I think she gave that the thumbs down because she already read The Bartimeous (sp?) trilogy and it was too close. She likes sarcasm, and wants something like a Lemony Snicket or Roald Dahl for mature teens. She also wants the characters to be tenns or adults. She's not asking for much, is she, LOL?

I thought it was morbid, too. I went ahead and took it out of curiosity. Me: 19% 10% DH: 17% 1%

I'm thinking that she said weight bearing exercise because it builds bone density and prevents further bone loss. My suggestion would be to work in conjunction with your doc or a PT to find what works best for your condition. The exercises I was thinking of were the sort Beth in OH mentioned that retrained posture, and mild stretching to alleviate pain. Both are good, as long as it's suitable for your condition. PT rocks and a custom plan can be constructed for you in only a couple of visits.

My 14.5yo dd is looking for a good read. She loved Harry Potter when she was younger, and she just read the Twilight and Eragon series. Soo...now what? She has regular reading assignments for English I, but she wants a fun read for bed time. She wants something along those lines of fantasy, but bteer written than Meyer and Paolini. In the past year she has also enjoyed reading Poe and 1984. She's go that 'emo' personality and likes things that are a little on the edge, with lots of action, no gore, and well-written since she's a WTM kid :cheers2:.

You know, it really does have to have some kind of common sense limit to it. My oldest was the FL State Indoor target champ for her age group. Her bow is about a $600 recurve set-up though, probably not what you're looking for. ;) Sorry, you don't get to brag about that achievement very often. I have a friend whose boys made their own bow and arrow set out of wood. I think they bought a cheap bow and made their own wooden arrows. Pretty clever and then they had to study the physics to get the arrows to fly right. From what I understand, they are pretty good with it (elementary, jr high, high school age). Ok then, she says that any bow under $50 isn't really going to be much fun and will break easily. She played around with one with my dh when they were shooting at a Gander Mountain range. She says the draw length is too short, it wouldn't even go 18m, and you sure couldn't put any eye out with one. She agrees with the $156 starter set from the previously listed site, or checking on ebay. As for safety, when she shoots in the backyard, she calls out before she fires a shot. Siblings and dogs/cats must be inside. I don't know if her bow is lethal because she only draws 27 pounds, but it's a recurve, not a compound, and she has those thin carbon arrows for target shooting. I bet it could put a hurtin' on you at close range! :eek:

I have a Fellowes that I bought from eBay. it works OK for light use. If I had the funds, I would buy a heavy duty metal binder (don't know the name). They seem indestructible!

I feel your pain...literally! I'm 38 with RA and I have arthritic changes in my neck. It can be quite painful. The only thing I can think of (besides calcium and proper diet) is to be mindful of exercises and posture. That can alleviate the strain on the neck.

Oh my word, I don't think I've ever experienced weather in the 20's...ok, maybe one night during a strange, hard freeze! Tomorrow's forecast is a high of 61...Brrr! I can't believe it's so cold so early! :)

So you're the pone that got my 99 cent poinsettias, LOL! I wasn't looking for any big ticket Black Friday items, but needed to take my 12yo dress shopping for her Christmas Banquet. We went to Penney's and found a dress she loved marked down from $70 to $35. It looks like she can re-wear it for other occasions and she can wear it for a while while she grows...I'm happy!

When I took comm college English, it was Freshman Comp I, all writing. For that, I think Rod and Staff English would do well. Perhaps they are looking for grammar skills and composition skills? Is there an essay portion? If so, then I think IEW for writing would be very beneficial. If I may add an opinion, please don't be offended...I know how helpful dual enrollment can be, but added pressure that your son may be feel to perform or hurry up and learn may be a hindrance. I'm not saying you would push him too hard, but I know I probably would if I were in your shoes, LOL!

