They are good kids and not doing anything wrong. But they are loud, especially my middle one, and I just can't take the constant noise all day long. I feel like I spend most of the day and half the evening asking him to quiet down but he can't. He honestly can't find a way to play quietly. My dd then becomes loud and rowdy too because her brother is so much fun. He is a fun person, I just wish he could settle down for a little while. So my two little ones make tremendous noise all day. My poor middle son even makes excess noise while doing school work. Is this common w/ADHD? Is this why he can't do anything without being very rowdy and loud? Anyway, most days I'm fine. He's a good boy and I love his energetic spirit. I have a sinus cold and tight chest congestion and so I'm ultra sensitive to noise. I decided to spend some time here while the little kids were playing because I get tired of laying in bed (laying or lying?). But, I can't hear myself think to answer a post. Do you have any ideas to help him learn to be quiet for just a little while? He gets lots of exercise. My husband takes the boys running every morning and then I take them swimming for an hr. or two, when I'm well. Does he need more movement than that? Thanks for listening. Any ideas are appreciated. Denise

What is it about? I've never heard of it. Denise

I would think you could find free versions of the King Arthur stories, Robin Hood, the Greek Myths and so on. Are the Edgar Allen Poe stories old enough to be free yet? They are great for middle schoolers. Books like Frankenstein - Mary Shelley(?), The Turn of the Screw - Henry James, Jane Eyre - can't think of the author even though I know who it is, darn it. Anyway, those are all good books for middle schoolers and they are all or mostly old enough to be free by now. Just a note - Turn of the Screw is a ghost story. There's nothing gory or graphic in it, but it will scare the pants off you. I couldn't sleep for a week after my son and I read it. He slept fine but I couldn't. It's written in a style similar to Jane Eyre and is really a wonderful story, just scary. I wish I could be of more help. I do hope you can compile a good list for your kindle. Denise

I voted for 10:30 but usually it's right at 11:00 p.m. when I get to bed. I'd like to go to bed earlier but I often need the quiet after everyone else has gone to sleep. If I get up at 5:00 a.m. or after, at least one child gets up too. So, the only quiet time is late at night or before 5 a.m. Denise

Ok, I'm back. Here's a couple more: 1. The Story of Babar the Little Elephant - Jean De Brunhoff (not sure if this series is free yet, but it's close) 2. Pipkin - S. Forst (we're reading this for tea time and the boys think it's hilarious) If I come across any more, I'll let you know. Denise

I'm pulling from some of the compilations series and readers we have in the house. Here's some ideas to consider: 1. Tom Brown's School Days - Thomas Hughes 2. The Pied Piper of Hamlin - Robert Browning 3. The Discontented Miller - Oliver Goldsmith 4. Heidi - Johanna Spyri Um, I have to stop for a few minutes to take care of my dd. As I find a few more, I'll post them. Denise

Are you looking for a particular age group or everything considered children's books? You have a good start on your list already. Have you looked at the Baldwin project? She's making older children's books available online. I really admire how organized you are. I wish I could be more like you but that's not going to happen anytime soon. :tongue_smilie: I'll gather some titles together and post for you later. We love to buy old books so I know we have some that should be free online. Denise

We only have 1 teen and he does have some activities to attend on certain evenings. We have dinner together almost every evening. Then, if no one has activities, we might play games (board, card or video) together, do chores or just talk. Once in a while we'll get ice cream cones and then drive to a nice park that's about 20 min. away. The budget is tight so we try to minimize driving, treats and such. We will be starting a vegetable garden soon. So, that may take up some evening time. If you have fire pit, roasting marshmellows is fun in winter. Denise

I thought this too! Can you do that? Things are tight here too. I'd like to bring in some extra income. :001_smile: Denise

I went on it a yr. and a half ago. I was only on it for about 6 weeks, then the holidays hit. The first week was a little hard but not impossible. I was a little hungry but not crazy hungry like some diets. I lost 15 pounds and have kept them off, despite holidays. It's a sensible diet. Still, I can't seem to bring myself to go back on it. I do incorporate what I learned from it though. Extra exercise seems to be helping me the most these days. It's worth a try as it seems to work for lots of people. Denise

It seems to depend on the person and the homeschoolers they know. One friend I have here knew only people who homeschooled b/c they had large families and it was cheaper than all the ps fees and supplies. At least, that's what she told me. Anyway, she knew we only had 3 kids so she thought they couldn't make it "in real school." I had to bite my tongue pretty hard when she said that to me. After knowing us the past few yrs., I think she may have changed her opinion. She never mentions anything now. Most of the ps teachers I've known have been at least partially supportive. It's hard to disapprove of involved parents. Fwiw, I've recently met anti-homeschooling former homeschoolers. Sigh. Denise

