I am almost done with my lively Latin Big Book 1. It teaches 3 of 6 Latin tenses. The present, imperfect, and future. I suppose Big Book 2 teaches the other three. It is not a boring curriculum. We learn to memorize gender of the nouns but we don't know why and I don't like that. She teaches all 4 Latin conjugations. There is quite a bit of history and it is very organized. I like the one on CD's instead of the book because you do not have to print out everything if you want to save a little ink here and there. I do not like the greek mythology in one module :( That' just because I wasn't prepared to explain paganism/Christian values. The pronunciation CD goes with the vocabulary lists and it is pretty much open and go except the teacher needs to know the work also to discuss things and know what is going on. Afterall, it is foreign. What is FLL?

Lively Latin is not without its discrepancies but it is a well rounded program. It is organized and easy to figure out except I like to know why I am learning something and she teaches part to whole. I am a whole to parts to whole. Give me a big picture first, then pieces. Even though it has its little problems, it is still great. You willmost likely have to buy new because it is not on ebay or any of my yahoo groups for sale. I got on here searching for BB2 or volume 2. Also, I may have to change curriculums. One year of BB1 is only half a high school credit for foreign language in LL. SO two years for one credit. Ouch...

that kitty cat animated profile pic you have is halarious! :)

What a good question. I am like a professional organizer that has never earned her credentials but I do have a lot of experience in mostly residential spaces. I have been rehired many times to be a chaos whisperer. The backbone of my seasoning was Julie Morganstein's Organizing from the Inside Out. She was even before the FLY LADY. I enjoyed reading your post as it shows some depth to the topic. SOme things I have come to notice is that sometimes life takes a hard curve and we don't have time to adjust. It begins to snowball and we begin to feel overwhelmed. Once someone coined the phrase "clutter attracts clutter." It is easy to see how things can quickly get out of control--especially the larger families or ones with multiple pets. Perhaps the Lord was speaking to your heart as you noticed the little details of her home and the idea was settling into your spirit--so much that you have posted this! Maybe, a yard sale is brewing at the beginning of a fall month for the two of you to do a little purging together...maybe even share the book (you can rent it from the library). My friend and I read it and share pieces from it from time to time to sharpen one another. You've heard that iron sharpens iron? Anyway, people need a friend to deal with overwhelming things that they are not used to tackleing like organizing a room that's gotten out of control or even having a yard sale. I know I hate having a yard sale by myself. Julie's book can help you determine devilish clutter. If you are losing things habitually, have no place to put _________, then some organizing is in order. If sentimental things get ruined or broken, you would want to rethink everything not having a home. Personally, I have wondered myself about my home being devoid of interest as I am an intensely creative person but crave order for control and security--not to mention a griping, nagging husband that makes me want to run away from home sometimes. Sometimes clutter lends to creativity when we are relaxed and enjoying our surroundings (you see two things lying next to each other that are unrelated and then you get a great idea) but when it makes you feel bad or aggravated, not easy on the eyes (a messy, cluttery desk); clutter hinders inspriration and productivity. Sometimes people take a picture of their clutter. It tells a story. What does yours say about you? Seeing it in a photo and imagining putting it on the internet is helpful. We are often dynamic people with a lot of likes that we try to bring into a home that we only have so much time (or money) to manage. This is why I love Pinterest. :) On a side note, I do not have the money to express the things I love or value the way I would want to...my house fails pretty much to display the wonder of me. You, too, are a house. Love you, take care of you...and let the structure in which you live reflect your efforts in those :hat:things and it will give your guests a wonderful feeling. Peace in Christ, Melanie.

I am not happy at all about my purchase of Science Roots. Jonibee said it correctly. Who wants to flip between resources over and over to accomplish anything? I have spent two hours plus trying to figure out this procedure to be able to explain it to the kiddos in a way that they will not whine about it. Don't know what I will do...just use the glossary OR the Main List. I don't understand why there is a glossary when the main list defines it???? Mass confusion (OVER Organized). I went searching and found this helpful review on a blog of Science Roots and felt it only decent of me to come back, sign in and post the link: http://anniekateshomeschoolreviews.com/2011/10/review-science-roots-by-nancy-paula-hasseler/#comment-16412 I feel a bit better about using it now that I have read that. I will just use the glossary and the main list. It helped me to know that the glossary is to be used to get the definition of a "Secondary Root with an asterisk" instead of looking through the Apologia text for it. Where I said it was "over organized" the reviewer praises how easy it is find words because her indexing is thorough. It has worked well for others but it hAS my head spinning :(

I want to make these and freeze. Yes come forward :)

I believe you could scrape by, if that's the goal. It does not have a "fine focus" knob separate from the coarse focus (which is the main thing). You would want two separate knobs--one fine focus. What I mean by "scrape by" is that Youtube has plenty of videos that help you to do the biology. Sometimes, its even better than the microscope and what you can see. Of course, nothing replaces hands-on discover it yourself aha moments....but it is there if you need it. I am going with AMSCOPE. They have a highschool compound microscope for 99.00 and free shipping. It has the 40X=400 mag. and the fine focus..

Gayle Grahmn "Tricks of the Trade" How to teach any child to spell looked awesome. I bought it, but when we started it, it was overwhelming to me to figure it out. We got to the word "indianapolis" and had no clue where that word belonged in the list of categories. It was not for us, but everything you are ssaying--the description of that curriculum seems to match it. I think Bright Ideas Press put it out years ago. I just gave it away--but it sure sounded good! I am mentioning it to you because maybe it would work for you?

Me, nah...but my friend, my best friend did. She was about 40. It has taken me four years to start calling her by her middle name and sometimes it just feels right to call her by her first (original) name. She did it like many people do that are not happy with how their lives are running. It's like remodeling a home. You just want to reinvent yourself sometimes. It annoyed me that she wanted to do that. That's the real question I have about it. Why does it annoy us so much that someone wants to go by another name?:glare:

I had all of my boys simultaneously. It was hard because I had no friends or family to take them off my hands so that I could get refreshed and put myself back together. I would get up early to carve time out for me, but many times they would wake up early no matter how quiet I would be to buy me some time. I know I am starting this post off about myself and not the kids, but a Mother that has perspective and has had a little time to center herself and make some plans or get some work done without constant distraction BECAUSE of the service of VBS is a BETTER mother. I have helped with VBS in times past because I had the heart for it--but always felt unappreciated. That didn't matter because it wasn't about me, but we should make sure VBS workers are rewarded. When I volunteered, I learned little things along the way for my own life. I still can remember one portion of a song years ago, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, he'll give your life a brand new start...even when the day is dark, trust in the Lord with all your heart." So, yes, it sticks. As a child I LOVED VBS (when I knew about it). Thank God for Melanie Sharpless that took me (my 5th grade teacher). It was fun and I LOVED crafts. I do not know if kids today love it as much because cartoons and video games and the computer make life more sensational. Back in the 80's we were quite bored unless Mom had been to Blockbuster to buy a movie. One thing I think works great in a VBS setting is hands on and small group. I like kids rotating in stations for crafts. VBS is not only worth it for the children (especially the poor ones that you have to go and get and return each day with your gas money) but also for the parents to have a break! You never know what part of VBS sticks in their heart forever to fashion their soul.

Well said OH_Homeschooler.

:) Magnum P.I.

I consider myself as "one of those" church hoppers but probably for a different reason than for what you might think of a hopper. Aside from the unfair remark, I would try assisting and praying for the person. Prayer is the faith and the kind help one would offer to the teacher would be the "works." Faith without works is dead. This would give you a bird's eye view of it all and you could go from there.

:001_smile:This is a great observation that I will not forget to share with others.