I did it many years ago and lost more than I made. But I wasn't good at approaching people I didn't know once my family and friend list went dry. I felt like I was being a nuisance and didn't want to bug or pressure people. The only way to make real money is to recruit new people and hang onto them. I wasn't very good at that. Although most people don't succeed, there are a few success stories. Some people do make money with MK but I think they are few and far between. (And I got SO sick of the Monday night cheerleading sessions!) Kris

I guess I missed the post about him graduating! Congratulations to him! I feel for you! This will be the first Christmas without my sons. One is still deployed and the other couldn't get leave for Christmas because when he reached his duty station the slots were already taken. Be sure to get Skype! I think I've actually grown closer to my son who is in Kosovo because we chat via Skype's online messaging very frequently and can also talk live and see each other. It is really hard when they leave. I still miss them both terribly. The house seems empty sometimes without them. I'm even more thankful for my 9-year-old daughter now though I'm all too aware of how soon she too will grow up and leave home. I don't have much advice but just wanted to say I understand. And it does get better with time. Kris

I let my children choose. But I make them take coats in the car if it's cold in case of an emergency.

We're taking two days off next week from basic schoolwork for Thanksgiving but are trying something different M-W. We'll spend those three days only studying my daughter's favorite subjects. On Monday, we'll spend the whole day on history, Tuesday will be science, and Wed. will be art and baking. We'll take two weeks off for Christmas. If she enjoys our modified schedule next week I may incorporate a few days of history, science, and art over Christmas vacation as well. Kris

This is the third year my daughter has been in AGH and she absolutely loves it. I think it's her very favorite thing to do in the whole world. I have no experience with GS to compare. The statement a previous poster made concerning parental involvement is true for our troop as well. It's not optional. I think, however, that one of the reasons the quality of the program is so exceptional, is because so many parents are involved. There are many rules and a certain degree of rigidity but I've found that the grace and love exhibited by the leadership of our troop has outweighed the negatives. I'm sure the leadership of individual troops makes a huge difference to the overall climate of each troop. Kris

We begin the process after dinner on Thanksgiving, beginning with the tree.

We enjoyed watching "The 4400" on DVD. Maybe "Lost?" Is the "Sarah Conners Chronicles" on DVD yet? Kris

We have a one-year-old black, furry, cockapoo. He is more poodle than cocker. We needed a poodle mix because my husband is allergic to dogs. So far, he has not had a reaction. Our previous dog was a lab who shedded all the time and my husband couldn't even be in the same room with her withoug sneezing. He is extremely cute, sweet, and lovable. But he also likes to bark, chew, and jump and I'm having a heck of a time trying to train him. He's very excitable and gets distracted easily. We have a fairly large yard but our dog only goes out long enough to do his business and comes right back in unless we stay outside with him. Make sure you call the pound before driving in to make sure they still have the dog you want. I'm right outside of St. Louis to the west and I had a very difficult time finding a dog last year. The ones I found on Petfinder in the shelters were rarely there.

I agree. That is so very wrong I don't even know what to say! My 9-year-old has never had an examination of her private parts by her pediatrician. I would consider that abuse. Kris

I've heard him say it on his show. I'll have to check and see if I can find it elsewhere. Have you ever seen him counsel anyone to declare bankruptcy? I've only ever heard him try to talk people out of it and help them with a plan to pay everybody back.

He has said that he later paid back every cent. He said he felt a moral obligation to do so. And he ALWAYS counsels people to avoid bankruptcy no matter what. He helps people avoid bankruptcy and do just what you are doing.

And his books are full of free forms to copy and use.

I consider time spent alone in prayer and Bible study "me time." I consider any time I've set aside to pursue my own personal interests to be "me time" and have only recently been able to let go of the guilt associated with such personal activities. (I keep putting that phrase in quotes because it originated with the author linked in the OP and I don't like it but can't think of a new phrase that is universally understood to mean the same thing.) Kris

