I've had several things like that happen in my life, although I can only bring one to mind at the moment. This is the one that still bothers me, to a small degree, and since I do believe in God and do believe that there is an ongoing battle between evil and good, I think that this was an evil thing meant to cause a small child pain and guilt. That perspective has helped me to let go of allowing it any power in my life, although the incident still makes me sad. When I was 8, we had just stayed with my maternal grandparents for several weeks, then traveled to another part of the country to live with my other grandparents for several months. (We lived overseas, so that furlough year was always greatly anticipated as a time to reconnect with family, loved ones, and the churches that financed my parents' missions work.) All my grandparents were warm and loving, but I had not really connected with my mom's dad during the two weeks I had just spent with them, although, in retrospect, I don't know why. He had taught me to fish, and I don't remember that being an excruciating thing :001_rolleyes:, but for whatever reason, there wasn't much of a bond there. One night, while at my second g-parents house, I began thinking about death and about how so many families lose loved ones. I thought through the list of family we knew, specifically g-parents, and essentially chose the g-parent that I could live without, then I drifted off to sleep. It was my maternal g-father. The next morning over breakfast, my mom and dad told me they had received a call during the night that her dad had been in a car accident the previous evening and had died many hours later. For years, I carried the secret guilt of having "wished his death," and I could not bring myself to tell her about it until just a few years ago. Bad "synchronicity"!

nt

that FIL's attic, which had large vents at each end of the attic and small vents in the soffit all around, would not benefit from having the radiant barrier. The attic was so well ventilated that it would have been a waste. OTOH, he did recommend a major insulation upgrade, as the 45 yo insulation up there was nearly worthless. One more data point... :001_unsure: (Where's that :shrug: smiley?)

or more precisely, I should say that dh is the one who does them. They are a Christmas morning tradition. :drool: We buy the batter mix for them on the baking aisle at the grocery store, so I'm not much help there, but I'll bet you could Google and find a recipe as well. Beyond that, it is pretty simple. Pour the better in a thin stream into deep, hot oil. Turn over once when golden or light brown. Drian on paper towels, then sprinkle w/ powdered sugar or p.s. with cinnamon. enjoy! V

I'm so sorry! {{Claire}} Valerie

last spring and summer, when I was house hunting, I noticed that in a number of the houses that had rice cookers--obviously the ones which were frequently used--the rice cooking process had ruined the finish on the wall-mounted kitchen cabinets above the rice cooker. :scared: Apparently, the steaming process tends to destroy cabinet finishes. So, fwiw, if you get one, bear that in mind when you choose *where* to cook the rice. HTH

are the best itch relief we've found. You can brew up chamomile tea really strong, then keep it in the frig, and use as needed. Just a thought... V

nt

I'm probably try several of the suggestions you mentioned, and see if a combination of approaches will improve the balance. :001_wub: Luv you guys--I knew you could help! Val

Chris, Nan, Lisa and Faith -- I'm going to ponder your suggestions. Your thoughts were very helpful! V

Could you post your ds' blogs adrresses again; at one time you did that, and I was just so impressed! :) Laura (in China) had a thread recently about writing, and I would have liked to have pointed her toward your son's blog, particularly your younger son's, since he is "not an adult" yet...ok, it's kooky, good writing is good writing, but it's all the more impressive in a younger student. :rolleyes: Val

Seeking solutions--what to do when the family schedules don't mesh? For too many years, I've been getting, at most, 6 hours of sleep each night, and I just don't do well. Long term sleep deprivation is taking a toll on my memory and probably other systems as well. Here's the rub, dh has to get up at 4:15 a.m. to be at work on time, and I really like to be up with him to make a decent breakfast and pack his food for the day; he eats a special diet for health reasons, and I like that quiet time alone with him. On the other end of the day, I don't like going to bed hours earlier than my kids, but it is out of the question to send teens to bed at 8 pm...they usually pack it in between 10 and 11, depending on the kid. I have often stayed up at least til 10, and I hate feeling guilty for 1) either not going to bed with dh, because he likes the company and he'd like me to take care of myself, or 2) feeling guilty because I am missing out on the most productive, heart-bonding time of the day. My kids are more quietly, reflectively talkative at night than at any other time. They totally fit the stereotype! In the early morning before school time, they are barely able to prop open their eyelids, so--nah--no heart-to-heart then. I really resent having to go to bed, because I'll never have these years back, and very, very soon, my teens will be gone. Deep sigh! I am just too close to this. Can someone help me look past the emotion of this :eek: and figure out some solution? What works in your family? Thanks, I'm feeling kinda desperate. Val

