Barbara Frank

That’s right, the winner of Giveaway #1, chosen by the handy dandy Random Number Picker,  is reader Anna, who wins the hardcover copy of Life on the Edge by Dr. James Dobson. Congratulations, Anna!

Many thanks to all who entered the drawing with your wonderful remarks. Do try again with this week’s drawing for a  hardcover copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

By the way, the March newsletter is now up. It answers questions such as

Why is it so important that 21st century kids know how to handle money?

Where can you find a downloadable dollhouse (with furniture) printable project?

How do you make Resurrection Eggs in preparation for celebrating Easter?

You’ll find the answers to these questions plus much more in the March issue of “The Imperfect Homeschooler.” See it here, and sign up to get your own copy by email each month here.

Escape those winter doldrums with a visit to this week’s Carnival of Homeschooling. There are quite a few interesting posts this week about things like:

science project ideas

scrapbooking

life stress and homeschooling

how to use free audio books

And much more….check it out here.

Last week, I posted about the questions I’ve been getting lately having to do with surviving the homeschooling life. It occurs to me now that while I addressed some difficulties that come with homeschooling and how to handle them, I should also remind those newer to homeschooling of all the advantages of this lifestyle.

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Every so often there’s a common thread in the questions I receive from homeschool moms.

That thread might be about getting teens to follow through on assignments, or how to handle friends and relatives opposed to homeschooling, or (in the most recent bunch) how to juggle homeschooling, homemaking and preschoolers without losing your mind.

Maybe the popularity of this latest topic stems from the fact that it’s February and everyone’s been cooped up indoors for months and they’re getting tired of it. But juggling the kids, the house and homeschooling can be stressful; how well I know that from my own experience.

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This month’s issue of “The Imperfect Homeschooler” newsletter landed with a thud in email boxes near and far early this morning. It answers questions like:

What’s another skill (besides cooking) that our kids will need for the future?

Need some ideas for celebrating Valentine’s Day, Lincoln’s Birthday and Washington’s Birthday with your kids?

How can teens get two years of college paid in full, plus a stipend?

And as always, there’s a true story in the “What Our Kids Are Missing Out On Dept.” that will make you extra glad you keep your kids home from school….

Here’s the link; if you want your own copy to go thud in your emailbox each month, sign up here.

In some ways, our teenage son with Down syndrome is very similar to his siblings when they were teens. He likes his privacy, talks about wanting a girlfriend and a car, and is very picky about what he wears. He also spends a lot of time primping in the mirror, getting his hair just right.

On the other hand, he can watch “X-Men 3″ one day and “Winnie-the-Pooh and the Honey Tree” the next, and appear to enjoy them equally. It’s the same with games. He can beat his brother and his sister’s boyfriend (both in their mid-20s) at video games, yet he insists on playing Candyland and Chutes and Ladders with me, which we’ve played since he was little.

So we’re in the middle of working on his lessons this morning, and he gets mad at me because I’m making him pronounce a word correctly (he has major speech issues), and like a typical teen he loses his temper and bellows, “Stop it, Mom, or I’m not going to play Candyland with you today!”

LOL 

(The rest of the story: he didn’t mean it. We had to play twice after he finished his school. Sigh. If I had a nickel for every time we played Candyland over the past 13 or 14 years……)

I can’t remember when I’ve seen a more interesting range of posts than at this week’s Carnival of Homeschooling. You really have to see it for yourself! Go HERE.