The phrase, "me time" makes the desire to time spend away from one's children sound selfish. I don't believe it is. And I would speculate that although the author of that article feels that "me time" has been detrimental to her emotional health and happiness, the fact that she has time to maintain and write articles for a blog shows that she indeed has some time set aside for her own personal pursuits. I think people likely have differing levels of need for time spent away or separate from children. Homeschooling makes it even more difficult to meet this need. My last counselor told me to schedule time every single day that was for me to spend time on endeavors separate from my family. She told me that if I didn't schedule it and do it that I would steal it one way or the other and likely be angry about doing it. Then I read two books that have very much influenced my perspective: "The Introvert Advantage" and "The Artist's Way." In "The Introvert Advantage" I learned about my introverted disposition and finally understood why the rest of my extroverted family have such different needs than I do. I learned not to feel guilty when I am totally out of energy and need to have some quiet time alone to refuel and reconnect. I'm learning to balance the needs of my exceptionally extroverted daughter who chatters constantly and wants to go places everyday with my own need for quiet solitude. "The Artist's Way," which I'm still working through, is teaching me how to unblock my creative energy and reconnect with my creative self. The very first exercise is writing three pages every single morning, no matter what. This time alone in the early morning hours has become sacred and powerful to me. The next step it teaches is to schedule a weekly "artist's date." It's basically a date with yourself. Nobody else is included. I guess you could call it true "me time." This is an extraordinarily difficult thing for me, partly because I've been taught that "me time" is selfish. Partly because I've learned to be passive on dates with other people and let them do the scheduling and driving. Anyway, all that to say that I agree with you. I have not found myself resenting the time I give to my family, like the author has, but am enjoying giving my time so much more now that I'm also giving some time to myself. And I'm so much more emotionally healthy, it's really incredible. Kris

What do I require in my children's coloring? Absolutely nothing! Wow! Why would anyone want to control how their children color? I don't get it. My daughter was even allowed to choose the colors of paint on the walls of her bedroom, yellow and violet. Of course, she's required to follow the instructions of a school assignment that includes maps, charts, or color specifications. Other than that, I don't care a whit about how she colors! I'm still stunned by the question. Kris

You can also listen to DR on the radio free everyday as well as check out his books from the library. He has a lot of material available free on his website as well. We're not quite debt-free yet but have been following his plan for a year and a half and have made incredible progress. Following his plan has also brought much-needed peace to our marriage, with no more power struggles over money. I haven't bought anything from him. I found all his info for free! Kris

I agree. I don't think the problem is getting him to set the table. I think that's a symptom. There are likely bigger issues going on in my opinion that need to be worked through, probably in a counselor's office. Kris

I had fraudulent charges on my debit card once and all it took was phone call to the bank. They gave me an immediate credit for the disputed amount which didn't become permanent until I signed and returned some papers they sent to me. I was told that if the debit card is issued by Visa or MasterCard it has the same protection as a Visa or MasterCard credit card. Kris

I checked "other." We're using Character Quality Language Arts (CQLA) with great success. Kris

I agree that it differs with each child. With my daughter, we restrict social time with her friends. This would not have worked with one of my sons who spent all his time alone anyway. With him, we grounded him from "electricity" except for lights. He laughs about it now that he's grown but at the time it was effective. I've never restricted any of my kids from family activities, although I can see how that might work for some kids. Kris

All my cloth bags stand up. I started small, with only one cloth bag, to see how it would work, and have gradually worked up to mostly cloth. I'd recommend buying just one or two bags to begin with and trying it out. I have multiple bags from all different places. Aldi sells huge cloth bags that hold as much as 3-4 plastic bags. Like a previous poster, I also have several from Trader Joe's that work great. Kris

Yep, same here. Also, my mother gets it every year and nags me to get it but she gets the flu every single year anyway. She says it's because she gets a strain that wasn't covered. Or she says it's not as bad as it would have been. Yet, I never, ever get the flu and I've never had a flu shot. Anecdotal evidence, I know. Kris

You got me concerned about my Rival slow cooker I use frequently, so I started researching. Aside from many blog and forum postings, I found this: http://www.kutv.com/content/gephardt/story.aspx?content_id=f8eb08d7-f588-462b-a113-447426ea4816 I also read on another forum that the Elite Gourmet transparent slow cooker is made out of tempered glass, is available at Walmart and Target, and contains no lead. So I guess I'll be throwing away my Rival! Kris

A third for the the Kodak Easyshare. We got one for our daughter who was 8 last Christmas. She has no problems with it and takes great photos. Kris