We just had this pair last week in spelling. Here are the rules: 1. Use ou at the beginning or in the middle of a word unless the /ou/ sound is followed by a single n, l, er, or el; then use ow. 2. Use ow at the end of a word for the /ou/ sound. Exceptions to the general rules: powder, coward, crowd, chowder, foul Hope this helps!

YES! $129 more a month between healthcare and increased taxes and we are lower middle income. I thought we were told it would only affect the rich!!!! I knew that was baloney. When will people realize our government is a giant sucking machine that needs to go on a strict diet?

My vote would be for Memoria Press as well. I just recently ordered my curriculum from them for next year. Their customer service was above par. In addition, my dd will be going into 5th grade so I was purchasing the 5th grade package but with substitutions. I needed to switch the Latin, as my dd has never taken it before, switched the Geography and the Classical Composition (wanted to start at the beginning, as dd had never done this method before either). I am sticking with my own math and science so I didn't need theirs. The complete package costs $425. With my substitutions and deletions, I paid $370 for the package. They are extremely accommodating and will mix and match for your needs. I also like the fact that their packages are actually above grade level. I have ordered may other so-called grade-level curriculum only to see that they are sub par. Then I'm scrambling to do a lot of supplementing. Having now explored my MP stuff for next year, I will NOT have to be doing that.

Prayers on the way!

Well, since no one else is either A) going to admit it or B) has never had the following experiences, I'll take the plunge....(just remember, I am not crazy!) I have heard Him speak directly to me on three occasions, I felt Him beside me in a car once (accompanied with an unexplainable euphoria while crying my eyes out), and have had prophetic, brightly-colored dreams/visions from Him. The reason I know it was Him is because I was immediately and without thought reduced to violent sobbing. Lastly, innumerable prayers have been answered in the affirmative and came to fruition. My dh has shared all the prayers I'm speaking about, so he is my witness to those. I don't have a witness or way to prove the others, except for the fact that all dreams/visions (which I told my dh about beforehand) came true - not all were nice but rather warnings in preparation. So, this is a first for me -- sharing this stuff, but you asked, and I think at soon-to-be 49, I should at least finally stand up and admit that I've had these experiences and let the chips fall where they may. I've decided I need to get brave and stand up for God rather than cowering; afraid of what others will think or label me crazy. I know there is a God because He has shown himself to me.

Did you ever think of starting a "home church"? Seriously, there may be others in the same situation. They may appreciate an alternative.

I'm 48 and have never gotten a flu shot. Neither has anyone in my family. I drink lots of tea - all kinds. If my dd is exposed to sickness during the one day she attends ps for PE or music, I have her drink a hot chocolate when we get home. The hot liquid kills whatever may be lingering in her throat or nasal passages. Sometimes I even put out raw onions in their skins in windowsills. I can't remember the last time any of us has gotten the flu; must have been 5 or 6 years ago.

This bothers me tremendously because we have had too many of our young men and women die in foreign countries defending our flag, the symbol of all we stand for as Americans. The actions of this teacher demonstrate the lack of respect for the values, morals, and principles that are the foundation of our country. How can we expect our young people to honor our country and each other with examples such as this? Just another demonstration of how far we have fallen and the insidious apathy that has invaded our culture. No one cares about anything anymore. It truly is the ME, ME, ME generation - Moral relativism. Just SAD and pathetic!

My dd is going to be in 5th grade next year, and she wants to do Chemistry as well. So, I've spent a considerable amount of time researching curriculum for her. We had been using the Christian Kids Explore series and I really liked it, but I'm finding I have to supplement a lot because I don't feel it digs deeply enough. With that in mind, I narrowed in on two curriculums: Elements: The Ingredients of the Universe Introduction to Chemistry Curriculum with CD as well as it's companion: Carbon Chemistry: Organic Chem and Biochem I was thinking of doing both of these in one year. These are offered at www.rainbowresource.com. However, I, like you, wish to use a Christian Curriculum. I was fortunate to find the following: God's Design for Chemistry & Ecology: Properties of Matter Teacher & Student Pack God's Design for Chemistry & Ecology: Properties of Atoms & Molecules Teacher & Student Pack These are offered through CBD only as a 3-Pack (includes Ecology) for $78.99 or you could purchase each individual title for $26.99 each. Each individual set comes with a Teacher & Student manual as well as a CD. I would not do the Ecology so I would purchase the other two separately. Although I really like the sound of Elements & Carbon Chemistry, I really want that Christian element. Plus, after reviewing what I can online at CBD, I've discovered that the God's Design Chemistry series also uses Kitchen Chemistry. That's what appealed to me in the other set. I hope this helps.

