My daughter and her friend bought a necklace set the other day. Mine was worried that her other friends would be upset, but we talked about how a person can have more than one best friend, and the necklace doesn't mean that she doesn't have other friends who aren't just as 'best.' The other girl's mom and I also agreed on this. They're just necklaces, not much more. But I think both girls (over here) are in agreement on this and don't mean it to be exclusive. So maybe that doesn't apply in your case. But if your girl sits down with her "Diana" and has an honest and loving talk about it, maybe they can come up with something that shows their friendship too. (Matching embroidered pillows?)

We haven't yet gotten all our curriculum :glare: but my girls are looking forward to starting next month. However, we only just started getting real summer weather and we haven't gotten nearly enough swimming and creek playing in yet!

This seems to me to be true (as an outsider). AFAIK there's a feeling that marrying only for love is reckless and more likely to go badly. And, really, considering the divorce rate in America, they have a point.

I haven't had any trouble, but one thing I dislike is when a teacher (or anyone else, but IME it's been a teacher I know) says "Well, I know you're great at homeschooling, it's all those other kids I worry about..." :ack2:

'Dumber than a box of hair' is one of my favorites. Though usually I just say 'not the sharpest knife in the drawer.'

I disagree--I have 3 younger brothers! :D

When I looked at the Wilson text I found it very Presbyterian. If you aren't, you may find that difficult to work with after a while. I have no knowledge about the MP one though; I believe it is Christian in tone but not very specific.

I did love North & South, it was great, and the clothes! But I was pretty scandalized by the train scene! :svengo: My husband got me P&P one year for my birthday, wonder if I could get this. Only I want a bicycle...

A morning walk first thing and cranberry juice. I cannot live without my cranberry juice.

Yeah, don't stifle that creativity! We do get that problem too, and usually I just say "Look, we just did something special, and things like that don't happen every single day." Deal with it kids!

Ancients! I love Ancients! :)

For the first time in about 10 years, no! We had an unusually long, cool and rainy spring, and the summer hasn't been very hot so far. Normally by this time it's been over 100 for a couple of months, but not this year. We've hardly even had a chance to play in the creek much! And the tomatoes and corn aren't even ripe yet! School starts in a month and I'm not ready yet! It's very weird.

I'm sure there are many things, but the one that comes to mind is... I bought Dansko clogs and my feet feel way better!

Tell husband you need to take the evening off. Take yourself out for pizza (no pizza for naughty kidlets!) or something, then come home after the kids are in bed, watch a favorite funny movie and have ice cream with husband. :grouphug: Here's my thought about the kids--don't take what they say personally. She's 4, she doesn't mean it and she knows you will always be Mom so she doesn't worry about it--that's why you get the brunt of her anger, because she knows you are one of the few people in the world who it's safe to do that to. That doesn't mean it's OK for her to do it, but it is a backhanded compliment in its own way. Be unmoved (emotionally) by what she says, be consistent with consequences, and reward good behavior when it peeks out. I would start talking a lot about how you want to do fun things, but it's hard when the kids make wrong choices. Good choices lead to more fun, and when you can give fun, do it and point it out.

Nothing that bad! Can you even eat chicken or eggs? (I still don't eat donuts after a job at a bakery.) My high-school job was sweeping airplane hangars. It was a little custom airplane painting company, and I would sweep and clean everything up--because they were painting, it had to be pretty clean. The owner was the worst businessman ever, and sometimes my $40 paychecks bounced. In college, among other things, I worked in a dorm dining hall. Dishwasher was worst. After college, it was the fabric store job. I loved working in a fabric store (not a chain), the people were great, but the owner was a pattern for unprofessionalism and often screamed at employees--right where customers could hear, too. :glare:

Like most of the others mentioned here, my husband is not very involved in the details of homeschooling. He supports me by working hard at his job, trusting me to make the decisions about curriculum and money, and never complaining about the fact that the house is messy and the dinners are simple. He is also very good at taking the kids in the evening to give me a break and understanding that I sometimes need to go hibernate or get. out. by. myself. And that is just fine with me--it works well this way. :001_smile:

Woohoo!

His strategy is going to backfire. Far better to be looking for a job you like while you're employed; the longer he's unemployed, the worse his prospects will be.

We recently went to Monterey and stayed at the Days Inn on Munras. It was about $75 for a double room with queen-sized beds, quite clean and pleasant, not a lot of space of course. Any lower than that and you're into skeevy motel territory--that was the bottom of respectable lodgings.

Challenge: 52 Books in a Year (hosted by Robin at My Two Blessings) How I'm doing: Here's my blog about it. I've put about 40 books up, am now on week 27. Fav Books: Gosh, um. In Search of London! Death from the Skies! and the Kage Baker books have all been good ones recently. The first one, Undress me in the Temple of Heaven, was also great. Big Surprise: sorry, don't know. Reviews: Check out the blog. I'm not much good at reviews though. Challenge: Medieval Tournament of Books (hosted by the Medieval Bookworm) How I'm doing: Only four books so far, which puts me a little above peasant level. I need to read a bunch more literature! Am trying to read the Alexiad but it's huge and dull. Perhaps Margery of Kempe would be better? Fav Books: SWB's History of the Medieval World! Big Surprise: Thomas Mann's Holy Sinner. I had no idea what I was getting into. Reviews: Here they are. Challenge: Classics Bookclub at 5 Minutes for Books. How I'm doing: Great the 1st quarter, not so hot the 2nd. Fav Books: The Woman in White. Big Surprise: I got nothing. I have a hard time picking favorites. Reviews: Here's some. My definition of 'classic' may be a little broad. :) Lastly, I went slightly mad and started my own reading challenge, of American history, because I'm bad at it.

Well, I have to admit that I am not the world's best housekeeper and cook. Things function and all, but very very imperfectly! I am also good at reading while I cook.:001_smile: Sometimes instead of TV, my husband and I will sit on the couch and read together. It's very pleasant. And I always read in bed before I turn the light out. I always have a book with me, so I can read while the kids are doing martial arts or dance class. Stuff like that.

If he's an adult then he needs to act like one and contribute to the household like an adult does. It's probably true that he won't want to--that seems to be endemic in young adults--but he should still do it. That's what adults do. (Also, girls appreciate guys who do stuff.)

Ick. Well, ignore all those voices and train your boys properly--their wives will LOVE you for it. My own MIL did many things right that I am grateful for--but teaching her children to do chores and notice what needs to be done was not one of them. :glare: We've been married 14 years and he has improved, but not as much as would be nice.

I think it's a great idea. I try to take my kids to different churches every so often so they learn about different religions, and we've always been welcomed. You would certainly be welcomed at our church.

90.91 % Some of them were worded kind of ambiguously, I thought. Not that that is my excuse for not getting 100%--I'm happily surprised by my score.