My dad's family was pretty poor and only had meat if they shot it or caught it themselves. I've eaten squirrel, rabbit, possum, snake and turtle, all of which were pretty good. I haven't seen Spam listed anywhere here, lol. My mom really liked Spam and made it quite often when I was growing up. I couldn't get past what it sounded like coming out of the can (kind of a wet sucking sound) and what it looked like before it was cooked, so I'd slip it to the dog when she wasn't looking.

I love this! My two youngest (DD9 and DS5) are cuddlers and best friends, and I often find one in the other's bed in the morning. We're moving this summer and they want to share a room. I have no problem with it as long as they're both comfortable. I've gotten more than a few raised eyebrows from friends and family, though, and a lecture from my mother about "encouraging this sort of thing". HeatherLynn, as long as it's something they both want, I think they should sleep where ever they want.

I've struggled with acne for the past 4 or 5 years (I'm 40). I've tried all of the OTC topical medications - they did nothing but irritate my skin. Two years ago, I went through several rounds of different antibiotics, but they upset my stomach so much that I had to quit taking them. I chose not to use Accutane because of the side effects. I'm now using Retin-A and my skin is finally clearing up. No more nasty, pus-filled pimples and the huge acne cysts are all but gone (I get one two or three times a year instead of two or three times a month). I've also noticed that acne scars are fading, which is a boost to my self-esteem, too. I have to be diligent about using a sunscreen and my skin is a bit more sensitive, but I'm very happy with the results. If you chose to use Retin-A, know that it can take up to 3 months to see results.

I'm using R&S 3 English and WWE with my 3rd grader. I introduced WWE halfway through the school year because she struggling with narrations and dictation. I don't have her do the copywork, as it's just busy work for her, but I've seen improvement in her narrations since beginning the program. I don't see any overlap with the two programs at this point in the lessons (week 10 in WWE and Unit 4 in R&S 3). There is what I consider a small amount of writing in R&S (unless you include writing out the exercises) and it shouldn't be a problem unless you have a reluctant writer. I will continue using WWE next year, along with R&S 4.

I got a tattoo 23 years ago (I'll be 41 this year) and I don't regret it. It's a small rose with my husband's name. The colors have faded, the outline is blurred and I can't read my husband's name anymore. I've been thinking of getting a new one, though. Definitley do your research and don't bargin-hunt. If you don't know what you want, wait. Keep in mind that it will fade and the colors will blur together over time, the smaller the tattoo and the greater the detail, the more blurring over time (my husband's larger tats are still looking good, while his smaller ones, like mine, are starting to blur together).

We have only two things planned right now, but they're biggies: -Our annual vacation/family reunion in WI. -Moving!!! We found a house we love and will be closing after the 4th of July weekend. Once we're settled in, then I'll plan what's left of our summer. :)

I have horrible pms and several years ago, my doctor suggested taking extra calcium (1800 - 2000 mg) a week before my period is due. It's helped quite a bit, but isn't a cure-all. I still get clumsy and cranky, but it's not on the level it was before. FYI - consuming a pint of Ben & Jerry's has the same effect, but you might not like the effect on your hips. LOL

I've done this a couple of times and it was so wonderful! I felt refreshed, relaxed and recharged when I got home. We've gotten together in a hotel and did some sightseeing and shopping, and we've gotten together at one of the women's homes and hung out and talked. The group of women I got together with was a group that formed on BabyCenter in 1999 when we were all expecting our children. The group spun off to another board and we've been together ever since. Several times a year, there are small groups getting together somewhere in the country. There's a small get together this weekend and I really wish I was going.

I don't have a budget. I decide which curricula I want to use and then look for sales and used items. I don't mind spending the money on our 3rd/4th grader as I know the items will be used for our younger son, too. Money spent now will be money saved down the road.

We haven't given anything up, but we're more conscientous about spending our money. We budget everything for each paycheck, from the regular bills to birthday presents to summer clothes. We eat out less and we use cash when shopping. I shop for sales and in second-hand stores for the kid's clothes. We use the YMCA (we have a membership) and the state park (we have a yearly pass) for recreation instead of going to movies or other expensive places. Just doing these few things allowed us to increase the snowball payments we make and make it through the pay period without running short somewhere else. My husband and I are also keeping each other accountable. We make out a budget each payday, showing the bills we're paying and the things we need (curriculm, new shoes) so that we both know how much we have to play with. If I suggest going out to dinner on a night we hadn't planned into our budget, my husband will say "What are you willing to give up?" It could be the new sandals I was planning on buying or it might be books I had in my amazon cart. Or if he wants to go out for coffee and doughnuts on a Saturday morning, it would come out of his personal allowance instead of the family budget. Just seeing the totals on the credit cards come down is a huge motivation for us. We are planning to be debt free before Christmas.

"E" 4th Grade SOTW 4 MUS Delta & Epsilon Latina Christiana I WWE Zaner-Bloser Handwriting typing - not sure what program I will use Rod & Staff 4 - I wish I could find something secular that's as rigorous, though Science, Reading - I'm not sure right now "M" Kindergarten ETC MUS Primer & Alpha Zaner-Bloser Handwriting I'm hoping to be able to work Atlier Art into the budget this year. Both kids will continue with swimming lessons and E will start guitar lessons this summer.

We're Marine Corps, but my husband is stationed at Ft. Lee in VA. The area is nice, lots of historical sites and the homeschooling laws are easy to comply with. :) We were stationed at Norfolk and lived near Ft. Eustis several years ago - the area near Yorktown is very nice and much less congested than in Norfolk. And we were 30 minutes from Williamsburg.

I'd love to have a book like this!

When my husband was in Iraq, another military mom and I would swap babysitting once a month so that we both could have some down time. I also had a babysitter come by once or twice a month so I could go to a knitting class, see a movie, or browse the bookstore on my own. We had very few groups in town geared toward the military family (despite the town being outside the largest base on the east coast), but there were many things to do on base - Kindermusic, library programs, Mom's morning out, arts & crafts activities and the like. Check your church for children's activities, especially this summer. Look into free activities around town - many museums have a free morning, some zoos have free days, and parks are always free. Ask for military discounts at places, too - you can do more things if you're not paying full price. ;) Sometimes breaking out of your normal routine can be all you need. Along the lines of breaking your routine, have you considered cooking or baking with them? My son could break eggs at 2.5 and dump flour into a bowl. My daughter loved scooping ingredients and measuring things out. Kneading bread can burn a lot of energy. They'd have a focused activity to do and I'd have a fresh batch of cookies or a loaf of bread or cinnamon rolls. :D Don't be afraid to have the kids go to their rooms when things start getting out of hand. This gives you a chance to calm down and also gives them a chance to settle. Sometimes just moving them to a different room can derail any antics they may be up to. Have some toys set aside for that time, something that only comes out when things get stressful. Hullaballoo is a great game that I used for the kids - they can play it themselves and burn off some energy at the same time. Or it may be a special set of legos or a doll. Something they normally don't get to play with. Do you have any hobbies? After I'd put the kids to bed at night (8:30pm every night) I'd sew, knit, or read. I watched the entire Star Trek: DS9 and Voyager series while he was gone (yeah, I'm a nerd, lol) while I made summer outfits and knitted winter hats. Sure, I was in the house and the kids were just down the hall, but I was doing something for me and me only. Feel free to pm me if you want to talk. Oh, that's another thing- if someone offers to watch your kids, mow your lawn, do your shopping, let them! Many times, people don't know what you need, so don't be afraid to let them know. Sometimes saying "Thanks for watching the kids. I really needed the break and this meant so much to me" can be a way of letting those who want to help know what you need.

Yes, yes, yes!

My 9yo daughter wants to take fencing. Once she's able to swim, we'll swap swimming lessons for fencing lessons. :)

Our son is the only lefty in the house and so far the only special supply I've bought is left-handed scissors. He was struggling to use the right-handed ones and getting frustrated. We don't use spiral notebooks, just looseleaf, and I tear the pages out of any workbooks that come bound with a spiral. My sister, BIL and uncle (all lefties) all agree that he'll have to get used living in a right-handed world and it will be easier if he starts learning now. He's already learned to use the mouse right-handed, so I think he'll be okay. :)

I spend about an hour or less planning our weekly schedule. I sit down Sunday afternoon with the prior week's schedule and all of her books and plan our week. I make a list of supplies to pick up while I'm out (although I don't count shopping as planning time ;)). I also look a few chapters ahead to see what extra reading material we want to us, then use the library catalog to reserve what we need. HTH!

This was our first year homeschooling and we started out with the basics, then added things in as the year went along. Right now we're doing the following: SOTW1 (including recommended readings) R&S English 3 WWE2 MUS Delta (finished Gamma before Christmas) Prima Latina Science (combination of Adventures with Atoms, Usborne and KF) typing (Dancing Mat) Art History (hit or miss) We had a spelling and vocabulary program, but Elle didn't care for either of them and we've just been working on both using words from her readings.

I bought the pre-K book for my son at age 4. He could recognize some letters but wasn't writing yet (he had very good fine motor skills). I had the teacher's book for this; it has some good tips, but you could easily use the student book without it. The preK book has the child drawing shapes and tracing a variety of lines, which prep them for writing letters and numbers. This really helped my son get a feel for having the crayon/pencil in his hand and for making straight lines and curves without the frustration of having to make it look like something right away.

Thank you!:001_wub:

:lurk5: I'm wondering the same thing. We started homeschooling this year and started with SOTW 1. My daughter is 9 and in the 3rd grade and it seemed easy for her. I'm planning on using SOTW4 next fall to bring her in line with TWTM, but was wondering how much more difficult/advanced it would be.

We eat at 6:30 five out of seven nights a week. My husband is working longer hours at this duty station, so we adjusted our dinner hour back an hour. On Mondays and Wednesdays, we have swimming lessons at 6:45 so the kids and I eat around 5:15.

Both of my girls swallowed teeth and our doctor said not to worry about it - they were so small that the girls wouldn't even feel them pass. My son swallowed a quarter before Christmas last year (he found it under the washing machine). It was big enough the doctor was concerned and sent us for xrays every week to make sure it was moving along. After 4 weeks my husband (always the wise guy) suggested we swipe an ATM card along his bum to get the money out. :001_rolleyes: It eventually passed, but we never saw it.

I enjoy sewing, but the only place to set up my machine and store my supplies is the basement. It's a walkout basement, so in warmer weather I can watch my kids play outside while I sew. In the winter, though, they don't want to spend as much time outside as I do at my machines. ;) My husband and I cleared a space, set up a table and bookshelf, and made an arts and crafts area for them. They don't mind being downstairs with me, have created a dozen pictures or so to decorate the bare walls, and I get some time for one of my hobbies. I knit as well and have been taking my knitting bag to my son's swimming lessons. It's only a 30 minute lesson, but I can get a number of rows finished while he's in the pool. I sneak in some reading time after everyone has gone to bed, too.