I would probably back off the school a bunch and do some field trips. Enjoy your kids and read fun stuff to them. They may be school traumatized and so they dig their heels in. They may feel like they don't have what it takes so why even try. Maybe they feel that school is over their heads and so they expect themselves to fail. I tend to be a perfectionist and I found that my perfectionism was striking terror into my kid's hearts. They were afraid to fail and my expectations were just too high. Now maybe I am way off but I thought I was detecting a kindred spirit in your post.:) I could be wrong so please don't be offended if I am. Well, to finish my story, I had to discipline myself to not be a perfectionist and to really realize that my desire was to pour into the wholeness of my children and not just into their brains. I read The Teenage Liberation Handbook and found it really freeing. Much of the book is loopy but it brought me to the realization that it is not the end of the world if my children's education is not exactly what I want it to be and it is not the end of the world if my children's education is not even remotely what I want it to be because there is more to my child than just education.

I remember the "Mad Minute" from when I was in school and I think it destroyed my math life. I, too, tend to be perfectionistic and I just couldn't take it. I believe that schools use timed math drills because there is no other easy way to test the entire class at once but because you homeschool you are more closely aquainted with what your child knows and what he does not know so timed drills are really not necessary.

Sounds great to me! My 1st grader doesn't get nearly that much attention because she has older siblings that tend to require my time as well. Enjoy 1st grade. Kids learn ALL the time especially when they are not being taught. I know that we don't really get to business until the weather becomes more fallish anyway.:D

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned Romans 1 yet? 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. I post this because the OP was asking primarily about Christianity as it relates to homosexuality. Certainly it would be a different issue is it related to the secular world and homosexuality becuase Christans cannot hold the non-christian world to God's standard since God's righteousness cannot be achieved by our will power. Also, longevity does not prove that something is good or correct. That is a flaw in logic and I'm sure you can think of many examples of things that have been going on for 60 years that are not good.

Wow! my internet connection has been down for a few days and I'm suprised that this is still going strong!! I was reading the Bible this morning and stumbled upon this verse while looking for something else. I immediately thought of this discussion so I thought I would post it and get your feelings. It is the message that Jesus speaks to the angels of the seven churches in the book of Revelation, particularily to the church in Pergamum: 12"And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: 'The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. 13"'I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.' Jesus also mentions the tolerance of sexual immorality being a stain in his message to the church in Thyatira. These passages really make me aware of the times in which we are living and the prominent world views of these times. "Can you be a Christian and still..." The answer to that question is not on this board but is with Him. As described to the seven churches "the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands"; "the first and the last who died and came to life"; "him who has the sharp two edged sword"; "the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are burnished bronze"; "him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars"; "the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens"; "the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation." What I can say is seek him.

:ohmy: I am so sorry! That was a lot of work! At least you had posted a bunch on the forum so that you have something to go on but still it is a so sad to loose all that work.

You are right that some Christians do terrible things. Some non-Christians do terrible things as well. Some homeschoolers do terrible things and some people with their children in school also do terrible things. I cannot take responsiblity for every Christian's actions but I can take responsibility for mine. Likewise, I can't take responsibility for every homeschoolers actions... and so on. Grouping ALL Christians in one lump seems to be similar to what you are taking offense to with the grouping of homosexuals, is it not?

My intention was not to be mean spirited at all and I'm sorry if you read it that way. I was trying to show that everybody has some sort of desire that they would be wise to not fulfill. I don't believe that a person will absolutely die if they do not have sex. There are people that are in less than ideal marriages (sexwise and in other ways) who choose to stay with their spouse rather than moving to a more gratifying relationship. Why do they do this. I guess that they do not view their temporary satisfaction as being more important than their goal of being pleasing to God. This life is very, very short and to live for the here and now when it is so temporary shows a lack of vision. And for record, It is tragic when people brutalize others that do not share their views. Historically, Christians have not been stragers to persecution and martyrdom. It was wrong then and it is wrong now.

I feel that it is all about faith. Do you believe God to be true when he says that homosexuality is an abomination. Do you believe that he, being God, would know (i.e. do you question his intellegence on the matter?) and do you believe that he, being God, has mankind's best interest in heart (i.e. do you question his intentions?)? If one believes that God is both smart as well as good then how could they disagree with God's words on this? A person's faith is evidenced by their actions and what they belive about God is clearly seen.

:lol:I guess men could also say that God is cruel for making so many attractive women and only letting them choose one. Why can't they sleep with other attracive women if the women are willing? It is not hurting any body. They are just expressing their love for all the beautiful women. Why limit love?

Wow! What a great list. I was just looking on ambleside this morning thinking "How on earth am I going to figure this out??" It is amazing that I stumbled upon this list while searching Synge. I would really appreciate it if you added me to your list.:)

I read a review that said that the parent has to have Teaching Writing: Structure and Style by IEW to be able to teach this book. Has anyone used this book before?

It may also be safer to not include gluten-free oats in your diet for now because many people that have a problem with gluten also have a problem with oats- even if they are gluten-free. I would reintroduce the oats after things have settled down and you know what is working to test your reaction that way.

