I would love more information on this, if you have any links available!

We are watching it too! I'm really impressed with it, which is surprising considering it's not my type of show. I've had to look away during a few scenes as well. The older I get, the less I can handle that stuff!

It is literally that simple! We use a box of beef broth (or you can use homemade broth as well), with a bottle of tomato juice. Brown up about 2 pounds of whatever meat you want to use (we used chorizo tonight, because we like the kick, but we also use hamburger, venison, kielbasa, etc), along with some onion. You could also chop up some celery into it. We added about 6 potatoes cubed up, a whole head of chopped cabbage (it was a little one), a bag of frozen corn, and 2 cans of stewed tomatoes to it. Season to taste. It's really a throw together soup, but it's hearty and delicious no matter how you make it. You could also use fresh or refrigerated garlic in it.

It was warm for MN today, but we still had soup. It was a beef broth/tomato juice base with chorizo, potatoes, cabbage, and corn in it. We made grilled cheeses to go along with it, because our 11 year old deems this disgusting. Our 9 year old devours it (it's a regular in our house).

I think it's important. I believe that my husband and I have the same IQ, but our knowledge comes out in different ways. The longer we are together, the more I realize that it REALLY bothers me that he's not a reader. He just doesn't want to, and I wish I had someone to discuss books with. I wish I could convince him of how much more he could learn if he cracked a book. I would make sure they were a reader, if I had to do it again.

When it comes to my feelings, I am a very emotional person. I try very hard to maintain control over my thoughts, because once I lose that control, I either explode in a fit of verbal rage or start to cry to the point where I can't speak. I feel my feelings very intensely, and I sometimes feel like I don't present myself very well because I can't control myself when the stakes are high or I feel very passionately about something. I want to learn how to manage that and get control over that part of my personality, so I can "be an adult." I know that for the most part people in general always feel like they are winging it, no matter what stage of life they are in. But I want to be a grown up now. Being married with 2 children... I still don't feel grown up. I love the clothing advice you gave. It's that kind of practical information that I don't even think about. So simple, and yet it never even crossed my mind.

I decided this year that instead of doing resolutions or goals for the New Year, I was going to choose a word that I wanted to work on in my life. I chose reinvention, because at 31, I feel like there is more inside of me than I am letting out, and I want to work on developing that in me. I really feel called to being a life coach, yet there are things in my personal life that make me feel that I'm not quite ready for that. I have self-esteem issues, procrastination issues, not knowing how to deal with my feelings all that well issues, that I'm working on before I even think of going that route. That said, now is the time to start working on it. I'm pretty self-aware and intuitive. I appreciate a straight shooter, and the blunt truth. "I'd rather be hurt by the truth than comforted by a lie." I take criticism fairly well, although I don't tolerate meanness. Only problem: I tend to combat meanness with meanness. NOT good. I'm also pretty frumpy in my day to day life (usually stay in pajamas unless I leave the house, then it's t-shirts and jeans, nothing very fashionable). I want to develop my personal style. I don't wear makeup, but I want to start. How do I learn? I want to start honing and developing the person that I KNOW I am. I'm just not very girly, was raised by my dad, and don't quite know how to present that side of myself to the world because I don't know how to bring that side out. Have any of you gone through this? Do any of you have tips or advice?

I just finished A Prayer for Owen Meany. I'm reading Adulting: How to become a Grown Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps, but that's a quick read I'm breezing through. I have 7 Habits on my list, The Wild Creative, the recent Harper Lee autobiography, and a couple other personal development books in the stack.

Just an update for everyone: we did decide to put my 3rd grader back in public school for now. She goes back on Monday morning. We are still going to homeschool our 6th grader for the time being, but I think it will be easier going with her because she's older and reading fluently. She has catching up to do with her math, but I feel like if we revamp it and stay structured, we will be more successful. I do feel like a bit of a failure. I know this is probably the best choice right now, but I still feel like homeschooling is the right choice for us as well. It makes it tough. Thanks for the support.

A part of my family traditions growing up were "normal." We normally had a Lutefisk dinner (we are of Scandinavian descent), which we had to eat at least one piece or we couldn't open presents. Our small church usually had a Christmas pageant that us kids were in each year. The play was the same each time, and we usually got a paper bag full of small treats and gave our teachers and the pastor a present. My grandma on my dads side usually had a bigger get together in the community room of her apartment building. Our entire family on that side would gather together and eat a meal with lutefisk, ham, potatoes, potato sausage, lefse, krumkaka, rosettes, etc... After my parents divorced and my mom moved out, we still had the base of this, but we were pretty poor, so our presents usually came from things like the angel tree or the women's aid group of our town. And I know and believe that gifts are not the point of the season, but that's what we were working with anyway. I can provide a bit differently for my children. I want them to have warm memories of the holidays and our time together when they are adults and dreaming of the traditions they want to have in their own lives. I am loving all of the traditions I am hearing about here. Keep them coming!

I love all of your traditions! I have no idea what a Jesse Tree is, can someone explain it to me? I love the idea of the 25 books and movies shaped into a tree. My girls would love something like that. We have been pretty good at getting them new pajamas every year as a tradition, but now that they are 11 and almost 9, I'm thinking of changing that into new ornaments every year. Reading all of these replies is giving me the warm fuzzies. I love the Christmas season!

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions? What screams Christmas for you? Going to church on Christmas Eve? The food you bake? The ornaments? What would be your idea of the "perfect" Christmas? My family life growing up was dysfunctional. I want to start creating our own family memories and traditions, without all the baggage. Until we've created new baggage, of course. As only families can ;-). So share your Christmas ideas and traditions, your fantasies and dreams, your favorite decorating tips, what makes it special for you. Thank you!

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult.

I love history. But my children still have a hard time discerning where their interests lie. Art would probably be a great place to start though.

This is one of my biggest concerns. I was bullied in school, and I still struggle with low self-esteem and low self confidence. I do not wish this on my children, because it does create very self defeating talk as you get older. It's crushing, and take a lot of work to slog through. It should come as no surprise that I see a therapist, and when I was talking to her about these things, she said that I shouldn't project my own feelings and experiences onto my daughter. Because yes, she might have these negative experiences. And by all means, if there is any bullying, pull her out or deal with it. But she might not have these experiences, and I could take it as an opportunity to build her confidence and help give her skills to navigate those situations and she may be just fine. But I'm also scared to risk it. Because I don't want to destroy her. And SIXTH GRADE. That's brutal, man. However, maybe I could be amazing at making her strong and confident and still admitting that I shouldn't be providing the education. Or, I suck it up and do things even when they are boring or tedious, just because I'm an adult and it has to be done. I think that my family would benefit from homeschooling more than a PS scenario, but I also know that the way it is right now needs some work. I'm very insightful, which makes change hard. I know what my problem is. I have no idea how to fix said problem.

Thank you for all of the recommendations! One question: would CLE be a good fit for a secular family? We have our spiritual beliefs, and I identify as Christian, but I prefer material that isn't heavy on religion. I am not opposed to using it however. I just don't want something that is heavily pushing religion. I do believe that she is very visual. I don't think there are any learning disabilities or actual vision problems though. I just think it's her personality that she doesn't like to read, and it's going to just have to be a matter of doing it because you have to and not because you want to. Which is crazy to me because I live with my nose buried in a book. I am more than likely going to be making a curriculum switch in the near future!

And I also really appreciate this advice because I know that a lot of people would say that we're just unschoolers, and we should be ok with that. I'm fine with unschoolers... I can't be one. If I tried, we wouldn't be schooling. I am not ok with my child not knowing how to read yet. It doesn't sit right with me. I'm not ok with how my daughter isn't at least multiplying with ease, or at least have her basic facts down. I'm ok with being laid back, I'm ok with following interests, I'm not ok with not doing much of anything, and that's what it feels like. I touch on the math and reading, but not as much as I need to be, knowing their weaknesses. Thank you all again.

