AnnE-girl, I also think about that line between secrets and things-not-discussed. And the line between things-not-discussed and gossip. In the case you mentioned, I probably wouldn't sit my kids down to tell them the story. Sooner or later, there will probably be a How did you and dad meet? moment.

I can't remember where I read this, and I just failed to verify it online but I recollect that Archer tried so hard to edit out the references to homosexuality that he ended up making the scene a confusing mess. Maybe I read that in the Intro to the Nunnally translation, but I really don't know that for sure.

Can you elaborate on this? I just chose the non-Pevear/Volokhonsky translation of Dr. Zhivago. Partially due to reviews, but also for the fun of reading the translation that was actually on the best seller list in 1959 since I am choosing Dr. Zhivago for my best-seller-in-spouse-book-year bingo square. I admittedly know nothing about Russian translators, and I am eager to know more. FWIW, I can pass along that Tiina Nunnally has a good reputation for translations from Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish. Her translation of Kristen Lavransdatter is one of my all-time favorite works. By contrast, I couldn't stand the older translation by Charles Archer. I thought it was awful.

I have a question about Goodreads. Do you use it to make a cumulative list of all the books that you have ever read, or only log the books you have read since you started Goodreads? Over the years, I have attempted paper lists but never got very far. Obviously, it is quick to do it on Goodreads. I wonder if there is a way to add a bunch of books without it showing up on feeds of friends. Seems like that could get annoying when somebody on your feed rapid-fire adds 50 books or more.

No BTDT experience with your specific situation, but I don't think that either method would be a problem. You could email your coordinator or call the office. I have found them to be quite helpful. For example, DS accumulated 76 hours of personal development this summer, and that is on one form. I think he will submit for each level. So what happens to the remainder of the unused personal development hours? I called the office, and was told that they will be held for the next level. BTW, one reason for submitting at each level is the ability to change goals. That doesn't sound like an issue for you, but it might be for someone else reading.

Freshly grated ginger is my current favorite flavoring :)

I still have one college student here, so we are on a semi-routine. And we are writing credit request forms for our umbrella school, which are tedious. Three forms done and one to go for this week. I signed myself up for ESL volunteer training, and that was one of my 2017 goals. I have an informational meeting on Friday, and I am so excited!

I can't read true crime anymore, and I used to read it. Also likely the result of becoming a mom. The closest I can come now is historical true crime like The Devil in the White City.

Since I am new to this thread, and I mostly read classics and literary fiction...well, I don't want you to get the wrong idea about me. I liked Twilight. I liked Wuthering Heights. When I was 18, V.C. Andrews was my favorite author. Before that, it was Sidney Sheldon. Self-help books are my guilty pleasure. Because the next one is going to be THE ONE that is going to teach me how to fix myself. I pick a lot of my books from 500 Essential Cult Books: The Ultimate Guide. I love reading diaries. All of them. From The Diary of Anne Frank to The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star by Nikki Sixx. :lol:

For my son's one day expedition, we went to another city. He did all of the planning, which is the key. He chose the itinerary, figured out the train schedule and how to buy the tickets, bought and packed our lunch, led the way around with street map in hand, etc. He is a pretty experienced traveler, but I am usually the one doing all that planning stuff. It rained and his paper map got wet and fell apart, and he had to figure out an alternative means for not getting us lost :)

Oops, I meant Bronze certificate. Thanks for catching that. I don't quite get the cumulative nature of the Explorations/Expeditions. If one submits for the first time at, say, the Bronze medal, what does one have to have? Three individual day things plus one overnight? Or just one overnight? All the other aspects, you could just read down the column: 100 hours of service, 50 hours of personal development, 50 hours of physical fitness. -- And for those just getting started, I have emailed our regional coordinator with questions multiple times. I have just realized that I probably have to switch to a different coordinator now that we are in a different state.

