Gosh the responses are all over the place! I guess it really is an individual experience! I'll say that no more heavy cycles are wonderful, but the constant spotting is a drag. I'll keep watch for symptoms that slowly sneak up on me, too. Sigh. Can I just ask for a hysterectomy???? :)

I had Mirena inserted two months ago. Of the past 66 days I've spotted 48. Can someone give me an idea of their experience...when will the spotting end? Did you find that you were similar or am I an oddball? Once the consistent spotting ended did you get spotting on a more regular basis, much like a period, or did you get a period? Thanks!

Are you suggesting that perhaps this is a part of childhood my kids should experience? :lol:

Wouldn't it be funny if the *only* thing I could do with them was make moonshine??? :D Now *that* would be a school lesson for the kids! (Of course, I wouldn't let them taste it, just help make it!) :lol:

You ladies are funny...my SIL says, "Just rinse them off and throw them in a cake." Here you all are ensuring that my family actually stays alive! :D

I canned cherries a couple of years ago but they smell like alcohol now, so I'm thinking they're fermented, or just plain bad? Can I use them for anything (and if so, what other than getting drunk :D) or do I have to throw all of them out?

Michelle and Jennefer, thanks for YOUR kind words -- they are an encouragement to me! I think that the majority of homeschoolers feel similar, so it's easy to relate. I'm reminded daily of my shortcomings and am so grateful that these kids belong to God first and foremost and He knows them (really knows them) in a way I cannot ever know them and He's guiding them and ultimately HE is responsible for them. I am only one person and I do my best, but sometimes it seems to fall so short. I need to remember to rest in Him...and you know, resting is sometimes the hardest thing to do. Part of this is realizing that we rise and fall at our definitions so sometimes some redefining needs to go on. And you know what? Sometimes *I* really *do* need fellowship myself, and so PE or science or grammar goes untaught and I get my tank filled (even if it's serving someone outside of my home)...and I come back and am better able to pour myself into my children. Isn't it Janice in NJ that says this is a journey...homeschooling isn't just 8-3...it's teaching a way of living - teaching our children how to learn, and how to love to learn. Oh, Jennefer, I wanted to tell you that my ds12 has been very hard to teach, until he was diagnosed with LDs and ADHD (predominately inattentive subtype, so it's just his brain that can't focus, not his body...giving him Concerta has been a wonderful help for him and he is grateful to have it!)...and I've learned that sometimes backing off and giving him a *little* break was the best thing to help him grow. For example at the end of gr. 4 he was all of a sudden really doing terrible in spelling. I gave him about 3/4 of a year off of it and we came back to it and that time of maturity made a world of difference for him and he was able to pick it up and catch up no problem, and so God restored what I thought the locusts had eaten. When he was a little younger he definitely needed shorter subjects and more breaks. Sometimes I still worry what life will hold for him when he graduates (based on how he learns) and then I stop myself and remember that he has so so many years ahead of him to learn and grow and mature and I really need to focus on today, because Jesus only gives us manna for today. Caralyn :grouphug:

We all have seasons in our lives...some seasons last longer than others. I hear what you're saying and have felt/do feel at times what you're feeling. The other day I read Mark 10:45, "But even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve..." and I realized that though Jesus came to serve, in turn he was served and blessed as a result. I hope that you see that in serving your kids, day in and day out, you are receiving blessings as a result. Our days are busy, our days can be very mundane (didn't I JUST pick up those toys, JUST vacuum, JUST do all the laundry), but in it are blessings. Until the season of fun picks up again, redefine what's "fun" for you so that it doesn't bring your spirit down. As the kids get older, they *do* become more work mentally but there is a LOT of fun having teens, too. My 13yo is so super-funny and it's way more fun relating to her now than when she was younger. We're just coming off a super-busy season of having two in rep hockey and two in houseleague. SO much of my time was spent in the rink and since the two rep teams were new to me I was very shy about meeting the new parents (and getting involved with the politics of doing so). Having said that, now that the season has ended (only tryouts left!) I've started to get to know a few woman and there's opportunity to go out and do a few things here and there with them (leaving the home at 1pm tomorrow to meet one of them for coffee...will have the kids doing school-work while I'm out visiting!). You WILL be at this point before you know it, just hang on until then. You are investing yourself and your life into your precious blessings and you *will* reap what you sow but you may have to just wait a little longer for that season. I realize I'm not eloquent and very scattered in my thoughts. I do understand how you're feeling and I encourage you to "...run with perseverance the race set out for you." (Heb. 12:1) Caralyn

Good idea...it'd be excellent for the older kids, especially. Do you have a recommended way to get to know it better? A course or a book???

I don't mind at all if there's a lot of Christian content. It's a great course to have it in! :)

Thanks a bunch!!!

I was talking to a homeschooling store owner today and I think this is the one I might choose. The only downside is that I can't look at it firsthand because she has to order it from the States (I'm in Canada). I looked at a few pages on christianbook.com but I have a few questions. Is the teacher's edition really necessary? It's a high cost and I'm not sure the benefit is worth it. I'm also wondering if the Parent Connection supplement is worth it? So basically, what do I need to order????

Thanks for the reply, Melissa! This won't go over well with my second, but might fit my first.

Does anyone have a program they love for high school health? I looked over BJU and actually wasn't that impressed...it seemed really juvenile. Not sure where else to go.

So what you're saying, really, is that I've got some work ahead of me??? :D

You mean you can do more than just type up a document and change the font/bold/italic??? LOL!!!! :lol:

LOL, quite the coincidence! :D

Thanks for the responses!!!

Because there are so many books to read (and I understand that rarely does anyone do it all in a year), do you find that your student is rushing through the book and not really spending "time" with it and perhaps even marking it up like Windows to the World suggests? Does Omnibus even talk about literary terms, or is it more opinion-type essays and thinking? (Gosh, that is so poorly worded and explained it's a wonder why I'm even going to go through high school with my kids.) Does that make sense? And for Omnibus I, if I'm going to leave out any books, which ones would you suggest?

:party:We have had success!!!!!!!!! This is what askPauline was talking about but I didn't know where to find it...I had to bring up the STANDARD toolbar and there, in front of my eyes, was the P that needed to be clicked!!!!!! I can't do enough !!!!!! to show my excitement! Thanks!

Ok, makes sense. Thanks for that info. I'll have to really sit on that one and maybe I'll look into it more. Though I want the best education for my dc, my second-born has learning disabilities and I wonder if BJU might be just a bit too much. :)

Dear askPauline (appropriate name, given this circumstance), I see no button that looks like a backwards P and I cannot figure out on the menu what would control this! I've even searched it using the HELP button (which was no help) and nothing. Could someone fly to Canada to help me???? :)

Thanks...very helpful information. Could you tell me what you liked about BJU science text over Apolgia?

Thanks for the link. Does it have a schedule to go along with Apologia (or BJU, or whatever one uses...we're in Apologia)? Does it just expand on what the text says? How have your kids benefited from using it?

2004...the Control+* doesn't work