Thanks, ladies...this is helpful. I am thinking after reading your posts that perhaps it is because we never went into hs-ing with the intention of sheltering (not in the way he is talking about) and certainly not "cocooning" that I am feeling like we all got lumped into one big representative pot. That's what's rankling me. (Although, honestly, if that's how others roll with their hs, I am ok with that too.) But we have purposefully tried to not be cocooners (is that even a word?), while still sheltering in a responsible way. Anyhow, it sounds like maybe I have overreacted because it felt over-generalized. That's good because there were definitely things I am taking away from it and things my dh and I are re-visiting. I just needed to come down off the wall :tongue_smilie:. For those of you who it's been awhile since you've read it, if you do pull it off the shelf and have other thoughts about it, I would love to hear. :bigear:

I need some perspective. I just finished it and my mind has just gone bananas alternating between being really, really mad and really, really certain that he's right on. (My dh is more concerned that I'm panicked since it's counterproductive to faith. Which it is. I get that. But, holy cow.) Here's where I could use some perspective: is it my imagination or is he VERY condescending in his "concerns" (read: disgust?) with homeschooling/Christian schooling? If I get past that, I think he's got some very good points. Very good. But it gets very murky because of what I am interpreting as this "you have completely mis-served your children if you have kept them holed up in a hideaway from the world". There did not seem to be much grace put out there, which I think is hilarious since his previous book was called "Grace-Based Parenting". :001_huh: But, seriously, I want to pay attention to what he is saying because I do think there is some excellent insight in there. But I am struggling with the credibility of it because it feels wrapped in condescension. Somebody tell me I am over-analyzing it...or that my grid is askew...or maybe not.

Funny...my first thought was The Cosby Show! We have been watching it the past several weeks and I forgot that it's not only VERY funny but wow...such great values. We own the entire 9 years of The Waltons and highly recommend them as well.

We didn't use Writing With Ease but we did implement SWB writing program that she used to write WWE. You can download the lectures from Peace Hill Press website. We are currently using the next lecture for logic stage...I think it's brilliant...really.

Heavy, heavy sigh. :glare:

Another vote for Pacific Northwest but Central Oregon is the place to be if you like it dry, sunny and cool. I'm still wearing long sleeves (and will for much of the summer) although it can get up into the high 90's for about a week or two. However, we are alpine desert so it's very dry, no bugs, sunny most days. Also, even if it gets hot during the day, as soon as the sun goes down, it's cold. We have only had one day in 12 years when we couldn't get the house to cool down at night (and we have never had AC here). We moved here from Denver and it is very, very similar to Colorado (which is my favorite place on earth and hope to get back there someday.

Yep. And apparently others agree because she's not being charged. Wahoo! (Oh, should have read all of the responses first...ya'll already know this) :)

Excellent. (Wish I'd written it) :)

The Endless Steppe really affected me. Still haunts me today. Can't wait for my kids to read it. Also, Where the Red Fern Grows.

Right on!:patriot:

If you have some time to make a little drive, head up into the mountains to Kittridge and eat at Dick's HIckory Dock. The BEST bbq and baked potatoes the size of a man's shoe and if it's nice, there is outdoor seating by a heavy-flowing creek and with the mountains and mountain air and oh.....how I miss it. Check them out at dickshickorydock.com

This is what I was thinking....turn it around and see how it would make you feel. Parents still have the responsibility and the privilege of making the rules.

I love many (mostly 70s) but my all-time fave...and as far as I'm concerned The Best Song Ever...is Sweet Home Alabama. It's my ring-tone and I always observe a moment of silence when it comes on when I'm out and about. :tongue_smilie: Oops...forgot to add "why": it's clean, has a great beat that transcends rap, country, and pop and it takes me straight back to the 70s. Loveloveloveit

This is my current Subscribe and Save list: Wheat Chex Cereal All my low-carb pasta (FiberGourmet Pasta Sampler and Light Spaghetti) Ivory Soap bars mascara In the past, I have also done: Febreeze Gain spray Ener-G Foods Light Brown Rice Loaf Coffee

We take a full year as well. Monday: watch lesson and do A Tuesday: B and C Wednesday: D and E Thursday: F (we volunteer at a horse ranch on this day and don't have time to do a full load) Friday: other math (math facts, Hands on Equations, etc...)

One year is reasonable but we take two to complete it. I like going slow and steady until 5th grade. Then we move into First Form. I did this with my ds and he is now completely independent (well, mostly) with First Form as a 6th grader and I believe it's because we took our time with LL1. (That, and because FF is fabulous...I can not recommend it higher).

