I just started to google her as I had never heard of her before. In google, as I started entering her last name, it pre-populated "penelope trunk crazy", "penelope trunk abuse", and "penelope trunk the farmer", only then followed by "penelope trunk blog". :001_huh: is how I felt after skimming through a few of her blog posts.

I love mohawks. Growing them out is a PITA! I am currently attempting to do so, and it is not easy. Yuck. My son has a mohawk on/off and I think it's ridiculously adorable. My somewhat related UO for the night: I think it's really weird when people have children and then immediately feel they have to change into Stepford Wives/Husbands and be more conservative because they have families.

How are you guys keeping yourselves organized? We're about to start "real schoolwork" (as DS likes to refer to it) in January, and all of a sudden as our curric is starting to come in, I'm realizing that I need to get myself in some sort of organizing system. I am not normally the type to do well with this kind of thing, but I don't think I can keep up if I end up with piles of things, and no plan as to when we're going to do what. So I guess this is twofold - how do you keep your physical spaces organized (particularly if you don't have a dedicated "homeschool room") and do you guys have a tried and true planner, online or paper, that you use to keep your schoolwork plans organized?

My son is getting a Halo Risk board game. Daughter is getting this really cool doodle pad that I know she's going to ask me to do with her - that's my whole plan at least haha

We aren't exchanging gifts with each other this year, either. But I took my kids out to shop for him, and he will take them out to shop for me. We weren't even going to do that much, but my almost-8-yr old saw something he really wanted to get for his stepdad and it truly is something he'll love, and was a gift from the sweetness of my kids' hearts. So I let my partner know, and said that the kids would probably ask him to help them buy something for me. We MIGHT do each a stocking, my kids are very concerned that grownups don't get anything from "Santa", so we may fill each other a stocking with some treats and odds and ends.

We pulled the kiddos out in September, so January is the "start" of our actual school work. So everything is new, and I've been shopping. A lot. I'm geeking out and super excited to start the New Year :)

The elves letter tells my kids that they can't let Santa know that they have been out sneaking gifts so my kids keep it on the hush hush lol Now that I see that written down it seems rather like a lot of work but it's just cute fun for my two. I fear this may be my sons last year believing so trying to hang on to the fun magic as long as I can. .

My kids get a gift from "Santas sneaky elves" on Xmas eve (left at our door for when we get home from our visit to my dads house) and it includes: -new jammies -hot chocolate -cute holiday mugs -a book in one and a holiday movie in the other's -"reindeer food" to sprinkle on the snow (recipe from Pinterest) -a cute little note to each saying to have fun getting ready for a magical Xmas We don't do extravagant gift giving on the holidays, so this is a fun way to make it exciting on Xmas eve and my kids talk about Santas sneaky elves as much as they talk about Santa

I used to make myself crazy trying to get the kids and my significant other to care as much as i tried to about how the place looked. Then I realized "if they don't mind the disorganization - why AM I killing myself?" Now, we are just more laid back. I tidy up during the day, we do big cleaning together on the weekends when he is home from work, and I am no longer fighting the endless battle. By nature I'm a messy person, not dirty but just untidy. So it's just better for us to do a 30 min mad dash through the place once a day than it is for me to make myself nutbar about this. Some battles are just not worth the fight. Having said that, I don't tolerate dirty dishes, dirty Kleenex issues, and when it's time to tidy they pitch in or I get rid of their things. I have explained to them that we are a family and it is our responsibility collectively to make sure that our home is taken care of. I am no ones maid.

If anyone has any leads on a convention in Ontario (let's not discuss the excitement I felt when I googled and saw an amazing one in Ontario only to realize it was Ontario California *sigh*). I can easily get to the Toronto area. I'd rather not border-hop but if necessary I can go into the US.

Use the "contact" form on the LoE site to ask them - I just had a LENGTHY back and forth email session (over the span of a few days actually) with Denise Eide about which program to start my oldest with (he's really struggling). She was amazing, and patient, and REALLY helped me choose the right one.

I share your UO in this instance. The feral homeschoolers make me really uncomfortable.

Yeah those are typically Jan/Feb temps for us. We don't get a ton of deep cold like this usually this early in the winter, either. But we've had some nasty -20/-25 and that's cold enough for me. I do not look forward to the -40 and colder that is sure to come. I often wonder why I moved from the Windsor area to where I am now. These times of wonder tend to be from Oct-May when we're freezing!!

I agree. I have only kept up on this one here and there. Interesting to see others' experiences. Although the level of busy-ness some of you mamas have has made me look around and feel like a slacker for how un-busy I feel these days. I think I'm still in bliss mode from having left my high stress job to be a SAHM and homeschool. Plus keeping the house is just not a huge deal around here. Stuff gets done by us all collectively and we are pretty laid back. Everyone's experiences are subjective and I think it would be better to just empathize with others' experiences instead of attacking and defending.

You know which ones get me? Those STUPID e-card memes! I have a great friend (who otherwise in real life I adore beyond measure) who constantly post/share the most bigoted and illogical and racist crap on those things. People, just because they make it look "cute" and "witty" doesn't mean they aren't offensive. She's posted some recently that made me so angry I was almost vibrating.

Definitely guaranteed. We're getting dumped on at the moment, blowing and gusting. The snow has been on the ground to stay since shortly past Halloween (off and on before that). And likely will be here til at LEAST May. It was late May/early June and we were still having snowfalls (most melted but it was still coming).

This is exactly what I first thought. Bein afraid to answer the door seems really really irrational. Big banging trying to shake the door down? I'd be worried. But otherwise? I can't imagine being fearful of the door.

My UO for the night. I hate when people say "two income households are necessary in this day and age". No they aren't - if people would stop buying so much needless crap and tryin to keep up with the elusive Joneses, I bet MOST families could live on much much less than we say we can. Also, I think all kids should be home educated. I think the public school system is flawed through and through. I don't think it's "to each their own". It's just plain broken. Also, I do not like pie. Unless its pumpkin pie. Otherwise I gag at it.

This. School-breaks aren't unschooling. Just take a break, and enjoy it guilt free. If you're looking to do "homeschool-lite" as my gf calls it, then just keep it low-key - go to the library and get a few great books, pick out a couple of documentaries that tie into something you're doing right now, and enjoy the fact that one of the perks of homeschooling is the fact that you can make your own schedule to fit your family. If you don't school year-round, you could just school a week or so later into the "summer break". It's okay to take breaks when you feel the calling for breaks. It's okay for your kids to see that you can take breaks and the world won't fall apart.

Oh this looks like a good book - and its in stock in my local Chapters store! I'll have to go check it out. I am intrigued about reading aloud into your adulthood. I think that's worthwhile. I know I have a hard time reading aloud and retaining what I'm reading - I always read quietly and to myself, and now when I read aloud to my kids its like my ability to comprehend gets overshadowed by the reading out loud. Interesting. Thanks for the recommendation!

I have NEVER heard of this, but it sounds revolting!

Yup he has a big big heart, and feels injustice very deeply. He was so sweet when he said to me, after reading me the letter, "Mom santa is magic...so why cant all the kids just ask him to use his magic to make stuff like that not happen?" - - big innocent eyes. Annnnnd my heart broke. So this year, "Santa" will make a donation to our shelter in Evan's name, leave him a card with the receipt in it, and tell him that he needs his help in the rest of the year to keep making a difference, blahblah.

I am proud of the fact that my almost-8-yr old's letter to Santa included a few small items for himself but also "I mostly want to help other people. there are lots of homeless people in *ourcity* and maybe you could use your magic to give them some help like blankets, warm clothes, some money, and toys for their kids". I heard him telling his younger sister (they were working on their santa letters together) that she should ask Santa to do something nice too because how would SHE like it if she didnt have a family and had to sleep in the snow on xmas. Pretty sure I cried for two full days after he read it to me.

I use this religiously all winter. But in a pinch, vinegar and water in a spray bottle works good too (especially when your locks freeze).

I saw Neverending Story on a "small movie theater screen" on a ferry boat ride from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland when I was 5 years old. An ACTUAL movie theater, Ladybugs (I was 12).