I really have a hard time saying "no" to my dr. (just having a conversation with the nurse this morning has had me on edge all day!) so I appreciate the support and advice. It just seems like such a waste of time and $ (although I have no copay or anything, but still, it's coming from somewhere!). Thanks for this info, I'm definitely going to say this if she isn't backing down about it. Obviously, they can't FORCE me to do it, but I'd rather have their "approval" to not do it! I understand the whole big baby thing too, but my labor with my biggest child was 2 hours and he was out in 2 pushes so I think I've proven that's not going to be a problem for me. Also, he had glucose testing because he was big and there was no problem. I eat very healthy and exercise regularly, so I feel confident about bringing that up as well... Sarah

I'm 30 weeks pregnant and "failed" the 1-hour glucose for the 5th pregnancy in a row. My # was 154 (if anyone has any insight into how bad that is, I'd love to know what that actually means). According to the American Diabetes Assn. 180 is the number to "beat" but my drs. office says 130. :confused: So the nurse called today to tell me that I have to take the 3 hour test. Every time I have passed the 3-hour test with no problem. In fact, they made me test early with my last pregnancy and then again later on, so I've had this done 5 times and it always results in nothing. My blood pressure is low, I feel great, weight gain is normal. I REALLY REALLY don't want to spend half a day taking this test yet again, arranging child care for the day, you get the picture. My last baby was 8 lbs. even, so not huge ( I had one that was 9.5 but 1 week late). The other 2 were 8.6 and 7.15 respectively. Anyway, the nurse was actually sympathetic and I have a tele-appointment next week to discuss this with my doctor. If anyone has any further help/support/arguments that I could use to convince her that I don't need to do this I would be so thankful! OR tell me that I'm crazy and I should just do the test (I can take it!). Thanks, Sarah

I just recently got one, after seeing it recommended on this board for months. So far, I love it. We just finished the school year so the kids and I went through their binders, pulled out their best/favorite work, and put it all together in one binder to keep. My 6 yo was helping me use the punch, which you slide across, but it takes strength if you have more than 5 pages. I was worried about how long it would take to make a notebook at that rate, but it went surprisingly fast. My older two (8 and 10) were able to click together the binders, so that's pretty easy also. I read that people buy regular spirals and I'm curious about how that works. It took a little effort to keep all the pages together to click into the pro click binder, so I'm wondering how much of a pain it would be to have a stack of sheets all lined up enough to get a spiral through? I don't want to get a box and find out that it's really frustrating to do. I can't say anything about longevity for now. I really like that you can open it to be completely flat and even fold it over on itself (so important when it comes to my own planner!). Overall, I'm completely satisfied and really glad I got it! Sarah

We do this every year (condo with a full kitchen). We buy most of our groceries when we get there, but I bring a lot from home so I don't have to buy as much. For an easy (minimal ingredients) meal, I like to mix: 1 pkg. pasta of your choice, cooked 1 jar sauce (we like Trader Joe's or Newman's 3/5-cheese spaghetti sauces) 1 pkg. spinach Meat of your choice, cooked - ground beef, ground chicken, cooked cubed chicken, italian sausage (you can add up to a pound) You can cook it there or mix it together ahead like a casserole and bake it until it's warm. I might mix in cottage cheese or mozzarella if I have it and top with parmesan. Obvious sides to this would be italian bread or salad, but it's good just on its own, too! Some other ideas: Make-ahead muffin mix, so all you have to add is the wet ingredients (don't have one on hand, but I know I've used them before) Coffee cake/muffins Make pancake mix ahead, again just add the wet ingredients (we do this when we camp, too) My kids could live off of pb&j for lunch so I tend not to get too fancy with that, and there's always leftovers (which you don't want to have to take home!) Hope you have a great vacation! Sarah

I'm still new at this, so I love getting more ideas about what I could do. We're still in the planning process for getting chickens - plan to get them end of June hopefully, if we can have the coop in place and everything. Lots of predators around us, so we need to build it pretty secure. Going strawberry picking tomorrow (with kids, so I'm keeping expectations low) and hope to get plenty to freeze and will make jam right away. I'll also get tons of spinach which I freeze and toss in everything. Supposed to be a good crop at the farm we pick at. I yearly pick 30 lbs of blueberries to freeze, so plan to do that again. I'm also preparing a space in my garden to have our own - tired of paying so much when we could grow them ourselves! Last year we went peach picking. I canned some, but the biggest success was freezing peach pie filling. SOOOO delicious - tasted like fresh peach pie! I'm definitely doing that again; it was nice to pull out when I needed company dessert quick! I suppose you could have it ready for a cobbler or crisp too. Hoping to do pizza sauce, salsa, tomato sauce. I have some tomato plants but the stinkbugs have destroyed my crop the past couple of years so I'm going to have to buy more if I want to can. I would LOVE to hear more recipes, especially for canning. I have canned peaches, green beans, and tomato sauce type things, but nothing else. I have a pressure canner. I do have several books, including the Ball canning book, but I always prefer getting word-of-mouth tried-and-true recipes!! Sarah

I'm always on the lookout for good craft ideas! Here's one that I have found a lot of good stuff on - it's mostly sewing (don't know if that works for you): http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/ Every year before Christmas they have TONS of crafts by theme - gifts for babies, men, etc. I'll just note that I have VERY limited abilities in sewing and I've made many of these with great success and little frustration! :001_smile: Sarah

He does not have a teaching background, but he's a smart guy. :001_smile: He does tutor a boy at a local elementary through a program at our church and I think that's what gave him the idea that he could help out here. He really enjoys it and he comes up with all kinds of interesting ways to teach different concepts. I think he enjoys the challenge. Also, I think he feels sorry for me. :) I'm having a baby in September and he knows how busy I'm going to be! It was incredibly generous of him to offer, so I think I should take him up on it - we haven't always had the best relationship so I'm thrilled he's taking an interest...

Thanks so much for the great advice. I've checked out CLE's website. I tend to try to avoid any overtly Christian textbooks, but based on the samples it looked like something we'd be okay us. We are Christians, just sometimes don't like the slant of things. In fact, I kinda liked how I saw them incorporating the Bible into some of the math problems! With my dad offering to teach I'm not as sure about MUS. I think he'd do better with instruction with a live person teaching him to be sure that he really understands the concepts, especially with my dad offering to be the teacher! :) I looked at MM before but found it confusing - going to have to take another look. I think I'm going to keep Saxon in the mix, too. I do feel like it's a great program; I just couldn't handle spending 3 hours on math a day between my 3 kids, with their program so intense.

This is the first year he was tested, so I don't have a comparison. He was low in everything equally, so I think it's both comprehension and having those facts memorized. So, he basically needs to be getting a better foundation in both. We will definitely do some extra work over the summer to beef up on the facts, but I don't feel like he's getting the concept of any of it either.

Thanks all for your suggestions. I think I"m going to take a good look at all of these programs and, perhaps as someone else suggested, we'll have to try a couple before we figure out which one's best. Actually, my dad, who lives next door, offered to teach math or science next year, so I'm thinking I might just take him up on his offer and let him teach math to my son. That might be the BEST solution!! Perhaps having a teacher who likes math, who isn't his mom, and who can devote his full attention, uninterrupted, will be what we need to get a better handle on math! I'm going to let my dad look at these programs too and have some input in case I end up going with grandpa-school. :) Sarah

Well, first of all, I am going to take back what I may have said in the past about Teaching Textbooks. We switched to that for 4th grade, ds loved it (after seriously battling over math through both Saxon and Singapore), and I loved it because I finally didn't have to teach math and he was scoring 100% almost every lesson. Well, he took the IOWA test through our homeschool group (and I'm taking the results with a grain of salt) and math is the one thing that he scored below average and the lowest on. I think the thing that bothers me about it is that according to the grades he's getting on TT he's a math whiz, but I kinda suspected maybe that wasn't so, and these test results just confirmed my concerns. So, I'm back to the drawing board after thinking I had it all planned out. Honestly, I'm pretty much ready to do anything to get him back on track. I know math is not and probably never will be his strongest subject (it never was for me) but I do want him to master the basic skills - and he's still struggling with multiplication facts. I'd like your suggestions for the best math program out there. I'd prefer something not so teacher-intensive as Saxon, but if that's going to give him the best math then I'm willing to do it. Thank you! Sarah

