Thanks for responding. I don't need a real estate license but I also don't know what I am doing either. It is just an option instead of paying all of that money. I am not looking forward to selling, buying a house and then moving.

OK, maybe I am feeling a bit crazy but I just realized that if we sell our house through a realtor we will be paying $24,000!!! This is a bit of a sticker shock for me, especially because we need to turn around and pay closing costs on our next house. This seems like a huge sum of money for what they are doing. The average length of time a house is on the market in our area is 11 days. I am wondering if I should try to sell by owner or get my real estate license which costs a couple hundred dollars and 135 hours of schooling. What do you ladies think? I would love some input. At least talk me off the ledge.

Yes, feel better!

I remembered we had a very similar thread recently, maybe this could help you.

This is not what you are asking for, but have you looked into Kate Snow's Multiplication Facts that Stick? http://kateshomeschoolmath.com/multiplication-facts-that-stick/

Times Tales? There is going to be a group buy for this soon! http://homeschoolgroupbuys.com/current-buys/

Will that be your primary phonics program? If so, then yes. I use it as a supplement so I don't use them.

Could you make soup, or brown rice and beans to fill him up? You could make frozen bean, vegetable and brown rice burritos too, or buy them. I know its hot but soup can fill you up while not being very many calories. Soup can also make meat stretch really far. I would make sure to add lots of plant based protein which is much healthier and less expensive. Can you be proactive in having healthy, ready-to-go food and snacks so he can have that instead? You could maybe make a large amount once or twice a week. If he gets hungry between meals then he will always have a healthy choice. I was never allowed just to eat food that wasn't specifically for me. We knew what we could and could not eat. We did not just go in the freezer and defrost food. We also wouldn't have been able to drink a gallon of milk ourselves, out of curtesy for everyone else. Maybe you, your husband and step-son need to sit down and simply come up with a meal plan, recipes or a solution so you don't run into bad feelings. Ask him if he would like you to prepare food ahead of time that he can have so you don't run into problems where you are running out of things or using things needed for family meals. He could also go online and find healthy recipes that he would like to make for himself during the week, you could look at them together and he can prepare them himself. Give him a food budget and go from there.

Exercising everyday (walking and lifting weights) is really the only way I can lose weight. Plus cutting out liquid calories and sticking with a mainly plant based diet. Something about no or low carbs makes me feel hungry all the time.

Would you mind sharing your booklist? I am doing American history and on the hunt for some good books.

If and when I go back to work, it will be a permanent decision. I cannot leave and come back again. I would have to pull significant strings and call in favors for it to happen if at all. I will probably need to go back to school. My husband would have to lose all ability to support us, as in, he is injured or deceased. Now if I didn't want to use my degree, we would need free childcare for it to make any sense at all. We started homeschooling because DS has significant learning disabilities, even with an aid right next to him, brick and mortar just didl not work for him. He was in a class of 8 and almost everyday I was hearing from the teacher. So, I would need to find a small private school for him and then I would need to find outside therapy. We would need to have trouble paying bills consistently for me to consider it.

If she has to pay for all of August I would be tempted to tell her to stay all of August. This will be a good life lesson for her though. ?

Am I the only one who wants an update??

I keep my vitamins/calcium on my dresser with a glass of water. When I am passing by to go into the bathroom, I stop and take my vitamins and drink a glass of water. Otherwise I can never remember to take my calcium or drink enough water. I use calcium citrate as I have heard that calcium from dairy does not actually help our bones. Leafy greens have lots of good calcium too. I believe that the more animal protein you eat the more calcium you need as well. As far as potassium, I am not sure.

I have a lot of antibiotic allergies. This has worked for me... apple cider vinegar 1-2 tbl 3x's a day (You can dilute it in water or drink it in a shot glass and chase it with water) 2 d-mannose pills 3 x's a day the strongest cranberry pills I can find 2 pills 3x's a day 1 gram of vitamin c 3-4x's a day If your in pain, a warm bath will help you feel better. If you are breastfeeding, I believe you cannot take AZO, but if you are not that is a very good pain reliever.