It reflects regional dialect and thus is wonderful for storytelling, but not grammatically correct. ", me and Winn-Dixie," is an appositive phrase renaming the subject and would be diagrammed on the subject line (in parenthesis right next to two) and thus should also be in the subjective case "Winn-Dixie and I". The "us" in "of us" is the object of a preposition and that is why it is in the objective case. This prepositional phrase has no bearing on the relationship between the subject and its appositive. I do love the sentence as written though. It is beautiful and transports you right into the setting of the book.

I want to offer a slightly different view, one from E. O. Wilson, Harvard biology professor and world expert on ant behavior. He writes in his book Letters to a Young Scientist in the chapter entitled "First Passion, Then Training" that: "You may think me foolhardy, but it's been my habit to brush aside the fear of mathematics when talking to candidate scientists. During my decades of teaching biology at Harvard, I watched as bright undergraduates turned away from the possibility of a scientific career, or even from nonrequired courses in the sciences because they were afraid of failure in the math that might be required. Why should I care? Because such mathphobes deprive science of an immeasurable amount of solely needed talent and deprive the many scientific disciplines of some of their most creative young people. This is a hemorrhage of brain power that we need to staunch." E. O. Wilson He does not recommend turning one's back on mathematics, but explains that passion must precede mathematical knowledge. It sounds like your child may have a passion toward the sciences. Fourteen is a little early to tell him, sorry Bub, you didn't finish Algebra I in 8th grade so you are off the list. E. O. Wilson himself credits the years he spent in Boy Scouts and messing around in fields watching bugs with inspiring his scientific achievements, not his grades in high school mathematics. The mathematics came later when he needed it to continue following his passion. So if your child is interested in science let him explore it as much as possible outside the classroom (writing to professors of the subject, going to science museums, watching videos, reading, doing experiments) as well as moving along in math. High school students are ready to make real contributions to scientific knowledge especially in such subjects as field biology and ecology. I am sure that a high school student who has studied sparrows alongside a local college professor in the summers but had only completed pre cal by senior year would be much more appealing than the hordes of applicants who followed the suggested mathematics path but never worked in a lab or at a paleontology dig. Since you are homeschooling your child should have the freedom to make connections with people in the sciences in your area or via email. Also, there are science related careers that are not research based and thus don't require the highest level of math: working at a science museum, nature center, or zoo, teaching science in school, working in state government in various departments, science journalism, and science curriculum development. So don't throw away the dream quite yet!

You can watch the teacher training videos for Logic of English free on YouTube. I think they would set your mind at ease about your ability to do any of the programs on your list. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE6gQE-Y0vNCaFbnDL47j-p-xqGtL79Ne

For Chemistry: The Periodic Table of Videos by the University of Nottingham. My kids love this as there are some good explosions. A video for each element and for some molecules and even a few compounds. http://www.periodicvideos.com/

A fun extra for the artsy kid might be a world stamp album. Here is an inexpensive one designed for kids from Amazon. Amazon also has packets of world stamps available. http://www.amazon.com/Explorer-World-Wide-Stamp-Collecting/dp/B000QSIQSY/ref=pd_sim_sbs_t_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1AM6NK5TKX79S965JN5J Examples of a group of world stamps for sale. There are many more if you search. http://www.amazon.com/45-Genuine-Postage-Stamps-Assortment/dp/B004UIQWNW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419899875&sr=8-1&keywords=45+genuine+postage+stamps+animals http://www.amazon.com/Packet-Different-Collectable-Worldwide-Stamps/dp/B005LFLJDG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1419899904&sr=8-2&keywords=world+postage+stamps

You will need an eval at some point. But in the meantime... Did she learn to read in the beginning using an intensive phonics program like All About Reading/All About Spelling, Spalding, Logic of English, or SWB's phonics based reading program (Every Parents Guide to Teaching Reading? maybe?)? Did you complete the program? As in did she memorize all the phonogram sounds and rules and apply them? Can she divide words into syllables? Can she break them into phonemes verbally? If she is not fluent in phonics, I would drop her way back to the beginning of a program like Logic of English Essentials or Spalding and do short lessons everyday. It should help both her reading and spelling and these intensive type of programs are similar to the Orton Gillingham programs used with Dyslexic students. I think that breaking the words apart is a foundational skill that is often skipped. I like Denise Eide's method of holding up a finger for each phoneme as it is sounded out in the word. You can take her teacher training course for free on YouTube. There are 22 videos in the training series. She is going to resist reading BECAUSE it is so hard for her and she feels like a failure so she has given up. By taking her all the way back and doing very short lessons, you should be able to rebuild her confidence.

I can't get archive.org to come up at all right now. Hopefully, it will be working again soon. It is a very useful site for free online books.

I grew up in Vassalboro, MEMama, and we drove the 1 hour plus to those beaches every other week in summer. I am in western Maine on the NH border now, a much longer commute to fun in the sun!

I just discovered this real gem which looks like it would be very appealing and relevant to high school creative writing students. It is not a curriculum per se, but a "discussion between" teacher and student. One chapter is the teacher explaining an element of fiction and the next chapter shows how it is incorporated into a short story or chapter. It seems to go beyond the typical creative writing tips to include serious and thoughtful writing instruction that responds to typical struggles of the developing writers and goes far beyond just getting words on the page. From Fact to Fiction by Edmund Ware and Robeson Bailey https://archive.org/stream/fromfacttofictio00smit#page/n5/mode/2up There is one of those scanned reprints of this book available on Amazon as well. http://www.amazon.com/Fact-Fiction-Classic-Reprint/dp/B0093OUGU8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418310785&sr=8-1&keywords=edmund+ware+from+fact+to+fiction&pebp=1418310788370

I was raised in Maine and just returned this year so my kids could take advantage of the school choice a handful of towns here that allowing the high school students to go to local private schools for free. Lewiston Auburn is a former mill town with the residual class and poverty issues common to such towns that did not transition well out of the manufacturing era. There is a nice Franco American community there that adds a lot of fun cultural and cuisine options. There are also a good number of Somali immigrants that are making the towns their new home. You will be within an easy drive of some good swimming lakes at the State Parks. Plenty of other recreational activities in the region as well. Getting to the beach is a bit of a haul, especially my favorite beaches Reid and Popham. Bates college is located in Lewiston and has cultural events and probably an art museum. The trip to Augusta isn't bad at all and there is The Maine State Museum which is always educational plus state government stuff that may or may not interest you. A bit further is The Colby College Museum of Art in Waterville. Portland has more restaurants per capita than just about anywhere else! It also has a lovely art musuem and Children's Musuem. Be prepared for it to take time to make friends. Mainers tend to be reserved and hard working. Many just don't "hang out" with their friends. They don't have much spare time and what there is of it is usually dedicated to family. However, they are a very helpful and caring bunch, ready to lend a hand should you need help with something. I believe Maine has the oldest housing stock in the nation. There are numerous 200 year old houses out there! It sounds like you are used to the "character traits" of old homes and should be fine, but they do add to the heating bills with their lack of insulation. Winter is long. I think that is one reason Mainers tend to be big supporters of their libraries! Also why Mainers, men and women, tend to learn handicrafts. It is good to have something to do when you are snowed in. There are plenty of winter sports opportunities for those who want to get outside though. Also, you should shell out the money for winter tires no matter what, on these roads they give great peace of mind. Check out Down East Magazine. It definitely is a booster club for Maine, but there is a lot of good information in there. Also start reading the local papers to get an idea of what it is really like in Auburn. http://www.downeast.com/

This is a PSA for all you Nutella lovers out there (out of the kindness of my heart as I am decidedly NOT one). A recipe for a gorgeous braided nutella Christmas Tree Bread. http://www.goodshomedesign.com/braided-nutella-christmas-tree-bread-recipe/

An excellent video on the philosopher Aristotle's contribution to founding the science of biology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QesWw3Zz0Ms

Video about Aristotle as not only a philosopher but the "founder" of the science of biology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QesWw3Zz0Ms

I came across this blog during a random search for something quite different and know that the vintage book lovers on the forum would find it a great resource. She provides a very good portrait of each title which is invaluable as most vintage book listings on Amazon have scant information. Once Upon a Bookshelf http://onceuponabookshelf.com/?p=545

If you are crafty you might be able to turn this diamond ring key chain into an ornament. http://www.amazon.com/Trademark-Silver-Bling-Diamond-Chain/dp/B00BQVUAG6/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417572620&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=with+ths+ring+diamond+ring+key+chain

Second place in a national (international?) contest held by a huge publisher is a major deal! We are so proud of you. And the fact you were asked to resubmit, golden!

Keep your braids if you love them. If they are too much work then consider a change, but realize your little ones will be in shock if you change your signature style! Kids often hate it when their moms get haircuts. Mine are still complaining that I started coloring my hair 5 or so years ago and want me to go gray again.

We have video games only because my husband played them prior to our becoming parents. I held my son off until he was five. My daughter started playing at three because her brother was playing. I personally have no interest in them whatsoever and would not have them in the house if it were not for dh (though I thought the Leap Pad was fine for little kids). It depends on the kid what rules you have to make concerning play or if you can have video games in the house at all. Boys are more likely than girls to become obsessed with them. Some kids have more addictive personalities than others. However, many kids are excellent at self regulation. Some families are so busy with outside activities that there would never be enough time available for the games to become a problem. It all depends. Be aware that some games are specifically crafted by their designers to trigger pleasure centers in the brain and these may cause more disobedience than other games as a result. Also many games have only a few "save points" that were certainly not designed with mothers in mind. If I want the thing turned off NOW, I do not want to hear a plaintive "but I have to get to a save point" whine. In my opinion, all children's games should be savable at any moment. Video games do change the structure and biochemistry of the brain as well in both good and bad ways. This report looks particularly at violent video games, but I am sure you could Google information on nonviolent video games as well. http://patients.aan.com/resources/neurologynow/index.cfm?event=home.showArticle&id=ovid.com%3A%2Fbib%2Fovftdb%2F01222928-201410030-00017 My son has been known to sneak down to play video games in the night and as a result all screens have to be "locked up" after bedtime. Upon reaching the teen years, given the choice, he would do nothing else but play video games. Before the teen years he was happy to come up with a wider range of things to do. My daughter would never sneak downstairs to play them in the night though she is just as highly interested in the games. Honestly, I think it is more about the kid than the parenting. Each kid requires different handling depending on their innate personality and maturity. You might think about just giving your dh a game system with grown up games that won't really interest your littles and hold off for a few more years.

In many schools, the teacher is supposed to demonstrate that the children showed growth during the school year. So they tend to give a middling to low assessment the first semester so that there is "room to grow" during the rest of the year. That can't happen if all the kids starts out with top marks.

I definitely think that there is a misconception that r@pe, abuse, cutting, etc. are everyday things amongst all teenagers and that in some way reading about these things will be therapy. Considering how many posts on this forum are headed with "trigger alert" meaning that there is content that might trigger PSTD or bad feelings from past abuses, I cannot fathom how these teachers think it is a good idea to present these topics to young people for whom they have little background information. There seems to be a blending of psychology and English literature that I am just not quite getting. Sure these things are part of the human condition which is explored in literature but there is so much more to the human experience, beauty, character, loyalty, freedom, discovery, surely 5 out of every 10 books on the reading list needn't include r@pe. I am also very concerned as a parent who has tried to prolong some innocence and childhood as long as possible that now many 14 year old boys and girls first introduction to s@x in literature will not be in the context of a relationship, but instead a graphic depiction of a r@pe. I strongly believe that people, including teens, should be able to choose the books that interest them, but assigning books in school that are required reading is a very serious responsibility, but the current educational "fad" is favoring books that explore the dark underbelly of teenage culture instead of expanding the student's worldview to include a wider range of experience.

And this was the # 1 favorite preschool toy ever in our house. Critter Clinic Toy Vet Play Set. They love the lockable doors. http://www.amazon.com/B-Toys-Critter-Clinic-Play/dp/B00B16U50C/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1417009891&sr=8-3&keywords=stuffed+pet+hospital

This veterinary kit. My kids loved it. My 9 year old still uses it. http://www.amazon.com/Battat-68029AM-Dalmatian-Vet-15-Piece/dp/B000BKGM1K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417009706&sr=8-2&keywords=toy+cage+for+stuffed+animals

I probably have the weirdest reason for turning off the porch lights. I turn them off for the moths. They are attracted and "trapped" by the light. Then they become easy prey for toads and spiders (leaving a mess for you to clean up) and are unable to continue on with the business of life feeding and breeding.

I had another more general thought that I wanted to bring up. Why, when writing is one of the most difficult things to learn (up there with calculus in my book in terms of the mental gymnastics necessary to succeed) is it not its own separate course? Why link content subject grades to one of the most difficult tasks students will ever need to master? Why aren't there separate composition courses?

Not directed at you personally Harriet Vane (I think you are great). On a homeschooling board you are going to get answers from people who have helped/taught their kids for years, they certainly don't think of it as interference. My freshman is in school for the first year as well. I am not joking when I say that the essay rubric seems to require freshman year college level work from 13 and 14 year old kids. The only way to get an A is to hand in a perfect paper. No spelling errors. No grammatical errors. No formatting errors. All supporting evidence included and truly supportive. Transitional words from a particular list must be used. Sentences must be varied in length and style. MLA format must be perfect. Research and quotes must perfectly support your point. If I didn't sit by him and suggest he add more sentences or find a different quote he would FAIL. And they don't let you rewrite the paper to learn from the experience. Nope, on to the next... No learning to write in the process at all. My son is being tested for stealth dyslexia and dysgraphia. He knows the subject material cold. He just has a language processing issue that affects getting the words from the brain to the paper. This is despite going through IEW, WWE, WWS, Killgallon, Image Grammar, etc. Despite intellectually knowing how to structure an essay and having a good vocabulary and speaking well, given the choice, he would offer three sentences per essay. So I have to sit right next to him to get him to do the assignment at all, and I have to suggest ten words to choose from. I have to ask him to change up the subject verb complement order once in a while. If I didn't, the kid who knows the most in the class would fail, and the kids who know far far less about the subject but have no writing challenges would get better grades. I never assigned grades as a homeschooler, but after two months in the school system I am frantic about them! I totally sympathize with the parents. Their kids are ultimately their responsibility. And the time pressure in school means that many of them would give up and hand in whatever they could slap together if someone wasn't pushing them for more. I am sure the parents are thankful for great writing instructors, but with some kids that just isn't enough. The writing instructor can't come to their house at night when the kid is exhausted and sobbing over their homework. Do we just let them pass in the three sentences they wrote?