I got 95% Ralph Nader, 87% Obama... my lowest was 22% McCain. Doesn't surprise me. But although I agree with him on lots of things, I don't really like Ralph Nader on a personality basis. I'll stick with Obama.

This is sort of what we do. My ds6 is really into Chemistry right now. We're still doing Earth Science this year, but I bought him RS4K Chemistry (and a bunch of other books) and he's reading it himself. School doesnt' take all day anyhow, and he has plenty of time to follow up his interests.

We're using the Earth Science right now... it does seem to include all the Earth Science mini subjects BUT some of the chapters are slightly shorter than they are in the other books. I'm not sure if there are missing pictures or activities or if pagination is simply different. I did compare chapter titles to mini-book titles and they were the same or very similar. We like the activies and the questions/review tests. We've really like it thus far!

Yeah, I'm a Target shopper too... I do occasionally go to Walmart, but I have to be pretty desperate and have no other alternatives. Costco also is a cheap store that has great a ethical/worker's rights record.

Fly Lady was too much for me to digest (all those reminders, or making my own schedule)... I loved the idea, always failed at implementation. But Motivated Moms is really working for us. Since our move especially, my house is CLEAN. Except for the two rooms that are still full of boxes. I can never remember when anything has to be done, so the checklist system is perfect for me (and dh, who is even worse about knowing when things need to be cleaned). That combined with Chore Wars to motivate our ds's to help, and we are off and running, after years as terrible messies! http://www.motivatedmoms.com/ http://www.chorewars.com/

Two more weeks... one way or another, I'll have a new avatar. ;) I answered with "Riddler". It reminded me too much of Lego Batman... my latest video game addiction. Dh already finished it, the fiend.

Then: smart girl agnostic geek lonely Now: friended geek Christian woman smarter ;)

Thanks! That is helpful... sounds like 1 page is plenty, and we'll keep on keepin' on. I think I just looked at the length of the book, and see all those days ahead, one page at a time. He is definately improving noticably as time passes.

Chore Wars---ds6 made his bed and finished cleaning his room. We just started Chore Wars this week, and it's a huge hit with my gamer-type kids (and dh!). http://www.chorewars.com/

We're on page 50 with my ds4. He's doing fine--still "sounding out" words but gets them correct. He only likes to do 1 page a day--which feels kind of slow to me. Ds4 likes to write and draw, so we also do HWT, sometimes ETC and Singapore K. I'm happy to move at his pace, but I was just wondering: If you did/do use PP with a new or younger reader, how fast are you going?

My dh has a One Touch Ultra Smart... it records time and glucose levels and charts it all for you. It uses the same One Touch type strips and lancets. Dh has been very happy with it after having tried a few different types.

Spiro Agnew for me (and my dh) as well...