Oh, and those sea salt and malt vinegar chips that I so loved have gluten because of the malt.:confused:

To make you feel better, we are gluten, dairy and soy free as well, but we are also egg, rice, corn, almond, cashew, flax and kidney bean free. I always have a cooked roast in the fridge (bison, turkey breast, lamb or beef) and I slice it and make sandwiches. I fry the bread (everything-free bread) in a touch of oil and make the sandwiches with hummus (or mustard), pickles (Bubbies dill!!), spinach and maybe peppers or avacado and it is delish! I also usually tend to have a big pot of soup in the fridge for easy lunches. My kids really like the green bean, potato, bacon soup. You can thicken soup with sorghum flour. We sometimes make an abundance of buckwheat pancakes to have in the fridge for easy access. Another favorite is fried sausage (from a place called Red Barn that specializes in hormone free, antibiotic free meat with no gluten) and fried potatoes. It is an easy lunch- just add veggies and hummus. Another fave (which is low carb as well) is homemade sushi rolls with quinoa instead of rice. The quinoa rolls do quite well in the fridge for a day or two. Everyday my kids have a hot breakfast cereal for breakie called Fonio (it is related to the millet family and is quite mild tasting and great with bananas and cinnamon. The best gluten free flour mix that I have ever tried is called Namaste Perfect Flour Blend. It does have rice in it so we can't use it anymore but if rice is not a concern for you then give it a try. They also make the BEST chocolate cake and brownies (though these are not low sugar). In my experience, you can't be hyper vigilant on ALL fronts so I let the low sugar thing slide and just make sure that there is enough protien with the carbs to slow the sugar into the bloodstream.

I really noticed a difference in my breastfed baby when I gave up gluten and dairy. The rash goes away in about a week and the deeper issues take a few more weeks.

Okay, this is an old thread but I LOVE it. I want to move to Tom Sawyer's neighbourhood. Er, except that I think that the river might be dangerous and maybe they should close up those caves just for safety's sake. Also I don't want my son touching dead cats and talking about superstition. Hmm, I would also need to make sure that there are no more dogs off leash in public areas and that all criminals are safely out of proximity. Guns do tend to make me uncomfortable too.:lol:

I guess there is quite a range of prices anywhere you go. My daughter desperately wants to move to North Carolina because that is where her best friend moved 2 years ago.

ACK not the cold!! How can you love the cold? It is just so, well, cold.:)

Those suggestions sound great! I was looking at real estate in Hawaii a couple months ago. Also, Chile sound FAB! Marshall Islands? I am going to google this. West Virginia has me intrigued. What are prices like? We live just across the water from Vancouver and the newest figures for housing costs in Vancouver is up to 92% of a person's income! Victoria isn't quite as bad but is still really expensive. If I could live anywhere I would live here BUT I want an acreage so my kids can run and explore nature on their own terms. I'm just a demanding kind of girl I guess.:confused:

I'm sorry that you are going through this. I'm sure that there are people that are smarter and more qualified to answer this but I will give it a try. My daughter is getting to be a bit of a handful so I have been looking for answers as well. I agree with you that I don't want it to be about punishment but there does have to be a little bite behind the bark too. I have been doing some soul searching about my relationship with my children and about my homeschooling. I have tried to prioritize what my goals are for my daughter so I have a vision for the future. I found that a good education is high on my list but it is not the highest. Far more important to me is her spiritual growth, emotional growth, social growth, personal virtue and family relationships. Then I stumbled upon a book at the library called The Teenage Liberation Handbook by Grace Lewellen. I have to admit that I am not fond of the author's style of writing and I don't agree with everything that she says or with all of her logic but the book really gave me a piece of the puzzle. I have decided to let my daughter have more freedom in her education. She is choosing what she wants to learn and I have registered this year (rather than enrolling) so that I don't have to answer to the BC Student learning outcomes. Strangely, she is willingly taking on more than I would have given her to do AND she has a far better attitude. Another thing that I found was important is to make a zero tolerance policy on disrespect. I read that if you allow mild disrespect there really is no solid line about what is acceptable and the line will move according to your daughters mood. I have been enjoying the book Character Matters by Thomas Lickona and I plan on going through a character curriculum with my children so that they understand the standard. I also make sure to have some fun weekly activities with my daughter (i.e. movie night on Friday with just her) so that I have some positive weekly contact with her where we can connect. I also tell her that if she is going to get some more grown up outings without the younger kids she is going to have to be more grown up. If she is going to act like a child she will be treated like a child as well. I think that if things are going to change there will have to be a great effort on both of your parts but it will be SO worth it for your daughter's future! These are things that they don't teach in school. And lastly, this too will pass.:grouphug:

Maybe she wanted to throw the shower to welcome her baby into the world sort of like a 0th birthday party. If it is a first baby I would go but if it were for a third I'm not sure. For a while there were numerous births every month in our extended group of friends and it would have been quite a strain to have to go a shower for every birth.

If you could move anywhere in the world where would you go? I am toying with the idea of moving. somewhere. The cost of living where we live is outrageous. A ho hum 70's house on a .13 acre lot goes for $500,000. Granted the climate is nice. We rarely get snow. Surrounded by ocean, forests and with mountain views but there is more to life than scenery. Where would you go (keeping in mind cost effectiveness)? :bigear:

Thanks for the response. One more question that I forgot to ask. Does the curriculum expire after 3 years? Can you own the CDrom so that you could use it again with younger children after, say, 5 years or is it all subscription based?

I am wanting to try Meet the Masters but the way my children's ages are spaced it looks like I would need to buy all three levels. My children are a young 6, an advanced 8, and 14. My question is, for those of you who have used MTM, how critical is it to use the reccomended age guide? Is the material quite different between the 3 stages? Also any experiences with the curriculum would be great. Thanks!