I bet the above poster is 100% right. NOW I remember my older son getting the amox rash! He was about 5 and the doc told me to keep him on the amox and that some kids will get this rash... I bet that is it! Makes the most sense, anyway.

VERY good points here. :iagree:

Gotcha! Scratch the Bristol stuff then. LOL Oh...the riverboat cruise in Chattanooga. DH and I actually really enjoyed that!

When we were going through our History in CHOW this year, one thing I realized is that all countries "share" their inventions over time. America is no different, IMO. There are things that other countries would call "the American Way" and such...and we probably don't recognize it so much because it is what we are immersed in. I think each area of America is also a bit different...I know the South is way different from the West Coast for instance. Heck, the South is different from all of the rest of the US LOL (and I can say that being a Tennesseean and all ;)). I do see what the OP means, though. Other countries seem more "united" by their culture...that each area is rather similar in their customs and such. I think that is why it is so fascinating to us. Also, I suppose the only things that are truly "American" are the customs of the Native Americans, because, afterall, they were the only people to originate here. The rest came from other countries...

I would also be sure to factor in sick days and months where you won't be doing as much schooling (i.e. we take off almost the whole month of December). Who will keep the child then? Also, are you babysitting any afterward, or does the mom come pick her up after 4 hours of school? On some really hard days, it has taken my son more than 4 hours to do his school work. If this issue arises, what will the plan be? Personally, I would leave her the task of choosing and buying curriculum. I wouldn't touch that one...and I am not sure i would offer up any for free. It surely wasn't free when you bought it. