I get it, but it won't record the like. I have to wait and there are some it won't let me like at all.

I am ready to start History of the Renaissance and I have several books on going that I should finish this week. I have quite a bit of time to spend waiting for kids that should allow me to finish this week. I am surprised at how much I am reading this year. I even set my bar low to 25 books this year. It seems the goals I set for 2015 were a better fit for this year. Last week I finished: 8. The Scarlett Thread by Francine Rivers on audio. 9. DIY Succulents: From Placecards to Wreaths by Tawni Daigle 7. Travels with Casey by Benoit Denizet-Lewis 6. The Rescuer Suzanne Woods Fisher 5. A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute 4. Jackson Bog by Michael Witt. 3. Toward the Sunrise by Elizabeth Camden 2. Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin 1. Crucial Conversations by Patterson and Grenny

I had 2 dogs when I didn't have kids. Then I had one. We had just one for 10 years and now I have 3 older dogs (5, 7, and 11). I have found it is easier to have well trained dogs when there are no young kids that are also being trained ;) . The 5 and 11 year old we rescued older. the 5 year old is my 1st male and he is awesome. I have never had 2 pups together. I don't know if I personally have the stamina for 2 puppies. do you have a fenced in yard? I don't think my dogs have a pack mentality. BUT I love the way the young dog respects our old lady. He stole my heart the day he "played" with her like he did with our other dog. He ran circles around her while she tried to catch him. He was so gentle. I think more than one dog keeps the other ones busy and makes me exercise them less. I don't know anything about Akitas but if they have a lot of energy, I would be cautious if I didn't have a fenced yard. My cats were runts and my 7 year old dog was the runt, that doesn't bother me.

7. Travels with Casey by Benoit Denizet-Lewis Interesting strange. I read this for my library book club. This is a book about the authors travels across the country with his dog who he thinks doesn't like him. there is psycho analysis of his dog, a consultation with a psychic about dogs who have stress issues. He meets some interesting people like a lady who was sued for not picking up her dogs poo, a guy who feeds homeless peoples dogs, and a some who started a dog shelter for dogs on an indian reservation. Coupled with his issues of loneliness and abandonment from his mother and a breakup with his boyfriend. I love dogs. I have 3. My kids participate in dog 4h. AND I still found this excessive. Maybe if I was unaware of varieties of dog people and different things people do for their dog, i would be impressed. Or maybe I could handle the dogs issues or the authors issues, but not both together in the same book. sigh I have been a bit cranky with books of late. 6. The Rescuer Suzanne Woods Fisher 5. A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute 4. Jackson Bog by Michael Witt. 3. Toward the Sunrise by Elizabeth Camden 2. Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin 1. Crucial Conversations by Patterson and Grenny

Trying to keep up with this thread and I am a day or so behind. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the MLK conversation. I finished 2 books 6. The Rescuer Suzanne Woods Fisher 5. A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute I loved this one. I have had it on my kindle for a year and finally read it. I enjoyed the fact that it was written from the perspective of the lawyer. So many of the books I have been reading are 1st person narratives and non-participant narratives, and I am bored with that perspective. That sounds weird saying.. I don't know if it is because I am older and I have read so many books or there is nothing new under the sun, but I am bored with the 1st person narrator and non-participant story telling of the part of the author. 4. Jackson Bog by Michael Witt. 3. Toward the Sunrise by Elizabeth Camden 2. Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin 1. Crucial Conversations by Patterson and Grenny

This is an excellent idea!!!!!!! This lost notebook problem has been a bone of contention in my house. Thanks!

I don't answer the phone. This year we are not doing a co-op. I like it. We replaced it with stuff we wanted to do like field trips and nature hikes that complement our home school. I don't match socks. (I sort so each person has their socks that are color coded, but I don't match them) I don' t leave the house before 1:30 on school days. New this year: I refuse to be swayed when someone else tells me how awesome a curriculum is. what we use is fine and it gets the job done. I will be content with the choices we have made and if at the end of the year it REALLY doesn't work then we'll switch. this one I wish I had adopted 10 years ago.

I finished another book 4. Jackson Bog by Michael Witt. I loved this book. It was a quick read about a local bog that is really a fen. Someone on this board was reading about lichen...this reminded me of you because it has beautiful pics about lichen and jelly fungi. An interesting thing about this read is it is a book about the bog, but it is also a book on how to take nature photos. It sounds like a weird combo, but it worked.

I empathize with you. (Ours has a food war every august....the kids are covered in chocolate syrup, ketchup and every other gross condiments big mess, no purpose)

I don't think I have read any other Austin, so I can't really compare.

I finished 2 books this week: 2. Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin I listened to this on audio and it was enjoyable. 3. Toward the Sunrise by Elizabeth Camden I didn't like this one very much. It was predictable.

I loved this book, too.

I finished my first book of the year. 1. Crucial Conversations

joining this year, too. I followed along last year and definitely was mindful of the spending. hoping to curb spending further and save more.

I listened to Don Quixote on audio.

This is my list for the year. I don't think I will be finishing anymore. Recently Finished: 24. O Pioneers Willa Cather This book is one of my all time favorites. I always want the ending of this one to be different. 25. The Imposter by Suzanne Woods Fisher this has been an interesting reading year for me. I usually read more than this, but another resolution trumped this one this year. How many books did you read this year and did you meet or beat your own personal goal? I read 25 books. I did not meet my 5/5/5 challenge or the number I had set for myself. Share your top 5 (or more) favorite books. The books that have stuck with me the most are Atomic Girls, Code Name Verity, and O Pioneers. Regarding O Pioneers: I found interesting the differences in my observations to that book in my teens, late 20's and 40's. Which books or authors you thought you'd never read and were pleasantly surprised to like them? I. would have never picked up Atomic Girls. One book that touched you - made you laugh, cry, sing or dance Share your most favorite character, covers and/or quotes? Victim of Grace made me cry, Carolyn Brown makes me laugh, Sleeping Coconuts reminded me there is a purpose for everything and your greatest weakness is your greatest strength. Has anyone had a book that made them sing or dance? What countries or centuries did you explore? 20th century What books would you recommend everybody read? What was your favorite part of the challenge? I enjoy reading about what everyone else is reading. 1. Maggie's Mistake by Carolyn Brown 2. Sleeping Coconut by John and Bonnie Nystrom 3.. Becoming Bea by Leslie Gould 4Amish Baby Kristina Ludwig 5. Amish Bakery Challenge Kristina Ludwig 6.Amish Awakening Kristina Ludwig 7. The Girls o Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan 8. Adoniram Judson by Janet and George Benge 9.The Ladies Room by Carolyn Brown 10. PMS club by Carolyn Brown 11. The Amish Clockmaker by Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner. 12.The Trouble with Patience Maggie Brendan 13. Twice Promised Maggie Brendan 14. Promise of Palm Grove Shelley Shepherd Grey 15. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein 16. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline . 17. The Photograph by Beverly Lewis 18. The Wager by Carolyn Brown 19. Victim of Grace by Robin Jones Gunn . 20. One More Wish Robin Jones Gunn 21. Proposal at Siesta Key by Shelley Shepherd Grey 22. Amish Promises by Leslie Gould 23. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. by Gabrielle Zevin

I have a knack for finding my self in the middle of lakes in boats/canoes w/o 14 year old boys. It just happens, there has been no forethought to the consequences of such craziness. Lol. 1) both sides realize how much communication matters. Both rowers need to work together. Both need to realize in order to lead you must follow, in order to follow you have to lead. Mom finds out she can listen to kid and kid learns he can have freedom to lead and have decisions trusted. 2) until communication gets worked out, there is plenty of time to work out issues. I literally spent 90 minutes in a row boat spinn ing. He would not listen to me. The amount of teachable moments are amazing. My oldest was the worst. I shut up and stopped paddling. We spun. And spun. Eventually we were able to solve how to get back to the marine, and understand the reason we have to make communication is 2 sided and mom needs to be quiet and stop paddling . This wasn't an object lesson for just the kid. I learned a lot. So glad the first kid I was stranded in the middle of a lake with wasn't mine. Lol 3) most of the times the 14 year old needs patience to grow out of his laziness and pain in the butt-ness. Things don't miraculously change after a come to meeting, but there are baby steps. You will survive and by the grace of God so will he.

My kids have completed up to Alg 1 in MUS. MUS explains why the student is performing a function. My kids have used TT, and could answer the questions but did not know why they were doing it. Mr. Demme explains why and gives practical explanation and application..

I love DST beginning and ending,too. It makes me feel happy. Like it when I was a kid, it always felt right. I liked it as an adult. As a parent, I love it. My oldest 2 seemed to feel the gravitational pull strongest and led me to believe we should change the time on equinoxes. I'm not thrilled about getting darker earlier, but I love everything else.

