Hello! We live in Toronto and are in the process of trying to buy a new computer. The seller will only ship to a USA address. Would anyone be willing to let us have the computer shipped to your home or business? We could pick it up there. Thank you!

I try to sort my weekly meals out by the main dish protein. Each week we try to serve pork, poultry, beef, and fish once. (Other meals of the week may be soup, breakfast, vegetarian, or left-overs.) Basically, I have a one-month calendar divided into 4 weeks. Each week lists the various protein types, and I then fill in the way I will serve the protein that week. eg. Chicken - week 1 - baked chicken and stuffing week 2 - chicken casserole (eg. chicken pot pie) week 3 - chicken stir-fry week 4 - chicken soup or sandwich Fish - week 1 - seafood lasagna or linguini week 2 - shrimp (stir-fry? jambalaya?) week 3 - salmon or trout (baked or BBQ) week 4 - ?? I love trying new recipes and ethnic dishes, so I don't really like to get myself stuck in a mold. However, I find it helps me serve a variety of dishes (and also less red meat) if I somewhat chart my meals. :)

We live in Toronto and are trying to buy a new computer. The seller will only ship to a USA address. We wonder if anyone would be willing to receive our package, and we would then pick it up from you. Thanks for your attention.

We live in Toronto area and are hoping to have a new computer sent to the USA since prices are half what we'd pay here. Anyone in the area willing to let us have a computer sent to your house? We will then come to pick it up from you. Thanks for your attention.

You've certainly given me lots to think about!! I've been researching various book/movie titles to see what is available at our library and at Amazon.com. Happily, I've found some of them. :001_smile: I'll hopefully try to show the Middle East conflict from both sides - since there obviously ARE two sides!! - even tho I confess I lean towards one side myself. It is nice that you've suggested books with both POV. I appreciate the ideas on how to break the study into 4 weeks/units. Very helpful. Thanks for putting some thought/effort into that. My ears are still open for more if you wish. :bigear: And again, many thanks! You've got me on the right road, I think.

Hi, Wendi! That was nice of you to write. Thanks! :001_smile: I must confess that my son isn't too thrilled with the Around the World in 180 Days workbook!! -- too many questions to answer, he says. In fact, he's told me several times that he thought this would be his favorite subject but it has turned into his worst. :confused: So I've been trying to add in more fun stuff. He somewhat enjoys mapping, but he really enjoys doing the mapping games that are online, so we are doing those 2 or 3 times weekly. (At least that way he'll learn the names/locations of the countries.) I also had planned to do some videos closer to the end, but think I may need to do a bit now to give a break from all the questions!! lol So far we have gotten thru the geog section of the text, and he is currently in the history section. Things we have done or are doing: - African folk tales (particularly the Anansi stories, tho I have others, too) - Escape from the Slave Traders (by Dave and Neta Jackson - about David Livingstone) - Journey to Jo'burg (by Naidoo - set in South Africa - about apartheid) - Risking the Forbidden Game (also by Jacksons - set in Morocco) - African meal (wasn't bad -- even the cornmeal porridge!) - computer mapping:001_smile: Thanks for the reminder of videos and music. I'd forgotten them - alto videos are on my list of ideas! We also plan to read Assassins in the Cathedral. In fact, we may do a whole study on Uganda since there is so much history there. I found a neat library book called Ryan and Jimmy and the Well in Africa that Brought Them Together (by Herb Shoveller) which is very current and interesting. David Livingstone also was there, so.... Two other library books I think are very well done are Cultural Atlas for Young People: Africa and Cultural Atlas for Young People: Ancient Egypt. I'll see if our library has the other two books you suggested. Thanks for the ideas. :) And I would be happy to keep in touch. I must confess, though, that I am not expecting to study the continents in the same order as the book. I will probably shove South Amer, North Amer, and Antarctica to the end (since by that time our son is tired and won't learn as much) My current plan (and we all know that things change!!) is the following: Africa - 4 weeks Middle East - 4 weeks (must design myself - not in guide, but too important to skip!) Europe - 7 weeks Christmas break Australia - 2 weeks Asia - 9 weeks SAM - 5 weeks NAM - 4 weeks Antarctica - 1 week Is your son answering all those questions, or are you mostly doing other reading?? :bigear: Hope to hear from you. We could also email each other.....

