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BBG580

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Everything posted by BBG580

  1. Blue Moon and a big bowl of spaghetti for me (and I didn't work out today --oooh!).
  2. Yeah, I've always wondered why more people aren't outraged by corporate welfare which costs us a heck of a lot more than any social program out there.
  3. :lurk5: We're using the Primer with my daughter, what other resources are there? Inquiring minds want to know...
  4. Every single time an early elementary planning thread gets going I see the same type of posts - ones that wish they had been more relaxed and those that wish they had pushed a little harder to have avoided issues in basic phonics and maths that are still being ironed out in the later years. Largely though, the impression I get from a lot of people is, "You crazy mothers are over-working your kids! Let them play in the mud and work in a lesson or two when you can but RELAX!". As a newbie, well, I can't just "relax". I think my kids need some basics under their belts by age 7, I'm not talking hours of work per day but I think some definite defined "school-time" is reasonable. I think I am fairly middle of the road, sticking with some basic, solid programs with "fun" activities for history, geography and science added in yet I have to admit I've felt chastised by some people for even including history, geography and science and foreign language at this age even if it is done in a fun, light and age-appropriate way. What do you do? Why do you choose to school in that way in the early years? Do you have regrets looking back about doing too much or too little? Why?
  5. I'm glad you agree. :) I just wanted to point out that I think it is sort of crazy to attribute glowing health with raw milk and disease as a result of a diet without raw milk. I love raw milk, it tastes wonderful but I sort of view it as I do alcohol, most of the time consumption is fine but it could be dangerous. I know the risks and I drink it anyway and I really like the family who provides us our milk. I do think it funny that states regulate the sale of raw milk because it is "dangerous" yet so many states happily use tax payer money for methadone clinics. I'm not saying that methadone as a way to treat heroine addiction isn't helpful, but COME ON! It is just crazy some of the stuff the FDA and state governments decide is a "health risk" and other things that are tax payer supported. To believe that lobbyists aren't at the bottom of it all is a little nuts too. A lot of things that aren't good for human use are easily bought (ie. guns and cigarettes immediately spring to mind) but Oh! - raw milk is dangerous. It is funny when you think about it and it is all really politically motivated.
  6. I think isolated situations should be considered anecdotal. Maybe there are other factors that keep that family so healthy that have nothing to do with the milk. Maybe the doctor has hereditary heart disease. It isn't like raw milk is a magic bullet drug that will cure the human race's health issues! Listen, I buy and drink raw milk I just try and be realistic about the benefits vs. risks. I do think it tastes better and I do think in general things that are less processed are better for you. However, there are benefits to pasteurizing and to ignore those benefits seems a little silly. (I do pasteurize the milk my kids drink.)
  7. I got this recently and I've found that I really, really like it so far. Then again we are in the honeymoon period still. :001_smile: My brand new three year old is advanced in math and early reading so I bought a few other things that I thought we would work on but he is still so little and toddlerish in mannerisms and physical dexterity that Little Saints has really shown to be a much better fit for us. I like that all the activities are hands on and fun, I don't mind the prep work so much (but then again I prepped for a full six weeks with printing and cutting out and filed the stuff so I could just pull and go without much effort) and most of the books we have or are easy to find at our parish library. For the price you get a lot, lot, lot. Also, the curriculum is set up for a 3 day week which for us is perfect b/c he has swimming lessons one morning and I need an errand morning as well. It is just enough.
  8. Yep, this is what we bought and drank when we lived in the Midwest but it is just impossible to find in our current area. I simply low heat pasteurize milk myself at home now (though I do sometimes drink it raw b/c the taste really is insanely good!) and have that same great non-homogenized milk with great flavor that I am not worried about my children drinking. I don't think I have ever believed in "milk magic" or anything like that, I just think raw milk tastes delicious and is so much different than what you get at the store that is ultra-pasteurized. It is like two entirely different beverages flavor-wise. Even my husband was surprised at how much better fresh, non-homogenized milk tastes.
  9. It means you can save the seeds and they will grow out exactly like the plant it came from. Hybrids do not produce true seed, they are usually some combination of the hybrid parents and you don't know what you will get.
  10. rareseeds.com Baker's Creek is great!
