ITA, living near DC would be such a great opportunity for homeschooling! We just took a big family field trip up there last spring and it was fantastic. Anyway, I know it would be very hard to leave the one starting college. Could he attend for the first semester and then transfer? Will the scholarship transfer to another college? dh used to live in Springfield, Virginia in Fairfax County VA when his dad worked in DC. I know the commute is rough, and while one never.ever enjoys it, one gets used to it. We have lived in Atlanta for over 12 years, and traffic is just something that is a way of life. But, the mass transit system up in that area is incredible, so he could always commute via the Metro. good luck w your decision making!!

See, I have all these great ideas - busy boxes for the 1 year old, younger ones with their pinterest-worthy lapbook plans, older ones with their well planned, themed, interactive, technology based unit lessons. Fast forward to DAY 1 Toddler ditches busy box after approximately 48 seconds, proceeds to pulling every.single.book off every.single.bookcase, younger ones throw fits bc they get crayons instead of markers, cry when they cut the head off the animal they are supposed to attach, and go through 4 glue sticks while gluing lapbook pieces to each other. I spend the remainder of the time reprinting, and cutting out said animals, while older students sit aimless while the Discovery Education video keeps buffering bc it is day one of school so obviously today is the day for the internet connection to suck. At which point, does it matter what curriculum I have chosen to facilitate the madness? :willy_nilly:

The worst part is that Target does not have the school planner I need in stock. I'm going to have to order one from paper source that's twice as much, because what a travesty it would be to have an ugly planner! yep, ITA, no ugly planners! LOL Could you order it from Target online? If you have a red card it will ship free....

Can I join this party?! We never actually "finished" this year, and one day oldest ds said, "soooo, are we officially on summer break?" I was like, ya know what? yeah, we are! LOL. Then 2nd ds got his testing scores back and did really good except in grammar....so naturally I ordered like 32 different grammar curricula.....no lie, I think I have 4 different things. :ohmy: The key word being "think". I just keep ordering stuff and I don't even know what I have coming anymore LOL I'm coming up on my 7th year of hs'ing and I feel more chaotic and disorganized than ever! But, whatever, I know at the end of the day it'll all come together somehow! I do have Math figured out, I ordered new history even though we have SOTW....Got some Geography from MP, but not sure if we will fit that into our day...getting the idea of how scattered things are around here ?! LOL

Try reading The Temperament God Gave You. It is obviously religious, but the personality descriptions, IMO are dead on accurate. I was reading the book for myself, but it absolutely changed how I teach and relate to each child, and helped me understand my them, others, and myself in a way I never have before.

Can I get some feedback/description of the activity book for SOTW 3? I have used 1 and 2....I loved the first activity book, but the 2nd one, not so much. MOST of the activities are super involved and many times require that I go out an buy a lot of stuff I won't use again. I love how in the first book it was a lot of paper/markers/modeling clay/and your other typical art project type materials and projects you could complete in one class period. So I am trying to figure out if I am going to go w SOTW next year or something else....or just the book and not the activity book..... TIA!! All input is greatly appreciated!

the longest I have gone w/o is this: pg w/#3 so 9 months nursed for 23 months, no AF the whole time....apparently is was about to happen but then I found out I was pg w/#4.....soooo another 9 months then nursed for 11 months ~ dd self weaned...:( at 13 months it returned so if I did the math right, I went 52 months w/o!

First, sore loser here! still not over the pacey bit! Second, Spike! :p

:iagree: :grouphug::grouphug: my son has eosinophilic esophagitis. A lifetime of symptoms and I always thought it was this or that, and even his pediatrician kept blaming me for his eczema and dry skin, at every appt telling me I was using the wrong soaps, not moisterizing enough, etc. etc. Food allergies are so illusive and have such a broad spectrum of symptoms that can be easily explained by so many other things. Do not beat yourself up. You are on the path to finding out all that you need to in order to move on and get your child feeling better. Again, since you are losing insurance, please get her scoped now. The dx of an eosinophilic can take FOREVER. They always want to rule out everything else out first, and the sypmtoms can be anywhere from severe to nearly nonexistent. My son had SO many of her same symptoms, but he is not celiac and he tolerates moderate amounts of wheat. Feel free to p.m. me if you ever want to talk, vent, need more info, etc. With any food allergy, esp. one that is is in everything like wheat, soy, corn, dairy, egg, etc. it can be so overwhelming at first. Know that it will get easier, you will find substitutes, you will learn to cook safe, delicious foods, and your life will feel normal again. more :grouphug: to you.

tempera & watercolor paints 3-ring binders cardstock and construction paper erasers glue sticks composition books poster board crayons laminating sheets

I still won't walk on the cracks in sidewalks and roads. Apparently that "step on a crack, break your mother's back" thing scarred me for life! LOL Though I really love the taste of the skin on fried (or cooked any other way) chicken, I can't eat it....it makes me gag...that slimy layer between the skin and the meat...the thought of it being SKIN...omg I'm getting sick.... I have voicemail/answering machine phobia....I simply cannot leave messages. The times I have had to, I end up saying the STUPIDEST things and come across as a complete bafoon. The pantry must stay in order....the top shelf is for breakfast foods (cereals, grits, oatmeal, etc.), next is canned stuff, rices and pastas, then the breads and chips shelf, then the crackers/cookies/snacks shelf......

If you are in Woodstock, Canton, Acworth, or Marietta, I have started a new forum to help connect local families. Please join and share with all of your hs'ing friends in those areas! Thank you!! :001_smile: http://wcamhomeys.proboards.com/index.cgi?

Hi ! I'm in Woodstock :)

Just voted! When dh gets back in town, I will have him vote, too :) Good luck!

wait....I voted, but, um, can someone clarify what tEa stands for? I think I might have messed up....

We did it in late June a few years ago b/c my in-laws were springing for tickets and the condo. Lemme tell ya, I'd sooner pay my family's own way at double the cost than to do that again! Waiting in line for rides is not in the A/C, and my son, then 4, came very close to having a heat stroke while waiting for something. I had to rush him into an air conditioned area and a vendor gave me free ice and water so I could rub down his chest, head, and wrists. It happened SO FAST, at the point of realization that it was serious, not just him being hot..... and it was scary. The whole experience has made dh HATE WDW. He doesn't ever want to go back. But our best friends live in FL now, close to Orlando, so he has said, with their urging, perhaps we will try it again around Thanksgiving or just after Christmas breaks.

LOL! :lol: But look here Refurbished, discontinued, 78 inch board for less than $500........

Promethean board? I want one so bad. I'm positive I don't need it, but I CANNOT take my mind off it. I go to sleep thinking of having one, I wake up thinking of having one......ok yeah, I need a life.....or a vacation, but that is whole new thread :tongue_smilie:

I don't have a ton of time to post right this second, but wanted to address something quickly. NFP is different than ABC b/c it makes couples value and sacrifice for each other and for their love, not act simply out of purely "animal" instinct, but rather find a way to express their love and value and commitment to each other in a way other than the conjugal act if a pregnancy is not desired. Love and commitment = sacrifice of one's own desires. It is also a respect for each other's shared commitment to the Church's teachings, to each other's beliefs, and to God. The Church, God, it is all about FAITH. We are expected to have it always, not just turn to it when bad times strike. God expects FAITH to carry us through when everything seems impossible and unbearable. As far as the Church is concerned, using ABC b/c you don't want another child or do not believe you can financially or emotionally handle another child is basically saying, God, I have zero faith in you and your ability to carry me through all I am faced with. Anyway, I want to type more, but I am only "test driving" the new classroom setup with the toddler in here, and discovering quickly that improvements and modifications must be made!!! So, before all of my efforts and hard work are lost and destroyed, I must go now!

wow. thank you so much for sharing your story. :grouphug:

Pencil top erasers: and don't buy the cheapy ones!! They shred themselves! We went through about 4 boxes of those (25 count, I **think**) Crayons: We go through about 4 boxes in a year. Colored Pencils: Usually a box lasts us all year. They'd rather use markers. Markers: I got a great deal about a month or so after schools started this past year at Kroger. They had 8 pack of Crayola washable markers on clearance for $1.68!!!!! I bought 9 packs (all that they had!) We went through 4 packs this year. 3 ring binders: We used a ton more of the small ones (1") than I thought we would. I took to those rather than spiral bound just a few months into the school year, and now I get to reuse them this year. I love love love that change that I made this year, so I know I will be buying lots more and skipping spiral altogether. Buying them at full price gets expensive. Glue sticks: I don't even want to know how many we went through. :glare: Maybe 12 regular size and 4 of the jumbo... Construction paper: 4 of the jumbo packs, but my kids use this constantly outside of school for all kinds of things. Card stock: We used nearly 2 packs this year on various projects. Dry Erase Markers: 2 packs Copy paper: about a case

I think its fine, too. And just to repeat what has already been said, I'd sooner give my 14 year old or my any-year-old coffee before soda. Just watch that he doesn't load it up with too much sugar.

I *think* that was supposed to read do NOT follow...

Thanks everyone! We did the required pre-cana, but I know it was never mentioned by the priest during his sessions. Although, looking back, I now remember there was a couple who discussed NFP at the pre-cana retreat. I guess either I had my head in the sand, not paying attention, we are here b/c we have to be kinda thing, b/c I don't remember them discussing the WHY they were there presenting NFP. I agree that the Church does not seem to do well with the how and the why. It is more discussed these days, I think, and has more media attention, but I think most RC's don't follow b/c there is no understanding of why and how important that teaching is, and how serious it is to go against it. We follow the Church, and as we both just had our 40th bday, I am terrified of another pregnancy. But 2 years ago, during one of the worst personal and emotional times in my life, I found out I was pg. It could not have been at a worse time, trust me. So bad that my first fleeting thought was abortion, but of course I could never do that, and felt guilty just for the thought. But, God saw me through it, and everything else, and my baby girl just had her 2nd bday. She has been a blessing in so many ways that I cannot even believe how God reveals his plans - sometimes in ways that horrify us! And, I am so thankful that I learned about the Church's teachings, and the beauty and importance of that teaching and have done more to learn the CCC on my own. I so wish the Church better taught their catechism. Again, thanks everyone! And thanks for keeping the thread informative, and not one that got snarky and debatey!

I am a cradle Catholic from a fairly devout Catholic family, and had always thought that I had a pretty good handle on the Church's teaching. So I was surprised when about 5 years ago, I learned of the Church's teachings against contraception. The vast majority of Catholics I know do not know or do not follow the teachings on this issue. But, to be honest, I don't actually know a lot of Catholic people anyway, at least not well enough to inquire about their birth control habits :tongue_smilie: So, I have been SOOOO curious about this, and decided to post here. Please, this is NOT a debate on the Church's teachings. If you do not agree w/the teaching, please do not post about that in this thread. Oh, And I'm also curious, if you do know, how/when you found out. Thank you!