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Catwoman

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Everything posted by Catwoman

  1. Catwoman
    LOL! Yes, that counts! If your dh is concerned that your ds is turning into a sissy, I can't imagine that sending him to school would solve the problem... but more time with Dad would be a big step in the right direction! Quick question -- does your ds have enough time alone with his dad? I know that I've been guilty of lurking around too much when my dh and ds are together, so I make a conscious effort to give them "guy time" without me, so they can do their "guy stuff" without me being in the way. Cat
  2. Catwoman
    It sounds like your ds is already more well-rounded than most ps kids. Maybe I'm completely out of line here, but are you sure your dh isn't jealous of your relationship with your ds? Is dh feeling left out? Could he be thinking that you and your ds won't be as close if your ds goes to school? Every 9 year-old whines, but not every 9 year-old has as many worthwhile interests and activities as yours does. Personally, I can't think of a single valid reason for putting your ds in school, as it sounds like you are doing a wonderful job of homeschooling him. It sounds to me like your dh is being emotional and is grasping at any straw he can find, just to force your ds into school. If it were my son, I'd stand my ground, but I'm a pretty tough cookie. Only you know what's best for your family, but it seems as though your dh is looking for a problem where none exists, and I see no reason to agree with an unreasonable and irrational argument just to keep your dh happy, particularly when it's going to make you and your ds miserable. Good luck with your discussion. I hope you can stay calm and focused... and remember, your son's best interests need to come first, and if you truly believe he's doing well as he is, he needs you to stand up for him. Please let us know how it goes! Cat
  3. Catwoman
    I agree with Carmen, in that I wouldn't switch everything, either. You could stick with Abeka, and just add in some of the Sonlight read-aloud books as a fun (and educational, but don't tell the kids!) addition to your current school day. I don't know the exact ages of your children, but I would suggest that you pre-read the Sonlight books before you start reading them aloud, to be sure they are appropriate. Sonlight has some wonderful books, but they also have some selections that are downright depressing! Which Sonlight core are you considering? If you let us know, I'm sure many of us can chime in with more information. In your case, I wouldn't spend the money on an entire Sonlight core, until I gave the format a trial run by borrowing some of the books from the library and reading them to the kids to see how it goes. Some kids really respond to the Sonlight way of homeschooling, and others don't enjoy it at all. We all picture ourselves cuddling on the sofa with our dc, reading aloud to our enraptured little audience, but it doesn't always work that way... take it from a mom who knows! (My ds is different now, but when he was younger and we tried Sonlight, it was a disaster. I hated the scheduling where you read a few pages from one book, then switch to another, then another... all in the same day. It drove me nuts!) Anyway, if you provide a bit more information, I'm sure we can give you some ideas. (BTW, you may also wish to look at the WinterPromise curriculum -- it's similar to Sonlight in its design, but the programs are somewhat different, and you may get some ideas for fun read-alouds to do with your kids.) Cat
  4. Catwoman
    Thank you for posting the update -- I'm glad to hear that all is well! She must have been scared to death, though! Do they need to do a needle biopsy just to be sure it's nothing serious, or was the mammogram conclusive? (Not trying to scare you; I'm just wondering.) Cat
  5. Catwoman
    Be thankful that he's smart enough to come up with that stuff -- I think he's very clever! (And hey, at least he's doing his schoolwork, right?) Cat
  6. Catwoman
    How awful! I hope you reported it to the police and to your insurance company. Your dh says the insurance company won't pay, but it's still worth a try. Do you have a high deductible? Whatever your deductible, I'd still report it, because the cost of replacing the window and the replacement value of the stolen property might add up to enough money to entitle you to some sort of reimbursement. And definitely contact the police -- there's always a chance that they'll catch the person the next time he (or she) commits another crime, and you might get your property back. If nothing else, the report of a crime might make the police step up their patrols a bit, and you might save someone else from walking out to their car and finding the window smashed. It appears that lots of cars are broken into for their GPS, and it's now recommended that you either carry it with you when you leave your vehicle, or hide it before you get out of the car. I'm sorry this happened to you, but thankfully, the thief was gone before you got back to the car, and no one was hurt. Cat
  7. Catwoman
    :lol::lol::lol: Cat PS. I wonder if he finally agreed with you because of your intelligent reasoning, or because he secretly wondered if it would have been "his dead body" if he hadn't... ;)
  8. Catwoman
    :iagree: Lining up beside you and Kelli, Erica! Cat
  9. Catwoman
    :iagree: I agree with you, Kelli! :iagree: Cat
  10. Catwoman
    Wow, it looks like my estimates are way off -- I haven't made a frozen lasagna in a while, so I must be remembering incorrectly.. or else I make the skimpiest lasagna in the history of the world! I'm glad others have posted with better estimates -- I'd hate to think I messed up anyone's dinner! Cat
  11. Catwoman
    :lol: LOL!!! :lol: Cat
