I bought it but I haven't used it yet.

No way. People always around (no privacy), scrutiny of my clothes (I am not a natty dresser), politics (hate them), protocol (hate formality), and small talk (hate that too). Only being an accountant would be worse for me.

Jean, I'm right at the same life stage you are, so I don't have any BTDT answers. Unfortunately, the best answer is the mantra "Ask the College." I recommend polling a few sample colleges that you think your son might be interested in and see what they say. In the meantime, I would recommend the following: 1) Make your course titles brief, clear, and meaningful. You have the right to say "Honors" in the title if you want. 2) Be ready to back this up with course descriptions. 3) Be ready to back this up with deliverables (essays, tests, etc.) if asked, along with texts used. Choose a standard of grading and stick to it all four years. When you write each course description, state ahead of time what the student will be graded on in each course. 4) Be sure that your grades tell a coherent story with the SAT scores. Really high grades with really low SAT scores will cause all of the "mommy grade" demons to rear their ugly heads. I think if you do all four of these, that your student will be favorably looked upon by most colleges. At least that's the assumption I am proceeding under. ; ) But I CAN say that keeping all of these records is a real pain in the patootie. I'm sure missing our K-8 days when many things were oral and grades were not on the radar screen.

I basically followed WTM until it was time for high school, and then I decided I needed a rough 4-yr outline. I flesh it out each spring for the next year (I'm almost due for another round). It helps me stay on track because there's sooooo much I want to do that I would otherwise overwhelm the student and each one would end up with a stupid amount of credits but never actually graduate.

I have that skill too! I am also the only person who can close a door or cabinet ALL THE WAY. Ahem.

They need a special milspec hardened MIL model.

I bet it's because you don't understand it that you are ruminating so much. There are two choices: 1) Go to her and ask if you have done something to offend her and how you could improve the relationship. Based on what you have said, I don't think this has a high probability of success, but it's the most straightforward way to find out. 2) Tell yourself each time you think of it that you might never understand it, but it is okay because you can make it anyway. Rinse. Repeat.

Has anyone used these? http://www.isi.org/books/bookdetail.aspx?id=c4130aec-1f9a-4b8b-9668-5a326493eba1 Memoria Press also carries them, but they are more expensive. I am thinking of getting the set, as well as this book: http://www.isi.org/books/bookdetail.aspx?id=2d500b9b-a955-44a0-b4f3-f6844b12a1e8 Opinions, for or against? Thanks!

Sorry, I don't want to start a flame war, but I can't agree. I could never instruct my child to pad and use fluff on purpose, even if that's what they expect. I like another poster's idea about choosing four topics and writing a page per day. That could work.

I'm looking at an online BA for my daughter called Christian Classical Education from Whitefield College in FL.

I'm using Traditional Logic 1 and 2 this year from Memoria Press. I might follow the suggestion to blend Discovery of Deduction with Rulebook for Arguments to for a review later.

:iagree: Some of my favorite teachers were the tough ones. I even did kind of know it at the time. :lol: But it sure helped if they were also interested in me as a person as well as being tough. One prof I had in college was fabulous about making his comments on my papers almost like a dialogue with me as he read through them. I wanna be like him when I grow up. I still have those papers. Then there was my 6th grade teacher who introduced me to and made me love diagramming, who was my inspiration to become a teacher.

Well, I suppose that's good he didn't break an actual promise, but . . . I hope you can feel better enough to enjoy your evening out. Maybe you can brainstorm a list of emergency alone bolt-hole ideas while you are out tonight so you will have some options already mapped out if you find yourself fleeing the scene again. Honestly, I think it would not have been a bad thing to allow yourself to burst into tears when he announced that he wouldn't go. Perhaps you having a stiff upper lip has been enabling his obliviousness. I'm not saying to cry on purpose to manipulate, but on the other hand, I don't think hiding your pain is doing you any favors. JMHO.

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Try to enjoy your evening out.

:iagree:

Oh, wow, ouch. Definitely time for a heart-to-heart. It's sad that you reached out to meet his needs last night, got a promise to help meet yours, and then he reneged. Not cool. And then to leave you with the children? Um, no. If I were you I would go out and stay out, all evening. Even if it means you have to lock yourself in the public library's bathroom to be alone. You know, if I'm desperate enough, I've been known to drive my car to the library parking lot and use my car as my alone center. I didn't even go *in* the library because I didn't want to see anyone. It was just me and my book in the car. It helped if I had stopped before that to pick up a fruity (non-alcoholic) drink to go with my book.

