LOL that's cool. I always get excited if someone leaves me a comment on my livejournal. Which hardly ever happens! LOL

So you're going to buy a hardcover of the new book, and then ask him to sign some older paperbacks, too? I am sure that will be fine! Have fun! I've only been to one book signing in my life- and it was the guy from the Red Hot Chili Peppers (I can't even remember his name), and I only went because I have a sister in law who LOVES that band, and she wanted someone to go with her. So I drove with her from PA to NYC and we had so much fun just waiting on this line. We were people-watching, joking around with other people on line, everyone was in great spirits, it was a fun atmosphere. I can't even tell you how many people stopped and asked, "What are you guys waiting on line for?" And we'd tell them. For a while. Eventually, we started making things up. "American Idol Auditions," for example. Yeah, it was funny. Since I was there anyway, I bought a book and had the guy sign it. Now I have this signed book by the Red Hot Chili Peppers guy, whose name I can't even remember, and whose book I never even finished reading. Maybe I should just sell it or something lol.

I really don't think anyone here would just read a thread title and mindlessly assume they should steer clear of a book. I'm sure they would have read through the thread (or the book) and come to their own conclusions.

My daughter has this fancy dress we bought at Cracker Barrel, I'm not sure exactly what to call it but it reminds me of an old fashioned lady of the castle kind of thing. My son had a knight costume last year that he wants to use again this year. It still fits him, so he'll be a knight! We love halloween!

Wow, that's awesome! Happy anniversary! :)

I agree. K can be SO laid back, it does NOT need to be overly academic or time consuming. I just started my son on Oak Meadow K (which I love, it's hands on and gentle, not pushing academics at that early age) and it's DEFINITELY taking under an hour a day. Sometimes we do it in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon, sometimes in the evening; whenever's convenient on any given day. I think if your wife's only concern is that she might not be "up to the task," well, K doesn't have to be much of a task. Most of a 5 y/o's day should be free play and imagining and creating and just being around the family and pitching in to help in whatever way a five year old can with household chores. Add in some music, some read alouds, access to some craft supplies and non-electronic toys, good old fashioned ones like puzzles and blocks, and that is really all a K'er needs. You'd be surprised how much they pick up just from play and conversation and kid's TV shows and whatnot. If, on the other hand, your wife has just decided she does not want to homeschool regardless, then I agree that it's just as simple as telling her mom exactly what Cadam said above! Funny, though, usually people here are worried that their parents are against homeschooling, not for it! :D

Deborah Markus of Secular Homeschooling Magazine self-published a book called, "Don't Worry! A Guide For Relatives And Friends Of Homeschoolers." Maybe you should buy a copy and give it to your mom for a holiday present lol. http://www.secular-homeschooling.com/dont_worry/index.html

Oh, lovely! We have rented a bounce house for the first time ever for our daughter's 10th birthday party, which is in a couple of weeks. I thought the only thing I had to cross my fingers for was no rain. Apparently now I have to hope for no excess lead, too!

I like to order 2 slices per person.

Games like Scene It has a "party play" option where you can put on the DVD and everyone can just call out answers (as opposed to using the board game that goes along with the DVD). There are similar musical trivia DVD/board games which are fun. Charades. Twister. Apples To Apples. Pictionary. If you have a Wii or Rock Band or some such, those are always a hit. If you mean organized backyard type games though, then I don't know about that age- maybe relay race type stuff, nerf or water gun fights, tug of war, etc?

The two older ones (if they were mine) would be allowed to play in the backyards of the people we knew, BUT they would have to come tell me every.single.time they were going into a different yard. My 9 y/o has to do this now. She either plays out front on our block (she's not allowed to leave our block), or she plays in one of 4 backyards: Ours, her cousins', or one of two other neighborhood friends. She always, always has to tell me where she's going to be. So she might be playing out front, and then she'll pop her head in and tell me she'll be in Emily's backyard, and maybe an hour later she'll come tell me she'll be in Zack's backyard- it's fine because I've met their parents, she plays with them regularly, and I know where she is at all times. With your 7 year old, I'd do the same thing. And possibly with your 6 year old if it's a mature enough 6 year old. My 4 y/o has a lot more restrictions because, well, he's only 4! :) so he's not allowed out front without an adult at all, and he can only go in our backyard or his cousins' backyard (3 houses away) if his almost 10 y/o sister is with him.

