Our smileys get better? :glare: Here's for you (same as for Sarah): Genuflect, genuflect, genuflect. :lol:

I believe it's "Genuflect, genuflect, genuflect..." :party:

Thanks, ma'am. Silliness is always welcome. :D

Geez Louise, man. I wish I could just make this stuff go away for both of you. :( Hugs and Blessings, praying and thinking of you all. Love to Doug and the boys, me and mine

So glad you're getting in so quickly. We'll be praying here.

I sometimes think of him/her as Eeyore. :) You're doing wonderfully well. Having the mirror consistently held up in a loving fashion is the only antidote to this. Well, unless it went over the edge, in which case I'd suggest Valium. More for you than for her. :D :p

We have two here, one is electronic. It has a plug for headphones. It's my favorite. Because my youngest girl loves to play Away In a Manger. :D

Me too. :D

I'm walking around in a fog today because of ongoing sleep issues. Wah. FWIW, we do workbooks at therapies so we can get through some of the less intense stuff (HW, SWO) when we can fit it in. A couple of years ago for my bday my folks got us a DVD player (2 discs w/ up to 4 screens) for the van so now I have the kids watch science and history stuff from the library here and there, LFC DVDs, it even works for CDs so we play SOTW on it too. The little guy loves Baby Einstein for when I've got two kidlets in the van whom I'm working with while we wait outside music lessons for the other two (and then they switch). I haven't tried the DIVE cds yet, but wouldn't it be cool if that worked too!? Also, everything goes much better if all the people in the family are pulling their own weight plus another "extra" portion. It runs very smoothly if they remember on their own and I'm not having to stand over people to help them get things done --be it school, chores, piano, chickens, whatever. :rolleyes: Mostly I just wish I could be three people: one to just love on everybody, one to work with everybody (taking turns because they all need things simultaneously), and one to get all the grown-up stuff done. Maybe a fourth one could take care of the sleeping part for me. ;)

Thanks for standing in the gap. Don't give up. The world is a better place for your actions and this little one is better for you being willing to bare yourself to this terrible situation. I'm praying. Please post updates...

I'll have a 3rd grader in the fall and I've been thinking about GUM, R&S, FLL, EFTTC, you name it. Somebody, please, share your wisdom!!!!!! :D:D:D

You know, while driving in CA I've wondered if the roads were to be less congested if the correlate drop in overall blood pressure, accidents and injuries (lessening the need for EMS) and thus in healthcare costs to the public would be enough to offset some space age public transportation? I mean there's what now, 25 million people in the greater LA area? Just that Riverside commute (the 91 and the 60?) alone is a nightmare out of a techno-future-scary movie. :D

My BIL has had two seperate meningiomas removed successfully -- years apart. We'll be praying that all goes well for youas you prepare for this. Praying also for peaceful rest and sleep, rapidly lessening pain, and a very speedy recovery for Stacey (and family). Blessings.

"There is no way that anyone can do it all for a family with five kids. I've tried." Amen. I'm so sorry for your loss. Your post is great and I'll be filing it away -- thank you for sharing your painfully gained wisdom. Virtual hugs to you.

What great news. We'll be praying here for your little ones missing you both, for an extra speedy recovery and for continued strength amongst those in your excellent support network. Blessings to you all. :D

the reporter/narrator says that the ruling will not go into effect in 30 days because it will be appealed. Who is doing this and how do we find out more about it? (And may I say that I'm not thrilled that this issue is coming up in this way, at this time, in that state...)

Yup. I've learned to do stuff I didn't have to think about before. Today that list will include changing wiper blades. The kids dad traveled and had call nights and long hours, but nothing compares to not having that primary relationship to fall back on -- the one that made the punkins, provided tender care, adult interaction, emotional support, humor and more.

The losses I've lived have been varied, but never, IME, are folks prepared to know what they'll need. Also, it really is odd the things people say in times of stress. My mom got a lot of wierd nonsense when my little brother died, my dad less so because he was just less available at that point. (That sounds strange, but it's really more a guy thing.) The organist at the funeral complained that they didn't have a check ready for her at the service and didn't properly thank her. Someone whose child had had a similar illness but survived and was placed in a care facility told my parents they were lucky that my brother had died so they wouldn't have to live it every day. (Interestingly, my youngest now requires approximately the same level of care that her child did and I can't imagine letting him be placed in some facility.) Kudos to you, OP for being a good friend. Your help, whatever it is will be special and well-recieved.

