Videotape lessons. All of the parents on dd's studio videotape. But, you have to sit down with dd at the piano and stop the video and rewind until she does it like the video. I am thinking this is what the teacher wants from you. It's not fun, but it will get her playing to the level her teacher wants. Music is hard...the amount of work required for higher level music is quite a shock. It is mentally, physically and emotionally taxing on everyone involved. I hope that you all find a balance and learn to persevere through these tough times. :(

This is the norm for dd's teacher's studio. The kids have 3 major pieces they work on, and will play them for the entire school year. They have a few minor pieces they play, some etude books, orchestra music, but their major pieces will be played to perfection for the entire school year and not performed until May/June. Then, the following year, they are allowed to bring them to competitions. These pieces will be perfect before they are performed in public. And, as expected, dd's teacher's students win all of the competitions. But that is the goal for many of his students... My dd's previous teacher did NOT require this level of perfection from her students. Question for you...where are the majority of the teacher's students from? We are the only Americans in dd's teacher's studio. The expectations have been quite the culture shock for us.

No. My close friend lost her 3 year old to drowning in their backyard pool. The alarm system faulted and she didn't hear him go in the backyard. I cannot express to you how horribly tragic that experience was for her and for myself. I am still suffering from the trauma of that experience...we all are. Her son was the same age as my dd, and they were playmates. The pain and suffering of losing a child to drowning is a pain and heartache I would not wish on anyone. I'm actually having a difficult time typing this (tearing up), but felt it was necessary to post to your thread. And the repercussions are lifelong...they never end. It just takes a minute. Little children are quick and quiet. There are not enough safeguards against drowning. And, there is no perfect house. You can find another place that is even better, I promise. Listen to your husband and skip that house. It's not worth it.

My husband Konmari'd the hat I knitted him!!! I, too, took it back and will happily wear it this winter. Poo on husbands Konmari-ing homemade gifts! (I love how Konmari can be a noun or a verb!)

My husband Konmari'd the hat I knitted him!!! I, too, took it back and will happily wear it this winter. Poo on husbands Konmari-ing homemade gifts! (I love how Konmari can be a noun or a verb!)

I went to the trash and got the project fair boards. When my kids got up, I hugged them and told them I was sorry. (Perhaps I have PMS. I think I'm just a little too emotional about these project boards.) I have put myself of a KonMari Method hiatus until I read the book. I kind of got on a roll and was about to throw away everything except for a plate and fork for everyone in the household. :) On a lighter note, this whole purging thing has made me rethink what makes a home. I feel like my home is missing some elements of living, for lack of a better word. I'm planning to knit a throw for the sofa, and perhaps sew a few pillows. I'm ordering a few more family photos to put on the walls. I would like for my kids to take an art class this fall and want to put some of their artwork on the walls. I see this as a major benefit of this method. Decluttering has given me an opportunity to create a vision for what I would like my home to be like. Has anyone read The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaffer? I think I will revisit that book after reading KonMari.

I haven't read the book yet. I keep waffling about purchasing it. I think I will try to get it from the library after reading some of the Amazon reviews ("My Socks are in Heaven", that was funny). Do you all think the book is one you will revisit in a few years? Something you will keep as a reference? Does the book bring you joy? :) I decided to start purging since this thread surfaced, and the purging has been great...until tonight. I decided to get rid of 5 Science Fair projects. I took photos of them, removed any photos that were on the tri-panels, then took them to the trash. I cried the whole way to the trash can. I didn't want to get rid of those projects. My kids worked really hard on them and they will be devastated that I got rid of them. But we haven't looked at them since project fair, and they were just collecting dust and cluttering our school room. They needed to go. We will have the photos and memories. I still want to cry, though. What do you do when tidying doesn't bring you joy anymore??? I'm sad.

We just saw her in concert...what a performance!! My dd watches her on youtube when she is done practicing for the day. She has declared that she wants to be Janine when she grows up! I have to remind her when she is practicing to tone down the hair flying and facial expressions...she's not Janine just yet. :) Not sure if I'm allowed to link youtube videos here, but watch her perform Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor. It's breathtaking.