Thank you so much for this advice! I looked up Dancing Bears (I've never heard of it before), and really think that it will help her. She can read some, and she's really good at memorizing words that she's seen before, so she retains them that way. But she will do this thing, let's say I show her the word hurricane and ask her to tell me what it says. She'll guess hamster, since it isn't a word she knows. But then, if I make her sound it out, she does know what sound the letters are supposed to make, so I don't see any signs of a disability. Except she would probably pronounce it like "hu-ar-ik-ann-ie" or something, she would try to sound out each letter individually. I'm using Life of Fred and Learn Math Fast for both of them. We're only on Butterflies in LOF. They don't seem to have too much of an issue with these items, but it is slow going for my oldest and I, both because we don't enjoy math. My youngest loves math because it reminds her of a puzzle. Hates to read, loves math. How did I end up with this child???? LOL! I love the curriculum suggestions. This weighs so heavily on my mind. My husband is so laid back about whatever I decide to do, that I feel like I get no real input from him at all and it's all my decision. There are pros and cons to both choices. Another con about putting them back in school is that we have care available if I can get the girls situated before I leave for work. But if they go back to school, I would have no one to pick them up, and after school care ends before my husband would be able to get off of work. That would be another hassle we would have to deal with, where now I can school in the mornings, bring them to my friend who also homeschools (or her husband can pick them up on the days he works split shift and heads home), go to work, and my husband can pick them up when he gets off of work. I also trust the two of them to be home alone for up to 2 hours at a time, and my oldest longer than that by herself, but what with it getting dark earlier now, they still need care more often than not. Our friends are down to one vehicle right now, so they wouldn't be able to pick them up for me if her husband is at work, and they live 20 miles out from where my oldest would be attending middle school anyway. I'm stressing myself out so much with this. This is why I think a list of musts might work better for me than a schedule. I do well at following lists. If I can clearly see what I need to do, maybe more would get done?

I don't have a vegetarian recipe, but I have a basic chili recipe that goes over very well in our house, where there are no bean lovers. 3 lbs hamburger 1 can tomato juice 2 cans tomato sauce celery onion 4 tablespoons chili powder. brown the hamburger with the diced onion and celery, combine with the other ingredients, and simmer. You can season this any way you want, but it's a really yummy, very basic chili recipe! Kid friendly too.

They are doing math and reading every day. I make sure we stick to at least that. But other than me reading a book or two to the youngest, and her doing her All About Reading lesson, she chooses not to read on her own. When we have quiet reading time, she will look at books, but doesn't really read. And when she checks books out from the library, they are always crafting or drawing books. She will flip through those and do the projects, but she is really good at following instructions based on the pictures. We also do a math lesson a day. The youngest is on grade level with math, the oldest is struggling. It was her struggling with math and feeling stupid that was the catalyst for us choosing to homeschool. We took the younger one out so we would all have the same schedule. And my oldest spends a lot of her spare time reading, writing, and drawing on her own because that's what she is interested in. So I try to at least pay attention to their weak areas each day, but my youngest really fights with the reading because she just doesn't CARE about books. Which is sad for me, and I don't know how to light that fire. My oldest was still in public school when she learned to read. They aren't sitting around doing nothing, but that is pretty much our schedule. Reading and math, trying to get them to grade level. But I don't see me succeeding with the reading. It's HARD teaching someone how to read! I'm really appreciating all the no- nonsense advice. Talking to people in real life gets me all the sugary sweet advice, which I appreciate, but I'm not exaggerating our struggle, so I don't feel like pat answers necessarily help.

Well, I did hear back. I got the job at 20-30 hours/week with the hours being between 2-10p. My husband also works full time out of the home, but we do have the care lined up if we choose to continue homeschooling. I like the idea of doing a list of musts and maybes. That might help me better than a rigid schedule. I would be able to school in the morning, work in the evenings, play online in the evenings. I don't get down on myself much about the house... I'm ok with dropping that ball sometimes.