Wow, you are brave! I'm so relieved that I don't ever have to see that dr. again! I will add, I didn't feel like she was a very good DOCTOR either - she looked at my throat and then launched into what she wanted to talk about. I said to my husband, "she didn't even check my ears!" :lol: That's terrible! I did think, at least this only cost me $5. And our regular doctors are fine, some of them are even exceptional.

I've had doctors bring up "socialization" at the kids' appointments before, but they're usually pretty careful. I live in the D.C. area, and there are plenty of homeschoolers; I'm part of a huge umbrella group. So you'd think they'd be used to it by now! Wish I could take some credit for an articulate response, but I FELT more like a deer in the headlights! Still, I'm glad the right words apparently bubbled out of somewhere! I was stunned when she started complimenting me... Sarah

Just needed to share with some people who would empathize! I've had a sore throat for a couple days and finally decided I should have it checked. I'm part of a big HMO and my regular doctor wasn't in today so had to see someone else in a different department. About 3 minutes into the visit it came up that I home schooled (I think I said something about the kids being home which she kinda jumped on - how old are they and why are they home kind of thing). Anyway, she immediately started asking me about that pretty aggressively, I don't remember all the details but I do remember something about "devil's advocate" and of course "socialization" came up repeatedly. She must not have had many patients because we had a 15 minute discussion - seriously. Now had I known ahead and planned, in retrospect I would have politely said that I'd prefer to focus on the fact that I'm sick, pregnant, and just want to know if I have strep or not so could we focus on my health, the reason why I'm here. INSTEAD I respectfully and calmly answered her questions. I think a lot of different things I've read on this board have developed a pretty articulate answer to most of those questions (thanks, everybody!). :thumbup: Anyway, by the time I left, she was telling me that I was obviously a very thoughtful mom, raising kids with strong values. I really don't know what I said that seemed to change her mind (or if possibly she realized how totally unprofessional she was being), but it ended up feeling like a positive for me. Maybe next time she won't start off being so hostile if another homeschooler shows up in her office... Then I went home, called my mom, and burst into tears about the whole encounter - we'll blame the hormones and lack of sleep. Oh, and I don't have strep, just a cold that never ends. -Sarah

This may sound like too much effort, but we've always had a little end of the year program. You could have just your immediate family (we invite my immediate family who live in the area). It has been SO good for me and for the kids to celebrate the end of the year this way. Our "program" consists of one or two things they have memorized that year, I think we've done a song or two, or a short speech about something they learned that was interesting to them. I have a couple of art projects out on display and some of their more interesting writing assignments. We spend the last week of school planning and rehearsing together - it's amazing to me how little time it really takes, and the kids LOVE it. I'm always pleasantly surprised with how nice the whole thing turns out. We have everybody out for dinner, but you could just buy a nice dessert too and keep it simple. I can't say enough how glad I am that we have this tradition - it's such a positive way to end the year - for everyone! If you get a chance, I'd love to know what you end up deciding to do - there are some fun ideas above! Sarah

Pride isn't anything new. I think it's a very hard thing to judge - how can we know every time what someone's motivations are in sharing. It could be that they're insecure about how they're doing as a parent, it could be that their child has struggled and it's important that they hear a parent giving them a "pat on the back" for doing well in something, it could be that the parent is just happy that their child is good at something and wants to share. I know that for me, what's probably more important when I hear someone talking about how great their child is at something, is to do a self-check if I have a negative response. Ideally, I'd like to celebrate with them, encourage them and their child, and affirm how great that is. What does it really matter WHY they feel the need to tell me this? What damage could it possible cause them if I listen and am happy for them? Am I so insecure that I can't hear these things and be truly happy for my friends or even just acquaintances? I can remember being surrounded by women whose children were all self-taught readers at age 3 or 4. At the time, I was struggling teaching reading to my then 6-year-old! At first I did wish they'd just stuff it, but then I realized that maybe they would have some good ideas for me. So, I swallowed my pride and shared my struggles. They gave me tons of great suggestions. I'm glad now that I asked (and yeah, it could have been a disaster). Now my younger son is way ahead in reading, which I take no credit for. I hope that if I share how well he's doing, I can do it in a sensitive way, but I also hope that if someone is struggling they could talk to me about it! I don't know if that really answers your question. I guess I feel like what's more important than asking why is asking how we can respond in a loving way... We ALL have our struggles! Sarah

