That is great! What a blessing.

Gosh, I'd be more concerned if she married the dad and didn't love him. That is what I did and it ended in divorce 3 years later...which was much harder on my son that being a single mom ever was. Give her advice if she asks...but don't just be doom and gloom and start in immediately on what a hard road she has ahead. Chances are, she knows it isn't the ideal situation and she is already dealing with some of that in her mind. Be supportive, be there for her, and tell her the truth if she asks.

I learned lots of stuff about good ol' Nostradamus (sp) and his predictions today. Really wish I hadn't learned what I did. But alas, the words in the Bible comfort me and make me skeptical and that is the way I prefer to remain. :)

I would just keep reading with him and giving him more difficult material on his level to do at home. If he is reading well, then have him read books from the children's section at the library..or if he is on a 4th grade level or so, then challenge him with chapter books. There is little you can do about how bored he is going to be in Kindergarten where they are teaching letter sounds and the alphabet....other than homeschool him. ;)

One year, we went and bought the boys Halloween costumes on clearance. They were around $5 a piece, but the kids used them to dress up and play for half the year! I was amazed at how much fun they had with just those costumes and their imagination. :)

The hives definitely sound stress realted. I would be suing some house sitters! That is absurd! I am so sorry you are dealing with all of this right now. What a time to have to deal with other stuff too! :( *hugs for you*

Oh...and as for what to tell the doctor, I HONESTLY would print out your original post in ms word format and hand it to the doctor. Let him read what you wrote to us. This also protects your son, who already has anxiety, from hearing your worries. If he/she is a good doctor, he/she will take the time to read it and will get a good view of what you are dealing with without you having to really say a word.

Reminds me a bit of bipolar disorder. In adults, depression and mania come on slowly. In kids, they fluctuate rapidly and can go back and forth several times a day. That said, most pyschologists hesitate to diagnose a child with Bi-polar disorder. Start with the prediatrician. Ask for a referral to a psychiatrist who may suggest a neurological exam. When we had my son tested, his psych had him evaluated by a neurologist to rule out several things. His diagnosis is ADHD. The only thing that my son displays that your son does is that he will make comments like, "I am so stupid" and stuff if he, say, misses a math problem or a spelling word. He can be self defeating, but only when he is upset. Otherwise, he thinks he is the best thing since sliced bread. Your son is definitely not displaying behaviors that are "normal" in my opinion. Even if this is simply depression, it needs to be evaluated. A child his age suffering from depression can be in lots of turmoil. My best friend's daughter was diagnosed with clinical depression at the age of 9. Sleeping all the time, crying a lot, clinging to friends, talking badly about herself - all were signs. Please keep us posted.

Oh, I am so sorry to hear that was the outcome. Bless his heart and that poor family. :( MRSA is Nothing to mess around with. Not at all. It is so important that people realize this and err on the side of caution. What a tragedy!

Nope, never have.

Well, I have delayed my ds 5's MMR and Varicella boosters, but that is all. Mostly it is because he had a reaction to them last time and i have just been putting off getting them again (fever and rash, nothing huge). If you are going to vaccinate, I would go ahead and get the shots. If you have decided not to vaccinate, then don't. That is a personal choice. However, if you are planning to finish the course, I would go ahead and do it sooner rather than later.

They are fine. My dh eats eggs that we have used for easter eggs. He peels and pickles them after 3 days of hiding them and he has yet to get sick!

Wish I had taken a pic of my son's room BEFORE I did the cleaning this summer. I honestly removed 3 of the big black leaf bags FULL of toys and junk. He actually has a hard time messing it up now! LOL

We use the Miquon workbooks for now and they have lots of neat review...but my ds was having the opposite issue and that was TOO much of one thing. Once he can do something, he hates to have to do it over and over and over and over. However, last week, he was forgetting his place holder in multiple digit multiplier problems. I think more practice with this is exactly what he needs to cement the concept. I may look in to the extra practice book myself. Thanks for posting this thread.

