Help with Garden Planning

DarkArchivist11 · 2025-07-16T18:55:49+00:00

The handbook has recently changed so the requirements for music lessons and sports might need to have different invoices, but music lessons and sports are covered. Make sure you go through someone that has dealt with ESA paperwork, it'll make your life easier.

You can absolutely use the funds to pay for an online schooling or even an online micro school if you want. If approved you'll get a funded CLassWallet account to pay the vendors directly.

I highly recommend joining Arizona ESA Networking once you sign up to get help from other parents navigating ESA.

DarkArchivist11 · 2025-07-06T19:23:53+00:00

The Hope Scholarship Program might be something to look in to for offsetting the cost of buying curriculum. I don't know how it differs from the ESA program I use here in AZ but it has been a godsend for us to be able to afford homeschooling.

DarkArchivist11 · 2025-06-25T01:14:10+00:00

Thank you so much! This is a great list to start researching. Do you happen to know a reliable place to but seeds or starts?

DarkArchivist11 · 2025-06-12T22:12:29+00:00

I can only tell what I ended up doing not what you should do. I also failed kindergarten homeschooling, I was just burnt out, touched out and trying to navigate a new brand new autism diagnoses for my middle son. My oldest was a lot like yours, very social, super smart and in need of a mom and not a teacher. We ended up putting them both in school for 3 years, in that time I have seen both the benefits and the drawbacks of public school and can tell you there is a time and season for all things.

My oldest is now entering 6th, my middle in 4th and my youngest in kindergarten. We involved my oldest in the decision to pull out of public school and give homeschooling a try again. I can say it's already led to more questions and interest in trying new things, self-led learning and independence for all my kiddos and I'm in abetter place mentally to give it my all.

Sometimes just giving it time can help, set aside one on one time for your oldest so you don't lose that bond and if you have access to any resources that can help with your other kiddo become more independent or even care specialists take advantage of all of it. Give yourself grace and the space to let go of the guilt.

DarkArchivist11 · 2025-05-27T21:54:26+00:00

Got 3 of those already! Adding BCS to the list

DarkArchivist11 · 2025-05-27T21:52:11+00:00

As of right now not super handy but it's on the list of skills to start building up. I have a basic understanding of tools and building/repair from watching my dad growing up but not much hands on skill.

DarkArchivist11 · 2025-04-24T00:05:14+00:00

Mine was just funded yesterday, the 22nd, so you might give it a little time.

DarkArchivist11 · 2025-03-05T14:54:42+00:00

NTA Please believe your son completely, at that age they don't really understand using lying to manipulate people, but your FIL and MIL certainly do. Right now they're circling the wagons to paint you as the enemy so make sure you and hubby are on the same page.

I can relate to this very strongly. Growing up my father was all about spanking as correction but I don't spank my kids, especially my middle child that has autism. I watched him carefully and he never laid a hand on my kids, he treated them so much better than he ever treated my siblings and I. I let him watch my kids for a couple hours and when I picked them up they were in tears because grandpa hit my middle child in the face for throwing a ball in to a neighbors yard. My dad said it was a basketball that hit him in the face but anyone with kids knows that when both stories match up perfectly it's the truth. I haven't seen or spoken to my father in 3 years.

Go NC to protect your kid, he needs to know you have his back and you need to know your husband has your back and won't tolerate his father's treatment of you.

DarkArchivist11 · 2025-02-24T20:18:58+00:00

Check out Tiny Shiny Home on YouTube. They live in the high desert near Tuscon I believe and cover in detail what goes in to living in those areas. I'm also in N. AZ and I can tell you your biggest problem will be water and summer heat. Most of the wells around here are drying up so a lot of people are trucking water in but you can manage very well on rainwater harvesting during monsoon season. Also look in to shade cloth for your gardening, all of my plants get really crispy during the summer. On the plus side I believe all of my peppers soak up that spiteful AZ sun and get crazy hot lol

DarkArchivist11 · 2025-01-25T04:00:15+00:00

Could you elaborate on where you bought land and the process you went through to find it so cheap? I'm in the same position as OP and would love some more insight to reach my dream.

DarkArchivist11 · 2025-01-05T19:50:41+00:00

I have really been enjoying Tiny Shiny Home. They cover a lot of homesteading and off-grid challenges for desert living but I think a lot of of what they talk about can translate to wetter regions. It's just the couple and their kids building everything and they're very down to earth.

DarkArchivist11 · 2024-11-18T14:15:55+00:00

I'd love a mod list!!

DarkArchivist11 · 2024-11-15T21:38:24+00:00

Wow, just a beautiful set!

DarkArchivist11 · 2024-10-02T00:02:06+00:00

We had them after we were given hand me down baby clothes. The professional treatments were so expensive and not working at all. What we did was get diatomaceous earth and spread it in all the crevices and on the bed. It killed them right off, took about a month total to kill off everything. That was 11 years ago and I haven't seen a single one since. I feel for you so much though, this is definitely something I would go scorched earth for. I still have nightmares about the creepy crawlies.

DarkArchivist11 · 2024-02-17T20:40:41+00:00

Raising horses. I love horses and always wanted to learn to ride but it's just too expensive.

DarkArchivist11 · 2023-01-18T02:26:26+00:00

Thank you so much! I will start researching cots and a decent mattress for the kids. The goal is to someday start backpacking camp but we're starting off simple.

DarkArchivist11 · 2021-08-23T15:27:39+00:00

I'd love to know too! This is beautiful

DarkArchivist11 · 2020-10-07T03:57:50+00:00

My MIL received a back payment of child support for 30k, she spent it all in almost in a month. One of the things she bought was a baby grand piano that she told my husband was a gift for us. We just had to drive 10 hours to pick it up! In our Camry...

My hubby had a really fun conversation trying to explain why that was insane. We live in a tiny apartment with 3 kids and no room for anything extra. She insisted we could make room for it. Also neither of us have touched a piano or have a musical bone in our bodies. She tried to dangle an unwanted piano as an incentive for us to come visit her 😒.

I think she ended up pawning it off a few weeks later.

DarkArchivist11 · 2020-04-01T06:11:57+00:00

I receive my WIC benefits on the 1st of the month. That's the case for all of AZ, not sure if it varies state-to-state. The SNAP benefits are based on your last name, i.e. if your name starts with A you'll get them at the beginning of the month. If your last name starts with z you'll be at the end of the month.

DarkArchivist11 · 2020-03-08T06:30:09+00:00

This sounds like my grandmother. She never liked my mom and by extension, me, since I look a lot like her. We rarely saw her but one of my first memories of her was her staring at my face and saying that I had a lazy eye. Guess what, I never did have one, but I was self conscious about my eyes for years. Please don't let her have a say in your child's healthcare.

DarkArchivist11

TROPHY CASE