Pamela, I strongly agree about your statement regarding ADHD diagnosis in boys who are developmentally ready for school. Same for some girls. I was diagnosed with ADD as an adult. I finally felt like...so that's what's been going on all this time. I failed 11th grade because of my intense dislike of school, but did nightschool and summer school to graduate. In the meantime, I scored 99th percentile on the standardized tests and did pretty well on my ACT. Trying to focus in school was so painful. My head is like a staticy radio station that is not quite tuned in. I chose the anti-depressant route to control the moodiness...I didn't crae for other meds that slowed my brain down. So, I still have the static, I just don't care about it! :) The fun part is that if I don't feel like cleaning house, I can just wait 5 min and I'll get distracted by something else, LOL! Now I see the symptoms in my 14yo, who has always been homeschooled. She started taking meds this year and it has made a big diiference for her. She takes them only on school days. She's in high school now and her work load is a bit more intense. One day she went to English class without meds and said she felt completely lost. OK, to stay on topic, I agree that it isn't compulsory ed that "creates" the ADHD situation, it think the compulsory ed creates a situation in which the ADD symptoms become more noticeable, or a hindrance.

I don't, either. My 12 1/2 yo dd wears make-up once in a while and is a very conservative socially/morally young lady. She just likes pretty things. She wears lip gloss a lot and has painted her nails for a looooong time now. She has light face powder, mascara, and very light eyeshadow, but doesn't wear them very often...usually only for going out to the ballet, maybe the movies or a nice dinner. I think prohibiting her from wearing make-up if she wanted to would make it a forbidden fruit and a big deal. :) Now my 14yo never wears make-up except for black nail polish. :P She's not rebellious, either. ;) Ohh..come to think of it, I have an 11yo 2nd cousin in rural GA who is in all sorts of beauty pageants and does very well. Her dad is a beautician and he makes sure that she never goes out in public without a full face of heavy make-up. It looks pretty strange to me and she looks about 16-17. This is definitely a case of too much make-up too soon. I've often wondered what that will do to her sexuality since she seems to carry herself like an object of sorts. But it's not just the make-up, it's the whole emphasis on the physical. It's not a dig on make-up or pageants, it's just the dysfunctionality of this particular family.

My husband and I went last night with my 14yo tough critic. She gave the movie overall a 7-8, a movie based on book 3-4. Cinematography 1, scenery 10, actors 2, Parramore soundtrack 5 million :), Screenplay 2. My husband thought it was cheesy, but hasn't read the books. I thought it was....OK. Edward wasn't as fuzzy as I thought I saw in the trailers. His accent didn't bother me, I really didn't care for the Bella character. You what I really didn't like (possible spoiler)? I didn't like that some of the best conversations from the book were changed or removed completely. But overall, it was entertaining. I'd like to see it again to really watch now that I saw it for the first time, KWIM?

Favorites are/have been: Guess Who (the kids could play alone when they were younger) Battleship for the same reason Set (love that game!!) Clue Yahtzee Sorry Apples to Apples Old fashioned card games: gin rummy, rummy The girls love Wii now. I may get Life this year and Cribbage to get everyone off the electronics.

And see, for the early years, I used Miquon, then Math-u-See.

How long and for what grades have you homeschooled? This is my 10th year of homeschooling, K-9 and K-7 Did you know from the start you would homeschool or did some event point you down this road? I decided to homeschool when my oldest was 4 Were you homeschooled? No Does anyone in your extended family homeschool? No, but I think I have a cousin who is considering. Everyone thinks we're strange. What method and materials did you use your first year of homeschooling? I wanted a rigorous education and bought Christian Liberty Press K in a box. Later I changed to KONOS. What method and materials are you currently using? I think the neoclassical approach will always shape our homeschool, but we are very eclectic. We are also in the season of outsourcing, at the girls' requests. My 7th grader goes to a classical day school on Mon for her weekly assignments, plus Chalkdust pre-Alg at home. My 9th grader takes some private classes at our private school, some classes with FL Virtual School, plus Alpha Omega Bilbe and Rosetta Stone French at home. What books, ideas, etc. have helped shape your homeschool? The hands-on, handcuffs and gag approach of Konos combined with the neoclassical approach of WTM. What has been the most challenging aspect for you? Manging my schedule and staying on track. I have utilized outside classes to assist me in this area. We're all a bit ADD. :) What aspect has come naturally for you? Having fun and being hands-on. What are your favorite homeschool memories thus far? Reading out loud. I loved the year we did Sonlight and everyone was snuggled around the living room while we enjoyed good books. What is the best advice you've been given? Remeber that homeschooling is a marathon and not a sprint. What advice do you give others just starting this journey? It takes about three years to find a groove that works for your family. During that time, read about learning styles and get to know yourslef and your children. Don't be afraid to tweak things and throw out curriculum that doesn't work, even if it was expensive.

