Here in AZ, we have several professional athletes paid millions of dollars per year. My question is WHY?? And WHY can we not decrease THEIR salary and give some of it to our grossly underpaid teachers? Now, granted, I'm a big proponent of homeschooling but I know that's not always a possibility. We will always have public schools so why not pay teachers and social workers MORE and the athletes a little LESS?

I like that: "People should take lessons from ducks." And geese. And eagles. Et al.

I agree with all of the above and I know how you feel. BTDT, too. However, if that does not resolve the issue and you start to seriously consider buying books, check for local USED BOOK bookstores near you. Also, if you have Barnes & Noble and/or Borders bookstores near you, know that they have Educators cards you can get that allow you 20-25% off all you educational purchases (almost anything can fall into this category). They're free and well worth it!

Glad things are going better for you. If I lived closer I would have said, "Let's get the kids together to wear each other out and you and I can have some coffee (tea, soda, etc) and some adult conversation!"

At the beginning of Joel Osteen's rise to fame, a local pastor here did a series of, "What Would Jesus Say to (name of celebrity)?" One of those celebrities was Mr. Osteen. He cautioned us and encouraged us to weigh what Mr. Osteen says with what the Bible says. Some of those things Osteen says just.don't.jive with Scripture. The sugary snack analogy is a good one. But remember, too much sugar can cause DECAY. (Personally, I prefer Jesus when I need to be uplifted.)

Have you considered the words found in Word Power in the Reader's Digest? I'm guessing that most of the adults on this board can easily get through them but the average American adult, I'm finding, often does not know the words and so, I'm guessing, that it would greatly benefit a middle-schooler. HTH!

Okay, I've seen this abbreviation ALOT on this forum but have NO idea what it means! Can someone please inform this poor, ignorant soul what CLE stands for? Thanks!

It's a great reminder. THANK YOU! (I was also realizing today that I need to be more proactive about reading through the books my dd brings home from the library. Today I was thinking about when I was her age (10 1/2) and some of the inappropriate books I was reading and MY mom didn't have a CLUE!)

I don't know that I would call Writers Inc. a writing program, more of a reference. I have the book and enjoy it myself but you'll want an actual curriculum for teaching writing.

I just completed the survey!

I think Spring is difficult for most everyone. Here in AZ, Spring is the best season, the best weather, so really difficult to concentrate on studies! One of the best things you can do when feeling down is by spending some time in the sun. Not alot of time or you'll be over-tired later. But a half hour or so can really help give you a natural dose of Vitamin D which also helps produce Seratonin, which is your brains natural 'feel good' chemical. HTH!

I am hypoglycemic so I can give some advice. But definitely discuss things with your doctor! One thing I have learned is to balance those carbs with protein. It's not that you can't eat carbs, you just have to be cautious about HOW MUCH you eat. I know this is difficult, I love carbs, too! But think about how healthy you want to be for your kids. LOTS of high fiber foods (leafy greens and such) and good amounts of lean protein. HTH!

I was in your boat, too. Before I bought it I read all the INACCURATE :Dreviews on Amazon. I'm pretty sure that **every single one of the 'complaining people'** have NEVER REALLY read it! Once I started reading it, I was hooked. It's very interesting and my dd loves the activities in the Activity Guide. Maybe the dissenters just don't like the fact that it reads like a story??:001_huh: To me, those opinion-spousers are just like all the other folk who MUST comment on their disfavorable view of homeschooling....even though they've never homeschooled!:tongue_smilie:

No Doubt! I was just in there the other day...after a looonnnggg abscence...I need to be absent longer!

Was that "colon" as in a punctuation mark or an internal organ?

I have given a May Basket to a neighbor since I was 5! I am now 40 but I have yet to miss a year, that I can remember. I no longer live next to her, or in the same state (so it's delivered, not picked), but how can I quit now? She loves it and is always surprised!

This grown up eternal student is procrastinating when I should be getting MY OWN chores done before a field trip with a friend's homeschool group. DD is, reluctantly, at ps. DS is watching a Thomas the Train video. Now, off I go to put on makeup and do SOME chores before I have to leave! Have fun today, everyone!

Good morning, all! Thank you for indulging all my questions here! Some of you may have read my thread Needing Encouragement and I thank you for your responses. On there I stated that while I wanted to homeschool we might be keeping dd in ps next year and putting ds in as well. However, this morning dd expressed some interest in coming back home. So, then, I got to thinking: **How in the heck to teach two kids who are six years apart?** I only have two. I don't have any inbetweens to help. Anyone have any suggestions?? Thanks!

How old is your dd? If she's of preschool age then just know it's the age! My 4.5yo ds is LOUD, especially in the morning! We constantly have to tell him to speak more quietly and that some people are still trying to sleep! ( Often, it's me that's still trying to sleep! LOL ) Maybe you can implement Whisper Day: for a whole day everyone in the family is only allowed to whisper. HTH!

Is it wrong to feel happy/hopeful because my dd express dislike for public school today? I think part of it has to do with I've kept her home for the past two days to recover from a virus and so she hasn't had to "do" any lessons, although I did read from SOTW and The Lewis&Clark Expedition to my children and asked them questions about it. Plus, the school year is winding down (about 4 weeks to go) and I'm sure all the kids know it! However, I was secretly cheering that she expressed an interest in coming back to homeschooling. Mainly, she said school wasn't fun. I agreed that learning should be fun. And, she acknowledged that through homeschooling she'd had more 'real' friends. After we discussed it for a bit, I thanked her for sharing her feelings with me and told her I would think about what she said. (I was so excited!) Now, to pray on it more and discuss it with the hubby, at length! Thanks for listening to me ramble!:D

College courses in English and History may be a good idea while you tackle the rest. There are various high school courses/online schools out there. Have you looked through WTM for guidance? You might also want to check out SizzleBop It's a dotcom that has lots of good things to say about unique children! :^) You may find some encouragement there. I will also pray for you. Alas, that is all the advice I can give you.

Oooo, can I come be awed by YOUR library??:auto:

My little guy will only be 5 in July but looking at his little hands tonight (you know how cute those preschoolers hands are with all the dimples in their fingers!) made me think how quickly he will grow! And I almost cried then. I know a part of what you feel.

Cinnamon synonyms. I like it!

:iagree: I am SO glad you posted this and started this thread! Sometimes I, too, feel the need to have the kids do THIS or THAT and the teacher SAID my dd should be dancing twice a week so how am I going to afford that?? I know, I KNOW, the Lord has been gently nudging me this past year to SLOW DOWN and lead a simpler life. Today I seriously contemplated scaling back to virtually NO extracurricluar activity for the next school year. Both dc will be in public school. Since 5th grade here evidently focuses on American History I though, we can live like Pioneers! Well, to an extent; I'm not about to give up electricity or indoor plumbing! BUT, we can learn to enjoy our home and entertain ourselves without joining this club or that one. Does that make sense? I completely understand your conundrum. The additional challenge here is that I live in a BIG city with SO many opportunities. In the end, though, think about how much more RELAXED your children will be, today and in the future, because Mom made the very WISE decision, early on, to lead a simpler life! Hope that helps (and didn't put you to sleep)! :grouphug: