We still do NFP & have been done with biological kids for a long time (over a decade). Our youngest ones are adopted from foster care. However, we are no longer super careful about NFP & I'm 42. I'd be suprised if I got pregnant, although it's certainly possible. I'm hoping menopause comes sooner rather than later!

Having major second thoughts about this now :) Seems like doable in theory but in reality, not so much.

Well, we already own the Subaru & it's almost paid for. I'd love to go back to a AWD Sienna, but we're having a lot of trouble finding a dealer that will take our 12 seater for a decent price AND find us a AWD Sienna. AWD is a deal breaker since we need it to get up our steep driveway during the long winter here. The Sienna's with AWD are hard to come by around here. His beater won't be too much of a beater, but hoping to be able to pay cash for it, then pay off Subaru in 2 years. Then get van I want. But I'm not sure we can make it through 2 years in the Subaru. Yea, if we all go somewhere (maybe 1x a month), we'll have to take both cars. Btdt. It's annoying but way less gas than driving the big van back n forth all the time. Road trips don't really happen here.

Trying to downsize vehicles after a huge cut in our income. Going from a 12 seater van to 4 kids in a Subaru wagon? Technically, the 2 smaller car seats we own (radian & chicco Nextfit) fit in back with room for a teen. Other teen in front seat, I drive. (This would be for our many errands around town all week. Dh would buy a beater car with cash from proceeds of 12 seater van for him to get to work) If we go for it, we'd be stuck with the arrangement for 2 long years. We're trialing it this week with dh's Subaru. Wish me luck. All the kids may revolt.

oops, double post. I will add though, we dropped our co op (actually, We stopped running it altogether) & are focusing on getting the teens together just for social stuff at night, mostly on the weekends. (So far we have a corn maze night planned, movie day, bowling, they want to do paintball, etc) They needed more full days at home for schoolwork & with lots of time consuming extra curriculars as they aged, co op just for social needs was a huge time suck.

Grades 9/10 were tough. They were all classes planned (over planned) by me... I realized late in the game that I was piling on too much stuff & too many big academic electives on top of core subjects. And it was a huge jump up from our unschooled elementary & middle school work! This year, with DE & 2 outsourced online classes, I thought things would be hard, but he has way more free time than I expected. And his home brewed classes I made much more reasonable this year. Ironically, he's using all that extra time to code anyways, or for robotics. I really like the clear syllabi he's gotten from his outsourced classes, they help immensely when we're trying to decide if we can add something in- like, yesterday we took most of the day off to go see a play & he loses one full day this week for a robotics commitment. (That's atypical though, losing 2 school work days in one week)

Thank you for all the input. Quark- yes, I think I'll check in with his work a couple times a week, for now. He's getting everything done, for sure, I check in daily as to what he needs to work on. It's mainly the self grading of the daily math & physics problems I want to look at perhaps not daily, but every few days. As long as he keeps doing well on the graded work, I'm assuming he's doing well on the daily stuff.

Yeah, I agree.. I think it's too easy for him to start slacking off. Was hoping to hand off that responsibility this year, but I don't think he's ready. Thanks for the confirmation. Now, his community college class, They have 1 homework due a week & submit it online. That one, I just check in with him daily to be sure he's working on it & to tell me once it's submitted, but there's nothing I can help him with on it anyways (programming class) & nothing to correct on a daily basis.

I'm curious if you allow your teens to check their own daily work? I've been having ds, 16, check & correct his daily problem sets for math (Derek Owens, answers in back of book) & physics (clover creek, answers online) Homework & quizzes are sent directly to his to online teachers for grading & recording. I'm beginning to suspect that "I" need to step in & check the daily work, then give it back to him for correction. He's doing well in his classes on everything he turns in, but seems to be skimming through daily work corrections ( there's no way he's getting everything 100% correct on the first try). As the year progresses & things get more difficult, he needs to be doing his best on daily work too, to learn the concepts well. Thanks

I pretty much only wear yoga pants, or sweats made from that thinner yoga pant cotton. It's really cold here in the winter (way upstate Ny, think Canada) & they aren't warm enough. I usually layer with thin long underwear, but pulling up & down 2 layers when out & about is annoying ( when corralling 2 littles in public restrooms). I'd love some warmer yoga pants or lined ones, or something! Need plus sizes (xl in LL bean or Lands end, 1x in others) Recommendations? Thanks

Home canned jam from 2007. And.... Go!

Ours will run most of the year, on Sunday during fellowship time. 25 weeks of 90 minute meetings.

I just went to the OWL Parent orientation today, my dd starts the classes next week & is super excited! (We do not attend the fellowship, although I have always wanted to. Perhaps this will be my time)

My dd did Human Body last year, & is working on Water Life right now

I want Daria to come teach at our middle school :)

My 11th grader, newly 16, is taking it as his first & only high school physics class. He's also doing Algebra 2 this year online elsewhere, & a community college computer science class. We don't have a local option for AP physics & I didn't think he would be ready for physics at the CC, so this was a good fit. Jetta says on her site that it's a good first physics class for a younger STEM kid who will later take AP physics, or a non stem kid as their only physics in high school. But... For us, in a rural area, this was good, we had no other local options & limited online ones. I didn't want to tackle physics on our own. He's going to go into STEM, but the reviews of the class were glowing (& it's living up to its reputation!- really, it's great). I think there are other high schoolers in it too.

I've tried to start making actual meal stuff at lunch on days we're home long enough this year. Made pasta today, fried rice the other day, homemade pizza, potpie, tuna casserole, grilled cheeses, salad with leftover meat or cheese, macaroni & tuna salad. No one likes sandwiches here & I can't always count on leftovers from the night before. It's almost soup season- pot of soup & fresh bread (bread machine here). Me, I'd be happy with cereal & yogurt or cheese n crackers and an apple. The teens want FOOD!

Do you have an electric griddle or electric fry pan? New fancy crockpot with built in timer? We just got a griddle & being able to cook 8 pancakes or grilled cheese sandwiches is AMAZING! (We used to have a non electric big griddle for the stove top, but our new gas stove has high powered front burners & the griddle was just always burning). I want an electric fry pan with tall sides for browning lots of ground beef at once. Always can use new baking sheets.

My son did the alternate lab with a matchbox car & ramp. It was fun to watch. I'd forgotten how much fun labs can be. He's liking it much better than previous classes of Earth Science or Biology.

The whole top shelf of our master closet is photo albums since the kids were born, so 16 years worth of family photos. My kids all like to look at them often. . I'd love to scan only the best photos & have them made into shutterfly books. Has anyone done this? It's a huge undertaking, but I'm thinking maybe my artsy teen might like to work on the project. We'd need a good scanner to do it. They would wind up being just the nice photos (who needs 1,000 pictures of first baby in different outfits?!) & take up so much less space! Anyone btdt? ETA- our closet does not have a door, & our bed is directly across from it, where we sit at night to watch a show on the iPad once the littles are in bed. So, I see these every single night & they bug me :)

Thanks for the other brand options. Complicating things is that most of them only come in black in adult tall sizes & her class still requires light blue (she just started last year & wont move up until next year). I think we'll exchange it & try a tall Large from Motiinwear ( she has put on weight finally this year, I probably should've sized up) & see how it fits. Otherwise, I'll see if she can just wear a black one (our studio is not too strict since it's not a classical ballet studio).

My teen is tall & wears an adult M. She really needs a "tall" Leo for her long torso. We just got one in from Motionwear & it's not any taller than her regular length one from capezio last year :(. We'll return it, but I can't decide if we should try ordering up a size to a large (but she has a small bust & we don't want it to gap there), OR is there another company that makes truly tall leotards? (Most of her dancing is hiphop, jazz,lyrical, but takes one ballet class a week as well, so really needs a basic Leo for that) Recommendations for long ballet leotards? Thanks!

I still have littles & don't like to carry a purse, I just throw my wallet & a few diapers in the stroller usually. I'm in need of a new wallet though that can double as a small cross body bag when needed. Here are my requirements- see if you have any suggestions: Wallet/ clutch style with slots for lots of cards Spot for checkbook Zipper spot for coins Room for a Chapstick Spot for phone Cross body strap No local stores here have anything like this. Online I'm looking at one by Vera Bradley, "iPhone clutch wallet". No idea on other brands to look at, I'm not really a fancy bag kind of gal ;) I prefer sportier looking bags like Kavu, but could do a Vera Bradley if I have too. Any ideas? Thanks Thanks

Anyone have this done? I'm scheduled for this week. Looking for experiences, recovery time, etc. (My dr gave me the run down but looking for real btdt experiences) Thanks!

I have no idea why only some stores- something about temperature change? Human bodies are weird :) My dizziness lasts all day once it starts, so Dramamine is worth it for me, when I need it (maybe once a month).