)

Gosh, now racking my brain to figure out where you lived! LOL I grew up near Middlesboro KY (tiny town with similar population) and I am thinking Harlan, Pineville, Middlesboro...Barbourville...am I even close???

I did 99% of my shopping online. I used Amazon mostly, but also Walmart.com and a few select toy makers (Hasbro) and hobby shops. I shopped in public on one day and that was black Friday. I went with my mom at 4am and actually really just got some things for myself...a new printer and a stick vac. :)

I use the HIGs. They schedule it out for you in lessons (which you cover at her pace...not necessarily one per day). In the front of the HIG, it tells you where to schedule Mental Math, Vroot and Vroom, and so on. I love my HIG! It also gives you some examples for other ways to teach the concept. There are a lot of card games and such that are suggested to help the child cement the concepts. I have them for level 3...but I also have them for level 1. I wouldn't do without the HIG, personally.

My 4th grader is reading his Science by himself (NOEO Physics I), but not History (CHOW). Next year, I will read SOTW to both of my kids, and my oldest will continue to read his Science himself.

Probably nothing big...most things aren't. But to be safe, I would call the number back myself and say, "WHAT DID YOU WANT AND WHY DID YOU CALL TWO OF MY NUMBERS??" Of course, I grew up with a single mom, so we do things like that. But I would not freak out...most likely it was a prank or someone who has both of your numbers or the child of someone who has both of your numbers and they are listed in a planner or something and he looked at the wrong name, or the name above or below what he was trying to call. It may not be coming from a number you know cause it could be a teenager using his own cell phone but calling from a parent's address book or something.

I wonder this too. I recently shredded my credit card...and I was supposed to rent my mom a car for Christmas. Let's just say that I will now be driving to get her because with a credit card, they put a hold on your account for $150 (deposit) PLUS the amount you owe for the rental. With a debit account, they actually remove the money and then put it back when you return the car! It is Christmas and a week before dh gets paid again, so there is no way I have an extra $500 to put on my debit account. So right off the bat, that sucks. Luckily, dh still has a cc and I *could* use that if I needed to, but I have found that, at least with car rental, it is less convenient to not have a cc.

My oldest, his BIG blue eyes and the way the he looks and acts so much like his dad when he hasn't really even been around him that much. My youngest, the fact that he still looks like he is 2 - with his round little head, his baby-ish voice, and his small stature - that people still just want to eat him up! :) He is such a precious and caring child (most of the time). He developed the soft heart that my husband has (i.e. at the end of ET, he looked at me with tears welling up in his eyes. I said, "what is wrong sweetie?" He looked at me heartbroken and sobbed, "The alwien (his voice here) had to go...HOOOMMMMEEEE." Sob Sob Sob. What a precious soul he is.)

LOL...my dh and I both swore we would NEVER watch that movie again. Like you, I was so mad at that ending!!!! Of couse, I bawled too...especially when they found his coat with the letter in it. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

For those who profess not to cry (which I am the complete anti-crier), go watch The Notebook. If you can end that movie and not cry, there is something seriously wrong with you. Then, when you finish that one, go watch Message in a Bottle...same rule applies (something wrong with you if you do not cry!).

How precious! I can't get over the "eeewww they are rodents" factor to actually get one for the kids, but I have always thought they were adorable.

Yep, we are there now...ish. We have carried high balances three or four times on our cards and paid them off. We are now paying off about 6K and should be done by March or so. After that, I will not be using a credit card at.all. I can not be responsible with them the way I should and I always get the balance much higher than it would be "easy" for me to pay. My dh is sweet and understanding, but both of us are fed up with how irresponsible I am. What started as $1200 for homeschool in May has now become 4K on my cc alone...and I can promise ya...not all of it is homeschool. :(