As you get higher up, speed and accuracy are the thing and it just (IMO) can't be acheived without doing more of the MP, all of the LP. Again, IMO, but it's working much better here to do more rather than less (we're halfway through 7/6), even if it means I'm sitting next to them reading the problems out loud to minimize the "poor pitiful me" rut they like to volunteer for. ;)

While it's certainly not impossible (or even unlikely) that this ruling could result in many further challenges to the rights of current homeschoolers, I think CA schools are hard pressed to think about absorbing the huge numbers of children whose families are happily joining a fast growing trend. And those families are largely doing so because they find the schools to be insufficient in some demonstrable way -- be it lacking gifted programs, special ed, low academic standards, personal safety issues (extreme bullying), or swiss cheese-like scope and sequence -- these issues are those that appeal to the success of the entire nation/society. I don't see public schools being equipped (even the very good ones) to knock these issues down one by one to the satisfaction/high expectations of increasingly well-educated parents who are willing to sacrifice to get their kids what they need. Since there are so many people who do homeschool well and increasing numbers making huge names for themselves who are proud to have been homseschooled and (for another minute or two, anyway) we still prize our personal freedoms, I think with proper backing and noise any real challenge to "constitutional basis" would be handily dealt with. It just, as I've said elsewhere, horrifies :eek: me that the family in question even hit the radar for homeschooling when they're clearly a social trainwreck in many other very basic ways. Hopefully, whomever sees this ruling will also look further and acknowledge the latter. (I'm waving, Kay!) ;)

I thought I remembered this. That single fact bugs me, but then I was h'sed when it would have been flat out illegal except that my dad had kept his teaching cert. up, so I may be paranoid. ;) We were with a charter in CA when that word was out and the charter was a lifesaver for us--grad school budget kept us broke most of the time so having curriculum provided was an answer to prayer (we continued to use TWTM materials with the charter).

...Are you seeing this in the news? How "on the radar" of the general public is this ruling? What conversation/leaning are folks exhibiting?

Me too. :D

Paradise, one of the highest easily accessible places on Mt Rainier, is open year round. It's gorgeous and otherwordly. NW Trek is awesome. Even in the rain. There are lots of old Forts (Casey, etc.) to tour out on the coastal areas. The ferries are neat. The Burke Museum can be cool, I don't know what they've got right now. In Tacoma: The Tacoma Art Museum has a little known collection of Renoir prints (?) right now. Plus, The Washington State history museum and The Glass Museum are all within walking distance. The Spaghetti Factory is about two and half blocks away. The Glass Museum includes a hot shop where you can watch glass blowers at work with the furnaces, etc. The WA state history museum has mind blowing memorabilia of the early days of the state -- pictures of enormous stacks of lumber that look like toothpicks, trees 300' tall were the norm, interactive stuff about early settlers, local Native Americans, dress up stuff, etc. The Elliot Bay Book Company is a trip by itself. ;) The little food shops along the street by Pike Place make a great tasting lunch: pierogies, baklava, gyros, La Petit Patisserie, cheese, fruit in the Market, juices, The Market Spice tea shop, and don't forget the "flying fish" guys there by the brass pig. The outdoor park/installation of the SAM is cool, too, and not terribly far away. If you end up at the Seattle Spaghetti Factory, you'll be almost across the street from the lovely sculptures. Have fun -- bring lightweight raingear for April showers. :D

My son's first grade teacher told me the same thing, off the record. Since then lots of people who aren't generally HS advocates have said the same thing -- this is what will work for this kid. Period. SO, I wish I hadn't wasted time. That teacher was great, but I was doing the math at home with him anyway because he needed quiet and to be able to move. The classroom setting just wasn't meeting his needs. I'd have been putting the same effort in anyway. Don't wait. Discipline is a different issue than doing the same thing over again expecting different results. These little ones only get this one time through, so go for it! :D