Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis is a good book that explains quite a bit with well thought out reasoning.

I've seen videos of emotional support dogs for people with autism also. My concern is still that the people who truly need these dogs to function in public will be over run by people who just like to have their dogs with them. I guess I liken this to the Disney disability privilege that was changed because people abused the system. Our trip to Disney with our disabled son was so great because they had such a great procedure for people in wheelchairs. They had to change it because so many people abused the privilege. Now, we won't go back because it's so much more restrictive for us. Same thing with people just taking their dogs in public spaces because they want to. I feel like it's selfishness to abuse the privilege of dogs in public for those who really need it.

I sent my dd to what was considered a great charter school. She has loved the social aspect and is not influenced negatively. I have liked having her out of the house. I had to rework my identity a bit even though I still have one child still homeschooling. The academics stink. I guess my advice would be to ask detailed questions if you do value certain academic aspects. I realized I should have investigated the academic aspect better rather than just taking people’s recommendations. I could let go of a lot of things, but the basics are not being taught well at all. It’s a wash of a year and much of it is a repeat of what she has already learned. I am really disappointed in that I really wanted this to work for her. I am probably going back to homeschooling her again only for a better education. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I guess I wish store owners would make clear their animal policies. Clearly state in the outside door if animals are allowed or “service dogs onlyâ€. I don’t want the people who genuinely need them for those hidden disabilities like diabetes or seizure disorders being forced to carry and show service dog cards because so many people abused the system. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is what I was wondering especially with allergic people. I’ve seen dogs in their bags on the plane and no one is asking if the person in the next seat is allergic. A service dog here and there is different than what I’m seeing. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So far, I’ve just seen responsible dog owners. But like a pp mentioned, eventually we may get into the irresponsible dog owner realm. I guess I don’t want to be somewhere shopping indoors and have to watch for little unleashed “fluffy†nipping at my heals while the owner thinks they’re just being friendly. I realize about hidden disabilities, but that’s why they have special vests to announce the dogs as such. I was watching a comedian in a public place and had a large dog with the vest in front of me-a well behaved dog who was content to be under the chair. The ones in the strollers don’t seem to be that type of dog. Also, it boggles my mind as a mom why would you go to the extra trouble to bring dogs shopping with you when you don’t have to? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Lately, I have been seeing dogs a lot when I am doing errands. The are usually smaller dogs but I’ve seen them on leashes in target, in strollers, and in dog hand bags. These are not service dogs. They are “fur babiesâ€. One day I was shopping in JCPenney and there was a woman with a stroller and a cover over the stroller. I thought she was babysitting her grandchildren. Nope. I looked in the back mesh and there were two dogs in the stroller. It doesn’t bother me, but I’m wondering if store clerks are being put in awkward positions of having to tell people to leave the dogs home. I’m also wondering about people with allergies. Somehow, it doesn’t seem like a good trend. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Pumpkin butter? It's like apple butter but with pumpkins. You can freeze it in small containers. It's good on pancakes.

Same here - we have the every dollar app and both dh and I can add to it. As far as the "I'm tired" meals, I buy some easy frozen meals from Costco. They're still a little pricey, but not as much as our family would spend eating out.

I’m looking for 4th/5th grade. Are the video lessons too long? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Reviews? I’m looking into this for fifth grade. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So, I am starting to figure out what is happening with the math program. Basically what happens is that they try to teach the "why" behind the math. Usually, it's a mess and my dd comes home saying the whole class was confused. One day on the crazy high number skip counting - one day on big circles with tons of little circles, one day of weird long division - none of those concepts to be seen again - not one of them to be reviewed. THEN, they teach the way we all know and have been taught. DD came home and said, "They're teaching math the way you taught me now. Everyone in the class is really confused, but I wasn't". So, if I just teach dd the simple way, eventually all the confusion of them trying to teach the "why" goes away and they come around to the way I taught her in the first place. The same thing happened with multiplication two digit by two digit. The weird math never sticks and is never reviewed so I'm not going to bother trying to teach her better. Dumb.

Can I have a review of this? I'm looking at it next year for my 5th grade dd for a "do it yourself" history program. Also, how do you know what books go along with the online component? Thanks!

Make muffins replace 1/3 of the flour with coconut flour. It has a lot of extra fiber = filling.

Aaaccckkk!!! Dd just brought home another confusing worksheet...The whole class was confused so she didn’t have homework. I explained it backwards and she understood right away. I get what they are trying to do, but again—confusing...I simplified the whole thing and taught her what they were trying to teach but didn’t because it was so confusing with their method. I may as well homeschool her—I am essentially her math teacher. Sometimes I wish I could go in her classroom and just teach them all math. She’s not the only one who thinks she’s stupid in math. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I email DH Christmas and birthday ideas. He’s not good with hints either. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes!!! We have a small church but the majority are at least 10 or more years younger or 10 or more years older. I’m assuming that teens brim sports and sports have games in Sundays? Most people my age are choosing not to go to church because they’re tired of same old same old. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I do understand why they try to teach all the crazy things they do. I just think a lot of it is completely out of sequence. There are some concepts that if they waited to teach them would make a ton more sense. Also, if they want them to understand conceptually, they need to spend more time on it. For example, when they were teaching two digit by two digit multiplication, they had the students break the numbers into tens and ones and multiply each section. That was great teaching for understanding. They spent one day on it and that was it. No review problems -nothing. So, IMO, if they’re going to try to teach the “whyâ€, they need to actually try to solidify that teaching instead of zipping onto the next thing. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There are the conspiracy theory people who believe the elite are dumbing down education so that only the elite at fancy private schools control every aspect of America. Honestly, I’m having a harder and harder time not believing it. Here we have a whole generation of kids that either don’t know how to do math due to confusing teaching or if they are decent at it think they are “bad†at math. I don’t want to believe the conspiracy theory people. I really don’t— but what I am seeing at a school that is considered great really makes me question my reluctance. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have a dd who is easily distracted. So imagine she’s counting her little circles inside her big circle, gets distracted, and doesn’t remember where she is...then drawing all those little circles and finding she doesn’t have enough room in the big circle. Or, yes! Let’s skip count by threes until you get to 126. That makes sense! And then you have that kid who makes a mistake around #63 and the whole problem is wrong. And to find where they make the mistake is laborious. I am teaching her the correct way and really could care less what the teacher says. She wanted to know why I was teaching her differently so I had her do a problem my way and then their way. She was done much much faster and I was still counting my baby circles. She understood. She tries their weird ways at school and gets very one of them wrong and then comes home thinking she’s stupid at math. I teach her the correct way on homework and we practice every night. I refuse to have her handicapped in math thinking she’s stupid because the publisher doesn’t know how to teach math well. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have a homeschooling friend whose daughter was obsessed with ornithology also. Her parents let her run with it throughout middle and high school. She went to college no problem and I can't remember what her major was, but she works at a Raptor center in Minnesota and LOVES her job. Where else can your dd pursue an education that is geared toward her passions aside from homeschooling? She did a lot of volunteering with bird groups and joined a bird watchers groups - she did a lot of adult activities within her passion. Also, like a pp mentioned before, schools have to accommodate transfer students. I asked about Spanish instruction when my dd went to 4th grade public school this year. I thought she would be behind because all these kids take Spanish every year. Nope. She's doing just fine. If you go the public school direction, your dd will probably do just fine.

I guess I mean totally separated--One child complete subjects in the morning and one child complete subjectsin the afternoon. Not just switching back and forth from child to child during the day and no combining. I did the switching back and forth during the day and it stressed me out and apparently made my ds frustrated and feeling like I wasn't available to help him when he needed it.

If you do want IEW to work for you better, I would start with simple paragraphs using this resource: http://iew.com/shop/products/writing-source-packet. Keep doing simple paragraphs with the Key Word Outline/ write sequence until they become easy. Then move onto another unit - such as adding dress ups. Keep doing each unit over and over until it becomes easy. If you progress through the units this way, writing won't be as difficult. Sometimes, IEW progresses through the units fairly quickly - especially if the writer is struggling. Just do the same unit until it's like a well oiled machine. It also allows you to "back up" without him knowing you are.

Not only are they getting rid of textbooks in my dd's charter school, they are not providing the technology for children to bring home to access them. So, imagine a household with one computer and four children who need it to access their textbooks after school. It's a mess around here. And yes, we are trying to figure out other options.

I have taught two of my children Singapore math at home. Go Math is NOTHING like Singapore math. I sooo wish they had picked the real thing. Messed up indeed.