We used them to floor our entire house. I agree with previous posters: buy all you think you will need plus extra. But otherwise, our floors are beautiful and have held up very well so far!

If it is out of line, then I was out of line too. I had a fit when I saw cigarette butts strewn throughout our house while they were building. I thought it was terribly rude, and I didn't want my brand new house to smell like cigarettes.

Doritos chocolate chip cookies Ben and Jerry's (any flavor will do) ETA: just realize these are all things I am intolerant to, and have been craving like mad since going off wheat and dairy.

Except when they don't. Older kid, but a friend of my daughter's drug herself to my house, spent the night coughing her head off, could barely drag herself to the car when they went shopping together the next day, etc...because she had the flu. That same flu ran through our house afterwards like a wild fire, cost untold amounts of money in Dr. visits, and two months later I am still dealing with health fall out from it. I would have appreciated it greatly if she'd just called and said "see you another time, I feel like death". lol.

I just wanted to add... We aren't pushing our newly adult child to move out. In fact, all of our kids have a standing invitation to live here for as long as they like. We even realize that in today's economy, that may even mean after they get married! However, I do want to see a spark of independence in my 18 year old. I don't want to have to do all the thinking and deciding for her as she's making the transition from high school.

And autocorrect gets me again. I will clean that post up when I am not on my phone !

I'm one of the guilty ones. My name change has less to do with a sudden realization that it is public (as I have always known and warned my kiddos) and more to do with a shift in my overall desire to be a little less quotable. This has been something on my mind a lot more in recent months, and the article was just the catalyst to get it done. Yes, I'm still very find-able online. I'm just going to make lazy reporters that want to quote out of context have to work a little to figure me out. More of my online presence will be shifting to something more compatible with a professional, and I would like a place or two to let my hair down a bit. I will continue to be careful with what I say online, as always.

*waving from the frustration train* My 18 yo is going to be a very slow to launch child I think. She will not do one thing to move herself forward without that pushing and pulling. Yes, she would absolutely sit and become a lump. She is supposed to be looking for a part-time job. I've had to tell her every single place to apply to, remind her several times to apply, physically take her there about half the time, etc. She has a car and the time. Same with school. She has to pick a major for CC. ANY major, I didn't care...she just needed a goal. Because of it being free if she goes now, we feel like she has to go. It was like pulling teeth. It wasn't that she didn't want to go to school, it was that she just doesn't want to make those choices, or grow up at all. I actually told her the other day to quit asking permission for everything and just go have some sort of life! She looked horrified. I will admit, I have trouble even relating to that mindset. I moved out of my parents home at 16, worked full time by 17, and was running my own household. I know she isn't me, and I try not to think about it that way, but a hint of independence would be nice. Her younger sisters even find her a mystery, as they can't wait to move out! lol.

Well, I was nice and didn't change my profile pic :) I'll probably leave it as is for a while, so I can at least get used to my OWN new name.

Well, it did prompt me to do something I've been meaning to do for a while. For the privacy of my kids, who are becoming fledgling adults, I'm going to move my online presence to something a tad more anonymous, starting by changing my user name here, lest I get quoted..lol.

Hardwood with a rug for his tootsies. I hate carpet though. We have a combo of hardwood, laminate, and vinyl (bathrooms) in our house. We've had tile floors before and I don't like cleaning them.

This may not be a popular answer for this board, but I don't really give grades. I have to submit grades to our umbrella school, so I go by this guideline: if they did the work and learned the material, they get an A. If they have done the work, but maybe struggled with a concept or two or were not putting in quite as much effort as they could, they get a B. If they are trying to do the work, but keep having trouble, then we reevaluate what we are doing and shift gears. I don't give Cs or below. After seeing first hand how public schools and colleges grade, I don't feel bad about this at all. We do the ACT, and the scores do/will back up that they are good students. They've taken a few outside classes that back this up as well. I think colleges are going to look at that far more than grades for homeschoolers.

The only thing that works for me is to eat less and move more. I love food. I don't love exercise. When we lived in an area where it was easy to walk TO places or ride a bike, I lost a ton of weight. We moved to an area that you have to drive to safe places to walk or ride, and I hate doing it. I put on a TON weight. Stomach issues have forced a diet change, so I'm losing again, but not without effort. Also, the older I get, the easier it is to gain and the harder it is to lose.

