I just have a Mr.Coffee iced tea maker. If I had to do it by hand, it would never get done. It makes wonderful tea though and it's REALLY easy to use. I add the right amount of water diluted water (just leave that amount of water out so it's not too waterY) and VIOLA!

I wish there were a miracle cure. I have the same problem! I beat myself up over it though severely and work on things but boy I get overwhelmed and then I am completely unproductive. I feel like I walk around in circles all day.

Oh goodness. Maybe you should go and just see if you like it then decide if it's something you would like. Maybe you all can switch up every other weekend or something?

I would probably switch. When it comes to health, I couldn't put up with a slacking dr. What if this were something more serious? I mean I know doctors can be very busy at times but they should have had somebody call with the results if even just a nurse.

Maybe they will offer it again sometime. This was one that I must have missed :( .

My biggest concern isn't really if he can write or not. These were skills that he's had previously. He was a very good writer and it was something he loved. I originally never had him writing at all but I had sent him to a ps preschool for awhile and they had them writing everyday in a journal. This was something he loved and was something he asked to carry into his homeschooling. To be honest, it doesn't bother me if he writes or not because I know one day he will eventually catch it. I guess more or less I hurt for him when he tries to do these things and gets mad or sad. He has his writing journal in the classroom and sometimes he just grabs it to write a story (which he loves). I have offered to type it up and then print it out for him so he still has his story but he became so independent in ps that he doesn't want the help. He knows this is a skill he used to have down pat and now he doesn't know why it's so hard to get it. He' a very independent and stubborn child, he knows what he wants and he won't stop until he has it. This is just like with his writing, he used to write every other day or so at home but now it's something he literally attempts everyday because he wants to "get it" again. Is there an easy way to explain to him that it's okay and that he will be able to do it again one day? I guess I did have some higher expectations when he came out of ps. I expected him to be able to continue all the skills he had learned in ps and that I would just have to elaborate on them. I guess I sort of feel like I am failing him in a way that his ps teacher wasn't. I feel like I am doing something wrong that she was doing right and I feel like it reflects my homeschooling ability in a way. I know this may sound silly but I guess I just feel like he shouldn't be losing skills and that it's a result of something I am doing.

I would say start fresh with a new one. We are using Discipleland. It's a Sunday school curriculum but it has SOOOO many activities in our level that it lasts us a week. It is hands-down the funnest Bible curriculum I could ever imagine. There is a very small student packet that costs $4.20 and everything else is VERY VERY VERY cheap as well. Yes, I have to buy curriculum every three months but for two children it only cost me $20.09 or something like that! Still cheaper than the Bible curriculum we were going to go with originally. I don't care that it's a Sunday school curriculum so much because as long as my children are learning the Bible, that's all that matters. Also, I get to choose where we start and which ones we do such as ofcourse we are starting on Creation and I want to move through in order. Each grade/age level has I believe maybe 12 different curriculums with 13 lessons each. Sometimes we even do 2 lessons a week but it doesn't matter because we can order when we want and what we want. Anyways, just thought I would share that with anybody that may come through and not have a great curriculum.

My children love Math U See. We haven't used RightStart but I don't feel it's too repetative and I definately don't think they only stay on one subject but then again we are on the first two sets. For once my children are understanding "the whys". My 3 year old is using Primer just for fun and my 5 year old is on Alpha. They both love the way Mr. Demme "puts things". You can see a sample on their website. I have never really heard any bad things about Math U See although I am sure there are plenty of people who don't like it. That's why I tried it and we LOVE it. I've even heard from adults who used the program to "relearn" math because they were taught the wrong way the first time around. Anyways, sorry I couldn't compare but just wanted to share a little I know about MUS.

I have younger children and we are going to be using the I Can Do All Things program. It looks fun, hopefully it will be.

I was actually going to use Sonlight until many reasons have since changed my mind. We are pretty much laying it all out on our own for each subject this year. I want my children to learn some of what they want and other things that I know they will like. Although a whole Preformed curriculum is nice, I have two children I am combining into one program so I have to tweek things here and there to get it right, order some things that have two levels, etc. but it's working out fine and our culture study "history" has got me so excited and I hated history growing up. We have mostly hands on things like dressing like some cultures, cooking certain foods, etc. and I just know they will love it. We are following LifePac science 1 because it's MAJOR easy and I can make it more or less difficult with the alternative tests, etc. Then we will be adding our own additional resources, hands on, etc. We just had this laying around and thought this would be a nice worksheet type program as a basis for the real fun!

I have never used it. Can you tell me a little more about what it is? Sorry I'm new to ALL of this.

Ahhh I couldn't imagine. We are in TN and we hardly get any snow. They say it's the LARGE Eastman Chemical Co. releasing chemicals into our clouds but it stays hot now sometimes through Dec. This winter was a little colder but not a lot of snow thank goodness.

Yummy, I'm going to have to bake these! All my guys love my baking!

I think you should move churches. The Lord has put the idea of switching in your mind for a reason. If you want a nice, friendly church group and your not getting it, it may draw you away from the Lord. Not in the sense it sounds. Let me see if I can word this right. If you already are just going "for your family's sake" then not having a loving church is interferring with your relationship with God. You should be excited to go and to worship and know that you are going to learn lots while you are there. Some churches may find an interpreter if they know you would like to be a part of their congregation. They may not have one because they do not have any individuals that are deaf but may agree. Just check around.

