:grouphug::grouphug: Praying for you. It IS stressful. But I agree with a PP who said to let go of some of the guilt. You are a mother of young children, with a very busy husband. Your mission work right now is being a Godly mom to your kids and support to your husband. Other things will come at a different time in your life..when your kids are older, and you aren't being pulled in more directions than you can count. Maybe dh's new job is God's way of telling you that this is your time to focus on your family...ministry can come later. Losing a friend is hard too. Try to reach out and make new ones that can understand your life right now. Just that support alone can make a world of difference. :grouphug:

Has anyone here used it? It's a site similar to Paperback Swap, only they do video games, DVD's and books. Swaptree.com. Is it as good as Paperback Swap?

Name the day :)

If ya want an in-person teacher and need to borrow a canner, let me know. ;) I make a mean jam.

Well, I used to hate it. But dh and I have started bike riding. I LOVE that. Time with dh, and it's fun. I also enjoy walking our dog. Now...the elliptical I hate. The gym, I hate. Aerobics videos I hate.

I grew up in TN, and I'm now living in TX....my grandmother used "Don't be ugly" all the time. I also heard "I'm gonna jerk a knot in your tail"and "Snatch you bald headed". My favorite ever is my MIL saying someone's messy hair "looks like a stump full o' grand-daddies"

First, I would take EVERYTHING out of the room and start from a bare room. Bring back only the toys that you feel are essential to the preschool (or keeping toddler occupied). You could purchase another cube and bins for more of the small stuff. Keep one basket for art supplies (even if it's not full...it will be eventually) Keep each type of toy in another bin, with a photo on the front so even the non-readers can help pick up. Minimize the folders/papers your dd needs. If she's ADD, the less the better (I have a organizing challenged child too) I've weeded it down to ONE notebook (5 subject) and a few binders. I use a plastic bin for each child, and all their workbooks, notebook and binders go in it. They are up on a shelf, within reach. I have ONE basket for finished papers that need to be checked. I have a bin for each child for their loose small things like favorite pencils, crayons, etc. I keep all other books on shelves that are labeled by subject, with two shelves dedicated to what we are currently working on (you may only need one right now) For example, I have all our readers and misc books for this year on those shelves. Set up centers. A kitchen center with the play kitchen and one basket/bin for the play food. A block center with a small table and one bin for the blocks. Etc. With your room, you have a place for a work table in the middle. I would get a small sturdy table with chairs for everyone. Get another bookshelf or two and plastic tubs that will fit on them. If you put a lot of the smaller toy in bins, they won't look so cluttered. Maybe large basket for the baby dolls? (We have the same issue here....too many dolls! But they are in their rooms so I don't have to see them all day)

Yep. Pre-homeschooling, I had my craft room. Scrapbooking, drawing, photography, crafts, etc. Then the homeschoolers moved in :lol: It's actually worked out well...all things are in easy reach. It does make much more mess potential in a smaller area though. Now that we've moved to a much smaller house, we have all of that crammed in to a small dining room and a closet. Still works better than nothing, but I do miss my spread. I also keep rearranging things because I keep thing of better ways to organize.

Lol. Yeah, come fall, you may actually be glad to tell the garden good bye, because it can quickly look like some sort of horror movie aftermath. :) At least mine did when everything started dying off in the fall.

Well, I drive a little Kia Spectra. And with 3 tall girls that are quickly getting even taller, the back seat stays a little cramped. That said, I LOVE my car, and it has a HUGE trunk. Great gas mileage too. I do think we'll eventually head back to the mini-van scene only because I really miss being able to bring extra kids along to things.

How about pastor's wife in training? DH is in seminary, with the expectation of pastoring some day.

My most used are my Betty Crocker cookbook to go to for the basics on how to make things I may not have made before, and my Farm Journals baking cookbook. I have yet to find a bad recipe in the Farm Journals book. It's where I finally learned how to make light fluffy biscuits! lol. The rest of my recipes come from google searches when I'm looking for something specific...but most often I wing it.

