Alright already, I already did it! I'm just bumpin' up your post!

Well, quite honestly, I think I am a meaner mom homeschooling, but I am also a better one. My kids were in public school for 6 years before we started homeschooling. I said "Hurry, we are late!" about 30 times everyday. I brushed off discipline problems as something that would disappear when they went to school for the day. I wasn't as relaxed with them. We know each other very well now! When I am mean, they don't take it as personally as they did before, because they are more assured of my love, because I have had more time to express it.

Fred Meyers carries it in the gallon jugs here, but the Safeway stores only have 1/2 gallons. With a house full of milk drinkers, a gallon is the only way to go.

I meant to say...If she resents it, or isn't enjoying the experience, I would pull back, and give her a break. But if it is just going slow... keep plugging!

It sounds like it hasn't "clicked" yet, but once it does, she will have all that info stored somewhere. I thought my youngest would never, ever learn to read. We were struggling along like you are when she was 7, reading the lowest level books. I was trying to push those easy chapter books, of which I had a collection, when overnight, she was suddenly reading real chapter books! We never even read the lower level ones. Keep plugging away!

I always liked that one too. I think I liked to imagine myself suffering with them... must be my martyr complex.

Why do you think I am opening a curriculum bookstore?!!!!! Actually, I've never gone completely crazy actually purchasing it, but I sure do like to window shop. Now that I can buy everything I can find, because somebody is *going to buy it* I am like a kid in a candy store. And I can finally justify to my dh those hours and hours I spent online looking at it.

I just paid about that much for my son and I to go from Anchorage to Las Vegas for a gymnastics meet. I am rarely lucky with airfare. Actually it has nothing to do with luck and everything to do with not actually planning. Sigh!

I know there are a few of us on here. We are in Wasilla.

See! I told ya'. But at least you weren't offended. YAWN.

After causing offense a few times, by sarcasm not coming through clearly, I have become very careful, hence my posts are soooo bland that they are usually BORING. LOL.:) The smilies should come in handy!

I consider poinsettias "disposable plants"! My mom manages to keep them alive, but I don't think she has ever gotten one to "bloom" again. Good luck!

I feel like I won't ever be a worker bee either! I feel like I am posting more than I ever have before, and I still have some measly little number of posts. That probably means I should just go be a real worker bee, and do my laundry or contact more vendors or update my website or....

I am shanmar. I live in Alaska, where I was born and raised. I am married to Leny for 17 years, and we own 4 mostly lovely children (I have hope that the 12 yo will become lovely once again). They are Amanda - 16, a sophmore at a local tech school, specializing in cullinary arts; Blake - 14, a level 10 gymnast and a pretty good hockey player; Connor - the infamous 12 yo, he was born into the wrong family, because all he wants to do is hunt and fish, but all we let him do is play hockey and soccer; and Delaney, the 10 yo, who is a level 5 gymnast and a pianist. I also own a B&B and we are opening a bookstore!

You can bake up the salmon like normal, then break it up and add it too fettucine with an alfredo sauce. I really like that. (Usually, I am too lazy to make a white sauce, so I just dump heavy cream and parmesan over the hot noodles.) Salmon patties, with a lot of garlic, are good. Enjoy it, however you end up fixing it!

I didn't start homeschooling till my kids were K, 3rd, 4th & 6th. Originally, it was just going to be for one year. Quickly, we realized that it was very good for them to be home. I told them that when they got to high school, they could choose. My oldest went to school as a sophmore this year, and my next one will be a freshman in public school next year. I don't know yet what the other two will do. For me, it is a natural time to transition. Middle school is too rough of a time, but high school has many more options. I like watching them take control of their lives. My dd was very hard to motivate last year, and yet this year she is thriving and #7 in her class. I had no idea she was capable of such a thing!!

LOL, I fall in the hippie department as well. I don't think my kids are actually awake when we start school. So all they do is drag themselves out of bed, and fall back asleep in the living room. I bribe them with hot chocolate and they slowly gain consciousness. It doesn't help that it is still very dark at 9:00 when we start school. Meanwhile, as the only morning person in the whole family, I have been awake since 6:30 enjoying my coffee and quiet.

Yes, last week, even before the new board, I was on WTM and completely and totally broiled the nachos I was making for my dd. They started on fire. FIRE. The temps were below zero outside, but I had all our windows open. It still smelled 3 days later.

I have been mindlessly posting, when I have a to-do list a mile long, just to make past the "just visiting" stage, in to the "larvae" stage. My day is now complete.

Ahhhhh! I love cold. Yes, I know I'm nuts, but at least I live in the right state. Although I have to say, we were warmer than a lot of you today. (Well besides Amy in Orlando, but she doesn't count.) But last week it was -15.

That is quite the quote Amy! LOL. Well, not really "LOL"... but, well, I think I will go eat some snickerdoodles.

Peek-a-boo, I will keep you in mind...if we don't go broke and have go into hiding with all our books, coffee and curriculum!

...this "just visiting" stuff makes me feel like I forgot to sign in or something.

For the curriculum side of things, we will use SheilaZ's suggestion of "Pandemonium Books: Where reading goes wild", but I think I will change it to "Where learning goes wild". So, SheilaZ, email me and I will give you a $25 gift certificate to use when our store is open!!! Meanwhile go look at our "press" pictures we took today.

...but once we get used to it, it should be good. I really don't have time to be messing around with this today!