Thanks Lisa! I'll check that out. Yes, Hen Jen, I've searched but I need high school cores...there just doesn't seem to be much out there!

It's been a while since I've been on boards, but I've noticed that there are hardly any Sonlight resales recently. If Sonlight no longer hosts their resale forum and there are hardly any here, where are folks selling their sonlight stuff? Is there a forum/group/website/etc that I'm missing? I need to get some thing asap. Thanks!

I agree with everything Meredith said. I'd go visit and notice if anyone is riding without a helmet...I don't care if they are the owner or an instructor...no helmet, no business. Our barn has a rule that no child may enter the barn to groom or tack up without a helmet on their head. Also, are the horses kept turned out or stuck in stalls all day. Horses are herbivorous herd animals and it is essential for their well-being to be turned out with other horses and have either grass to graze or hay if the grazing is poor...it doesn't need to be acres and acres of green rolling fields, but a sand paddock with a shed and enough room to play around a bit, stocked with hay, is just as good. There may not be hay in front of them ALL the time, but a cursory glance at the horses will tell you if they are underfed...jutting hip bones and ribs and sunken glazed eyes are a warning! Also ask how many students per group and whether more than one lesson are taught at the same time. IMHO a group should NEVER have more than 4 people...3 is even better. There is only so much one person can see at any given time! Another good indicator is to ask how many times a day the school horses get used. Where my daughter rides it is once...twice maximum. Anything more than twice sounds like a warning of a "lesson mill" where your child may be exposed to potential hazards. Where beginner riders are concerned, less distractions and students per group, the better...in fact our barn requires privates for the first few lessons until the child is deemed ready for a group setting.

She's interested in colonization through the present. We plan to give her a year for this so I'm hoping she'll be able to cover most of the main points. I'd love to hear your thoughts!! Thanks!

Thanks! I will!

My daughter has expressed an interest in doing a year of Australian history next year. We are in the US, but have family in Australia, so I might be able to ask for help getting books from there, though I imagine shipping would be crazy expensive. Is there a middle school program out there that covers Ozzie history? I saw Amanda Bennet's Unit Study, but that is too young for her. Is In a Sunburnt Country by Arthur Baille too young for this age? I hate not being able to see a copy first before buying. I'd appreciate any and all suggestions for readers and read alouds for this level. Thanks so much in advance for any help!

This is what I'm thinking. Especially when there is a tone of anger attached to it. Any more thoughts out there? What about grammar...please! I'm looking for positive ways to explain that there's a better way to phrase questions. I'm afraid that it also makes him sound less intelligent than he really is, when he uses this form of question with people of authority. Thanks!

Thank you! Keep the feedback coming! I really need someone in my household who says this a lot, to see that I am not the only one who finds this manner of speaking objectionable. Usually it's things like, "you don't have your computer in there (the bathroom), do you?" and such...

Help me out please! Is there anything wrong with saying something in this manner rather than just saying "Do you (fill in the blank?)" I know at some point I knew this, but I'm just too tired to be able to focus properly...thanks!

Hello! I saw a program called Instant Immersion software at Costco today and almost bought it...I think I was swayed by their comment on Rosetta Stone... I bought Rosetta Stone Polish (I am fluent but wanted my kids to learn it independently, but I hate it!--not so much the content, but the student management system...so complicated and it has crashed on both my kids computers...new computers I might add...needless to say foreugn language was scrapped for the moment, again...) Anyway, I digress. Has anyone used Instant Immersion? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Thanks!

The other posts are correct. The SL core is based on much more in depth material. We use them as review of the meatier part of the curriculum. As a stand alone I'd never use them!

