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4them

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Posts posted by 4them

  1. I think it must depend on the doctor/optometrist. I took my ds to an optometrist for years, thinking it was enough. He has extremely poor vision, especially in one eye. The optometrist had him patch for 6 months & gave up, & that was after she'd been seeing him for two years. By then he was 8 & she said the patching didn't help because he was too old. So why didn't she patch him at 6? I don't know. My fil suggested I take him to an ophthalmologist, & I did (one who had a special interest in pediatric ophthalmology). He found that my ds's prescription was off by a lot & a lot & also recommended patching again, @ age 10. So far ds has gained 2 lines of vision from the patching. I wouldn't go to an optometrist for any serious eye issues again, but I realize my personal experience has made me biased. I'd ask around & see who others recommend in your area...& pay special attention to those who have significant eye issues. Just my 2 cents... :)

  2. I think the tone would matter more than the actual term, IYKWIM. I've only ever heard the term "chocolate" used in a complimentary way in regards to race, but my experience is limited. I know the tv show Psych throws the term around regularly in reference to Gus, & it's always meant in a positive way.

  3. Like others have said, I don't think it's too young, necessarily...it depends. For myself, I have decided not to make that decision during pregnancy or in the first year or two after giving birth. I have definitely had moments or even extended periods of time when I felt "done" just because I was in a particularly difficult stage with the kids, but those have been temporary so far. I'm glad I have waited to decide because I always changed my mind! (BTW, I just had number six two weeks ago!)

  4. Ok, I'm looking at my Kindle now. This is how I found the top 100 free on the Kindle:

    (for newbies like me!)

    -From the home screen, hit menu & go to Shop in Kindle Store.

    -Next, click on Kindle Top Sellers. That takes you to the Kindle Top 100 Paid.

    -Now, if you look in the top right corner of the screen, you will find the Kindle Top 100 Free.:hurray:

    I've already downloaded 60+ free books between Amazon & Project Gutenberg!:drool5:

  5. Try this link. In order to see the top 100, you have to scroll down a bit and look on the right

     

    http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-eBooks/b/ref=sv_kinc_1?ie=UTF8&node=1286228011

     

    I'm on my Mac now...I see it! Thanks for your help. Now that I know where to look I should be able to find it when I'm on Amazon on my Kindle. It's taking me a while to figure out how to navigate this thing. I keep expecting it to work like an Apple product. I think it's going to be great once I figure out how to use it!:D

  6. Go to the Kindle store, click on Kindle ebooks on the tab across the top, then look on the right hand side of the page. There's a list of the top 100 paid. Just next to the top tab of that is one that says top 100 free. Click on that.

     

    There may be an easier way to get there, but this should work.

     

    I received a Kindle, too. I tried this but my Kindle storefront doesn't have any tabs at all, & nothing that indicates a top 100 free list...

     

    I wonder why?

  7. I don't give the dramatic ones an audience anymore. When they become unreasonable or overly emotional I calmly tell them to go to their bed until they are ready to stop crying/being angry/etc. When they can control their emotions they are welcome to come back & talk about what upset them & join the family again. This is what works here to diffuse the situation & self-control is slowly improving (yay!).

  8. Like, everyone is near perfect and they all have these near perfect children? Especially other homeschoolers? I've been feeling this way SO OFTEN lately. It can really over power me and make me feel terrible.

     

    I feel like *I'm* not good enough as a mother especially and that everyone else's children are so much...more than mine. I guess so much more cooperative, helpful, respectful, enthusiastic to do different activities, on and on and on.

     

    What's going ON with me? I mean, besides being almost 15 weeks pregnant and emotional. I feel...like I just don't measure up. Sigh...what is WRONG with me?

     

    I know I have often felt like you are feeling...the good thing about feelings is they change! Just a few weeks ago I was emotionally done trying to homeschool, but I knew I couldn't quit for various reasons. I started pressing closer to God & just giving it all over to Him. It's changed my outlook tremendously, & without that even being my conscious goal. I just wanted to get closer so I could make it through what I HAD to do, but God has been changing my perspective into one that is enjoying what I am doing here with my kids. BTW, I am pg, too (20 weeks), & I have 5 kids 11 & under. Seek God for His vision for your family & remember not to compare that to anyone else's family! I just realized that I can ask 20 people for answers to my problems & I may get 20 different answers that won't work for my situation...no one else has my unique family, with their personalities, gifts, & struggles. God is the only one who can really fully understand & give you wisdom & grace for your unique situation!

