Does anyone else have a child who is so into birds that he/she has requested studying ornithology for science? If so, what did you use? We've been following a four year science cycle, and I figured we would move on to physics next year (she'll be in 4th grade), but then she said she wanted to learn what ornithologists learn. After listening, I thought why not? There are so many science options out there, so why limit ourselves? I think I will sneak in some physics, anyway, by studying birds and flight. I did an online search for resources and saw that Cornell has a section for ornithology and kids, but I'm also open to hearing from anyone else who has covered this subject with their child. I'd love to hear about resources you used, activities completed, etc. We have lots of bird guides (print and app), and our backyard is a certified wildlife habitat, so we have plenty of specimens frequenting our yard. We're also not opposed to venturing out to natural areas for more variation. Thanks in advance to anyone able to share ideas, resources, or information with us.

70s, storming off and on

Here's the latest from HSBC: It's official! Digital Theatre Plus will make a debut at the Co-op! With this unique London-based Fine Arts program, your students can experience the thrill of live theater brought directly into your homeschool classroom using online access. The program has titles for all age groups: elementary through college. It also includes access to study guides with features such as story introductions, characters, relationship maps, plot summaries, context, playwrights, and much more! With productions like "Much Ado About Nothing", "King Lear", "Macbeth", "A Doll’s House", and more, this program costs over $500, but the Co-op is discussing a subscription for our members that will include all titles and features for as low as $75. If you would like to be reminded when this GroupBuy launches, click here. For those of you hearing about this for the first time, we had a discussion about putting together a group buy ourselves, but thankfully HSBC agreed to do the work for us. You can check out the program here: http://www.digitaltheatreplus.com/

1) vintage revereware tea kettle 2) Forlife Q teapot 3) cast iron pans 4) Pampered Chef stash (I like and use everything I have from PC) 5) toaster oven

I would choose the clock because it makes me think of time, schedules, and to do lists just melting away - a thought I love for a bedroom. Just snuggle up, doze, and let time and daily demands disappear . . .

We like Lang's fairy tales, too.

Thinking of you, Bill, and hoping you're still seeing signs that allow you to feel "cautiously optimistic". I hope you can soon drop the "cautiously" part.

Thanks so much for your feedback, Brittney. My daughter already wants a family cow to milk, so I'm sure she would love A Pioneer Sampler! : )

to present day. Dd will be in 4th on paper but can handle above grade level content and challenging writing. She also still enjoys beautifully written and illustrated picture books. So, I'm open to quite a range. Please help me plan next year by sharing your favorites! Yes, I've looked at several booklists from various providers; I'm interested in hearing what you and your children have truly enjoyed. Thanks!

Oops! My thread shows up twice! Sorry!!!!

When dh and I were dating, his parents frequently had family only nights/events. I loathed those times back then, but now I see why they did it and think it's not a terrible idea. We started dating our senior year, and if I recall correctly, family time was in place until we left for college. After that, they welcomed me at all times and for all holidays. Even with the family time plan in place, dh and I still really did spend more than enough time together. I could see dh and I making a similar decision for our family when the time comes.

Thanks for the update.

Did anyone else see the completely naked guy get put into the back of a squad car last night? This was shown on CNN and CBS at about 2am CST. I thought "naked guy" was a suspect, but he was very much alive when put in the car. If one suspect is dead and the other is on the run, who is "naked guy"?

We love Duolingo! Dd9 uses it for French.

So very sad for you. I know just how hard this is. Thinking of you . . .

We use small fans for white noise in all of the bedrooms. Upside is they mask other noises. Downside is we can't sleep w/o them now.

Thank you all for the suggestions and for sharing your own experiences. This helps a lot. You people are better than a search engine! : ) I will follow up with the vision processing possibilities and see where that leads. Thanks again very much!

Thank you very much for sharing this.

Hmmm . . . that would be interesting. I'll have to check. Thanks!

I mention dysgraphia as a possible concern in item #2. Do you have experience with dysgraphia? If so, do these symptoms sound familiar? Thanks!

DD9 has always struggled with the physical aspect of writing. Anything she has to write is a slow going process. She has recently articulated feeling sick to her stomach, dizzy, and getting a headache when she has to write something. It doesn't happen when she types. There are a few things that come to my mind: 1) She has SPD. She did lots of therapy when she was younger and is somewhat better but still has trouble in certain situations. 2) Unrelated testing (we tested for other reasons - not because of these symptoms) points to possible dysgraphia; we haven't explored further because of costs - insurance will not cover 3) She has substantial vision issues, but she is current on examination and prescription. Unfortunately, she had not mentioned these symptoms before her latest exam, though, or I would have mentioned it there. Has anyone else's child expressed anything like this? Any clues as to which of the above three issues (or something else altogether) might be causing her discomfort? I have googled and have come up with nothing. I've never heard of anything like this. Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer some insight. ETA: This might come into play, too. For awhile we suspected possible dyslexia. She was a late reader, and her spelling is certainly lacking. I have noticed lately that she struggles less with spelling when she types, though. She still has quite a bit of letter/number reversal when she writes. When her reading suddenly took off, we dropped the thought of dyslexia, but I wonder if maybe we discounted that possibility too soon? Does anyone have a dyslexic child who expresses these same physical discomforts when writing?

I'm obsessed but paralyzed. I absolutely cannot make a decision. Dd will be in 4th. In the past I've combined about three different programs per year. With the increased workload of each grade level, I know now that I cannot do that to either of us any longer. Which means a decision must be made, and I'm paralyzed by the fear that I'll choose The Wrong One. : (

Thanks, Karen. I still like $55 better, but $75 is much better than full price!

Since dd pretends to be a unicorn, I'm going with "I like unicorns!".

I agree. I've emailed Paige a few times with random questions over the past three years, and she has always been quick to reply and very helpful in her responses.