LOVE LOVE LOVE that list just 3 posts above! Many of the same novels I found by spending too many hours researching, if I'd only had that broken down list four years ago! HA! Here are my top ten.... Plato's "The Republic" Beowulf (or Odyssey...like both) John Milton's Paradise Lost or Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress Jonathon Swift "Gulliver's Travels" Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov James Fenimore Cooper's "The Last of the Mohicans" Alexandre Dumas "The Last of the Mohicans" Charles Dickens "Nicholas Nickleby" or "Tale of Two Cities" Paton "Cry the Beloved Country" Very hard to narrow them down, but those are the ones that stood out to me the past 4 years, mainly I've been looking for authors who show and don't tell..these authors are very good at showing...so I like these :)

I bought both my Foerster's books off Ebay or Amazon for under $6!! I saved loads using them with 3 teenagers :) I'm fairly strong in math, but the way Foerster (lauded professor who wrote these over 12 years ago and in 3 editions I think) writes, he explains the concepts so well, the students really 'get it' easily. The only ones I had problem with were the word problems, hate hate hate them...my mind just SHUTS down...so we would tackle the odd ones and get about half of those, then go to Khan Academy and see the harder ones worked out in samples....I just won't die on that hill :) The MathWithoutBorders site was recommended to me, but I just didn't want to invest in them because I'm not patient enough to sit there and watch a bunch of explanations about what I do know to try and find the section I need....I think it would be ideal to have a mathematician on call for those 2-3 problems a week that I need someone to work out for me :) Go to MathWithout Borders website to get the ISBNs of the books they use..those are the ones I bought :) It's simply a textbook the schools used in the early 2000s...he won many awards and he just makes it easy to understand...plus not a lot of fluff pics and stuff like Jacobs math books...my kids need straight forward math, no need to slip in pictures of random things around the world :) Good luck!

Boy! IS this timely!! My 19 year old (starting college in Fall) just had his shot 2 days ago, I was very apprehensive about it, have always denied any 'additional' vaccines because we had an issue when he was 2...he received three shots at once, by his pediatrician, they put all three shots in one arm, which is what many believe caused our problem....but before he received them he was speaking and had a vocabulary of around 20-25 words, 5 hours after the shots he ran a 105 fever for 3 days...he lost what speech he had until he was 3.5!! He had gibberish talk..it really scared me but I knew he was still our bright kid, he understood everything I was saying and played relentlessly with dinosaurs and had fun...at 3.5, his speech came back in spades...like he'd never had an issue...sure it's anecdotal, but enough for me to be highly alarmed with vaccines... So, son had to get meningitis vaccine on Tuesday, about 5 hours later he began to go downhill, fever and he felt achy/crampy all over...flu feeling he said. He went to bed and the next day stayed on the couch the entire day..could not get up...weak/sore/fever...today he is doing better, but geez...not liking effects these 'vaccines' have on this particular child! My other kids never had issues...he's still on the couch but I have been able to get him outside for a few minutes...but it wore him out..fever is gone...he's a competitive rower so he's highly active...just not like him to be taken down so easily at 6'3 and in top shape...ugh! Would I do the vaccine if I didn't have to, for this child, NO...for my others..probably wouldn't be a problem.

Hi! Anything Foersters for Algebras....there is a website where you can buy videos or something to go along with it, I never needed to, well, probably needed to one or two lessons but we confidently made it through at least 90% without stumbling...very well written. Try www.mathwithoutborders.com I also used their recommendation for Geometry. For writing, I am just getting a website up to offer free curricula for families/co-ops looking for lessons for composition/literature...I completed one last year and tested it out, it worked pretty well...caught a few typos but too busy to go back and fix them :) I think there are about 300 pages of stuff in my first one...36 weekly lessons covering a wide range of stuff..I developed it for the co-op setting, but most could be done on their own. If I have time I will attach my parent letter that lists book lists and stuff, so folks won't have to go through the text to figure it out...never had time to do a table of contents. I gleaned great lessons from other teachers, college/high school websites, and adapted them to fit my own lessons... This year, I am teaching 3 levels of writing and will offer those on my website as well, hopefully by August. Anyone can access these...I hope to put some of my students' work up there this year, I've been so amazed at how well the kids write (not thanks to me!) but to their sheer love for being able to express their ideas amongst peers...it's a labor to create these courses each year, but so much fun to teach them :) My website is www.wordlyways.com because all my course titles start with Word...Words with Purpose, Words Through Time, Words for Imagining, and Wondering Words...I'm only 8 lessons in on my senior course, this will be a long summer! :) Blessings, Tara

Thanks! Yes! I think it would be a great place to start a blog and offer it online...I plan on creating a new one each year (plan on teaching two more years) so now that I have this first one under my belt I can branch out a bit and explore more offerings for students. I have loved the opportunity to have a platform where these students can share/explore their interpretations of literature and have the advantage of peer review. You all are such a wonderful help! Thank you!

I have been teaching English Composition/Literature at our local co-op for 4 years. I started out using all IEW sources, but realized the students wanted/needed somewhere to 'go' after completing those. One year, I used the How to read Literature Like a Professor and followed different lesson plans I found online and tweaked some to my own liking. This year, I created 36 lessons focusing on words with purpose, finding authors/novels that dealt with character/moral lessons etc. for the first semester and poetry/Shakespeare studies for the second semester. It is broken down into lessons with weekly assignments for literature/composition/journaling/vocabulary assignments...it works best in a co-op setting for grades 9-12. Roughly around 365 pages which includes all lesson plans/writing resource folders/Socratic discussion handouts etc. I would say half is my creation (rubrics, lessons, lists etc.) and half are files that were found online (where I have credited the source) and usually tweaked them to fit our co-op setting. The internet is chock full of wonderful lesson plans but they do not translate well to the homeschool setting without a bit of tweaking. I know co-ops are often concerned about what to teach, my lessons definitely are more on the religious side..I am not promoting one religion over the other but it is definitely Christian in flavor. I chose Dosteovsky(The Brothers Karamazov & The Idiot) because of how he shows the evolving characters' faiths and books like The Hiding Place/Elie Wiesel's Night etc. to explore faith in literature. In a secular co-op, it may not go over so well. I have put hundreds of hours into this project, and am wondering if there would be an interest in sharing it. I contemplated just uploading it to Amazon publishing and making it available that way, but it really is better used as double sided/hole punched for the student...each student would need their own copy and with removable rubrics etc. it should not be in book form. Just not sure where to go with it? I have attached the first page of the course, still needs some tweaking, I did not want to offer the course until after I had completed teaching all 36 lessons so I could make adjustments to what worked well with the classes. Thanks!

Love, love, love her! My first daughter can be as you described, I have found that I do have to work harder at making those connections. When I see things going south (bad attitude) I deal with it quickly, the worst you can do is to let them be and give space. I will spend an afternoon just with her, make an excuse to shop for something, then branch out to a picnic or meal out. I get honest with her, I do not focus on her behavior but how darn tough it is to see clearly in these ages of hormones..I make it more about coping through the changes in our bodies. I often tell how after each pregnancy I felt 'not myself' I just felt the blahs...exercise helped, diet helped but hormones are tricky beasts. let her know that you do not expect perfection, that you and Dad will still hound her for chores, but that it is not about the chores it is about honoring God with all we do...will any of us be perfect? I throw in here examples she knows where I am not, but that God picks up the slack so we must trust in Him to carry us through...if there is one thing I want her to leave my house knowing is not how to clean a kitchen or finish their assignments, but that it is to know as much as we have their back, it is God who carries us. We finish and clean to honor Him who carries is, apologize if that has not been the focus and ask her how she feels..I have three teenagers and these talks occur about 3-4 times a year...my kids need that reassurance and strong faith to help them through these spots...the unbridled joy is when they start to come to you with their own faith experiences...will be praying for you all.

I would not tell her...you said they only meet once a year and there is no guarantee they will come next year. I err on the side of the wisdom of Corrie Ten Boom's father...let me (the parent) carry that knowledge until I feel you are ready to handle it. If they saw each other daily and /or your daughter would definitely hear it then I would address it but under the circumstances you shared, I would tuck it close to my heart and cover their family in prayer.

:grouphug::grouphug: You are in your rights to ask your doctor to be specific with blood work and limit the number of draws...that alone is enough to turn your stomach more! Praying you reach a hormonal point where the nausea is limited...I honestly think tough pregnancies are there to make us so thankful when they're teenagers :) If you can handle this, you can handle anything!! They are precious precious creations!!

Crockpot bbq chicken http://allrecipes.com/recipe/zesty-slow-cooker-chicken-barbecue/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=crockpot%20bbq%20chicken&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page Broccoli Salad http://www.pauladeen.com/index.php/recipes/view2/broccoli_salad/ (I cut may/sugar in half, really too much unless you're using 2 heads of broccoli which I do for larger groups) Made this for church workers helping with the tornadoes...fill in with some chocolate chip cookies or ice cream..easy...

My dh loves broccoli salad....raisins/red onions/bacon/cheese (Paula Deen's recipe..but I only use 1/2 cup mayo and two TB sugar...more vinegar) Redneck Caviar: Cilantro, black beans, black eyed peas, shoepeg corn, cumin, olive oil, vinegar (red wine) onions...dip with Fritos...YUM! You can also use whole wheat chips but not as good, I limit myself to 8 Scoop Fritos and that is a meal. Lima Bean Crockpot soup (potatoes, carrots, lima beans, buttr beans, chicken stock, bacon, marjoram, butter, onions) Parmesan topped chicken breasts...flatten chicken breasts a bit, rinse/dry and rub olive oil and salt/pepper on it...then place them on a broiler pan side by side...make a mixture of 1/2 package cream cheese 1/2 cup mayo and 1 cup parmesan...spread this mixture over the top of the chicken...then sprinkle panko bread crumbs over the top, bake at 375 about 20 minutes...great low carb recipe.

