We've been using SOTW since the beginning.. and this year (Volume 3) I'm realizing I do NOT enjoy the reading. I actually dread it. It's wonderful and all but I feel like it's over my dd's head and she has trouble paying attention/comprehending so much info. We are "behind" in history yet again and today I gave it another shot. We read the first part of the 12th chapter.. I asked the review questions trying not to give her much help so I could just see how much she's getting on her own and she barely got 3-4 right. I think I've finally come to the realization that this isn't working for us. I love the layout of the curriculum. I love the activity guide. I love that it follows the classical history rotation. Is there something else I can use for the reading that is similar but maybe easier to understand and maybe not so dry? She's 8 soon to be 9 and a very hands on learner. She can comprehend and follow along with read alouds like Harry Potter but unless I stop every few seconds and ask a question or reword and summarize as we go she's totally zoned out. It just gets hard to constantly have to do this and even when I do she sometimes still can't give me a narration (oral or written.) Anyone? :)

So I hit 188 on Sunday. I was smiling like an idiot ALL DAY. I was sooo happy. Then I came home from church and ate half a bag of fun size snickers. Then I came home from PM church and ate the other half of the bag. I had chocolate milk last night... And I'm debating sending my husband out for more chocolate tonight. :crying: :drool5: :glare: Darn PMS. ETA: I'm not weighing in for dayyyysssss.

Also, I'm going to try really hard to not weigh in again until Friday. I wanted to weigh in one more time tomorrow (since my bathroom problems have been taken care of) but I feel like I'm pushing my luck since I've had good numbers already two days in a row. :p I am going to TRY to wait until Friday. Also, since others have shared their numbers... I'm at 190.0 right now. Which is crazy because even at my smallest (size 9 jeans & Medium shirts) I was never under 192. So the fact that I'm getting ready to hit the 180's is just awesome. 165 is my Christmas goal. ETA: Even though I'm at 190 I am still not in those size 9 jeans... funny how that works, huh. :glare:

I only ate two pieces of hamburger pie yesterday, and had a lot of fluids. Our curriculum arrived yesterday (well, most of it) so I planned for hours yesterday evening. Anyway it paid off. I'm down 1.6 today and my constipation problems... ahem... are gone for the moment. Thank God. I feel great :hurray: Need to update my siggy again. -85 lbs!

Which version of the classics do you prefer and why? This would be for SOTW3 for my 3rd grader. I know WTM lists Great Illustrated Classics but Classic Starts look great too. Unfortunately, we have only read one from each series so far so we don't have much to compare. First impression was that the GIC versions are older, with some typos, and appear outdated (pictures, etc.) Classic Starts are nicer to look at. I haven't read either recent enough to remember much more about them.

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Update! She brought the kids over yesterday and everything was friendly.. kind of awkward, but friendly. Whew. The worst (I think) is officially over. I watch them one more time next week and that's it. She messaged me back the night I sent the message.... and I still haven't read it :crying: I'm pathetic. :lol: I think today is the day though!

Thank you! I've dreamt about hitting this weight for the last few years! Even though I still have a long way to go, it felt so good!

I haven't been on the boards much over the last few weeks. But since I logged back in yesterday I wanted to check in on you ladies :) You ladies know so much more about the LC thing than I do! But then again, I say I do "atkins" when I've never so much as read the book. I just stay in their food list for induction. I never knew you could test for keto. I never knew about increasing salt... never knew about 99% of what you guys talk about! lol Looks like everyone is still doing great sticking to the LC lifestyle! Yay! I know I've said this before (hah) but I really mean it this time ;) I've recommitted to my diet, and set my fall/winter weight loss goals. After about 6 months of being super strict on the diet, and then hitting my goal, I think I just got a little burnt out. I have been off and on again a million times over the summer. BUT I restarted Friday. To hit my monthly goals I need to lose about 1.7 on average a week. My big goal is to have 29 pounds off by Christmas. I lost 2.6 this week.. which brings me to a total of 83.4 pounds lost, and a little happy dance moment... I'm officially at the lightest weight I've ever seen on the scale. So that definitely helps my motivation!

