We've used Applies, Butterflies, and Cats. They are painful for me, but DS6 liked the first two. There is virtually no worthwhile math at these levels. The writing is not good and the stories are disjointed. The first two books were funnier, but Cats we just waded through. It was really boring to us. It was a good idea, but for $16 a book, it's too much like twaddle for us.:leaving:

I knew other moms would understand! I wish they had a "most rustic" award - he surely would have walked away with that one. I'm hoping he'll be able to do better next year, but I'm glad he was able to lose well. I was telling him that you don't really learn anything from winning....the whole deal... But then his best friend (a Bear Cub Scout) said it best: "You didn't make it to the finals? Me neither. Doesn't it stink?" :lol:

My little Tiger Cub Scout was in his first Pinewood Derby today. He built his own car and was SO proud of it. He had the worst time out of anyone and got last place. Dead last. He was very sad, but he didn't get mad. He just cried when I gave him a hug. Then he said he was "just upset". He recovered. But I was proud how he handled such a huge loss. I don't think I could have handled it as well as he did. Even when he was crying, it was hard for me not to cry too. He said he wants to try again next year. :001_smile:

Sckoon are my favorites. I only buy the inserts and they work very well. The organic cotton is very soft and only gets softer.

Just to give you an idea: - All kids help at the cafe we own (they are there daily with Dad). They complete assigned independent work, take out the garbage at the end of the day, do the "cycles" on our espresso machine, and can bring dishes back to the kitchen. - At home, all kids are responsible for folding the laundry, taking turns clearing the table, wiping down, loading and unloading the dishwasher, taking out the trash and recycling (weekly), making beds, putting clothes into the hamper, and picking up their things (toys, books, jackets, etc.). It does require an attitude of "we all work together because we are a family and take care of each other". Also, since you have several kids, I'd suggest starting very small. For one month, show them ALL how to make their bed. And then ONLY work on that for one month. Then hold them to it (enforce it being completed if you see it not done). Then the next month, work on clearing the table after a meal. And so on.... If everyone is working on the same chore, then it is easier for you to help, guide, and check. After everyone is "good" at three chores, then you can assign chores to each child. Child A folds laundry, Child B please clear the table, Child C please pick up the living room. They will be better at it by then since they know what you want. :grouphug: It's worth it. Really.

:grouphug: Others' ideas are what I would offer: kids helping with cleaning, paper plates (this is not pathetic it is one less thing!), monthly shopping trips instead of weekly, etc. I just wanted you to know that this is a hard season. You are in the deep trenches right now with the number and ages of your kids. Next year won't look like this. You will feel better about this. Keep up the good work! :grouphug: ~Angela (mom of 4: now 14, 12, 11, and 6)

:grouphug: You are the world's strongest mom. God bless you with peace now. He's holding you through this pain. :grouphug:

It depends. What are your reasons for testing? 1) If it is for you to see what he knows, then give him a 3rd grade test. 2) If it merely to fulfill a state requirement, then give him a 2nd grade test for their files.

:iagree: When our youngest went to daycare I would eliminate anyone who just wanted to shlep my kid around with them. I was paying a fair price for a home daycare and I don't know about how they drive, what they do, etc. I'm paying for a service and that was something I didn't want. Walks to the library or park were okay, but those were mentioned beforehand. As long as the other mom and you agree on what it means for you to take care of her child, you should be good. But assume nothing.

:grouphug: That sounds like my house :lol: I hope you feel better soon - the children don't....but I do. :D

I would compare the scope and sequences between the two programs. Also, the first 30 lessons or so are review in Abeka before they really start plowing into new things, so take that into consideration.

Abeka works with our accelerated learner. It is more advanced in nature, but they can write in the workbooks. For the lower grades, I only get the consumable workbooks so it is not as expensive.

We used flashcards. Daily work on these (which lasted no longer than 5-10 minutes) and the kids' facts are solid. I don't think there is any replacement for daily drill. Eventually they memorize it just to get it done with, even if the kids don't like to memorize.

Thanks for the great advice. I won't mention it to her at all, but in the future I will pre-screen and deal with it accordingly. The kids have started asking questions about her behavior especially since they also have a much better set of grandparents on DH's side. I don't want to color their opinion of her, but we've started talking about choices people make. It helps so much to have such a great sounding board. Thank you!

Dearest Hive, You have such knowledge and experience I am hoping for some guidance. My mother and my relationship is terrible. I speak to her once a month at the most and see her less than once every six months because without these boundaries, she makes my life quite miserable. This has been the case since I left home at 15. My father was gone when I was 3 months old. **end of backstory** My mother bought my four children ornaments for Christmas. She has done this in previous years. She will buy them from thrift stores (no problem, this is where we shop - the point is that the ornaments are not new). She spelled two of our four children's names wrong (DH and I have been married with at least 3 of the 4 kids for 10 years). The names are biblical so she could have looked them up. I removed the labels so the kids didn't see this. (Malachi was "MALCHI" and Nehemiah was "NEOMA") Then when DS11 opened his ornament, it was broken. You could tell that it was not broken from handling. She had just bought him and wrapped him up a broken ornament. It was to the point you could not put it on the tree because it wouldn't hang at all. I tried to fix it as best as I could so we could put it on the tree at least. It kind of worked. I do know that of our four kids, this is the son my mother "likes" the least. **end of situation** :001_smile: So should I say something about this to my mother? The mispellings? The broken ornament? I'd rather she didn't get them something at all than if she did it this way again. Any advice?

Abeka (very efficient without all the teacher added materials) CLE

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Congratulations on your precious blessing!! I'm so sorry that you are going through a tough season, but it will end. You are in my prayers and thoughts. Hold tight to your DH and children through this. You will come out on the other side. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

All punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, and capitalization are his: "I want to be a firefighter. So people can survive. So I can help other people. So I can help my freinds, too. Get enough money and be strong." *The last sentence was to be about "two ways you can prepare for this job". Any feedback?:bigear:

I think it's a great gift idea. It shows you want them to have a nice dinner together and support her lifestyle of being a vegetarian. If I ever hear "hard to buy for" (which describes myself perfectly), think consumable gifts like food, wine, or an experience / time together. Great job!

If it was a treadmill without an explicit request for one, I think her DH may stop being excited Christmas morning. :lol: "Gee thanks, honey!" :001_huh:

:grouphug: I hope you have peace through this season of uncertainty. :grouphug:

Here's our family: DH and I, then our four kids. This was when we were bowling in the fall.

Thanks so much for the hugs everyone. It's just a rough day / week. It's hard being a mom / stepmom and it helps not feeling alone. I know it will get better (heck most days are better than this one) and DH is amazingly supportive. I get down and discouraged at times, especially when DH's XW still hates me so much. I was hoping we'd have a better relationship after 10 years of this co-parenting. Thanks for the support.:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

I am hated, reviled, and resented. I am disrespected, insulted, and ignored. I am invisible, an amateur, mistrusted. I am alone while completely surrounded. My home is discomfort. My choices aren’t my own. I console, advise, support, guide, and cheer. My check supports two homes, yet I am a *****. I long to be understood, supported, even loved. I want to be human. I want to be touched. I want too much. I am a stepmom.