:iagree: I don't post that much but have been reading these boards for several years. So, just because people aren't as familiar with you when you ask for emotional support does not mean that you are being dramatic and are a troll. I remember your post and thought people were awful to you. Funny thing, the old boards did not seem to be that way. Yes, you might get intense conversation about curriculum or rigorous standards, but not some of the more bullying style that I see now. Nor do I remember seeing that people had to properly introduce themselves on each board. Once you came on, you could post on all the boards. These are not good changes, imho. Denise

My oldest son worked as a camp counselor for 6 weeks and had a blast. Then, he and his father went to a high adventure Scout camp in New Mexico for hiking, camping, backpacking, rock climbing and repelling. The also got to try blacksmithing. My son climbed Mt. Baldy, 12,000 feet. He's very happy. The little kids and I stayed here and went swimming, to the $1 movies and played with friends. Low key but a lot of fun. Denise

If you all don't mind, I want to add some more. 1. My favorite movie is The Sound of Music. Romance, adventure, intrigue and drama. Not to mention the singing. It's perfect. 2. My whole family are sci-fi fans. We want Star Trek to come true. 3. I love British comedies. As Time Goes By with Judy Dench is my favorite. 4. I hate alligators. They want to eat my children for lunch. They should go extinct. 5. I have one pointed ear, like Spock. 6. I love gardens but can't grow a thing. I wish I could grow a beautiful garden of brightly colored flowers. 7. Too much darkness makes me depressed. 8. Every 2-3 years, I want to move someplace new. 9. Potty humor makes me laugh. (Shh. Don't tell my kids!) 10. It physically hurts to hear about people suffering. Thanks for letting me list 10 more. It's fun. Denise

When I was about 8, my father bet me that I couldn't stop talking for 5 min. I assured him I could. He timed me and I made it 1 1/2 min. :tongue_smilie: Now that I am a mom, all 3 of my kids can talk forever. Even my oldest, the quiet one with everyone else, will talk me to death. He asks questions that make my head hurt. DD is beginning to do the same thing. The middle one talks about movie and comic characters - constantly. My father just chuckles. :D Denise

I spent a good chunk of my life in Phoenix. There were only a few dust storms when I was growing up. They seem more severe and frequent now. Is it just a poor memory on my part? Denise

What a great way to make people smile. I love NYC. Denise

Praying for you. You did a nice job on your living room, it looks inviting and comfortable. I hope you get a sale soon. Denise

I hope you're right. We have a house we've been renting out and would love to sell it this spring. I don't care about getting a higher price, just to get it sold. Denise

We used Bite Blocker and that worked pretty well. You have to apply it every couple of hours though. Denise

If the hoarding is severe, like on that show, and children are involved or a law or ordinance is being violated, then yes. Every time I watch that show I go on a cleaning frenzy and get rid of stuff. I don't even have that much stuff but I want it all gone, except our books. I hoard books. :D Denise

If we're in the path of a hurricane, we're leaving. We live on the gulf coast, 1 mile back from the beach. Right now, Irene is not predicted to touch us. Of course, that may change and we may get the edge of the storm. My mom, brother and neice live in Jacksonville and they will get hit. Tomorrow I may be going to get them and bring them here. They'll call in the morning to let me know what they've decided. My prayers are with everyone in the path of Irene. Stay safe everyone. :grouphug: Denise

1. I collect ceramic frogs. 2. My hair is wavy and frizzes in humidity - I hate it. 3. I had 4 hip surgeries by the time I was 10 and have always walked w/ a limp. It is one of the best things that ever happened to me b/c it made me strong and determined. 4. I love fashion, for others though, not myself. Same w/ make-up. 5. Ice cream and chocolate are the best foods on earth. 6. Coffee is a necessity. 7. I would not marry a man who would not agree to adopt. 8. I love the outdoors. 9. I love to travel. 10. I love to read. Denise

Oh, I went to Haleakala my senior yr. of high school (we lived on Oahu at the time). I thought it must be what Mars looks like! It was a wonderful trip. Maui is beautiful. I forgot that the National Mall is considered a park. We lived in the D.C. area for 16 yrs. and spent a lot of time down on the mall. Washington, D.C. is one of the prettiest cities in the nation. It's also a lot of fun. Denise

We love the National Parks. We've been to many of them including Shennandoah, Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, Cape Hatterras, Joshua Tree and Montezuma's Castle. Oh, I can't forget the Grand Canyon. Dh is from Flagstaff, AZ and loves the Grand Canyon. Glad you had a great time at one of the parks. They really are national treasures. Denise