I've always thought every life was a miracle, but came to believe that even more after dealing with secondary infertility and multiple miscarriages. Once, after having another miscarriage, I was traveling to visit family. I had my son, who was about 6 years old, walking beside me at a rest stop when I saw a family of about 10 kids walk by. I was moved to tears by the beauty of the family and then realized the mom was getting very negative looks from people. That was probably the first time I called out, "What a beautiful family!" Though I had to compose myself not to start bawling, I wanted encourage that mom. I say it now on a regular basis. I now say "What a beautiful family" on a regular basis, but I've often wanted to say something like "You go, Mom!" "You are Wonder Woman!", but I don't want to offend a mom, just encourage her. I firmly believe in blessing someone whenever possible and a kind word can go a long way. I am happy to say the Lord was incredibly kind to my family and added to our family through adoption after a long journey of many years. Now, I smile and say, "This is my daughter, ...." so people know that though I am an older, I'm the Mama and not the Grandma. You should see the looks I get! I just smile and know there is no where else in the world I would rather be than running after my daughter. She is an answer to prayer and though most people my age are transitioning into more freedom and less heavy lifting raising children, I'm just ramping up. Yeah for me. :)

I see several of you wish you still had your "Little House" books from your childhood. Though I had a chaotic childhood and moved several times, I still have my complete set of Little House books. I was looking at them the other day with my sister and we both agreed the books are too old and fragile to be used the way a book should be used. The pages are ready to fall apart even when used gently, and they smell old. I will be throwing them away, and I will purchase more expensive and better made set for my daughter. Hopefully a better made set will age better than the basic set I had did.

I just met a lady today who switching from the SC Connections Academy to "traditional" homeschooling because the SC Connections is "too rigid." It would seem certain subjects have to be done in a certain order and things can't be skipped. This mom had experience actually teaching for a similar type school in an other state that was much more flexible, so she assumed it would be the same in SC. She indicated that it was to the case at all. I think if you started SC Connections without other homeschool experiences that give you flexibility, it might not be to confining, but if you are use to the freedom to ebb and flow as desired, it might not be a good fit. Hope that helps.

What does BFSU stand for?

We bought one two years ago this month. (We had the same mattress for 19 years before.) We love our sleep number bed. My husband had back surgery and it has helped very much. I have sleep issues, and really hate to be away from our mattress now. We bought it on sale during the month of December. A mid range bed. Some of the best money we've spent on ourselves. We visited a local store 2 times and spent time trying to feel the differences between the models. I hope to always have one from now on.

Michelle, I am part of a co-op that has grown to 80 families with more wanting to be a part. We have just started the process to break into smaller groups to meet more families' needs and provide a closer community. Once our leader decided to make the change, she graciously encouraged everyone to create groups based on their preferences and needs. It has been a pretty amazing thing to watch how things have progressed. We currently will have 3 co-ops next year: one meeting 3x a month based on specific curriculum, one meeting 2x a month focusing on enrichment for 0-12, one meeting 2x a month focusing on high school, but also providing enrichment for 0-8 grades. Each group is so different and the moms seem to be so much happier when considering next year because they were able to create a co-op based on their needs. When we were discussing this big transition I explained by comparing it to shoe shopping. There isn't really a one size fits all shoe for everyone that is everyone's favorite shoe. In giving freedom to create co-ops with that aren't geared toward everyone, it is like the moms are finally able to wear shoes that fit them better. Even if you aren't a big shoe shopper, a good fitting pair of shoes is something most people appreciate. So, let the families in your area know what type of shoes you like to wear and see if anyone else does too. You may be surprised at how many other families would be interested, but even if the number is small, I bet you will be much happier because you will be wearing shoes you like! Hope you find shoes that make your heart happy.

Does anyone know about or have experience with "music4homeschool.wordpress.com/"? My local high school co-op is hoping to offer a Music Appreciation class to go along with participating in a cantata. Any information about this program would be appreciated or suggestions for another curriculum. Thank you.

I was moved to tears by the tribute. What a blessing to learn a little bit about your mother and her life. May you feel the Holy Spirit's comfort during this season of mourning and may you look forward to seeing with your dear mother again in heaven. Blessings to your and your family.

This is written by a college professor and a blogger who thinks it’s even worse than just plagiarism. He deliberately fabricated his research. Here’s his article: http://www.pajamapages.com/on-driscoll-its-a-straight-red/

So sorry for the lack of support. The co-op I am in has 74 families w/ approximately 200 kids. This is the first year we have had a family with severe food allergies, and it has been a learning experience. We had all the families fill out a form with information they wanted listed on each child's name tag, such as "Allergic: Peanuts" with additional information listed on the back such as "Mom has Epi Pen." We asked that no families bring peanut/nut foods for lunch - a few comments were made. We asked the mom of the family with severe allergies to share with our moms what it meant to deal with allergies. It was so helpful to learn what could happen with even a slight exposure to peanuts/dairy, etc. I had no idea that even hand soaps and baby wipes, handiwipes, etc. could cause a severe reaction. YIKES! The mom who shared was very gracious in how she shared the information, and she has seemed happy to find a group that would accommodate her children's needs. All I could think of when she was sharing was how very blessed every mom is who doesn't have to deal with the burden of food allergies, and what kind of mom wouldn't want to protect a child from a potentially deadly food. I think more and more churches are having to deal with the fact that these food allergies are not just preferences, and if they want those children who deal with the allergies to be a part of church activities, changes will need to be made. Change is never easy, but I can't imagine ignoring this need. Hang in there Mama as you take care of your family and hopefully educate those around you.

May I ask what you suggest for Health?

May I ask what you recommend for Health?