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Kerry
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Joined: March 28 2005
Location: Pennsylvania
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Posts: 21
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| Posted: April 04 2005 at 7:39pm | IP Logged
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Hi. My name is Kerry. I'm finally getting a minute to introduce myself. I've been a "lurker" on and off on the CM list for almost a year now, and just recently found these forums. A HUGE thank you to all who are involved in its creation....I've really been so inspired in so many ways already!
In terms of my situation, I have four beautiful children ages: 51/2ds, 31/2ds, 2dd, and 5 months,ds. This is my first year homeschooling. I started using MODG with my kindergartner ds b/c of my insecurities of doing all of the planning myself with the CM approach...plus, we added #4 to our family in early October, and moved in February, so we've been a bit overwhelmed for a little while now. However, now that things are starting to settle down (relatively speaking  ), I'm really starting to try and get the courage up to dump the canned stuff, and dive in following the Cm approach as described in Elizabeth's book for next year. My biggest concern is handling my 3 other little ones while I hs Daniel. It has been a BIG challenge this year, and am looking for ANY wisdom you veteran moms can offer.
Thanks! I'm looking forward to getting to know you all!
God Bless!
__________________
Kerry
married to DH John 8/8/98,
mommy to Daniel 8/6/99, Isaiah 7/10/01, Gianna 3/28/03, Samuel 10/11/04
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perezfive
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Joined: March 07 2005
Location: Texas
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Posts: 2
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| Posted: April 07 2005 at 10:01am | IP Logged
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Hello my name is Shelly. I am mom to 4 great kids. My daughter is 10 and my sons are 7, 4, & 2. I have been homeschooling since they were old enough to start. I myself am a homeschool graduate. I had used Seton the first few years with my daughter but as time goes I am more and more drawn to Charlotte Mason. I really enjoy reading everys post and I can't say how much this site has helped me!
Thank you all!
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Caryn
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Joined: April 07 2005
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Posts: 22
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| Posted: April 07 2005 at 3:12pm | IP Logged
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Hello, Everyone!
I was a member here several years ago, and have returned after a period of spiritual "wandering and wondering" that I wouldn't wish on anyone  . I was raised Catholic, and have found my way home--the long way!
I am mom to a fifteen-year-old daughter, always homeschooled, using CM methods for the last three years. She loves literature, natural sciences (she is an apprentice falconer), golfing with my husband, playing flute, and Tolkien. I love Tolkien, listening to my husband and daughter talk about golf, and chatting with other moms about homeschooling and life.
Looking forward to knowing you all,
Caryn
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AnaB
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Joined: April 12 2005
Location: Florida
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Posts: 281
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| Posted: April 12 2005 at 12:14pm | IP Logged
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Hi! My name is Ana Betty or just Betty. I've been homeschooling for 5 years now. I have a 9yog, twin 7yo boys, and a 16 month old. I'm married to Jeff and we live in Miami, FL (where I was born and raised).
I'm a Protestant, and very grateful for these boards. I've been observing and reading for a few weeks. I'm very touched by the emphasis on making Christ the center of our days and homeschooling in a CM friendly way. This is my heart! I've been very humbled and challenged by Elizabeth's testimony and book and am happy to be here!
I pray for your patience with my ignorance on Catholic terminology or ways. I may ask you questions! I'm so awed by how God has His children in so many different places. I have been very blessed by the encouragement I've found here. Thank you for letting me be a part of these boards!
__________________
His By Grace, AnaB blessed WIFE to Jeff and mama to 4 blessings!
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mumofsix
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Joined: April 07 2005
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Posts: 205
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| Posted: April 12 2005 at 4:46pm | IP Logged
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I have just posted under Leonie's thread about working in "Fireside Chat" so I had better introduce myself. I am Jane from England, I homeschool and I have six children: ds 23, ds 17, dd 15, dd 8, ds 3 and dd 6 months.
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Genevieve
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Joined: April 02 2005
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Posts: 529
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| Posted: April 15 2005 at 6:56am | IP Logged
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Hi! My name is Genevieve and married to Michael. We currently live in the Chicagoland area but have moved every year since '98 for various reasons  My two sons are 2y and 5m. At least my husband's family is finally near us! I am very inspired by the women here. I am a Singaporean and only moved to US for college. So I have the classic syndrome of wanting to put my kids on the fast track and my oldest is only two!
Personal interest has been exploring new cities, jigsaw puzzles and picking up new skills. Currently it's trying to knit. 
I have also learnt so much about the Catholic faith and how to live it through this forum and the CCM listserv. I look forward to more inspiration.
Genevieve
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saintanneshs
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Joined: April 15 2005
Location: Virginia
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Posts: 591
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| Posted: April 15 2005 at 2:59pm | IP Logged
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Hello all!
My name is Kristine and I'm 30 yrs. old, a former PS kindergarten and first grade teacher, wife to a wonderful farmer and mother of 4 (for now!) We are just beginning our hs journey. My oldest ds just turned 5 and we've been trying out a pre-packaged Kindergarten curriculum since August of last year (I didn't think I was rushing it...he's been reading since he was 3).
Ever since we had our baby in Nov. I've been feeling really overwhelmed by what we have been doing "in school" (the amount of work, always pushing my little guy to finish up, stressing over falling behind, feeling frustrated at the lack of time to just hold him and read to him, etc.) I also wanted to start attending daily mass, but because we live in the country it takes 30 min. to get to church each way and I couldn't find a way to "fit it in" with our schedule. I said a prayer and then began looking at the 4reallearning website because a friend mentioned it to me. I just finished Elizabeth's book and am so grateful! Thank you, Elizabeth, and thank you, God! For so many years (as a PS teacher) I felt I was a slave to the SOLs, standardized test prep, a curriculum designed by someone else, etc. I just didn't realize that what I was doing as a hs mom was to basically keep the same teaching methods, ideology, tools, etc. and just do them at home. It occurred to me that I am making myself a slave to them all over again! This is why I have been so unhappy (I think). I want to do all of the fun things parents should be able to do with their kids and educate them in the process...I think CM might just be the answer for us.
Although I've been reading the archives, I can't find some answers to a few questions I have. Could someone please direct me to where I can find the answers, or answer my questions directly?
1. Since I am very interested in a unit-study approach, what do I do about standardized testing, since some of the exemptions for HS require some county & state monitoring? Will my kids be okay with CM method as far as their performance on these tests, or can I opt out of taking them? (Please forgive my ignorance as this is all so new!)
2. What are the differences b/w CM and a Classical approach? Is there any way to integrate the two?
3. Is it better to just keep a few notes on what you've done (i.e. the nature journal and narration notebooks) as opposed to designing lesson plans for each week?
Thank you so much for this forum and for allowing me to "deprogram" from PS teaching mode here!
Devoted to Our Mother Mary, & our intercessors, St. Anne and St. Isidore,
Kristine
mother of Luke Benjamin (5), Zachary John (3.5), Joshua Thomas (2), and Amy Josephine Anne (4 mos)
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mary
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Joined: Feb 17 2005
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Posts: 691
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| Posted: April 20 2005 at 8:25am | IP Logged
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I'm Mary and I'm from Cincinnati (there seem to be several of us!). My boys are 6, 4 and my daughter will be 2 in a few weeks. I've been lurking here since the this forum began and my newest hobby is printing out pages and sitting outside reading them while my kids play in the sand. :)
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Patty
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Joined: March 27 2005
Location: Kansas
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Posts: 170
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| Posted: April 25 2005 at 1:34pm | IP Logged
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I'm Patty and my dh and I have seven children: dd(21), ds(19), dd(almost 16), dd(13), ds(11), dd(9), and ds(5). This is our thirteenth year of homeschooling and we've tried out numerous curricula and approaches during that time. However, my basic goals for our family are still the same: to love God, love others, and love learning, and to be equipped to answer whatever He calls us to do.
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momwise
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Joined: March 28 2005
Location: Colorado
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Posts: 1914
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| Posted: April 25 2005 at 6:06pm | IP Logged
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I've been posting on this board for a few weeks now and reading through your introductions now and then, so I thought I'd finally post mine.
I've been married to Mike, an aircraft mechanic for 25 years in June. I'm one of those lost Catholics (in between the baby boomers and genX) who totally missed anything pre-Vatican II and then never knew a darn thing about the faith until after I was 30. On one of my sporadic visits to Mass with my (then) 2 children (and holding!) I found a prayer card for mealtime grace and a prayer to the Blessed Mother that we began to pray nightly. Then John Paul II came to Denver 
I began homeschooling my oldest when he was in 7th grade. The next year I brought my 2nd ds home in 3rd. None of my other children have ever been to school. Our oldest ds is married and we have a 3yr.old granddaughter.
We also have 2 dd (15 and 7 mos.) and 3 other ds (13, 8, 5). We just moved from an area of Denver near DIA on the plains to an area nearer to Boulder and the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and we are very happy about it. The whole process was totally under the care of St. Joseph (I constantly convince my dh, who is not a Catholic, pray to St. Joseph LOL  )and it turned out better than we could have dreamed it.