  11. We're using I'm Ready To Learn here and there coupled with Little Saints and Get Ready, Get Set, Go For the Code! for my advanced three year old. I did nothing for PreK with my oldest and she's absolutely on track for her age without doing anything "school-ish" though my son really likes to do "school" type activities. We mix and match, I'll probably get more organized when he's four and actually do all of IRTL in sequence. I pick and choose right now and there is really a lot in the updated package that is great. I've no experience with Sonlight though, so I can't offer a comparison!
  12. I grew up drinking raw milk and no one in my family ever got sick. I buy raw milk now and I drink it raw but I home pasteurize the milk that I give my kids. Their bodies are really little and I just prefer to be cautious. I would also never even offer the milk I pasteurize to other children in my home unless their parents knew and agreed that it was fine for them.
  13. You have no idea how much I'd love to quote this!
  14. Oh come on, her egg arrival - it is SO NEWSWORTHY that it is the huge lead story on CNN online. :001_rolleyes:
  15. I've had it! The egg thing has finally sent me into orbit! What is the deal with this woman and why does everyone seem to think she is so wonderful? She's weird, she does strange things and people call her a genius. It seems like a case of The Emperor's New Clothes to me. She tells people how wonderful she is so often that everyone believes her at this point! Hey, I'll admit that her music is catchy, but revolutionary? On par with the Beatles or the Rolling Stones? NO WAY! Meat dresses and egg arrivals don't equate to genius musician. She's a master marketer, I'll give her that.
  16. I'm southern, so dinner is always a mid day large meal (usually following church or an event). Regular weekday evening meals are supper. Regular weekday midday meals are lunch.
  17. How many of us are here? I see a lot of the same names in both the PR and ToG threads so I thought it might be fun if we all found each other in one spot.
  18. First, I think we have the same mother. :001_smile: Second, I think a combo works best. I agree 100% with you that children rely on memorization and picture prompts to "read" in public Kindy. My oldest is in public K right now and she "reads" me refrigerator stories that she's worked on in class and if I cover up any of the visual cues or single out a word in one of the sentences she cannot read it. So she has memorized what the teacher has said repeatedly and uses the pictures to prompt which sentence she needs to parrot. Like you, I don't think this is reading! We are doing phonics at home and the combo seems to be helping her. I am not using dolch words with her at home because she is getting them repeatedly at school. Also, our school using Terc's Investiagtions and it is a math curriculum that I think is junk. I've read that it is similar to Everyday Math but I've never looked at EM, so I don't have an opinion on EM. My mother and sister also think EM is a great program. I'm in the same boat. Homeschooling has become a topic we all just avoid because family is so unsupportive and I choose to not engage them in any way about it. Hang in there!
  19. Thanks for all the great ideas! We do have a butterfly pavilion and I will order butterflies for it. I love the noodle project, the lapbook and the GEM mini unit. Thanks ladies!
  20. Zinnias, morning glories, poppies, sweet peas, and moonflowers are all super easy to grow from seed and all lovely!
  21. I'm looking for the best of butterflies - books, crafts, projects and so on that incorporate butterflies. I've got Shining Dawn's unit study which is a great jumping off place but a lot of the activities and projects are too old for my first grader. I've seen a lot of books on Amazon but there are so many, I really need to narrow down for the best of the best. Art and music connections are also appreciated!
  22. http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/2009/07/new-outdoor-hour-challenge-ebook-garden_27.html Check out Shining Dawn books unit studies, they have some that might work as well.
  23. Well, I've changed my mind a good bit since I replied 6 weeks ago (and I can't edit that post?!). Lit/Phonics/Handwriting: PR1, Veritas Press First Favorites 2x per week Math: McRuffy Color Math and Orange Miquon Geography: Evan Moor Beginning Geography K-2 and Expedition Earth History: ToG Year 2/Units 3 and 4 half pace, heavy on the crafts and read alouds Science: Seasonal Unit studies from Shining Dawn Books (very CMish) PE: Swimming lessons and Tae Kwon Do once weekly each Art/Music: Crafts from history and geography, no idea about music! Religion: CCD begins, Saint of the Day, Mass a few times per week Whew!
  24. The first unit I bought I bought DE + print. The second unit I bought I only got DE. Why? It was on sale! After having the first print version and really being able to go through it I was much more clearly able to see how the curriculum is set up and what I personally need to be looking for to make it work for my LG kiddo. There is so much content that I don't need right now that is taking up place in my binder. So, I did the DE for the second and I will pick and choose specifically what I want to print and I'm guessing I'll have about a quarter to a third of the paper in my binder compared to what I've got in there for the first unit I bought. I like easy updates via DE as well!
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