Those are three very different ideas. I love Mystery of History -- used it with my older son and daughter - and I'm just waiting to use it with our grade 7 son! However, I don't think it really explains the conflict we have in the Middle East today. Well, it DOES in a sense since it all stems from Isaac and Ishmael, but there is also so much history after that which needs to be covered. Habibi sounds very interesting, and teaching history via story format is a really pleasant way to learn. I wish it weren't quite so biased towards Palestine; would be preferable to be more even-handed, but it DOES at least cover the conflict. (The title is interesting. My husband is Christian Egyptian, so I frequently hear his family saying "Habibi" or "Habibti"!) The Child's Geography is a curriculum I haven't seen before. Looks good! But it is a curriculum meant for a whole year! - and we've only got about 4 weeks. (I enjoyed seeing the sample chapter about Turkey since my husband and I were there on a cruise last year. It was WONDERFUL!!) And again, I'm really hoping to find something which explains today's conflict. Not wanting to be picky and I do so appreciate your suggestions. :) Any others coming?? I'm all ears! :bigear:

My son is in grade 7 and we are studying world geog/history/culture this year using "Around the World in 180 Days". I want to add a study of the Middle East so that he gets some idea of why there is such conflict there nowadays. Any ideas on what he/we could use? It can be a workbook-type study or something much less organized/formal. Thanks!

Just in case, I'll tell you the bit I know. 15 years ago we went to Albuequerque for my husband's sabbatical. We were told that the safest quarter of town was the north-east, so we found an apartment there.

:001_smile:

And many thanks for your answers.:)

Hi! I'm just in the process of signing up for Paypal, but thought I should as for some info. Can you please help me? #1 - Do you find it is safe/secure? Or have you had a bad experience? #2 - Is it necessary to be verified? (I'm going to use this account very little and only for small amounts - eg. under $100.) Thanks!!

Whenever we study history or geography, I try to find recipes I can cook to go with it. I have several international cookbooks (one for children, so it has very basic recipes with "normal" ingredients), but I also use the internet a lot. One of our favorite recipes so far was naan, the Indian bread!

To repeat what was said above, the kids learn good basic doctrine and memorize LOTS of verses. I'd suugest you see if a church near you has an AWANA program. They meet weekly during the school year. Each meeting they say the verses they memorize, play active games, have a Bible lesson, and do some singing.:001_smile:

Well, maybe I should start with my girls. They loved Saxon. (Both are now severalyears past grade 12 and STILL talk positively about it!) My boys.... well, around grade 5 or 6 I realized that Saxon just didn't work for him. (He's also very bright in math, like your son.) Saxon was just SO repetitious -- it put him to sleep so he got things endlessly wrong. I finally switched him to Singapore, and he did grades 4-6 in about 1 1/2 years. Then I moved him to New Math Counts (because I'd heard the more advanced Singapore math problem needed a teacher, and I couldn't be that!). He completed the first 3 books in 2 years. (So at the end of grade 10 he finished the 3rd book.) (By the way, he did ALL his math on his own. I didn't teach him anything from about grade 3!) His SAT math scores have been GREAT! He's now in school for grade 11 and is tutoring the class! Our younger son is also good in math, but very visual. He loved the colorfulness of A Beka (I've always used that for the first few years), but then I switched him. This year we are doing R&S with Singapore. Still trying to decide what to do for next year. R&S isn't viisually appealing, but it's a great program. (My older girls were helping school him several days and were SO impressed with the mental math he did in that program. They kept saying, "Daniel is SO smart, Mom!!!) Anyway, just my experience...........

I haven't got my act totally together yet, but you've given me some great ideas to consider - for this year and next year. :) Have a great Easter! HE'S RISEN INDEED!!:)

That gives me a few more ideas. I don't think even my kids would let us getting away with just eating candy for breakfast!!!! - tho they'd love the thought of it! But it might be fun to have a big brunch for lunch! - we seldom do that on Sundays. :) (And we need a calm morning, since my husband will be preaching the Easter service.) Watching an Easter-type video could be very good, too. Thanks for the thoughts?

I remember reading about that book somewhere. Is it too graphic? I'd love to read it to the family next year --- but I don't like anything too "gross" - gives me nightmares!

When the girls were really young - about 3 and 5 years maybe. I was reading the Bible story aloud to them - just portions each day - and when I came to the part about how they were so CRUEL and disrespectful to Jesus (you know, the slaps in the face, etc.), I just burst into tears! I think that probably got the point across quite nicely since they seldom see Mommy cry! However, now they are older. We are reading a chapter or two of John each day and will be at the resurrection on Sunday. I think what you two are saying about Lent is that, basically, there is value to planning Easter activities in advance and getting our minds centered EARLY on what is important. (But that is so hard with home-schooling, I think -- because the schooling and live take up most of my mind!!!)

We've got kids ages 10-21! -- and I want to really bring home the true meaning of Easter. Any ideas? Also, if you've been at church all morning, what do you have for a nice lunch?? Thanks!