I just got The Elegant Essay, too. I'm a little disappointed in it for the price. I think I like The Lively Art of Writing much better, and it cost much less.

Pray that God will bless your homeschool. He is faithful. Have a great day!:001_smile:

You should challenge it! Many times when schools have policies like this, it is because they are uninformed about homeschooling. Speak to and/or write to the admissions director, citing links like the one mentioned, statistics, etc. My daughter encountered the same situation with a private university, and we "educated them" about homeschooling. Consequently, they changed their admissions policy. My daughter ended up choosing another school, but we probably made the difference for other homeschoolers. The reason that we are able to legally homeschool our kids is because people challenged the system. I feel that it is our responsibility to continue that work.

I don't send much snail mail...just a package once in a while (1 or 2 per semester). We communicate mostly by email. That way, we can each read our messages when we have the time. Both of my daughters would email papers that they had written for me to critique before they turned them in. That was usually when they first started; the papers were more infrequent as the semester progressed and they gained confidence. Having never been to "school," they were a little nervous about it at first. Usually, we talk on the phone about once a week.

I feel your pain, Faith. I hate shopping!

We've homeschooled since the beginning (20 years, so far). Three have already graduated, and I have 2 more to go. We have always schooled with the intent to continue all the way through high school.

Anything by Dr. Seuss.:001_smile: Anne of Green Gables Pride and Prejudice

My husband and I started the Flat Belly Diet in January. I lost 15 pounds(that was my goal), and he lost over 30. We found it to be sensible and quite do-able. We have pretty much changed our eating habits and have modified it just a bit to maintain our weight. My husband has always been overweight and would have to literally starve himself to lose any pounds, but this diet really worked! I have never seen him this light, and I've known him almost 40 years.:)

:iagree::iagree:It's just not worth the risk.

:iagree:I would not have them in the same room.

I'll be looking forward to it!

:iagree::iagree:Yes! Please do!

Wow. This thread has been very enlightening. I didn't read it yesterday because I mistakenly thought that, this being a classical education site, people would think the guy was fine. I had no idea that he was pro-slavery, had covered for a child molester, etc. This is why I love the WTM forums. There are so many points of view, and they encourage us to really think about issues. Many years ago (almost 20), my husband read Wilson's book Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning, considered it to be fluff, and threw it away. The very next week, the pastor of the church we were attending announced that he had read this great book, RTLTOL, and was convinced that classical education was the thing to do and that he thought everybody should homeschool their kids. The church closed their Christian school, and everybody in the church (who didn't leave in disgust) started homeschooling their kids. (We were already homeschooling at the time.) We stayed there because, after all, everyone was homeschooling and we had many friends there. One year later, the pastor announced that homeschooling wasn't working for his family and they were going to move so that they could send their children to Doug Wilson's classical Christian school. One of the deacons then moved his family to Lancaster, where he had gotten a job at Veritas Academy and they sent their kids to school there. The whole church scattered and went their separate ways, including us. Ever since then, the name Doug Wilson has left a bad taste in our mouths.

I have 2 Ektorp sofas that I'm pretty happy with. I have only had them for about a year and a half, though. We'll see how they hold up. They aren't soft and cushiony; they're what I would call firm. But that's what I wanted. I also have 2 Hemnes night stands and a Hemnes end table, all of which I'm happy with. I'm considering the Hemnes bookcases, since they are solid wood as opposed to particle board.(Our bookshelves always end up sagging.)

:iagree:That's the best thing to do in a case like this. If you say, "majority is," or "majority are," it will cause the reader to wonder if it is correct. Just change the wording and avoid the problem.

Nice picture! Congratulations!

I don't know about Apologia, but we really loved Abeka biology. All 5 of my kids used it. My oldest went on to major in biology in college and just recently graduated from medical school. I remember when we first got the book. It was so beautiful that she couldn't wait to get started!

If you don't know any certified teachers, contact a local homeschool support group. They may have a list of certified teachers who homeschool and do evaluations. Good luck!

Oh, how nice! Happy anniversary!

You should be very proud.

:iagree::iagree:I respect the Duggars' right to live their lives as they choose. I've never seen the tv show, but I have read their book. I was very impressed by them. They have examined their lives and are living according to their convictions. If another family chooses to have one child, that is their own business.

:iagree:

:iagree:This is exactly what I've been thinking. Children who are raised in larger families understand that they are not the center of the universe. They know how to thnk about others. To say that these kids are being "damaged" as a previoes poster said, is being rather harsh. Our present 2 child per family culture is a relatively new thing. (and, I might add, not natural) Now, on to read the other posts!

I don't know about TOG, but I just want to encourage you. Those years will fly by, and before you know it the kids will be all grown up. Enjoy your blessings! Home schooling through high school is a joy.

:iagree:This is how I did it for many years.