Another book I can recommend is I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist It really helped me when I was unsure and searching. And even if you aren't sure what you believe, begin praying for understanding...it helps ;)

I've been friends with someone for 18 years, 15 of which I have disagreed with her parenting. I've learned to try to suggest things when she's frustrated and seems to be asking for help, but otherwise I don't bring it up. Her kids aren't in danger physically, and she doesn't abuse them, so it's not worth family strife.

I just moved here 6 months ago, and knew NO one. From experience, you really just have to get out of your comfort zones and put yourself out there. Even if it means church without dh, or searching out opportunities to meet people. See what kind of volunteering you can do in your area. Search Yahoo groups and see if there are any for homeschoolers (or for what ever hobbies you may have) in your area. I've met many people through things I've found on local message boards. At first I jumped at every single HS group I could find until I found a group that we fit in with. I'm also still meeting new people through volunteering at the Food Bank, and through 4-H. It's a lot of work, and sometimes it's uncomfortable, but it's been worth it for me to just not feel isolated and lonely.

He's mostly my encourager, and back up disciplinarian. He also helps me 'get away' from it when I need to. I look at homeschooling as my 'day job'. Some other families may not like it that way, but it works for us. I let him know how we are doing periodically and talk to him if I'm unsure about a decision I'm making, but for the most part I handle it all. It would be more stressful for me if I had to split it with him...lol. (Just like it would be stressfull for him if he had to collaborate with me with his job) I'm a bit of a control freak though.

I do wish dh and I had agreed on some of the names I REALLY like, but he hated..lol. I've told the girls the names I liked, and they really like them...so maybe I'll get grandkids with those names someday. I don't dislike the girls names though...they suit them.

My girls like them. My oldest inhales books like air. She can read faster than me, and comprehend on my level. She goes through a 2 ft stack of books a week. Yet, she LOVES graphic novels. She likes the art work in them, and will often read the graphic novel version of books she's already read, and vice versa. So, just like the food we eat...they aren't a bad thing if your reading 'diet' is varied.

It's the first time I've ever taken one of these tests. I'm an ENFJ, and the description is kind of eerie to read. :huh:

Not AFTER a successful pregnancy, but I did have two before my first dd was born. I've had three dd's (one set of twins) with no complications, or medical intervention to carry to term. I'm so sorry for your loss, it is hard to go through. Not that it will make you feel any better, but I think miscarriages are more common than people realize. Many, many women I know have had at least one.

You can also get cricket food at the pet store that is food and water in one. It's relatively cheap too. (We used to have to keep crickets alive for our pet geckos)

Seems like we are always on the go anymore. I run the girls around mostly. There are piano lessons, library volunteering, working at the food bank, hs group park days. Then there is the grocery shopping, running errands, etc. Plus we have church. This fall we are potentially adding in choir and handbells. I don't know how or when..lol. And dh will be back in school. I have made some friends within our hs group, so I enjoy the park day as much as the kids. At home, we bike, clean, cook, read, and mess around in whatever crafty thing that has grabbed our attention.

If you were in TX we'd come! ;) We are having the same pity party this year. We've always had a big shin-dig on the 4th. Now we've moved to a new state and no party for us...everyone we kind of know has plans. :glare: But I'm making my usual 4th BBQ fare, and we'll just enjoy it as a family, then go see some town shoot off fireworks. :lol:

I pick #2 as well. But what I would LOVE to see are more organic/whole food cookbooks that have normal everyday recipes in them that my kids would actually try. I get tired of picking up cook books for 'kids' that include things like grilled mahi mahi with a side of dilled escargo...or whatever. My kids have simple tastes, and I have a hard time finding new recipes that aren't something you'd find at a 5 star french restaurant. :tongue_smilie:

We used to have an old oven, probably around 1950 model. I LOVED it. We only got rid of it because we didn't have the space for it any more (it was in an attached apartment we converted to a work shop) I ALWAYS made our thanksgiving turkeys and slow roasted ribs in it. It was awesome. That said...we had an old fridge when we first got married. It was a huge pain that never kept anything cold enough and grew enough frost in a couple of weeks to fill up the freezer compartment. (It certainly looked cool though...lol)