I agree with Leah_S in this thread (link below) that was started a few days ago about how great Saxon Grammar and Writing is (Hake Grammar is it's former name). http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/543757-recommendations-for-3rd-and-5th-grade-grammar/?hl=%2B3rd+%2Band+%2B5th&do=findComment&comment=6219904 Scroll down to the summary of Leah_S as I can't improve on her summary. She posted several links so you can not only read about it but also read the many reviews of users. It's REALLY good and it's a perfect follow up to FLL series, esp since you've finished FLL 4. And it's also reasonably priced and can be used with subsequent kiddos (all you'd need is to purchase another workbook for $11)

Can guinea fowl share same coop as chickens?

What does WHOLE30 program allow for protein? Does it allow meat/animal proteins?

Haven't thought about outlet timer or using a rice cooker for this purpose. I liked everything about the crock pot in the link but I didn't see where it could be programmed to come on at given time.

I looked for crock pot today at Walmart and didn't find what I was after. Maybe it doesn't exist. I want a crock pot that doesn't have teflon/non-stick interior (prefer stoneware or glass/ceramin/porcelain) that you can program the time for it to begin cooking. I see where you can program timers for so many hrs on low or high, but I want one when I can program it, for example, to start cooking at 4am. I want to wake up to hot steel-cut oats or just plain oatmeal. Does this exist?

My ancient vacuum has died and I need a new one and I need vacuum advice. Upright or canister and why? Any particular one you recommend?

Thanks ALL!

Love my Merrell Siren Sports. They come in wide and sound like they'd fit what you're looking for. www.zappos.com/womens-sneakers-athletic-shoes~gJ#!/merrell-women-sneakers-athletic-shoes/CK_XARC81wE6ApYPWgK3A3oC2QSCAQOVgAXAAQHiAgYBGAIPCwc.zso?s=goliveRecentSalesStyle/desc/

I'm not a morning person and thus I've always had the most energy before bedtime (around 8 to 9:30). Thus I've recently been tossing around the idea of making before bedtime my routine exercise time as I'm rarely GONE out of the house, my child is asleep, I have energy, it'd be a consistent time for exercise,etc. Despite these reasons, I've resisted exercising before bed as I've heard it keeps you up/elevates heart rate and causes insomnia (obviously haven't tried it yet). If you're a (consistent/routine) before-bed exerciser, is this true that it causes insomnia? What has been your experience? What sort of exercise do you do before bed (aerobic/anaerobic/duration/etc.)? How does this work for you? Does it help your sleep? Pros/Cons?

I need to lose weight. Thinking about joining Weight Watchers online, but to me the having to look up four values per food (carb, fat, protein, fiber) seems so much more complicated than calorie counting. If there's some great advantage of this? I don't get why a 105 calorie banana is 0 points. Why not just calorie count? What's the benefit to points over calories? Other than the support one gets from meetings/others, why do people do that program rather than just count calories? IN short, please shed some light on comparing calorie vs. point counting for me. (Adding this edit to respond to initial posts....I have a calorie tracking software program that I just downloaded (free trial) and it's VERY extensive/thorough --- it's called DIETPOWER (www.dietpower.com) so it's one of my two options -- I'm either going to use it or join Weight Watchers, but I'm trying to hear from others before I decide which one to commit to).

I've read all of these and have loved hearing (and gleaning) from you all on this. Thanks so very much for sharing.

Does DH initiate the phone call or does sister call him?

What's age difference between you and your brother? What do you mean 'normal for our family'? What about your family created this deeper connection you continue to share?

What's age gap between dh and his brother?

interesting........keep um coming

I'm curious about what adult male relationships to siblings looks like. What's "normal"? My husband has one sister 3 years older and they never communicate (and she lives 30 minutes away). (and there's no strife/fighting between them). I think it's so strange as I talk to my 2 sisters probably two or three times a week each. I'm curious if how he relates to siblings (now that they're obviously grown/no longer in same home) is typical of other men? To which of your husband's siblings would HE say he's closest and WHY? How near in age is he to this sibling? Or, why does he NOT communicate regularly with a sibling? In short....please tell me about your husband/partner's relationships with his siblings and what factors you feel contribute to that dynamic? Also...please give the ages of he as compared to the sibling(s). THANKS!

This is our first trip. Family of 3. Only child, age 7. How long will it take us to complete the world tour? I need this estimation to plan a dinner reservation for that evening. Reminder of countries in tour: CANADA, UNITED KINGDOM, FRANCE, MOROCCO, JAPAN, AMERICA, ITALY, GERMANY, CHINA, NORWAY, MEXICO. Should start touring around 2 pm. Thanks!

OP Here. Wow! What a help this info is. Thanks to all!!! My son is NOT a thrill ride person. Space Mountain would flip him out. Haunted Mansion type stuff would totally reduce him to a puddle. Small drops are ok. He's a "gentle spirit" (still likes VeggieTales) . I'm really thinking we need the 2 days in MK after reading all of this. So the issue becomes what to do with the last 2 days to spread between the three parks. My son is sort of "nerdy" sciency so I'm thinking he'll like Epcot and I know nerdy Daddy and I will like it. I've got reservations at Akershus for breakfast and Bierwhatchamacallit (german restaurant) for dinner at 4pm. So, now, after reading all of this is what to do with that last day --- Animal or Hollywood. Which of the two is the least busy? I'm going to go back and MULL over what you've all wrote again to decide........... (we bought tickets to the LaNouba Cirque du Soleil performance for 6pm one evening!)

My husband is in a wedding near Orlando so we're going to go ahead and make it a Disney vacation while there. This is our first time to go to Disney. We will be arrive Sunday Feb 2 and will be at the parks Monday Feb 3, Tuesday Feb 4, Wednesday Feb 5, and Thursday, Feb 6. Would you do a day at each of the 4 parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom) or would you skip one park altogether and do 2 days at one park and 1 day at the other 2? Any help would be appreciated! Additional data that may affect your advice to me: My son is NOT a thrill ride person. Space Mountain would flip him out. Haunted Mansion type stuff would totally reduce him to a puddle. Small drops are ok. He's a "gentle spirit" (still likes VeggieTales) . My son is sort of "nerdy" mainly because he's around nerdy parents all the time so he talks like a 'lil professor and doesn't know how funny it sounds (i.e today as he was getting a haircut he told the stylist (man), "My hair has been growing so thickLY up front here that I'm beginning to look like an evangelist!") He hasn't seen Indiana Jones or Star Wars so I'm wondering if the appeal of Hollywood Studios may be over the top for him we bought tickets to the LaNouba Cirque du Soleil performance for 6pm one evening! He will love firework shows

Thanks to all of you! Lots of perspective here to mull over as we make our decision this year/or next-ish....:-)

No, my health problem isn't going to return thankfully. As for sounding excited.....I didn't sound excited when we decided to start trying to have our first child. I had a 100 reasons why "maybe NOW isn't the best time...." I'm just wired that way. I'm not into KICKOFF of much of anything. We decided that since I was 30, it was just the right time/age to begin. We'd been married six years. Once we had conceived (on the first try), I was happy as a clam and loved pregnancy and baby stage and have loved motherhood. Just ENTERING into it is scary. I have no doubt that if we did conceive again, I'd be happy as a clam AGAIN. The idea that I will regret having another is a huge deal. I think stuff about issues like when I'm old and my son is the only one caring for aging parents....will I regret? Or, when he's at my or my husband's funeral (whichever of us goes last) and he has NO siblings....will I regret it? When he's a grown man and has no (biological) nieces/nephews....when he's sick (in his own elder years) and we're gone, who will care for him (Esp if he doesn't marry or if they're divorced etc.). I have NEVER liked having an only child. It has always been painful for me to look out on our 12 acres and see him romping it alone. I and my husband both have siblings. My husband has NEVER thought too much of his being an only....mostly I think because he's not home all day with us seeing it up close. And, when he's home, he's playing with our son, so he doesn't observe him being alone. It would have never been something I OPTED for (obviously I don't JUDGE anyone who prefers having an only; it just wasn't my own first choice). Esp because we homeschool --- being an only is harder socially. Educating an only is easier obviously. We live out in the booooonies, so meeting up for playdates is tough. But...back to your point....yes, the idea that I'll REGRET NOT having another weighs heavily on my mind. That's part of my thoughts....but that's not all of it as I KNOW without any shadow of a doubt that I'd love that next one as an individual and, as hard as it is to imagine, I also KNOW that I'll LOVE he'she JUST AS MUCH as I love my son. For that reason, I don't feel guilt over that. As far as looking out for the 2nd (unborn) child....I'm protective of he/she also in that I think how HARD it will be on him/her when my son leaves home. He / She will be 9 years old when a person who's been MORE in her life than his/her own father, namely my son (only because my husband works 45-50 hours/week at his job and would not be PHYSICALLY home as much), will LEAVE. I think, "How hard will this be for the little one!?!!" So, I'm not only thinking of the implications for my son. I'm equally thinking of the unborn's well being. I also think, "The 2nd born won't have first cousins his / her age as my son has..." (My son was born with the last group of kids among us and our siblings. He has 7 first cousins -- five of which are within 4 years older than he and 3 of which are within 14 months of his age.) So, by the time this baby would arrive the next oldest cousin would be age 8! All this to say.... looking out for my son's benefit in having a sibling is not negating the well-being of the next child. I don't feel complete. But, part of me wonders if this is because my family doesn't match my long-held (since girlhood) notion of what I "wanted". I always said two to four kids (and my husband said 2 or 3 when we were courting and discussing our ideals/desires in this regard. And, I have NO doubt I'm ready to WELCOME whoever comes along. I'm extremely mothering. I MOTHER any/everything. I leave wads of cotton/straw near squirrels in case they want to add onto their winter quarters. I've always been overboard mother wise. My mom says that why I'm so "spent" --- because I'm not good at doing anything for ME. I'm the type that gets up and checks to see if everyone in the family is covered. I'll bring in a beach towel and oil and offer to massage my husband's back several times a week......all this to say, I'm extremely mother-y. My sister can't fathom why I don't have a passle of kids as I was the one playing house/dolly and eager to babysit, etc. FWIW, milovany...I saw your post a completely benign. I don't get the negative comments thrown at it. Thanks for this. I too have met these couple who confess their regret at not having had more kids === which basically was their saying that they LOVED the parenting phase of their lives most and had a blast in this era and hated it to end. And, my take home from these comments also was that the empty nest freedoms doesn't necessarily override the fun of parenting and having chickadees in the nest. I don't think it'd be taboo or wrong to say (as my MIL), "I loved my children, but when they were gone, I was happy also and ready to move onto another adventure." I think people would readily (shamelessly) say, "We were happy with our 3 and, for us, that was the right number." Touching on your comment about the age gap between you and your brother....I DO worry about the age gap being too large for them to have much of a relationship but I'd hope that the homeschooling (and them being together SO much) may make up for the gap. But.....I also realize that the gap may be too large and I'm prepared for the baby just to be mine/for us. The second concern about that is that I HIGHLY doubt my husband would be on board with having another on the heels of #2 so I'd have to be prepared of watching ANOTHER lonely-LOOKING child romping on my huge property and my being much more of the playmate (which can be tiring!). I've never felt complete with just one. That's not to say I haven't been happy with him, but just to say that I wish he wasn't our only.

What thoughts are going (went or may go) through your minds surrounding decision to continue or end family expansion? I'm in the throws of this decision now. I've just turned 38 years old and now that I'm well into "advanced maternal age" this topic has been on our minds of late. We only have 1 child and he's age 7. I was in poor health for the first 6 years of his life which precluded my having another child (but did manage to have a healthy pregnancy with him),and I've spent the last year and a half regaining my health and it's back! So, now the option of having a baby is there, but I have some reservations. My husband is leaving the ball in my court and said he'll be happy and supportive of my decision. There's the overwhelming thought of homeschooling with a baby (my son was a nightmare baby so all these memories are there --- colic, etc.). There's my age and stamina. There's the thought of aging parents with a teen. There's the overwhelming thought of just not being empty nested and free to do more of "my thing" for once (I've NEVER done my thing in my entire life) so the thought of, if i had another, being empty nested at age 57!!! is a bit of a bummer. I haven't slept in past 7am for the past 7 years!!! Parenting is tiring and homeschooling is a commitment in and of itself! Then there's the part of me that so LOVES being a mom and parenting. My husband and I SO love our son and parenting has been fun so there's part of me that dreads it being over. As it is, I'll be empty nested at age 48 --- so I think, "What am I going to do for 20 years waiting on my husband to retire?" I could go back to work but I didn't like my profession before I left it to have a child so I don't relish resuming it (I know I don't HAVE to do the same work again). (FWIW, I don't have to go back to work for financial reasons). I have always wanted to do mission trips, etc. and being 48 and empty nested frees me up to do these things. Then there's the disliking of my son having no siblings. Please share what factors went into your (and your spouse/partner) decision to continue/discontinue having more children?

I'm still here....just taking it all in :-) thanks for the responses

Are you a thin eater (a person who only thinks about food when they're physiologically hungry --- stomach growing/etc.)? If you're a thin eater......how does this work? I hear "thin eaters" don't even think about food and even forget to eat!!! And they don't like getting stuff. They eat just enough and that's all. What makes you think about eating (stomach growling, etc.)? If you're a thin eater, please describe this "phenomenon" to me! I'm trying to choose a "DIET PATH" and I can't decide if my goal should be to try to learn how to be a thin eater or if I should do the calorie counting or point counting. The latter just seems so daunting/like being enslaved. If you're not a "thin eater", what's worked for you?