Jump to content

Menu

buddhabelly

Members
  • Posts

    731
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by buddhabelly

  1. I saw Breakfast Club two years ago with my then 11-year-old boy. Yes it earns the "R" rating for many reasons. The most startling was when the Judd Nelson character was hiding under the desks and suddenly puts his face right between Molly Ringwald's legs (they showed his face right next to her crotch under the table).

     

    Definitely preview it -- the language is really bad too. Creepy to think of John Hughes working with this very young cast and putting that language into the script.

     

    Julie

  2. My son is extremely passionate about Minecraft. He even thinks he is going to Paris in November for the Minecraft convention! Um, okay. I asked him the question and he said, "Minecraft is creative." (He was homeschooled, so he knows the distinction between educational and creative.) I would agree, and the previous poster who mentioned that it improves social skills has a really good point. It is very interactive, and my child has had a lot of opportunities to practice resolving disputes and misunderstandings with his friends. The also have to cooperate. My son built a skyscraper and suggested that his friend build a restaurant to occupy the top floor of it. He also builds computers on Minecraft -- very simple ones that remind me a lot of programming in BASIC during the 1970's.

     

    He created a server, which was not easy but was very rewarding for him. But he doesn't use it anymore because he uses a different server that some older kids made. He said it is much more advanced and you can do many more things on it. I believe you can also play by yourself, but I think that gets kind of old after a while.

     

    Julie

  3. Oh, and Mitt Romney lives 3 blocks away. Word on the street is that he is continually asking people to stop smoking marijuana on the beach. Good luck with that. The NY Times wrote an article (hilarious) about how most of his neighbors turn out to be gay couples. They have welcomed him to the neighborhood. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/07/garden/mitt-romney-the-candidate-next-door.html?pagewanted=all

  4. I live right near the seals. But only when I have to ... La Jolla is very plastic and superficial (think Malibu). Only three or four miles away, other parts of San Diego are much more real. And did you know that most of the locals are trying to run the seals out of Children's Cove, because "it was built by Ms. Scripps for the children, not the seals." Don't get me started....

     

    I do enjoy my yoga and meditation on the beach, don't get me wrong. But I return to Alaska every chance I get for the real people with unperky breasts who read books, have gray hair, and (gasp) maybe a few wrinkles! The saddest business in La Jolla village (the part of La Jolla near the ocean as opposed to UCSD and Salk Institute and all that) is a cosmetic surgery place specifically for young people. : (

     

    Julie

  5. I think it's hilarious that the main reason folks on this board haven't read it is because it's poorly written. And that's actually my reason, too! That book needs an editor BADLY. Also (as implied in the video posted) I wouldn't want the stranger next to me on the plane to see what I am reading. They might assume that I was ... um, interested in some mile-high activity.

     

    Julie

  6. Not sure whether this will be possible, but the Sawtooth National Forest and the Salmon-Challis National Forest are incredible. Google "Sawtooth Wilderness" I think for some incredible hikes. But I suspect it would not even be possible for you, because I do have friends in Salt Lake City and was not able to visit them during the time I went to the Sawtooth Mountains.

     

    Julie

  7. You say that your son is 7 but he is in first grade. Will he be held up to his age-mates (second graders) or his classmates? I can't imagine that first graders are expected to perform subtraction of two digit numbers. Edited to correct: Wow, shows how long it's been since my son has been a first grader. Sorry, now I realize that a 7-year-old is a first grader. My other comment still stands, though, about the appropriateness of two-digit subtraction in first grade.

     

    Please don't "get ahead" of Right Start. It will just confuse him. But the program does a lot with "fives" as part of the games you play (and by the way, do not treat the game suggestions as optional even though they are listed after the "lesson" -- the games are what makes the child an expert in mental math). So if you are saying that 40 minus 35 will be on the test (or 20 minus 15 is a better example), I think you can talk about that with your Right Start abacus. The Right Start abacus is specially colored so that the child can see groups of five without computing. So 40 minus 35 would take a child about two seconds, and 20 minus 15? He probably wouldn't even need to look at the abacus if he had already played around with fives.

     

    Good luck and have fun! Oh, and my son completed Levels B - E of right start and only "B" took over a year. But please don't skip any games! You can ask the author if you have any questions about the games. And it's best to buy the most recent editions you can find -- though since there is no date in them, I guess the only way to make sure they ARE the most recent is to purchase them new. :tongue_smilie:

     

    Julie

  8. I have only one child and I haven't read all the replies but....

     

    I just wanted to add another voice to the idea of putting the baby in the sling or backpack (sling is easier to transition to feeding him/her). Then you don't really have to think about whether the baby is sleeping or not. He just sleeps, wakes, feeds and is soothed by your movements as you go about your day. Do try to get up and move around from time to time -- they get restless when the rocking motion of you walking stops. Of course, they do have to come out of the sling for diaper changes (and perhaps some floor time for wiggling if school goes long).

     

    I'm not sure how familiar you are with Kindergarten at school, but there is VERY little sitting time. Even when they are writing or reading, kids are encouraged to be flopped on the floor or crouching on the floor with the paper on a chair -- all different positions. Very hard to find traditional desks in a classroom these days. I encourage you to break up the day more with exercise breaks and music or dance, that kind of thing.

     

    Just some ideas that worked for friends with large families....best of luck! My son's kindergarten at a regular school was pretty much just damage control -- keep everyone from getting injured, and that's all that really happened, LOL. There were simply too many children in the classroom.

     

    Best wishes,

    Julie

  9. Well, Plainjane, you can't have it both ways. No crowds and "must sees" are two different animals. So I will address them separately.

     

    The most deserted beach I encountered in Oregon (mid-summer, too!) was Gleneden Beach State Recreation Area. It is only 7 miles south of Lincoln City, right near the super-expensive Salishan Lodge, and there is even a parking lot, and bathrooms. (Don't look at the photos on the website; I think they are trying to scare you away.) But there are beautiful state beaches every few miles. Continuing with the "no crowds" theme, I second the recommendation of a previous poster for Yachats. Beautiful area and far enough away from Newport and Lincoln that the crowds are non-existent. If the house you decide on is far away from Yachats, I highly recommend a stay at the Overleaf Lodge. Every room has an ocean view, and it is just a great hotel at an amazing price (includes a tasty and substantial breakfast).

     

    I forgot to see where you are from, but the aquarium at Newport (sorry I can't remember the name but a previous poster has mentioned it) is fine but not if you are used to the Monterey Bay Aquarium or places like that. I haven't been to the Hatfield one, but I think the hours are more limited so be sure to plan in advance. I ran into a lot of traffic at Lincoln. I mean a LOT. I got a nice long meditation practice in there.

     

    Have a great time! I will probably edit this because there is a really fabulous Best Western in Oregon and it always sells out so be sure to book in advance. It is all by itself in a town called...... hmmmm. Oh! Amazing, my 50-year-old brain came up with it. If you are traveling through Brookings, Oregon, be sure to book at the Best Western there.

     

    Julie

  10. San Diego is where folks go to escape the heat of the summer. Stay within one mile of the coast, though. I highly recommend Legoland -- there are nice cool breezes there -- bring a sweatshirt. If you get the Lego Club magazine, you should be able to find a free admission or at least some discounts. And definitely bring swimsuit and towels because they have a GREAT waterpark there. Even Sea World has a ton of water activities so bring your swimsuit and towel (they sell a lot of towels to folks who don't know about the fun water activities in advance). We are in San Diego during the school year, which starts August 15 so if you have any other questions, let me know. There are hotels in Liberty Station which are nice (Homewood Suites) and also one right on the water called Terrace or Pacific Terrace. But the latter is in Pacific Beach, which might horrify you with all the rowdy college-age peeps carrying on. Just warning you. But it is fun to bicycle the boardwalk, either in Pacific Beach or Mission Beach (around to Mission Bay). It is difficult/unpleasant to bicycle from La Jolla because the boardwalk is not continuous.

     

    The traffic is pretty bad in the summer and the tourist attractions are crowded, but actually late summer is the best because everyone is home getting ready for the school year. So if the business trip is after Labor Day, go for it!

     

    And I also love Cabrillo National Monument, which will be one of the cooler and breezier places to go. If you stay at a Liberty Station hotel, you will be near there. Not far from downtown either.

     

    Have fun!

    Julie

  11. I just wanted to put in another vote for Ellen McHenry's Chemistry and also Carbon Chemistry (the latter is best for science-loving kids). Also MCT "Town" level (the whole package) was absolutely wonderful. It was a great year for us because of those two series. We also plugged away at SOTW 4 (the activity guide is more challenging than the earlier books), Singapore Math 5B, 6A, Life of Fred Fractions, Life of Fred Decimals and Percents....

     

    Oh, and Latin Prep Book One. Loved it! Continue whatever music lessons your child has begun, or sing in a local choir. I'm probably forgetting something. For visual art we used local art classes at a very reasonably-priced studio.

     

    Have fun!

     

    Julie

  12. We used Grammar Town a few years ago. So, to ask a really stupid question, which would you buy - the Student Book or the TM? Because often the TM's have the answers written in it. Not for every book in the series, though, so perhaps the previous poster who owns it but hasn't used it can tell you if the answers are written in it. One thing I loved about MCT is the "snuggle up on the couch" factor, and if you are snuggling up to the TM instead of the student book -- it kind of kills the suspense, KWIM?

     

    Hope this helps a little bit.

     

    Julie

  13. I wanted to remind you of something, but it probably doesn't apply to the OP because she has 5 children. Most of the really fun and interesting camps

    (for us, it was the Suzuki Institutes which are music related) happen during public school holidays. We did school year-round, but since we took advantage of summer opportunities, it was mostly night school during the summer.

     

    But with five children, the cost for music camps would be insane, so I think your plan would work. And in response to the poster that said it is more than you need... kids get sick, mom gets sick, so .... no extra days.

  14. I have a question for the OP: was this person a native of this country? Because in India, the common greeting upon seeing another person can be loosely translated as "How is your practice?" (Google "Indian greeting How is your practice?" to see how often this shows up in interviews, lectures, everything!)

     

    The "practice" referred to here is one's spiritual practice. So the greeting is essentially asking about how your spiritual practice is going. It is meant to be an encouragement. A lot of my teachers mention this and praise it as a much more meaningful greeting than "How are you?" The latter question can sometimes result in a listing of various aches, pains and misfortunes. On the other hand, "How is your practice?" is a question that reminds you that you have a lot of control over the way you move through life and how things land on you.

     

    So, I wonder if perhaps the person asking you was simply translating directly into English a very common greeting?

     

    Thanks, and please excuse my terrible grammar/syntax today.

     

    Julie

  15. My husband works on the cruise ships (from Ketchikan in the south to Yakutat in the north) and he says that it has been unusually cold and rainy lately. UNUSUALLY cold and rainy. It did rain almost two inches in one day recently. So. Um. I'm terribly sorry. You might want to pack a fleece hat to go under your raincoat.

     

    Or it could be 70 degrees and beautiful. In Skagway, you never know. I remember walking around Skagway all day in fleece pants one day and ROASTING because it warmed up to the 70's.

     

    OhElizabeth, did you go there in the SUMMER? (Edited to add: sounds like you did. I guess I'm the kind of person who is always hot unless it's under 55 degrees.) You should be fine without warm footwear unless you're going to do some major hike. Just regular walking/hiking boots if it is nice. And of course your fancy clothes if it's THAT kind of cruise. What's great about cruises is that you don't have to pack up your stuff every couple of days. So I assume that overpacking is allowed and even encouraged? I don't know -- never been on a cruise because that's not what my hubby would want to do on his days off, KWIM? We live in Juneau, Alaska but used to live in Ketchikan, Alaska and of course my husband has been to all your ports thousands of times if you want any recommendations on stuff to do.

     

    Have fun! I hope the weather pulls through for you. Hey, it could happen.

     

    Julie

  16. I see you are adopting two children from Ethiopia. Are they living with you now? I just mention it because you will probably not have as much time for

    homeschooling.

     

    I also wonder if your daughter is strong in logic or is she more of a

    creative artistic type? Has she done FLL (First Language Lessons)? All of the grammar in LFC A is explicitly taught, but for a second grader it helps a LOT if some of this looks familiar, kWIM? It is a confidence booster for the child to see things she already knows.

     

    My son started LFC A in second grade (turned 7 that March) and we took a full

    school year to do it. Perhaps some of the following summer as well, I can't remember. We alternated one chapter of Minimus Latin and one chapter of LFC A. Both were great fun, but LFC really teaches Latin. Be sure to get the DVD, because your daughter will love the "sisters" -- actually good friends -- who learn the lesson along with her. The girls on the DVD think of lots

    of fun ways to learn their declensions and vocabulary and it is fun to watch. Also, be sure to get the newest version of the DVD because it was revised to be a little more explicit. (Instead of "just learn this -- you'll find out why later."

     

    Have fun!

     

    Julie

×
×
  • Create New...