Can someone explain to me how this bill will be enforced? Let's say 50 families in Malibu decide they will not fully vaccinate regardless of the legislation, are their children not allowed in school? If so, are they considered truant if the parents just keep them home? This is a sincere question and is not posted to start any sort of fear mongering. I know the Vaccine Gestapo won't come through their children's windows and jab them in the middle of the night. I honestly would like to know how this bill will be enforced.

So, if a partially vaccinated homeschool child would like to take a science class at a B&M private school that offers a la carte classes, or the child would like to enroll in a class at a community college, is this allowed? I'm really confused by this bill... All I can think about is all of the Waldorf schools that will be closing down in the next few years...poor Waldorf schools. (p.s. I appreciate how this thread has not turned into a debate. Let's hope it stays that way!!)

Praying for peace and comfort for your family.

I plan to do the same thing as well. I also think I will combine mine for history, science/nature study, Spanish, etc.. I have always thought that I could possibly do AO if I had two children, so I'm going to pick and choose and combine the first two and the next two so I essentially have 'two students' in Ambleside. When they are a lot more independent, I will give them more of the AO books for their level to read on their own. DS in AO3 will do AO1 history and science with his sister this year. I don't think he will care at all. I feel like I'm always tweaking....goes with the territory, huh? :) Thanks for the response!

Resurrecting an old thread... Vaquitita, if you have a moment, would you mind updating on what you decided to go with? I know several moms (including myself) who are trying to juggle the early AO years, and it's been too much. Did you find something that worked for you? Thanks. :)

Is the person who sent this card in old age? From my experience, elderly Christians think everyone is Christian and just reference God in all of their conversations. Does this person know you are agnostic? Have you ever had a conversation with them about your beliefs? If so, I think they were inappropriate. If not, that could explain things a little. Maybe they think you are somewhere in the middle and this situation could sway you in one direction? (Not that that is appropriate.) Try not to read too much into it. Take care of yourself during this difficult time.

Incognito, maybe my experience with my dd and her teacher can help you a little... My violinist dd7 has been with her current teacher for about 7 - 8 months. DH and I are very pleased with him and with what he has taught our daughter thus far. While searching for a teacher, we wanted someone who could take her to an advanced level so we wouldn't need to switch teachers after we "outgrew" one. Switching can be difficult, so consistency was very important to us. We asked the names of teachers of students who were playing at a high level. The concertmasters of the youth orchestras were all taking from the same teacher (my dd's teacher), so he was on our list of people to interview. We wanted someone who was performing regularly. Dd always attends her teacher's recitals and learns much about preparing for performances. What really sets my dd's teacher apart from other teachers is his emphasis on theory. I would ask the parents of the students in a teacher's studio, "What exactly is the teacher teaching during lessons?" If they say there is a huge emphasis on theory, that, in my opinion, is very good. That means they are teaching music, not just pieces of music. All music is theory, so a firm understanding of how the notes are put together, how they relate, how they evoke a certain feeling or emotion, is paramount. At my dd's last lesson, she played 4 (yes, 4) chords in 45 minutes. (She was OK with this, BTW. It's not the norm, but it does happen.) How did those chords relate? Where are they going? How will they resolve? How do you get them perfectly in tune on the violin? For the piano, all of the notes on the page should have a relationship and the student should know why they are there. This is a very time consuming and difficult task for both the teacher and student, but it is worth it. Next should be technique, or the mechanics of the instrument. How to make the clearest, fullest tone, how to bring out the melody, etc. The rest, the musicality, the art of music, comes naturally when a child is confident in their knowledge of the "hows" and "whys" and the mechanics of the instrument. If you have a teacher talking fluff ("make this part bouncy", "go really fast here"), then your child could possibly be missing out on the reason for lessons in the first place: to learn how music is made, and how to make it their own. Without solid theory and technique, the child will be at a disadvantage. Last, chemistry between the child and teacher is very important. That may take some time to develop, however. My dd loves her teacher and thinks the world of him (he has his own Wikipedia page, so she thinks he's famous, LOL!). Her teacher, in turn, loves her dearly, and teaches her with much passion, patience and kindness. Hope that helps a little!