I am one of those moms with an accelerated learner (my Kindergartener is reading on a 5th grade level) and he's been mostly self-taught. I also have a 4th grader who I sat with for day upon agonizing day teaching him to read. He's reading at grade level now, but it was a STRUGGLE. So I've seen both ends of the spectrum. So, this post really made me think, because I can think of several times in the past couple of months where I guess I've "bragged" about my K-er. However, when I was struggling teaching my older son to read, I probably talked about that even MORE and asked advice from friends who were teachers. Maybe I'm jumping to the wrong conclusion, but based on this complaint, I feel like it would be okay for me to talk about my struggles but not to talk about my success as a homeschooler, because that would be bragging and obnoxious? I always mention my success as one of the reasons why it's so great to homeschool - where on earth would we find a place for my younger son to be challenged, or conversely, where someone would sit for hours and hours helping my older son with things he struggles with? I love the flexibility of meeting each child's needs where they are. It was painful for me to realize that talking about the things my kids are good at could be judged in such a different light. I always celebrate with my friends when they share the things their children are good at, so I'd like to think that people are happy for me rather than thinking I'm an obnoxious braggart! Feeling a little insecure now as I think back on those conversations... I will probably choose my words more carefully in the future (and that may not be a bad thing!). Seriously, I do thank you (all) for sharing. This has given me something to think about.

Yikes! That is incredible! Wow, that would be SO nice. I'll be at a different hospital this time - I'm going to be sure to ask if they have anything like this. In fact, this got me thinking that I'll probably do some kind of tour before I deliver there, and that would be a great time (if they don't have this program) to get some ideas on how to give myself a little more privacy! This makes sense to me. I want to find the balance between making my hospital stay manageable and not making others do extra work or be inconvenienced to suit my needs! I'll be sure to ask when I tour how I can keep out the unnecessary people but still allow the nurses to do what they are required to do! I've had such easy deliveries and recoveries that it's frustrating to have people checking up on my every 2 hours to see if I'm okay, but I can understand that it's important, especially for people who develop complications! Wow, so sorry for your experience! It's amazing how care can vary from hospital to hospital, but I find it especially shocking that they expected you to bathe the baby after just giving birth! I'm thankful now for the good care that I've received! As I said above, totally okay with nurses, doctors, housekeeping (although not in the middle of the night) and lactation specialists checking in, but I could do without "care surveys," newborn photographers, and the myriad other people who seemed to be in and out of my room every hour! I guess I'd take that any day though over nobody at all - how awful! Thanks all for your input - I'm definitely coming up with a plan! Sarah

That is so true - and exactly what I was thinking about my attitude going into this (again :001_smile:). I also appreciated your details about what you requested - and who to give it to. At least if I'm proactive and have some expectations going into it, I don't have to leave feeling like I just got walked all over. That is so true - this past time, the nurses pretty much left me alone (I think they figured I knew what I was doing and were happy to leave me to my own devices. It was everybody else that drove me crazy! I'm definitely going to do both options though - put a sign on the door and have it in writing for the medical staff. I'm putting all this into a document right now! Sarah

A recent post about staying in the hospital after giving birth got me thinking about this. I'm having another baby in a few months and I'm wondering how much control I can have over what happens during my stay? What kinds of things have you asked for, if anything? I don't want to be demanding or a pain, but I really do hate all the coming and going in my room, especially during the night (when I'm trying desperately to get some sleep!) to check my blood pressure, take baby's vitals, take out the trash. I even had someone come to my room at 6am to ask me questions about how the food was during my stay - seriously?! I had a friend who mentioned that she demanded that they leave her alone during the night unless she called them (no meds, vitals, etc.). Basically, I want to collect some ideas about how I can make my stay somewhat peaceful if possible, and what's reasonable to request. It won't be easy for me to say anything (just my personality) but it's worth it to avoid a repeat of my last stay! TIA, Sarah

I have a Canon MX870 that has been the best all-in-one I've had for a while (I had 2 before this that didn't last beyond 2 years). Lots of nice printing features, wireless, and separate ink cartridges. So far so good. Sarah

I grew up in D.C. and now live just outside - it's a great place to visit. But, yeah, July 4 time is hot and humid, like many have said. I wanted to agree that one of the coolest things to do (no pun intended) is to make a point of seeing the monuments at night - even if you just drive around, it's wonderful. I'd plan to walk the mall and hit the museums there; we especially like the National Gallery of Art - the building itself is beautiful. Either plan ahead what exhibits you want to see or just wander around; it can be confusing. I don't think anyone has mentioned the Old Post Office Pavilion. We haven't been lately, but one of my favorite things to do with out of towers was to go up in the old clock tower. Great view of D.C. and not stuffy like the Wash. Monument! Also there's a great view of the city from the terrace of the Kennedy Center. Mt. Vernon is a definite must-see, and you can easily swing past Arlington. The last time we went was at sunset and it was very moving for our guests. Be prepared for crowds, crowds, crowds. Especially on the 4th, the metro is SCARY after fireworks, especially with kids. Hold on tight to them; it is wall-to-wall people. Have a great time!

We have a central vac. system, so I'm afraid that's not going to help you! The great thing about a central vac. is it's basically just a hose, so even my toddler "vacuums" b/c it's so lightweight! The Dyson sounds like a good possibility, though! Sarah

I love the ideas here - some were new to me and definitely going to be considered! My kids all have regular chores that they do, which does help a lot once you get the routine down. We have a big list on a whiteboard in their playroom and they check off things when they're done. It's pretty much the same every week, but we can change things as needed and reset it every week. One of the best things for me has been to assign them each an "area" to keep clean. This majorly helps by keeping the clutter down. I also have a toddler who is still in the destructive phase, but it's an easy 5-minute school break for all of us to clean up once he goes down for a nap. My 10yo cleans the kids bathroom, dusts his room, takes out the trash, and waters the plants. My 8yo cleans our guest bath, dusts, folds clothes. my 6yo cleans all the toilets They all vacuum once a week, clean their areas daily, put away their clothes, set the table, and clean up the kitchen every night(with adult supervision). There's probably more, but that's off the top of my head. I just keep the laundry going during the day and then fold it all at night. Sometimes the kids help, but I'm kinda picky about how my clothes get folded.:001_smile: We do our main housework on Saturday mornings, all together. With everybody working (dh helps too most weeks) it only takes a few hours. Like other people, I do the bulk of my planning over the summer, getting the year basically planned out. Then each week, usually Sunday afternoon/evening, I print up assignment sheets for each kid and do a specific plan for the week. Basically, there's very little spare time - homeschooling IS a full-time job! Sarah

I don't care for a parent, I actually care for my brother, who is severely disabled. I would think that it's very similar, though. He is nonverbal for the most part (he actually has yelling outbursts, in which case he gets sent to a room as far from where I'm teaching for a little while!), needs to be fed every meal, he's immobile, and he's incontinent. That probably sounds like a lot to manage, but he's way easier to deal with than my toddler! I think there's a lot of great advice here (in fact, going to copy some of these ideas down for myself!). I have actually found that my brother really enjoys being around us while we are doing school and seems to benefit from hearing the kids doing their lessons. I think it's been good for both him and the kids to be in this situation. There are days where it's tough, but I just remind myself to take it one day at a time. I also only care for him 2 days a week (he lives with my parents the rest of the week) so my situation is different. I hope that it works out for you to be able to at least try it. You may find it to be rewarding more than you expect! Sarah