After skimming through it I thought it looked very helpful too. We are going to be moving in the next few months, and I need all the help I can get! I am capable of being organized, but too often I choose to let it go because I want to concentrate on homeschooling and my other teaching -especially since this has been our first year. I think with a few tips from an organizer specialist, maybe I can have the best of both worlds. :rolleyes: Blessings, Lucinda

they only cause me to crave more food. My body needs protein first thing, so I usually have an egg or two, or some peanut butter on toast, or 1-2 oz. of cold leftover meat. I also add some brown rice or wheat free toast to whatever I'm eating, and my tea. Can't forget my tea! (Earl Grey or Chai with a bit of milk and honey or legal sweetner). Blessings, Lucinda

We have the following on hand currently: Fruits Apples (Braeburns, Fuji, or Galas usually. This week it's Braeburns) Pears Bananas Blackberries (frozen from fresh picked) Blueberries (frozen from fresh picked) Pineapple (fresh) Canned peaches 100% fruit juice Dried papaya Nuts, raisins and coconut Vegetables Broccoli Lettuce (Romaine and Iceberg) Onions Garlic Red Peppers Mushrooms Potatoes Carrots Sweet Potatoes Yams Green Beans (frozen) Peas (frozen) Tomatoes (canned) We usually have more on hand, but its close to pay day and soon will be time for grocery shopping again. I like to shop for produce 3-4 times per month, plus we buy locally whenever possible and grow some of our own in the summer. Our primary food is meat (chicken, turkey, pork, beef and fish), followed closely by fruits and vegetables. We add in a bit of grains, olive oil and butter and some dairy on the side. (I am currently wheat free too.) Blessings, Lucinda

I too, am sleepy tonight, but I wanted to post something to encourage you. I took my 8yo dd out of public school for several reasons, including some of your own. The isolation issue is on my mind at times too, but I still believe that hs is the best option for her. TWTM has a great chapter titled, "The Confident Child: Socialization" toward the end of the book. It deals with the very issues you are concerned about. I highly recommend you getting this book, as it will serve you well with this issue and many other things. Plus you have this forum to connect with others that are on the same journey. Your children are very young and you have time to work on this, so just relax and feel confident that you have made a wise decision for the well-being of your family. If you have any questions beyond this on the isolation issue, please feel free to PM me and I'll be happy to share more thoughts (when I'm more awake). Blessings, Lucinda

Because I love this painting and have bookplates of the same in several of my books. She's got a sense of peace that I strive for. What better place to use her as my avatar than on the WTM forum! Blessings, Lucinda

You both have great thoughts and ideas on this and I appreciate it. I will proceed without worries. ;) Blessings, Lucinda

Thanks for the reminder and great details. Beatrix Potter books were my favorites as a child and so I've loved sharing them with my own children, especially dd. Here in Oregon we have bulbs popping up early and it smells and feels like spring. Pefect timing for this movie and pulling out the BP collection once again! Blessings, Lucinda

Rest and take a slow pace at coming back. Don't feel guilty either. Even a half day of school when you are ready is making progress. DD and I did her reading and spelling in bed the other day and it was nice. We just took a couple of subjects at a time whenever we felt up to it, and today we finally got a full day in. Next week is a new beginning! I love hs'ing! Blessings, Lucinda

How important is speed when it comes to math drills? Our Calculadder drills set a goal of three minutes per page, but my dd 8yo takes two-three times longer than that. She gets the majority of answers right and is pretty sharp actually, but when it comes to speed she just isn't interested. Other than this, I think she is doing well in math this year. Because she does get a majority of right answers nearly every day with the drills and with our Saxon math lessons, I'm encouraging her to try to work on speed rather than pushing her to do it. My strength is in language, not numbers --and this is our first year of hs. Please let me know if you think I'm missing something here. Thanks! Lucinda

My favorite Ikea find is an oval cheese grater kit with different size graters and a lid. It's the handiest thing in the kitchen. We also have a hanging storage unit, and some glasses for the kitchen. There's a new store about 30 miles away and we haven't had a chance to go yet. I'm looking forward to having one closer to home. Blessings, Lucinda

I dunno...here are some ideas. You choose. 1. Rev up a chain saw on the side of the house nearest their bedroom window every Saturday morning promptly at 6:00 a.m. Be sure to have a stack of wood handy to be "chopping". Repeat as often as necessary. 2. Christmas carol on their doorstep off season, or perhaps use Latin chants as an alternative. Bring them fruitcake. 3. Kill them with random acts of kindness. You know, play it forward. No really, just call the police. :D Blessings, Lucinda

I really don't like the picture of me that I was using, so I replaced it with "The Reader" by artist Jean-Honore Fragonard. I love this painting, and it seems so appropriate. I'll put an updated picture of myself in my profile soon. Blessings, Lucinda

I agree with Dandgermom's post. And get thee to a doctor soon! Blessings, Lucinda