It sounds like you have a stellar teacher. When you have a teacher that good, just listen to her, trust her expertise, and do what she says (sorry, I'm a little old school!!). She will not be correct with everything (no one is), but it sounds like she knows where to take your daughter with piano. I would trust her and wholeheartedly hand the reigns over to her. Be an excellent parent and take notes, video tape lessons, be an encouraging practice partner and buy whatever recordings or music your teacher would like for your daughter to have. If there are any questions, ask the teacher...don't be afraid to ask. But don't worry about using a method book. I teach my son from John Thompson and there are plenty of holes in those method books, too...and I love JT! :) Good teachers are very hard to come by. Follow her lead. It sounds like you are in good hands. Best of luck!! :)

Thank you for the replies. Ds's instructor not only wants him to play games on chess.com, but also wants him to analyze end games on different websites. He also wants him to play games on chessgames.com. This seems a little much to me...am I wrong? I don't want to tell the man how to teach chess. Is it inappropriate to ask him to stick with books? Or, is technology needed to be good at the game these days? I don't know...help. :) Arcadia, ds still has quite a bit of competition at the city chess club, so he's getting plenty of practice. There are other chess clubs we can take him to in addition to his weekly club. And there are tournaments in our area every weekend. He's has plenty of opportunities to play. Do I really need chess.com in addition to this?

My ds 9 is taking chess lessons from a Life Master. He has quoted in my son's homework this week, "Using computer software to prepare will become very important in a few months if you want to be a 'very' strong chess player in tournaments." My son's instructor knows that our family is media free, and we do not let the kids use the computer except for Spanish lessons on Skype. Is it necessary for him to play on chess.com to get better? We go to a city wide chess club for K-12 graders once a week, and ds plays several games with dh nightly. How did our instructor become a Life Master without the use of a computer? What about Bobby Fischer? Will ds really be at a disadvantage if he just reads books and plays with other people? He doesn't need to be a Grand Master by 12. We just want him to steadily improve. Would it be inappropriate for us to kindly ask him to use books during lessons? We like his instructor. We're not particularly fond of his push for technology, though. It's almost as if his instructor is trying to teach him how to navigate certain chess websites to find answers. He doesn't do this for the majority of his time with ds, but he pulls out his phone or lap top at almost every lesson these days. I know nothing about chess, so please let me know if this is asking too much. Dh doesn't know what to think. Thank you. :)

Yes, there are Christians (and other faiths who believe in a sovereign God) who probably have this viewpoint. There are others, however, who see the tragedy of the plane crash in the Alps as an example of sin in our world and a need for a Savior for his fallen people. I'm wondering if there are people actively seeking out God from this tragedy? I'm wondering if people who weren't aware of a loved ones struggle are now trying to be of support and care for them? Maybe some churches are now pursuing plans to reach out to others that are suffering from depression? What good will come from this evil? If I were to say that God is non-existent in this situation because no one survived, I would have to say I have limited knowledge of God's power with my narrow thinking. And if someone had survived, I wouldn't discount the deaths of the others, either. I don't hear "religious silence" at all right now...quite the opposite. (I am not trying to start a debate. I simply want to share another point of view.)

OP, what a difficult place to be in. I'm sending hugs your way. If you do choose to visit the Catholic group, I pray that they are welcoming of you and where you are regarding your beliefs. My husband attended church with me for over a year as a devout atheist. He was there for the social aspect, and everyone was very welcoming of him and where he was regarding his beliefs. They never tip toed around any issues, and that was hard for him at times. But they were very respectful and welcoming. I remember this journey and how difficult it was to find my place. I'm an atheist turned Christian now, and am at peace with how difficult that journey that was for me. Whether through a gardening club or with the Catholic homeschool group, I really hope you find a community somewhere soon. Hugs to you.

Gil, those were hilarious! Here's mine: "DO NOT put the chicken down the twisty tunnel slide! Chickens DO NOT like to slide, especially down tunnel slides!" (poor chicken)

Thank you for the clarification! :) (Funny how we can misinterpret someone's post so easily.)

Oh no...what's wrong with Sonlight? (I hope I didn't open a can of worms!)

I just ordered 1 and had them check the warehouse to make sure it's the one I wanted. Even though the picture comes up as the new CC version, their warehouse still has the old one in stock. OP, thanks for this thread!

Apparently, I do. I meant to write, "Who needs sleep?" (Just 15 more minutes and I'll go to bed!)