Another thought. Your kids are so young. I wouldn't stress so much about their school right now or getting everything done each year. The beauty of classical ed is how streamlined it is. Stick with the basics with them and they will be fine.

I finished a master's degree going full time, including seeing clients and all that entailed a couple of years ago. My older girls helped out tremendously with babysitting and getting food on the table - we don't have extended family around but if you do, utilize them as much as possible. Our big coping mechanisms: dig the house out at the end of the semester (or quarter)- in other words, don't stress that much about housework duiring the semester. Get done what needs to be done- laundry, dishes, food, general pick-up and let the rest go, knowing you'll devote a day to really cleaning up in several weeks. Make meals ahead: Once a week, once a month, etc. Plan dinners. Have a weekly planning mtg with dh (and in our case, the other kids in the house who worked and drove). Make sure everyone has the schedule for the week, who is picking up who when, etc. No last minute play dates, etc. Utilize media for school: tapes, CD's, Dvd's, computer. Make use of co-ops. Those without volunteer requirements work better when you're in school ;) Have time set aside for homeschool and stick with it. Have time set aside for your school and stick with it. I would get up at 5 a.m. 7 mornings a week to get reading done. I was tired for 2 years but I learned the stuff. Make the most of your trips to school- do your errands, etc on that day without the kids- it will go faster and will save time running around. Get your schedule tight. Learn to skim and speed read. Maybe read "How to Read a Book" this summer. Learn how to memorize. Talk to the fam before the semester starts and let them know the schedule. It was helpful for our kids to know when semesters ended, when the program would end. Best Regards:)

extended family is here as we speak - I feel your pain. :grouphug:

I agree with TracyS- she was talking too much- her job as babysitter is to protect and nurtur the kids and she was clearly NOT doing that. You clearly feel violated by her actions. I would start looking at other options. If she is job interveiwing you could easily say that you are finding someone who can be with you long term as you know that she is looking for a permanent position.

What a joy to read the posts. I am touched by what has been said! For me: I am jealous of those with stable finances and those who live debt-free. Those with extended family that love and care for them and those who experience community outside of their nuclear family. Those whose dh have a job they love going to. On the other hand: I am crazily thankful for my dh. God-fearing, kind hearted, compassionate, passionate, irritatingly intellectual Viking of a man. My children. After my salvation I count them as God's greatest gift to me. Every one of them are amazing, beautiful, talented, tender, smart, funny, innocent and Godly. Our home and acerage. My education and degrees. My dh's education and degrees. My children's education. Living in America. Living in freedom. Living with women's rights. Living in a place with at least the hope of equality for men and women. The ability to homeschool. Books. Books. Books. Being literate. Having faith and knowing God. Gardening. Health.

I live in a house built in 1924. Lots of character. Lots. An awful lot. Just one example of the character. I'm 5"9'. My kitchen counter tops are 6" below standard level. We have no dishwasher and 7 people live here. All to say: Colleen. You rock. I love how real you are. Dragons- your post cracked me up!! I've been cleaning and sorting all week and you summed up why! Brindee- I love your new pic.- you are just glowing. Kelli in TN- you are a wise women. and everyone else - I'm blessed to be able to read posts on this board. Life is so much about perspective- kwim.

I agree with what you said in a later post- you (we) are weird anyhow! How many of the entering freshman in your sons class have 9 sibs?:001_smile: Our oldest was 16 when our yougest was born (I was 40). I sure wish we had a couple of more! Seems like once you've gone down a certain path you just redefine normal.

I disagree- respectfully (said like Leopold on Kate and Leopold) My 8 yo has been "Baby Dude" and then just "Dude" since he arrived at 10 lbs, 2 oz and 24 inches long :) A cute, cuddly nickname just didn't fit! Around here it's a term of endearment, but I can see how it's over used and abused.

sorry- I hit post accidentally! Basically the area is still culturally Christian so people homeschool for reasons of independence rather than for social or educational reasons, that makes the climate a bit different than other places we've homeschooled. There is a HUGE co-op out in Rapid and we have TeenPact now, too. lmk if you have other questions or if you'd like some contacts in the West River area.

We are a rare breed! Jeanne - I wasn't at the book sale- bummer- it would have been fun to meet you IRL! I do have friends in Rapid so if you want thier contact info- lmk. They rock but not sure if they school classically (I doubt it). SD is a very easy state to homeschool in. Each spring our high school guidance counselor calls me personally to let me know that our tests are in! (Her dh is the Sup of schools). We've never had any trouble and we are out during the day. It is very acceptable here to homeschool. I wasn't aware of any laws re: parents needing a certain level of ed to homeshcool. Basically you just fill out the alternative instruction form each year by April. Last year I turned mine in WAAAY late- no problem. But state-wide, what's the situation like, regarding homeschoolers? A friend and I were looking at the laws, and all I could think was, "Look in Texas! Or Idaho! Run!" (But the scenery is gorgeous - wow!!) How is the overall tone of the Sec'y of the Dept. of Ed, etc.? How active are the truancy officers? Do older kids run into trouble if their schedule doesn't mirror the public schools' schedules? Is there much awareness of homeschooling, in general, there? (Yeah, that last one is a little vague. I know.) What's the status of hs'ers in 9-12? We couldn't quite make that out, from the laws. It states that the teacher must have a Bachelor's to teach high school, right? Are there any other details along those lines? We got a chuckle out of the no more than 22 students caveat - makes you wonder what happened to make them put that in! Thanks so much! Dy

I think I'm the only SD WTM Mom on the boards. We are in the Sioux Falls area.

I want to second Hugh Ross and Reasons to Believe. Very interesting stuff by thoughtful scientists. Reasons To Believe: Hugh Ross, Fazale Rana, Kenneth Samples, David ...The mission of Reasons To Believe is to show that science and faith are, and always will be, allies, not enemies. www.reasons.org

great ideas! I hadn't thought of the quarter rolls! or googling! thanks!!

I really like "Our Mother Tongue." It is very simple to use, understandable and inexpensive. You will be diagramming well and with ease far before the end of the book.

My dd will be going to college soon and I wanted to make a "going to college survival kit" for her (is that a dorky name?) We don't have a lot of cash flow right now so I am trying to be creative and festive with what I have or with what can be gotten cheaply. Please help me think of creative, fun, goofy, "we love you" ideas! About her: She will be majoring in International Missions or Christian Apologetics. She is a TOTAL sanguine. She has traveled internationally and knows a couple of languages. She is a bibliophile. She signs. She loves chocolate. She is into gourmet drinks that are decaf. Any help at all, including how to package things, what to include, etc. etc. She'll be 16 hours from home so we may not see her until next spring. Her 8 yo bro is especially distraught at her leaving. TIA!!

I wanted to second the IEW Poetry Memorization program. We are half way through section 1 and it has been the surprise hit of the summer! Weare loving it!

I always use ETC in conjunction with AlphaPhonics. By the time we are done with AlphaPhonics my young apprentice is usually reading very well. A couple of my kids have been on ETC 5-6 when we were done with AP at which point we just quite ETC. Then I have them read on their own as well as out loud to me every day. At the point of finishing AlphaPhonics they are reading at 3rd gr or above and very competent readers. I also read aloud to my kids (even when they are big)- this, I believe, has a LOT to do with creating competent readers.

:grouphug: I can relate. No matter how educated or resourceful we are, this can happen to any of us. Can you cash out your life insurance? Barter. Let friends know you need help. We've been given eggs from a friend with chickens, a car for our older dd, clothes, etc. Gifts of $. Crockpots of food. We take it ALL. We are grateful and send thank-you cards = ). We've asked for $ help when we HAD to ( from very close family and it was for a specific need, we let them know how much we needed. My dh did let a biz friend know he needed money and the friend paid him to write a speech for him.) We've taken crummy jobs (paper delivery, telemarketing). Our older kids have paid bills and food with their pay checks. We've halved our food budget. We don't drive anywhere not absolutely necessary - I mean NO where. We continue to give generously of what we do have- extra toys, clothes, curriculum. Sell used curriculum. Get rid of every extra expense- we didn't realize we had 2 road side assist plans. Don't leave electric stuff going if you are not using it, etc. Start networking and continue to see yourselves as contributing members of society. After 2 years of living on the edge (a sharp one!) my dh is on the verge of landing his DREAM job. It is an unusual, made for him, out of this world type of opportunity that he is basically creating. Continue to be in your professional world with your head held high. Keep true to your vision. We have continued to homeschool and volunteer in the homeschool community. As a result my oldest dd was offered a full ride 4 yr scholarship to an accredited college. This never would have happened if I hadn't continued the path we'd started before this life situation came up. Most importantly, Pray and seek God's direction for you life. Trust that HE knows exactly where you are at and that His plans for you are Good. Remember, life is seasonal. This is just one of the seasons = ). You will be stronger, wiser, and even more resourceful at the end of it. :grouphug:

I didn't have time to read all of the posts so don't know if this has been suggested or not. We cut out liqued milk. We could easily go through a gal a day and at $4 a gal it can be a huge chunck of our food budget. We have been using powdered milk from Sams and /or powdered soy milk from the health food store. Also, garden- I know it's been suggested but even just one crop- we have a bumper crop of lettuce this year-it's saving us $5 a week x 9 wks (conservative) = $45. We also grow herbs- VERY easy to succeed at- thyme, basil (think Pesto = ), parsley, etc. And anyone can grow tomatoes- my goal this year is a years worth of spag sauce and protection from Somanella -lol

have you tried bleach water? I had a neighbor swear by it. We've been pulling weeds, too, so I feel your pain!

Have you heard of Nancy Cambell's Above Rubies magazine? One of her dd's, Serene eats raw. She has a cookbook and DVD on how to cook and eat raw. It is very helpful. Lots of good info and suggestions for how to transition, cook,etc. She uses a food dehydrator and blender a lot, but manages to feed her large brood a fairly raw diet. You should be able to find ordering info at the Above Rubies site. Have you gone raw before? Are you doing this for health reasons? www.aboverubies.org Serene's Rujunvenate for Life DVD

WIND. Wind advisory today- maybe up to 40 mphs. We had to shut the windows this a.m. becasue it's cold and windy!

Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes. Heidi

I would be clear about who she wants to counsel and in what cirucmstances becasue thatwould be helpful in determining what type of degree she will want. She will need at least a Master's level degree: There are Master's degrees in Social Work (MSW), Counseling, Marriage and Familiy Therapy, Psychology, etc. Some of licensable, some are not. Some master's programs come with actual counseling experience as part fo the program, many do not. Depending on the type of licensure she'll want, this will be important. For licensing she'll probably need so many post graduate supervised hours. Supervision can be expensive ($100 an hour for many months). There are many doctoral degrees as well: varies types of Ph.D.s (clinical is the most specific counseling related), Psy.D's (a Ph.D. is an academic degree and requires a dissertation, a Psy.D is a (darn, the word escapes me -but you generally don't have to write a dissertation, but a program evaluation), DMFT's (doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy), Ed.D (Doctorate of Education (you can get a counseling licesnse with this degree), etc. Many, many upper level schools, regardless of their theological orientation (and most therapy schools have a religious bent whether it's acknowledged or not- for many people psychology is a religion) teach post-modernism as truth. Depending on your religion this can be really exciting or very problematic. Many programs will have strong beliefs about marriage and sanctity of life that adn these beliefs will manifest themselves as the most "healthy way to deal with a problem." If marraige as convenant is a value and life before birth is a value than you will want to carefully evaluate the stance of the school and it's professors. If you are a Christian Fuller Theological Seminary and Rosemead - both in California- are excellent schools that integrate Chrisitian faith with counseling- both are very expensive. sorry about typing errors- no coffee yet :)

I forgot George Bush was president! My dh, very patiently asked, "Who was pres before Clinton." My answer- Regan. He said, but after him??? He looked at me in horror and said, "I want my smart wife back!" He actually went to the obygyn on the next visit! For almost a year afterward if I did something ditzy he would whisper, "Bush. Bush." I had sworn him to secrecy so of course the kids were all about figuring out what "Bush. Bush." meant. I can't believe the back flip on the tramp. Did this induce labor?!