Facebook users will enjoy this! http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/facebook_friend_apparently

Anyone do that (past or present) in any form or fashion (whether for one core subject only or for every subject)? If so... how do/did you work out arrangements? Did you school the child every day, or just one or two days? Did you only teach the child one subject? Or did you teach them every subject for a full day? Did you get paid in some fashion (cash, trading services, etc.) by the child's parents? Did you and the other parent take turns teaching; or maybe in a co-op fashion, did you teach certain subjects and they taught the other subjects? Were there any issues with the legality of it in your state? How did you determine whether or not you were in violation of state regs and/or how did you conform to the reg to make it work? Did you consult with HSLDA? LONG POST, sorry! This is the "back story" to my questions, so read on if you so desire: Whew! A lot of questions, I know. Obviously, this has come up for me. A single mom in our neighborhood asked if I would homeschool her son (same age as my DS) next year (for many reasons, most specifically the quality of our local middle school). We haven't discussed it in any detail, but, frankly, I would love to do it. However, I do not want to be in violation of state law. I helped another homeschooling mom out last semester -- her son came over 3-4 days per week, and I taught him every subject except math (because he was in a different grade level than my son). She didn't pay me in any way, just paid for his books and supplies. It was really my ministry to her, because she was in a really bad place emotionally and financially... I was worried she was going to have a complete break-down. (Things are much better for her now, and she was ready to homeschool full-time this spring.) Anyway, during that time, a mutual friend (one of those who knows all, if you know what I mean) said that what I was doing was illegal. :ohmy: GULP! That really freaked me out! So, I went to read our state's homeschool laws, and I don't really think it was illegal... but the law is a little vague on this area. But, how would I go about knowing for SURE if it was legal and above board? Would HSLDA be the place to start? Again, I would truly love to do this. Last semester, having another boy about the same age schooling with us ended up being quite enjoyable for both my son and for me, AND it kept me motivated! So, I'd like for this to work out, if possible. Just trying to anticipate any pitfalls or legal issues before we get in too deep...

Any of Kay Arthur's "New Inductive Study Series" books would be meaty -- if you like the inductive study method. You might also check out her "Lord, ..." books (like, "Lord, I Want to Know You" on the names of God, or "Lord, I Need Grace to Make It").

I would have to agree with the posters here who have recommended a candid, face-to-face, heart-to-heart conversation with this woman and an easing back into the relationship (if you re-enter one at all), particularly because her previous behavior hurt your children. We can't always protect our children from being hurt (emotionally or physically), but we can sure limit their exposure to situations that might lead to being hurt. She doesn't have a very good track record... and perhaps she needs to hear that. As amazing as it might seem, it is entirely possible that she in unaware of the effect her actions had on your family. It might be her m.o., and you might just be one in a long string of victims. Confronting her about this (not in a hostile manner, but in the kinder, gentler methods suggested by pp's) may save another family down the line from going through what you went through with this woman, because she might be so remorseful of the unintended consequences of her actions that she never acts like that again. .... Well, one can hope, right?

I could have written this post... just substitute a small Kansas town near a large lake for the Texas resort town. :blushing: My parents would have been mortified and I'm sure I would have been locked in my room for life if they'd had any inkling what we were up to. Crazy, stupid, and reckless...

:laugh: That's what I was going to say! What a funny episode.

Oh, well, then never mind... I don't think the acronym I thought up for TEA would suit your purposes! :tongue_smilie: :001_huh: :blushing:

Same here. I have way more questions about this than anyone would have time to answer, and I really should do my own research, anyway. But, I have difficulty accepting the idea that God's plan of salvation wasn't for everyone. Even in the O.T., although the Israelites were His chosen people, others could call upon the Lord and become part of His flock. I've always understood the "elect" to be anyone who chose to follow Christ.