:lurk5:

Welcome to The Hive! You will be assimilated! (We mix metaphors, here.)

Okay, I've read through this whole thread. I think it would be wise to attack this in a way that will: 1) Help DH understand to the best of his ability 2) Ensure HE gets HIS needs met 3) Ensure everyone gets their needs met I think that right now you and DH are circling the drain, each trying to get what you desperately need from the other, but since those are opposite things you are feeding each other's frustration. So I think any plan you lay out needs to include how his needs will get met, and possibly even address that FIRST. I would start out asking him how he feels when he has been alone in his office for several hours, or tries to go to bed alone, or etc. He will probably tell you something like drained and sad. Sympathize, and tell him you're so sorry he feels that way, and you want to help fix it. Tell him you want to spend x number of evenings per week making sure he has couple time with you and you feed his need for togetherness. Schedule them, say every Monday and Thursday. THEN, ask him if you can tell him how you feel. Tell him that that icky way he feels when he's been alone, that's the way you feel when you've been with people, any people, even your favorite people, for too long without alone time. That your need is as true as his and perversely opposite. Tell him that you can give him better quality couple time if you can have alone time to balance it. Just as he is drained by being alone and recharges with other people, you are drained by being with people and recharge with being alone. It isn't a case of who likes people better, but how one is recharged. So, then, hopefully you will be set up to negotiate your hard-and-fast time alone, x number of nights per week. Here's where you have to get creative: Try to see if you can get him to take the children out to something social, even, like joining a bowling league with them. Or THEY can go to the library and you can stay home alone. Or, you can lock yourself in your bedroom with earplugs. And NO. ONE. may disturb you. And you should also schedule x number of nights per week with family activities. My hope is that everyone will know that their need WILL be met in the course of a week, so that everyone feels less desperate. Also, I try to have an individual retreat once a quarter where I go to our mobile home or a hotel room with a stack of books and half a partly spiritual, partly homeschool research/planning retreat. This is essential for my well-being. I also like the idea of reserving a library quiet room for a day. And once in a blue moon I opt out of something JUST so I can be AT HOME, and ALONE. That is the best of all.

I find a lot of intellectual stimulation in homeschooling. That is even more true now as we move into the high school years. I am designing our own Great Books study according to WTM and WEM guidelines. I merge and tweak progym and rhetoric programs. I am (along with one*mom) delving into a much deeper understanding of rhetoric. But I do other things: I read a lot. A LOT. Reading is my LIFE. Theology, apologetics, quality fiction, history, etc. I still edit my husband's journal and technical papers (I was a technical writer/editor for the Navy in another life.) I am taking on my church's library, including creating a catalog out of nothing. I am learning about library science. I work on the library one afternoon a week. (The children come with me and bring schoolwork.) I volunteer a lot with our local rocket club, now clubS. I am on the board of a homeschool support group and I field a lot of beginner and curriculum questions. Last year I was involved with a homeschool bookstore. I tutor high-school students in English and language SAT prep. (I love this!) We are very involved in our church and Bible study. I also work in the church bookstore ; ).

We made our own from a Sunset plan book we bought at Lowe's. If you have a mitre/chop saw, it's pretty easy. We saved a TON of money and got exactly what we wanted. After four years of strong sunlight, we had to re-do the redwood staining/sealing, but that's all. We made a "big kid" version that is sturdy. Adults can swing on the swings.

:lurk5:

Well, I'm there with you as the most unreasonable mom ever. My children are 15 and 13 and no way am I allowing them FaceBook accounts. And DH, a computer security expert, would go ballistic if I even considered it. He doesn't even like *me* having one where I post no personal information except my name and have all of the security measures locked down.

I like the writing program, because it's "just the facts, ma'am" and concise (although some of the examples are not written very well), but although I wanted to like the grammar program, I hated it. It uses very nonstandard terminology for grammar and does things in a nonstandard order. I would be very difficult to relate it to any other grammar program. I've been much happier with Analytical Grammar. I did use the writing program to teach a small group of 9th and 10th graders last year and had good luck with it. I did supplement a bit here and there.

Yes, a good dose of twaddle can be good for what ails you.