And FaceTime is even easier, in my opinion :) I think that asking might get you further. "I'd like to read to the kids each night, instead of just talk to them. Would that work for you?" Probably he was caught off guard and thought it a bit "sneaky" even though you didn't mean it that way. It's one of those things where technology when court orders were drawn up, leave us a bit behind :(

If you don't have google chrome, you'd have to look up google first and then put in in the search spot :) (I think :))

You should know.... to ask for an Educator's Discount... and you won't want to stop with your new computer. I love my MacBook Pro, smallest size screen, and I could hook it up to my great monitor, if I would remember to purchase the cord. I love to pop it in the case and take off with it. It's awesome!! :) I also like being able to print to my printer... (in the other room) I love the whole... scan the receipts.... potentially less paper. I love scanning back to my MacBook Pro from the Printer. I did an awesome slide show yesterday, from some screen shots that my friend sent me (of material I wanted.) The only problem is that I want an iPad and maybe and iPod, too!! :) Seriously, it's great!! I would suggest the warranty (Apple) and I love my laptop case from REI. It's nicer than the Apple ones, for less. :)

Oh my :( How sad.... hoping for the best!

Can I ask about the "parent discussion" part? One of the ladies in our co-op was commenting that with Sonlight, though not advised, you could pick up the parent portion and have "intelligent discussion" with your students. With MFW, it seems like there aren't really any "parent helps/crutches". Wondering if with TOG it feels like there are good "Cliff Notes" to go with the material. We're just perusing TOG, thinking about using it in our Co-op. Probably would be using TOG Year 4. :) Thanks for any comments... Hope it's not too much of a hijack :)

My son, 8, is going to be an Engineer :) (And if that doesn't turn out, I think he'll be a Math Teacher or Scientist :) BUT, we think he'll be an Engineer.. :)

Does anyone happen to know where they were? It's something I clicked on... had science clips and maybe some cartoons.... Now that I want to find it... I can't... Thanks :)

I'd join some group that has adopted kids :) I'd suggest a curriculum of cds (book and music) which he can listen to as he pleases. I'd do cookies, cooking/baking, (find some "comfort" foods for him) I'd do lots of play and have the 2 year or so plan ;)

When you commented the part about "who she's going with, where she's going, what she's doing..." I think this is normal. For here, it'd be I'd like to go to the movies (one theatre in town), run by the drugstore, and shop around.... She would also have a cell phone, so I could text her if I wanted to do so. I wouldn't expect her to go in anyone's house without letting me know... She can "go around town"... because my daughter has a cell phone, and she's trustworthy. My 13 year old needs to text me an "I'm ok" about every hr or so, if she's just walking around. I am careful to point out things like "make sure that your friends don't shoplift, you're responsible if they do, too" and things of this nature. I am WAY more worried about what friends may do, as I don't "know" them, than I am about any of my children :) We're fortunate.... our kids are pretty good :) I have to say that when my stepdaughters were younger, they didn't have the freedom that my daughter has had, to some extent. My older girls have paved the way, and also my daughter is pretty strong... and decently "street smart", too. It's so hard with kids!!! I would think in the next few weeks, they'd loosen up the reigns on your daughter, as her grades are good and they get to really know her. (And they are able to watch her around the city) Good Luck!! I'd love for my daughter to be able to be an exchange student someday!! :)

Mine, today, have been "Do Push Ups".... You've started arguing, and I'm gonna help you get out of the habit... today!!

At our co-op we do one chapter, each week of SOTW. We'll do the whole program over 6yrs. I think it'll work well for us. (We're only half way into our first year) We love listening to SOTW cds and do that over and over. We do a project each week, too. (Games, project, something :)) We also do a Science Chapter of God's Design for Science, and one of their projects. Sometimes we do two of Science, as we're trying to get through the whole series from 1st-6th grade, too. For the rest of the week, we do supportive type schooling. More history, More Science, Reading, Writing, Math and those type of things ;)

Do you have a baby store? Maybe look at the seat you want to purchase, and then do it local? When are you leaving? (how many days?) Amazon Prime might get it there, fine :) Here's the Britax spot to see exactly what you'd like. PS, I think for the trip, it's just really so much easier to get a good fit with all carseats, instead of digging for the seatbelt. Just a thought... (but I'm crazy like that, my 8.5 year old is still in his Britax...)

I'm so sorry :( Prayers for getting better!!

You can add it to salad dressings; I've seen that it's beneficial in more than one post. Also, you can buy Turmeric Organic... :)

Wow! I'm feeling like a spring chicken! ;) I'll be almost 50... (Oh, and if he does the AP classes and is taught by adjunct professors for some... he'll have 2 yrs of college and he'll graduate "potentially" by age 20..... I'll be almost 52!) Yay.... I'm trying to be excited about possibly having 20 good years to work...etc.... :)

