If I'm sick, sick then I let 'em watch tv and eat twinkies. As long as it's quiet and I can rest/sleep/puke-in-peace then I'm good.:D

Any suggestions for a good online spanish immersion course? I would prefer to just use one program but I have a 12 year old and an 8 year old so I'm wondering if I need more of an elementary program for my 3rd grader and something a little more advanced for my 7th grader. Help. Please.

My DD fractured her wrist last spring... I expected NO writing until she could do so without pain and then made allowances for neatness after she could. The padding wore down inside her cast after a couple of weeks and she ended up with a blister on her thumb (which was also casted) because of trying to write with her cast on. It ended up infected, they had to change her cast AND she had to start on antibiotics. If I had it all to do over again I would have forbidden her from writing at all. I'm not sure if her writing had anything to do with it, but what should have been a simple six weeks in a cast turned into a looooong nine weeks by the time it was all said and done. :grouphug: to you and your DS... praying for a fast and painless healing for him.

I set my alarm for 5:50am. I'm grumpy in the morning :eek: and need the time to enjoy a cup of coffee before the midget types wake up.

I agree! My 8 year old DS is 20/60 in one eye and 20/100 in the other. He started wearing glasses when he was four... we actually found out he needed them completely on accident. (Long story.) All this to say that there is nothing to worry about. For what it's worth, we've never had any trouble with him not wanting to wear his glasses either. He loves to be able to see (LOL) and he doesn't have headaches when he wears them.

How do you actually create one? I've searched and can't seem to figure it out...

Wow, thanks for this thread. I was also looking at using HO with my 7th and 4th grader next year. I hadn't considered adding in SOTW 3. Thanks for the link to the schedule combining the two. I appreciate it!!

Oh. My. Word. I did live in a former funeral home as a child in England. The actual funeral home moved around the corner but every now and then we would still get a knock on the door from someone saying their old lady Aunt had died down the street. My parents always said they were saving for therapy, and not college. :D It's the reason I'm so well adjusted.

:lurk5: Bump.

Ummm, pictures please?? I wanna see how it turned out. :D

:iagree: Same situation here...

:iagree: Me too.

I've been running for years and one thing I've noticed is there are a lot of over-weight long distance runners. (I was one of them for years, so trust me, I know what I'm talking about....) I experienced a similar problem and gained a few pounds when I first started out, and then never really lost the weight I wanted to when I first started running. Until I had an epiphany. :D Ever seen an overweight sprinter? Add some sprints into your workout routine, my friend. The weight literally fell off of me and I've been a happy size 4 ever since. :001_smile: HTH

Wow, I guess I'm the only bath taker here. The last time I had a shower was after my C-section when I was forbidden to bathe. :D I do run a finite amount of water, but I often have to add hot after it grows cold. Love, love, love to soak. :001_smile:

Bwa ha ha ha ha... :iagree: :lol::lol:

Oh, I don't think we should be too hard on ourselves as mothers. Leave the guilt trip for others to dole out.:tongue_smilie: Shaving legs, make-up... all of it, I think it's a personal decision between a mother and her precious dd. Some girls may not be aware or care about hair on their legs.... that's perfectly fine. But I do think some girls are a little more aware of their bodies at a younger age. My dd started going into puberty at 9 so we had address body changes at a much younger age than some families. I don't think I did anything to make my dd (11) want to shave her legs this summer. Except shave my own.:D She simply noticed that she had a lot of dark hair on her legs and was embarrasssed by it. We explored it a bit, had a girl day together and painted our toes and put curlers in our hair and I was able to grasp a little bit more of what she was feeling. I didn't feel like she was jumping off the deep end by asking so I said yes. All this to say that I think you simply have to meet your dd wherever she is and base your decision on their emotional and physical maturity. Girls are awesome, yes?

:iagree: BTW... I grew up at Lakenheath. You can't go wrong, my friend. Oh, and eat at Brown's while you're there. Great little restaurant in Cambridge across from the university. The mushrooms are to die for.

I allowed my dd (11) to start shaving this summer. The hair on her legs was dark and she was embarrassed to wear skirts. She hasn't mentioned make-up yet but I'll probably introduce some light lip gloss, etc when she turns 13. I would consider allowing her to wear it before then if she was interested... just my 2 cents worth.:001_smile:

Matched by Allie Condie. (Don't quote me on the spelling of the author's name.) My dd and I both loved it. It is the first in a trilogy... book two is coming out next month and we are counting down the days. Let me know how you like it.:001_smile:

You've gotten some really good suggestions so far... I would also second the need for a stats class. I've heard TT doesn't go as in depth as some of the other math curricula so you might want to double check her mad math skillz in Pre-Cal and Trig. Anatomy and Physiology are great choices for science... Apologia wouldn't be my first choice though as it also seems to lack the depth needed for a career in nursing. I would also choose advanced Biology and Chemistry over physics. If you're still trying to fill a year with science and you've completed those I would go with a microbiology class or pathophysiology at a CC. Spanish will prove beneficial if she does decide to go into nursing... (I'm a nurse... wish I knew more....):tongue_smilie: HTH!!

Here you go... my go-to list for care packages for my dh... the same list I give to all of our wives when they need ideas as well. Baby wipes... they use them for everything. Personal hygiene, cleaning their weapon, wiping off their eating utensils... everything. Beef jerky, Slim Jims or Energy bars... any food that is easily transportable and doesn't spoil. Protein snacks help even out their blood sugar when they're in the field. Just make sure the slim jims are ALL beef. Pork and pork products are not allowed in the country. Neither is fruit, so make sure any trail mix you send out is fruit-free. Canned nacho cheese and chips are also great. Try and downplay high sugar items as they can "crash" afterwards. My dh also likes the individual packets of powdered drink mixes that he can add to his water bottle. His favorite hot sauce. Field food can be incredibly bland and it's easily transportable and doesn't take up a lot of space. Buy the smallest bottle you can find. Wrap it in a baggie (twice) and then duct tape it before you send it in the mail. If it breaks it won't destroy everything else in the box. Lawrys season salt is also a much coveted item. Trail mix, sunflower seeds, small jolly ranchers. atomic fire balls (candy), individually wrapped sweet tarts, gum, lifesavers etc. The guys like to hand the candy out to the Afghani/Iraqi children to help build relationships in the community. Plus it's fun for them to eat too. Skin So Soft by Avon (it's a type of oil) is a fantastic bug repellent and also helps keep their skin moisturized after spending the day in the dust/sand. It works wonders and he'll bless you for it, even though he'll smell like a girl. :D Eye drops- they help flush dust and sand out of the eyes and minimize redness. Systane lubricating drops for dry eye, and Visine Allergy for redness seem to work the best. You can buy both over the counter. Zip Lock bags of all sizes (freezer bags are best as they're more durable) are also appreciated. The guys can store all sorts of stuff in them and protect their belongings from the elements. A small medical kit with bandaids, alcohol wipes, triple antibiotic ointment, etc. He won't always have time to make it to the medic tent for minor cuts and scrapes. Don't feel like you have to buy a kit... make your own!! There's also this really cool spray called New-Skin Liquid Bandage that is awesome (you can buy it over the counter too) and keeps them from getting sand trapped beneath bandages. It's also wonderful if they're trying to get blisters on their feet to heal. Also useful: zip ties, electrical tape or duct tape (military green, tan, black or grey), dental floss, safety pins, small sewing kit, waterproof matches... make sure they are in a small non-flammable tin container, bullion cubes (great for sodium replacement), individual packets of gatorade/lemonade/kool-aid that they can add to their water bottles (think i already mentioned this one...), small aloe packets for sunburn, small bottle of tylenol, motrin, antidiarrheal and tums, Q-tips, tube of anti-fungal cream for athletes foot (not the spray kind) and other small toiletry items. Moleskin - covers sores on the feet. Think plush, cushy bandaids. An extra pair of sunglasses... goggle type sunglasses are usually in high demand because they help keep the sand out of their eyes. The military issues a lot of these items but they usually break a few weeks into the deployment... an extra pair is always nice. Socks, socks, socks. The guys have a hard time taking care of their feet and can always use extra pairs. Green boot cut socks are best but I think most forward deployed troops are allowed to wear what they can get their hands on. Small, travel sized items, single serve items and tablets are easier for them to manage. Fun stuff like a frisbee, hackey sack, nerf football, hand held games, deck of cards... (don't forget extra batteries for any games you send out.) I usually send holiday decorations too... it makes for a festive tent to sleep in at any rate. Don't forget to include tape so they can hang 'em up. THINGS NOT TO SEND: Anything that melts (if you just must send chocolate, send M&Ms). Waterless Hand Cleaner/Sanitizer - generally makes mud and wipes are preferred. If you do decide to send some anyway make sure it doesn't have alcohol in it. It's usually not allowed inside the country. Flashlights - Everybody has one and never gets to use it due to visible light discipline restrictions. Crazy. Sun Screen - already issued in mass quantities, they are drowning in the stuff. Liquor of any sort. Any magazines or other periodicals that show women with skin showing above the ankles and/or wrists (basically anthing other than a head shot). It is considered pornography in the middle east. They periodically open packages for inspection and he could be reprimanded if you send it. Hope this helps!!!

Hi.:seeya: iamrachelle I am a PM virg!n.:D

August... but it's only a few hour drive for us to our neighboring state. We have family there so we pop over every couple of months for a visit. It's only an hour to the border.:D

I also have one IRL friend from these boards... we met way before our homeschooling journey began. Our babies were still in diapers. Still, it is nice to know someone here... other than her, I have no WTM friends.:tongue_smilie:

And I keep reading this thread as "irritable bowel syndrome"...