DD is in 1st now and doing Saxon Math 2. We're on lesson 40 something? I do like the idea of Saxon but I'm having difficulty motivating myself to do the lessons. Part of my problem is I usually don't prepare for the lesson beforehand. The other part is the lessons take so long and my toddler is dismantling the house in the meantime. I'll get back to Saxon for 5/4 but, in the meantime, I was wondering if R&S and Saxon have a similar approach. If so, great. The next question is is R&S easier to implement? That's the bugger for me - implementation. How is it different than Saxon in that way? DD is a bright student and doesn't struggle. She needs to cement concepts/facts but doesn't have a problem grasping them. What level should she start in R&S?

I haven't read the previous posts but I just wanted to say that I pretty much DIYed it on my last kid:) He was my fourth, every pregnancy and (home)birth has been completely uneventful, I read about preg./cb ALOT (childbirth educator), and I had great midwives for the first 3 births, who I learned tons from. I am probably in the minority - but with my totally uncomplicated medical history - I love being in charge of my care. Even when I had a midwife, I didn't weigh myself, I didn't do bloodwork (occasional iron testing though), I've never done any fancy tests or gest. diab. testing. I've just never had any reason to do all of it since I was in good health. And none of my mws (different ones for each birth) had a problem with my decisions. So what did I do? The best thing you can do is find a good midwife first of all. Explain your situation. If you are not interested in monthly, then weekly appts., ask if she will assist during your birth if you come in periodically during pregnancy. MWs are much more negotiable about these things. If you want the whole deal, you might be delighted to find how reasonably priced mws are. The two most important things you can do are eat right and exercise (birth is so much easier for me when I've been exercising). Vitamins are great but I can never remember to take them! Still, I've grown healthy babies. If you want, you can weigh yourself, pee on a protein stick, pretty much whatever they do in the office. There's tons of info about being in charge of your prenatal care - websites and books. Just start googling unassisted birthing. There's also friendly forums to learn from. I don't get the feeling that you want to DIY but you could probably find the info you are looking for to bridge whatever gap you feel needs to be met if you can't get traditional prenatal care. Lastly, if you are healthy, your last pregnancy/birth were uncomplicated, the odds are good for an excellent outcome with this baby. I do get an u/s at 5 months to make sure everything is there but, after that, I pretty much ride it out. I'm also a big fan of Hypnobabies childbirth program - not Hypnobirthing - Hypnobabies. I did both classes and benefited most from Hypnobabies and it's an affordable at home course. Educate yourself. Also, this early in the pregnancy, being nauseous and not being able to eat is par for the course. You'll be fine and make up for it later:)

The whole issue is so troubling. I went in to Justice b/c our neighbor girl that always appeared appropriately dressed recommended it to me. I was horrified when I saw the clothes. Even if a parent/child is going for the sexy look, the low cut jeans and short shorts are so prevalent that it is difficult to find anything else. We do but it usually takes some looking around.

I think I'm going to go with LoF! I am shocked at myself. My mean old math teacher brains says it'll never work but ds read the sample, chuckled and did the problems (which I didn't ask him to do). For independent study, LoF is the one that's going to keep him interested. I'm scared and can't believe myself but I have a back up plan:D I'm going to order Lials pre algebra for a reference and extra problems. Then at the end of the summer, I'll have him take a placement exam to make sure he has covered/mastered what he needs to have accomplished. ' Thanks ladies.

Really? Hmmmm. We use Saxon because he is part of a co-op that will use it throughout his jh and hs years. I like it fine and love that it is independent and has forced him to become better at computations. Since math isn't his strongest subject (although he does not struggle and only makes minor computational errors on tests), I assumed Saxon was just too easy. That's why I wanted to skip ahead. I haven't really considered another Math besides Saxon. We have also used Singapore in the past, which was great except for their was no drilling of math facts. He will be in a full day co-op class (Challenge A in CC) that will use Alg. 1/2. However, I don't see any reason why he shouldn't go forward this summer with pre alg. He'll just be ahead in class. Wait - I see that you said BCM would be too easy. What about Lial's Pre Algebra? I looked in a past thread and noticed there is a difference and all sort of different texts - BCM, Pre algebra, introductory algebra, etc. I was going with PA.

Okay, so I'm googling the above mentioned recs. Is LOF really thorough? I see it rec. a lot on the boards but I haven't really looked at it before now. And could he get through the pre-alg. books during summer. For Lial's, I saw a post on another site that it might take 2 yrs. to get through? Is it something that could work for summer? Thanks for helping me think through this:)

I want to push a little harder in math next year. Ds is currently doing Saxon 7/6 and it's just too easy for him. I want to do pre algebra this summer so he can start Alg 1 next fall. Any recs? I'd love an online program but am open to other suggestions. Thanks!

I'm considering enrolling ds (7th grade in fall) in a pre algebra summer program. Any recs for online courses? There's nothing available in our area (that I can find). He's completing Saxon 7/6 now and Algebra 1/2 is next. I'd like to move into Alg. 1 next instead of 1/2 but I want him to have pre algebra first. My basic reason is he's simply not challenged. I think he'd be fine and I feel like I'm babying him in math (which he has no problem with since his work is easy for him). Is summer not enough time to cover the material? Recommendations for online programs are welcome!

So the easiest thing for me to start asap (besides making better food choices) is taking coconut oil and cod liver oil. Just had my first dose. Completely ruined my appetite. I might lose some weight on this diet after all:D

My email hasn't been notifying me of posts! This is a whole new thread. Well, I haven't started yet. I began making my shopping list - going through the recipes for "Quick and Easy Weight Loss" - and had to write down nearly every ingredient. I filled an entire page with day 1! So I got a little discouraged. I've become a stress eater and dh is in the wine biz (so we're lucky to indulge in yummy wines regularly) so I've been having problems jumping in but I still plan on seeing it through. I am going to do this. Soon. I'm totally miserable and I couldn't be more tired. I even had my iron checked I'm so tired. I appreciate the tips ladies. I'm going to sit down tonight and make a go at the shopping list again.

Not necessarily adult books but I enjoy them more than my kids I think - the Peter Pan books that Jim Dale reads. Anything Jim Dale reads is amazing - the best imo. Unfortunately, I've only been able to find Peter Pan books and Harry Potter. We listened to Peter and the Shadow Thieves. Not exactly what you asked for but I really, really love Jim Dale and those books!

Anyone? Just curious. I think we're going to go for it but I keep putting it off:tongue_smilie:

I was wondering if anyone had experience with this diet. I've read the book and I am currently looking through NT. It seems so impossible that you can eat all of these fats and lose weight. Does it really work for anybody? I'm interested in the weight loss plan in the book and willing to take coconut oil as a supplement but do I HAVE to eat coconut on top of everything? Every recipe seems to be smear some on this, add it to this sauce, etc. I don't think I can handle it in everything.

I would be very discouraged about the road ahead. It really is surprising (after reading it in this thread) that most churches do delegate the job of Youth Ministry to someone so young. When I was four, a 19 yr. old was leading the youth in our church - my sisters were in the youth group. Interestingly enough, I enjoyed going (they mostly sang - this was a long time ago when "boring" youth groups were acceptable) and the leader welcomed me. That was 32 yrs. ago and he has been a huge influence on my Christian life (he was also my piano teacher and History teacher:)). He pastors a church now and, when I'm home, I go visit with him. He has always kept "entertainment" completely separate from his youth ministry. He doesn't "lure" young folks in with ice cream and pizza then try and read God's Word. Nothing wrong with that - it's just his take on things. I know you would expect that this method would not attract many youth, however, he started a prayer meeting at his home when I was in high school (I was dating a non-Christian boy and he was anxious to lead him to God - that's the true reason he started it). That prayer meeting lasted for years and it was standing room only. We went, we prayed, we read God's word, we discussed it, there was nothing dramatic about it, and we closed with prayer. Those were good days. We'd sit there till 11 pm some (school!) nights. The only reason it ended was because the school (he was still teaching) and some non-religious parents went after him. They were so wrong for causing the trouble they did for him and his heart was broken since he felt so strongly about leading youth to God. He impacted more young people than he knew I think. He's always said Jesus and the Bible are enough. While I think that is true, I credit his non-judgmental attitude, his frankness and his ability to bring out the Truth to drawing in so many young people. He really brought the Bible to life. It probably helps that he is ridiculously intelligent, a history teacher, and knowledgeable about so many subjects that add color to the context of Scripture. I'm going home for spring break and can't wait to visit with him.:D

I'd let him wear whatever he wants. Have you seen what kids wear on the televised spelling bees? The ones I have watched show a huge range of clothing choices from completely disheveled to nice looking clothes. If you've been or seen this particular bee and know that the kids are wearing nicer clothes, then yes - I'd encourage him to rise to the occasion of the other participants dress.

Yep. We're in the middle of it right now. I hs a 6th grader and a 1st grader with a 2 yr. old destroying my house, my keepsakes and, dancing on top of our Saxon worksheets while I try to do math w/dd. I also have a severely disabled dd in public school so when she is sick, misses the bus, has therapy, has a dr. appt., or has a seizure my day is over. I am beyond losing it. Ds has applied to a couple of magnet schools in the area but we're not that impressed. We're considering the public school down the road but, the more I think about it, the more I believe it would be doing him a grave disservice. I think it would change who he is, how he views himself, and how he views learning. DH may insist he go b/c I'm literally going nuts. We'll see. With the ages of your kids, I'd relax. Seriously. Do the 3 Rs and let it be. I could do that if ds weren't going into the 7th grade but I feel like we have to get serious at this point:tongue_smilie: The 2 yr. old will go to preschool next year but that's only 2 days a week. It's not enough. If it weren't for the 2 yr. old, we'd be fine. Ds also went through that "I'd rather stare at a wall phase." He came out of it about a year ago:) There's no doubt I'd take a break in your situation AND I wouldn't feel worried or guilty about it.

Last summer I had a kidney infection. I felt the pain in my back and knew what it was from the research I had done. I went to the dr. and got a prescription for Cipro. The pain diminished quickly and the infection was gone. Easy. Monday I went to the dr. again because I could tell that my UTI had gotten worse and developed into a kidney infection. I had had the UTI for probably 2 weeks and was treating it at home. I only had pain occasionally - not even every day - when I urinated so I thought I was doing fine until I felt those twinges in my back. The pain from the UTI and kidney infection has been minimal this time comparatively and I was on the road to recovery. However, today I woke up with a pain in my back and lower back. I'm trying to figure out if it is from the kidney infection or the pain is from sleeping on our cr@ppy couch for two night in a row. When I twist and stretch my back, it feels like when your twisting/stretching a sore muscle. The kidney pain I've felt in the past usually isn't like that. I'm probably going to the dr. tomorrow anyway but I wanted to see what ya'll thought just to ease my worry tonight:) Thanks!

So we've had a rough year for a number of reasons - some of them are completely out of ds's control, some are not;) He's a 6th grader going into 7th. We are up to our necks in his Logic stage, lol. We applied to the local magnet as a back up plan. We don't know if he has been accepted. It's really a "food for thought" plan. He shadowed today. He went to 4 90 min. classes (they alternate days) - biology, TX history, film and photography. He was matched up with a nice 7th grader as his host. His review was not terrible, nor was it glowing. I realize he only got a quick glimpse of the school but I thought some of you might be interested in his experience. The school population is probably between 1200-1500 for 3 grades. There are 100 magnet students per grade. Biology - they dissected a chicken wing. The class was just average for him. TX History - they watched and took notes on King of the Hill:lol: I could only laugh. Seriously? It was the episode about TX history and, apparently, the assignment was to separate the true historical facts from fiction! Again, really?? Ds said there was only mild cussing (a$$). I'm still laughing. To be fair, ds said he really wanted to go back next week because they are going to do a mock trial on Santa Ana. Film - he felt he learned a few things and found the class interesting. Photography - this class made the biggest impression. From his description, it must be an easy A class. He said the students were loud, disruptive, foul mouthed and didn't listen to the teacher. She gave them an assignment on the computer and instead of doing it, they played video games in front of her. One of the students (a girl) said, "I wanna beat yo a$$!" to ds. He asked her why she hated him and she replied, "I don't. I just wanna beat yo a$$." I explained to him that she is probably a product of her environment and that she's probably said that to every kid in the class. Today she got to say it to somebody new. That's all. My general thoughts are that this is just typical. I'm guessing the photography class had a reputation for being easy, with an easy teacher so it attracted students looking to goof off. I was more surprised by King of the Hill. That's a show for adults, not children. If I were wound more tightly I'd be mad but, as it is, I just think it's stupid. His impression was just blah I think. He filled out a survey and his comment for improvement was "Stop cursing." :lol: I thought maybe he'd be impressed with at least some students and/or teachers. That he would come home feeling like the school was challenging, maybe even over his head but no. I also discussed with him if he felt it would be difficult to stick to his Christian values in a school like this and he said yes. He said, "I can do it but it will be hard." He hasn't been accepted so I'm putting any serious thoughts about today on the back burner. It's was just an interesting experience especially since I've been beating myself up about not finishing that math book or not ordering that Latin curriculum sooner, etc. I feel better now:D

That was cute. I'm going to show my son. He got stop motion software for Christmas and is really into it.

A baby sprinkle! That is an adorable idea!

Have the shower. You didn't ask for someone to do it. Celebrate the baby. If this is your 4th baby and you don't need anything, don't register for gifts. If your friend/cousin (I forgot who was throwing it) loves to plan, let her get creative. Focus on celebrating you, the baby, your family. You know what, people going on their 4th kid really need frozen meals or someone to sign up and take the kids to the park during those first few weeks or whatever. Why does a shower have to be women sitting around with the pregnant lady opening up presents? There are a lot of things that can be done/celebrated for a 4th baby. We have 4 kids. Meals, neighbors mowing the lawn, babysitters, etc. were very welcome during those first 6 wks. I'm sure there are some awesome ideas online for baby showers for subsequent children. I mean, wouldn't it be nice just to get together with friends, chat, eat, laugh and share the excitement of the baby? Make it a family celebration. Have a stinkin' BBQ! If you think most of your group is going to judge the shower - go with a cook-out. If you think there are people in your group that would be open to providing a meal (sign up sheet or actually bringing the meal to stock your freezer), entertainment out of the house at the park for the siblings, etc., find a cute way to arrange that at the party. I don't get the resistance. It's not tacky. Oh, it could be, lol, if you approached it in a selfish way or the circumstances were different but I think you are totally fine. :D

Ergo is the way to go. I got one off of Craigslist that was practically new for $40. Another mom I know got hers from a homeschool email list (she posted a WTB ad) and got hers for about the same. It was faded but I used my procion dyes to dye it for her and it looks great. I also carried my dd on my back using 5 yards of $1/yd. fabric from Wal-Mart. I used the tibetan carry show here http://wearyourbaby.com/Default.aspx?tabID=196 The ergo is more comfortable for hiking and big outdoor events but the tibetan suited me find for the house or mall. Just make sure to get a material that is light with little-no stretch. I seriously got mine off the $1 table:)

I just watched the Cooking with Clara video. She reminds me of my 90 yr. old grandma. Neither of them use cutting boards! My granny just sits at the table with a bowl and "chips" up veggies for cooking. My granny is from a small SE TX town (pop. 500 maybe). She told me during the Depression, her family ate a lot of biscuits w/gravy, biscuits with tomato gravy, biscuits with egg gravy, and on and on. They were unimaginably poor but they did garden, they were able to butcher some animals they had, and, since everyone else around them was just as poor, they didn't really think about poverty all that much. They were rough times for sure though. Not many people these days could get through what she survived, not only for lack of knowledge, but the sheer amount of physical labor she endured on a daily basis just to keep food on the table and clean clothes in the house.

Definitely don't frost them before freezing. Okay, I just called my sister. You can definitely freeze them for a week or two. She cooks them, cools completely, put them in the freezer uncovered just to get the tops hard enough so the foil she covers them with later won't stick. When the tops are hard, cover them. Take them out when you are ready to frost and uncover them. The foil might stick if you let them thaw while covered. She said it doesn't take them long to thaw at all. She also said she never sends anything out that hasn't been frozen first. Weird, right? HTH and makes sense!

My sister bakes cakes/cupcakes as a side business and she always freezes them. They actually have a better texture. She does fiddle with the recipe, however, so I'm not sure if that's going to be true for every cupcake. People who order her cakes don't actually know that she freezes them but, in the beginning when she hadn't discovered this little "secret," she would always get more replies of how moist the cakes were when she had frozen them beforehand. Her recipes is something like this: cake mix, box of pudding, 1/2 can of condensed milk, plus other ingredients that the cake mix calls for. Vanilla tastes the best imo and I'm usually a chocolate lover. The vanilla, for some reason, is particularly moist.