I don't know yet. I just had the interview on Monday (and only have one app out there to begin with). The lady said she would be in touch either yesterday or today, and I still haven't heard anything. I have been a stay at home mom for over 6 years, so it's kind of nerve wracking to me, but it will be a huge help to our family if I am bringing in some sort of income. I really hope I hear back. I said that I was pretty flexible, but I would prefer an afternoon/evening schedule if possible. It would more than likely be part time.

A big part of it is my self motivation. I know this about myself, I knew this about myself going in. I have all the right reasons for homeschooling and no implementation skills. Getting advice from the boards is helpful, but then I find myself copy and pasting things into my *homeschool advice* document and not actually following said advice. I do need to get a schedule that works and then STICK TO IT. That will be step one of slaying the beast. Homeschooling is what we want to do, but we are not against returning them to public school, if that would be better. We had good reasons for starting on this path, but if we never see the results we want, maybe we should admit that we can't do this. I don't know. My husband is supportive, but I get a "whatever you think is best" answer from him, which makes it even more confusing and pressing for me. Thank you for the advice!

I consider your advice very helpful! I appreciate it when people give me the un-sugarcoated truth. My eldest is probably doing math at a very basic 4th grade level. It is both her and my weak area. Right now we are using Life of Fred and the first book in the Learn Math Fast program. I am trying to teach both of them at the same level, because my 8 year old (who has no desire to read, which impedes the whole "LEARN TO READ" thing) has a very mathematical brain and is on grade level, if not a little higher in that area. Just because she thinks it's fun. My oldest can read and write very well (other than some spelling and grammar errors), but has no aptitude for numbers, so she doesn't even try. Which has always been my attitude towards math as well. I learned to read at 3, and it boggles my mind that my 8 year old has no interest. She can read, but not much higher than a 1st grade level. I read to her every day, and we do a lesson in AAR, but she has no desire to read anything on her own. She'll watch videos on how to do things all day long. She'll do puzzles. She won't read. Unless I absolutely force it on her, which is when it becomes obvious she isn't retaining much. And I get frustrated and start to play the comparing game, telling her that kids her age read by now, and she won't ever be able to understand her favorite sites if she doesn't read, and telling her to "read it herself" when she asks me to read something. Which isn't nice or helpful. So, our days become pretty... non-existent. The oldest reads and writes on her own, the youngest does crafting all day, we try to do a math lesson and a reading lesson for the youngest, the oldest is in piano, and the youngest is in gymnastics. I just get so overwhelmed. :sad:

This is our 2nd year doing this homeschool thing. The longer we do it, the more we (my husband and I) agree with it philosophically. We WANT to continue, but there are things getting in the way. First, I need to find a job. I had an interview yesterday and should hear back today or tomorrow if I was offered the position. It's just a part time cashiering job, but it would still require me to implement a new sort of schedule. It's very hard for me to let go of the idea of "what it should be like." I have a hard time giving ourselves permission to be night owls, because kids should be in bed by 10p (at least), and up by 8a (at the latest). This doesn't work for our family. My husband is an early bird, but the rest of us thrive later at night and prefer to sleep in. I still feel unaccomplished and worthless for not sticking to a more traditional schedule and feel lazy and like the whole day has gotten away from us. I am very good at researching homeschooling and finding resources online, but I have a very hard time making this work in real life. I'm disorganized and too loosey-goosey. Some days I feel like I'm doing my girls a real disservice, and i'm afraid throwing a job into the mix would only make that worse. My oldest daughter has no desire to go back to public school. My youngest is all for it. I'm afraid I will be throwing my 11 year old to the sharks, having been out of school for the past 2 years and all of a sudden being thrown into a larger middle school. I'm afraid that they will be behind and have a hard time catching up (the oldest is behind on math skills, the youngest is still learning to read fluently). But I'm afraid if they are with me they may never catch up. I have noticed a huge difference in personalities, at least in my oldest. She has really come into herself. She's introverted and shy, until you get to meet her. But her personality is definitely there and developing. My youngest is not introverted, but is shy. If that makes sense. I just don't know what to do. I feel like a horrible homeschooler who has no idea how to get this ball rolling and doing something proactive, and I have no idea how to balance work with schooling. Any wisdom?