When my children were younger, we used the Source Naturals chewable multiple. One thing I particularly liked about it was the fact that it included greens, so I didn't have to be as concerned if they didn't eat all of their spinach or asparagus. Now they take the Garden of Life Family multivitamin. They also take Omega 3.

I thought this mode of thinking went right along with a certain characterization of the predestination passages. I was telling my husband that last night. Like you, I hope it is not a widely held belief.

It was very helpful! Thank you. It does hurt when you are vulnerable and are struggling to gain perspective. My mom has often told me that same thing and has reminded me that He loves these people far more than I ever could. See, that is how I look at. I would not treat my children cruelly and deliberately cause them suffering in order to teach them a lesson. That is why this belief makes no sense to me. I have questioned that a lot lately... whether God is actively involved in the details of individuals lives or plays a more passive role. I grew up believing that He did love me and care for me personally, but I now wonder if He is not more disinterested on an individual level. I guess I am feeling as though individuals are not necessarily relevant to God, though humanity as a whole may be. I can't either. I guess that is why I am struggling with my friend's remarks.

Thank you, Rosie. That is exactly how I feel. I am going to write that down. It is beautiful. Thank you. Thank you for all of this. From a human standpoint, I have grown the most in my relationships with people where there is complete honesty, so I have struggled in my relationship with a God who people tell me I should not question, be upset with, etc... It just isn't real to me anymore than I would feel I had a real relationship with my husband if I could not express frustration, hurt, or confusion.

Thank you. I will check it out. These ideas are among the reasons I cannot go to church. I am so sorry people treated you horribly in your time of need. Thank you for saying this, for the reminder. I usually have the same reaction, but this hit me out of the blue from someone close to me who I never would have thought believe these things. Thank you. Thank you so much for sharing all of this.

Thank you for this. I will look up the Lewis book. It is one of his that I was not aware of. What made it really hurt was the fact that it is someone I really cared about. I have heard many platitudes from religious people, but the realization that someone I care about believes these things really hurts. I don't believe the Jesus I know is like that either. I just cannot reconcile a loving God with senseless suffering. I envisioned Jesus cradling my nephew when he was in the hospital alone at night. Before I would leave the hospital at night, I would ask God to somehow let this child experience His love and His comfort when human hands could not hold him, as you said, to cradle him in Jesus' loving arms. It has weakened my faith. I do believe God can bring good from anything, but children suffering seems so senseless to me. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. You are so right. I cannot comprehend God's ways. I don't know how to cram down my feelings. I know that suffering shapes our life in many ways, some of which can be good overall... as you said, through it we learn compassion and empathy. It just seems so overwhelming right now.

Thank you for posting this.

Early reading and comprehension are not indicia of giftedness anymore than late reading necessarily suggests learning delays. There are children who jump through all of the academic hoops from an early age yet are not gifted. There are highly gifted children who "appear" dull because they don't jump through said hoops. Giftedness bears little relation to how early you place a check mark next to a skill.

There is a set of books published by Spalding that are brief passages to read and then answer questions in a timed situation. This is one way to approximate grade level. The link is here. There are other places you can purchase these books, such as Rainbow Resource, but they are newer versions than the ones sold by Spalding and have removed many of the more difficult/inferential questions. For that reason, many people purchase the books directly from Spalding.

I was discussing some significant struggles our family has been facing with someone and how hopeless I feel to be of any help to those I love most. I was told that these things are God's will and that I need to accept that. I was also told that it isn't my job to help, that God did these things to get their attention, that He has lessons for them to learn. In your opinion, is God like this? He takes away practically everything a man needs and desires to teach him something? He causes a child to be born with cancer and be paralyzed to teach his father a lesson? I am a stumbling block because I don't show them joy but rather reflect how much I ache for them? How do people arrive at this view of life, of God? Maybe they are the true believers, and I am just a fraud. I guess I should tell my children God wants their nephew crippled? This person went on to ask me if we would all love this child less for his physical limitations. I adore this child as if he were my own. How do christians say these things? Are they true? Maybe I am not good enough to be a christian because I am angry at God, and I do question God. At the same time, I have never believed it is His will for harm to come to people. I cannot fathom a God who would cause a newborn to be so close to death for months, to suffer so much pain day after day after day. I cannot fathom a God who would cause a man to be lied about and betrayed at great personal cost. I understand bad things happen, but this person was telling me it was God's will. If that is true, then I guess my lifelong faith has been a sham.

Here is a lexile-to-grade correspondence chart. Here is the place (book search function) where you can enter the book information and generate the lexile level.

:grouphug:

Congratulations!

It's so interesting you posted this, as DH and I were just discussing it.

If I understand you correctly, you think that a similar position in the private sector would garner 100M in a retirement package after 15 years of service? Having provided tax, business, and estate planning counsel to C level executives prior to having children, I can tell you they don't garner that much.

I agree with Mr. Cothran. That is what we have done here, and it has worked quite well. At the same time, I have never subscribed to high school age students having grammar as a daily subject. That should be completed by the end of middle school, after which time said skills are successfully applied in their writing and/or honed via foreign language studies.

Yelling helps tremendously!!!

Kudos to you!!! You have done an amazing job!

:grouphug: I understand.

Is it this one?

Definitely.

I also make individual workbooks that are bound. They make it so much easier to manage the curriculum... I decided to invest in better binders also, as all of ours from Costco were not reliable.

This site has been helpful to me (and to many others). IDK if that was what you were looking for.

I think it depends on the individual. Some people cannot lose without minimizing carbs, whereas others can.

That is one of the few things I have going for me from a dietary standpoint. I love protein and really could not care less about carbs... well except when my monthly visitor comes along. :tongue_smilie: