In the back of my head I thought I'd like a biggish family... Five? DH wanted one. We're expecting Baby #10 in June.

Are you having another child? This is VERY relevant. I cloth diapered several of my babies, specifically Christian, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Timothy, Abigail, Sarah, and Daniella, and the one up and coming. ;) So, here's the scoop. Synthetics tend to hold odors more. They breathe less. They are more like disposables, absolutely. They are also far more expensive, but convenient. And then you have the prefolds. Super cost efficient, agitate great in the washer, incredibly sturdy, and they fit a variety of sizes. So, you generally have TWO camps. You have the die hard prefold camp, which I happily belong to, although I HAVE been a past member of the fitted and synthetic camp. :) I chose to not renew my membership in the other camp BECAUSE: Because I bought the fitteds based on reviews. Here's a tip: The reviews are from mamas that either used them for 1-2 children *OR* they weren't One Size, so they didn't use them for 2-3 full years. Here's another tip: The smell. OH MY. Yes, synthetics can hold odors more. NOW, if you have a small collection this will generally be LESS of a problem (weird right?) because they'll be washed every day or every other day. The catch 22? They wear out faster. It's a trade-off. One size is one size fits most. Generally, it's true. They are, technically, more convenient, but you have OTHER choices. :lol: Yes, that's right. OTHER choices. You could go natural (hemp, bamboo, or cotton) and STILL have the ease of fitted diapers. Gasp!?! Is it so? YES! Prefitteds mama. This is where a talented little seamstress WAHMama turns your boring prefolds into something called prefitteds. http://hyenacart.com/gallery_open.php?id=727&vid=210&category=98 See? Cute! Inexpensive - more expensive than a prefold, but WAY less than a pocket diaper, an AIO, etc. Okay, so here's MY take on it. Frankly, I LIKE prefolds. I've ditched the rest of my fitteds except for a few bamboo velour contours that I've made for DD. WHY? One, any place you have elastic, it gets more wear. Nothing frustrates me more than using a diaper for four months and seeing wear on the leg or the waistband where the elastic is and knowing it's just not going to last. My prefolds last 2-3 children of constant useage with a rotation of only about 18 diapers. True story. Granted my children usually potty train around 21 months, but still! My prefolds agitate BEAUTIFULLY in the wash machine. I won't cry if they get a stain. Easy to clean poo. :) It's a DIAPER for goodness' sakes. I'm past the fad of diaper changing. They're glorified underwear. Yes, yes, I admit. Elizabeth had some $20-$40 diapers. Okay, fine. *BUT* I've lived, I've learned, I didn't buy Luvs, I bought prefolds. On the cover thing - if you go synthetic, go with MotherEase Airflows or Imse Vimse. If you go natural, go WOOL. Wool and prefolds and I'm a happy girl.

:iagree: We followed TWTM for Ana's K-5 years just fine. Frankly it just got to be too much for me. I think we might be headed back in that direction (planning our own) but I'm in a different place than I've been for the last three years.... I have a little time to really invest in this. One question to ask is, "Will I continue to move forward on my own without the "push forward" that Tapestry gives every week?" Frankly there is a good deal of planning in Tapestry. The perk for me was not the time saved, but the constant forward movement.

I suggested homeschooling right about the time Ana was turning five. DH let me know we wouldn't be homeschooling as he didn't want "freaks" for children. :D The military moved us to SoCal and as DH didn't want Ana in those schools & then move back to Iowa where he felt she would then be behind, he came home one day just before enrollment and explained that we would HAVE to homeschool her for a few years until we could get back to the midwest. True story. And then she needed to finish out the school year. And then it was just one more year. Now, for the past two years, I've been explaining how our son (the 6yo) and I could both benefit from him going to preschool for just a couple of years and HE is the one saying, "Nope, he really NEEDS to be home with you during the day." Well, that's quite a switch now isn't it? :lol:

So, an interesting evening.... In one very crowded Portland Urgent Care. :glare: There is absolutely no wound, so no stinger, no sliver, no cut, no abrasion of any kind... Just a protrusion, some redness, and pain. The doctor said it was odd. The protrusion is obvious. So, they did x-rays. It DOES appear he has broken his foot. But it appears the fracture is on the outside of the foot, NOT the inside of the foot. :confused: He has absolutely no pain on the outside of the foot. So... they decided that the "chip" that appears to be a fracture could actually be a growth abnormality - an extra piece of bone he was born with. Does it explain the pain and protrusion on the other side of the foot? Nope. So, his x-rays are being sent off to the radiology department tomorrow and we'll hear more then. She did say that if it is a bone infection, it will bother him now and for the next week but that he might not have more symptoms and it won't show up on x-ray for about a week or so. Strange. :001_huh:

DS (12) started complaining yesterday about a sore foot. I didn't think much of it and assumed he'd stepped on it wrong. This morning he was babying it and in pain. Had him take an Ibuprofen and still didn't think much of it... :glare: Yes, I'm probably an idiot. This afternoon he is in quite a lot of pain and so finally, in one of my more stellar moments as a mother, I ask him if I can take a peek. On the inside of his foot, right at the arch, there is a significant "bump" for lack of a better word. It's about an inch wide and about 2.5" long and the skin looks a little red and at the underside it appears as though it may be beginning to bruise. He can pinpoint when it began to hurt - he ran out in the van for something for me, but says he didn't injure it in any way. He's not normally whiney ;) so I assume this actually REALLY hurts. Now, he has a physical on Friday. However, frankly, with the insurance we now have, it's only $25 to take him into urgent care, all of his x-rays, etc. will be covered and we have medical savings with excess in it. (It feels good to be on the winning side of medical costs for ONCE in our lives, lol.) Urgent care? And REALLY, do you think it could be broken?! And if not, then what in the world is going on with his foot? It's certainly not a bruise nor is it a sprain - it's not the ankle. :confused:

My daughter thanks you all for the input... She is NOT a fan. I keep thinking, "How easy for me!" Oh well, right?

The only reason I wouldn't bother with a lower grammar level in TOG is probably because I have olders. :) I've discovered that I just like to do the reading and not so much "stuff" with the littler ones. Part of it is time! Part of it is, frankly, having one child in Rhetoric and one in Dialectic, the idea of doing UG & LG is just too much for me. We use it as a reading list. I'll bet my opinion would be ENTIRELY different if I only had a couple and they were my oldest children. And I would humbly suggest is I'm exactly the "type" that you're seeing posts from that say, "Don't bother with TOG for LG." Many of us who use TOG use it because it's a good fit with bigger families and multiple levels.

Hurrah! Congratulations, btw. I've been anti-TT since the beginning... And in sheer desperation switched this year for DD's Algebra. A few weeks later we switched DS. It's been a few months now. I'm won over too. And we won't go into the fact that it saves me an hour and a half teaching plus going over what she did wrong, then reteaching the oldest DD. And then another 40 minutes on CJ's math - teaching the lesson, correcting, then teaching what he might have missed. I figure it saves me a MINIMUM of two hours a day. And frankly, it was two hours I didn't have. I'm a fan.

