:iagree:Whistling is a VERY annoying noise to me. I don't ask other people to stop, but I have been known to shush my dc for whistling loudly in the house or in the car (seriously, 8 people stuffed in a tight space...I...just...can't...take...whistling!!!LOL!!).

This is such a great ministry! I am getting ready to ship a couple boxes their way. I love knowing that the books will go straight to those that need them and not sit on a thrift store shelf somewhere or end up in a dumpster.

Congrats!! :party:I am 35 and expecting #7 in December. So obviously I don't think you are crazy! Wishing you a wonderful, healthy pregnancy and a healthy little addition to your family next year!

I have the days I love it and the days I almost hate it! I have to say, though, that this year has been one of the best. I've been hs'ing for 7 years and finally gave up on planning at all! I have 2 dd's in highschool that used MFW so all their assignments were already planned out...just mark off the boxes as you go (other than filling in biology & math), 2 younger kiddos (6th & 3rd) that also used MFW together, and a pre-K/K'er that we played around with phonics & math things. So it was all open and go for us this year. I have to say that I LOVED it!! Yes, I was ready for summer long about February like always, but I wasn't burnt out and going nuts. We had our not so good days, but most of those stem from attitude issues (mine just as much as the kids) and not schooling directly. I gave up trying for the "perfect year" and there were some days we woke up exhausted, or we just weren't motivated to do school so we skipped the day and picked up again the next day. It worked very well for us and we finished almost everything on time (still tying up some loose ends with math...but we really don't stop math over the summer...just slow it down). I'm sorry that your feeling down right now and I hope you find what works for your family and can dig your way out of that feeling. :grouphug:

Hi all, Knowledge Box Central is coming out with individual state history curriculum for all ages! Right now, you can get their new state lapbooks (grades K-8) and state lapbook journals (grades 6-12) for $5.00 from www.currclick.com. Just thought I'd share in case some of you were interested...I think they look great! I bought both of the Oklahoma lapbooks and look forward to studying state history eith my kiddos this next year.

We had 6 kids in a 3 bdrm house until last year. My 2 oldest dd's shared a small room, and ds & younger 2 dd's shared a small room, and youngest ds shared the room with dh & I. Needless to say we were squished (and older ds really needed a space away from his little sisters. So, dh has spent this last year adding onto our home and it has been wonderful (stressful, and we are ready to be findisher, but the space is great!). We now have 5 bedrooms (and baby #7 is on the way! Guess we thought we had to fill up all this new space we have now :D). Anyway, dd16, dd14, & ds12 all have their own rooms, and dd9, dd5, & ds2 all share a large bedroom (although ds2 spends more time on a fold out kiddie couch in our room than in his own right now). The new baby will spend the first 6 months or longer in our room, then we'll see where he/she will fit best.

We have used MFW for a couple years and enjoyed it. However, I have drooled over Sonlight for many years now, but it was just way out of our budget. This year, though, I am going to make it work and give it a try. I purchased a very inexpensive IG and we will use our library for everything we can and only purchase the books they do not have (used, of course). I am not using their science, though. We are going with Apologia Astronomy (one book with a lapbook to put together. Simple, inexpensive, open and go, and my kids love it and learn a ton!). I hope you find something that works well for you.

I checked nursing...coslept all the time. However, after I did that it occured to me that I only nursed 3 of my 6 children but all of them slept with dh & I. They all had their own crib or bassinet in our room and usually started out the night there, but after waking the first time it was just easier on my & baby to let them sleep in my bed. Plus, dc #3 (our first son) refused to sleep in his own bed after he turned 7 months old. We finally got him back to his own bed by the time he was 3! Today, we still end up with at least 1 kid in our bed several times a week (usually dd5...she likes to snuggle:D). But if we enforce it, they all do well sleeping in their own beds, too. We figure life is short, they will all be gone soon enough so we need to enjoy them while there here even if it means sharing our space from time to time.

We used it for the first little bit of dd's 9th grade year. While it had some great assignments and lots of variety, we (dd & I) too, felt very disorganized. I also had a hard time getting the right books from our library on time (most had to be interlibrary loaned and never arrived on time). So we moved on to MFW which is scheduled out for us and it is working great! I do have a friend who used FAR for her dd all the way through highschool (she graduated this year) and they really loved it. So, it works for some, but not so well for those of us that don't plan well or just don't have time to do planning.

We used the MFW recommendation and went with Total Health & I Kissed Dating Goodbye for dd this year (10th grade). We didn't pick 10th grade for any reason, it just kind of fell into place...we had the book, and she had the extra time in her schedule for it so...that's where it fell.:tongue_smilie:

This looks amazing! Thanks so much for sharing. I think my dd will really enjoy something like this (and free is something that I really enjoy!:D).

Yep, I do it all the time! One of the easiest ways to make dinner. Just throw the chicken in, season it, and let it cook on low all day long. Or, you can chop up an onion, some potatoes, & carrots and put them in the bottom of the crock pot. Put chicken on top, season, add a little water or broth (to cover vegies) and cook on low all day. Hope you enjoy!

Hi all, I just thought I'd let everyone know that I just found the Knowledge Box Central lapbook (downloadable version) for Apologia Astronomy for $10 on www.currclick.com . I'm not sure if this is a normal price for them, since I haven't been on Currclicks website for awhile, but it seemed like a really good price compared to what I had found before.

Don't tell her, she'll never know.:D

Oh Nance, I'm so sorry! :grouphug::grouphug: I know how excited you were about this baby. Hoping and praying that all goes well and you will be comforted during this time. I'm glad you were able to talk to your dd about it, though, and that she took it well. May God heal the hole that will be left in your heart. :grouphug:

I was 18 & dh was 19 when we married. There was no question, we were both ready. 17 years and almost 7 kids later and we're still goin' strong!

Ok, so dd has been a straight A math student with no problems until we hit algebra! We have spent 2 years (9th & 10th grade) fighting our way through (tried LOF, TT, and finally settled on Kinetic Books Aglebra 1) algebra 1. She struggled with Kinetic Books as well, but I'm beginning to think it might not be a curriculum thing, but just a math thing with her. She is a perfectionist, so if she doesn't get it the first time around, she beats herself up.:glare: Anyway, earlier this year I bought Lial's Advanced Algebra for her to move onto since I heard many good things about it, but am not sure what to do about geometry. Dh would like her to have geometry before moving into algebra 2, so when I was researching I ran across Saxon and read how geometry was integrated in with algebra. However, I would hate to set dd up for more frustration and stress. We have 2 years of high school left and she needs at least geometry and algebra 2. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated (preferably inexpensive ones as our budget is very limited :tongue_smilie:).

I need some advice from you wonderful experienced homeschool parents. I am at a loss as to what science to schedule for dd14 this next year(ahe will be 10th grade). She took biology this year(9th grade), but struggled with algebra 1. So we took a step back and she is finishing up Lial's BCM (pre-algebra) which is helping alot, before tackling algebra 1 again. Anyway, my older dd (will be 11th grade) will move on to chemistry next year, but dd14 does not have the math requirements to do that. So...I'm not really sure what to do. Is there another lab science that does not require algebra to be completed ahead of time?

So, if dd didn't use Saxon for algebra 1, but she jumps in for algebra 2 and advanced math, would that cover the geometry credit or did she miss some by not completing the alg. 1 book?

Does anyone know if there is a placement test for the Hake Grammar and Writing program? I think I have decided to use it with ds12 (will be 7th grade) next year, but I'm not sure which level to begin with. Grammar and writing are not very strong points for ds. He is working through WWE4 right now, and has completed R&S 3, and we did about 1/2 of R&S 4. I would really like to have some good paragraph/essay instruction for him to begin with. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much for sharing these! I wanted to see it, but we had clouds that got in the way. :glare: Those are great pictures!

I'm so sorry your little one had to hear that. Some people just drive me nuts with what they choose to make up and tell their children! We don't celebrate "Halloween," but we also don't make it out to be something it is not. Way to go to your dh for standing up for ds and reassuring him that he does not share his birthday with Satan! I hope he can enjoy his birthdays to come without others causing problems. :001_smile:

As sad as it sounds, I really don't have any true friends IRL. Now, don't get me wrong, I have some aquaintances, and there are a couple that I could call in an emergency, but no one I could "bare my soul" to. The closest true friend I have is my mom and she lives 2000 miles away and there are even some things I don't feel comfortable talking to her about. Buy hey, it's life. This is where I am right now, and I know God does not give me more than I can handle. So I'm staying as positive as I can.

I would do kegel exercises and swimming is always a good way to exercise without injuring yourself. I am also expecting baby #7 and was almost in the "overweight" category when we found out baby was coming. I am trying to get my "out-of-shape" self as in-shape as possible before the end of the year. Swimming is one of my favorite things to do since it seems to take all the pressure off of my joints, and you can really get a good workout! Wishing you the best and hoping for a safe and healthy delivery for both mom and baby. :001_smile:

I don't think either Naomi or Lydia are all that uncommon. Dd9 has a friend with the name Naomi, and we also have a family friend with the name of Lydia (she is 12 or 13 yrs old). I think they are both beautiful names along with the others you chose. I know I'm probably not much help, but good luck. I hope you find the perfect name for your baby. :001_smile: