reflect my sentiments. No, I don't think she will exit the race today; my feelings are more of amusement with a little confusion thrown in. In fact this whole election cycle is turning out to be so surreal that I feel as if I'm looking in on it from another world. As a libertarian I don't really support any of the candidates. Bleh. How's this for a proposal: Let's have the primaries in all states all on the same day! Then, we can be spared this agony (groan).

I just can't stand those audios - LOL. I put up with them with my first child but with subsequent children I have pretended they don't exist. I have found, on longer trips that songs (Raffi, Joe Skruggs) are wonderful for younger kids. We also listen to Winnie the Pooh and many Jim Weiss recordings that are fine for younger kids. Greek Myths has been a favorite, as is the Jungle Book from Jim Weiss. Charlotte's Web, Cricket in Times Square, and Stuart Little are also fine audios for younger kids.

[i have not read this thread, but I'll put in my two cents.] Perhaps. But the problem arises when one has to define "suffering." If one is inclined to feel sorry for oneself, then the suffering on their own behalf could justify just about anything. As an extreme example, a pedophile could justify molesting a child in order to alleviate their own "suffering." That is why, a moral code (as laid out in the ten commandments, for instance) is a very good code. It is an absolute that cannot be changed. Otherwise, moral relativism has a field day with the "who's suffering" issue.

I want them to go to college and be able to support themselves. I also want them to be able to be good mothers and wives at some point. I think if they are educated and self-reliant, they will have the freedom to choose among the best candidates for husbands, with the full knowledge that they can support themselves quite nicely if they decide that the current fellow is not "the one." I hope this makes sense; it sort of follows the model of my own life, which I am very satisfied with.

Find out what is important to them. Their goals may be quite different at this point than your goals.... to save up to buy roller skates for instance. Or "make out neighborhood cleaner." But try to find out what is important (and achievable) for them. Make it doable, not "Achieve world peace." Maybe you can review your goals along with theirs and discuss how all of you are doing. At this point I think it would help to show them that goal-setting can work if you write them out and take steps to achieve them.

not based on my own whims but on my childrens' different learning styles. I am still coming to terms with my very right-brained middle daughter in the center of a very left-brained family. So many of the changes I have made are an attempt to help her learn; when my 3yo gets older I will have to switch gears with her again because she is not the same at all. All I can say is that when our homeschooling journey comes to an end, there is going to be one heck of a curriculum sale.

for about an hour, while I visited with his mama. He was so perfect, the way he smelled, his little sounds, his hands and tiny feet. I was in love all over again. Baby-fever all over again although I am past my baby-bearing days. Better save it for grand-baby fever, as I have three daughters. Sigh. Life is good. Seeing him has given me new hope for the future.

and will be greatly missed. He was a comic genius on the Carol Burnett Show. RIP, Harvey.

If they are still hot I'd just let them cool off and try again. I bet they will loosen up.

Thanks for the heads up about the first hour - I probably would have thought I was losing my mind! Hope we get lots of questions answered tonight.

I am ready to give this program another try but please, I need some encouragement! I have been teaching my dd to read, and she is doing pretty well but still stumbles a lot on harder words. When I get her to slow down and divide the word into syllables she usually gets it. But not all the time. I like the comprehensiveness of SWR. Has anyone just gone through the program quickly as a review and way to teach reading? I am simply interested in increasing her fluency at this time, I don't wish to focus on spelling.

but it looks intriguing. I wonder how this would fit as a supplement to Singapore Math? Did you notice that they have an online course for 29.95 per month with a money back guarantee for the first 8 weeks? Seems like that would be a good way to try it out. Maybe we'll try it over the summer. Thanks for posting!

a nice haircut or color, what have you. Then I would buy some new makeup, preferably with a bonus gift. This sort of thing always gives me a lift. And keep your dh searching for the Wii Fit.

I love blueberries! My favorite way is to just eat them raw. Next, I love to make cobblers (crumbly topping) and crisps (biscuit type topping). I also love fresh blueberries on a small bowl of grape nuts with a splash of half-n-half on it. I would freeze the rest for pancakes or muffins.

The Color of Water Rebecca The Shadow of the Wind To Kill a Mockingbird The Chosen October Sky

Keep reading. Everything you can. I guarantee you will keep learning, even if some things are forgotten. Forget the notes, those don't stay with me either (unless in the margins of my books).

John Lennon. I cried my heart out and was sad for a long time. John Candy. I miss him. And more recently, William F. Buckley, Jr. I am still very sad about his passing.

and I know how it felt to have an "only" - and how hard it was to get my very social kid to playdates and what have you. But on the flip side we did so much! And having no one else to compete for my attention, it was the best. So just letting you know that I've been on both sides of the fence as a homeschooler. I've since had two more children and let me tell you it has gotten much much harder, not easier. Having a toddler pulling on your leg as you try to conduct a lesson is not conducive to learning. Sometimes I feel as if my mind is being split three ways each day - and the results are not pretty.

It reminds me of growing up in Florida where there are so many odd types of vegetation. I would love to see or do anything remotely tropical for a little while. We woke up to snow yesterday and today.

I've read about 21 so far this year and right now I am also reading The Woman in White and enjoying it a great deal. I have changed my list somewhat but knew I probably would - that's all right.

Lots and lots of outdoor exercise.

after being in a very bad car accident when I was 16. A big truck hit my Toyota Corolla from behind as I was stopped at the end of a long line of traffic (we were at a stop light). I must have blocked it out for the past 30 years because I just remembered it now. I was pretty hysterical at the time of the accident and they sat me down in the squad car to wait for my dad to arrive.

At the time I was employed some contract employees from India were used. I have no idea what that number is now. And I have no idea how that is relevant to this thread. Is the use of contract employees from India (a thoroughly legal arrangement) considered evil? At most I would consider it competitive.

Evil? Wow, that's harsh. I used to work for Hewlett Packard, and I saw a lot of integrity there. A good strong business means secure jobs, new hires, and a lot of money spent in the communities where they are located. When corporations can't make a profit, they are forced to shut down entire divisions which creates havoc with the families affected as well as the communities they live in.

I generally don't care for the types of books you are referring to and can't imagine my husband ever picking one up. I think marriage is very much a two way street, with thoughtfulness and consideration on both sides. I have wondered myself how much of the confusion women face with regard to their role in society has to do with uncertainties in their marriage. By this I mean we raise our daughters (I am a good example of this) to have careers and if they choose motherhood later on, drop that career or make other very tough choices. When one drops a lucrative career in favor of motherhood, it creates a very difficult set of conflicts for the new mom. In the meantime, men's roles have not changed all that much over the years. I have not thought all this out carefully enough but the gist of what I mean is that maybe there are a lot of self-help books for women because of these conflicting roles we are expected to fulfill.