I KNOW! If I had to see those precious eyes underwater one more time... So what about Jack talking about his father when he's wigging out on the pills as if his father was still alive? And that he saw his father on the island?? I actually felt a little disappointed last night. Read too many spoilers and saw too many previews. No more of that!

I think that coffin looks way too small for big, beefy Sawyer to fit. Kate married to Ben?! Now that's a thought.

Some websites allow you to look for clothes by shape. I found that on Nordstrom's the other day, I believe. I often find the only pants that fit me in the waist and hips are Talbot's. I've started to resign myself that I have to spend more for fewer clothes, especially as I'm getting older (40) to look decent.

Are you referring to Nina's book "Slow Food" or does she have a second one? Alice Waters just wrote a new book called The Art of Simple Food which I am finding VERY HELPFUL in eating seasonally and locally. I didn't find Omnivore's Dilemma very practical, but it's a good read. Weren't the poultry stories in Kingsolver's book hilarious? I laughed so hard at those turkeys!! I also love how she explains why they're not vegetarians. And who knew that God made so many varieties of what we can eat? This book helped me understand that we don't just have heirloom tomatoes available, but heirloom many varieties! It makes so much sense!

We do R&S 6 orally many days. We just finished the pronouns chapter. Unbelievable! Who knew there were so many different ways to use pronouns!? But grammar is the equivalent to math as the basics for good writing. It is exercising my son's brain each day and I see the results in his writing. However, he did not have FLL like my 3rd grader and often the third grader understands diagramming, etc., better than the 6th grader because the third grader is building his understanding step-by-step. In other words, every year of English grammar helps them take another step closer to clear communication. A rarer and rarer ability it seems these days. We aim to continue R&S through eighth-grade, as well.

Eight years!? Every worksheet?! Yikes! Forgive my intensity, but maybe it will help to know of someone on the other extreme. Every summer I purge and I do not keep anything that isn't something they created, like art or writing. And even then, I'm ruthless. It is absolutely not worth the mess. I am admittedly on the other extreme. I keep one large art portfolio of their best work (we're talking no more than a half dozen from the year) and one video storage box size per child for memorabilia. I plan to put their portfolios together when they leave home and I miss them terribly. They won't appreciate them until after they're 25 anyway...

My number one tip? Screen every call (or get caller ID), return calls and process email only once a day.

Are you saying Little Women is NOT a favorite? I loved Wuthering Heights the absolute best, Jane Eyre was a close second, and I can never finish Little Women. Shows my love with the dark intricacies of the human soul (with redemption, of course). I do think once you've read Jane it's worth listening to the soundtrack of the Broadway show version. And treat yourself to the latest Masterpiece Theatre version, though some people think it's a little too steamy (but she doesn't succumb, so it's totally worth it! I can feel her pain when she peels herself off the bed!).

Oooh...that's a good observation! I just CAN.NOT. believe we only get eight episodes!! Some would say it's better than nothing, and it is....but this is worse than waiting for the next LOTR movie!!

Just in case it's worth it to anyone else, I'll post what we do. I, too, follow Ambleside's recommendation. There is an art website they recommend (would need to go to their site, can't pick it from memory) and I have been able to put the art prints up as our screen-saver. It's been a great way for us to become familiar with the different artists and art in a very simple, passive way.

Thanks, Kathy, I'll check this out. Yes, we have had all the "regular" tests.

So, Sandy, will you use any R&S materials in high school? Or switch to something else?

I won't tell my story, but it reminds me of that line in Little Women, the movie, that always surprises me. Meg: So you don't mind that John is poor? Marmee: Well, no! But I would like him to have a house!!

I am still holding out hope. My oldest reads for pleasure. My nine-year old boy has STRUGGLED with reading. Last year we spent $90 per week every week of the school year for tutoring and he still only reads at a third-grade level. BUT he loves to listen to audio books. His reading comprehension tested at ninth-grade. He listens to books I don't understand, and when I'm reading aloud, I'm amazed at the connections he makes before any of the rest of us. My 6yo is following in similar footsteps as the nine-year old. Resisting reading. Not great for the homeschooling mommy ego. But she's young and I refuse at this point to even think she won't like reading eventually. She might be the type, though, that has to read while hanging upside-down, so she can be doing something else! I think knowing what kind of learning strength your child has and helping them fall in love with STORY will help them to ultimately all love reading. Yep, that is my hope.

Hello, Paradise! Waving to you from blustery Grass Valley.