LOL...well, my mom is nice enough to come over every Thursday morning to watch them while we go to the weight loss support group. In regard to the gym- we take them with us. We were lucky enough to find a small, local gym that has a children's playroom right next to the exercise area. It's got toys, books, a TV, a chalkboard and so on. The kids go in there, and there's a door with a window that we can see in whenever we want. It's not a supervised room (as in, there's no childcare)- so I couldn't have done this a year or two ago when my son would have been way too young to understand "okay just stay in this room with your sister and we'll come get you soon!" But now at just shy of 5, and with an almost 10 y/o big sister to hang out with, it's working out! So far anyway- we've only gone three times so far lol.

I wonder at what age they will ban their kids from eating cupcakes. Do you think they sit them down on their 7th or 8th birthdays and have "the talk" about how they are now too old for cupcakes? "Listen, Jennifer and Michael, I just want you to know there is no Santa Claus, no tooth fairy, and you will no longer be receiving cupcakes. Ever. Happy birthday!" *I* still like cupcakes, for crying out loud! and LOL at cupcake grinches.

Nope, they didn't say anything more specific than "slightly irregular!"

Two years ago, I went for my annual exam/PAP and they told me that the PAP came back "slightly irregular." Basically, they just said "come back in a year." So, I went back a year later, and they told me the results were the same. Still "slightly irregular." Once again, they told me "come back in a year." Next month I go again. I'm getting a little nervous about it for some reason. Is this normal, do you think? Anyone else experience anything like that? Is it something that is likely to worsen? What if they tell me it's still "slightly irregular, come back in a year"...?

Mondays: As of now, my only Monday commitment is for a temporary 3rd to 5th grade book club at the library on the first Monday of every month, for a few months only, for my 9 y/o. Tuesdays: My husband and I go to the new gym we joined (for health and weight loss!) Tuesday mornings. Tuesday afternoons, I have to pick my oldest daughter up at school at 4 PM from whatever Special Olympics sport she's doing at the time (currently volleyball). Wednesdays: I bring my 9 y/o and my 4 y/o to gymnastics in the late afternoon. Thursdays: My husband and I go to our weight loss support group in the morning. Thursday afternoons, I have to pick my oldest daughter up at school at 4 PM from whatever Special Olympics sport she's doing at the time (currently volleyball). In the evening after dinner, I have to bring my 9 y/o to Girl Scouts. Fridays: My husband and I go to the new gym we joined (for health and weight loss!) Friday mornings. Saturdays & Sundays: No commitments. In addition to all those "regular commitments" there are always other things going on, too. Homeschool group field trips and get togethers, and various appointments. Like, next week, on Monday our homeschool group has its fall walking club. On Wednesday I have to go pick up a loft bed we're buying for my 4 y/o for his upcoming 5th birthday. On Thursday, our homeschool group is touring a TV studio. On Friday, we're going to a friend's son's birthday party. On Sunday, we're helping my mom move. The following week, we're continuing to help my mom move on Monday. I have my annual exam on Tuesday. We've got a homeschool group field trip to the zoo on Wednesday. We have a homeschool group tour at the local state police on Thursday evening (right before Girl Scouts). Friday is my younger daughter's 10th birthday/birthday party. Sunday I have to take my oldest daughter to and from her school as they have an away volleyball game... The week after that, there's a dentist appointment, and a homeschool PE day at the Y. The week after THAT there's a field trip to Gettysburg (homeschool group) and a hike at a local lake (Girl Scouts). Again, these other things are all on top of the regular weekly commitments I already mentioned. Point being, basically I have something to do every day of the week, most weeks, and sometimes more than one thing a day. On top of "errands" like food shopping, library, etc. And on top of homeschooling two kids. (I guess it's a good thing I'm a pretty relaxed homeschooler heh). (But, yes, I do manage to get the homeschooling done, and I consider many of the other things educational/learning experiences, too)! On the one hand, I like staying busy and social and active. I get kind of restless and bored if I'm just stuck at home, even on the days when I just don't feel like leaving the house. Plus it's better for my diet to stay busy lol. And the kids like getting out there and being around other people. But on the other hand, I wonder if I'll just end up getting burned out! What are your regular commitments? Do you feel good about them? Have you gotten burned out from having too many? Are you the type of person that just likes to be out and about? Or do you prefer to stay quietly at home as much as possible? Have you even read all of this? Should I just shut up now? Yes, I do believe I'm rambling!

You can teach your kids much more efficiently than a public school teacher can teach 20-30 kids. You can move at your child's own pace. If they "get it" you can move on faster. You don't have to wait for a group of slower kids to catch up, you don't have to assign tons of "busy work," you don't really have to work on a time table at all. My daughter is almost 10 and her schoolwork does not take anywhere near 5 hours a day. She spent an average of 3 hours a day doing schoolwork last year in 4th grade. We've only just finished our second week of fifth grade so I haven't really figured out yet what we're averaging time wise, but it seems to be taking about the same amount of time as fourth grade took, pretty much. We use the Oak Meadow curriculum, which is pretty hands on. We do everything that's in a week's lesson, and it just doesn't take a ridiculously long time. (But it's not based on tests and worksheets and a lot of dry textbook material and busywork). And still, I can see that my child is learning plenty. Our evaluator has been impressed with her portfolios. Our district superintendent has accepted her portfolio without a problem. And when I gave her a standardized test at the end of last year "for fun" to see where she was at after more than a year of a relaxed style of homeschooling using the OM curriculum and being finished within 3 hours a day, she was right where she's "supposed to be." She's doing great! And she's got plenty of time to "be a kid," explore her own interests, to just spend time with her family, we go on lots of outings and field trips and extra-curriculars and we do fun things, and it's all working out great. So based on that I just don't think you have to worry that you need to do hours and hours of work a day or that you aren't "doing enough"- it sounds like you're doing enough to me!

LOL thanks for the responses all! Congrats to those of you who have lost/are losing, too! And good luck to those of you still in the process :)

I remember having a whole set of those "color" fairy books when I was young- I'm not sure how old I was when I was reading them to myself but I want to say I must have been somewhere under 10 years of age. And I remember some of those stories really scaring the heck out of me! I wouldn't even buy them for my 10 y/o, let alone read them to my 5 y/o LOL.

I was going to say that I think it sounds like a lot of fun, and that I'd probably say "sure" to the rental slide in my yard, if my kids were participating. And that I'd just be honest about finances, that we're saving for something ds needs and can't afford to chip in for the bounce house, but that sure they could use my yard. I would have said that until I saw your other post, about how they don't even really let your kids participate and tell them that cupcakes are for the little kids and so on! That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard! That being the case, I'd tell them, "I'm sorry, but since my kids are too old to participate, we're going to opt out of using my yard."

LMAO.... hm. Yeah, something tells me I might have a hard time with that one!

LOL, yes, well, my initial goal is only 2 lbs shy of the elephant's penis (so I guess I need to lose a circumsized elephant's penis)!

I didn't set a specific goal, just that we'd do what we could. We are up to 250 minutes so far! We're "NancesHomeschool" :)

Thanks for the replies! Here's another question. Would you consider a "loft bed" safe for an about to turn 5 year old? It is NOT as high as a standard bunk bed. It's pretty much just high enough for an adult to sit under. It's got a good sturdy guard rail so I'm not worried about falling out while sleeping but more about getting hurt while climbing on or off or playing! But it looks really cool, and the underside is big enough to put another bed in if you wanted- but I thought it would make a REALLY cool play/fort area, like if we hang a sheet or some such. I found it on Craigs List and I love it! I spoke to the seller and it was still available so I made arrangements to go on Wednesday morning. What do you guys think?

I just set up a "My Weight Loss Stats" section on my livejournal, and I included some fun visuals. Let me know what you think if you have a minute! :) Thanks!! http://nancextoo.livejournal.com/139113.html