I have used both - WWE / FLL for 1st/2nd and in third grade I started Rod and Staff. I really like Rod and Staff. I liked FLL more than WWE. My ds didn't gain much from WWE it seemed. He is delayed in his reading though but liked copywork (even if he couldn't read it.) R&S is actually teaching him more how to write the way it is written compared to WWE. It is the easiest open and go curriculum I have, and his favorite. Some parts you can do orally (like finding the nouns in a sentence) so your child doesn't have to write everything down if writing is a little difficult for them. There is plenty of review. We started the 2nd grade books even though ds is in 3rd grade and it's a perfect fit. I think it's even helped him read better. It depends on your child's learning style as well. If writing and reading comes easier, WWE would work. I like the step by step progress of R&S. Hope that helps! Choosing curriculum is hard.

ok... don't like my 'box' curriculum that I chose, so I modified it. Bought some different books, scribbled ideas on notebook paper. Guess I'm not a box checker. Kids are liking the new books though! Boxed curriculum = my expensive mistake

She was 2... talked about dancing with this boy, and when she was 3 she wanted to marry him. Now she's 4 and is too shy to talk about it! My 6 yo has not had any crushes at all. I suppose it depends on the child.

I sure hope they aren't charging you for how long this is taking! I'd double check to make sure he isn't trying to wring you out for all that you have. I'd seriously light a fire under their @$$.

:iagree: This exactly. Every single word. A thousand times over.

I'm not saying you are excusing anything. :) No worries. It's just a general sense I get - that many don't realize there are some situations that are grossly negligent and nothing is being done. I am close to this mother and we have talked about it. He does have some learning disabilities but the frustrating part is the lack of trying throughout the years to get help when he was young enough. It's hard to know when I'm crossing the boundaries, so I have stayed out unless she asks about things. I just feel like he would have more confidence and opportunities in the future if he had been helped more.

Some of these high school age children can't self-educate or bust out on their own. They are functionally illiterate. (Think: 2nd grade reading level and cry trying to write a paragraph.) I know one's like this. It seems like some aren't aware that that is how bad it is. It's worse than "they didn't get all their science credits and never studied literature." The kid can't read or write. Can't even get a GED let alone into a technical or community college.

at least she wasn't texting....

It doesn't make sense to us introverts either. We don't like small talk. Or revealing deep parts of us. But then we wonder why we sit alone at parties. Then are annoyed when someone does talk to us. I try to figure it out, too. I guess that's why we just stay at home :)

She needs to be treated for the hypothyroidism. Please push for that! Being hypothyroid causes blood sugar issues, high cholesterol, etc... and makes losing weight difficult or impossible. Trust me, I know!! I agree that the whole family should clean up their diet together as well as exercise/do physical activities together vs. TV and computer time.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I heard that Locks of Love wasn't a good place to donate to, but I wasn't sure why. I'll look into the others!

I was asked by the first receptionist I came to for an GYN appt. if I had been to west Africa in the last 3 weeks. She seemed tired of asking ;) I think it was added to the list of things she had to check off on the computer.

I think therapy is a very good idea, for you or both of you. With that being said, he may panic when you say that. Maybe try to talk to him first. Are you able to communicate to him calmly? You may want to bring up to him that you have issues and concerns, emphasizing to him that these are not necessarily his problems or that you are seeking for him to fix the issues RIGHT NOW. You just need to get it out (calmly.) Say things like "I feel overwhelmed lately. Are you?" "I miss things we use to do together." He could have you walled off because he feels unable to help you if you are depressed. A lot of men shut down if they can't fix things. It scares them. If every time you communicate he senses you are angry or crying and needy, he'll continue to back away. It's their way of dealing with it. I don't know if this is your issue or not but evaluate to see if it is. I'm not saying he doesn't have issues either. It's just easier to change or help yourself than the other person and the easiest way to change them is to work on your issues. Do you need more time away from the kids? If he's unable to provide that, find a babysitter just to get out once every week or two. Even if it's just to walk around the mall sipping a latte. You need to fill your emotional tank other ways than just through him. If you are clinically depressed, get treatment. Also, come up with a list of specific things that are the issues (for you! Don't share it with him right now!!) What is it you want? Communication? A date night every 2 weeks? More help with the kids? More help around the house? Sleep? Figure out your love language - how you sense and feel love. You know you don't feel loved. What will make you feel loved? Try to figure out what it is that makes him sense love as well. Then you'll have something to work with. Also, figure out what each of your own individual stresses are that are pulling you away from each other. Is he having a hard time at work? Worried about finances? Is he a workaholic? Is homeschool pushing you over the edge? Are you getting enough sleep? Is the MIL overbearing? etc... This is a hard part of life and it is easy to be short-sighted. A year seems like forever, but really, it isn't. In a year, things may be completely different. Babies grow up and you'll have more time for each other and less energy sucked out of you. Prayers to you and your family :grouphug:

Has anyone donated hair before? Which are good/reputable organizations? Anything I should know in advance? Thanks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKUvKE3bQlY I'm not good at copy and paste. Maybe this will work. It's a good laugh :)

I thought you were talking about my kids.... I schedule snacks (10 and 3:30) and they pick one carb and one protein/fat at each. I'm a person that needs to eat snacks so I can't blame them. Even with a large breakfast including eggs and sausage, I'm starving 2 hours later. I'm thin, and I think we all just must have a good metabolism or something. We eat a lot of fruit and nuts or cheese with it, sometimes popcorn or chips. The grocery bill is scary. Now a 5th child has started eating solid foods!

