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Ria

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Everything posted by Ria

  1. I use i-Science and love it. I prefer it to My Pals Are Here. I'm a biology major, and use i-Science and then Interative Science with my kiddos. I just put all my kids in public school, but I told them they'll still do Singapore math and science. LOL. Once a homeschooler, always a homeschooler, I guess! Ria
  2. I think the testing is a fantastic idea to make sure there are not other delays or issues you might not know about. I think you should reconsider. Even doctors evaluate kids based on milestones...think of these tests along those lines. It's not a test per se, it's an evaluation to make sure the child doesn't have other issues. Ria
  3. I'll let my pre-teens go to the local park if they are in a group of 4 or more (they are boys, btw). I'll let two of them walk around the block together. I will not let a single child walk alone until he looks like a man. So, my 15-year old can walk 1/2 mile to work, because he's a 2nd degree black belt and is full grown (lol...full grown makes him sound like a grown pup!). But my 8th grader? No way. Ria
  4. The only thing I can wear is gold. Surgical steel and those cheapy earrings cause infections quickly for me. Ria
  5. I completely agree with Toni. I think they are fear mongering, I think they stick their noses where they don't belong and don't stick their noses where they are needed most, I think they have worn out their need.. I could go on While knowing that you have legal coverage, should the need occur, is great, I gradually came to feel as if HSLDA was nothing more than a bully pulpit for a certain individual's viewpoint. Homeschoolers are not all right-wing conservative Christians (and I say this as a somewhat conservative Christian). Ria
  6. Is there any way you can give her tylenol, bundle her up, and take her with you? Ria
  7. There's really nothing to it. It's pretty quick, and contrary to what you might have heard, it's not excrutiatingly painful or anything. The worst part is the embarassment factor (having someone else handle your boobs...well...it's a bit different, lol). Good luck. You'll do just fine. Ria
  8. One of the early signs of MS is vision trouble. I'm not at all suggesting that's what this is, but I am suggesting that you get to the root of it. Start wtih your famliy doc and see what he recommends. Good luck... Ria
  9. One of my dearest friends used Learning Adventures and absolutely loved it. You'll have a wonderful time! Welcome to the boards. Ria
  10. You can see the detailed explanation in this thread (on page 3) if you are interested: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6307 We were going to wait until fall, but decided to go ahead and put them in school now. It's a good move for all of us. Ria,the ex-homeschooler (tee hee)
  11. The answer in my case was yes, and is now no. When my chilldren were younger, I was able to give them a great education and I knew it. They thrived, I thrived, and life was good. Fast forward 16 years...I'm tired. I wasn't giving my best to my kids. High school and junior high brought a harsh reality - the kids in the public schools are taking foreign language from a fluent teacher, they have great science labs, there are honors classes, AP classes, etc. My twins are now freshmen in college. We homeschooled, and used a cyber charter (but they were still at home), we enrolled them in a once-a-week classical program, they took classes at the community college and a local university. They got into great schools, dd got a full scholarship. I can look back and say I did just fine by them. Now, however, I must face some unpleasant truths: I'm tired and I'm not giving my best to my children. We were in a co-op this year, but it has failed to meet academic expectations. My kids are bored and not challenged...and I know this, and I personally don't want to fix it anymore. Gasp - I enrolled my 10th grader in public school last week. He loves it. He's got honors classes and is already feeling like he's working towards something...silly how a grade means more from a teacher than from me, lol. And...shock of shocks...we made the huge jump and enrolled the other three boys yesterday. It's done. I'm no longer a homeschooler. And I want to skip with joy, lol. Can an untrained parent (and by this I assume you mean someone who is intelligent but not a teacher) give their children a great education? Absolutely, without a doubt. Can they also get tired and not do the best job? Absolutely. Homeschooling requires diligence, and not only on the part of the student. I looked at myself and realized I was failing my kids - I was going through the motions, but the love of homeschooling was gone, and I was slacking. I enjoyed my years homeschooling, don't get me wrong, but I always said that I'd homeschool only as long as I could give my kids a better education than the public schools. These past few weeks I've realized that the truth of the matter is that the schools can do more than I can now. And...I'm happy. Blissfully, contentedly happy, and so are the boys. And life is still good. :) Ria
  12. A child with the flu is not likely to be on-and-off lethargic; rather, he's likely to look like he's been run over with a truck. My son got the flu a few years ago, and within 24 hours he went from fine to unable to move with a fever of 104 orally. He got pneumonia. I'd see your doc just to be sure. I hope your he feels better very soon. Ria
  13. Yes, I've been known to vacuum the driveway and the grass. Boys and glass bottles do not mix, lol. The vacuum survived just fine. Ria
  14. My feeling on vaccines is this: people will vaccinate their kids according to the risks they perceive if they don't vaccinate. For example, I know lots of families who have not vaccinated for polio and MMR. Why? Well, the risk of their kids getting these viruses is very low...because, and only because, most other people they will come into contact within the US have been vaccinated, which significantly reduces the chance of exposure to the virus. If, however, polio started running rampant in the US, you'd probably see an increase in the number of kids getting vaccinated for it. In short, when the threat becomes real, many parents will do whatever it takes to protect their children. Meningitis outbreaks are a bit of a mystery (why and when they occur is speculative), and lots of people haven't been vaxed for it. No one knows when, where, or why it will strike, and it can be deadly quickly. Even if I was against vaccinations, I'd look long and hard at the nature and outbreak incidence of this virus and the complications/dangers should a child/young adult contract it before I ruled out the vaccination. On a personal note, we had our twins vaccinated for this before they left for college. Ria
  15. Our plasma is a Panasonic, 45 inch. The LCD, which we bought to replace the plasma, is a 47-inch Phillips. There is a huge difference in the high definition channels between the two televisions. The LCD is far superior. The plasma is now the boys' Halo and Rock Band tv in the basement. Ria
  16. In fact, he came to me and asked about it, sent his wife and sister over to talk to me, and they both started homeschooling! He delays vaccinations for his own kids. :) Ria
  17. First, I'd limit the number of "junk" books he's allowed to check out at the library. Second, I'd give him a list of acceptable books (and I think you should be realistic...the two books you mentioned are probably not going to be the best to start out with a 10-yr old) to choose from, and have him pick a certain number of those books. Third, pick a book you really want him to read (one of the two you mentioned would be great) and read it aloud daily. Ask on the boards about good books to suggest to your son. Has he looked at the Redwall books? Ria
  18. In fact, it was so loud that it woke everyone else in the family - all seven of us. It did not, however, wake the sound sleeper for whom it was meant to help. LOL. Ria
  19. Hi, guys! I'm back for a bit. :) Updates on me: As you know, I've stopped selling MWS. It needs to be updated, and while I might do it someday, I don't have time to do it right now. I'm currently teaching English and marine biology at a co-op nearby. While it's been fun for my children to be there, we've found that it's not really meeting their needs. Last week my 10th grader came to us and asked to go to the public high school. After considering his request, and knowing how bored he is with his co-op classes, we agreed. He starts on Monday. The school was pleased with his transcript and work samples and has put him in several honors classes. He's thrilled, and we are thrilled for him. In addition, in the fall I'm planning to put the three younger boys in the school as well (they'll be in 6th, 7th, and 9th grades). They want to go, and I'm ready to let them. I feel like I've given them a solid educational foundation, and of course I'll stay involved in their schooling. I'm happy about it, and am enjoying my last few months of homeschooling. The twins are very happy at college. Life is good. :) Ria
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