I understand facts and data. I never said they bypass our immune systems, I said defense mechanisms, of which the body possesses many. The immune system is just one of them, at the end of the chain which is activated when all other mechanisms fail... "the big guns" or "the last straw" you might say. Ok, so vaccines don't bypass *all* of our defense mechanisms, just the majority of them. Correct, they are not injected *directly* into the bloodstream, but IMHO it's close enough. When administering a vaccine, one DOES bypass those defense mechanisms which are meant to keep an invading body from getting anywhere near our bloodstreams, hence my statement...I meant defense mechanisms like skin (the largest organ of the body), mucous membranes, digestive systems, etc...as the Merck Manual describes here http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec14/ch167/ch167b.html and as copied and pasted here: The skin usually bars invading microorganisms unless it is physically disrupted (eg, by injury, IV catheter, or surgical incision). Exceptions include human papillomavirus, which can invade normal skin, causing warts, and some parasites (eg, Schistosoma mansoni , Strongyloides stercoralis). Many mucous membranes are bathed in secretions that have antimicrobial properties (eg, cervical mucus, prostatic fluid, and tears containing lysozyme, which splits the muramic acid linkage in bacterial cell walls, especially in gram-positive organisms). Local secretions also contain immunoglobulins, principally IgG and secretory IgA, which prevent microorganisms from attaching to host cells. The respiratory tract has upper airway filters. If invading organisms reach the tracheobronchial tree, the mucociliary epithelium transports them away from the lung. Coughing also helps remove organisms. If the organisms reach the alveoli, alveolar macrophages and tissue histiocytes engulf them. However, these defenses can be overcome by large numbers of organisms or by compromised effectiveness resulting from air pollutants (eg, cigarette smoke) or interference with protective mechanisms (eg, endotracheal intubation or tracheostomy). GI tract barriers include the acid pH of the stomach and the antibacterial activity of pancreatic enzymes, bile, and intestinal secretions. Peristalsis and the normal loss of epithelial cells remove microorganisms. If peristalsis is slowed, eg, due to drugs such as belladonna or opium alkaloids, this removal is delayed and prolongs some infections, such as symptomatic shigellosis. Compromised defense mechanisms may predispose patients to particular infections (eg, achlorhydria predisposes to salmonellosis). Normal bowel flora can inhibit pathogens; alteration of this flora with antibiotics can allow overgrowth of inherently pathogenic microorganisms (eg, Salmonella typhimurium) or superinfection with ordinarily commensal organisms (eg, Candida albicans). GU tract barriers include the length of the urethra (20 cm) in men, the acid pH of the vagina in women, and the hypertonic state of the kidney medulla. The kidney also produces and excretes large amounts of Tamm-Horsfall mucoprotein, which binds certain bacteria, facilitating their harmless excretion. I suppose I should have been more specific in what I meant. I hope I made myself more clear. Sorry, my mistake. I never disputed the fact that vaccines do precipitate an immune response in any of my posts.

Congrats and best of wishes on your journey!

Asta, I understood, and I still agree. It's not a compassionate view, but it is a valid one. Both sides of this issue carry risks. I believe in the authority of the parents to choose what is right for their unique situation...that's all.

Originally Posted by calandalsmom You must be joking. What about before we had vaccinations when the number of children who died before 5 was so incredibly high? People have always had assaults on teir immune system, only before they were naturally occurring and killed or lamed hundreds of thousands. Do you not know anyone who survived a polio outbreak? Asta has answered this very well...thank you. Calandalsmom, I do not joke with this topic. I state my beliefs which I arrived to after extensive research. I'm not looking for a debate nor do I mean to attack anyone for their beliefs, but hope that I may contribute something new or valuable with regards to a new perspective which may benefit this board.

I agree. I just feel like some parents *expect* their children to be "healthier" if they are vaccinated. I just wanted to give an example that is outside that box. I personally believe that injecting a disease directly into the bloodstream and bypassing all of our God given defense mechanisms weakens the immune system, not strengthens it. That's just my belief...not a judgment on anyone. :)

I think you answer your own question. What I meant was we may see a huge jump in the number of cases as the population ages. Mass vaccination of the population...directly putting the virus into the bloodstream and bypassing all of our natural defense mechanisms...mechanisms which if strong, may prevent a person from coming down with cp even if exposed, may be setting up an entire generation for the potential of suffering from this painful disease...whether they will suffer from it in a "smaller" way, we'll only know as they pass their 60s. Stress seems to be a trigger for the reactivation of the virus and last I looked, things are getting more stressful in our world, not less. It seems like a big gamble to me. I wonder how many people are actually told in plain English that once they are vaccinated for cp, there is the potential for shingles later in life? When there were natural cp outbreaks, not every single person in the entire country got it. That's all I meant. Personally, I believe that naturally fighting off a disease leaves you with greater immunity...a stronger immune system. Just my belief.