Honestly? I don't know what your later years will look like with a son with Aspergers... But I know that the last two years were harder for me than this year... I feel like we've hit our groove, but I'm a little nervous about saying it out loud. We've been "technically" schooling for ten years now, since Ana was five and she's fifteen now. With Ana, I only allowed myself to use the "best" or the most rigorous curriculum I could find, no matter the time cost or the energy cost. With the others I've found I'm willing to compromise with less rigorous materials in order to use materials that fit us well as a family. On the whole, it's been a huge blessing. As they get older, they are more self directed and self accountable. Sure, I'm still teaching, but it's much more conversational, enjoyable, relaxed rather than rigid. I've learned that my two oldest are quite good at budgeting their time if we talk about what needs to be done each day and then I allow them the freedom to arrange their day accordingly. It just works well. I've just finished my coffee (7:23) and I'm getting ready to sign off for the AM. The little girls are getting dressed as is Tim. I can already hear Ana at the piano and I'm guessing CJ is getting grammar over and out of his way for the day and if I were a betting woman, I'd say Elizabeth is copying her writing for her final draft. It's a good feeling. No, I'd say the MIDDLE years (3rd-5th are the hardest in terms of how much energy you're pouring into them. High school is downright ENJOYABLE. (Waiting for lightning to strike.)

They were each eight and we offered them something they couldn't refuse. Ana got to go to a horse farm and have a lesson and be with the horses. CJ went on a weekend camping trip with his dad. They each were just told what the reward was and then the pressure was entirely on them to quit when they felt they were ready to quit. ;)

* Teaching Textbooks Algebra I (as fast as we can go so we can move forward to Alg II.) * Latin - Henle, plus she is doing a course in a Latin co-op. * Writing - Writing Aids + applying IEW to assignments * Literature - Her plan (See Link Below) * History - Her plan (See Link Below) * Science - Apologia Biology * English - Rod & Staff Grammar * Elective - Speech - IEW Speech Bootcamp through our co-op * Music - Piano

I think homeschooling doesn't work when you don't have a naturally curious family. I think homeschooling can't work when it's entirely child led/focused. What does one do when a child shows no interest (ever) in learning something that ought be learned? It's a bit like the theory that given healthy food and junk, children will intuitively choose good food that makes them feel good. It's lovely in theory... It just doesn't play out that way. On the other hand, many forms of education can ignore a child's gifts and focus on what must be learned and teach it in a way that is dry and doesn't inspire learning.

I do SO know what you mean! The babies? Keep 'em coming. But I'm not sure how many more times I can stand being pregnant, my body is literally betraying me at this point. :glare: But the little people, those I like! Our sib set with the closest emotional bond is Briana & Sarah. They're 15 & 2. It's a beautiful thing to be able to witness - their relationship. The only thing I very much worry about is when she leaves home. Sarah adores Ana and Ana includes her in everything. Sarah is VERY blessed to have Ana and vice versa, and I think she's tempered some of that "oldest child" syndrome - softening Ana around the edges a lot. ;) It's funny... We had Ana when we were incredibly young - 19 & DH was 23. DH was content with one but I REALLY wanted one more. We agreed to two. Two was perfect, one boy, one girl. Later we agreed to just one more and then we'd be complete. Hannah was born in 2001 and then she died and before we discussed or planned or ??? we were pregnant with Elizabeth. After Elizabeth I was fine with letting God handle it and DH was fine with having as many children as he could by 30. Then he decided 35 was really his cutoff. Now he says he thinks he will probably be "done" at 40, lol, but he says it with less certainty than he used to... He's 38 now. What a journey!

They can have mine. :tongue_smilie: They got them as a gift and it takes up SPACE. I truly prefer my playstands - a la Waldorf. Get them a set of playstands or have anyone make them - they're VERY simple to make. DH made ours for less than 1/4 of what we would have paid retail. Playstands TRULY inspire the imagination. They aren't just a kitchen and can't be played with ANY other way. They're a kitchen one moment, a fort the next, a cave, then the library. They become a market, a house, and then a puppet theatre. If you're looking to TRULY inspire, go for Waldorf style toys. GOOD art pencils Playsilks (http://www.beneaththerowantree.com is my favorite place!) Felt creatures and toys A "branch" miniature play house with furniture Waldorf dolls Wool or cotton crocheted food Little market bags Truly the BEST toys we own are play silks. I really can't say enough....

be pregnant or have a new baby? It's curious. My mom was considered "old" when she had my sister at 33. She told me a few months ago I might be getting too old for babies. :001_huh: The thought hadn't really occurred to me, especially as they seem to be coming CLOSER together now instead of further apart. (I heard fertility wasn't supposed to work that way.) Plus, frankly, I just don't feel like an "older" mom. Maybe a little bit experienced, but not "older" though my body definitely handles pregnancy differently now than when I was younger! Many of MY friends from high school are just NOW starting their families and have toddlers, new babies, etc. Goodness, I'm only 34. It does feel odd that this baby and our oldest will be 15 years apart. So when does someone *begin* to fall into that "older mama" category?

