nd293
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Posts posted by nd293
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We celebrate Christmas as a cultural celebration. We give gifts on Christmas, visit Santa (although don't suggest to the children that he is real), decorate a tree, and eat a good meal with family and friends, non of which have any foundation in Christianity, as far as I understand. We don't go to church or take part in any other religious observation. I am working slowly towards a more seasonally-based Solstice celebration. Breaking with traditions is not easy, especially if there is nothing "pre-packaged" to replace it with. At the moment we have a family picnic to celebrate the summer solstice, and the children open a small gift each day between Solstice and Christmas.
Would a non-Muslim celebrate Eid? Well, in a sense, yes. When living in a Muslim country we adhered to Ramadan requirements that we not eat in public during daylight hours, both as a matter of local law and as a matter of courtesy. We attended an Eid celebration as invited guests, and we enjoyed Iftar buffets which were common at local restaurants when people were breaking their daily Ramadan fast. We enjoyed (and respected) the celebratory and spiritual aspect of Ramadan without it being our traditional celebration or belief. A similar picture emerged in a recent thread on Judaism, where posters spoke of being includes in various Jewish celebration and religious traditions despite not belonging to the faith.
Without being inflammatory, it seems to me to be a better question to ponder is why so many Christians buy into the commercial aspects of Christmas to the degree that they do. Much of what we call "celebrating Christmas" has little to do with the religious meaning of Christmas, and from discussions I have seen online there seems to a growing group of Christians who choose not to participate in the commercial celebrations of Christmas and Easter.
Nikki
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a moonpot; basically, a medium sized container to set behind or near the toilet, or under the sink, that has a lid and you keep some cold water in it.
New to this, but the only time I've thought it was a bad idea was when I did soak the wash cloths in water overnight. I couldn't handle the smell. I found leaving them dry didn't create a smell. Anyone else have a similar experience? Would tea tree or something in the water lessen the smell? Or it might just be a personal reaction to the specific odour.
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I don't think it's anything to worry about or even inappropriate. Your sister's initial (over?)reaction obviously sent the message that this was something interesting and forbidden, and the dd reacted accordingly. I wouldn't stop them bathing together, unless the behavior continued. I'd tell the girl how special her body is, and his, and how they're different and how interesting that is. It's OK to look, but each person is in charge of their own body.
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Now I'm thinking of trying these pads, when up until this afternoon, I'd never even heard of them.
After 4 months of wash cloths this thread finally prompted me to buy some bamboo hemp online and to download 2 patterns I like from the 10 or so I found online. I'm off to the fabric shop tonight for some flannelette.
As for the practical side of things, with the wash cloths, I've been throwing them into the washing machine and leaving them there until the next wash. If I've had a very heavy flow I might quickly rinse them first, but it doesn't seem necessary .
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I didn't even know they MADE such a thing! Learn something new every day!
Try it for a month, you might be a convert... I ran out one month, and used some microfibre cloths I had around the house. I haven't bought disposable since (4 months), and am trying to find a pattern I like to make myself some proper ones.
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I've put "primary influence" although for me that includes the academic aspect...
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I'm prepared to pay a lot for an area that's important for me. Personally, right now, we pay a lot for our literature and grammar programmes. I wouldn't spend that much on Science, but if we were a "Science family", or dd was showing particular interest in Science, I wouldn't hesitate.
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You may want to take a look at Mosdos. It's not too intense, teaches a great number of concepts and while not "religious", is full of wholesome stories.
I'll second that recommendation. We used the first level of Mosdos this year, and I have been very impressed. The student book is beautiful, and the stories are appealing, and cover a range of literature types. Each story is used to illustrate a particular literary concept, while stories are also grouped according to the values they encourage.
The two teacher's manuals reproduce the student book in reduced format with (numbered) notes for the teacher next to the relevant page. These allow you to draw the student's attention to things like similes and metaphors, imagery, turning points, characterisation, theme, rising action, conclusions and a range of other literary concepts. Below the reproduced copy of the story are literal and analytical questions.
Mosdos is very popular with dd10, and it's the one lesson she actively asks for each week. (We do our Mosdos at MacDonald's over coffee/hot chocolate each week, but I'm sure that this has nothing to do with the programme's popularity in our house :))
Nikki
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I've noticed a distinct correlation between my moods and how much time I am spending on the internet. If I am depressed (even if I'm not conscious of it) I am on the internet more than when things are going fine and my mood is more stable. Also, when I'm more lonely or sad, I'm on the internet more. So yes, I do think it can be very habit forming and I have to be very aware of myself and *why* I am on the internet and gently remind myself that there are people (both big and little) IRL who need me more than the internet does.
It's hard for me because I am home alone all day with very young kids and I struggle with the lack of adult interaction so I tend to get stuck in a rut of being on the internet, missing adult companionship, then missing out on time spent with kids and feeling guilty for that and round and round it goes. It's not something I was happy having to admit to myself but that's where I'm at.
No need for me to type anything else - it's all said above...
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Do you know about UltraSurf? It is free software that allows you to circumvent censorship. I think it confuses the Internet as to where you are. That's my high tech take on it, anyway. Dh used it in the Middle East to access Skype which was blocked by the local government. I've used it more recently to watch programes on the CBS website which are blocked to those outside the US. I know, naughty me. Still, it's clever software that works.
