I will say that learning about it made my kids want to learn German. I didn't idolize any parties, but they did appreciate the peace makers and heroes of each side and even learning about The Holocaust didn't poison their appreciation of the rest of German culture and language. My Grandmother, though, did feel this way because of her generation. So I think that can sometimes be passed down. We just need to remember, like you both said, that it was a long time ago and most every culture has some shameful history.

Some books do a good job of this. The History of US, K12's Human Odyssey, and The Century both don't look at it as much as Us vs. Them. But then again I don't approach this as a way to be "proud of America" but certainly proud of individual achievements and happy for some outcomes while grieving over others. I never speak in blanket statements except maybe about Nazis, I'll admit. Even then I force myself to speak about the pressure many normal people felt and how things escalated so much (end of WWI, financial hardhip, etc.). I have family who died in the Holocaust, so that one is difficult for me, but I do try.

Going to 5 was really hard for me, too. :grouphug: FWIW, now that they're a bit older, I think I could totally swing 6 or 7. But dh says no. :crying:

Thanks! I checked out the Yahoo group and since Yahoo switched things up, it's really hard on the eyes. I'm going to keep trying, though. PM'ing you, christina NY

I'm actually used to wet cold here in IL. I guess it depends what part you're from? I've lived in south, central, and NW IL. I'm in the midwest now and moving to NY. Not city. :) We are still unsure how much Lake Effect we will get depending on where we can find a house. I actually like the cold, though I do have Raynaud's. I just have to watch my core temperature. My kids are all little vikings and love it, too, but my dh hates anything below 70. :lol:

Herman Hesse's poetry "The Poet" Only on me, the lonely one, The unending stars of the night shine, The stone fountain whispers its magic song, To me alone, to me the lonely one The colorful shadows of the wandering clouds Move like dreams over the open countryside. Neither house nor farmland, Neither forest nor hunting privilege is given to me, What is mine belongs to no one, The plunging brook behind the veil of the woods, The frightening sea, The bird whir of children at play, The weeping and singing, lonely in the evening, of a man secretly in love. The temples of the gods are mine also, and mine the aristocratic groves of the past. And no less, the luminous Vault of heaven in the future is my home: Often in full flight of longing my soul storms upward, To gaze on the future of blessed men, Love, overcoming the law, love from people to people. I find them all again, nobly transformed: Farmer, king, tradesman, busy sailors, Shepherd and gardener, all of them Gratefully celebrate the festival of the future world. Only the poet is missing, The lonely one who looks on, The bearer of human longing, the pale image Of whom the future, the fulfillment of the world Has no further need. Many garlands Wilt on his grave, But no one remembers him. "All Deaths" I have already died all deaths, And I am going to die all deaths again, Die the death of the wood in the tree, Die the stone death in the mountain, Earth death in the sand, Leaf death in the crackling summer grass And the poor bloody human death. I will be born again, flowers, Tree and grass, I will be born again, Fish and deer, bird and butterfly. And out of every form, Longing will drag me up the stairways To the last suffering, Up to the suffering of men. O quivering tensed bow, When the raging fist of longing Commands both poles of life To bend to each other! Yet often, and many times over, You will hunt me down from death to birth On the painful track of the creations, The glorious track of the creations.

Well, think Lake Effect. :) As for outdoors activities-Probably some sledding, winter nature walks, and snowshoeing. I don't think I'm coordinated enough for something like skiing. I usually love sheepskin boots. I have some excellent ones from years ago, but last winter they all got soaked through badly. So we'll need at least backup pairs of boots.

Which kinds of Bogs are good winter ones? My youngest had their toddler boots last winter and they were fabulous. They're pretty expensive, but I'll keep an eye on sales.

Thanks! I had the same issues and have had some luck from ones sold at Target, but I'll look into these.

Thank you all so much! That's a lot of help!

I know it's August, but bear with me. I'm keeping an eye out for sales and resale shops and need to start early. I talked about this awhile back, but we're moving to the frigid north where things are a bit more extreme and start earlier than I'm used to. What are your favorite winter clothes or gear? Links would be handy. Think a very long, harsh, deep winter. We'll probably try to get out in the snow quite a bit so we don't get cabin fever. We have some gear, but I'm trying to get my act together before we move. :)

It could be they've decreased quality as they've stretched their reach, too. I know that was an issue with Land's End for me.

As far as I can tell, it's just a brand name. We've gotten some second hand and I don't see why it's a big thing.

Don't tell me that. That's where I'm moving to. :lol:

:lol:

I think of small talk as "The weather is nice!" sorts of acquaintance oriented time filler. I prefer to meet friends through shared experiences and interests that would be very unlikely to happen in a checkout line. ;) For example, one good friend and I met because she saw me knitting and we started talking about that in a gymnastics waiting room because she was genuinely interested and nice, not just filling time and the air with sound. And it's a preference. I might be terrible at small talk, but I'll be there if you need a shoulder to cry on or want to have deep, impassioned conversations.