My homeschooling methods have evolved (a lot!) over the last 12 years and I am so full of peace with the CCM philosophy, some classical thrown in , lots of arts and just mostly however the Holy Spirit guides us to fulfill the children's vocations.
Come Holy Spirit!!
__________________
Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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LittlefarmMom
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Joined: April 25 2005
Location: Washington
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Posts: 6
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| Posted: April 26 2005 at 12:33pm | IP Logged
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>>I always feel strange joining email groups or boards. it always feels like intruding on somebody's conversation. Almost like being at a party and coming into a group that is already deep in conversation... But here I go:
Natalia<<
Me too, Natalia.
But I'd probably better introduce myself as well. I was a member on the old CatholicCM board, and am sort of dizzy with the options at this new format! (WOW!) And, I'm not actually homeschooling anymore.
My kids are 21, 19, and 17 this year, and the older two are at community college and the youngest enrolled in our local public high school as a sophomore this year. So this year has been my transition year.
Looking forward to the conversation,
Stephanie in Stevenson, WA
__________________
Stephanie in Stevenson, WA
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Erin
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Joined: Feb 23 2005
Location: Australia
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Posts: 5814
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| Posted: April 26 2005 at 10:34pm | IP Logged
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Hi All
I have 'met' many before on magnum opus and Catholic C Mason. I really like the format here as I can jump around topics as per interest.
I am Erin, mother to David for 12 yrs. We have seven beautiful blessings,who have been educated at home all their lives.
I enjoy books (I am a bookaholic) and this year my goal is to learn to garden.
We live on the Far North Coast of Australia.
Looking forward to being here.
__________________
Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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mommylori
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Joined: April 28 2005
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| Posted: April 28 2005 at 8:16pm | IP Logged
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Hi I am new here, I am Lori Mom to Clay 5, jonah 2, and adam 10 months, I am starting to homeschool clay in kindergarten and we are very much into CM.lol
I had a friend refer me to here.lol
Lori
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Amber
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Joined: April 30 2005
Location: Texas
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| Posted: April 30 2005 at 10:35pm | IP Logged
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This is so cool! I am very new to the whole board thing, but I am OLD at homeschooling. My name is Amber and I've been married for 19 years to an Air Force pilot - yes he gets deployed. He'll be back soon. We've been homeschooling our now 7 kids for 12 years. The oldest will be going to the university full-time this fall.
I'm an unschooler, but use the CM approach when school is ON. I'm into co-sleeping, attachment parenting, and all that other, what my husband calls, "hippie" stuff.
How did I get involved with a technology nut? Only God knows for sure!
__________________
Amber
Wife to Karl (USAF)
Mom to Andy (18), Caroline (16), Peter (14), Tim (12), Nick (9), Catherine (3) and Paul (1)
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Taffy
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Joined: April 05 2005
Location: Canada
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Posts: 1567
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| Posted: May 02 2005 at 8:00pm | IP Logged
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Hi all!
My name is Taffy. I am a mom to three boys, ages 8, 5 and 2. We've just started homeschooling the oldest officially about a month ago but I have been "afterschooling" all three for quite some time now. We live in rural Saskatchewan, Canada.
My interests include homeschooling, autism (my oldest boy is autistic), crafting, horses and swimming. I've been gleaning from this board for a while now and felt that I'd better introduce myself before I start feeling like a "peeping Tom"!
Looking forward to the conversations...
__________________
Susan
Mom to 5 on earth and 1 in heaven
Susan's Soliloquy
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Cathy Buchanan
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Joined: May 05 2005
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: May 05 2005 at 10:57pm | IP Logged
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Hi! I am new to this board and hope I can figure out how to do it.  My name is Cathy and I have four children. dd 19, ds 16, dd 6, and dd 4. This is our 6th year home schooling.
I am usually more of a lurker but hope to contribute to the conversations.
God Bless,
Cathy
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miryam71
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Joined: May 14 2005
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| Posted: May 14 2005 at 5:21pm | IP Logged
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Hey, my name is Mary. I've been married for almost nine years and I have three boys, ages 5.5, 4.5, and almost one. My son finished K work at home with CHC materials. He did well, but he wants some variety, so we're taking a little break from first grade work to research other methods too. I've already ordered CHC materials for next year, so we'll use those along with other things I can come up with!
__________________
Mary, wife to Dave, mom to three boys
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Marybeth
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Joined: May 02 2005
Location: Illinois
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Posts: 1277
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| Posted: May 15 2005 at 6:27pm | IP Logged
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Hello! I am new to homeschooling but have been reading about it since my ds was just a "twinkle in my eye." I taught school for five years so I really do not want to work with a prepackaged curriculum. I am hoping to enjoy my son's interests and try to let the ideas and learning flow from there. This spring we are spending time outside planting a garden and reading aloud every day. The library is a frequent stop for us. We usually have the library's limit of 100 items out at any given time.
We love animals and the zoo in Brookfield, IL is one of our favorite spots. God bless.
Marybeth
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Glenn
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Joined: May 15 2005
Location: Virginia
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| Posted: May 15 2005 at 9:56pm | IP Logged
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Hi,
My name is Glenn Bliss and I am a mother of three children under 5. This is our first year homeschooling. We live in Northern Virginia. I am so happy that this forum exists and look forward to learning and sharing lots.
__________________
Glenn
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ALmom
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Joined: May 18 2005
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| Posted: May 18 2005 at 11:41pm | IP Logged
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Hi, I'm Janet and mom to 6 - ranging in age from 17 to 2 - the oldest 2 being girls. My husband and I have homeschooled from the beginning and live in Northern Alabama with our crew. Homeschooling has been an adventure - sometimes very tiring and emotionally draining but also rewarding if we just remember that nothing is perfect in this life. We have a collection of homeschool books and materials - some useful and some we wonder why in the world we ever got that and why are we hanging on to all those crazy things - until out of the blue some silly thing is just the key for one child who nothing else would work for. If nothing else, some useless workbook becomes the toddlers cutting practice. One day I'll write an Erma Bombeck style book about homeschooling - if I ever graduate from high school and manage to have the time! We homeschooling moms sure do need a chance to laugh sometimes though.
I grew up in the Marshall Islands, am a cradle Catholic but really didn't begin to know my faith until I married my husband. He was baptized a Catholic with our 4th child - but was the one who told me that if you believe in God, the Catholic church is the only one that makes sense. I really like to read and tutor math and was a Math and History major in college back when I thought I was smart. I also did counted cross stitch and am still working on my first baby's blanket (before our 17 yo). I was going to make one for each child but think it better be modified to put the name of each child in some corner of the blanket in progress. Now, I'm mostly trying to desperately keep pace with children - between eye therapy, dental appointments, "teaching" a high schooler and supporting music interests. My husband is handy around the house, teaches the boys to change outlets while mom makes sure the toddler doesn't electrocute himself - or he takes a bunch on the roof for cleaning gutters, etc. He also likes inventing devices to listen to baby heartbeats in utero (he should have patented the sound level meter he hooked up to the stereo - we got heartbeats of every child in utero on cassette tape before the midwife with stethescope). The oldest plays piano, violin and organ and plans to major in music performance. She is happiest when she is sandwhiching schoolwork between orchestra, chamber groups and music jobs. I get stressed by the schedule but since she drives and seems to thrive on the pace, we bite our tongues. Child 2 loves to read and do craft type things and steals all the garbage for her projects. She made a helmet(of rohan, I think) out of an old ice cream bucket, wires, electrical tape, and dental floss (the horses tail). #3 is #2 best buddy and they build lego creations, explore the woods and design and make weapons (from Lord of the Rings and medieval times), #4 loves science and collects rocks, lizards, builds model rockets, studies field guides and has a thirst for learning of all types. He wants to start a garden and we are always buying seeds and trying to find things that grow in the shade and do not have to be replanted. #5 is fond of trains and whatever older brothers are up to, #6 is too cute, into everything, smiles, talks, and imitates us all for good or ill. He was opening child-proof medicine bottles at 18 months and there is nothing he cannot get to. Our consolation - he seems to have great eye-hand coordination so maybe he won't need the vision therapy that most of the others did. Our household is rarely quiet or all that orderly - I love the saying below Elizabeth's posts and am looking forward to "talking" to other Catholic homeschooling moms, especially those with larger than average families as so much "advice" out there assumes that mom has boundless energy, everyone is studying from the same books and writing marvelous stories and essays, while any toddlers in the house are non-existant or blissfully napping away (ours don't nap). When we go to the bread store we're asked if we have a tax free ID (in Alabama food is taxed but schools and non-profits have IDs for tax free items - alas, we don't qualify, we only purchase bread in quantities comparable to the schools). Mom is supposed to discuss every book with every childa and as much as I love to read - this seems plain impossible especially as the eyes start going on the blitz and a new round of appointments are called for. Don't mean to sound ditzy, but sure am glad to find this - thanks to a family from Georgia or Australia. We've been a tad isolated in the land of Dixie and look forward to this forum.
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Introduce Yourself (2005) (
Topic Closed)
