I am on my 3rd Maltese - LOVE THEM! The first two were a breeze to housetrain, but the one I have now has been very difficult. I got him in May and he's still not what I would consider rock solid. I would be a little concerned about the pooping in the crate, but again, you have only had him for a few days and his history sounds iffy. It seems like you're doing so much right....just make sure the crate is the right size and give him a little time to adjust to his new surroundings. Sorry I'm not much help, but just to had to chime in since I'm such a fan of these precious snuggle bunnies!

Specifically, Jamison latex w/ pillowtop....It's the only brand I will buy.

Providence Joan of Arcadia Intervention Which one doesn't fit??? lol!

I'm totally guessing here, but one possibility is A2 (Accelerated Achievement) LDS Version. He's a convert to Mormonism.

My very words to a dear friend earlier this work were how hard it is for me to give up that homeschooling dream. It's really more complicated than my initial post let on, although there may be some grain of truth to your observation. Other considerations are mine and dd's personalities (introverted me / extremely extroverted dd), my insecurities about teaching, complete lack of support system and the stress of trying to do it all without dh....to name a few! I do keep going back to the fact that I believe hs'ing is the best option when it is feasible (I am blessed to be a SAHM) and I also feel like dd has been cheated out of alot of meaningful time with me because of dh's illness and the year or so that it took me to get myself together after he died. Off to pray about it!

Thanks everyone for your input on this! I know I don't post much, but I can't tell you how much this board has helped me over the last couple of years...lots of wise folks around here.

Is possible passage of the UN Convention for the Rights of the Child. Maybe I'm interpreting the whole thing wrong, but I believe it would wreak immediate havoc with hs'ing rights. No? Oh, and I guess if you have to ask if you're being irrational, you already know the answer...lol!

Do any of you have overriding fears / concerns that homeschooling will be made illegal? I have gone so far as to enroll DD in a private, somewhat classical, Catholic school for Kindergarten this year. I fear that HS rights will be taken away and then there will be no room at this wonderful school. I will not send her to our local PS. Am I being irrational? DH always helped me sort these things out but he passed away two years ago and I need a reality check.

I really love my Jamison mattress, but they're a little hard to find. It's latex with a pillowtop....not too firm, not too soft. Lower back pain (unless I do something dumb!) is a thing of the past. Can't do memory foam myself.

I'm trying to decide between Samsung and Miele front load w/d sets. Would anyone who has either of these please give me some pros/cons....LONGEVITY, capacity, noise, energy savings? Is the Miele worth the money? TIA for any help.

Get It Sold, Design on a Dime, Decorating Cents, Color Splash, Divine Design There are many more, but this would be a good start.

I can't tell you how much I've learned from watching HGTV....especially the shows where they're getting homes ready to go on the market. They can do so much on so little $$$ and make a place homey / inviting yet pulled together all at the same time - LOVE IT!

I feel much better after reading your responses. I wasn't *overly* concerned, but since I'm a bit of a math-phobe myself, just wanted to ask the question and make sure dd gets off on the right foot. Thanks again ~

About math, specifically... I always planned to homeschool and was in the 'better late than early camp'; but due to life changes, DD5 will attend private K in the fall. She is reading very well, but I'm curious where she stands with math. What do you expect your rising K'er to know math-wise? Counting to 'x', simple addition? I'm really not sure and could use some opinions. Also, what (if anything) should we be doing? Any good, basic programs out there? I'm just not one of those talented moms who can make math problems out of dried pasta - I need it all laid out for me so any gentle curriculum suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

The Douay-Rheims is a direct and faithful translation of the Latin Vulgate and is considered by many to be the most 'Catholic' version.

:iagree:

Cotton-Ease yarn by Lion Brand knits up beautifully in this pattern... http://lostthethread.blogspot.com/2008/10/lovely-dishcloth.html I've made *tons* of dishcloths over the years using various patterns and yarns and this combination is a winner!

Oops....TPTB = The Powers That Be (aka, Congress Creatures)

As much as I would love to believe this, recent events have shown that TPTB don't give a rip how the disgruntled masses feel. I'll be right there with you, though!

I know that one of the things being thrown out there is that all teachers would have to be certified. I'm assuming that this means hs'ing moms as well. Now for my question...Would you have to be certified at every level / subject for which you're teaching or just have a general certification? Does anyone even know? I just want to stay ahead of the curve and be prepared, KWIM?

For a 2yo, I would just read bible stories from a beautiful picture bible and do some simple prayers. Catholic Heritage Curricula (sorry, don't have their website right now) has wonderful resources for the little ones. I can't say enough about what they have to offer.

ConnieB - You have a PM.

I'm planning to take dd (5yo) to Disney / Orlando as a surprise the first week in May. Can anyone recommend some clean, safe accommmodations that are a monorail ride to the Magic Kingdom and close to Epcot? I

Thanks everyone. Will my friend need to register with Google to view the pictures? I'm trying to make it as easy as possible.

I need a way to share pictures (LOTS of pictures!) with a friend in Serbia. For some reason, I am hesitant to set up a photo album on Facebook...privacy issues....pictures are of dd. I never really wanted to keep a blog because it just seems so time-consuming - not to mention the fact that my life just isn't that exciting...lol! Anyway, here are my questions: - Is a blog the right way to go in this case? - Can the blog be password protected? - What are the best free blogging sites? - Am I being too freaky about Facebook? Any other comments / suggestions are welcome.