Keeping Up Appearances Big Bang Theory The Middle Frasier Everybody Loves Raymond (the episode where Marie gave her Tarragon.."Who's the nutjob now, Ray, who's the nutjob NOW??" All of those we have every episode and watch them repeatedly! :) When we have time...not much comedy is on today besides BBT

Funny, it's what is on the menu for dinner! Pesto/mozzarella stuffed pork chops! :) http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/pesto_stuffed_pork_chop.html http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pesto-stuffed-pork-chops/ I use mozzarella instead but feta would work well, too! :)

More hugs for you! And so happy your pain is diminished..soreness is much more tolerable than unyielding pain any day! Please, please have the hospital or oncologist forward the results to that OB...he NEEDS to know that if he sees a pt. with your symptoms again, to be more thorough and check it out. I am struggling with that right now, had a kidney ailment the first of the year that was pretty rough...now I have another one and after 3 doctors, finally getting one that is doing the right tests..we have to be diligent in our care...too often doctors presuppose what our problem is without clear markers to guide them!

I am on my third year teaching composition/literature to 7-12th....I have run into this many times, especially this year..not many like Faulkner or Steinbeck...I actually do not 'like' them but feel they are important examples of literature worthy of discussion. I always go into objections with respect and a heavy amount of understanding. Each of us have our limits or concerns on different levels of literature. I would share with her the positives of reading this book as a group and in a Christian setting...politely allow her the decision to have her children choose another reading and to avoid class on the days you hold discussions on the book. Be kind and considerate...

Not be mute, but be encouraging no matter what! Always point out the positive...I'm still seeing 'vanity' when you mention femininity...those issues are so superficial...I am striving to raise my girls to think critically, give deeply, and live their lives with gusto...fretting about a hairstyle is not on my top list of things to worry about.

Yes, I think it is wrong of you to influence her on your preference...it's coming from vanity...should we put vanity above charity? I don't think ever....I would encourage her and support her and the beauty she gains from donating far exceeds a temporary short hair cut...she should feel good about her decision not second guess it b/c her mother thinks she will not be as attractive. (That said, I completely see it and have the same issue with mine, I want them to get their hair cut but THEY do not want it pixie short so they are trying to grow it out well below the bra strap but it gets stringy..just does not look healthy....so looking 'healthy' is also a vanity thorn....I just let them decide and encourage them in any way they would like it...I always say, "It's your decision, do what feels right." I may think something else, but that is the lesser side of me not the better!

"In 2009 America's crime rate was roughly the same as in 1968, with the homicide rate being at its lowest level since 1964. Overall, the national crime rate was 3466 crimes per 100,000 residents, down from 3680 crimes per 100,000 residents forty years earlier in 1969 (-9.4%)" It just 'seems' that way because of our advances in communication, the killing sprees/murders get 2 weeks of press, back in the 60's it may show up on the 3rd page of the 'US News section'...but now we have a load of social media to hash/regurgitate/revisit every single detail of each violent crime..we're rubber neckers...so what may seem like 'more' is just more fallout from the initial event. You just don't hear about the 96,000 people who never have a crime happen to them...or commit one...we're out there...just not 'interesting' enough news to report that gets the water cooler excited.

Just walked in from picking up 17 year old from youth meeting recapping their mission week and planning how to start similar missions locally...my 13/14 dds are in their fifth day of AHG camp in another state, my oldest did not realize for the physical fitness badge she had to rise at 5:30am each morning to run, she loves her sleep, so this week will be tough for her!

As hard as it is for you to see them go through this, you've learned a lot and they have learned a lot about poor decisions...I would use this as a teaching moment and have a good pow-wow on how to love those who are prickly to love. I would then probably never send them there without your presence. And I think it would be a cool gesture to have a few books bought for your children as a token of your love for them and show how proud you are of them to try their best to help others and get along in tough circumstances...

We have four full bathrooms and only use two!! We only use one shower (master) and the other one we just use toilet...it's crazy...and my three are all teenagers!

Lydia Diane :)

I just wipe it with a damp papertowel then dry it well then rub oil on it or cook some bacon on it and dry it off when cool :)

Our 2000 Sienna has over 200k on it and never a 'repair' just replacing hoses/belts, maintenance stuff...rear brakes lasted 200k miles! When I look at what is on the road I still see Toyota Previas (precursor to Sienna) but not many late model Odysseys...we buy a car and keep it forever...our Prius was just rear ended badly, the car that hit me on the interstate had to be towed, I drove away only with scratches on my bumper, it may look cheap..but boy is made solid...

We loved it! The big baby thing was a bit odd, but the rest was truly British...maybe bc we have been there a few times...it just captured that British personality...all that was missing was Hyacinth :) loved the flame at the end, very cool!