It is nice to see this thread revived. I hope that people will periodically post updates. Here is what my son is doing right now: Physical Fitness: Fencing. He'll probably go back to fitness walking as soon as it is no longer bitter cold. And will be getting a SCUBA certificate before the summer. Voluntary Public Service: We just moved here in November, and he doesn't have a place to volunteer yet. The move took its toll on us - he hasn't even looked yet. This is an action item for January :) But he already has about 100 hours so that is Ok. Personal Development: He banked a lot of hours at a two-week residential science camp last summer. He will be there this summer for three weeks, and I think that will actually get him to just about 200 hourse. But he is in theater classes, and could use that. Expedition/Exploration: He has only done the 1 day for the Silver certificate. The move really impacted his momentum, ugh.

I can only tolerate audio books when I am in the car. And, fortunately, I am not in the car very much. ETA: But I wish that I could focus on them. That would be lovely. Alas, I just can't.

IIRC, there was talk here of a read along for SWB's The Story of Science. That could line up nicely with choosing a science from the GB list.

I am so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing your precious baby's story with us. Many, many hugs.

Thinking of you and your family. Sending many hugs to you and your precious baby boy.

Now that we are on Week 2, I have revised my plans. Reminds me of my homeschooling plans :) I am still going to work on Bingo, but I am also doing the Into the Forest challenge. It focuses on myths, legends, and fairy tales which was going to be my 2017 focus before I found out about the challenge. Now I have a framework. Yay for that. I finished The Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban last night. This was one of my favorite childhood books. I checked it out from the library over and over and over again. It is very melancholy and at times brutal...I have no idea what that says about me as a child :lol: . I tried reading it out loud to my boys when they were little, but it was a bust then. It was too sombre and pondering for two wiggly boys who liked stories with action. I put it aside after just a chapter or two. That was at least fifteen years ago. I didn't even try it on my younger son. I knew better - it probably would have traumatized him. Something made me want to revisit this book, though. And I am so glad that I did. There was one aspect of the ending that bothered me, but otherwise I thought it was darn near flawless.

I am trying to find the Bozeman Science of literature. Crash course is pretty limited, focusing more on analysis of individual works. Study.com has exactly what I want, but is expensive. I would love to have DS watch short, instructional videos on literary devices/terms. Any leads?

Do you think Foerster Algebra 2 is good preparation for Derek Owens Precalculus? Besides the math, what other skills are needed? I am thinking taking notes from video lectures would be one. DS has had several online classes, but has not needed to take notes from video lectures for any of them. That is something we will work on in the spring. That and math handwriting :glare: . I am nervous about outsourcing math next year, but I really really do not want to teach Precalculus. I am also considering Wilson Hill, but Derek Owens appeals to me because it is self-paced. DS did: Foerster Algebra 1 in 8th grade Jacob's Geometry 2nd edition in 9th grade Foerster Algebra 2 currently (10th)

Are you selecting from a particular GB list?

I listened to the audible version of the play Copenhagen this week. This version has Benedict Cumberbatch as Werner Heisenberg. The play imagines what happened in the mysterious 1941 meeting between Heisenberg and Niels Bohr. I think it would be best to know a bit about the physicists and the mysterious meeting before listening. We saw a live performance last night, and everyone in the family loved the play. I was the only one who listened to the audiobook ahead of time. It's good :)

We did Book 6, skipped Book 7, and completed Book 8. We only did the grammar lessons. Book 8 and Latin I were both 8th grade.

Huh. It looks like the only non-Scandinavian languages so far are Polish and Czech. i don't know enough about the publishing industry to comment on why-or-why-not. But I just realized that I had the wrong edition in my Goodreads. I had Norwegian instead of Danish. Oops :blushing: I wondered why the total page count was off, lol. Still trying to figure out the nuances of Goodreads.

How exciting! Most of the museums are free. One that you have to pay for is the Newseum, but I think it is a great one for teens. We were just there yesterday with our 16 yr old, so it is fresh in my mind :) If you buy the tickets online, you save 15% and they are good for two consecutive days. And they are not date specific tickets, which is nice. http://www.newseum.org/