:iagree: And I'm only using it for one child! But I love it. I don't use the weekly planner right now -- the lesson plans tab (under "Teacher") is where I plan out our yearly schedule. I usually submit them once a week. Setting up my Saxon Math schedule for the entire year was a SNAP. Same with my Easy Grammar schedule. I've really come to appreciate the ease with which I am able to plan out entire subjects at one time, then submit the lessons weekly. (Learned the hard way that that method was better than submitting a year's worth at once, in the likely event that you have to reschedule.)

I desperately, desperately, DESPERATELY need to declutter, but am completely overwhelmed by it. After 20+ years in the military moving all over the world, we've accumulated quite a bit of ... stuff. Some of it quite good stuff, but altogether it's just too much stuff. (And this, in spite of the fact that I "purge" quite a bit before every move!) I've seriously considered getting an estimate on what it would cost to have a "living estate sale" because I think it would net us more cash than a garage sale, cash I'd try very hard not to spend on more ... stuff. :tongue_smilie: I could probably put much of this on Craig's list, but really hate dealing with that. With my DH gone several days out of every month, I would not be comfortable having strangers come by to look at things or to buy things. If I could get rid of a lot of this stuff and earn some money doing it, then I'd be able to do some of the things I really want to this house -- like replacing some worn-out carpet with laminate flooring, and creating a nicer outdoor living space for the warmer months. I'm afraid that if I simply rented a storage unit to hold the clutter until I could have a garage sale, I'd just be spending more money every month on my stuff, and never really get around to selling the stuff! You know... having a lot of stuff really creates more stress than it's worth. I wish I'd learned that bit of wisdom much earlier.

I just realized I sound like I work for the company and am trying to get y'all to buy this product! I don't. (Work for the company, that is.) If I hadn't received this as a gift, I'm not sure I would have sprung for it. I've gotten so excited about it, however, that now I'm dreaming of owning another one, so I can grow tomatoes or strawberries, while still growing fresh herbs!

Ditto for me -- but mine takes about 2 hours, because my stylist is INCREDIBLY thorough. Sometimes 2.5 hours. I usually get three colors put in at once, using foils. Best stylist I've ever had, too. I love her.

I'm sure it's bittersweet. Any time you leave a job, even under the best of circumstance, there are moments of sadness and times of reflection, both melancholy and joyous. I think it would be more difficult if he had been running for office and lost, like his dad in his attempt at a second term. But, W's time was up, and it wasn't possible to stay, and they've known this day was coming for four years, now ... so, I would guess they are probably pretty well prepared for it, emotionally. Laura Bush was a class act, I agree.

Has anyone ever heard of these? I hadn't, until my sister gave me one for Christmas (a generous gift, because they are pricey!). Anyway, it is pretty nifty. I'm a black thumb when it comes to gardening and growing plants of any kind (indoor and out), but always dreamed of being able to snip my own homegrown herbs, fresh from my garden, for cooking. Now, I can! I set mine up a few days ago, and can already see the basil, thyme, and chives growing. I am SO EXCITED! In another three weeks, they will be fully matured, and I will have fresh basil, thyme, mint, chives, parsley and dill. After reading through the literature, and seeing what else you can grow in this thing, I'm now dreaming of my next "crop" -- tomatoes! My sister has used hers for over a year, and has had tremendous success. If you lived in a big city with no space to grow a garden, this would be ideal. (Also handy if you have a black thumb, like me.) Check it out: http://www.aerogrow.com/

Interesting! I saw that it was in TOG. It's also in WP (obviously), I think it is in Biblioplan, and it is in the new Illuminations program. But you aren't the first person I've heard say the book was a disappointment (and for the exact same reasons)! How long ago was it that you read it? Recently? I can't help but wonder, with all the negative feedback, why the author (or publisher) hasn't revised it.After all, it was first published (under a different title) in 1960! Disappointing. So... we skipped reading the book Adara. Have you read that? We are past that point of history in our study, but maybe we should abandon "Victory..." in favor of that book?