Chronicles of Narnia Little Britches Carry On, Mr. Bowditch Lost On a Mountain in Maine (I know....that's 4 but I just had to....:tongue_smilie:)

For grades 1-4, I do volumes of teaching...everything we used (math, latin, grammar, spelling, history, science) was labor intensive and required that I do nearly 100% of the teaching, all day, everyday. I wasn't sure we would get through that. I also don't know that this would work for families with several children. I have only 2 and that was hard enough :tongue_smilie:. The only thing they really do on their own during those years is independent reading. Middle of 4th grade, however, I start shifting to more independence. They do their math and latin, required reading, grammar reinforcements by themselves in their rooms. We do actual grammar lessons together about 3 times a week just because I love it :tongue_smilie:. The key to this transition is that they are required to bring me their work as soon as they have completed it and we go over anything they missed. If they are not understanding something, we will go over the lesson again. If I do not "hover" during this time, they could move along under the radar and only later would I see the gaps. So far, the transition has been pretty painless. And all of the intensity of the earlier years is paying off now. My 6th grade ds does most of his work on his own, with the exception of grammar. My goal is to have them almost completely independent by 7th/8th, so that I am hovering less and guiding from a distance more.

I had an immediate thought jump into my head as I read your question but as I pondered it some more, I realize this is something we really should think about and have a thought-though answer for. There is a great quote by CS Lewis that I think summarizes it (at least for me): "I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time- waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God- it changes me." — C.S. Lewis

I can agree with that. For me, it's a matter of balance though, with the lion's share weighted on the actual men and women who carried out the task.

I don't think President Bush or President Obama should have the credit. There is inherently little risk involved, outside of policital perhaps, in signing your name on a bill. The only true risk came in the form of the men and women in our armed services who carried out the command at great risk to their lives. That is where the credit lies.

Perfect! And I LOVE our military men and women...grew up Army, brother is in the Air Force. Our whole family stands with them and we are beyond proud and thankful today for their success this week!

katilac, thank you for the encouragement! We did spend time trying to figure out what would be the things that would really cause friction and through those conversations, realized we need to each have seperate but attached living spaces. Cooking was what my mom was worried about, bills paid on time was my dad's concern; the garage storage being taken over without much say in it was my dh's concern. Noise from my mom's TV was what I was concerned about. But we have talked and after seeing this house, realized it could be almost perfect, '' We spent our first night here last night without incident :tongue_smilie:...now for the rest of our time here.... Anyhow, thanks again for pointing that out...I'm going to hang on to that in the days ahead:001_huh:

We do have Running Start although I am not sure it is called that. I will try and find out for you. We have several friends who are doing the the college track while a junior and senior in hs.

If you are interested in a drip, we use and love the Cuisinart DCC-2000 Coffee-on-Demand 12-cup Programmable Coffeemaker. We like our coffee strong and hot and smooth and won't drink unfiltered (paper) coffee and have tried so many coffee makers. We started with a basic Braun, moved on to a Krups, then a Krups Thermal, then to a percolator (which actually made the best coffee I have ever had but it was just too messy and I don't like grounds in my coffee...even with a paper filter, some get in), then a Bunn. We had just about given up when we came across this Cuisinart. It didn't have excellent ratings but the comments were interesting enough that we decided to try it. I am so glad we did because this is The One. It makes the coffee and then holds it in a stainless steel tank and you just set your cup underneath a "spigot" and push a lever...voila! Fresh coffee on demand! There is a timer on it that you set for how long you want it to keep the coffee warm (up to 4 hours, I believe). There is no glass or thermal carafe. The coffee stays so hot and because it's not in a glass container on a hot plate, it doesn't oxidize quickly. My coffee poured two hours after the first cup tastes just as smooth and fresh and hot. However, I have noticed that it will begin to break down after two hours so by hour 3 and 4 in the tank, it is beginning to oxidize. It's nothing like a glass carafe, though...I couldn't stand drinking coffee 4 hours after it had been made when we had one. And coffee wasn't warm 4 hours later(actually, it was NEVER warm) in our thermal carafe. This one is just about perfect for us. ETA: We were thinking about getting a Keurig (before we found the Cuisinart) but had heard that you can't make strong coffee with them so we checked that one off our list...we don't do "what's-the-point coffee, as my girlfriend calls it :tongue_smilie:)