We have 1 to 1.5 hours of quiet time each afternoon beginning about an hour after lunch is finished. The boys go to each of their rooms where they read (the youngest looks at books), play alone, build with Legos, or draw/color. My oldest LOVES quiet time and looks forward to it every day so he can read. I'm still working on my youngest, but over the past few months, I've seen immense improvement in his attitude toward it. I NEED this time to decompress and rejuvinate myself from the morning. On the days where we have to miss QT due to outside activities, I'm completely spent by the evening.

The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel was suggested to me when I was seeking. He was an atheist trying to prove that Christ was a fake. Upon his research, he became a Christian.

The best theater in the city (Charlotte). It hosts Broadway shows and opera performances as well as prestigious dance shows, such as the Nutcracker. I've seen Phantom of the Opera, RENT, and South Pacific there. When I think opera, all I can think of is Pretty Woman and how she was wearing a gown! :blush: I'm uncultured in this area.

I've never been to the opera... what does one wear? Our tickets are for Madame Butterfly.

Welcome! We love watching your videos! :)

:iagree: 100%. I taught in NH ps for 10 years until I moved 6 years ago. This is an absolute nightmare for teachers and administrators. In the 2 towns I taught in, the parents will make this horrendous for staff, moreso than they already do with all the other requirements teachers have to include in their day. Once again, the students will suffer because of the chaos this will create, especially those who are already struggling (those with IEPs and 504s) because the resources aren't even there now with all the cuts, mandates, and standardized testing that's been deemed "legal".

Praying for her!

Nothing. My mom always taught us that it's safer to have nothing hanging directly over your bed in case it were to fall during the night and hurt you. *She did not (nor did I) grow up in earthquake country, but my grandmother is the queen of superstitions, so I'm sure there's some relationship there! And the "knowledge" was passed down. ;)

As for the test scores, I don't think they can go any further back than a year. I am keeping everything, but as far as I know, they just want current test scores and the kids need to be tested yearly (they "recommend" around the same time every year, but it's not required). For attendance, I know of many NC moms who use their daily schedule as their attendance sheet, so your SL calendar would be just fine. For me, I use the state sheet they sent me when I received my orange card years ago. It's just easy for me to plop that in the front of my schedule binder and check the daily boxes. I've gotten into the habit, but I know I'm not required to use that sheet. It was just easy when I was starting out :D

I know my boys would be interested in this! (me too - I love mail!) :001_smile:

Someone on here recommended Pixel of Ink when I recently searched for free Kindle books. The site is www.pixelofink.com. They also offer a young reads version, and their sister site www.inspiredreads.com offers Christian books if you are interested in those. So far, I've found some excellent options through these sites.

I have not received one of these invitations, and we've been homeschooling in NC for 4 years. A friend of mine did receive one, and she attended the meeting without her children. She said it lasted about 5 minutes, and the DNPE rep was very nice. They only asked to see a record that she was testing her children, vaccination records, and attendence sheets. We are required by law in the state of NC to have these 3 pieces of information on hand. They did not ask her any other questions, but they did thank her for participating. She went because she wanted to represent homeschoolers in a positive light to show that "we" are complying with the laws and doing what the state asks of us. As for me, I am still unsure as to where I stand on all of this. Part of me thinks we should show them we are doing what is asked of us so they will stay out of our business, but another part of me wonders if by being compliant, they will pour more laws/regulations down our throats... It's a Catch-22 in many ways.

I absolutely love these threads! I only made it about halfway last year, but I am determined to try again! My mother bought me a Kindle for Christmas, so I'm hoping that will help in my quest. I have already completed book #1 too! Today, I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and I really enjoyed it. I love how it was a series of letters, and the main character, Juliet, engages you instantly. It was the perfect after-Christmas-need-to-decompress read. My next book is going to be Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst. Food has always been an issue for me, and I desperately want to become healthy this year. I've heard great things about it. Fingers crosssed that it will guide me to a better life! After that, I'm delving into some classics: North and South, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights. I'm one of those people who have read a ton of classics, but for some reason, I have not read these. I'm going to see if I can put Ahab's Wife on hold at the library. Even if I don't get to it while the rest of you are reading, it sounds fascinating and my interest is piqued.

Congratulations!

I will toast you all and then take a sip of my boring, 'ole glass of H2O!

I have seen some gorgeous ones on Etsy. They are pricey at first glance, but when comparing with Amazon or other places that sell Kindle holders, they are comparable. Sleeves are cheaper, but like you, I'd prefer a holder (I think my mom bought me a Kindle for Christmas too :D).

:iagree:

You said therapeutic lessons, so I'm not sure if this would apply as I don't know his disability, but if he likes to draw, you could get him a "How to Draw Horses" book. That way he can immerse himself in horses whenever he wants and they will be "his". Or, would he like books that show the various types of horses, what they are used for, their anatomy, training, etc? I came across some great unisex horse books on Amazon for my neice recently.

Not sure what this weekend will hold. We had to do an emergency run to the vet's today for our 11 yo cat. He's struggling to walk, and x-rays show severe swelling of one of his thigh muscles. No bones broken or popped out, so that was good to see, but the vet is a bit perplexed as to what's going on with him. So, because he is struggling, one adult will need to be around to keep an eye on him. I will probably end up running a few errands Saturday morning. I do have a pile of gifts to wrap, so I need to begin that as well. DH said he is hanging out all weekend and doesn't want to do anything! I have a little "Honey Do List" started, however. :D We also promised the boys we would drive around to look at Christmas lights on houses... maybe Sunday night if the cat is doing well? No Christmas parties to attend this weekend; we do have one to attend next weekend. The boys and I are hosting a cookie exchange on Tuesday for some of our homeschool friends (6 families, 11 kids). We have another homeschool party to attend on the 21st (a pj-wearing, movie-watching, cookie and hot cocoa fest). Our family's favorite game right now is "Sorry!". I think it's because the 4yo can join in successfully. Yet, UNO is starting to be played more as of this week, so it could be changing. :001_smile:

Praying for her safety.

Talbots, White House Black Market, Nordstrom, Macy's...

I love Onyx and Vader. When I saw him, I also thought of Chatter for some reason... does he "talk" a lot? He's a cutie!

I love these types of stories!

We've received 2 so far, but usually we have more by now. I've already noticed our mail is taking forever... Ours will go out tomorrow. I just finished them before sitting down to come on here. :)

Thanks for asking this question as I was pondering it the other day. My ds doesn't slant when writing in cursive, and like others, every time I tried to get him to turn the paper (to the point of taping it down at a 45* angle), he'd still find a way to write without a slant. In thinking of my own writing, I tend to slant sometimes, but not consistently. Dh only writes in cursive to sign his name; he prints the rest of the time, so I've decided that I'm not going to worry about ds.