I understand that Omnibus has a lot of reading and writing as pertains to history/theology/lit. What I am trying to figure out is if I need another writing program to cover the various types of writing. This will be for 7th grade. Is it needed? Would it just be way too much? And....is a separate geography program overkill? (I am aware of issues with Omnibus, still haven't committed, just exploring options)

Does it have to be a black tea? There are so many good herbals out there to try! Those can also be blended together. As far as good old traditional black tea, I have, in the past, put non-dairy creamer (powder) in my tea with some sugar and it's not terrible (iirc).

Several years ago I went to the chiro to address a serious back issues (like not being able to move). What he discovered was that all the muscles in my back had locked up, from tension from pain, that there was not much he could do to fix the problem until those muscles relaxed. I was nursing, so I couldn't just start popping any old pills. So it took a few days/visits to get sorted out. Since then, when I feel an episode coming on, I need to focus on keeping my muscles relaxed. I use some pain relief and a hot rice sack. Thankfully, I've never had such a bad flare up since.

I have not done latin, but I know that I only spend about 15 minutes going over Koine Greek with my kids. They may be working on it at other times, but my Greek time is 15 min. Art? Does it have to be done every day? Otherwise, it is what it is. You have several breaks built in, so it isn't like everyone is chained to the desk all day. We run from 9-12 with 1 ten min break. Lunch from 12-1. Group work from 1-2. Then I am done teaching (I do have corrections to do) and they can finish their work up. Usually they are all done by 3 at the latest. My 4 kids are in 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 6th. We do not have instrument practice, but if we did, I imagine I would schedule it after our regular work day and into the evenings.

Oh my goodness, I am having this problem with my ten year old! We have a ton of books here, many that he has read several times. I have books I have set aside as school books, those he mostly has not read. Part of me wonders if I should just turn him loose on the classics I have set aside, but then whatever will he read after that? And at just 10 (next week), there are so many books that he could read, but not handle content.

I took all the bedding to the laundry mat at the same time, including couch cushions, kitchen chair cusions-everything. Then I only gave back what was necessary, bottom sheets, pillows and cases, top sheet and thing blanket. Everything else, heavy comforters, pillow pets, couch cushions etc have been bagged up since. We vac'd daily including couches for 2 weeks, then every other day for a week, then twice a week, now, just once a week. The fleas are still around, we see a couple a day. If we had the money, I would get the "magic" pills for the cat, but we don't so he gets bathed twice a week. Honestly, it's a pain, but I am more comfortable with this than chemicals from the chem man. And from my reading, they don't always work b/c the bugs are developing resistances.

There was a big jump in the complexity of problems between fourth and fifth grade for Abeka. They were definitely multi step, requiring different functions of different types of numbers. I think Abeka was enough and did not supplement. Not only are there examples on the daily worksheets, but there are homework and supplemental pages in the workbook as well (which we did not need to use last year as my daughter was not having issues). So, even if fourth grade is more simple, they catch you up the next year. Abeka is very much about getting facts down before complicating matters.

Wow! It never occurred to me to do this! I will be updating my resume tonight. I've had it out there a few weeks and have gotten a few rejections and a lot of silence. I know it is the ten year gap! Showing what I've done those ten years will probably help!

Mint Jelly

We loved RSO. We basically did it twice a week, although there were a few things I skipped or doubled up, so we finished a bit early (but that is not a bad thing....). For my older students, I wrote notes on the board from the front of the book, and had them copy them, so they can get used to taking notes.

Some good ideas here. Also.... - A shallow container, like tupperware, a few drops of Dawn and a little water. Set them under a small lamp on the floor at night or under a night light. They are attracted to the heat and fall into the soap and can't get out. We keep a few out during the day too, so we can drop any found fleas into there and kill them. - If your vac has bags, put a small piece of flea collar in, it will kill them in the bag. - Salt your floors. Leave it for a couple of days. Vac, repeat. Works better the lower the humidity is, but it makes a difference. If your air is dry, you can also use food grade Diametrious Earth or Borax. -Dawn as bath soap for the cat is good, throw a cup of vinegar in there too. -A dandruff shampoo for the people in the house will help keep the fleas off your hair. -If your vac has filters instead of bags, wash daily or at least keep the filter parts outside when not using. -I think applying tea tree oil to the filter is supposed to help too. - Fleas can't survive over 95 degrees, so if you can find a super hot dryer or bag stuff up and leave it in the car in the sun for a few hours -Water, they don't swim, so you can also bring stuff out and hose it off and let it dry in sun.

