My baby sister has one child and one big dog. The dog is the equal of at least eight of my children. I'm certain of it. By my calculations you then have 20+ children. :D I love my dogs. But two of them only come in to sleep and only as far as the laundry room. They don't wipe their feet or their bottoms. They are, therefore, banned. :P

Giggle & ((Hugs)) Said tongue in cheek - This is akin to my sweet mother having us over once on a month on the weekends. She says, "Now, see, if you just have them pick up their toys as soon as they are done playing with them, then there will never be a mess." She's right, of course. She's absolutely right. She's just forgotten that while they are playing I'm homeschooling a high schooler, or neck deep in middle school science, or remediating one of my dyslexics one on one while nursing a baby and chasing a toddler. Yes, perhaps I should set a timer, watch the littles, hop right down among them and sweetly tell them to pick up their toys and make sure they get put right in the container. Problem there is I'm multi-tasking and so I don't notice quite when they are done. And so when baby monkeys are done eating said peanut butter, I'm sending someone out with a puppy to potty, changing two babies for naptime, reading to two pre-school munchkins, and attempting to get big kids to stop what they're doing so they can clear a table to get ready for the one on one afternoon time. I get it. I've theorized it for years. In my naivete of my younger years (please see ignored blog in link) I've explained to MANY mothers how to keep their houses in perfect order, cook only healthy meals, keep their children properly stimulated without media, and do my make-up before DH comes home. I should probably be beaten with a stick for my advice. (Mine, lol, not yours, really, truly.) I wonder how many mothers I scarred for life and traumatized because of my advice and help. Hm. I should go back and fix that blog, lol. You make me wonder though. I DO indeed have some children that are naturally neat (sweet Abbie & Elizabeth) and others (oh my goodness, Tim!) who, honestly, despite not letting them eat ANYWHERE but the dining room, spill crumbs out of thin air?!?!?! We don't wear shoes in the house (EVER) and have a mudroom that goes to the laundry room WITH a bathroom, then onto linoleum in the kitchen BEFORE hitting ANY carpet... And yet we sweep and vacuum twice a day. I don't know how this happens, lol. You know what's funny? If you had talked to me a year ago about this I would have said it was easy peasy. What's the difference? When we moved we stayed with our parents. I got a good glimpse of what life for two adults and no littles looked like. I had no idea my workload, lol! So, mama, I have a solution! It's not fewer kids. It's not not homeschooling. From now on only make friends who homeschool! Then it's your new normal!!!!!!

We've replaced a screen. There are youtube videos showing how to do it. It was a long process and had to pause but it wasn't terribly expensive assuming that's the only thing broken.

No, no regrets. Will was born last year and I'm 38. But, IMO, much of it may come from my view on it. I believe that unless there is a very serious and somber consideration, babies are the natural outcome of an emotionally and physically "checked in" marriage. I admit the idea of babies into my forties gives me pause. DH is already in his forties. I think I was a good mom to my oldest ones. I don't think I'm less of a mother now but I'm definitely a different mother. I'm not sure that's bad to be honest. I'm more confident. I am more patient. I am less energetic but I think that's a win.

DH got a call about a job within his company today. It's essentially his ideal job. We bought this house in May. It's about an hour and a half from here so he could commute for a while but it isn't ideal long term. Glad we got an awesome deal on it and we've been doing some major remodeling. They'll pay relocation and closing on a new home. Oh. My. Trying to wrap my head around moving. Again. Oh. My. It's very exciting and I'd never have him turn it down but I admit my head is swimming - with excitement and just surprise. He had a phone interview this morning. Now we wait for the face to face. Wow. Whoa. God is good. All the time. And I must discuss here because we aren't telling family til it's in cement.

I just want to distinguish between "pitching in" verses kids moseying around the house all day cleaning up. I think the misunderstanding here could potentially be between large families and small. When we were a smaller family I could clean up my house in the morning and be set until right before Daddy comes home. Caring for the home of a large family requires a stay on top of it attitude. You must continuously switch laundry, do dishes, clean up, pick up, and put away all day long. I suspect she is differentiating between these two mind sets. When she says chores I assume her kids pitch in. However she is doing that non-stop pick up and clean up that is going with many littles while trying to teach.