Unfortunately, too many Christians can't explain why they believe and just site "faith". I ran into that with myself and my oldest dd. She is no longer a Christian. For me, I started researching apologetics and now incorporate it actively into our hs studies with my youngest dd. I want her to be able to give a factual, reasonable defense of why she believes in God. Here are some resources you may find helpful: Contending with Christianity's Critics I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist The Big Book of Christian Apologetic: An A to Z Guide www.str.org (Stand To Reason) From their site: We teach careful reasoning and well thought-out answers so that Christians will participate in public discussion (at home, at work, or at the university) so that the Christian world view has a place in the debate. We encourage Christians to develop coherent answers to questions that challenge Christianity so that their faith is deepened and thereby are emboldened to share the Gospel. Brett Kunkle is a speaker with STR who specializes in teaching kids (jr. high thru college). He's fantastic. You can read his bio here: http://www.str.org/s...Article&id=8035 I found this site invaluable in answering many questions and giving logical reasons why I should believe scripture over man's ideas. Heavy on Philosophy/Logic and Science. I listen to their podcasts and watch their online videos. It's all FREE too! They also have a store chock full of books and resources. Great stuff. I hope this helps.

You're situation is your own, and I can't presume to tell you or even advise you about how to proceed, but I will tell you about what happened to me. 11 years ago I was pregnant. I was filled with joy because I was 37, had recently suffered a miscarriage, and my 2nd hubby and I really wanted a child together. Ten weeks later I was spotting. After four miscarriages through my life, I knew what was happening. I was crushed. We scheduled an ultrasound. Looking at the US, we saw a very active little baby, waving arms like, "hey Mom and Dad, it's me!" The doctor told us the "fetus" looked very viable and he didn't see any indications of any problems. Secretly, I still knew, because all my miscarriages started with spotting. When I carried my oldest dd to term, there was never any spotting. We went home. This was on a Friday. Sunday night, the spotting became worse, and soon I was having those tell-tale cramps. It wasn't long before I was hunched over rushing into the bathroom. It was all over in a few minutes. My husband was at my side and we were just so upset. I had to wait two days before I could get in to have another US to determine whether or not I needed a D&C. I knew I would probably need one because of the awful cramps I was still having. It was a terrible two days. I told my dh, that I was done. I couldn't go through a third miscarriage and at 37, I felt my body was telling me it was done too. He agreed. The day came for the US. We were both despondent and didn't want to look at the screen while the US was being performed. We held hands and just looked at each other. Then the tech asked me, "Are you sure you had a miscarriage?" My dh and I just looked at her in horror. "Of course I'm sure; I've now been through 3 of them. I think I would know. Plus, I'm wearing a pad I'm bleeding so heavily and still have cramps. What do you mean?!" I was very upset she would ask such a cruel thing. "Well", she said, "It's just that you have a very happy baby in there doing cartwheels!" My dh and I immediately looked at the screen and, lo and behold, there she was, waving at us and jumping all around. We were terribly confused but ecstatic. The doctor explained that I must have been carrying two separate fetuses (not twins). The oldest one, the one still alive, was 10 weeks and still alive. He asked if I had noticed anything unusual about the time I got pregnant. I did remember that I had ovulated twice the month I got pregnant. The ovulations were two weeks apart. I always know when I ovulate because I have pretty bad pain in my side. I had told my dh at the time that it was really weird because that had never happened before. We felt maybe I just had a different kind of ache and dismissed it. Now the doctor was telling me that I probably got caught twice. The reason they hadn't picked up the other fetus was because it was only 8 weeks old. While a miracle, I was still very cautious and nervous. Since I was still pregnant, they couldn't do a D&C. Therefore I was still bleeding and cramping. My body was trying to void the remains of the 8-week fetus. What would that do to my viable baby? We didn't know. I went on with the bleeding and cramping for 3 more weeks; never knowing whether or not I would miscarry my other child. After three weeks, the bleeding and cramping stopped. I carried our precious miracle to term. She was born in November. The funny thing about all of this was that at 5 mos pregnant, not many people knew I was pregnant and at church one Sunday, a man came to us (one I didn't know) and said that my dh and I were carrying something very special between us, and whatever it was involved the five fold (teacher, apostle, prophet, evangelist, or pastor). We were stunned because we still hadn't shared much about the pregnancy because we were still nervous about things. Plus, this guy was a visitor from another state and didn't even know who I was. Now, our little dd was a very early starter. She took her first steps at 9 months and spoke in two or three word sentences extremely early. My dh joked that he was surrounded by chattering girls all the time. At the tender age of a year and a half, our little one came into my bedroom, over the mattress of my bed and asked me if she could invite Jesus into her heart. I panicked! My dh was out in the woods doing something, and I was a newbie Christian (only about 2 years old). I went blank and didn't know what to do, but she was so earnest and her big hazel eyes stared at mine, never waiving. So, I took a deep breath and asked her if she knew what that meant. Solemnly she said "yes". So I proceeded to help her in prayer. I don't share all this with you to confuse things, issue a guilt trip, or try to change your mind about any decision you might make. I only share it to tell you that miracles do, indeed, still happen. They are not huge miracles to the world, but they are colossal miracles to those whose lives they touch. I know that God has something wonderful in store for our dd. I know that He saved her in the early days of her conception. I know that He still orchestrates miracles, large and small, everyday.