We started with Code Cracker. The kids love it. Then we moved onto Elementary Greek, which we all really like too. The problem with it is that there are concepts that younger children might not be familiar with, related to grammar. So we had to slow down a bit so I could explain what different parts of speech are, for example. But really, it is a great program.

Jergens has an unscented and it meets your other requirements. I recently bought a bottle so that I could add some Lavender essential oil, to make my own scent. It feels SO GOOD putting it on, but it absorbs quickly, so you aren't left feeling sticky or oily.

You are in the trenches of babies and toddlers and preschoolers. You do what you have to do. Someday, a few years from now, you will find yourself wanting to go out. You will tell the kids to use the bathroom where they will wipe their own butts. Then you'll tell them socks and shoes, which they will put on and tie themselves. You'll walk out to the car and drive away. It will be wonderful. You are in a phase, it's hard. Sometimes it stinks. But it's normal and will not last forever.

I don't have any input regarding materials, but this whole idea sounds just lovely!

Everywhere! Especially since I started reading e books on my phone. I even read by catching peeks while chopping veggies for dinner or folding laundry. If I get the chance to really settle in and read, I'm usually in the over stuffed chair in the living room. I have no problems tuning everyone out and disappearing into my book (almost to a fault).

Another option would be to take your missionary studies and discuss that at dinner time or after dinner. You could count it as school, but it wouldn't feel like school. More like family time.

You are definitely not alone. Last summer my "baby" turned 4 and I felt like I was coming out of a fog. I picked up my crochet hooks that had been collecting dust for years. I have read a crazy amount of books in the last year (thanks to upgrading to a smart phone I can read on). I even had the opportunity to travel to family alone for a week (I know that was a rare, special, wonderful thing). I am not saying it has been a year of roses, but I do get chances to put out feelers every now and again. I used to sing a lot...been years since I've done anything but bellow to whatever is on Spotify, but I did find vocal exercises on You Tube that I started doing last summer (then had no time during school). Also, there are a few good language apps out that, if you think you might want to learn a language.

I just want to follow along here. Great discussion.

We have been with Verizon for years, except the time went with a different company b/c the deal was so much better, but we then had no coverage at our home. Our experience is that they are fine unless you really have a problem. There have been times over the years that they have had no clue about problems we were having and there were too many hoops to jump through, too many hours on the phone with customer service, and a generally unwillingness to go beyond their scripted solutions. It has been very frustrating. But....who else has such good coverage?

I recently flew with a crochet hook. I put it in the plastic bag with my toiletry bottles. I used my nail clippers, also in that bag, to cut yarn as needed.

You are not a failure! It sounds like things have been absolutely crazy on your end lately and you are doing the best that you can and that is all you can do. There's nothing wrong with construction paper. Throw some glitter on there if you have it or glue some candy on if you have that and call it good. ...Honestly...with the things you've mentioned, I'd probably consider not doing it at all.... /hide

You might want to wait another year on nerf. My 4 year olds have always had problems with hand strength not being sufficient.

My computer is acting up, but I've read this morning that another Duncan HCW went on a cruise to Belize. Also, a man on a flight from Nigeria to JFK started vomiting and then died mid flight. They gave him a cursory exam, pronounced it not ebola and everyone is supposed to go on with life apparently. I think we've passed the point of no return.

I spoke with a nurse who is within one hour of a major US city. She says they are totally unprepared. They have some equipment on order... Not only are the schools (that closed) being cautious and cleaning up, but it's probably a cost saving measure as well. They have to have so many butts in chairs before they get state/federal funding, so if enough parents pull their kids out of school, it isn't worth it. Not to mention the lessons that would have to be retaught due to so many missing etc. I think it is one of the wisest decisions. And even if there's little risk of Ebola being there, it's not like they couldn't use it anyways.