I have a brother that falls into this category: perfectly healthy & 6'3" 135 lbs, last time I saw him.

I think this can be true. My at home kids are currently using some e-texts. They are in pdf form and can be viewed on our ipads. The graphics and text are clear, and since they're not of the age where they have to be flipping back and forth between multiple chapters etc. to search for stuff, it works. Problems I've run into with e-texts are having them not formatted correctly for use with a computer, but they can't be used with an ipad because flash-player (I think that was the issue). Also having the kids work from a text that resides in the classroom and there's neither hard nor digital copy for home. We've personally had both scenarios at our house.

Yup. This is how I ended up owning a copy of the Miller-Levine Biology book. How a kid is supposed to actually learn all the material in 10th grade bio w/o a textbook to read at home, I have no idea.

That reminds me, Grimm is also very good.

Just make sure there are no kids within eye or ear shot ;) There's also a spin-off, Hjordis.

Midsomer Murders (BBC) - it's a loooooong running crime show, not graphic and light-hearted, but not silly. It can start to feel repetitive after awhile. Each episode is it's own, but the main characters stay the same.

If your library has the Bobbie Kalman books (People, Culture, Land...series) they are quite helpful.

Yes, we have a "No talking to Mom until her second cup of coffee" rule. I milk that first cup for all it's worth ;)

Me, too!!! I hardly even remember my wedding, it was so stressful. If my children end up wanting to elope instead of having a wedding, I'm all for it. I'll even give them money :)

One of my children was so sensitive to caffeine that I couldn't have even one chocolate chip or decaf anything while nursing. It was a long year :tongue_smilie: I get palpitations, but I'm still drinking coffee and eating chocolate. I know I shouldn't. I guess I just haven't gotten scared enough to stop yet (knock on wood).

I have a couple of cookbooks that fit the bill. 1. Leaving Home Cookbook and Survival Guide ~ Seth Braun 2. Cooking Know-How ~ Weinstein & Scarbrough 3. No More Takeout! ~ Hartigan & Boak Also the old stand-bys 1. More-with-Less Cookbook ~ Longacre 2. Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook ~ Ranck & Good

And it's always the M volume or the second half of the C's that go missing. idk...

Ah yes, this I understand well. It is why dd#1 ended up attending school after grade eight.

This is my ideal. We are actually doing the exact same thing, minus the German detective show ;)

Nothing very exciting here. I would like to have a second degree (BA) by then and have started on a career in that field. I only used my first degree for a couple of years, and I've been out of the workforce for 18. I think getting a second degree will be faster than trying to get a Masters in the first subject area. I have just enough time to complete this, maybe....

I have to admit to going to the feed store in shorts, gum boots and a hat, but it was the feed store, and I was driving a really rundown pick-up... So maybe it was OK?

I think you're getting push back on this because you're turning something that quite honestly isn't a moral issue into something that is. Funding your child/ren as you're able, simply is not a moral issue and shouldn't be equated with things that are.

Was it a kitten or was the dose too large? This is what we've always done (the earlier dose) when we've had a flea infestation, and it was on the vets recommendation, with prescription not OTC stuff. I'm comfortable with that.

Adding to this, that you can also give them the next dose a week early (advice given to me from vet) to ensure that the life cycle of the flees is being broken. Once you have everything under control (3-4 months) you can go back to the regular schedule. Ask for the jar and syringe. You need to know what each animal weighs, but it will be so much more economical with 2 cats and a dog being treated.

This is a fun/cheap place (esp. if you camp) to stop at the end of the day. http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/balmorhea It's a little out of the way if you're taking I-20 instead of I-10, but not by much.

This brings back a memory. All my kids used to swim year round. Then the price of gas sky-rocketed (this was a good 7-8 years ago). We had to drop off the team. They offered to let us keep swimming for free, but we couldn't take them up on it. What they didn't realize is that my parents were already paying our dues and we didn't have the $100 extra for gas each month. It was, what it was. At the time we were a little obsessive about making sure $ went into savings with every paycheck. IF I could go back in time, I'd make a different choice. Mentally it would have been healthier for all of us.

We are comfortable in the sense that we have enough to pay for food, rent, electricity & wi-fi. Right now we don't have anything left over at the end of the month. It's pretty stressful. We are blessed in the fact that the country we're living in has socialized healthcare, so we don't have that hanging over our heads every month. We don't have any savings because we had to use it all during the recession and we live in another country because that was the only job dh could find after looking for 6 months. If he lost his job again we'd have to rely on family to get us back home (to the States). We have friends/family visiting off and on for the next month, but after that I will start looking for a job that is homeschool compatible. If oil goes back up our finances will improve again and things will feel a bit more secure. I'm only planning to homeschool for two more years, so will start working on getting a certificate at the technical school down the street this next winter. That will end up paying more than working in the local coffee shop. It won't help us save a lot, but it will help to put the kids through university and give me a marketable skill long-term.

I guess it depends on what you mean by open minded ;) I know I have biases and I don't always hold to the majority, accepted opinion. I know this about myself and it doesn't bother me. I do love hearing others' opinions, and I have been known to change my mind. I would consider myself open minded because of the fact that I AM willing to consider the other side, even if I don't eventually adopt the same view that you hold.

I'm so, so sorry. I will continue to keep your family in my prayers.

Praying