Awesome! We had two young Mormon ladies drop by one afternoon and very much enjoyed their visit. I said to my dd after they left how courageous and proud their mamas must be as well. They were sweet & well spoken and you could tell they loved & missed their families very much and were very close to them.

Taking the high road is a good thing. Then you won't have regrets later! :)

Anyone here enrolled and how have you liked it? Likes? Dislikes?

The reason would be because many are traveling and don't want to leave their children for 2-3 days. For others, they'd like to bring their little ones who still need Mom throughout the day, but not bring them into lectures where they could potentially be distracting, kwim? I see it as a potential fix to a hard situation. After all homeschoolers are, by nature, family centered, and have larger than average families to include a wide age range. Many mamas have toddlers and/or nursing older babies and simply can't fathom leaving them for two whole days while they attend the conference, or even all day long while they attend a lecture, especially as many older babies are dependent on them for food! At the same time, they realize small children can be distracting.

nm. :001_huh:

Truly? I'm shocked that there isn't some kind of care set up at homeschool conventions. Imagine if a parent could pay for some kind of care and then actually LISTEN to a speaker and then spend money on curriculum. :confused: We (DH, I, and our oldest DD) were hoping to attend the Portland convention this year and as I was looking through registration materials I noticed there was no option for care and was very confused. Keeping in mind this would be my first attendance at a convention to hear the speakers I had never realized this wasn't something offered!! I just assumed.... That said, *if* we go this year, we'll be attending with, most likely, a baby under the age of 7 days and if she cried or fussed, I'd expect to leave the room out of sheer politeness to others...

I'd come to meet you Carrie. ;)

:D

No. But it just doesn't happen. It must be trained/taught to them. All I can say is I wake up before them. I've found it necessary for happiness and sanity. I'm not sure if that helps you, but a good hour (or two) saves my sanity. And truthfully, the hammer would come down if they got out of bed before me. :iagree::D They don't take unsupervised baths or showers until they can be counted on to do it properly. This means: Take the bath or shower, clean up the floor, pick up your laundry, take it to the laundry room. Sometimes the last part needs help. Until they can do such thing I expect to supervise and teach/train. There is no food on the carpet. That could mean death. ;) I moved the toothbrushes to the kitchen for better supervision.... If and when I EVER remember to then have them brush their teeth. This is new for me. And hard. Chores - praise does not work. A scheduled routine with expected accountability via Mom does. A child must get up, get dressed, and have their room clean. This doesn't happen by itself. It's constant accountability. Over weeks (or months) of training it DOES become habits. Consistency I think it the key. Books, toys, papers, anything other than clothing and blankets and beds aren't allowed in the bedrooms. I love them. I want to continue to love them. If I allowed them to have toys in their room I probably would STOP loving them. They truly have proven themselves incapable of keeping it to my standards and so I HELP them by not TEMPTING them to destroy it. All toys stay where I can keep them readily accountable. It keeps me from freaking out and being a monster. All I can think of is more consistency and apparently worse consequences without nagging or reminding. One shot. The catch 22 is that if the consistency is spotty or you are willing to remind over and over again, then they grow dependent on the, "Mom will tell me over and over" thought. It makes you UNDERSTANDABLY bad tempered and them lazy. Once. Only once. I could not run my house at all if they did not help me care for it. There is not enough time in the day. We all live here.