     

    A good read when I'm feeling that way is "Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe", by Todd Wilson. Hope you are on the upswing again soon! Don't underestimate the power of those pregnancy hormones! ;)

  9. I usually print out the reading assignments, writing assignment, literature worksheet(s), maps, and evaluations.

     

    I only do one unit at a time.

     

    Give your self a few weeks or even a unit to decide how you use TOG and then it will work better.

     

    I do print and give the kids their own copies of the reading assignments-that way they can keep track. You could have them check the computer each week and plan/note on an assignment sheet what they will do each day.

     

    Okay, thanks! I'm getting a better idea of how to work this out. I'm glad I'm only doing a unit at a time. It gives me room to adjust as we go.

  10. :iagree:

     

    This basically echoes Kristen. I print pages 4-9 (from each week) and have them page protected in a binder (3"). This gives me easy access to reading and writing assignments and the overview pages. Then print out what your students each need for the week. For me this is only the lit worksheet and some maps at this point. It will be more in your case.

     

    If you haven't checked out the infamous filing thread yet...... you might want to. I think that method is BRILLIANT for TOG users, but that's obviously just my opinion.

     

    Okay, newbie question...are the page numbers the same every week?

    Also, I haven't opened the filing thread, but I may brave it if it applies! I did read about keeping all the printouts in files for each week (I'm planning a unit at a time)...I like that idea, but I had to figure out what to print first, lol! :001_rolleyes:

    Thanks for the help...

  11. I'm a TOG newbie so take that into consideration. I don't feel like I'm in the TOG fog but I really shouldn't be giving out advice yet. ;) For my UG student, I print p. 4 of the Reading Assignments, UG Student Activity Pages, maps, evaluations, and any pages from Writing Aids needed to complete the writing assignments. I haven't gotten around to printing anything for me b/c I've just been using my laptop. But, I've been considering printing out the threads and the reading pages to put into my binder so that I can write on them.

     

    I'm open to hearing from anyone further on than me! Thanks...This sounds like a good starting point.

  12. You can print whatever you want....I bought DE+Print so I can have a print copy to mark up for myself. I haven't started using the curriculum yet but I printed out the Student Activity pages, maps we'll use, reading assignment pages, evaluations and some stuff off the loom that I want access to in my binder.

     

    For me, I didn' t get DE to get away from paper and binder (I find that impossible for me) but to qualify for future free updates and never having to buy something twice because it was updated.

     

    Okay, thanks. I guess I'm hoping to cut down on some of the volume of "stuff" we have to go through daily. I want to view as much as possible on the computer. You have good points in that last paragraph...that's worth it even if I do print most of it out.

     

    I would start by printing the reading assignments and overview pages. This is the crux of what you will be doing each week. I like to have the hard copies of these to refer to throughout the week.

    Secondly, I would print the pages that you want your kids to complete during the week, namely, the Student Activity pages, outline maps, etc. Only print the ones that your kids will need (for example, if you don't have a R student, don't print those SAP pages).

    In order to save paper and and binder space, I would not print the teacher's notes; just read them on the computer. Also, look over the writing assignments on the computer, but just write down what your student will do.

     

    Thanks! This is quite helpful...I feel like my brain has kinda shut down. I should be able to figure this out! I think it'll all fall into place as we begin to actually do TOG, but I just want to be as prepared as possible so I don't drop the ball.

  13. I just purchased TOG DE for the first time. I'm used to SL, with the binders & paper. I can print out the whole unit for half the cost of buying it, but what's the point of buying the DE if I end up working out of the big binder again? I want to make the most of the DE. How do I use this?! Specifically, what pages are essential to print, if any? Does it work to just write their assignments out on an assignment sheet? I want to be prepared when we start up again in a few weeks. Please help me avoid the TOG FOG!! TIA!