Our RR order will be here today! All but our lab kit which will arrive Monday. We start Tuesday so I'm going to start PLANNING (Happy Dance! I love planning!) the second it gets here :p On my to-do list today... Enjoy my last official day of "summer break" although I will probably end up cleaning. Hopefully I will do NOTHING. :)

And Cincy is home to the annual homeschool convention. TALK ABOUT FUN! :party: We "road trip" to Cincy. Dh and I are actually going there at the end of September to spend our anniversary in a gorgeous historic hotel! We have taken the kids to Newport Aquarium and, my favorite, the Cincinnati Museum center. Lots to do! I'm trying to make it seem a little more exciting for you, lol, is it working? :tongue_smilie:

I tend to pop in and out on the board... Well here I am popping back in. :blush: I'm babysitting today (and next Thursday) Work on Fall cleaning list while kids play with each other B/L and Plan/Start Dinner Laundry Plan a little for the upcoming year We haven't started school yet. Hopefully I will get some sort of news about our Rainbow Resource order today. Anxiety is high today. Wahh. :crying:

I was just thinking of homeschooling with a job mentality earlier today. It really makes sense that way. I get out of sync easily too! You're whole post is dead on with me :) UPDATE: I checked my fb, she has read the message but not responded.

My ds3 was the same way. He was probably 2 1/2 before he started talking a lot and even then I was the only one that was able to understand him. Everyone always told him to stop speaking Chinese :cursing: They thought it was funny. He got better though, it was just later than "usual." Anyway, he's 3 now and he talks ALL. THE. TIME. :lol: I was just thinking the other day about how much his vocabulary has doubled in the last few weeks. I'd give it some more time!

Everything you mentioned, library, YMCA, etc we have around here :) We even have a homeschool co-op group :) Anyway, if you do end up moving and need anything (advice, a friend, etc) message me! We are in Chilli all the time! Seriously all. the. time. I don't want to put it on blast where exactly we live, but if you are looking at a map our town is the name of a shape + ville. Lol Super close! ETA: Plus, as much as I hate this state and would LOVE to relocate, I do have to admit there are a lot of field trip opportunities and cool things that go on. Plus, our homeschooling laws/requirements are super easy.

I sent the message. :scared: :scared: And I have to see her tomorrow. Which will be excruciating for me... but hopefully she gets the message first or I will have to tell her face to face and then I will literally die. Lol. Thank you to everyone! It seriously helps SO much to have my concerns validated my other HS moms. Thank you all. Now I will be hangin out here a lot more since I will be avoiding facebook. :tongue_smilie:

Okay, I've calmed down some and thought up some pros and cons. After this I will quit posting rapid fire :p Just sort of "thinking out loud" Sorry! Pros -I would be helping out a very kind family -The kids would get to play with other kids -I would get a day to myself Cons -We would lose 2 days a week for school -It would be a longstanding commitment and possibly complicate other plans down the road (field trips, illness, etc) -It would mentally stress me out Oh, and wanted to add I couldn't send ds3 over alone.. I would be lucky if he would go WITH his sister, but he definitely wouldn't go alone.

I've thought about that! When dh thought he was going back to school I told her I couldn't do it because it would be too crazy and she said she totally understood.. and then the next week she told me how it would be easier on us because we would have a day without the kids. :( I think I hesitated too long in sending the message and now I'm wrestling with myself. Would it really affect our school so much to have two kids here one day a week? I know it would mentally make me crazy, I'm a worrier and an anxious person (if you can't tell, hah) but would it really be too hard? I talked with dh about it and he says if you don't want to do it then don't do it. If you do then do it. Simple and genius advice, lol but I'm such an overthinker and I feel so bad. "Mr. Bennet... you have no compassion for my poor nerves!" I'm sorry to spew so much of my inner turmoil on here :p but unfortunately this is how my mind works. If you think I'm crazy on here you should be my husband or kids.. they are having to deal with me literally losing my mind. It's really not that complicated and I know it, but telling myself that isn't making it any easier. I'm not this crazy on a day to day basis... only when facing an uncomfortable social situation.

Typed the message.... just working myself up to hitting Send. If we had beer in the house this would all be much easier.

Ive started typing the message.. AHHHH I'm going to avoid facebook the rest of the night after I hit send. Should I offer to do it every other week? That sounds better than flat out no, and ATM every other week doesn't sound bad at all.. although this time tomorrow I'll probably be regretting opening my mouth and committing to something again. What would YOU do?

We live super close to Chillicothe. Just a smidge north in an even smaller town. I hate Columbus so we very rarely go there.. but growing up anything we wanted to do (dinner, shopping, etc) we would go to Chillicothe or Lancaster. Some areas of Chillicothe are crappy, but some are nice. And safe. My best friend lives there in a beautiful house and a safe neighborhood.

Thank you all for the replies... as for saying it in person or on the phone... I can't :( I tried today and ended up making it worse by agreeing to try it out this school year. SEVERE. SOCIAL. ANXIETY. I tell you :lol: It's ridiculous. Me: I was just worried because we would only have two days a week to school. Her: Oh well I send work with ds, and you could send work with dd. Me: Oh yes, that would work, wouldn't it? Great. Yeah I'll try it out. :svengo: :svengo: :svengo:

Would you offer to watch her kids until she found someone else?