These turn out well (just like "regular" cookies). We've been GF for 8 years and this my favorite sugar cookie recipe. Sugar Cookies â…“ cup butter â…“ cup shortening ¾ cup sugar 1 cup white rice flour 1 tsp xanthan gum 1 egg 1 TBS milk 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla ¼ tsp salt ½ cup tapioca flour ½ cup potato starch flour Sweet rice flour for rolling Beat butter, shortening, and sugar. Add rice flour, xanthan, egg, milk, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. Mix. Add tapioca and potato starch flours. Mix. Cover and chill in refrigerator for 3 hours. Roll out dough on sweet rice flour with plastic wrap on top. Cut into shapes and place on cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. Cool, and then, add icing, sprinkles, etc.

No, 6 is too young. Somewhere around 10 seems "average" to me as far as kids being ready to handle that.

Our favorites are: Udi's for sandwich bread. Gluten Free Pantry Pie Crust Mix or Really Great Foods Pie Crust Mix for pie crusts.

You submit a 1 page affidavit each year basically saying that you plan to homeschool and you meet the basic requirements to do so (you aren't a criminal, graduated high school, etc.). It must be notarized. You meet with an evaluator (of your choice) at the end of the school year and they review your portfolio and write a a letter saying you did or didn't meet the requirements of the law. You submit the portfolio and letter to the school district. Kids must be tested in 3rd, 5th, and 8th grade (you can pick from a list of tests). Portfolio basically needs: samples of work from each subject log to show you had school for 180 days or 900 hours elementary/990 hours secondary letter from evaluator standardized testing on the years you need to test I have not found it to be difficult to comply with Pa requirements. AskPauline is a good website for more information.

I have looked all over and concluded that a lit guide doesn't exist for this book. I guess I have to re-read the book and create my own....

Does anyone have recommendation for a literature guide or web link to a guide for Black Star, Bright Dawn? I used this book with my older child and had a web page bookmarked with a guide, but the link doesn't work anymore.

I really couldn't do this without a supportive spouse. You need someone to remind you why you are doing this when it has been one of "those days". And, yes, he was all for homeschooling first.

We start tomorrow, too. We won't have donuts for breakfast, but we will go out for the best Chocolate Mousse Waffles for lunch!:)

7, order of operations...

"i don't wanna clean 3 bathrooms." If your main concern is cleaning the bathrooms, I would tell you to put in the extra bathroom. Your kids are young now, but in a few years you they can be trained to clean the bathrooms. Also, once puberty hits, no one wants anyone in bathroom with them, so more bathrooms become more helpful. If you don't do more bathrooms, put a door on the toilet areas and/or tub areas to separate them from the sinks. Resale- more bathrooms are better. But, if this is your "forever home" that doesn't matter. Good luck, all the decisions with building can be overwhelming,

As the mom who lives in "big" house, is there anything I can do to make you feel more welcome at my house? Is there anything I can do to make you feel comfortable inviting my kids or me to your house? Of course, I don't talk about "stuff" or money to you. And, I would (really) be comfortable visiting your smaller house.