Perhaps it's because of where they live? I live in a town of about 9000. If my kids do something wrong, I'll know about it before they get home. :) (hopefully!) There hasn't ever been a murder here, that I know of... Some small burglaries. I was walking with a friend in NYC when I was 19... (I lived in Jersey) BUT, if I lived in NYC, that doesn't mean my children at almost 15 or even 16/17 would have that same freedom. I suppose it's "What" you're scared of, and if it's reasonable. We are actually the strict ones out of my step-daughter's "two families" (She lives half in both houses) From the age of maybe 9 she could go wherever she wanted at her mom's... and just be home by dark or leave a note. With us, I still want her to "ask" and let us know where she is. I also am willing to extend myself more to "get" her places... but her mom is now willing for her to drive more.... It's different at both houses... with advantages for her at both homes. (And, is she fluent in the language? Can she ask for help, well, if she has problems?) If they aren't being as ok with her going around as you'd like, I'd ask what they are worried about. Perhaps there are real reasons for concern. OR, perhaps they would be open to being freer with her, if they realize the responsibility that you are ok with her having... :)

I love bacon, but won't eat it because it's "pork". I think it's just awful for you, from the nitrates... to the fact that it's.... pork :) I believe pigs were made to clean up the earth... and die of old age :)

When my friend from Japan lived her host family here, they had her as a part of their family... all the way. SO, if their kids did it, so did she. She was respectful of their family, and did some "common" chores. I think every once in a while they would leave their kids with her, but not too often. She did mention that the kids wouldn't listen to her. She even came back to live with them for a while after her formal exchange. If I were going to have a host child, I'd have to explain how our family works. Our kids are allowed almost complete freedom by 16, except that they need to ask if things will work out, and always let us know where they are. Often, that's just texting us.... "Is it ok if I run by and grab some soda and get my hair cut before I come home?" And of course, unless there's a good reason, that's fine. I would expect to split the chores that we have the kids do, so that may be unloading the dishwasher each morning and taking out the kitchen trash on the way out the door, or something like that. If it's an unofficial host thing, I would think you'd offer to pay a certain amount for your children to be there. I think usually there's a fee per month that the host family gets for food and such. I would think that concert tix, etc.... would be covered by your family. If money is comfortable for you, I would think you'd talk with the host family about what their eating out and entertainment habits are. Museum tix and such can be pretty expensive, and if your child was able to go to some cool things, I think it'd be worth some extra money. I would expect general politeness, and would tell my child to follow the pattern of the house. For us, we have no public transportation, and so we have to think about how we'll all get to where we need to be. By 16 or so, kids are almost adults, and should only need occasional direction, I would think. (At least that's my experience) I would expect for my kids to *ask*versus tell, but think that this is out of politeness versus me telling them no.... For our family, it's pretty much a rule that you can only spend the night with your same gender.... (like a group of girls is fine for my daughters) And, you can't spend the night without parents being present. (But, I wanna meet the parents, especially the Dad) I also ask about weapons in the house. I guess that usually if I'm saying "no" it's about giving more $$ or driving somewhere out of our town. :)

I have loved to put together our own co-op this year. I love the more "hands-on" part of us being able to do as we wish, and tweak it as we need to... We have had more problems with teachers/sickness; this is due to a few different issues. One, I've been more strict about staying home when you're sick. Two, I have more "teachers" that can call out sick. (Instead of just 5 tutors) We will do memory work for the next year, we're trying to do some of that now. If I hadn't directed a program, we'd use some of CC's materials and drop what we didn't like. Because I directed, I can't take CC's actual materials and use them. I know that starting and maintaining co-ops is hard, which is why it seems like we've had interest from pretty far away. Honestly, it'd be easier to drive and hour each way, than to put one together. I have to leave about 45 minutes before co-op starts, to get there, open it up...etc. At this point, it's my effort at providing a co-op with a bar that's decently high. We're only in year one, and we have a long way to go, but we're able to do it for a decent amount of $$$ per child plus parent involvement. (which a program like CC demands, anyway) We also go for 30 weeks a year... :)

Maybe tell them it's not "April" yet... no April Fools jokes, yet, for you!! Of course you love them!! Seriously, they just needed to get their "p*nties out of a bundle" :) Some people!!

I didn't personally do this, because I had directed, but I had a friend who did. I did make $$$ to direct, which was nice, but the effort of having people join and dealing with the "uppers" was exhausting. If I had thought to just do it unofficially, I would have. The instruction on actually "doing" the program is minimal. I always want to "keep $$$ local", too. I would have preferred not to give $$$ up.... (There are better Science experiments, you could tweak things you don't like... better Latin... etc.)

Why don't you just gather some friends and do an "unofficial" CC in your home or church? It's a book... and you could just use it to do your own co-op. This way you can sub in as you deem fit... and it really can be tailored to your liking. :) (This would mean you can keep your timeline cards, too :))

Something's wrong here... if someone's son talked inappropriately, I might be doing say.... coffee with the mom, but I wouldn't be getting my daughter together with him. :( bad choices... :(

Go organic so you're GMO free. Try (Gluten Free) Oat groats ground into flour for Crepes. They're incredible!! You can also use Oat flour for some types of bread. Seriously, although your budget can't go up, you probably don't want her to just suffer along. From what we've looked at, much of the problem is GMO food :( I was also just talking with someone about the NAET stuff. Interesting.... :)

But don't you think that as the *only* Jews in the WHOLE school, that they would face discrimination? And if they are so advanced, how would the school adequately educate them, anyway? I'm a bit confused, though. How would it be that they live by themselves? I don't understand how they'd keep kosher and have a Temple and such. :( (Also, they aren't citizens of Sweden, and yet they're subject to their educational system?)