I buy clear contact paper and laminate them. It keeps them in so much better condition! Paula

I knit English to knit and continental to purl when I'm going back and forth for stockinette stitch. My pearl is looser somehow when I purl the regular way! My gauge is better w/ reg knit, continental purl. I should teach myself to knit continental as it's supposed to be faster. It's definitely faster for ribbing! just have to train yourself. I watched some u-tubes & started & stopped til I "got" it.

My 17 yr old is going to see this today with a group of girls. If you see a whole bunch of teens giggling...she might be there (in Ft. Wayne of course)

When my dh was laid off this past spring, part of his severance was a firm that was supposed to help him find a job. They advised him to set up an "office" which was away from the hustle & bustle. We set up table in our bedroom. That worked for a while. Now he sits with the laptop at the kitchen table. Drives us nuts, but we work around it. The problem is there aren't enough jobs around here to take up enough of the day so it's frustrating to say the least. Dh is in line w/wanting us to get this hs thing done, so he mostly doesn't interrupt...he's really an asset. I've subbed in the schools here exactly one day. (not an educ major). I'm trying to find a job to supplement unemployment. IT's hard. Good luck.

We went to PLaid PHonics. We didn't go the the entire etc series though.

I have my 3rd grader read sotw to me. If she gets tired- I'll read for some as well. We're on vol 3 of sotw & are enjoying it. Sometimes *we* massacare the pronunciations...but we get the gist of it! We go to the library once a week on gym day & she chooses books for free reading which she reads on her own time. She enjoys her books.

I did the car wax thing on my old shower w/tile & grout & the car wax broke down the grout...either that or the fact that they placed the tile on greenboard instead of cement board? I used daily shower spray & spritz it after I get out...I clean it with scrubbing bubbles a couple times a month. That daily shower spray is some awesome stuff tho. paula

I'mon fb w/ basically relatives from all over the country & my gradeschool & h.s. chums. When there's someone new from my gradeschool, I go thru my list of g.s/h.s. people and suggest those people as friends to the new person. Not all the time but if it's someone new. We also have an email list that we communicate on a couple times a year (our old gradeschool has a st. patrick's day party in march--and there are a couple other events we get updates on). We're a strange group because most of us went thru gradeschool & high school together..and a few went to the same college! (quite a few as it was a commuter college- Univ of Michigan - Dearborn) Paula (who doesn't suggest friends for anyone basically outside this group)

I got my stuff from the buy/sell here as well as ebay. There's not a lot of stuff, but I'm accumulating it. We're into 3A/B as well & I've been successful. Amazon has some of it as well. Paula

My 17 yr old still has a problem with this! I have her put the things she's not using into a plastic box & store it in the basement. She had a HUGE collection of stuff for beading...yet went like a year w/o touching it. She was not ready to give away that investment...so it's out of her room. When she was younger...we had boxes under the bed, etc. We never had as many toys as some of her friends though because grandparents & family typically never gave toys...she had some friends where it was ridiculous!

I requested to be placed on the hold list at the library. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long!

Not using it personally...my old neighbor used it w/great success. I'll be watching this. Paula

Sequential Spelling isn't for everyone. It's not a big deal to start with book one no matter what the age. We do spelling every day & 8 yr old dd doesn't even really study the words anymore before she takes the test. She writes the words she got wrong a couple times & then I retest her on those words. Here is a link to Cathy Duffy's review of SS: http://cathyduffyreviews.com/spelling-vocabulary/sequential-spelling.htm HTH, Paula

Dd--8--ballet teacher was trying to direct us to the american school or something in Fort Wayne, IN. They do school during the morning & ballet in the afternoon. Many of the students get accepted into prestigious ballet programs in the country....I'm not a ballet person..but I remember SF, maybe NY? Don't remember? Anyway, dh is unemployed now...so unless I were to find a job near the studio--45 mi away-it's not going to happen. The give financial aid & they're a high caliber school academically. And high caliber ballet wise. This kid picks up ballet stuff quickly & I have no idea where she got it from It's a right/left mind thing...I think perhaps sort of like piano? I don't know. Paula

3 of my nephews took the ACT multiple times (one took it 4x) and pegged out at 31. My dd took it once and got a 30. We were done with it at that point. Dd took the sat once. I think she got a 1960 which she was disappointed with. She won't retake it as she didn't get a high enuf psat score to make her a nati'l merit scholar. She wasn't homeshooled at all though..she went thru going on 13 yrs of catholic school..inc. kg...I'll have my 10th grade son do the psat books to get a better chance at the nat'l merit scholar thing. They give too many stinkin' tests in Indiana.

I was going to agree with above poster sort of. Catholics. Oh we/I believe the Bible was Divinely Inspired, but you have to be careful to read it with an appreciation of the times it was written in. Bible scholars can verify things & stuff...but today's literal meaning of a word may not match the meaning of a word 2000 or more years ago. HTH.

Dd's first year of ballet was last year at age 7. A former homeschooler teaches the class so it's small and comfortable. There was a recital in may & it was very low key...nice. The kid LOVES ballet--LOVES getting out w/other kids. Dh is unemployed & ballet teacher emailed me & said "bring her and pay me whatever you can". She does it out of her heart more than for profit. WE're blessed to have these circumstances. Again...dd LOVES ballet & is VERY GOOD at it. (don't know where that came from as I have like 2 left feet!) Paula

We're using Sequential Spelling and you do a lesson every day. I like this program as may of the words are "alike"...like you'll get a lot of words with "ght" endings in one lesson...or three words that sound alike w/diff meanings in one lesson. The words are repeated from day to day with different endings--pluralized, changing tenses, etc. My dd does well with it..not for everyone. Paula

hugs. Dh is unemployed & considering a job in Corning, NY--from Indiana! I have a senior in high school & we'd want her to finish out the year so if he took the job, we'd have to seperate & he'd have to find a temp place to live...plus it'd leave me with the bulk of preparing the house & selling it and taking who knows what kind of a hit on ($wise). Very frustrating. Just try to be nice to dh..tell him not to loan out the car! That's a big investment to just loan out! Good luck...it'll all work out...we moved from michigan to indiana 4 yrs ago...now we're looking at moving again? Maybe? Hopefully NOT! Paula

What about buying used? I will have the 3a &b textbooks & hig's available soon. I'm purchasing the other materials used and it's taking a while to find it all, but I'm finding it for less money. Dh is unemployed so I'm trying to be frugal. Paula

My husband bought a stevia plant for the garden & dried the leaves & added it to his tea. Looked pretty disgusting...like coffee grounds or something but it sweetened it. *he's diabetic* Paula

No help, but I'm in somewhat the same situation w/ an 8 yr old. Will be following this for suggestions. Paula

This sounds like my husband's cousin that lives in W Michigan. I heard that they "took a break" from math because the kids didn't like doing it. Sorry-my kid gets tired of math but she still has to do it. Why homeschool if it's too much "work" for the parent? I'm only homeschooling because I feel I can do a better job than the schools. Not much help with your response. I doubt this cousin would respond to anything anyone said because she's doing what she thinks is right I guess. paula

Dang--no free events in my area...although ds would probably not have been enthusiastic. Paula PS. i just clicked on the events tab and it said "zero"

I lost my mom 3 yrs ago. If your mom's just visiting for a while--let it go. Watching that stuff might be fun for you...but it may get old for her. Parents get funny when they get old. Try not to let it bother you...and try to just enjoy her! Paula