Sounds just like my husband. I can turn people down left and right but not him!

I've always heard there is really no difference at all. I have a sister who lives out of state so needless to say I haven't seen it yet but she said it was a waste of money. I would just go for a new "regular" tv. Which, then again, our family is not much on a tv so I would definately never spend extra money for better graphics.

I know that some children with autism think like this. I had a little girl who I was watching that would think of people in terms of animals. The more she liked you the higher up on her heirarchy you were. I was a bird (nobody had EVER gotten bird before so I was like a queen) then there were rabbits, and so on. I would think though by his age if he had any autistic like behaviors they would have been caught.

It looks to me like they had this all planned ;), the horses that is. Looks like horse #1 tags out to #2 and then him to #3. They must have been talking over hay and decided they were sick of the arena scene. I would have hated to be there!

I read in a baby magazine about the top addiction of SAHM is the internet. Literally, there are mothers who were taking drugs so they could stay on all night long. There was a list of symptoms and wow! They say it's because SAHM want interaction with others who feel like they do and who can relate. It makes sense. There were other mothers that were leaving their children completely ignored to be online all the time! Sad :(

Definately get the wipes! My son would never wipe before bc he had a bad experience of the paper-breaking and getting it on his hands! He was also having stomach issues and was passing blood in his stool. When the paper broke he had blood all over his hand and he flipped out screaming and crying (he was only 4) and wiping it everywhere. Needless to say, he was terrified of why when he wiped that he caused it to bleed and thought that he was a bad wiper and was doing some kind of crazy harm to his bottom. Finally, with coaxing and buying him his own "wipers", he started wiping again. Thanks goodness!

Interesting, I am going to have to try this with my mother. She LOVES all kinds of coffee.

You need to take action and complain to the head of whoever you need to. This should NOT have been done. In our local ps I know that they HAVE to inform the children of any movie that is not educational and also most activities and get parents permission. Being that this was rated R this teacher should be in plenty of trouble and should not be allowed to teach catechism again. This is a wonderful movie...for the right age group. I would NEVER allow my children to watch it so young.

Has he always been hesitant to homeschooling? I know that sometimes, when men are going through change or something he "fears" they act in strange ways. My sisters Army husband was overseas and it was vrazy the requests he had. He was persistant on the strangest things. When he got back he told her how he was very afraid over there and that there was "too much time to think about things" and that he realizes now how weird he had been. Maybe your husband is going through something or something like that and is acting out his own fears of something. The fact that he was talking about fears and change exclusively at the end shows that it may be something he's going through. I would enroll him if you feel it's necessary but only if you have the option of changing your mind and keeping him at home later. My dh was against homeschooling until I showed him all the coops and "part time" school options we had available. He quickly realized that being in a Christian coop some of the time was better for instilling our Christian values than ps. Maybe you should discuss private school with your husband. Tell him about any part time like schools you have and see if he will agree to that. I wish you well but remember God gave our children to us to raise, we need to make the right decisions because they can't yet. I know it's hard when your husband is pressuring you but you need to question what's better in the long run for your son? Talk to the Lord about your fears and He will answer. I prayed for over a month while my insistant husband kept saying no way and eventually one day, the Lord answered my prayers and my dh was convinced. I wish you luck!

I don't think it has ANYTHING to do with curriculum. All children have different learning styles and each teacher has different teaching methods. There is no way that there is a fit all program for writing or math or anything. Some would say Singapore math is the best program because of the scores it gets but since my son has sensory processing disorder the colorful pictures distract him and he learns nothing. If he went to college 12 years from now they would have him in the lowest math possible to catch him up, however, someone else's kid may have done wonderful and be thriving. I think it related to A) the teacher and B) the teacher. The teacher has to be able to apply things to everyday life, should be able to choose the methods of teaching based on the students needs, and should make it interesting to that child. Just because my child doesn't use Singpore math (just an example) doesn't mean that he is lacking in any way. Also say, for these individuals that I have met in many places that think just because they buy $2000 worth of curriculum, than their child is better than someone who wasn't able to, I hate that kind of comparison. If it was the best curriculum for their child than great but I don't like people who buy things just to show others up. We have a lot in my area and wow! if they only knew they were not helping their child in the end. The only thing they are teaching is how to accumulate debt :)

I have only seen a few physical education programs for homeschoolers and some that could be "adapted". I was hoping you could help me find one that would be a great fit for our family. Our sons are 5 & 3. They are great physical athletes. We want a program that has some relay type races and activities that include running, jumping, etc. not the programs that just have "outside games" like jumping inside a hula hoop. We looked into Horizons PreK-2 and thought it was nice (although we only got a one page preview) and we could use it for many years however the price is a pitfall and I can't find it used ANYWHERE. We are using Horizons Health K this year and would love to have something that gets us outdoors really getting rowdy and burning off some energy. My children hate being cooped up and my oldest has SPD and CRAVES movement such as climbing, running, bouncing. Any suggestions would be helpful, maybe you all can come up with some I haven't seen. THANKS!