Now, for my answer to the op's question: I used to be an absolute dream of a housewife. When my oldest son was a toddler and I was married to my ex, I kept the house neat as could be, cooked supper each night, etc. As a matter of fact, even after my divorce, I was superwoman. Then, later on, I was single, worked full time, kept the house spotless, cared for my son. Oh joy, oh boy. That is how my OCD came out, I guess. Then, I met my current dh (who thought I was the best thing since sliced bread in the huswifery department), got pregnant with my little one, quit my job to be a SAHM, and got depressed. When I was moving all the time at warp speed, I was doing all these other things...but neglecting my son! He would be in daycare from 7am until 6pm each day and with his dad some weekends. It was EASY to be superwoman...but I was certainly not super MOM. My current dh is definitely not thrilled with my housekeeping skills these days...but most days, I would rather be playing with the kids or going to the park or library, or having a happy meal than cleaning the house until it is spotless. My dh has learned to live with it....and of course, it is not BAD. I can't live with too much clutter or mess, but, let's just say that it would definitely NOT pass the white glove test these days...so don't even try. LOL

The staying home thing makes sense to me, but I think it would be hard for someone who lived in a city to grasp. Here is my situation: a drive to our small town (with a few grocery stores, a dollar general, and 3 places to eat) takes 15 minutes. A drive to the town with the closest wal-mart, decent doctors, etc. take a little under an hour. So, yeah, I do a lot of combining when we have to go down the mountian. It is a long trip and wears us all out. My dh makes that trip DAILY for work, so often times, he does do the grocery shopping and such since he is already there. It makes a difference when it is inconvenient to go to "town." And I am pretty sure only us small town country folks totally understand that! LOL

I didn't read the other responses. I would read aloud Year 1 and maybe even years 2 and 3, but I would stop there. I was actually quite disturbed myself in Year 4 during the return of Lord Voldemort at the end. I think the books get much darker in years 5, 6, and 7 as well. I wouldn't call it "scary," but "dark" seems to accurately describe it. Even the opening to book 3 (the shell of Lord Voldemort and wormtail talking in the house when Nagini slithers by and tells them the old man is in the hallway listening...then Voldemort kills him with the death spell) would be haunting for a young child. My son is 9 and really wants to listen to the book on CD, but I won't let him just yet. I think he needs to be a bit older to understand completely toward the end of the series. Just my opinion. ETA: Have you read all the books yourself? If not, I would suggest you reading them first and deciding for yourself if your child is ready for that. I couldn't make a judgement with my kids had I not read them myself. Just a suggestion - you know your dd better than any of us. :)

3130 of living space. It is perfect for a family of 4...but sure is a lot to clean.

Our country has definitely come a long way since the days of slavery. While I am not a democrat and did not vote democratic, we are all Americans. There haven't been kids in the white house since the Kennedy family...right? How neat that will be.

Er, um...sounds like flesh eating bacteria that has not been checked out. Gross!

Children have a hard time with the concrete facts of death. My son recently lost his 2nd great grandmother in less than 6 months. He was fine with this as he did not know her well, but then he was horrified when he learned that she was cremated. I would tread lightly explaining the concretes to the kids at this time and focus more on the fact that the soul is gone and the body is just a vessel. Make sure they know that his body feels no pain. I even think it helped my kids to tell them that her soul was looking down on them from heaven because she is in her heavenly body now. I am so sorry for sweet Ben and his family. He has been in my prayers last night and today.

Ham Turkey/Gravy Mashed Potatoes Deviled Eggs Broccoli Casserole Sweet Potato Casserole Corn Green Beans Stuffing Rolls Pumpkin Pie (YUM!)

Haha...We changed the entire curriculum 40 days in! I sold both of the Calvert programs and switched to my own thing. We went from Calvert 4th with Calvert Math to what is in my siggy...and from Calvert K with Calvert K math adding in ETC occasionally to what is in my siggy. Big changes for us...but this is our 1st year, so I guess it is to be expected.

Praying for you!

Another vote for Explorer Bible Series. :)