I second not shelving the higher math before trying other options. My oldest struggled mightily with math. Saxon was a nightmare, and not a good fit at all for us. It took her two years to get through Algebra I. We went through a couple of programs over the years, and finished out with Teaching Textbooks. Anyway, she matured and learned enough to get a B in Statistics in college last semester.

The things that work best for me have been prepared meats thAt you can quickly cook pasta or rice with. In my freezer I have: beef sliced for fajitas with seasonings, onions and peppers Italian chicken (similar to the fajita mix with Italian seasonings and tomatoes) A bag of meatballs meatloaf shredded chicken beef stew ingredients (without the potatoes) Taco soup freezes well. Don't freeze recipes with rice, pasta or potatoes. It will turn out mushy. Squashes don't freeze well either unless it is something like shredded zucchini in bread.

Yes I have, and yes it was done to me. It is usually in a place the kid can't reach. (ears, back, etc.) I also have to add, all the facial cleansing, remedies, plans, etc. in the world won't help some people. I, and two of my daughters, have skin that is very very prone to horrible acne as a teen/young adult. I absolutely hated it as a teen, and knew that a large portion of the population assumed it was from lack of proper hygiene (which made me even more embarrassed about it. It isn't.

It IS happening a lot this year. I hardly ever get sick, and when I do I'm usually over it in a few days. I have been sick literally all winter. It started with the flu and went downhill from there. I've been to the doc more in the past 2 months than I have in the past 2 years! I'm sorry your dh is being jerky about it. That isn't helpful at all. It isn't an excuse, but he is likely afraid. Is he a worrier by nature?

It isn't too early if it works for your family. Our family doesn't all get up at the same time. Dh wakes up around 6:30. I get up at 6 on days I have school. One DD 14 gets up on her own around 7. The other DD 14 gets up anywhere between 8 and 9. On days DD 18 doesn't have to go to school she will easily sleep until 1 or so in the afternoon.

Not a trend, but as a "mis-spelled" adult, it does get annoying to have to spell my name out all the time. Especially when it is a rather common name with an uncommon spelling.

We are fairly conservative Baptists. None of our kids will go to a Christian university, most likely. IMO, people that assume that going to a Christian university will shield them from secular behavior and beliefs have blinders on. Honestly, my kids have to grow up, live, and work in a secular world. Their choice of going to a secular University doesn't faze me. I've done my part in raising them in a Christian home. If that didn't take by 17-19 years old, then there isn't much left to be done on my part anyway. ETA....I'm responding in the assumption that the people the OP is talking about are thinking that they are accomplishing something more Christian or protective by only considering Christian schools and not even looking at other schools. There is nothing WRONG with going to one.

For selling, pack up every non-essential item you have (most personal decor included) and put it in storage if you can. Your Realtor will try to talk you into doing this anyway, and a minimally decorated, clutter free home will sell faster. The added bonus is that you are ahead of the game with packing. Label boxes very clearly. Mark the ones you want opened immediately. Just plan on taking a break from school for about 2-3 weeks. It will make life easier on everyone.

Red beans and rice, cajun style, with polish sausage. I throw red beans, okra, onions, bell peppers, creole seasoning and sliced sausage all in the crock pot to cook all day. Serve over rice.

If you continue to feel weird or have any other odd symptoms, I would see a doctor. But, yes, migraines can do some pretty weird things. I have speech difficulties the day or so before a big one hits. I sometimes sound drunk or like I've lost about half my IQ because I will stumble over words or use the wrong ones. Sometimes during a migraine, and for hours afterwards, I have trouble seeing clearly. I have had flashes of light a very small number of times during an attack. I almost always have migraine hangovers that last for 2-24 hours...I feel foggy and and slow.

I wish this thread had been posted about three months ago! What a great idea!

A lot of it has to do with the age of your children as well (I see yours are very young). I was unable to do much at all, art-wise, when my kids were small. I am just this year really beginning to pick up my art and other things that are just for me. You can see how old my kids are...lol. I did manage to squeeze in very small projects here or there, but honestly it mostly was set aside for the time.