Yes, it's a weird distinction. I very firmly believe in family taking care of one another and a home. Absolutely. They do dishes, laundry, cleaning up, and bathrooms. However, I don't want them puttering around all day cleaning. I think kids are best served by serving one another and the family as a whole. However it is oversimplified to just say if everyone pitches in the house would be done. I appreciated the tongue in cheek humor. ;). The truth is that I wake up every morning and clean. Then little people play around me while I school. Then it must be cleaned again. And thus goes round the merry circle of life of littles. ;)

It does. It does take a lot of time. And while it's lovely to enlist the big kids to help with the workload because you're juggling teaching, training, and toddling, at the same time, you are very much reminded they need to stay on task. It is very easy when you have nothing but littles. Likewise it's lovely when you have nothing but school-agers. It is an entirely different world when you juggle littles, middles, and olders. We joke here that I tell DH, "It was a great school day," on the way home which is actually code for: The house is insane. Mentally prepare yourself. It isn't that my bigs and middles don't help. They do. But, to be frank, I can actually spend (and have) 3-4 hours JUST teaching Barton in my house. The big kids are pitching in but at some point their schoolwork MUST stay on task and it saddens me that I cannot do all things. Such is life and I'm dealing with it as it seems you are as well, but for folks who REALLY ENJOY a clean house, it is truly emotionally hard to never have that happy, shiny, spotless euphoria. :D

LOL, DH thinks this is an attractive job too. That confuddles me beyond all belief? I would cook, for other people, then come home and cook more? I've never understood food preparation as an enjoyable pasttime. I hear you on the cleaning. The idea behind them being in school isn't that it would STAY clean... It's the idea that I could wander about my house for eight hours basking in the cleanliness after the first initial hour of cleaning up. I get that. ;) I notice the OP was a mama of many. What many who only go through The Sticky Season for a few years don't realize is that we have dealt with little kid dirt, as opposed to middle kid messiness, and teenage disregard, for years upon years upon years. It is a little disconcerting. For example: There are always smudges on the bathroom walls. It's concerning. Clean it then it's there again. Shudder. Light switches. Never clean. Chair backs in the dining room. Never clean. Walls, approximately 30" off the floor. Never clean. Mouth prints on windows and glass doors. Why?!?! There is a different level of cleanliness with that 3-7yo age IMO. And as you also have the intense "stop and hold the baby, coddle the toddler" time it really just magnifies the lack of true cleanliness. And if you're one of those folks that managed to vacuum perfect lines in your carpet when you had two nicely spaced children, truly you feel like you dropped like 120 levels of cleanliness... In some ways you're proud for letting go and still feeling (mostly) sane, but some days you really wish for shiny floors, vacuum lines, and a day when the laundry is COMPLETELY done for four solid hours.

They make shaftless sun tubes. That's interesting but it might end up being a huge amount of effort - you have to run it through the walls on the main floor from the roof. That might definitely be outside of our limited DIY experience. ;) I love the idea of it though.... It did make me think that a skylight would look great in our entry way. Chances are good it would give the DH a heart attack to hear me add another project idea.

This would be so cool, lol.... Maybe after that money tree grows?

You must have a walk-out? That doesn't even look like a basement! Love it! I wish walk-out was an option here but it's not. ;) It's a huge basement, truly huge. It's like 1900 square feet. They've already plumbed it for the bathroom. It currently has a toilet and vanity with sink, as well as plumbing and drain for tub or shower. We were at ReStore several months ago and found a NEW tub and I've since found tile there as well so it will have a shower and a soaking tub. DH is thinking it would be fantastic to put in plumbing for a washer and dryer for the teens down the basement. I'm not sure how feasible it is but I'd LOVE it. Imagine not even seeing your teens laundry? Totally their responsibility? Hmmmm.... I like it. This house was an incredible blessing. She started the pricing a little high - no bites. She had it painted in some pretty wild colors - tropical blue, Pepto pink, etc. Then she had to drop and drop the price. Eventually she re-painted things neutral (still left the Roman statues and the plastic chandeliers) and lowered the price again but winter last year hit with a vengeance. No one could get in to have the septic examined, etc., from what we hear. We were on our way to view another house and stopped by this one because there was an open house on a terrible, cold day. The other house was way more expensive for half the size with a less useable yard. This one was perfect if you could get past the appearance, lol. So, the price had been dropped and dropped and the realtor told us to offer even less. We were shocked when she took it. Then it had radon issues that had to be mitigated, etc., but in the end it all came together.... To give us 4 acres and approx. 4,000 square feet in a very efficient ranch outside of a fantastic little rural town with a great school district. BUT we've been remodeling non-stop since we moved in. ;) It's basement time now. We are insulating the entire thing with that blue board. We're debating right now on building the false floor. I think we'll do it because we want to do it right, do it once. SO: Lighting, lighting, lighting???

Go. This is important to her. Sometimes we do things, not because they're important to us, but because they are important to the people who are important to us. Go.

I'll tackle Monday with you! Happy Monday everyone! Baths for Sarah & Cate Wish my brother a happy birthday :) Chem Lab this morning for the boy with the kiddos in tow Return some items to the homeschool library. Check out more. Swing by Home Depot and pick up paint chips for kiddos paint colors for bedrooms. Pick up diapers Call Vet and reschedule Bris' appointment Call dentist and figure out why *they* sent me a check. I think they may not have some of the kids attached to our account. By my calculations I owe them $80, lol. Plan an early dinner Boy Scouts tonight - DH is taking him Carry 50 sheets of drywall to the basement. Recover.

Suggestions? Links? We're finishing our basement by May 1. Is there anything we WANT to include? Things to consider? The finished basement will have three bedrooms, a bathroom, a utility room, storage room, and a living room. It's the living room I'm trying to plan well. Each bedroom will have an egress window and a closet and so they are easy peasy to plan and execute. But, the living room is what I'm trying to think through. It won't have a window (because of placement of utilities, etc.) Because of the lack of natural light, I'm afraid it's going to feel very closed in. We have a sitting room and a living room upstairs, so this is more of a place to relax and watch tv than anything else. I'd *really* like a woodburning stove down there but it looks as though it would be very difficult to vent up through the house. We do have a chimney but it's on the other side of the furnace / utility room and so to tie them together would require professionals and added expense. Maybe someday but not now. The flooring will be carpet. DH is immoveable on this one and that's fine. I've noticed when people pair recessed lighting with lovely fabric light fixtures, it tends to make basement living spaces feel more cozy and well lit. I'm playing with the idea of batten and board or wainscoting so that we can have a paint color, but I suspect pairing it with white wainscoting would make it look lighter and more open?

This thread has been shockingly helpful. THANK YOU. So, I had checked into it and found that they have a credit transfer program... However, at the urging of the forum, I went to our state U and pulled the requirements for his desired major - Civil Engineering. He's done one job shadow and will do another in the Spring and he's really quite certain this is what he wants to do. DH was an engineering major for a couple years but then went with something else and now works as an analyst for an aerospace company so DH is knowledgeable, but obviously courses and requirements change. He also took the scenic route to graduation for his "four year" degree. He was far more efficient with his graduate degrees, but the scenic route was insanely expensive and something we are VERY motivated to help Christian avoid. Pulling their requirements for Civil Engineering made what ya'all are saying CRYSTAL clear. There are incredibly few electives. Essentially if you want your kiddo to graduate in four years from an engineering program they must be INCREDIBLY motivated and stay direct on point. There isn't the "fluff" room for electives that there is in humanities, which is what we've experienced with Ana. I'm also hearing you on the community college environment. He had to do COMPASS testing at the local CC on Friday to prove he was capable of taking the classes he wanted and I had the opportunity and go. I was really floored by the number of grown men taking classes and I can see how that would encourage an entirely different atmosphere. Blessedly we have the choice of him attending the CC campus or the high school for classes. I had automatically assumed like aged peers was the better choice, but I'm seeing the wisdom in what you're saying. So, let me modify my question: If I used the CC to teach classes I feel ill prepared to teach to more adequately prepare him to go into the engineering program, AND it's of no cost to me ($30 registration fee & books) then do you feel this is worthwhile? Pros? Cons? Frankly, homeschooling with this many children, I am finding myself falling short. I think we did a good job of prepping Ana but her strengths were similar to mine. Christian is similar to his Dad but frankly, DH doesn't have the time to devote to work, family, and teaching CJ. I like the IDEA of Project Lead the Way as an idea to foster STEM interest in kids in middle and high school, but I can also see that while it transfers as an "elective" it may not be value added beyond testing interest. I think I'm getting a far clearer picture of what dual enrollment will add. I suspect his classes this year would lend itself better towards focusing on math. And then? Take Chem at the CC level? Or Physics? Would you? At CC? As far as the load, I can only say this is a VERY motivated child. He is very organized and focused. He wakes up in the morning, makes a list, begins his work, does extra. He is taking a Chem class / lab this year outside of the home and I am floored at the amount of effort he puts into it, adding extra videos, books, etc., to more fully understand the topic each week. And, as the class began in September and it's now March, it isn't a passing fancy where he pushes forward with effort at the beginning and then loses focus. Ana made Dean's List this year at the state uni and Christian is capable of time management and focus as well as her. They both take after their daddy - very organized and "push on" type kiddos. But I also don't want to burn him out.... But he LOVES math. Loves it. Second question - Would you put him in an easier class to begin? For example rather than Integrated Algebra and Trig - just go with Intermediate Algebra first semester as a trial run and confidence booster even though it would essentially count for nothing except prep work. I want to add here that your experience and input is invaluable. I'm very grateful for the effort everyone puts into giving worthwhile advice on this forum. Thank you so much.

https://www.pltw.org/ I have to run out, but I'll be back later today and respond to the rest. I'm really appreciating the replies right now.

We think of the Engineering class as an elective. That's how it will transfer. We were aware of this. But we also know that kids tend to change majors as they take classes and "fine tune" what they do or don't want to do. We're okay with it transferring as an elective.

It is part of it and they do have the higher levels! :)

This is so great to make me THINK all this out! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! HA! YES! When Ana transferred her CC credits, they only counted as .7 credits. :( I already asked this. He'll be attending his first year at our state U and living at home. They have a transfer agreement! :) Learned this one the hard way! Whoa! How? I know some states charge per class for dual enroll classes. Here they are free except the $30 charge for enrolling. He'll take AP Art History but our state U limits credits from CLEP, limits from AP, and limits from dual enroll so our plan is to spread these credits out so as to not end up with unnecessary credits / cost. Yes, I'm wondering how he'll balance. He wants to take four full classes but we've said no for the first semester. I think he's going to be VERY surprised at the amount of effort this takes to be honest, but he's the kind of kid who'd rather die 1,000 deaths than not complete something. So he'll do it and do it well or die trying. :p ;) And, for whatever reason that I simply cannot fathom, the kid loves math. LOVES it. He's been doing Foerester so I think the Algebra should be totally handleable and he'll have had Algebra II before this class starts. It's just covering our bases and I don't want him to start in a math class that's ahead of him. These are REALLY good points to think on. Thank you. From a social aspect we would be very uncomfortable with him taking them AT the college. This is going to be at the high school. It's a big school so the teachers from CC come over a couple days a week to teach the dual enrolled students. So, while I'm certain it won't be the same as home, it will be all juniors and seniors and more academically motivated students.

UPDATE POST #31 Tell me the cons please? DS is a motivated student. He has incredible amount of energy and likes taking on new things and thrives on doing a LOT. We've just found out he can open enroll in a large school district here and take community college classes offered at the high school for homeschool students and motivated students for dual credits. He would take Physics I, Int. Algebra & Trig., and Principles of Engineering to begin. Then walk over to the homeschool office for Spanish III if the schedule works out well. It will be challenging because of the amount of driving for me, but I could see this being great for him. What are the downsides? Ana was entirely homeschool except Russian. We had a great family dynamic and relationship and she's a homebody. I just want his junior and senior year to be as great as hers, relationship wise.

We are in the process of DIY remodeling our basement. It's dry, but obviously in the Midwest there is constant moisture flow through air / walls / etc. We did a lot of research on how to properly finish and insulate the walls and we feel good about that. HOWEVER, our options for flooring are meh. Wood - incredibly bad choice for a basement. Tile - cold. Freezing cold. And DH has nixed the warming system for under tile as unnecessary and expensive. Linoleum - No, both cold and ugly. Carpet - really the only good option for comfort, softness, and warmth. So... We could install it directly on the concrete, however, it has the potential of moisture. Then there is a false plywood floor and carpet on top. Or dimpled underlayment and then plywood. By the time we're done with all that, we'll have doubled the costs and taken a huge chunk of time. So, I'm left with wondering.... Is it worth it? Or just slap down carpet and if it gets moist, switch it out. We run a dehumidifier at all times in the basement.

Wind chill here? -24. Seriously? It's MARCH. MARCH! ;) So: Vent about the weather Balance checkbook Pay bills Make copywork Do school - Science today, grammar, SAT prep, writing. Order new math for Timothy Barton x 3 Run to the bank Pick up stuff for hamantaschen (Purim) Ana is making dinner tonight. Yesterday was a rough school day - AND we spent 2.5 hours looking for DVDs but the house is super clean - under things, in things, in places we never clean. :glare: :hurray:

Is that a pro or a con? :D

No wi-fi in the house and no option to do so as service isn't in our area. Once I download the apps, it won't suck data every time I use the apps, right? Because the idea of changing my data useage makes me nauseous.