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Melmc

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Everything posted by Melmc

  1. This is our first year with 4-H. My 12 yo daughter is in a dog club doing obedience, showmanship and rally. She really enjoys it, and is looking forward to fair in August.
  2. I have the Jr. High syllabus from Hewitt. They schedule approx. 45 pages of reading a week to get through the entire series in one school year (four nine week quarters.) Not sure how this relates to number of chapters a week since I haven't compared it to the books yet.
  3. As someone posted above, don't force him to sit all the time. I have two girls and one boy. The girls can sit forever. Not my son. Before we homeschooled, he attended a private Catholic school. He was in second grade. The teacher was having trouble getting him to settle at his desk and work. I asked if she would allow him to stand to do some of his work because that worked well when he was doing his Saxon math homework with me. (If I made him sit to do the timed math facts, he didn't do well. If he stood, he'd get them all done with time to spare!) She did, and it solved all the issues she had with him. She even started letting the other boys stand. They all became more productive. There are times when he does need to sit and he does with no problem. But he does better with certain things standing and with other subjects, like memory work, walking around.
  4. My son is a total history buff. I just ordered this for his 10th b-day in April. I think he's going to love it. Thanks so much for the link!
  5. We have a Jenn-Aire French door one. I love it. I have had a few ice cubes pop out of the top drawer, but that's it. We have the water dispenser on the inside of the fridge because I wanted smooth front. If we need ice, we just go into the freezer to get it. I do lots of freezer meals using the book Fix Freeze Feast, and I've had no problem with size issue or losing things. I would never go back to another type. I also have my side-by-side in the garage which we brought with us from our other house and I hate that one. I have since the day we brought it home and I loaded it up.
  6. I don't use a Lit program, but I came up with my own year long KidLit Book Club curriculum that I teach 3 Fridays each month at our co-op for an hour September through May. The nine kids range in age from 5 - 8. I ask the parents to read aloud with the kids so they can focus on the story, not reading the words. Each week I give the parents a vocab list to review with the children so they understand what I'll be reading to them. My goal of the class isn't to create readers, but booklovers! I'll be honest. It's something I toss together each week though I do have a list of books for the entire year. I figured the parents would want to see that before signing up their kids. The kids really seem to be enjoying it. They like talking about each of the elements of fiction and we have great discussions. I used the Teaching the Classics DVD and syllabus sitting untouched on my shelf to figure out what I should try to teach. I write romances for a living so have my own ideas about story, too. I went into the class just wanting to introduce the elements of fiction and not expecting a lot back, but even my youngest students want to get their input in there. It's exciting and very cool! The format of each class is pretty similar: • Introduce/review element(s) of fiction. They are given sheets with the definitions to review at home like memory work. • If there was a story assigned to be read as homework, we talk about that and may graph it on a roller coaster plot diagram (from NaNoWriMo's Young Writers Program elementary workbook) or narrate the story. • Introduce author (if new) or add new info/review to what we know • Examine and discuss what we can learn from the book cover (if new story) • Read story • Discuss what we've read. Review plot (group narration of sorts. To teach them how to do this I made sequence cards with pictures from our first story Tale of Peter Rabbit.) Talk about individual elements of fiction we've covered so far. We may do a roller coaster plot. I'll bring back an early story to talk about it and the new element. I have a big white board at the space where the class is held so I use both words and pictures due to some kids reading and other's not. • Activity. This can be anything from a pie chart with pictures of the plot, to a roller coaster plot, to a character worksheet I made where they draw who they think is the main character, the minor characters and their fave character to an art project. Pretty much the activity is whatever I can think of as I'm putting things together for the class. It can also just be something fun. An example from our last class was a celebration for finishing Winnie the Pooh. We made party hats (simplified craft from Martha Stewart's website) and illustrated it with our favorite character for the book. Once we all had our hats on, we sampled biscuits with honey and marmalade, Pooh's fave foods, that we'd read about and talked about what we'd drawn on our hats and the food. • Coloring page (to do if time or take home). This is just taken from the Internet. • Copy work page (to do if time or take home). I use a sentence from the story and make a sheet using Write Start. Sorry for such a long post! I guess what I'm trying to say is a lit guide could be handy if you wanted something open and go, but I'm just using books I had in the house and that's working just fine and saving me money, too!
  7. Count me in! It must be in the air because I started decluttering downstairs on Friday. I have two bags to donate already and one bag of garbage just from the study, hall closet and dining room!
  8. Laura, Cool on the similarities. Your journey to homeschool does sounds familiar! Glad to hear I'm not the only disorganized writer out there too! I write fiction. Romance novels. Melissa
  9. I'm an alumni interviewer for my alma mater. Giving a gift for doing an interview seems inappropriate. I would not be comfortable with if an applicant did that. A simple thank you note/email would be fine.
  10. Wow! I'm feeling like a total slackard here because I'm the poster child for the unorganized writer. I'm sure not all published authors are like me, but this is how I keep track (loosely using that term!) of stuff for projects: With deadlines, revisions, proofs from to be published books, I just don't have time to be all that fancy. I just keep all the random notes and pieces of papers (including emails from editors) I need together. I can't have things on my computer and some in hand. I need to keep it all together. Sometimes I stick them in a manila folder. Most times I just pile them on my nightstand so they are handy when I need them. There is always some moment of panic when the one I need was knocked over by one of the cats or a kid decided to use the back of it to draw a picture for me. I'm starting to use colored paper for my handwritten story notes so I'd know they are important. And the kids will realize they are important and not to be used, too. Right now my notes for my revisions that are due are inside the cover of a 6x8 spiral notebook that fits nicely in my purse so I can jot notes down if I'm out and about. I use the same spiral for all projects. I wouldn't be able to keep track of more than one notebook at a time! I know there are writers who have binders for each project with labeled dividers, maps, scene maps, conflict grids, characters, collages, etc. They are so impressive and neat and pretty and I'm green with envy, but I'll be honest... I'm so annal I could have a book completely written before I was satisfied with everything I needed to get together in my story binder so I just don't do it.
  11. If you belong to any professional writer groups/associations such as RWA or MWA or whatever else is out there. If you have entered any writing contests and placed. If you don't have any of those things, then just thank them for their time and consideration. Seriously, if the idea sparks their interest, they aren't going to care about any of those other things. Forgot! If the manuscript is already completed, make sure you mention that. That's huge especially if you're unpubbed!
  12. Elegantlion has already set up two social groups that will work great to carry on this thread with specific topics. (Thank you, EL!) One is for NaNoWriMo participants and another is a writer support group. I'm not in NaNo this year, so I'll leave that one to all you 50kers and wish you well with your endeavor, but be sure to peek into the other group outside of November! In the other group, there are already several topics, and I'm sure we can add more as needed. So if you're interested, please consider joining. I'm off to do it now and looking forward to getting to know more of you!
  13. There are some great writing places on the web, but not any for only homeschooling writers. I belong to enough writers group, the homeschooler aspect as Violet posted is the icing on the cake for me. We should be able to do something here on the forum now that I've seen, thanks to AuntieM, what's available with social groups. I sent a pm to the person who started up the writing social groups. I'm just waiting to hear back from her.
  14. AuntieM - I have know idea what a social group is. Never mind I found them. Off to check them out.
  15. I agree with Carol. Skip the beginning of the next one, not the end of the last one. We're still finishing up on the final lessons of 54 and Saxon 1, then I'll let them test out of the next ones. Last year they started around lesson 35 or 40 with 76 and 54. Good luck.
  16. I've been using both WWE1 and FFL1 with my first grader. I'm skipping the writing portion in FFL1 and doing everything orally since she's also doing a ZB manuscript book. Even without the writing the FFL is sticking.
  17. There are so many of us writer homeschoolers here on the hive! Already this topic is 9 pages. I'm sure it could get huge. I don't know many writers who also homeschool and I'm thrilled that there are some because you get the hardships of trying to do both with everything else we have to do in addition. I would love if we could somehow organize better to help each other out whether it's goals, support, time management, craft, genres, etc., but I'm a total non-techie. Anyone web savvy out there that could think of something we could do to make this more user friendly?
  18. If you guys haven't heard of the Alphasmart (can't remember what it's called now, Dana or something like) prepare to fall in love. It changed the way I wrote. It's perfect for on-the-go moms, too. It runs on AA batteries and you get 700 hours of life. It's only a word processor so you aren't tempted by the Internet at all. Huge plus in my book! It's portable, durable and great for when you're waiting on kids at classes or practices. I started using it to write all my first drafts. The screen is tiny, only four lines, so you're internal editor quickly learns it can't stop you and scream FIX IT before moving on. It's absolutely perfect for NaNoWriMo. I think over 100 single spaced pages fit on it, stored in 7 different files. You just hook a USB cable to the computer and download to a regular word processing program. I use Word. Anyway, you can find them on eBay. I bought mine new, but they don't make that model any more, and it wasn't expensive new either. Other than the Alphie, I write on my keyboard/computer. If I'm having trouble with a scene or chapter, then I switch to a yellow legal pad or spiral notebook. Sometimes the act of actual writing will help with a trouble scene. I only like to revise on paper (i.e. printing it out from the computer.) When I try to revise on screen, it never seems to work as well!
  19. Happy - I haven't belonged to the local RWA chapter for over five years. Here, they have meetings on Saturdays and that's sports games, skiing and family activity day for us so I rarely got to attend. It just wasn't worth the annual dues after a couple of years. With all the on line stuff now, I haven't missed it. But many writers love their local chapters and couldn't imagine not being members. I've belonged to RWA chapters in three different states where I've lived since deciding I wanted to write romances. Some meetings were great, others were a waste of time. But it was great as a newbie (whether to romance writing or an area) to meet other romance writers. You can hook up with an in person critique group, get face-to-face support which is always nice and make friends. Workshops will vary on who belongs to your chapter or who they'll bring in. National conference is an amazing, overwhelming experience if you can afford it. There are so many workshops to choose from, but you can also order the cd if you can't make it. Regional conferences can be fun, too, with workshops to pick from and cheaper than National. But I'll be honest. I kept thinking there was some workshop out there that would be "it" for me. I'd finally learn everything I was struggling so hard to figure out on my own. Truth is, I'm still waiting for that to happen and I've sold many books since then. Yet every time I go to a workshop, I still wonder is this it! Will I finally learn what I'm supposed to know! I think workshops (as well as craft books) can teach you some new things or tricks to try or new ways to think about things, but I believe the best hands on learning you can get is by writing a complete manuscript and then writing another and another, etc. Critique groups/partners are great to see where you can improve. I also think book editors have their place, too, if they are reputable and know romance. Pre-published, I used Wendy Corsi Staub, who had an editing service and gave great input that really helped me see my weaknesses. My first three manuscripts were rejected by an editor at Silhouette who finally bought me, but all three taught me so much about the craft of writing. Much more than any conference or workshop or book ever could. Those mss. will never be published nor would I ever attempt to rewrite them, but they are more valuable to me in making a writer than anything else I've done. Sorry, more than you asked for but I could talk writing all night long!
  20. Here's a blog post from an author I've written a couple of continuity series with. She's been there with kids so knows how hard it can be. This is a way of writing in 10 minute blocks that really does help when you think you'll never write a word until they graduate and our out of the house. I thought once my three got a little older, I'd have more time to write, but I actually have less due to activities, homeschooling, life. Anyway, if you're looking to find a little writing time, it's worth a read. Plus, this is good exercise for NaNoWriMo participants, too! Ten Minute Solution by Susan Meier
  21. I'm another who highly recommends RWA. I started with Silhouette and am now with Harlequin. I sold the first ms. when I was pregnant with my oldest who is 11 (I now have three kids) so it is possible to write with small kids. I'm currently on #18 if I remember correctly. This is my second year homeschooling and I managed two books last year and will do two again this year. I really have to be disciplined about my writing time, though. I get up early and go to bed late. I also watch no TV except for an occasional DVD for a family movie night. Fortunately I have a dh who loves to cook and doesn't mind doing a load of laundry or three. That makes a big difference. I wish I could do NaNoWriMo this year, but I have a manuscript due Dec. 1 so that's what I'll be working on instead.
  22. When we decided we wanted a Norwegian Elkhound, I went to their national website. Most AKC breeds have breed specific rescue groups all over the country. I knew I didn't want to go through puppy training. We found one near us and called. The rescue coordinator liked us so much so offered us one of her dogs who had finished showing and had a litter of pups and wouldn't be bred any more. Another of the dogs up for rescue was in a similar situation former show dog who didn't have bad hips, but not what they wanted for breeding. Another was a year old pup who was too much work for a mother with a young family and unlandscaped, muddy yard. These breed specific rescuers know the animals that come in really well. Often they are placed with local rescue families ahead of time and the groups will take the dog back if it doesn't work out for you. So if you figure out what breed you want, it might be worth a little googling to see what rescue groups are in your area. We couldn't be more happy with how things worked out for us!
  23. We have a Norwegian Elkhound. She's 48 pounds. She's wonderful with the kids. Very loyal. My youngest who is six can lay all over her. We got her a year ago April from a rescue coordinator for the breed. All the neighborhood kids adore her, too. The breed does shed so we don't wear a lot of black anymore. Also she is a family dog, that is she wants to be with us and doesn't like to spend a lot of time in the backyard on her own. She'll run out and do her business, but she wants right back in where the action is!
  24. Forgot to mention that my youngest still plays with my oldest's MG doll, so even though the hair got messed up, it's lasted quite a few years and seen lots of enjoyment from my girls.
  25. We have a rule around here. You have to be 7 to have an AG doll. We have several and any younger you're taking a chance of them being ruined. My daughter got a MG doll as a birthday present when she was four. The hair became a rat's nest. I know this has happened to friends of mine MG too, so I do think they aren't for preschoolers, either. If you must get her an AG and it gets ruined, you can always send it in to the hospital to be repaired, but it'll cost you. If you have a younger one, I highly recommend the Bitty Baby AG sells. Both my girls love them and they are very preschooler friendly.
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