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Cleo or Clea
Gabriella
Abigail
Olivia
Alexa
How about unusual ones? Amongst dd's friends, the following stand out:
Orla
Talitha (pronounced with a "t" sound rather than a "th")
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Hi,
We were in Oman, but I second Aramex as being a solution to your shipping problems. Rainbow Resource and Book Depository are two options for shipping homeschool books overseas, but they obviously don't stock everything. Most companies will pay for education at an international school if you are working overseas. If you wish to homeschool, I'd strongly suggest you get this put into your dh's contract, with it noted that they'll pay for books plus postage. I know an American homeschooler here in Australia who has her dh's company pay for their homeschooling supplies rather than an international school, but because it's uncommon it did cause some headaches, as I recall.
I wouldn't completely discount the option of sending your kids to school if you are doing an expat stint. You have a mini classroom of kids, but when I had one, it was very lonely homeschooling. There were very few homeschoolers where we were. Much of the social interaction seemed to centre around the school. In Oman we didn't live in compounds, though; social issues might be not be relevant if you live in a compound, which I assume you would in Saudi. In addition, the experience dd had at the school was fabulous. I'm not denying some of the usual "school problems", but I simply could not have replicated the international experience of the school - dd's class has 22 children with 15 languages spoken, the school had celebrations or special assemblies for African Unity Day, UN Day, Diwali, Oman's National Day and an annual not-to-be-missed International Food Fair. My goal, if I can convince dh, is for us to be living overseas in 6 or so years time so dd can complete her education at an IB school overseas.
Try Googling "homeschooling in Saudi" - a few links did come up, maybe you'll have luck tracking down a homeschooling group or family that way.
Good luck!
Nikki
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I'm getting excited all over again! We did Grammar Island this year and I ordered Grammar Town et al last night. Their website isn't set up for foreign orders, though, so I have to wait for an e-mail telling me the outrageous amount of overseas postage I will have to pay. It will be worth it, though. Someone actually offered to buy my Grammar Island books recently. As though I'd ever part with them!
I'm glad the vocabulary programme gets such good comments - I really didn't enjoy Building Language.
Nikki (in Australia)
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Plants - I like plants! But Starbucks sounds goooooood.
Nikki (now living in a Starbucks-less country)
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Mosdos Literature - I first heard about it on a similar thread to this. It is secular, but openly values-based (from a Jewish company), offers a strong literature programme, is easy to use and both dd10 and I love it. Once a week ds3 goes to a morning playschool, while dd and I hole up at MacDonald's and do the week's Mosdos lesson. Definitely my favourite part of the homeschool week!
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Nope, she did it all on her own. Cutting yourself is a learning experience and you usually only make that mistake once. :D
That's the way I learned, and the way dd will too. Only I made the same mistake for years. Not sure if they eventually started making razors blunder or I just got smarter.
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The Japanese Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins is a fun read. Available from www.Mainlesson.com as an e-book.
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I really didn't like it. It moved too slowly, and I found I don't like scripted lessons. We used Jolly Grammar which was more worksheet-based, but lots of fun, and then moved onto MCT once she had the basics down.
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I am glad all has gone well.
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I just wanted to add that I have heard of "successes" in all options. None will be quite as terrifying in action as they are while you are thinking about them.
My friend had her baby turned manually. The baby kept flipping back to breech, but on the final attempt the Dr was willing to make, baby stayed put. My friend went on to have a homebirth.
I've certainly heard of successful breech births.
My personal experience was with the C-section option. Ds was transverse breech, and I had complete placenta previa, so I didn't have any options. While I was still hoping that I did have options, I would have gone with Option 1 followed by Option 2, both assuming experience and a positive attitude from the medical professional I chose to work with. That said, a C-section need not be a nightmare. I had a nasty C-section due to the placenta previa (needed 2 units of blood) but was still up and walking within 24hrs, and driving 10 days later. (Just to say here, my first birth was a homebirth, and that would always be my first choice.)
Thinking about these things is usually more scary than doing them. And having options is often tougher than just having something decided for you, even if it isn't want you wanted.
Good luck with your choices.
Nikki
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If you dig around on the rfwp website, you will find a "how to use" type of pdf which explains the order that the books should be used in. Basically, you read through Grammar Island, and then start on Practice Island - 1 sentence a day should do it - we do 2 sentences twice a week.
Sentence Island and Music of the Hemispheres slot in some time later.
I found Sentence Island to be excellent reinforcement for Grammar Island, and we only really started regularly on Practice Island once we had finished Sentence Island.
It's best to have the TM for the programme, but the student books are not necessary (apart from Practice Island). We read together from the TM for Grammar Island, Sentence Island and Music of the Hemispheres.
Hope that helps!
Nikki
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Ten Thousand Lovers by Edeet Ravel, set in Israel in the 1970s. I'm generally unsentimental, but the scene from which the name is drawn (which related to the many lives lost to conflicts over the years) had me in tears.
Out of print, I think.
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We're taking over the world, one house at a time ;-)
Does anyone else feel like there just isn't anything they really want for Christmas?
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
We agree not to get anything for each other, just to help the kids get a $20 gift for the other. This year we mentioned we both need new wallets and maybe we'll each buy the one we want and wrap and place under the tree, just for fun.
There is no rule that says gifts need to be exchanged on Christmas. For me, not exchanging gifts we don't need is a lesson for the kids about resisting excesses but still having a good time.