I'll start. I've endeavored to give my children a classical education as a reaction to my own ignorance. My tendency toward "group think", and my years of not questioning anything have led me to want my children to be thinkers and to dig deeper than the average textbook answer. I definitely fall short of providing a solid classical education, especially compared with many here, but I do see that my children are learning to to think independently. I guess I'm wondering if a "classical" education is the key to reaching our educational goals, or if it's just about constantly working through issues with our children, and challenging society's assumptions. What are your reasons for choosing (or not) a classical education? Lori ETA: I keep thinking about my subject line, and hear my own voice telling my kids, "Well, of course you can, by may you?"

For some reason, I really wanted four children - maybe because I only had one sister, and no cousins. I hate being pregnant, so after my third was born I decided I was done. My doctor told us to wait until the baby was 6 months before doing anything "permanent". The day before dh's appointment, I called and canceled. I didn't want another baby, but I wasn't 100% sure anymore. When our baby was about two, I began to realize that I really wanted one more. At first, dh wasn't on board, but in the end he said that if I was happy, he was happy. Dh had his little procedure done before our 4th was born. I was 35, and really didn't want to go through another pregnancy, even if something terrible happened, and our baby didn't make it (which almost was the case, but that's a whole other story). I am so glad that I pushed for my 4th, and I have never once wished for more children. My quiver is full.:D Lori

This is me, too. I have a few cups of coffee in the morning, but after that I drink either hot water or room temperature water. My grandparents, who are extremely health conscious, began drinking hot water years ago. I thought I'd try it, and I've been hooked ever since. I find it quite refreshing. When I go to someone's house, and they offer me a drink, this is what I always request. It seems to make them feel uncomfortable, as though they're not being a good hostess or something.:001_huh: For a while I felt really strange ordering it at a restaurant, because I didn't want the servers to think I was cheap, and about to pull out my hidden tea bag. Now I'm used to it, and will often order it with lemon, just because it seems more normal.:D Lori

Thanks for the input, ladies. My 15 yo dd is currently working through LoF Beginning Alg. and is really enjoying it (as much as a non-math girl can enjoy Algebra). I'm learning a lot, too! I already ordered the LoF books just before Christmas, so they should arrive any day now. I can't wait to get started! I think this will be exactly what ds needs to help him adjust his math attitude.:001_smile: Lori

Ds 13 is behind in math, and is beginning to feel frustrated. He's almost finished Singapore 6a. I'm wondering how long it would take for him to complete the two Life of Fred books (decimals, percents and fractions) that come before Algebra. Most of it would be review for him. I think it would give him a better foundation for moving into Algebra than what he'd be covering in Singapore 6b, but I could be wrong. I'm also thinking that the style of the writing would give him a fresh new look at math so that he can begin to enjoy it again. Would it be a good use of the remainder of our year to have him work through these books, or would I be better off sticking with Singapore, and completing 6b? Lori

This happens to me often. Tonight I was out getting groceries, and a man approached me in a very dark parking lot to ask me for money. I've had differing thoughts on this. I assume the money will be used for drugs and alcohol, which I don't really want to support. That said, me not giving a guy a few bucks isn't going to solve his addiction problem. Not only that, but if I had to sleep outdoors, in the winter, in Canada, I'd kinda like it if someone would help me get a little something to take the edge off, if you know what I mean. :sad: So, what are your thoughts? Any strong opinions? Any well researched studies? Any prayerful considerations? Lori ETA: In Canada (at least where I live), I think we have more addicts on the street, and fewer mentally ill - although there are certainly some. We have a different health care system, so there seems to be quite a bit of help for the mentally ill.

Dd 15 took some super cheap group lessons at our local rec center. It was less than $50 for three months of 1hr/week. It was enough to get her started, and now she's able to read chords and has been writing some of her own songs and plunking away at familiar tunes. She loves to sing, so this has been a lot of fun for her. I want to get her into private lessons, but they're about $24 per half hour, and she's already in private voice lessons this year. Lori

Well, we're not attending church these days, but the most recent church we attended was a Vineyard. It didn't really have a parking lot, since we rented a space downtown. Most of the families had 4 kids, so there were quite a few newer model mini vans. We drive a 2008 Sienna. One interesting thing about this church was that almost all of the men (except my dh) drove motorcycles. This church also ministers to the poor, so there were sometimes homeless people, or people who needed to get a ride. Obviously they wouldn't be represented by a car in the parking lot. I'm curious about the question, too. But I understand it, since I tend to analyze patterns. Lori

Yup. What they said. Helmets keep your head nice and warm. I'm even wearing one now, and I like that my head doesn't itch the way it does with a hat. Lori ETA: Well, I'm not wearing one right now, but when I ski I wear one.

