Why not? If the guys from AIG can take a half million dollar tax paid trip, why can't a poorer person use tax money to help save up for a trip to Disney World?

Academy, I don't think it was one of MY posts because my kids are perfect little angels and every day of homeschooling is like a little piece of heaven on earth! BWAHAHAHAHAHAH :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

I actually had a conversation very similiar to this. I explained that I didn't think I could do it, so even though I was very interested it it, I did put them in regular school at first. I explained that I wished I had the faith in myself to have homeschooled from the beginning. I also told her that I was sure she would be perfectly able to homeschool her children as well, but if she didn't want to homeschool and sent her kids to school then she was making a valid choice for her and her family. I just explained I'd rather see poeple make the choice based not in fear or self doubt but just what worked best for their own family. Of course, reading this over it sounds rather preachy, but this was a friendly two way conversation. I think once she realized that I felt that my choice to homeschool was just as acceptable as her choice not to then she stopped being so defensive, even though I don't think she realized she was.

Well, before anyone get's the wrong impression here, I did not become obsessed with these books and spend HOURS online reading everything I could while waiting for the fourth book to come out...:glare: I have a love/hate relationship with Twilight. Bella bugged me a LOT. But, obviously something pulled me in. I've finally excused Bella's obsessive behavior by claiming she was affected my some magical vampire charm or something. I did let my 13 year old read them. Luckily she's not interested in sex or boys yet so she just skimmed over those parts. In fact I'm not sure she's even finished book 4, she was having a hard time sticking with it. The part I became worried about was Edwards obsessiveness in book 3 (don't want to spoil anything...you'll know what I mean after you've read book 3) and wanted to make sure she understood that in real life that behavior was really dangerous and if any boyfriend behaved that way she should let us know and get away from him as fast as possible. I loved The Host. Stephenie's writing ability style really improves in this book.

At the beginning of your ceremony, you might want to make an announcement that a girl has a soccer tounament and will be arriving late. That way when she does show up everyone will be expecting it and it (hopefully) wont cause a quite as much of a disturbance as it would have otherwise.

I haven't read the other posts, and probably wont (just because I don't want to be pulled into any debates ;)). As far as the OP, that's how I felt the last election. I never have liked Bush, but Kerry was so unexciting or uninspiring for me. This year I've been very excited about the election, from both sides. Although I'm an Obama supporter, both sides have made the process very interesting this year.

Sorry, but my grandfather was/is a mason and he's still alive. So I guess that ruins that theory. ;) I think a Halloween wedding would be totally cool. Now that I'm older I wish I had a more adventurous personality when I was younger.

Depends...my mom used to say you know you're getting old when you find yourself constantly yelling at people to turn down the radio, especially in the car. So I guess I became old about 3 years ago. Nothing bugs me more than listening to people talk over music. My husband hasn't reach this level of old age yet which causes some interesting arguments during house cleaning days!

I'm thinking about implementing a loop schedule, but my kids are 6th and 8th grade. Do you guys find that a loop schedule is better suited to younder kids than older? Thanks.

I don't know...it's easy to complain when I do volunteer a lot and other parents can't can't be bothered to help or even pick their kids up on time. Then I speak to my 80 year old grandmother, and she mentioned to me how she was impressed that I do so much and then started going on about how lazy some parents are and don't want to help, yada yada yada, and it gave me the impression she had these same complaints when she was a young mother. I was thinking it was just our generation that had people like that, but I guess human nature really doesn't change much through the years.

Okay, I see the difference, but then some would say that just because they work hard and can afford to buy nicer things they shouldn't be penalized for doing so. I still support taxing income. I didn't ask what was the govt. going to do, I asked what you wanted the govt. to do. (knowing how you would answer.) My point was I know you are much more conservative than I and don't like the gov telling you how to live you life, but you agreed when Cheryl says "we've got to put the pieces back together, promote more programs for marriages...encourage parenting classes...strengthen the family.." you want to tell others how to live their life. It just seemed to me there was a huge double standard going on. The gov can't judge everyone else based on our own morality. The gov can't say, sorry, I think it was your fault that you're a single mother because I don't believe in...or I would never make that choice based on my belief, so your choice is wrong. That's not the government's role. :001_cool:

Anyway, I got off topic. I only support early education if it's an opt in type program, not an opt out. (I don't think I should have to go to some govt. building to sign a declaration of intent that I plan on staying home with my child.)

Um...I didn't say all divorces were the result of abuse. I just listed a couple of examples of divorce that doesn't demonize the woman. Then what gov. program do you plan to implement? Doesn't Obama already want to tax the weathy and give tax breaks for the not so fortunate??? Because of the Bill of Rights, we have freedom of religion in this country which allows people to choose what church they attend, or even if they want to attend church... I'm not trying to argue welfare, who should get welfare, what source this welfare should come from...I'm saying don't demonize single mothers for wanting to work to support their families then say they're bad mothers because they work to stay off welfare yet have to put their kids in daycare.

I don't get your point. Are you saying that women who are in abusive relationships should stay married? Are you saying women whose husbands have died should lose custody of their children so they can go live in a two parent household? Of course there are kids who are born out of wedlock, but to group all single parent households as bad because of some feminist movement in the 60's is extremely shortsided. Also...most conservatives would be against that single mother staying home if it meant collecting welfare or other govt. handouts, yet that same mother who puts their kids in daycare so they can work to provide for their family is a bad mother??? I'm not following the logic here...:confused:

Well, I'm an Obama supporter, so everything I heard last night just confirmed how I felt. (I voted that the debate winner was unclear, because I felt they both did a good job.) It was a little boring though. I have a feeling that the VP debate will be anything but!!!

Well, when I first started homeschooling, my oldest was in 3rd grade. I specifically chose a curric that taught diagramming because TWTM said so. (we tried Abeka, but ended up with R&S for the last 5 years or so.) What I will tell you is the difference in myself! I am an excellent reader. I read everything under the sun. In college I could right a 5 page paper and get an A on it. However, as far as grammer went, all I was really taught in school was how to identify nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, and prepositions. I really never understood when to use commas, let alone what a clause was, a participle, a dangling participle, or how to decently construct a more complex sentences. Never understood the difference active voice or passive voice. When writing essays, I'd have to make sure my sentences were rather simple so I wouldn't make grammatical errors. I'm starting to get a handle on all of it along with my kids, but I really wish I'd been taught all this when I as younger.

Fine...I guess my job will be to "sample" everyone else's drink and let you know whose taste better...(says the party mooch) Seriously, my dh is out of town till Sat and I wont have anyone to watch the debates with! :crying:

:iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree: I tried to rep you but I have to spread it around, so I have to do it publicly.

You're right, it's not about who called who first. It's about who tried to manipulate the situation, Obama, and the American people. Personally, McCain is reminding me more and more of Hillary. Good politicians running bad campaigns.

I think if we can agree on one thing, it's that BOTH parties got us in this situation.

:banghead:

Ya know Jessica, I completely agree with you about the 100 years or more war in Iraq comment. I mean, technically we still haven't left Germany and Japan, and how many years ago did WW2 end??? But, can't give ya the economics policy comment. I think the whole American worker part was pure cover up for a wrong comment at the wrong time. FYI--I may be voting for Obama, but that doens't mean I hate McCain. So it's not meant to be McCain bashing or anything, just my opinion.

:iagree: According to Obama, he called McCain this monring at 8:30, asked to make a joint statement, (some Republican from Oklahoma called Obama with this idea, and Obama gave him credit for this idea during his press release, but since I heard it on the radio, in the car, I don't rememeber which Republican it was, so not trying to be disrespectfull, just forgetfull. :confused:) McCain didn't call Obama back until 2:30, said GREAT! Let's do it! (Okay, paraphrasing here, but again, I can't take notes and drive at the same time), and then right after the phone call went public with this whole "let's suspend the campain" challenge. Now, you can either believe Obama's side or not, but to me McCain is being rather two faced and unpresidential. (But I'm an Obama supporter. Others might have a different take on it.) ETA: Or you can follow the link in Mom to Aly's post for a more informed article about the matter.

I've been afraid to open this thread all day, so I'm very relieved to hear the news! May God be with her and her family. :grouphug: