I am finding my 2nd grade girl to have similar problems. I believe that they are, at least in part, related to female hormonal changes. I find that lots of extra love and as many one one one talks as I can fit in really help. I have found that reducing sugar and adding fiber rich foods help limit hormonal swings.

I'll try calling the church tomorrow. The think day might work, but I couldn't join until after Christmas (which might be the case for all of them). Thanks!

The address listed at grace family church is a dead link:((( Your church is 30 minutes north of me on Dale Mabry (I'm near Dale Mabry and Waters). That would maybe work, but Zephyrhills would certainly be too far. I guess I'll try e-mailing the locals listed on fpea.com but I would truly value opinions on groups if anyone has one.

I'm trying to find some Tampa groups very unsuccessfully. I've heard that there is a co-op at Grace Family Church (where we've attended the last couple of weeks), but nobody seems to have a contact or e-mail address. Even a field trip group would be great. Anything near Carrollwood, Citrus Park, Lutz would be great. I'm also looking for a great AWANA. We live near Carrollwood. I would really like to connect with some kids and moms. I have a 2nd grade girl, an almost 5 year old boy and a 3 year old boy.

Have you tried Sambucol? I've found it to be highly effective against reducing the intensity and duration of the flu. The best part is that it tastes like blackberry syrup. Just make sure to get the original formula and not the one with all the extra stuff in it.

My 3 year old son was diagnosed with swine flu on Friday (ironically he suddenly spiked a high fever and started acting sick in the doctor's waiting room awaiting his 3 year old well check). My doctor said that while it is a very contagious flu, for most people it is very, very wimpy. Most kids don't get very sick from it at all. Yes, there are rare exceptions, but... don't panic if your child gets it. My son hasn't been all that sick. A little achey, a runny nose, a temp and that's about it. I would never have taken him to the doctor for this -- I would have assumed a little virus. He also said if you would have asked him 6 months ago if he would get the vax as soon as it came out he would have said yes. Now he's been around 150 confirmed cases of it and he doesn't think it's all that necessary. Not that a vax isn't helpful. Just don't panic too much about h1n1 if you happen to get it.

I found it overwhelming as well. We switched to My Father's World and LOVE it!!! It has minimal works scheduled and an additional bookbasket for the various ages (to be read on their own in 15 minutes increments as soon as they are able). One core! I tried Sonlight for two years because I thought mfw would be too light. In reality, it is far more rich. I get the minimum done and we are able to enrich the areas we are most interested and we still have time to pull in extra activities that the kids love.

Thanks everyone!!! Amy

I'll check into the website. We're Christian and looking for a Christian or a Christian friendly group of people to connect with!

It looks like we'll be joining my husband in Tampa in a couple of weeks! He's on a project there through at least the end of January and probably through March or so... We're leaving a great little homeschool group here and I would really like to get connected with another one. We would also like to find an awana (my daughter's finishing her last year of sparks). We'll be near Carrolwood. I have a 2nd grade daughter, an almost 5 year old son, and a 3 year old. Can anyone help me?

When we've tried them, they burn out quickly (one to two months max). We're stocking up on the traditional kind!!!

I think SOTW is better suited to wait until 2nd grade. I didn't and wish I had. My daughter would have gotten far more out of it now.

Avoid anything with soy! Soy destroys your thyroid and worsens hypothyroidism. When I cut all soy out of my diet (lots of processed foods have soy) I finally started feeling a lot better. I would say the dry skin improved the most. Be warned though that the drugs take a little to get used to. I felt like I was on speed for a few days and then my body rebounded and I could hardly stay awake the days following! I would say it took about two weeks for it to even out.

Oops! NTI device, not tmi device.

oh yes, and stress makes tmj worse which translates into worse migraines.

Maybe I can help!!! I had similar symptoms, migraines from my teens on, but so relentless that this last year I ended up with debilitating daily migraines and two mri's of my head! My DENTIST finally figured it out when I went in for my third broken molar in the last 3 years. He felt the tendons in the back of my mouth (which sent me through the roof) and asked if I had a lot of trouble with early morning migraines and stiff necks. Yes, yes!!! Turns out I have TMJ! You get it from grinding or clenching your teeth at night and/or during the day. It causes a muscle contraction that starts at your temple and extends down your neck. This muscle can get into a charley horse of sorts--in constant contraction which really does a number on the many nerves in your head. The longer it goes on, the worse it gets--it can cause muscle spasms in your neck and back as well. The migraines I had upon waking every day were always debilitating and made me vomit. Usually they were better by afternoon after a double shot of espresso and excedrin migraine (my poor liver--when I think of all i put it through). I was fitted for a tmi device which fits on the top front six teeth and it prevents the molars from making contact at all during the night. I know different doctors use different devices, but the tmi is the only one fda approved for migraines. It's worked for me. After 3 or 4 days I could tell the headaches were much better, but it's been a slow process. Now 3 months later, I'm finally feeling normal (instead of the constant picasso painting feeling I'd complained about for more than a year). The mouthgard pieces for sports won't work for migraines because the back teeth are still in contact with something. Anyway, it's easy to check with your dentist. You can get a slight idea by trying these things: open wide and feel the tendons between the top and bottom teeth (pain isn't normal), extend the bottom teeth forward and move jaw from side to side (does it hurt).

As a former middle school teacher, I know that times have changed and social pressures are much more than they were even a generation ago (think middle school peer pressure from your youth but it continues on all day and all night via e-mail, facebook, instant messaging). Still the level of sexual and drug activity today is far more "acceptable" without unattractive nicknames than they were in my days (70's and 80's). Yet, I can't help but wonder if it is related to the values training that my generation had in school. You know, the stuff they called "ethics", etc... If grandma needed a drug was grandpa right to steal it from a neighbor? Nobody could criticize answers as long as they were EXPLAINED. That made everyone believe that as long as there was a REASON for something, any action could be justifiable... I think my generation has trouble with parenting because many don't follow a solid moral code (i.e. stealing is always wrong, killing is always wrong). Everything is RELATIVE, a judgement code. I also worry that generation x and generation y should also be called generation ENTITLEMENT. The children of the 70's and 80's lived in a time of economic prosperity and burgeoning technology. If they make it, we must have it... And I wonder if that has led to the current financial crisis we have today (people buying more than they can afford, living in tremendous levels of debt). If my generation believes that everything should be handed to them on a silver platter, how can we expect their children to be responsible, hardworking individuals.

I like low carb (but more of the South Beach model). I DON'T use sweeteners or artificial sweeteners whenever possible. Actually, what helped me the most was eliminating diet pop from my diet. Artificial sweeteners actually stimulate your cravings for sugar more than sugar does!!! It's tough at first, but if you combine it with exercise you'd be surprised how quickly you can kick the sweet habit! I do still have sweets very rarely (both real and artificial), but now I'm in control and I don't CRAVE it. Another great book to read is Master Your Metabolism. It's a wealth of information about healthy and unhealthy foods.

Like it or not, some people are more prone. I'm one of them and it seems my daughter takes after me. Actually, my baby teeth had such low levels of enamel that they were translucent instead of white. I had to have all my baby teeth capped. I still have low levels of enamel on my adult teeth but they are not capped. I just get lots of cavities. My daughter is prone to getting cavities between her teeth. At her first check up the dentist came in and said that there was only one way a child gets cavities like that--pop. Only she had NEVER had a pop--only milk and water. Ask about flouride treatments. They help some. Also make sure you get your child a flouride based mouthwash as well.

My little one just started talking a lot this last month and a half. He'll be three in September. He went from saying 10 words to talking in full sentences within a week. He can say anything now. I think you should trust your instinct. If you really think there is a problem, ask for an evaluation. I wasn't worried because... *he could understand everything and respond to commands *it fits his personality (more laid back--not easily frustrated) *he has a history of lots of ear infections--even with tubes Now he can talk full sentences very well (starting in April). If you are truly concerned you can contact your county infant & child services for a speech evaluation. Personally, I'm glad I let my baby develop at his own speed. Now if he had gotten to 3 without improvement, that would have been a different story... Oh, and I do think watching "Signing Time" videos helped (awesome series, uses ASL, probably at your library). We don't watch much TV but we really like these videos (so much we made them our second language this semester in school).

Thanks!!!

I file them away in my file cabinet!

Thanks! Do you think I could use the newer student pages with the older manual (thinking of saving money)?

Does anyone know if it is very different from the first edition or is it mostly switching out the science book and adding in the Kingdom books?

Soy interferes with your thyroid function. It naturally slows down your metabolism. I have hypothyroidism and was told to avoid all products with it. The thing is that soy is used as a filler in SO, SO many foods that you would be shocked. You probably get an abundance of it as it is. Another problem with soy is that it can affect women's hormones. This can also inhibit weight loss.