    :confused1:

  14. That is great! It wouldn't work so well for someone like me, who lives where there's a short growing season, but it's inspiring to think of how much is actually possible on an average size lot. I started a small veggie garden this summer & I love going out & "picking" a fresh salad!

  15. This is interesting. I wonder now if there is a correlation between state regulation of homeschooling and allowing them to participate in extracurriculars. Here, I think the kids are generally not allowed to participate, but we also have no oversight. I wonder.

     

    Where I live we have no interaction or oversight with the state or public school system at all, but we still have access to any class or extra-curricular that is offered at the schools.

  16. I refuse to begin a new school year unless I am completely ready. I haven't even set a date yet. I will know when I can give myself the green light. :001_smile:Clean and organize your house, pamper yourself with a trip shopping or for a quiet meal or an ice cream cone in the park. Gather your school goodies and make sure your organizational plan is within sight. Make a *to do* list and cross things off as you finish them. Do not start until you can take a nice deep breath and feel ready.

     

    I love this idea & I am stealing it! Last year we started without being ready & I felt behind & stressed out all year.

     

    As for the OP, whenever I fantasize about putting the dc in school, my dh very wisely points out that I will just be trading one set of issues for a different set. I think that sometimes when you've hs'd from the beginning you get "the-grass-is-greener" syndrome because you haven't experienced the real problems that often come with parenting with the public school. Some of my kids would do fine in school, but some of them would be eaten alive! They can all do well at home, so that's where we'll stay.

  17. I have been looking at the end of Y1 for TOG just this evening, and wondering if it'll be too much to read the very books you were mentioning (Peace & Peril, and Trial and Triumph). I am also looking at MOH II and at SL Core 2. Believe it or not, I have all of these resources available to me and I am pondering which to use. I have always skipped over this part of history, and now I am remembering why. I will have a 10 1/2 ds and an almost 9 dd when we begin.

     

    I had put TOG on the back burner for awhile while we did our BJU Heritage Studies DVD's. But now as I look at Heritage Studies Level 5, I really am not interested. We have already covered this part of American History with WP.

     

    Decisions, decisions! I do like SL, but I think TOG is better for us as long as I remember that it is a buffet!

     

    Brenda

     

    That seems to be the key, as M&M shared upthread!

  18. Count me as another one who has enjoyed our SL years, but is ready to give TOG a try - we actually just finished our second "full" week(geography and hands-on need a little more attention, but we'll get there:)). SL was a great fit for dd, and I plan to continue to incorporate many of their books into TOG. But I coudn't see doing 2 or more Cores past Core 3/K and I could see I would have to tweak quite a bit later on. I actually went ahead and bought SL 3 and will use many of the books and save some, like The Witch of Blackbird Pond, for our next history go around (I wanted that Heirloom membership:D). It has been quite easy (so far) to incorporate the SL books - though I imagine that it might not work so well in later levels. I may neet an SL "book basket" for extra reading then. But I am enjoying the flexiblity of TOG. Dd is doing a combo of LG and UG, and I'm just doing 1 or 2 history related read-alouds each week with ds5 at this point. It was neat to hear dd and ds discussing Pocahontas today of their own accord - they had read/listened to different books about her, but still had learned the same basic things. :) That probably would not have happened if they were studying two different times in history. So all this to say that I think it is quite possible to use the TOG plan and still enjoy many of the wonderful SL books. :)

     

    A previous poster mentioned that Paula's Archives has or links to a list that puts SL books into a four year history cycle. I will definitely be taking advantage of that! I have all the SL history books from Cores K-4, and I'm glad that someone went to all the effort to do that because it will make it so much easier to incorporate those books. We are using the book basket idea as well...I have 2 LG & 1 D, but I plan on getting as many of the UG books from the library as I can as well.

     

    Here is the link to the Home's Cool blog where you can find the list; I found it via this page at Paula's Archives (in the links at the bottom of the page).

     

    Sadly I do not have Heirloom status...I bought a few of my cores through a local mom. They were half the price and like new because she only had one child & they took great care of the books!

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