You know, I can't knit, but I love to WEAR socks...hint, hint. Especially striped, fuzzy ones.

Ohh, vampires have always been so sexy. Maybe it's the nighttime, the neck biting, the mysterious secret. My stepdad was telling me that his mom was hooked on Dark Shadows.

My dd would cast Edward as "this hot French dude" http://loyaldragon.deviantart.com/art/Edward-Cullen-80178842 I saw Patterson with his fuzzy tummy in a trailer and thought, "Eww. The marble stone Edward isn't supposed to have hair!" I hope this doesn't get slaughtered as badly as Eragon. I don't know if I can handle sitting next to dd whispering in my ear, "This isn't from the book!"

I'm not on the list...sniff...but I miss the old feel of the board, too. I used to post so much more than I do now, but I'm 5 years into just my master's and *that* seems eternal. The PhD is going to be loooooong! By the way, I remember you, Brenda!

Can I post that I'm going plus a teenage daughter and a husband? I bought my tickets yesterday. :D Little sister is going to a girl party where 4 of them are going to a 11pm showing after dance class. Then they are sleepover at one girl's house and that mom is driving them all back to the studio for Nutcracker rehearsal at 11am. I think they're nuts.

I don't think it's just girls. Boys have a definite pecking order, but they're not so "two-faced" about it. If they don't like each other, they just plain don't. But if one cool boy perceives another will lower his status, the uncool boy will be avoided. It's not like the cool boy will be friends with him after school or when no one is around. I've seen that happen in my years of teaching, especially in middle and high school age boys.

I think it's just some people, not just the age. Both of my girls, 12.5 and 14.5 have some real classy friends, and then there are some real doozies. At the ballet school, there are some 11yo girls the same way, and some high schoolers the same way. Usually, I see the parents or peers they choose follow similar suit.

LOL! It's supposed to be an upgrade, you know! This house will be easier to maintain because my critters will be easier to place. Everyone has their own little place. The master bedroom is such an improvement and the girls are on the waaay other side of the house! I lose my fantastic FL room, but I also won't have those 13 floor to ceiling windows to clean...YUK! Plus, this house gets so darn hot. I think I'm going to find some flowers to plant in the mailbox flower box thingy. Is it too early for holiday poinsettias? Christmas stuff always makes me feel warm and fuzzy. I'm going to find a basket with cool fire logs starter 'stuff', too.

then why do I feel so "depressed" about it? We are moving out of our first home that we've lived in for about a dozen years. This is the house that we bought together as a married couple; we picked it together, and moved in when my youngest was one. We've seen so many changes here, the yard is great, it has a pool, and I still mark the kids' heights on the kitchen wall, LOL! We've had the same neighbors all this time. But, the bedrooms and bathrooms are really tiny, and we have just outgrown this house. We couldn't get financed for our first choice house with the current market, so we're moving into my mom's old house that's 2 miles away. We already own it as we bought it from her when she moved a year ago. So, the elderly tenants have moved and we are now touching up the paint and replacing carpet. It's in a much better neighborhood, and it's a little bit bigger. The bathrooms are a lot bigger, so is the kitchen. But the yard is a lot smaller and there is no pool (never mind that no one even swam in it last year, LOL). And there is no little lake in front of this house, but there is a wooded lot behind it with owls and such. The neighbors are nice here, too. I'm just not feeling a sense of excitement over moving, and neither are the kids. I'm not even sure my husband is excited. It's a good move for us, but it feels like something we "should" do. It's everything we want to do and we've been wanting to move for years, but now that we're doing it, it just feels so blah. We're supposed to move this month and no one has even started packing. I don't know...how am I supposed to feel? What can I do to make it more exciting for the family? When I look at the wall and think about painting over those little height marks, I tear up. Our tenants who are moving into this house offered to remove the plaster for me and repair it. He's so sweet, sniff!