I'm committed to this for life. :) Even if I thought there was some other way they could get a 'better' education, I'd still have them at home doing the best we can here. It's not just about quality education, IMO, it's about what's best for the whole person and I firmly believe that our family should spend the majority of its time together, living, learning, working, playing etc. It isn't about 'sacrifice', not to me anyway, it's about living the life I chose when I decided to have children. What am I sacrificing? I can't think of a single thing. I don't think it counts as a sacrifice when the thing you get (i.e. time with the children) is better than anything you could have had instead.

Congratulations!:001_smile:

Congratulations!:001_smile:

Congratulations! :001_smile:

I sympathize, I recognize a lot of what you're saying in myself often. But no one can give you motivation. It really has to come from inside yourself. Are you getting plenty sleep, drinking enough water, eating healthily and getting adequate exercise? Also, what do you find you 'waste' your time on when you would be better off doing homework? Are you just procrastinating or are you spending too much time on social activities or on Facebook, texting, etc.? My motivation to study now is my interest in the subject. Can you work up any enthusiasm for the subjects you are studying? I'd advise against defying your parents, even if you think they are handling things badly. It sounds like they are trying to help you which, at the end of the day is what you want, and is a kindness. Often parents can seem demanding and unreasonable from the point of view of their children when inside they are really worried because (surprise) they LOVE you and want what's best for you now and in the future.

She's beautiful. Congratulations.:001_smile:

:lol: Once when I was pregnant with one of the later ones (I forget now... it all melds into one after a while), I got cramp in my leg just as I was dishing up supper. I was squealing, "Do something!" and dh jabbed me in the ... upper thigh region ... with his fork. It did take my mind of the cramp - I laughed so hard. The boys were all little at the time and any time I was in pain after that for any reason, one of them would suggest, "Fork bum?"

:lol: That reminds me of the time I found a several pictures of faces scratched into the walls and doors of every room in the house - that was back when she was about 2 or 3. There was an odd-looking smiley face on the back of the couch too. And it's not like there's a shortage of paper.........

And now, as I feared they might, the dogs have joined in the conversation.

she said, "It's the vowels, Mummy." That explains it then.

I had to make dh stop calling ds 'Fruit' - short for 'Fruit of my loins.'

Well, it's a looooong brew then!:lol: They are some distance apart, I think. If they are looking to make some teA they're going to have to re-think their strategy.

Two owls outside are driving me crazy. What could they be finding to make so much noise about?

It's the song. That song always makes me cry. I love James Blunt and I'm not ashamed to admit it!

:iagree: I had someone come by unexpectedly the other week who almost immediately commented on how nice it was to see a 'normal' home with stuff lying around. I was happy enough with the state of the place but if I'd known someone was coming I'd have given the bathrooms an extra clean.

I ordered mine from Rainbow Resources without any problems.

My life is full of love and laughter. I am open to new ideas. I am happy doing menial tasks because that's when I think over all those new ideas. I keep trying. I am almost always in a good mood. I don't overreact.

I'm interested to hear what four rules you came up with. I asked the dds this morning, 'Do we have any rules?' They thought no. Then dd5 asked 'How about no jumping on the bed?' Which made me laugh because if she thought that was a rule then she's been breaking it daily for practically her whole life!:lol:

My girls listen to Story of the World and that gets them straight off to sleep! They are bouncing around for at least a couple of hours if they have nothing to listen to. They enjoy listening and ask for Story of the World because they like it but I've noticed that it does have the effect of settling them down to sleep faster.

I think the problem with specific rules is that there just have to be too many of them in order to cover every situation. We don't have rules, not in the way that anyone could state what they are. When something comes up we address it in the light of the understood principles. Often a specific situation has to be discussed (briefly) two or three times before that particular application of the principle is very clearly understood and absorbed. After that a few words of reminder may occasionally be necessary.

12 years:)

Bible and Bible Stories book. Narnia. Detectives in Togas. What Katy Did. Little House books. Little Women. Anne of Green Gables. Winnie the Pooh. The Hobbit. Silver Brumby. Treasure Seekers and Wouldbegoods. There are many more, but those are a few off the top of my head.

Oh, Pam, I'm so sorry to hear this. I hope things will all work out OK for you. I can sympathize about the wrench of leaving a great congregation - we've done that before and although the new one is nice (of course!) I still miss our old one terribly. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

I'd really like to join in but I feel as though I can't because I started the Iliad a couple of weeks ago and I know I'll never get it finished in a week. I'm reading 'A Wrinkle in Time' by Madeleine d'Engle so I can discuss it with my children and also the last of the 'What Katy Did' series - 'In the High Valley', and 'The Magician's Nephew', all for school so I don't suppose any of those count.