  12. Catwoman
    Oops -- forgot to add -- You can also bake it at 400 - 425 degrees if you're sure there's plenty of sauce in the lasagna. If not, stick with 350, so it doesn't get dried out. If you use a higher temperature, keep checking to be sure the top and bottom don't burn before the inside is fully heated. Cat
  13. Catwoman
    Depending on the size of the Pyrex dish, I would preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and cook the lasagna for about 45 minutes. (I would cover it with its lid or aluminum foil.) Then, I'd uncover it and cook it for another 15 minutes, if I wanted to melt and brown the top a bit. It might take longer to cook than that if it's a really thick lasagna -- if it doesn't seem steamy when you take the lid off after 45 minutes, put the lid back on and cook it for another 15 minutes or so. You can also stick a knife in the middle of the lasagna to see if it's still frozen. If you have a cooking thermometer, you can test the temperature of the middle of the lasagna after about 45 minutes or so, to see if it's hot enough. If you can leave it out for a while before heating it, it will cook faster, but if there's meat in it, be careful not to leave it out for too long -- I usually just go straight from the freezer to the oven with no problems. Good luck! Cat
  14. Catwoman
    Excellent points, Betty! Cat
  15. Catwoman
    So Tracey, is that why he's your STBXH? ;):D Cat
  16. Catwoman
    We chose not to chip, because of the potential long-term health risks, but if you have a pet that likes to roam, or if you travel frequently with your pet, the benefits may outweigh the risks. Personally, though, I wouldn't do it. Cat
  17. Catwoman
    Good for you, Jean -- I'm glad you had a good excuse, and that your neighbor was nice about it. It's so stressful to have to let someone go, especially when you know they need the money, but you did it in the best possible way! Cat
  18. Catwoman
    Oops -- I forgot to send you your hug, Scarlett! :grouphug: Cat
  19. Catwoman
    I guess my first question is why you are agreeing to put your son in ps, when you obviously feel so strongly against it? One positive thing I saw in your DH's email is that he said, "We can talk about it later." Perhaps that means he's open to discussion? My best suggestion would be to validate your dh's concerns, and suggest that instead of putting him in ps, that you continue to homeschool him, but sign him up for classes in a co-op, or to have him participate in other activities where he'll be with other kids (and mom won't be doing the teaching or coaching.) My dh has always thought it would be best if our ds went to school, although we've never discussed anything but private school. However, since I feel so strongly that homeschooling is our best option, and I'm the one who does the teaching, my dh goes along with my wishes. If he insisted that ds go to school, he'd have a fight on his hands, and rest assured, I would win. Ultimately, you both need to talk at length about this, and preferably not via email. You need to know exactly what most concerns your dh; it sounds to me like it might be the old "socialization with similar-aged peers" thing, and there are ways to achieve that while still homeschooling. Hopefully, you'll be able to have a nice, long, calm discussion and if it looks like your dh isn't in your corner yet, perhaps you could ask him to take a day or two and reconsider his opinion. Finally, where does ds stand on the issue? Does he want to go to school? If not, this should be a big factor in the final decision. If he's doing well academically, that's important, too. If it's all about being with other kids, I'm sure you can find another option that isn't as extreme as a full day of public school every day. Good luck; I'm so sorry you are so upset, and hope everything goes well for you. Cat
  20. Catwoman
    Which spelling program are you using? Those words look quite difficult for a first grade spelling list, and I agree that there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for the words being grouped together, except that they all begin with "be." I would switch to something else, too! We used BJU Spelling for 1st - 3rd grades, but if your dd is accustomed to words like, "befriend" in first grade, BJU will probably be far too easy for her. Cat
  21. Catwoman
    Thank you! Cat
  22. Catwoman
    If Saxon is working for you, and your son enjoys it, I see no reason to switch to anything else. Why try to fix something that isn't broken? ;) Seriously, what if you switch to a different program or add something else to Saxon as an "extra," and your son hates it? It could spoil his enthusiasm for math. If you said he was bored with Saxon, or didn't really like it, or you felt he wasn't retaining what he learned, I'd say to try something else, but as someone who has made some stupid changes over the years (mostly due to reading too many homeschool forums and constantly hearing about the newest, best, most exciting things -- that ended up not working for us,) I would advise you to do your best to stick with what works and try to ignore the temptation to try new things. Just my opinion! Cat
  23. Catwoman
    So, you find this sort of thing, "upsetting?" I do, too!!! :iagree: Cat
  24. Catwoman
    I ordered today, too -- Like you, I've had the set in my cart for months, but I would have missed out on the new price if you hadn't mentioned it, because I hadn't planned to visit Amazon today (and we all know that Amazon's prices can change from one minute to the next!) THANK YOU!!! Cat
  25. Catwoman
    I'm so sorry for your loss -- it sounds like he was a wonderful, kind, generous, and thoughtful brother, and I wish he could have lived much, much longer, in perfect health. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Cat
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