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Vida Winter

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Everything posted by Vida Winter

  1. I am hoping that the lessons are fairly self explanatory and we can skip the TMs. Thanks.
  2. My 13yodd saved up and bought a digital camera. That is her hobby now. She goes to PS and usually has a few big projects going on. Flute and choir practice are biggies. Right now the girl's varsity basketball team is in first place and my dd is in the band so she is traveling quite a bit to the games around our region. She also spends way too much time on the phone and text messaging, much to my anguish. At least part of that time she is messaging her big brother who lives in Virginia, though. In a couple of weeks both my dd's are going to be in a play, Robinson Carusoe. That is extrememly time consuming. Our 2 golden retrievers take a lot of time and care as well, and we are all involved in that.
  3. dissenting opinion, I guess. We went to Ikea recently when we were in Portland (OR) on a little weekend vacation. It was incredibly overwhelming to me - lots and lots of stuff, the store was a *maze* that was hard to get through, and very crowded. I felt panicky the whole time we were in there. Mind you, we live in a county that does not have even one stop light, LOL. I am not used to crowds. We ended up buying some glassware and a couple of storage containers. The furniture was just not our style at all. We like more rustic, antique type furniture. Overall, the trip was a bust for us - I will not enter an Ikea again if I can help it.
  4. 6 cups water 3 Tbsp. yeast 3 Tbsp. kosher salt 13 cups unbleached white flour Mix water with yeast & salt (water should be barely lukewarm, not hot). Add flour. Toward the end, mix with your hands. I mix it in the container I keep it in, a big rubbermaid with a lid. Put it in the refrig overnight and the next day you are ready to use the dough. I preheat the oven to 470 to heat a pizza stone. While preheating I put the dough on a pizza peel (with cornmeal to prevent sticking) and let it rest for about 20 min. Oh, and wet your hands and rub the top of the loaf for a couple of seconds, then take a sharp knife and make a few shallow slices on the top. Then depending on the size of the loaf (free form round loaf) I bake it for about 30 min, more or less. I keep a broiler pan on the shelf below the pizza stone and pour some water from my tea kettle in it just after placing the dough on the stone. That's it. Fresh bread every day around here. The book has tons of variations and I highly recommend it.
  5. cornbread (in the cornbread). Instead I would try crumbled bacon or crispy bits of Italian sausage if that's the type of bread she's after. And cheese, by all means.
  6. It just wouldn't occur to me to worry about it. That being said, you are under no obligation to share personal details about your kids or anyone if you choose not to.
  7. Underdog, Road Runner, Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry, but for me the best TV ever was Gilligan's Island. I also loved Batman (non-animated) on prime time, circa 1966.
  8. Thanks, Michelle -- My plan, if there is no creepy underlying cause for all this, is to get lasik at some point, maybe this summer. I would still have to wear glasses probably but they could probably correct me to 250/250 which would enable me to read without glasses and use thin lenses for distance. Now I'm on pins and needles until Thursday but I should have some answers then.
  9. Isn't that Miles a piece of work? Sheesh! All he cares about is money!
  10. I just got new glasses in September. I have always been extremely nearsighted. Since Sept. my left eye has gone from a -8.00 to a -10.00.:eek: I kept thinking my glasses were dirty no matter how well I would clean them. I also found myself reading with my left eye closed. I went to the optometrist and rush ordered a new pair of glasses. I have an appointment with an opthamologist for Thursday for a thorough check (glaucoma, retina, etc.). I got blood drawn today (fasting glucose) and AIC - both came back normal so it is not diabetes. Is there anything else I am missing that I need to find out about?
  11. They are true to size. I wear all kinds of socks, no problem (thick or thin the boots still fit). I can be out in zero degree temps and my feet are toasty warm. Not only that, they last for years. If they do start to wear out after a few years, you can get new liners for them and they would be just like new. I recommend them highly for anyone who needs a serious snow boot - and they are super comfy, too.
  12. I think my favorite movie is "Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid", and I always cry at the end. We just watched "The Ultimate Gift" and it made me cry. I haven't watched it in a looong time but "Brian's Song" was a real tear-jerker.
  13. I grew up watching Creature Feature too! Saturdays were a hoot. Dr. Paul Bearer was soooo corny but a great (g)host! :D
  14. to *very gently* clean the area with an SOS steel wool soap pad. I have a white gas stove and sometimes this is the only thing that takes off stains.
  15. I completely agree. I have a couple of the artpacks that I got along with other R&S books. I found them to be very un-creative for the lower grades, anyway. Also they are more craft-y than art-y. Many of the projects involve instructing the child exactly how to color something with crayons (how hard to press, what color to use, etc.). I would prefer to have my child do an original drawing or painting. Much more effective for a child are a few quality art supplies and a book like "Discovering Great Artists," or a Charlotte Mason type picture study.
