This is what I meant by "modernized". Authors make choices in creating their works of art. I personally prefer the author's vision come through if a movie or a remake is to be made.

New content added that wasn't in the book modern, not baby making modern.

Thanks for the heads up. I will say I am a extremely liberal person and not impressed when classic stories are "modernized" to appeal to contemporary audiences, especially when the original stories were for children. I think it bastardizes the author's creation when radical shifts are made. And there are plenty of modern creative works for contemporary audiences to relate to. I was also supremely disappointed with the remake of My Family and Other Animals. The original by Masterpiece Theater is wonderful and sticks closely to the book. The new series, The Durrells, focuses mainly on the mother's romantic troubles like any other interchangeable contemporary drama. It was dark, and I tired of it quickly and did not finish the series nor did I bother letting my kids watch it. It lacked beauty. Luckily the earlier version of Anne of Green Gables and the Masterpiece Theater version of My Family and Other Animals are available for the subset of the population that likes their movies closely adapted to the books.

Activities Set up at light trap and attract moths and other insects at night, either by leaving your outdoor lights on for a period of time or by hanging a sheet and directing regular light and even black light at the sheet (do not look directly at black lights). Using a Blacklight to attract beetles and moths (skip the mercury vapor light) : Petersons has a great new field guide to the moths: https://smile.amazon.com/Peterson-Field-Northeastern-America-Guides/dp/0547238487/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1491575781&sr=8-2&keywords=petersons+moths Buy a sweep net from acorn naturalists and use it to sweep tree branches or field grasses. Insect Collecting: Sweep Nets: http://www.acornnaturalists.com/store/FIELD-INSECT-NET-15-SWEEP-P2271C0.aspx Buy an aquatic net from acorn naturalists and learn your aquatic insects. http://www.acornnaturalists.com/store/VERTEBRATE-MEDIUM-MESH-EXTENDABLE-ALUMINUM-HANDLE-AQUATIC-NET-P401C0.aspx Plant an insect garden https://smile.amazon.com/Attracting-Native-Pollinators-Conserving-Butterflies-ebook/dp/B004YXQLTS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1491576146&sr=8-3&keywords=xerces+society+books Turn over rocks and logs to find insects (remember to put them back as you found them) Trip to an Insectarium or natural history museum with an insect collection Join your state entomological society. They often have field trips. The following might not be a complete list. http://www.entsoc.org/resources/links/state_orgs A stereo microscope is a special addition to insect study, but a magnifying glass will also do you well. DVDs and YouTube (also you can search for just about any specific insect on you tube) Bugs of the Underworld (aquatic insects) DVD https://smile.amazon.com/Bugs-Underworld-Ralph-Lisa-Cutter/dp/B001MXZ61M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491575940&sr=8-1&keywords=bugs+of+the+underworld David Attenborough's DVD Life in the Undergrowth (highly recommended) https://smile.amazon.com/Life-Undergrowth-David-Attenborough/dp/B000EBD9W6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491574974&sr=8-1&keywords=Life+in+the+undergrowth Microcosmos DVD (highly recommended) https://smile.amazon.com/Microcosmos-Kristin-Scott-Thomas/dp/B06X1BY1XM/ref=sr_1_1_twi_dvd_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1491575007&sr=8-1&keywords=Microcosmos National Geographic Wild City of Ants Ants Nature's Secret Power https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-gIx7LXcQM Books: The Practical Entomologist https://smile.amazon.com/Practical-Entomologist-Rick-Imes/dp/0671746952/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491575193&sr=8-1&keywords=the+practical+entomologist Adventures with Insects by Richard Headstrom (highly recommended) https://smile.amazon.com/Adventures-Insects-Richard-Headstrom/dp/0486219550/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1491575350&sr=8-2&keywords=adventures+with+insects+headstrom Grassroot Jungles and/or Near Horizons by Edwin Way Teale (highly recommended) https://smile.amazon.com/Grassroots-Jungles-Edwin-Way-Teale/dp/B00RDCPOT0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491575416&sr=8-1&keywords=grassroot+jungles https://smile.amazon.com/Near-Horizons-Story-Insect-Garden/dp/B0007EB24C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491575441&sr=8-1&keywords=near+horizons The section on Insects in The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock https://smile.amazon.com/Handbook-Nature-Study-Botsford-Comstock/dp/0801493846/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491575646&sr=8-1&keywords=the+handbook+of+nature+study+by+anna+botsford+comstock The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliot and Wil Hershberger Book/CD combo OR John Himmelman and Michael DiGeorgio's Guide to Night Singing Insects of the Northeast (if you are in the northeast) Book/CD combo https://smile.amazon.com/Songs-Insects-Wil-Hershberger/dp/0618663975/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491576310&sr=8-1&keywords=the+songs+of+insects https://smile.amazon.com/Night-Singing-Insects-Northeast-Michael-DiGiorgio/dp/0811735486/ref=la_B001HCXOI0_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1491576372&sr=1-13&refinements=p_82%3AB001HCXOI0 Discovering Moths: Nighttime Jewels in Your Own Backyard https://smile.amazon.com/Discovering-Moths-Nighttime-Jewels-Backyard/dp/0892725281/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1491576517&sr=1-1&keywords=Moths+jewels+in+your+backyard+by+himmelman Blogs and Websites Piotr Naskrecki (Harvard entomologist) The Smaller Majority blog (there is also a book). Includes other invertebrates as well as insects. https://thesmallermajority.com/ What' That Bug Website (they rarely respond to requests for IDs, just so you don't waste your time) https://www.whatsthatbug.com/ BugGuide website (they rarely respond to requests for IDs, just so you don't waste your time) http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740

As a stalwart milk lover, well aware of her own confirmation bias, I perk up at the newer studies that whole milk reduces the risk of diabetes: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/04/18/474403311/the-full-fat-paradox-dairy-fat-linked-to-lower-diabetes-risk

First one two years and the second one three years, but the last year was only first thing in the morning and right before bed.

Here is a link to a science journal that published peer reviewed science articles (re)written for kids and teens. It focuses on nature, climate, biology, and environment. http://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/

Percale. Try 100% cotton percale sheets. And if you are looking for something old fashioned you must check Vermont Country Store. They try to replicate old favorites. Here are their sheets, including percale varieties: https://www.vermontcountrystore.com/home/category/sheets

# 1 Swimming. It's a life skill # 2 Art Studio. Art lessons with an artist who actually taught technique and had high expectations # 3 Do the Dig: simulated archeological digs with Dr. "Big Dog" Purcell of The Archeological Perspective. Went right along with our classical history lessons. Was truly "immersive", my son came home covered in dirt every day.

You could buy a crayola classpack. There are 16 of each color. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002T3WLS/ref=asc_df_B0002T3WLS4911996/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B0002T3WLS&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167105309002&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2389714635055515550&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9002437&hvtargid=pla-275495672817 Or a Prang Classpack which has 25 of eight colors. https://www.amazon.com/DIX80614-Dixon-Washable-Classpack-Markers/dp/B005OYCYSI/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1490635429&sr=1-1&keywords=prang+markers+classpack

In elementary and middle school: chronological history. In high school: extensive reading in literature, one good or great book after another with no writing component. Our high school completes four to five novels per year. One is Shakespeare. The other three are for appear random choices by the teachers. Graduates will have almost no knowledge of the great books or sense of American Lit or British Lit or World Lit through time. I aim to have my child reading an additional 10 to 20 novels a year. All three: 10 minutes here and there for art appreciation (one painting a day) and reading a poem a day. No associated writing. Just pure appreciation.

If your region is uncomfortably warm during the day, how about night nature study? Mothing is an excellent activity. You can leave your porch light on (if it has a regular incandescent or fluorescent bulb, not an antiâ€bug bulb or an LED) and moths will be attracted to the light and land on your siding. Step outside and observe, photograph, and make records of different species all year long. If you want to get really fancy, hang up a white sheet and get a regular light and a florescent bulb (don't look directly at this, shine it downward in its housing). It is also nice to learn the moth caterpillar's host plants and plant them to see if you can increase your moth populations. Other insects such as lacewings, beetles, fishflies, and katydids will also come to your lights. If your sheet is in the grass (and not on your deck), toads may hop over to snack on your moths. Turn your lights off when you are done observing so the moths can get on with the business of feeding and/or making more moths. Peterson's has an excellent moth guide: https://www.amazon.com/Peterson-Field-Northeastern-America-Guides/dp/0547238487/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490570691&sr=8-1&keywords=petersons+guide+to+moths John Himmelman's Discovering Moths: Nighttime Jewels in Your Own Backyard https://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Moths-Nighttime-Jewels-Backyard/dp/0892725281/ref=sr_1_45?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490571151&sr=1-45&keywords=Himmelman+john Douglas Tallamy's Bringing Nature Home to learn more about moth and butterfly host plants and wildlife friendly gardening: https://www.amazon.com/Bringing-Nature-Home-Wildlife-Expanded/dp/0881929921/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490571025&sr=8-1&keywords=Bringing+Nature+Home Also ponds and forests are alive with noises at night, learning the frogs from their calls and teasing out the members of the insect chorus (crickets, katydids, etc.) is a nice night time activity. Lang Elliot's general "A Guide to Night Sounds". This one is really nice because it includes natural history information, not just name of animal and call. https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Night-Sounds-Nighttime-Amphibians/dp/0811731642/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490571310&sr=1-1&keywords=A+Guide+to+Night+Sounds Lang Elliot's The Songs of Insects includes a CD: https://www.amazon.com/Songs-Insects-Wil-Hershberger/dp/0618663975/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1490570807&sr=8-4-fkmr2&keywords=Lang+Elliot+insect+sounds Lang Elliot's The Calls of Frogs and Toads also includes a CD https://www.amazon.com/Calls-Frogs-Toads-Lang-Elliott/dp/0811729680/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1490570923&sr=8-4&keywords=CD+amphibian+sounds Another good activity book for when the hot sun goes down: Elizabeth Lawlor's Discover Nature at Sundown: https://www.amazon.com/Discover-Nature-Sundown-ebook/dp/B001U898B8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490571687&sr=1-1&keywords=Lawlor+Discover+Nature+at+Sundown Also: Night = Fireflies https://www.amazon.com/Fireflies-Glow-worms-Lightning-Bugs-Identification/dp/0820348724/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490571374&sr=1-2&keywords=Fireflies And an infrared game camera installed in the backyard to see what mammals come and go on your property.

Monongahela National Forest! One of the most beautiful drives I have been on. Especially the stunning Seneca Rocks area and the bog boardwalk at Cranberry Glades Natural Area and the Highland Scenic Highway. We went in early April and the woods were carpeted with trillium. Along the scenic highway is a stop where some very rare iron formations create honeycombed boulders. There is a lovely river along one of the forest roads as well. https://www.fs.usda.gov/mnf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monongahela_National_Forest

Knitmama: If you are patterning the book after the style of your third paragraph, it should be great. Original Poster: Kindergarten is not too early to start! Vocabulary from Latin and Greek Roots is similar to knitmama's use of the root in many words. https://smile.amazon.com/Vocabulary-Latin-Greek-Roots-Book/dp/1580492002/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1490119677&sr=8-3&keywords=Vocabulary+from+greek+and+latin+roots+Prestwick My son loved Michael Clay Thompson's Series Building Language, Caesar's English I, and Caesar's English II. Unless you want a lot of Roman history, buy the older, smaller first editions used. You only really need the teacher's editions. My son had 100% retention from these. They are snuggle on the couch and learn together type books, not workbooks. Building Language only has a few words in it, but would be good for your youngest. https://www.rfwp.com/series/vocabulary-elementary-program-by-michael-clay-thompson This vintage reprint seems most like knitmama's approach of showing the root in multiple words. The link is to the whole text on archive.org Derivation of Words with Exercises on Prefixes, Suffixes, and Stems: An Appendix to Practical Lessons in the Use of English for Grammar Schools by Mary Frances Hyde https://archive.org/details/derivationwords00hydegoog

Welcome to the world, baby Rosemary. Good job, Mamma!

I replaced the Lee jeans I bought three years ago with the exact same style. This year's model has thinner denim and pockets HALF THE DEPTH of the same type three years ago. The same jeans. I always put my hands in my pockets and am contemplating a strongly worded letter! I am also having my neighbor/seamstress add fabric to make complete pockets because putting my hands in my pockets and having my fingertips hit the bottom before my knuckles are covered is driving me insane.

This one is also great, but specific to nighttime. (elementary and middle) Night Science for Kids by Terry Krautwurst https://www.amazon.com/Night-Science-Kids-Exploring-World/dp/1579904114/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1489869102&sr=8-2&keywords=night+science+for+kids These two vintage books are good for preschool through elementary. Nature Hikes is a terrific book to read aloud in sections (hikes in the fields, hikes in the woods, hikes around the pond, hikes following a stream, hikes in the winter, spring, summer and fall) before heading out on the trail. It is a 1970s big Golden Book style publication with colorful illustrations, sadly there is no description on Amazon. and The Complete Book of Nature Crafts is also a Golden Book, from the 1960s, and written by the Education director of the American Museum of Natural History. It is full of activities including how to collect a spider web. https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Hikes-Golden-Exploring-Earth/dp/B00112G1HC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489869461&sr=8-1&keywords=nature+hikes+golden+press https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Nature-Crafts-Activities/dp/B004BIS9AA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489869558&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Complete+Book+of+Nature+Crafts+A+Golden+Book

Also the Discover Nature series published by Stackpole Books are great for middle school to high school if they are using the books themselves but younger if you are using the books to teach from and direct activies. https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Discover+Nature+Stackpole+books There are quite a number of them on different topics: Discover Nature at Sundown, Discover Nature in Water and Wetlands, Discover Nature in Winter, Discover Nature in the Garden, Discover Nature at the Seashore, Discover Nature Around the House, Discover Nature in the Rocks, etc.

Don't know the ages of your kids, but here are a few activity guides (a few are vintage and will only be available used (and cheap!) or at the library). I have used all of these and heartily recommend all of them. I put them in order of increasing difficulty. Nature for the Very Young by Marcia Bowden (toddler to preschool) https://smile.amazon.com/Nature-Very-Young-Handbook-Activities/dp/047162084X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489866723&sr=8-1&keywords=nature+for+the+very+young Small Wonders by Linda Garrett (ages 3 thru K) https://smile.amazon.com/Small-Wonders-Nature-Education-Children/dp/1584655747/ref=pd_sim_14_11?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1584655747&pd_rd_r=5Y2HQFTMYXCWDCY34PT0&pd_rd_w=K9iAj&pd_rd_wg=wUcgo&psc=1&refRID=5Y2HQFTMYXCWDCY34PT0 Hands on Nature by Jenepher Lingelbach (elementary) https://smile.amazon.com/Hands-Nature-Information-Activities-Environment/dp/1584650788/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1584650788&pd_rd_r=5Y2HQFTMYXCWDCY34PT0&pd_rd_w=K9iAj&pd_rd_wg=wUcgo&psc=1&refRID=5Y2HQFTMYXCWDCY34PT0 Botany for All Ages by Jorie Hunken (late elementary to middle) https://smile.amazon.com/Botany-All-Ages-Discovering-Activities/dp/1564402819/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489867306&sr=8-1&keywords=botany+for+all+ages Ecology for All Ages by Jorie Hunken (late elementary to middle) https://smile.amazon.com/Ecology-All-Ages-Discovering-Activities/dp/1564401383/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1489867354&sr=8-2&keywords=ecology+for+all+ages+globe+pequot Adventures with a Hand Lens by Richard Headstrom (middle school) https://smile.amazon.com/Adventures-Hand-Lens-Richard-Headstrom/dp/0486233308/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489866994&sr=1-1&keywords=Adventures+with+a+hand+lens Adventures with Insects by Richard Headstrom (middle school) https://smile.amazon.com/Adventures-Insects-Richard-Headstrom/dp/0486219550/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489867050&sr=1-2&keywords=Adventures+with+insects+richard+headstrom The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock (middle school through early high school) https://smile.amazon.com/Handbook-Nature-Study-Botsford-Comstock/dp/0801493846/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489867140&sr=8-1&keywords=comstock+nature+study

Oh that's what happened to me! I wore a green 1920s wedding dress, and well, the Fae is as good an explanation as any for how I am now. :)

Big Bug Dug by Mary Surfozo https://smile.amazon.com/Big-Bug-level-Hello-Reader/dp/0439179335/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489708587&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=Early+reader+big+bug+dug Big Egg by Molly Coxe https://smile.amazon.com/Big-Egg-Step-Into-Reading-Step-1/dp/0679881263/ref=sr_1_66?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489708753&sr=1-66&keywords=Early+reader+books+level+1 Hot Dog by Molly Coxe https://smile.amazon.com/Hot-Dog-Step-into-Reading-ebook/dp/B003IN4AOI/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489708802&sr=1-9&keywords=Early+reader+books+level+1+step+into+reading I Like Bugs by Margaret Wise Brown https://smile.amazon.com/Like-Bugs-Step-Into-Reading-Step/dp/0307261077/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489708802&sr=1-6&keywords=Early+reader+books+level+1+step+into+reading Drop It Rocket by Tad Hills https://smile.amazon.com/Drop-Rocket-Step-Into-Reading/dp/038537254X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489708802&sr=1-1&keywords=Early+reader+books+level+1+step+into+reading

Around $45,000.

I regret stopping homeschooling, especially for my son. I did not realize that we could weather a very difficult adolescence and homeschool, and so we sent him to brick and mortar high school. It is just a ridiculous bunch of hoops to jump through instead of a rich education, and it is entirely unsuited to the way he thinks. If I had it to do over, I would have made a different choice.

Lark Maeve Paige Eve Acacia

I will have to try the Liggett and compare it to the Lush as it seems to be half the price. The Lush bars are 55 grams and the website says 80 to 100 shampoos. Liggetts are bigger, 3.5 oz.. Not sure how long they are supposed to last. Liggetts is also a NH company so very much more local for me. So much so, I bet they will be available where I shop. I will have to do a comparison and report back. I also have to say, no matter what you decide to use, these shampoo bars (which prior to this I did not know existed) are fabulous for travel. No worries about spillage in the suitcase or cosmetics bag.