I love MCT's materials for visual spacial learners. It really did help my VSL, in particular. I will say that the Poetry books are not to be missed, though. I have heard Mr Thompson speak at homeschool conventions and his poetry books really are beautiful. They bring the language to life and speak to the kids in ways I haven't seen elsewhere. I love them so much. And listening to him speak literature and poetry in person is almost spiritual. If you add nothing else from the series, I would recommend at least mentioning his poetry books. You can use them separately, fwiw.

I'll have to vote for Raleigh. It's a beautiful area, close proximity to a number of different options-hiking, mountains, farming, wildlife, beaches, for example. It's close to everything and has lots of opportunities. Homeschooling is not difficult in NC and there are many homeschoolers near Raleigh/Durham. It's a great area. Plus there's a Biscuitville which may be one of my favorite restaurants. ;) Inland at Raleigh hurricanes really aren't as much of an issue, but tropical storms can dump tons of rain there. The winters are fairly mild, the summers long hot and humid, but not worse than friends in Dallas I've talked to. I would say your tornado risk is slightly lower in Raleigh, but that's only based on my one year of living in NC. :)

We will be moving to New York soon from a no-regulation state. I have the regulations copied from the state code. I was wondering some more specific things that are confusing me. You can pm me for my location. Not NYC. ;) 1. Does anyone have links to example IHIPs and plans for high school? I think I can do the younger kids, but high school is one I'm not sure about and couldn't find examples for. 2. Any idea how college credit already earned for a rising high schooler can be counted or recorded? We actually start her school years in January and school year round for my oldest child as that's her preference, so I'm not sure about moving into the school year there and how that will translate. 3. These requirements below-do they have to be formal curricula or is an informal survey of the topics good enough? Health will be covered by my 5th and 9th graders texts this year, but the other ones we just talk about anyway. If you've covered them on the quarterly reports, how have you recorded them? I know this sounds simple, but I'm just really overthinking all of this and I'm overwhelmed. Patriotism and citizenshipHealth education regarding alcohol, drug and tobacco misuse Highway safety and traffic regulation, including bicycle safety Fire and arson prevention and safety 4. For these requirements, what sources would you recommend? In particular for kids in grades K-8? New York State history Constitutions of the United States and New York State (I can probably use our US constitution books, but the NYS ones are an issue)

My mother is also a queen of small talk (and extrovert). I have to put on my "Mom Hat" sometimes when I'm out, partly to teach my kids those skills. Then I go home and just have to sit and stare at the wall for awhile to recharge. It really does feel like your batteries are low, like after a kick of adrenaline and you can feel it drain out of you. My Mom gets her charge from those sorts of interactions. Going out with her makes my life so much easier. ;)

I've never understood those tests, myself. Maybe I overthink them, but I can't help but wonder how many people change their answers to give the company the results they think they want or who judge themselves inaccurately. It seems an in person interview or background check can more accurately assess a prospective employee's fit. Though admittedly in person interviews can unconsciously give extroverts more of an edge. You can have a wicked awesome IT worker who gets interview anxiety that would be a better fit than someone who shows up knocking your socks off. Or vice versa. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140701230002-7589947-introverts-are-set-up-for-failure-in-job-interviews

http://www.lookhuman.com/design/57572-introverts-unite-were-here-were-uncomfortable-and-we-want-to-go-home :lol: Luckily the internet gives us a voice. Of course you shouldn't put down another group to build yours up, but most don't. We can express frustration with the other side, though, just like is done all the time about us. There's a difference between expressing frustration and putting down, and I think a lot of people should remember humor can go both ways and break the ice a little. It's good to learn to laugh at yourself.

You're not the only one. I'll talk to people I'm close to, but dh will stop and talk to every single person who he may ever have seen before. :lol:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/shyness-is-nice/201203/introverts-need-not-apply-why-you-should-hire-them http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17510163 I've taken a number of those personality tests given during job interviews. They obviously point out differences between extrovert/introvert. It does make sense that some jobs would be better suited towards one or the other. But I've also seen a heavier push towards "team work" and socially outgoing traits being preferred even in situations where they don't seem necessary and might discourage introverted applicants. This is particularly an issue for students at school. At least when I went to school and my oldest dd was in Kindergarten, you were assessed for your social skills and interests such as "making friends" and "engaging with other students" which can be stressful or taxing for introverts-in particular those who might also have learning disabilities or other issues.

Sounds like someone is just using it as an excuse. There are rude people in every group. Of course, they could have a valid social anxiety or phobia, too. But hopefully they have a support system in place to help them with that.