I guess I feel like my walk with Christ isn't dependent upon an outward show of ritual as much as my private relationship with Him. It just seems to me that Christ wasn't very big on religious rituals, but more interested in the private, more intimate things like remembering him when we eat and drink, our personal, private prayer life, and walking like Him in our daily life and dealings with others. I felt as you do recently and in an effort to improve our family's spiritual life, I asked my dh to step-up as the spiritual head of our family and lead us. He did. We now have a special prayer time every day at noon, before lunch, where we go to our respective private places and pray for 7 minutes. We also do family Bible time each night after dinner. We usually use the Holy Bible app on my Kindle Fire HD which reads 2 chapters (audio) and then we discuss what was read. This also counts as the 2nd part of dd's Bible class. We also pray before meals and whenever a big decision has to be made. In the mornings, at the opening of our school day, we get together to say the pledges to the flag, Christian flag, and Bible. Then we go into my dh's office (he works from home) and we sing a worship song and pray. Afterwards, dd and I go into the living room and read a Bible passage followed by discussion. At night, before dd goes to bed, we get together to pray with her. We have also discussed possibly trying to fast (not dd) one meal a day once a week. Lastly, we try to reflect Christ privately and when out in public. Personally, I struggle with keeping my tongue when I'm annoyed by something, so I'm working on this and try to pray silently when dealing with someone who is annoying me. It's a real struggle and I fail -- alot; but I ask forgiveness and keep trying. We all have faults, but knowing they are sins and constantly striving to correct them is part of what makes us Christian. All of these are private rituals endorsed by Christ. He said we would stay close to Him by staying in his Word (which is His flesh), prayer and fasting. So that's what we are trying to do.

For what it's worth, I've been there. My first dh left me & then 9 YO dd for another woman. Well, actually, he told me we could stay married, but he'd just move in and live with the other girl (who was 19; he was 46 at the time and I was 35). I ended up kicking him out. Even with all that had happened, I felt so alone and overwhelmed: how would my job support my daughter and me; how would I pay the mortgage; how could I sell the house with him still on the mortgage. I panicked too, but I was also angry. I think my anger kept me from going over the edge. However, at night, in bed alone, I was bereft. I felt I would never find someone who would ever just love me for being me. I faced living alone for the rest of my days once my dd graduated. It was a terrifying thought. I didn't want to be alone. So, one night, (keep in mind this was 14 years ago and before I was a Christian) I just started praying to God. I asked Him to please send me someone who would love me for simply being me. Two weeks later I met my current dh on a blind date. My divorce wasn't finalized and we agreed that both of us just wanted someone to pal around with. You know, go to the movies, dinner, whatever. He actually went to my divorce hearing with me. On January 1st, we celebrated our 12th anniversary and just a couple months earlier, we celebrated our dd's 10th birthday. This man was an answer to prayer. We are soul mates. I now know what God means when He said that "two shall become one flesh". I never knew that this is what marriage was supposed to be like. It's so totally different -- a miracle. I thank God constantly for sending me the best man I could ever hope for. I don't know you, your situation, or who was right and who was wrong; that's none of my business. But I can tell you that your heart will mend. This pain is just for a season, and you will make it and move on. God is always there for us to lean on and I'm an example of the fact that He does answer prayer; just no always the way we want Him to. You never know, maybe....just maybe something better lies at the end of this period in your life. I will keep you in my prayers.

Northern ME, next to New Brunswick, Canada = -34 last night; -18 this morning. We're not going outside today!

I would seriously reconsider this move. No house is worth that toxic situation. Depending upon the influence these "family" members have on your dh, this could literally tear your family apart. Ask yourself, is it worth that? If you absolutely cannot give up the house (due to finances or dh) then stay away from them completely. If they want to know why -- tell them in plain English, "I won't have you poisoning my children or dh with your bias against something you know absolutely nothing about." You can be polite, but firm. This is going to hit you the hardest, and you need to put your armor on now! Your kids will be the rope in the tug-o-war and may become very confused. Talk with them now, and tell them what to expect. Explain to them why they may not be seeing much of the family. Talk with your dh now also. Stand firm in your convictions with him and reiterate all the specific reasons why you homeschool; what the positives are; the benefits you both see. In addition, tell him how hurt you are that his family is already, before the move, trying to run your family and dictate what is best for your children. They are assuming the role that is yours and his alone -- that is not acceptable, period. Can you tell I've had to deal with this before? You need to be a very strong person to overcome this. You can't let your guard down for a minute. Pray for wisdom, knowledge and grace to see you through.