Hmm, sounds good...I may have to try that! It's a very Polish dish...they sure know how to make cabbage a gazillion different ways...

This may sound gross, but my Granny used to make it all the time when I was a kid...cabbage in milk (basically whole cooked cabbage leaves in a white sauce with lots of pepper!) with a side of mashed potatoes...yum!

:iagree:Tetanus is most abundant in horse manure. Before cars were widespread, a lot of people had contact with it. Now, not so much. Tetanus is a core vaccine for horses, but not so for cats and dogs. Here is a quote that might put some more light on this from the AAEP.org website: Clostridium tetani organisms are present in the intestinal tract and feces of horses, other animals and humans, and are abundant as well as ubiquitous in soil. Spores of Cl. tetani survive in the environment for many years, resulting in an ever-present risk of exposure of horses and people on equine facilities. Tetanus is not a contagious disease but is the result of Cl. tetani infection of puncture wounds (particularly those involving the foot or muscle), open lacerations, surgical incisions, exposed tissues such as the umbilicus of foals and reproductive tract of the postpartum mare (especially in the event of trauma or retained placenta ).

Well said Mommaduck!! I'm really going to bed now...sorry to have posted so many times...I don't know how to put all the quotes into one response.:001_huh:

Tetanus is most abundant in horse manure, which 150 years ago, just about everybody had contact with. These days...well, no wonder Tetanus is so well controlled and rare... Makes sense that all horses are vaccinated for Tetanus, but not our cats and dogs... Here's a quote from AAEP.org: "Clostridium tetani organisms are present in the intestinal tract and feces of horses, other animals and humans, and are abundant as well as ubiquitous in soil. Spores of Cl. tetani survive in the environment for many years, resulting in an ever-present risk of exposure of horses and people on equine facilities. Tetanus is not a contagious disease but is the result of Cl. tetani infection of puncture wounds (particularly those involving the foot or muscle), open lacerations, surgical incisions, exposed tissues such as the umbilicus of foals and reproductive tract of the postpartum mare (especially in the event of trauma or retained placenta )."

Here, here.. my kids have each been sick once in their lives. My son when he was 5--ear infection and my daughter when she was 8--confirmed strep. Other than that just sniffles occasionally.

Unfortunately, the very reason that some of those cases die is because Doctors are not taught in medical school what symptoms to watch for anymore. They misdiagnose it. Also, I think some people refuse not because of the remote chance of complications, but due to the lack of any precedent for vaccines being given so intensively and at such a young age. Never before in history have young children been required to have *so* many assaults on their immune systems. Whose to know what that will mean for these people as their approach their 40s or 60s or 80s?

This is what gets my ire up...that we essentially will have an entire generation susceptible to shingles which is so much worse than childhood chicken pox. I had adult chicken pox and it was no party.:tongue_smilie:I only wish I knew someone with the chicken pox...I'd take the kids over there right now! I haven't had the chance to read the whole thread, but just have some random thoughts on this topic... I was vaccinated for Rubella when I was 5...I got Rubella and it was a miserable time for my dying mother to have to take care of such a sick child. Well, on the bright side, I passed the blood test when I went to get married. Parents in Japan at least don't start vax until after age 2 when the child's immune system has had *some* time to mature. And I find it very interesting that technically vaccinations are SURGERY...yes anything that breaks the skin is technically called surgery, which is why us parents have to sign those papers, yet many parents subject their child to it without even 2 seconds thought, let alone some personal research. Also, the waste products from those vaccinations...our urine...ends up in the public water supply...kind of a bad situation especially if the vaccines used are "live." It's my belief that God equipped us with the most perfect means of fighting disease...our immune system...yet we so unthinkingly attack our most vulnerable population in an attempt to "one-up" Him. Just my 2 cents...