Pear Budget was created by Charlie, who was a moderator on these forums. https://www.pearbudget.com/ It's easy to use. Lori

:iagree:

Now, wasn't there something about "husbanKs" mixed in with the "booKs"? Lori

:iagree: This is very sad. Lori

I would probably try to get most of them used if I were on a budget. I guess it depends on where you're going to come up with the extra $300. If it's going on your credit card to be paid off over the next ten years, then I probably wouldn't spend the extra. If it's coming out of your dining out budget, then go for it! Lori

Okay... I just have to tell my weirdest story about someone at my door. Early in our marriage, dh and I owned a share in a mobile home park/rv park. We lived on the property, and managed the park for 7 years. One night, between Christmas and new years, someone rang the doorbell. It was after 11:00 pm, but I answered the door. There was a naked man standing there. He wasn't even wearing socks! I'm in Canada, so it was mighty cold outside, but I screamed and slammed the door. Thankfully, dh was home, and came to the door to deal with the situation. What had happened is one of the tenants had had a fight with his young boyfriend, and the young boyfriend chased him out of the trailer with a knife! We called the police, who took an hour to show up. We gave the naked man some clothes so that he could cover up while waiting for the police. I could write a book about my adventures managing a trailer park! Lori

I believe there is a Yahoo group that would be able to help you with this question. I used to be a member, but now I can't seem to find the group. Could someone please post a link? Lori ETA: Found it! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IEWfamilies/

We have two large bins of Lego. When the boys dump it out, they dump it onto a large sheet or blanket, so when it's time to clean up, they just dump it from the blanket back into the bins. They hate to dismantle their creations, so they each have a cupboard in their rooms where they can store special creations. When they run out of space in the cupboards, they need to either dismantle, or put the new creation back into the bin. This works pretty well around here. Sometimes it will lay on the floor in one of their rooms for a week, but when I tell them to clean up so that I can vacuum, it only takes a few minutes. Lori

I'm planning to begin using the Age of Revolution II with my 15 yo dd next week, and I'm wondering how to start. I'm thinking that she and I will read the guide out loud together, and discuss some of the ideas that come up. Here's what I'm planning so far: Read lots of historical fiction from Sonlight 7 Supplement with a Canadian history study Get some of the TQ recommended reading at the library Have her use the TQ ThinkWrite topics for writing assignments Am I heading in the right direction? Does this seem like a reasonable starting point? I know that we'll tweak things as we move along, but I'm just trying to get the ball rolling. DD does a lot of independent work because I have three younger dc, but I really want us to discuss some of the ideas that are brought up in this study guide. Lori

:iagree:

Level B covers the same material as level A, so if you watch the TWSS yourself, and then go through SWI A, you probably wouldn't need to use SWI B. Now that I'm familiar with the program, I prefer to use the Theme Based Writing Lessons. We've used the Ancient History, Middle Ages, Bible Based, and are now working through Fables, Myths, and Fairy Tales. I could teach IEW without all of these "props", but I like that it's all laid out for me.:001_smile: Lori

For any parenting issues, I always find myself going back to Dr. Gordon Neufeld's book: Hold on to Your Kids. He would recommend that you "work the relationship". Take some time each morning to cuddle, or read, or do something that gets your dc's engine purring. If you start the day with your relationship on track, the behaviors are easier to address, and the correction comes from a place of love, rather than a place of frustration. It works both ways. If you're totally frustrated with your dc, dc will begin to pick up on that, which often translates to acting out, and testing your love. Vicious circle. I need to read this book again. I know that there are some issues with my dc that are coming up, and I need to be reminded about how to deal with the relationships, not just the behaviors. :grouphug: Lori

I used melamine paint when I painted my cabinets. It's an oil based paint, so it's smelly, and a bit of a pain to work with. I used a sponge brush. The cabinets turned out well. This was over ten years ago, so maybe the recommendations have changed. Lori

As I'm reading all of these interesting comments, I'm reminded of when I went to Egypt for a few months in 1990. Virginity is a huge issue for the women there. They are so afraid of losing their virginity that they won't ride bikes or use tampons. Often, men will follow the tradition of waving a blood stained handkerchief out the door on the wedding night to show the "purity" of their wife. One girl I met there was engaged, and had been for quite a long time (it was difficult to get married because finding an apartment was almost impossible in Cairo, so engagements were long). She said that if her fiancé suspected that she was not a virgin (which she was), he would not marry her. I couldn't believe it. This was the Christian community in Egypt, not the Muslim community. I want my children to wait, but I'm very thankful that we don't live in a place that shames them if they don't. Lori

The boys at our house sit, too. Some people seem to be uncomfortable with that, as though standing up to pee is more masculine or something.:confused: I don't get it, but I do tell my boys to stand up in public restrooms. My bathrooms don't smell like pee unless somebody comes to visit with their boys who stand.:001_smile: Lori

Welcome. I wish I had discovered this message board when my dc were younger. There is so much to learn here. Lori