DUCT TAPE! This is not a joke, I promise. Our pediatrician recommended DT years ago and it has been our method ever since. All you do is cut a piece large enough to fit over the affected area and change it every day until the warts are gone. Evidently they just smother and die. No vinegar, no garlic or other herbs, no ointments or exotic potients. Just good ol' duct tape. REALLY! :) Blessings, Lucinda

I adore Andrea Bocelli....anything he sings is beautiful! I'd throw in a few of his tunes along with the more classical opera that has been suggested.

twice now I've had to call an ambulance for a loved one, and I've had neighbors standing by watching. One particular neighbor came to the door and offered to help. When I've been in these situations it has made me feel cared for. People are concerned more than just being nosey. My mil died at our house hears ago, and the neighbors gave us a great deal of encouragement and support at a critical time. Blessings, Lucinda

Dd wanted a dog in the worst way, so we decided to give her one for Christmas. Dh and I are also dog people and knew what to watch out for. Friends in our life group prayed with us to find the perfect dog, and we did! I had been searching (in secret mind you) on petfinder.com for a couple of weeks before finding an adorable little mutt that was just what we were looking for. I e-mailed the shelter lady numerous times and we had great conversations, then we talked on the phone and did the paper work. We agreed to take the three hour drive, and if we were convinced upon meeting her that dd and dog had the potential to bond, we would take her. Our attitude was the same as Claire suggested when we went. We were not disappointed. It was a match made in heaven. It was worth all the trouble and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Even if we'd had to go back for any reason, we would still have taken the risk. Pets are part of the family and we believe it is worth the trouble to get the right match.

Yvette, you are such a dear heart. Please do remember my family, as my dm, age 76, lives with us. She is very loved and appreciated, part of the family in every way, but she has many challenging health problems. She contributes in many ways to the household, and it's a joy to have her here. As she ages though it will become much more difficult with her health issues. Dh and I have our youngest still at home since other children are grown and gone. I work PT and homeschool too. We live a distance away from the rest of the family, and we are responsible for many needs with little to no support from others. Blessings, Lucinda P.S. DM's name is Lila

I'm with you Beth, all the way. We have family gatherings where board games are very important. Plus, we like to have a game night with immediate family a couple times per month. It's nice to have options! Blessings, Lucinda

I would take my dd if it was near us on the west coast. She gets art at home since I am a painter and teach art, but I'm excited any time there are events that bring our Christian faith and the visual arts together. This has been so missing in churches and in our culture! The focus has been on the printed word and on music for so long, but fortunately there is a big movement that is growing in all parts of the world where all of the arts are being celebrated as God-given. When we combine this with teaching our children, I just get really excited. Creative Arts is an area of ministry that God has called me to, so I get pretty passionate about it. :) So I say, take your kids to How Great Thou ART and have a wonderful time! (The price sure does look reasonable too.) Blessings, Lucinda

Good ol' Cousin Sherlock lives in Olympia, Washington. ;) This makes me wonder how many Sherlock Holmes there really are in the world! Blessings, Lucinda

Here is my reveal: 1. I can see a volcano from my balcony. FALSE I don't have a balcony, and besides, we're too far away from Mt. St. Helens to see it. However , dh is in Guatemala right now and while on the phone last week told me that he could see a live volcano from the balcony he was standing on. 2. My husband and I wrote our wedding vows in a laundry mat. TRUE It was really funny when the washer I was using as a desk went through the spin cycle! :p 3. I survived a rare form of cancer. TRUE I went to the hospital for an appendectomy and ended up having major abdominal surgery for cancer. Turned out that my appendix had ruptured from a tumor. It was a somewhat of a rare form of cancer with only 130 documented cases. BTW, that was five years ago and I am cancer free! 4. My second cousin's name is Sherlock Holmes. TRUE Gotcha on that one, didn't I? My grandmother's maiden name was Holmes, and one of her brothers named his son Sherlock. He has a costume and used to be a special guest at conferences, etc. 5. I live down the road from the Roloff family (Disc. Channel, "Little People Big World). FALSE But they do live in the next county. I've never met them, but my brother designed their farm's logo. This has been a lot of fun. Thanks Volty! Blessings, Lucinda

1. You are too young to not have had a seatbelt on. Don't know about your state, but we've had laws in place for a long time about this. I say False. (BTW, my sister did this once when we were kids. It scared me to death! She had on her marching band uniform and I can still see that picture in my mind after all these years.) 2. True. That's why you are such a great HS mom! 3. True. 4. True. Gosh, you were accident prone, weren't you? 5. False. Anyone with sense would not live in a leaky boat for years! How close am I? ;) Blessings, Lucinda

Hmmmmm.... 1. Sure, why not. I say true. 2. True. I bet your dad was in the Air Force and you were a military brat. 3. I could believe that, I bet it's true. 4. and 5. are both lies. Blessings, Lucinda

Let's see here - I'll guess #2,#3 and #4. #1 - False. This is way too creepy to be true. #2 - True. Who'd bring that up if it wasn't true, anyway? #3 - True, but you finally saw the light and came back home where you belong. #4 - This is creepy too, but I bet there is a lot of chicken slaughtering in rural the midwest and you live in Kansas. #5 - False. Too tame, so it's got to be false.