I have passed the half way mark to a book a week. in progress I have The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. I am almost done and it has become one of my favorites of all time. 18. The Wager by Carolyn Brown This author makes me laugh 19. Victim of Grace by Robin Jones Gunn I hesitated to read this book because I really like her fiction and wasn't sure I wanted to read her non-fiction and be disappointed. The things that happen to us in our lives are for our benefit, and she has a gentle way of story telling to shift perspective from self and accentuate the positive. 20. One More Wish Robin Jones Gunn This is the latest in the Christy and Todd series. I hope it isn't the last. 21. Proposal at Siesta Key by Shelley Shepherd Grey 22. Amish Promises by Leslie Gould This is a story of Amish neighbors to a military family. The husband has returned home wounded w/ ptsd. well-written, honest. My husband came home and will never be the same so it stuck a nerve with me. 1. Maggie's Mistake by Carolyn Brown 2. Sleeping Coconut by John and Bonnie Nystrom 3.. Becoming Bea by Leslie Gould 4Amish Baby Kristina Ludwig 5. Amish Bakery Challenge Kristina Ludwig 6.Amish Awakening Kristina Ludwig 7. The Girls o Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan 8. Adoniram Judson by Janet and George Benge 9.The Ladies Room by Carolyn Brown 10. PMS club by Carolyn Brown 11. The Amish Clockmaker by Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner. 12.The Trouble with Patience Maggie Brendan 13. Twice Promised Maggie Brendan 14. Promise of Palm Grove Shelley Shepherd Grey 15. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein 16. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline . 17. The Photograph by Beverly Lewis

I have followed all of the threads on beauty, virtue, rest. schole. I am not sure how much I have to add to the conversation and I am definitely working on the application of it. The transition to do "more" obvious academic work for high school as a priority and to receive more output was a battle I felt when my oldest switched to high school. I felt pressure to amp up and that was difficult to balance with the younger ones. I felt a struggle to schole and to school. Up until this year, I think school may have been winning by a nose. Now I feel I have my groove on and this is what I have learned the last 4 years. Rest: Allowing the time TO BE is imperative. Blank space has to be included in the calendar and protected. Blank space is the time to rejuvenate and be. It is the time to marinate in new thoughts and discussions, to process and discuss internally and externally. Another side of rest I discovered is in allowing schoolwork to be. the less is more philosophy. I no longer try to fill in all the gaps. I let the curriculum be enough and I let dc figure it out. when i say figure it out I mean think about it, re-read it, and marinate. If given the time to be it is surprising the conversations that pop up with the neighborhood gardener and how a history walk can turn into a talk on coal formation. When just filling a bucket, the information can overflow and dump out. When we are careful to fill the bucket and allow margin we keep in the bucket what we know and are able to slosh it around and put in different order, get a different perspective. Virtue: I have focused on teaching do your best, complete your work in time allotted, and to the best of your ability. If we need to take a step back and look at mastery of the basic math facts, do it. If we need to review algebra, do it. layer upon layer because that is virtue, that is truth. Beauty: I added music appreciation and nature walks in the midst of book work. This year I incorporated poetry memorization back into schoolwork. I had taken out all of the beauty and virtue out so we could get book work done. All of these, beauty, virtue, and rest are needed to balance truth and schole. Bookwork is important, but it isn't the be all and end all. I also think this philosophy clashes with other homeschoolers because it appears laid back. I think it puts everything in its proper place and priorities get balanced because the goal is truth, beauty, virtue, and rest and that tumbles over into life.

It has been awhile since my last check in. I've had the opportunity to read a bit more because I am riding the stationary bike at the Y weekly. 16. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline This was a fast read, and it was one of my libraries One Book, One Community choices. I usually read the books, but don't make it to the discussion group. I think I need a book discussion group that is set up like a speed dating session, a couple people willing to talk about the book when I drop and p/u books as I move from the children section to the adult section. 17. The Photograph by Beverly Lewis She came to our library on her book tour. It was a delight to hear her speak, tell how she became a writer, and the story behind her book. My 9 year ds old hung on her every word. She hooked her audience. She had commonality because we live near one of the largest Amish settlements in Ohio, and we had read her books. 1. Maggie's Mistake by Carolyn Brown 2. Sleeping Coconut by John and Bonnie Nystrom 3.. Becoming Bea by Leslie Gould 4Amish Baby Kristina Ludwig 5. Amish Bakery Challenge Kristina Ludwig 6.Amish Awakening Kristina Ludwig 7. The Girls o Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan 8. Adoniram Judson by Janet and George Benge 9.The Ladies Room by Carolyn Brown 10. PMS club by Carolyn Brown 11. The Amish Clockmaker by Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner. 12.The Trouble with Patience Maggie Brendan 13. Twice Promised Maggie Brendan 14. Promise of Palm Grove Shelley Shepherd Grey 15. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

thanks!

After having read about ATI and the patriarchal movement, I am appalled at how many of the vendors at the conventions are affiliated with ATI and patriarchy. I am frustrated that I didn't figure it out sooner.

We stretched America The Beautiful out for 2 years for my oldest 3 years ago and added in movies for my visual learner and historical fiction for my learner who likes a good story. They loved it. My visual learner is a git r done type and using this was when I figured that out. Here's what you need to do, do it. he liked that. I wanted to do one curriculum and keep them together. This was perfect for out needs. I personally think all three choices are dry. I was drawn to ATB because of the bound student lessons and map book.