  16. We are finally "melting" here although I wouldn't bet that it's over for us. We have snow on in our fields at least thigh-high and along our road it's about 4' on each side. Although people in town didn't have much trouble, we missed church all of January due to storms and being snowed in. Take care! Spring is coming!
  17. "French Women Don't Get Fat." It talkes about a general philosophy of eating. Portion size, preparation, taking the time to enjoy what you eat. One tip on snacking that I use from that book is to have a small bowl of plain yougurt a couple of times during the day. There are also recipes for soups and other healthy things that are satisfying. I don't care for sweets that much but I do love my carbs. That is the area where I need to be more careful. I have also started drinking more water and taking my coffee black.
  18. The Cay The Bagthorpes: Ordinary Jack Gideon the Cutpurse The Indian in the Cupboard The Thieves of Ostia The Thief Lord Because of Winn Dixie A Single Shard Ghost Canoe A Series of Unfortunate Events Island of the Blue Dolphins My Side of the Mountain A Wrinkle in Time Hatchet
  19. Strategically placed silk plants? A set of beautiful towels in the bathrooms, soap dishes with wonderful soaps. I would think that you could keep it to the minimum. I, personally, like to look at houses that are empty. The cleanliness is the key factor for me. I would make sure that everything is freshly aired and sparkling clean.
  20. I got this book for myself for Christmas and also invested in a pizza stone and peel. Too delicious is right. I have stopped buying bread from the grocery store.
  21. but how about some older ones, like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (and the others in the series) Star Wars movies and some of the cheesier old horror films, like Abbot and Costello meet Frankenstein etc, etc...
  22. I am making some progress with her and will share what has been working. Things were falling apart at my house, too, until recently. I decided to sort of "re-invent" myself and my homeschool. My older dd is going to 7th grade PS so I really only have to teach 2nd grade and I have a 3yo too. BUT my 7yodd is such a kid. I have taught co-op classes with 17 kids much easier than it is to teach this one kid at home. I am at the point where I accept that my dd Just. Won't. Sit. Still. unless it is an art project, which can hold her complete attention for hours. "I am an artist," she says. I can't argue with her. But, I tell her, "Artists still need to know how to solve math problems, ..." So here's what I have done. I ordered a few "sensory" type items from Therapro. I figure that's a cheap way of getting this fidgety kid under control without going to therapy (both of us). A big hit - an exercise ball. Just a huge ball she can sit on. Keeps her busy while I read aloud. Next, giant spongy dice - we sit on the floor and roll these, make up games and practice math facts. I love these so much I'm going to order more so we can play more complicated games. Next, pencil grips. I ordered the assortment pack - 5 for $2.95 or something like that. It helps her hold on to the pencil (does your Goose drop the pencil as much as mine?). Of course I couldn't forget my 3yodd so I got some play-doh and a Gertie ball ($5 from therapro) which is an inflatable 9" ball - easy to hold on to for a kid. Next I pulled out the old phonics program and started using flash cards like crazy. She does better with flash cards than worksheets. For myself, I have read a few inspirational things. "Marva Collins' Way" has been a wonderful source for me. It is helping me to be a better teacher. I also listened to the audio of "Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire" by Rafe Esquith (we have a subscription to Audible so it was only really $10). He is very over-the-top (does the man ever sleep?) but I did get a few ideas from him. But the best thing I have discovered is the SCM Organizer at SimplyCharlotteMason.com. I am still on the 30-day free trial. It is amazing. Think - Sonlight Instructor's Guide - only better. Use your own resources to schedule each lesson. Check off what has been worked on, and what is finished. The next thing is automatically scheduled. You can adjust and change things if you decide not to use a particular book - just de-schedule it. The wonderful thing about the tool is this - it breaks things down into manageable chunks. Say you want to read "Little House in the Big Woods" - just add it as a resource. It is one of the books they have already entered so it is broken down into each chapter already. It schedules each chapter for you as a "lesson" that you can check off. If you enter a book that is not in their database just type in the chapters yourself if you want it scheduled in small chunks. Same with math lessons. Same with science experiments. It takes a bit of work to get it all entered but I am experiencing a kind of euphoria with this online tool. I am a real box-checker and list-maker so it helps me a great deal. You can generate all kinds of reports, so you can see your progress and feel good about what you have accomplished with your students. Next - this has to to with the get down to work attitudes. We have implemented a hand signal. The "T" time out signal that referees use is used to mean "calm down" then we hug and talk quietly (not a real time-out, which never did us much good anyway). She can use this for me as well as me for her - I tend to get loud and over excited when she does. Ok, I have gone on enough. My next order of business is to get a few more tactile things from Therapro because my kids are only happy if they are squishing, bouncing, or rolling something. Good luck, good luck, good luck. I will keep you in prayer.
  23. We are Nancy Drew game fans here - my daughters love them but they are challenging enough for an adult. A funny - our 24yo son came home for Christmas a couple years ago and got addicted to playing them!
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