Yesterday went pretty well. I'll call it a success! We did a partial day of school work done, and the big kids each got a subject done at the dentist. Back at home, I made dinner, cleaned the kitchen, cleaned the bathroom while the toddler was in the bath, and did a load of laundry! Today, we have a full school day planned plus some errands this afternoon.

We have done both (both on one trip, even!) and I agree, the hitch racks are much better. They are more versatile. We've loaded golf bags on it for tournaments, and coolers for big picnics and tailgating. They are also much easier to access. That's a huge plus.

@MeriwetherI would definitely put it on your list to test drive when you are ready to car shop to see what you think. One nice comfort thing is that the 3rd row in the Expedition sits high like a minivan, whereas, the 3rd row in the mid-size SUVs sits on the floor (more or less). So anyone taller than 4 and a half feet has their knees up in the air, which can get very uncomfortable.

Sounds like the neighborhood I grew up in! ❤️ There is a really big brick house with a carriage house in back (swoon) and the next lot over was the barn. Its a house now but still has the essence of the barn! 😉 The house I grew up in (and a few others) was built in the 50s and the last two lots were just built on within the last 5 years. I love quirky neighborhoods like that! Gives it personality!

Okay. This is helpful, the more I've thought about it today. I think we've done the first 2 asterisks. I'm pretty sure we are doing the 3rd asterisk now. I know I sound flaky but I just have him read to me for 30 minutes a day. Usually we do three 10 min segments morning, afternoon, and evening. On a busy day we have to do two 15 minute time slots whenever we can get them in. And he chooses whatever he wants. So he could be reading anything. A graphic novel, a Highlights article, a chapter book about dragons or non fiction about dinosaurs (okay anything about dragons or dinosaurs!) So I'm trying to think about what he reads and what I'm correcting or explaining as he reads to figure out where he's at! Regarding your final point: he definitely reads for 30-45 minutes about dragons and I know he's comprehending it because he keeps me well informed on all the complicated plotlines! 😂 So I'm sure he can technically read non-twaddle but he 100% won't read any fiction that is not about dragons. I read lots of non twaddle out loud and he loves it all and asks me to read more than one chapter but he won't silently read those type of books himself at all. The reading smoothly we need to work on for sure. I think reading aloud forces him to move much slower than his brain wants to. So he gets ahead with his eyes and brain and has to backtrack to let his voice catch up but then its a mess and it comes out as stuttering. Is this something that just improves gradually over time or is there something specific I need to teach him to do to help that?

I love it. I'd be happy in that house with dh and my 3 kids. I love the porches encouraging you to go outside. 😊 Will the island be the same size as the plan or will you eliminate the bar portion altogether? Personally, I'd put the cooktop/oven on the island but that's because I despise cleaning the wall behind the stove and the underside of the microwave and cabinets above the stove. The angles you have to twist your arms to reach are terrible for scrubbing! Lol! 😁 Do your nearby parents also have a narrow lot? Do they like their floor plan? Does this floor plan fix things they don't like about theirs? I'm just curious. I love chatting about houses. 😊

I didn't realize it could be 7 or 8 passenger! If it's 7 passenger, does that mean the middle row is 2 captain's chairs? I'm thinking we will want the middle row to be a bench. We only use the 3rd row when we have extra people with us, so around 2 times/ month.

In addition to the Epedition, Chevy Traverse is also on our list if we decide to stay with a mid-size. Traverse has the largest interior space of the mid-size SUVs. Can you tell we are in the market for a new to us family vehicle this year, also? 😊

Have you compared gas mileage? I'm not sure what years you are looking at but the Armada has a reputation of having extremely poor gas mileage. As in, you might as well get a Suburban, because you'll pay more for gas on the Armada. Maybe newer ones are more fuel efficient, though. I have a mid-size SUV and recently test drove a Ford Expedition. It was much roomier and comfortable for all the kids and bags but not as truck like as a Suburban (which I have to drive every time my mid-size is getting repaired). For example, it was easy to pull in and out of parking spaces. In the suburban, I park at the back of the parking lot so there are empty spaces on either side of me. 😄 Anyway, I'm just offering a suggestion to maybe test drive an Expedition to see what you think.

After working through all 100 lessons and the majority of the book list in the back of 100 Easy Lessons, what did you move on to next? A more advanced phonics program? Supplements of some kind? Or did you switch gears to language arts with spelling and grammar lessons? If you did the latter, what did reading look like for your dc at that point? I am probably okay in this area, I just hear things like "fluency" and "comprehension" thrown around and I get nervous. Ds was reading a paragraph to me the other day and I asked a question about it and he said, "I have no idea what I just read." Granted, it was a paragraph from an article written to adults (this was not a school lesson) so we are probably fine but still, us homeschool moms like to double check we aren't missing anything! 😊

Good morning! We have a half day of school today with medical appointments 30 minutes away this afternoon. I'm planning on taking some schoolwork with us because las time were there, I thought it would be fairly quick in and out and we wound up being there for 2 hours! 😰 So much precious school time down the drain! Not going to make that mistake again!

I've been decluttering and its come to a screeching halt with paperwork/office stuff. Because I don't have an office or money to spend. Something like these might get me halfway there. I just don't know where I'd put the storage totes! I guess even in a corner of the bedroom, its better looking than a pile! I'm happy for you that you have a little more sanity in your office!

I've had the show playing while I've been decluttering. Its motivating to declutter alongside others, even if I don't subscribe to her methods 100%. The picture in the link to karate chopped pillows is hilarious because there are so many giant pillows on that thing, nobody can sit on it! 😂 My kids have these shoe organizers from target for their stuffed animals. Some of the pouches are larger, which is great for bigger animals. This one is white but ours are a fun blue. They hang over the closet door. With this, the animals can both see and breathe! 😂

Well, I guess in my first post I did say "food" and it is true that sometimes there will be a little bit of raisins or goldfish or something, most of the time it is liquid. Most of the time it looks like curdled milk or its super orange and mucous-like. Sorry, I was trying to not be super gross in my other comments! Lol! 😂

Oy! More computer problems today, which, without the computer, slashes the kids' math in half and cuts out ds's grammar. And dd's typing, of course. We'll go to the store later for the item I think we need to get it up and running again. Its been a weird morning. So far, I've done a few chores and some laundry, helped ds with some math and cleaned up the school room a little bit. That's not much but I feel like it should be 3pm already. 😴 Ds has done morning chores, his non computer based math and is now doing reptile origami. Hmmm... not part of the lesson plan, but I feel like I have no fight in me today. Dd slept in until 10, and has been dragging her feet and sticking her nose in a book every time I turn around. And crying. Lots of crying. And has no explanation for it. Now I want to cry! 😫 I need something magical to get us all out of this funk!

Well the Dr also said reflux. We are going to try medication for a short time to see if that clears it up. If so, then we'll figure out specific food triggers so he hopefully doesn't have to be dependent on medication. Thanks for your thoughts everyone!

Sounds like you are in the thick of it, Critter! Its all so fun to hear about on my end, so I hope you are enjoying the process. 😊 I have to take the toddler to the pediatrician this morning so I'm sending the big kids to work with dh and their independent schoolwork. (Dh works for family and they love seeing the kids, thank goodness.) I don't know what this afternoon will bring. It depends on how the Dr appointment goes. He sometimes needs extra snuggles after things like that. I need to get a few loads of laundry done, cook up a bunch of chicken, and make some snacks for the kids. Hopefully I get to it!

Your kids are so fortunate to have you working so hard for them! I am in awe of all you do!

Poor kiddo! That sounds so challenging. 😞

Oh, yeah, the teeth brushing. I know that's a big gag reflex trigger for a lot of people. I'm glad it resolved for all your sakes!

How did you know that's all it was?

Well of course we had marinara with dinner tonight. 🙄 Within ten minutes, he had to run to the bathroom. But then a full hour after dinner, when he got out of the bath, up came a ton!!! More than ever! I feel terrible! Now I'm really hoping the pediatrician has an opening tomorrow!

Is it weird that it just randomly started? What would cause it? I don't get it! Lol 😁 I'm reading about reflux and it seems like maybe we could try some diet changes and other things before medication. I guess we'll see what the doc says.

My 3 yo has started something new the last couple of months. He is regurgitating a little food and spiting it out right after eating. Within 10 minutes. Not every time he eats. It started just once a week. I thought it was odd and puzzling. But now its ramping up to nearly daily. Definitely every other day at least once. Sometimes more than once in a day. Only once did he fail to make it to a trash can or toilet. So for the most part, he knows its coming. Also, sometimes he says, "I throw up in my mouth." I ask if he's okay, does he need a drink of water? He's a typical 3 yo so not consistent with his responses. Sometimes he says he's fine. Sometimes he says his tummy hurts. He also burps a lot. Quiet wet burps, not big gassy belches. He also gets hiccups a lot. Since the first time it happened, I thought it was a matter of overeating. This kid thinks he's hungry all the time and if anyone in the house is eating, he has to have some of whatever it is, too. So I very closely monitored his food intake and made sure he wasn't eating more than 3 meals and 3 light snacks every day. Well, that didn't help, so I thought maybe he wasn't calm enough when eating. He is so wild and wound up all the time. He never sits still. So I started making him sit still in a chair to eat everything and sit calmly for a few stories after eating. That hasn't helped either. We were sitting together reading a story after breakfast this morning, when he suddenly jumped up and ran down the hall to regurgitate into the toilet. Any ideas? I'm calling the pediatrician tomorrow but that's making me so nervous because I always feel like a paranoid helicopter parent looking for problems. I was hoping The Hive might have some insights so I feel a little prepared for this appointment. Google is turning up possibly a food sensitivity or maybe lactose intolerance?? But neither of those things mention regurgitation like he's experiencing. There is a regurgitation syndrome or something but it sounded like it was psychological and the child could control it. Its a stress response or something. I really don't think that's what is going on with him.

I am late to this decluttering party but I have been decluttering slowly but surely this past week. 1. I started small and cleaned out the cabinet under the bathroom sink. Now everything we truly use actually fits without spilling out when the doors are opened! 2. I cleaned out 1 of 2 drawers under the bathroom sink. Kids are so sloppy and gross with toothpaste! 😠 3. I cleaned out the linen closet that is just outside the bathroom in the hallway. Once again, the door now closes nicely and there is no avalanche waiting on the other side of it. One bag of old mismatched towels out to the SUV to be donated. 4. Dd and I went through all her clothes and put 3 trash bags full of outgrown clothing in the SUV. 2 bags to a friend. 1 bag to a charity. Now we have a list of what she needs in her current size and I took pictures of a few pretty tunic tops that need skirts or leggings because nothing she has goes with them. 5. I did the Kon Mari method on all of the boys' clothes. That was a huge hours long project. But, now all of their clothes available to them in their dressers and hanging in their closet fit them! And the clothes fit in the spaces designated for them. There are 2 boxes of boy clothes going to a relative, 2 trash bags of boy clothes and shoes going to a friend, and another 2 trash bags going to a charity. I was determined to fit it all in my SUV so that next time I leave the house, I have to drop it all off at the different locations to have space my vehicle again for children and/or groceries! 😂 Its packed full! Feels great! 6. Today I am working on paperwork. So far I have everything in one space and I have sorted most of it. I have one trash bag full of paper to shred. I have one plastic milk crate that's still half full. Once I'm done sorting that, I have to figure out how I want to organize and streamline paperwork. I am open to suggestions. I need something portable since I don't have an office. I also plan on going through any bills that come in the mail and setting up paperless statements. They are all on auto pay anyway, so why am I still hassling with paper statements?? It was fun reading through this thread the last couple days in between decluttering times to see what everyone else has been up to. 😊