For too many years, I've been getting, at most, 6 hours of sleep each night, and I just don't do well. Long term sleep deprivation is taking a toll on my memory and probably other systems as well. Here's the rub, dh has to get up at 4:15 a.m. to be at work on time, and I really like to be up with him to make a decent breakfast and pack his food for the day; he eats a special diet for health reasons, and I like that quiet time alone with him. On the other end of the day, I don't like going to bed hours earlier than my kids, but it is out of the question to send teens to bed at 8 pm...they usually pack it in between 10 and 11, depending on the kid. I have often stayed up at least til 10, and I hate feeling guilty for 1) either not going to bed with dh, because he likes the company and he'd like me to take care of myself, or 2) feeling guilty because I am missing out on the most productive, heart-bonding time of the day. My kids are more quietly, reflectively talkative at night than at any other time. They totally fit the stereotype! In the early morning before school time, they are barely able to prop open their eyelids, so--nah--no heart-to-heart then. I really resent having to go to bed, because I'll never have these years back, and very, very soon, my teens will be gone. Deep sigh! I am just too close to this. Can someone help me look past the emotion of this :eek: and figure out some solution? What works in your family? Thanks, I'm feeling kinda desperate. Valerie

as a matter of routine but on a first come first served basis. I'd go ahead and see what the university can do for you for fall. Give them a chance. Usually the apps for state schools are not that complicated, but he probably has to be accepted before his paperwork can go on over to financial aid. Good luck! (I posted something similar on one of the other threads re. scholarships yesterday, if you are looking for more detail on state school info.)

nt

that what I am doing with my children is an apples-to-oranges comparison with public schools, so standardized testing was not appropriate. (This is not quite as true now that ds #1 is completing a more traditional subject-oriented highschool path, but it was very true in earlier years.) That could, I suppose lead to further interested questions, but the couple of time I used it, it did not. :) V

nt

I'm looking for something rather like an Advent devotional. TIA! V

Ds will be freshman next year at the local state 4-year university. He is bright, but has language-related LDs that make it more time-consuming and more difficult for him to do his work than for the average student. That is important, because we don't know how long he will be able to keep up his GPA in college, one of the (normal) requirements to make scholarships renewable year afer year. In addition, he is interested in engineering, so it will be a challenging field. That said, he participated in the school's Early Admissions Program, which is part of their Honors College. If a student takes at least 6 hours (essentially dual credit) prior to their freshman year and maintains a B average, they automatically receive a scholarhip worth $X for each of the following four years. They may also continue as an Honors College student, with special classes and perks reserved for the HC students, if they so desire. (There is more work for HC classes as well.) He was awarded another merit scholarship based strictly on numbers--high school GPA, class rank (optional in his case), and SAT scores. Everyone with those stats receives $Y, renewable for four years pending GPA. Finally, we were surprised that he received an outstanding freshman award from the engineering department. It is also renewable, but I don't yet know the stipulations. So, in his case, the institution is a public school, awards were strictly by the numbers, and if there was any competition on the engineering award--I doubt it--the fact that he is a homeschooler did not hurt him. HTH, Valerie

Replying to Pam's story: Pam, it's her loss! :) Really! Val

I know we are told that we will endure trials, but my heart aches for both of you! Please know that both families are in our prayers, and Heather, please, PLEASE, keep us frequently posted on your and Stacey's condition. I would like to be able to hold you up before the throne on a very regular basis, with as much as you feel comfortable sharing--although He certainly knows before we even pray. :o I will go put your names on my pantry door list right now--that's the best way I've found to keep the names of folks who are dear to me frequently in prayer! :D {{{Heather}} {{{Stacey}} Valerie

My eldest has language related LDs so I won't even go into his continuing struggles. My second student has been called a "natural writer," but I hate that term--she has worked as hard as I have to write as well as she does. As far as outside evaluations of her writing, I had her in a sixth grade writing class at a co-op, then in seventh grade a TOG 3 (unit study) class taught by a journalism major who is reputed to be a great writing coach. She wrote at the top of her class of 12, which included several 11th graders. (I did not think that her writing was that great, but she did put effort and heart into her papers.) After several years at home, including working through Wordsmith Craftsman, she is now in a pre-AP english class where her avg is nearly perfect and in Torrey Academy Inklings in which her papers routinely get As and A-s. Currently, her papers are still lacking in sentence complexity and variety, appropriate and varied vocab, and in correct usage of prepositions. I have her in these classes, because she is willing for me to look at her papers and make suggestions, but having me *grade* her papers is more than she is able to stand. :) No doubt, the teachers there are much more diplomatic and inspiring, as well. :D I am finding that if I point out and underline things, such as "this paragraph has several punctuation errors," "you have used the word 'repetition' six times in three paragraphs", "this construction is awkward," or if I read something she has written aloud to her, she is able to correct her work. I'm trying to nudge her toward seeing her own mistakes and help her learn to revise and edit without my help. We have a way to go, but she is making progress. There are three themes that I come back to in working with my three students: 1) organization 2) speed -- get something down on paper fast 3) be humble enough and patient enough to revise and edit. There is *always* room for improvement. I hope something there helps. Valerie

You had posted several time about the TGs being useless, that the meat of the program was in the two presentation books and workbook. The set I purchased was a 2001 edition, so not the most current, but it is complete with everything I need, and it is in pristine condition. (I waited to happy dance until it arrived! :o ) **Thank you** again for all the useful information you posted--I'm so grateful for your being there to share your experience. Val

Claire, you had mentioned that they occasionally came up for sale, so I set up a search awhile back, and this is a beautiful set! I had been working with a modified version of Laurie4b's plan, which has been helping a lot, but I was really beginning to feel like we needed a change of pace, or maybe it's just that it's February ( :eek:!!!) and --voila-- this popped up after a number of months of having it on an eBay search! I'm so tickled! Thanks to both of you!! Valerie