and posted here before. I don't know the author, but it originally appeared in Homiletics magazine (a preaching magazine for pastors). Just Say Boo! Let's follow our ancestors in the early church: Rather than major in minors, bring biblical relevance and metamorphic approaches to non-Christian observances like Halloween. A new crusade is now being waged in some Christian circles against Halloween. For some Christians, Halloween has come to embody all that is wrong with our culture, our schools, our children, even ourselves. A creeping and creepy secular humanism, these Christians believe, has found its holiday home in Halloween, which supposedly celebrates the existence of witches, goblins, devils, vampires and ghosts. Not wanting to promote the presence of evil, some genuinely frightened Christian parents are actually pulling their children out of public schools with Halloween as their prime reason. Instead of fearing drugs or violence or a generally poor education for their children, these parents cite the prevalence of Halloween parties and spooky stories as evidence that while Christianity is expressly excluded from the classroom, Satanism is actively welcomed. The truth is hardly that dramatic. In fact, the truth is that Christianity itself "took over" Halloween, then called the "festival of Samhain," from the Druids about 1600 years ago. The Celts celebrated the beginning of their new year, November 1, by offering a variety of bonfires, animal and vegetable sacrifices, and well-wishing prayers to those that had died throughout the previous year. They believed that the souls of these departed friends and family members spent New Year's Eve being judged as to what form they should take for the next year (good souls entered other human bodies at birth, they believed; bad souls entered animal bodies). On November 1, New Year's Day, they traveled to their new abodes. Christian missionaries quickly took over this pagan celebration, transforming it into "All Saints' Day" or "All Hallows' Day," a holy day to commemorate the lives of all the saints of the church who have no special calendar day of their own, and to recognize the individual Christians within every congregation who have joined the Church Eternal in the last year. But it is hard to keep a good pagan down. And the Celtic celebration, its meaning and symbols newly enriched by layers of Christian theology, simply shifted the time this soul's rite of passage took place. The events that used to transpire on New Year's Day (November 1) now occurred on New Year's/All Hallows' Eve, October 31. All of Halloween's truly strange traditions -- disguising ourselves in costumes, welcoming strangers at our doors with "treats," keeping special jack-o'-lantern vigil lights -- stem from this ancient need for humans to both recognize and greet the certainty of death, yet find a way to somehow keep its powers at bay. Indeed the "underground" nature that the Christian presence necessarily imposed on the old Celtic celebration undoubtedly heightened its power and its appeal. There is in psychology "the rule of paradoxical effect." What this means is that if any point is stressed strongly enough, those listening or reading will develop an opposite attitude. For example, if I tell you that whatever happens, you are not to think of a whale in the next 10 minutes, what is the one thing that will haunt your mind for the next 10 minutes? Or in its classic formulation, tell your child who is eating beans not to stick a bean in his ear when you leave the room. The rule of paradoxical effect is exactly what those who now rail and flail against the "evilness" of Halloween may expect to see enacted. In fact, one might say the conservative crusade against Halloween is exactly what the Devil wants. Just as the early church failed to stamp out Samhain among pagan Celts, this new attack on Halloween by Christians can only succeed in making All Hallows' Eve all the more "devilish." By calling for its ban, one makes it stronger. The Pharisees in today's gospel text (Matthew 23:1-12) were also out to impose their version of what a pious person should believe and how they should behave. Jesus saw right through their prayerful posturing and fringed fakery, recognizing the Pharisees' demand that everyone should behave as they, the Pharisees, deemed fit as both hypocrisy and a dangerous invitation for the seeds of paradoxical effect to take root and flourish. Jesus urged his listeners to demonstrate their distinctiveness, their faithfulness, not through pretend-piety but through attitudes of true humility, acceptance and equality. One specific suggestion published by some groups battling the perceived satanic influence in Halloween calls for parents to band together, march into their child's public school a few days before Halloween, and dramatically tear down all the construction paper witches, ghosts and goblins adorning the halls and walls. Jack-o'-lanterns are to be smashed, orange and black streamers pulled down, and all is to be ceremoniously dumped in the principal's office with the declaration that the religion of satanism has no place in a public school curriculum. Are you willing to bet what percentage of those parents have the privilege of getting their windows soaped, lawns trashed, or something worse, come Halloween night? Halloween has always been the attempt to understand and to some degree exert control over the awesome power of death that arbitrates and permeates our fragile, mortal lives. Halloween traditions and symbols, silly as they are, continue to touch us even as we approach the 21st century because death is a constant, unchanging reality. Banning Halloween cannot banish death. But, Christians can face the truth of Halloween night with the knowledge that death is NOT the end. The real power of death, straightforwardly acknowledged on All Hallows' Eve, is shown to be truly broken by the celebration of All Saints' Day. Death does not plunge the Christian into separation and darkness. It ushers believers into the greater communion, the Church Eternal. In the face of all the specters of death conjured up on Halloween night by human fear and guilt, Christians should rejoice in their freedom to "Just Say BOO!" As members of Christ's eternal body, we need not fear any of the creatures of darkness the human mind has created to help it comprehend death or contend with its presence. In many churches, it is tradition that on All Saints' Day a list of those who have died in the past year is read to the congregation. In those moments, the congregation may feel a sense of loss or diminished resources. But the biblical faith teaches that the church's numbers and strength are swelling and growing stronger. As each name is called out, the "cloud of witnesses" grows thicker and more substantial, until the church grows misty and mighty with the presence of so many brother and sister saints. The ancient Celtic Festival of Samhain supposedly included a tradition that still speaks clearly about the power a cloud of witnesses may project into our lives. According to legend, as each family came to the communal bonfire on the Eve of Samhain, they brought with them the final coal from each of their own hearths. Combining these coals they would start a huge, warming watch-fire. At the conclusion of the night, after spending the evening telling stories about the ones who had passed away during the previous year, the participants would allow the bonfire to slowly die down. Finally, all that would be left were a few glowing coals. Each family would gather one of these embers and carefully nurture its warmth until they once again reached their home hearth. There, that single coal from the community bonfire would be used to restart the family peat fire as the New Year slowly dawned. It was a new day, a new winter, but it would be warmed by the memories of loved ones long past. So it is with All Saints' Day, that triumphs over All Hallows' Eve.

Don't tell my dh or sons that... they would SO love to have a little sister named Molybdenum. Seriously.

The doctor says that she just has a bad upper respiratory infection. He gave her a shot and thinks she should be better in a couple of days, if not we'll giver her oral antibiotics. She looked so unhappy... but had energy enough to fight the vet and try to sink in her teeth--she's not a friendly kitty. BUT I'm so relieved!!!! I was really freaking out and thinking the worst. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts!

They would be greatly appreciated. After a lousy "one of those days" yesterday (I forgot my keys so we were locked out of the house, brakes went out on the car to the tune of $400 and several other minor annoyances) we got home to discover that our eldest cat, Sprocket, was sick. Breathing funny and with discharge from her eyes. We decided to take her to the vet this morning, I got a 10 am appointment, but she's not looking good. Shaky, weak... she's 16 years old. We just lost another kitty in January while we were on vacation. I don't want today to be the day we lose this old girl. Prayers would be wonderful, for Sprocket, and us as well. Thanks.

Wow! I'm amazed that so many readers were upset that a *5* year old would sleep late or not be in a competitive school setting. Sheesh! He's 5!

Hey... I went on a trip there when I was 14... don't suppose you lived in Norway?

I love the Smothers Brothers, and in addition to what is available on CD, I collected all thier LPs. But I don't have a turntable. I collect Alice's Adventures In Wonderland memorabilia--but not the Disney version. Mostly items based on the Tenniel art, plus lots of different editions of the books. Although I'm a Methodist pastor and my family isn't Jewish, I attended a Hebrew day school for 3rd and 4th grade. My mom picked it because it was "the best private school in town". I'm allergic to shellfish--especially scallops and clams. I went to Milwaukee for my honeymoon--to a role-playing game convention. This is my claim to uber-geekdom.

I'm the Rock Band drummer around here too! I like to tell my dh that *I* play the tough part... mostly because he usually gets 100% on guitar or bass. We actually have friends over almost every Saturday to play Rock Band. Grown up friends. We play after the kids are asleep.

Would that be me? My MIL lives in VA, ya know... Mom to Kieran Danger

Me too... 8/10. Missed Mannix (never heard of it, actually) and thought the first one was Sanford and Son... but I guessed SWAT correctly.

My step-dad has pictures of his mom and his sister in their coffins framed in his bedroom. I remember thinking it was weird, but he is a really sweet nice man... he's from Tennessee, so he's right in there with that regional thing.

Well... I'm an ordained United Methodist pastor. My dh does most of the homeschool teaching, but I'm the one who plans our curriculum and hangs out on the boards, and I've been around here for about 6 years now. I'm the only pastor of a small congregation in sub/urban Los Angeles, and our lives do indeed revolve around the church, though we actually live in the parsonage for the next UMC up the road, which means we don't have drop-ins or anything. I've been in full-time ordained ministry for 13 years now, seven years of it at the church I currently serve. The home/work/church balance is always tricky. I like to do as much as I can (writing sermons, planning classes, etc) at home.

Both my dh and I grew up in households that made over $250,000 a year (in his case, perhaps much more?), and we now live on a pastor's salary. Yep, over a quarter million a year is wealthy.