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OceanBreeze

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Everything posted by OceanBreeze

  1. I, too, would have been thrilled to discuss their math program. I've spent a lot of time researching programs and have 3 different ones on my shelves. Jenelle
  2. I read aloud all the books I want my children exposed to. My oldest is only 9 and so someday she may pick up some on my list on her own, but until then, I read. They, of course, love it and will probably insist on being read to until they leave home. Which is fine with me. :001_smile: Maybe someday I'll require a book by saying, "We'll read this at the same time and then discuss it." Jenelle
  3. The View is a circus act. Problem is, those ladies think they're having an intelligent, educated, and rational discourse. Poor dears. Jenelle
  4. We haven't tried some of the brands mentioned, but Arizona slims, found at JCPenney, are the slimmest slims I've found. We still pull in the waist a bit with the tabs, but they're long enough. Jenelle
  5. Thank goodness we have people like Marcy Kaptur in congress. Jenelle
  6. I agree with this. My children were just a year older than yours are now when we disconnected the cable. There was some whining and not knowing what to do at first, but they did adapt and now, over two years later, they require much less from me for entertainment. They are able to play for hours with their toys; there is a lot of imaginative play. It really isn't that hard to be without TV, it only seems like it at first. After you've disconnected the cable, read Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman. I've come to regard the television as an anti-learning device. The passive nature of TV viewing is formative. That is, it trains the mind to take in information without thinking about it, without grappling with it, if you will. Then, when we're required to actually spend some time thinking about a problem from beginning to end, we find we cannot. I have embraced classical education mainly for its formative value. Like many here, I did not receive a classical education, but I hope to give one to my children. This is a difficult task. I'm so glad I no longer have the TV there to dismantle my daily efforts. Jenelle
  7. I've been reliving my high school years with the help of this board and YouTube. Here's one of my favs added to the mix: Jenelle
  8. I finally introduced my children to The Holy Grail and they came away with: "I fart in your general direction". - French accent included.
  9. Banning is a harsh word and should be treated as such. If a book is bannned, none of us would be able to read it. The US has specific laws in place to keep that from happening. No wonder people get riled up at the word. Some of these library situations, however, while disturbing in terms of what is available to the public to read without requiring them to purchase the book, cannot be called banning. We must use a different term. But perhaps that wouldn't cause such a loud cry of "foul'. Jenelle
  10. Do not accidently punch 10:00 minutes on the microwave when you are intending to zap your sponge for only 1:00 minute. Jenelle
  11. I see nothing wrong with holding off until your dd is a little older. I started teaching my dd piano when she was 5 and when practicing became a struggle I dropped it temporarily. We picked it up again right before she turned 9 and practice time is no longer an issue. My ds is 5 and loves to practice (just to remind you that every child is different.) Jenelle
  12. Something smeared on the wall that resembles a .... booger? :001_huh: Jenelle
  13. As mothers, we should realize we're a little out of our element. This is a father's domain. We should allow the father's of our boys, whenever possible to handle this issue. However, the original post was regarding courage, not necessarily fighting. Regarding courage, I believe we can and should set up opportunities for our children, boys and girls, to be couragous. How do they know they can be brave? Because they remember being brave in the past; they know what it is. I highly recommend The Lakota Way by Joseph Marshall III. There is a chapter on courage and how a young brave was taught courage by being given an oppurtunity to guard the fresh meat against a "bear". The trick is to come up with plausible ideas. Suggestions for the modern world? Jenelle
  14. I absolutely refused to let dd go door-to-door in our neighborhood. You know those companies who are providing full-color brochures are making a ton of money off these kids and I find that offensive. I tried to tell her why I was refusing, but unfortunately I was battling "the limo". That's right, biggest seller was promised a limo ride. :001_huh: I was rewarded with a lot of wailing from the poor deprived child. Did I mention I hate fundraisers? Jenelle
  15. I'm creating little quirky people, because, you see, I'm teaching my children the correct way to put the new toilet paper roll on. :lol: Jenelle
  16. Perhaps a little Socratic dialogue is in order: "What do you mean by "the real world"? Continue asking more and more detailed questions until she realizes the folly of her statement. Jenelle
  17. Could it be "John Dewey & The Decline of American Education" by Henry T. Edmondson III? Jenelle
  18. "He knows nothing, and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career." George Bernard Shaw
  19. Life's tough...and then you die. Slower than molasses in winter. Get a grip! Who died and made you queen? And while this isn't a "saying", I do find myself saying "Hurry up, we're/you're gonna be late!" almost every day.:001_huh: Jenelle
  20. My background is Amish / Mennonite. The first of my ancestors came over to Pennsylvania in 1742. My children are mixed, though, they have German and Yaqui Indian added in. I noticed some of you had ancestors coming from Alsace-Lorraine. Many Swiss Ana-Baptists moved there from Switzerland and then they or their descendents migrated to America. We might be related! :) Jenelle
  21. I only work part time so I don't share your difficult schedule, but I have discovered some things that might help you. We are selling our home so I had to make some changes and honestly, I love the new look so much, I'm never going back. :) First, I got rid of stuff. Oh, so much stuff. Even if it had some value. Things up to $20 went directly to Good Will. Higher-priced items were sold on Craig's List. Things I wanted to keep, but would not be using went in totes and were put in the garage or closets or attic. I cleared drawers and cupboards. My cupboards now have room to spare, so that any clutter that accumulates is easily put away. The children filled totes with toys and we rotate. I've cleared all surfaces (save a select few items) and this makes dusting a snap. The floors are cleared, which makes vacuuming a snap. And in the bathrooms the counters are not used, rather the drawers hold everything in current use. Now, even though I have a 4 bed 3 bath house, it is so much easier to keep clean. There is a psychological weight to all this stuff and when we free ourselves of it, we free our minds to think and learn. You come home to a clean house and can enjoy your child and your lesson. Also, make it a routine before bed for the whole family to take 10 minutes to do a quick pickup. This helps a lot and is also fun. The kids really enjoy this. Jenelle As an afterthought, if going through stuff seems difficult at first, just go get a bunch of totes and fill them and stack them in your garage. Then, as you have time pull one out and go through it.
  22. Sometimes this happens when the screen resolution if off. Try adjusting it. Jenelle
  23. Same here. We disconnected the cable 2 years ago for financial reasons and even if I had tons of money I would not reconnect it. I've been given the rare privilege of seeing the change in my children without it. They play. They amuse themselves. They go outside. They no longer whine, "Mom, can we pleeease watch TV?" It's been great! Jenelle
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