I'm still stuck on wondering if the original caretakers of Duncan had a decontamination room, where they are sprayed off with disinfectant before removing their PPE. I'm under the impression they had paper disposable gowns, etc. At what point do they go from 'dirty' to 'clean'. You can't take off your booties and step down in the same spot without walking though a disinfectant type bath, or it's contaminated. Am I the only one stuck on this? Why is it not protocol here to use plastic suits that can be disinfected?! That's what they are doing in Liberia, and this is American for goodness sake! Following CDC's protocol is worthless if the protocol isn't appropriate for the situation. Anyone who contracts this or has it needs to be sent to a special containment facility. Period. Then people wouldn't be freaking out watching all the management and all the workers run in circles trying to figure out what to do. I'm a registered nurse, I know PPE is very necessary, but at the same time, a joke. I've seen so many mishaps. Hospitals are filthy and germs are spread. Yes, they are greatly reduced by handwashing and proper PPE, but not 100%. People aren't 100% foolproof. To contain Ebola, the sick need to be separated into a different facility as soon as possible. Regular hospitals are not equipped or prepared for this. Thankfully the two nurses were sent to other facilities. I'm very saddened that they got sick. I believe it could have been prevented if Duncan was taken to an appropriate facility.

The first thing I thought of - which is different than a lot of what has been shared - is all these breastfeeding books that say nursing shouldn't hurt. WHAT?! No, you're right, peeling, bleeding nipples don't hurt, especially when the scabs are sucked off again in a few hours. After several babies I realized that they are latched on right and nursing does hurt for the first week or two. How many moms stop nursing because they think their baby isn't latched on correctly, when in fact they are? I had lactation consultants who had NEVER even nursed before. That's like having someone teach you how to drive a car when they've never done it. Good gravy.

Other, I take a shower with my husband. Lol. (seriously though!) Maybe you just need to shower with your husband on a daily basis. :ohmy: I guess I never thought of if take is the correct way to say it, but it sounds the best to me. It does make me think of some people in this rural area in which I live... they say "I need to put gas on." Gas on what? You put in in the car, not on it.

Back to Ebola... they let those kids go to school because they weren't showing symptoms? Doesn't it take up to 3 weeks to show symptoms? How contagious are people before the symptoms show? I'm still thinking of all the door handles and toilets the man touched.....

You have received great advice. You have to be brutal. If you can, do it with your dh or a friend. I have 4 young girls so I know what it's like! I kept only one tote per size max. I had a hard time getting rid of the rest but when I did, it was a relief. Think of how many clothes fit in their dresser or closet. You don't need any more. Just like the one poster said - only 8-10 outfits, 2-3 dress outfits per size. You will get more hand me downs and if you really need something it's worth it to just go out and buy a couple pairs of pants than spend days each year sorting and storing. If it is super nice stuff and you have time (what's that?!), you could always have a thrift sale.

It didn't say where! I was wondering the same thing. Maybe I can find out. I don't like importing dairy products.

We dairy farm and in our check from the co-op we ship milk to there are newsletters. It stated that butter is in high demand because it's 'trendy' - people are switching from margarines to butter because it is natural and healthier. This has caused inventories to drop, sending the price up. There were a lot of butter exports in the first half of 2014 due to previous commitments, also lowering our inventory. But there are butter imports on their way, so price is expected to drop. According to history of these trends, it'll take about a year to close the global and domestic market gap. The milk price is high right now (yay for us! Not for consumers...) but is expected to sharply drop into 2015. We still have butter for 2.50 - 3.50 around here, but I live in the Dairy State :) In my opinion, I think grocery stores unnecessarily keep the price up despite market drops in prices (the price they pay for it.)

I am no expert in this so maybe others have better advice. My son does really well with Spell to Write and Read. It is rather teacher intensive, at least in the beginning it is because of the huge learning curve. You may or may not want that. I like the OG methods of spelling. It works well for the logically minded type. AAS was too slow, too many levels to buy for us. You could buy the manuals and not use tiles if that is cumbersome. I have looked at Logic of English many times and it is a similar type of program, but appears to be more open and go than SWR. You may want to look at that. HTH!

I thought that was interesting, too. I do worry about her identity being known though....