Hi everyone, We are about to begin reading Victory on the Walls: A Story of Nehemiah, recommended reading in our WP QAW curriculum, and on the reading list for Illuminations 1, which we are *sort of* using (but we are "ahead" on it, and the curriculum for the month in which this book is read hasn't been made available yet). I've planned out our own study guides for all the books we've read so far this year, and frankly... I'm tired. I had opportunities to read the other books in advance, but not this one, and we need to get going on it, and I'm just ... stuck. I don't mind just reading for the sake of reading, but for the literature selections that are specifically geared to our current course of study, I like to have more critical thinking activities associated with the reading. If anyone has any guides they've made for this particular book that they'd be willing to share, I'd be so grateful. Thanks!

Yes, amen to that. :001_smile: I'm not one of those freak-out people, either, but, like you, am glad someone was raising the alarm! (I also can't believe it ever passed as written!)

These are great links to help aid understanding this new law and the changes that have already been made to it, thanks! However, I would respectfully disagree that the freak-out was premature. I think the "freak out" is what got them to reconsider who would be required to comply. From the second article (emphasis mine):

I dunno... I just recouped about $120 this week selling books and curriculum we were finished with and knew we would not be using again. I'll have some "biggies" to sell at the end of this year, but can't part with them quite yet...

Actually, it is a complete schedule for History (using MOH1) and Geography, Science (using Christian Kids Explore Biology), and the full spectrum of Language Arts -- spelling (using Natural Speller), grammar (using Grammar Punk or Winston), writing (using Foundations of Writing and/or Write Shop), vocabulary (using English From the Roots Up), literature for all ages (they provide Family Study Guides for certain books, and offer lots of suggested additional reading). They also provide a suggested Bible reading schedule and copywork. I wish I'd know about it sooner, myself. Of course, my problem was that it wasn't available until the end of August, and our school year started the first week of August; plus, we had already covered the first quarter or so of MOH1 at the end of last year, so it was going to be a repeat of info for about 4 weeks. Even so, I have purchased the first four months of the Illuminations 1 beta program, and have used several bits of it. I can say it's quite comprehensive, and I would definitely recommend it to others. I'm waiting to see if there is going to be an Illuminations 2 beta program for next year, and if so, when it will be available. I might just alter my school year in order to use it. Their website is http://www.brightideaspress.com but it appears to be temporarily down... I'm sure it'll be back online very soon. You can also join the Illuminations Yahoo Group to learn more about the program: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Illuminations1/

Now, THAT is really interesting to me, because I know I suffer from adhesions. During my 3rd C-section, they had to separate my abdomen from my uterus, because it had adhered. (That made recovery so much more fun, let me tell you.) I've since had gall bladder surgery and had an umbilical hernia repaired. I wonder if my pain is at all related to adhesions within? Very interesting to hear about that...

Same here. I wonder if it has to do with muscle cramping associated with that? Do you ever take Midol or other muscle relaxants for that? BTW, another thing you might avoid if you are using it regularly is ibuprofen and ... ugh, can't think of the name of it (not acetaminophen -- that's the better option if you need a pain reliever). Anyway, avoid Advil, Alleve, Motrin, etc. I've done a lot of research on this, because I was (and still am on occasion) experiencing this same pain. There are a lot of conditions, including peptic ulcers, that share similar symptoms. With my doctor, I am one-by-one ruling things out. I am not a hypochondriac, BTW! :001_smile: I suffered gallstone attacks for years, thinking it was "just gas" and didn't think it was worth mentioning to the doctor. Well, actually, I didn't even go to the doctor on a regular basis. Finally, a nurse friend heard me complaining about my middle-of-the-night attacks, and said it sounded like gallstones. Sure enough, it was! An ultrasound revealed numerous large stones and lots of "gravel" in my gall bladder. Yuck! The doctor who removed it said it was filled with water, which meant it had essentially stopped working several months (if not longer) before I had it removed.

Woo-hoo! Way to go! I am trying to recapture my gazelle intensity ... thanks for the inspiration!

Who are the "P's"? :confused:

:laugh: That IS funny!!