Just added this book to my "Wishlist". I have a birthday coming up in February! Thanks for the recommendation!

Wow! I've been really missing my relationship with Jesus lately. It just seems as if we were falling into a pattern of ignoring Him lately. So I asked dh to please step-up as the spiritual head of our family and lead us back to Him. He immediately started us back on our 7 minutes of individual prayer, 7 days a week. At noon everyday (dh works from home) we stop what we're doing, and we all go to our chosen prayer places and pray silently for 7 minutes. We also do a Bible class in the evenings after dinner with dd. What a blessing this has been. During our prayer time, I felt God leading me to a more Bible-centered curriculum. I mean we already use MOH, Christian Kids Explore Science and Horizon's Math (all Christian curriculum), but I got the feeling He wanted us to use the Bible itself as the main curriculum. So I've been researching how to do that. I've checked out "Simply Living For Him" and read her short ebook. I will most definitely check out any sources mentioned in this thread. I got a Kindle Fire HD for Christmas. While researching apps to incorporate in our homeschool, I found a Bible app that will read whatever scripture I choose. I downloaded that and it was a blessing for us all to sit at the dining room table and listen to the Word while we followed along in our Bibles. All you have to do is read the news to see our world is becoming a sicker, more desperate place each and every day. We need to gird our kids in God's strength to enable them to stand firm. Thanks for this thread. I feel like it will come in handy!

We do Horizon's Math which is also a spiral program. My dd really likes it, but that wasn't always the case. Horizon's also has a lot of problems and it was taking forever to do them. I spoke to the certified teacher who annually evaluates our work. She loved our Math program and told us to never change it, but we could make it easier. She suggested doing only 1/2 the problems for each section as long as dd understood the concepts. For instance, if there are 8 multiplication problems, only have dd do 4 of them. If she gets one wrong - have her go back and do the other 4 and so on. If a new concept is being introduced, I have my dd do all the problems on that section to ensure she understands the new concept. Then I cut down the problems on the next pages for that concept as long as no mistakes were made while learning it. So if there are 60 various equations in a lesson, my dd ends up doing about 30. Now, for the past 2 years, Math doesn't take as long, there are no more tears, and dd actually enjoys doing it.

Wow! My dd loves Horizon Math. However, she needs the spiral method in Math, so it makes sense that she does well with it. That is the one thing we have never changed in her curriculum!

I tried this series for 1st Grade, and it was too simplistic for us. In fact, I had enrolled DD in CLASS and had to withdraw her. That's not to say it wouldn't be fine for someone else, we just like to dig deeper and get more meat out of a subject.

I tried the Weaver set for two years and I was always supplementing (extreme). It just wasn't enough for us. DD really likes to delve into a subject.

Although we don't endorse Santa at our house (only Christ), I love "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", and we watch it every year. Next are: The Nativity Story We watch this on Christmas Eve. (All Ages) A Christmas Carol (All Ages) It's a Wonderful Life (All Ages)

Thank you so much! I was able to purchase: Hidden Treasures of Glaston Story of Rolf & The Viking Bow Spring Tide Golden Hawks of Genghis Kahn Red Hugh, Prince of Donegal Mystery of the Periodic Table (for Chemistry next year) All of these for $5.70! You just made my day :hurray:

We do this using potatoes, carrots, beets, onions, and sausage. I can't see any reason you couldn't add sweet potatoes. For spices I put in garlic powder, thyme, salt, and pepper. It's a favorite dish in our family.

Have you tried History Revealed by Diana Waring through AIG? We're using Mystery of History 1 this year, but it's a little too choppy and brief for us. My dd likes to get into the meat of a subject and dig. (She's an upper-level reader as well) Can't really do this with MOH unless you want to extend each book into 2 years. So, I checked out History Revealed and bought it for next year. It's more of an upper level and spends 4 weeks on each unit: 1st week is reading about the subject (including picking out supplemental books to read throughout the month); 2nd week is researching a specific topic from the unit and writing about it; 3rd week is a hands-on/craft project related to the unit; and the 4th week is personal expression of the unit through drama, music, or art. I plan to incorporate this program with Famous Men. We chose the Romans, Reformers, Revolutions book with Famous Men of the Middle Ages. This will give my dd a month to delve deeply into each unit and yet follow a chronological history approach directly following what we are doing this year.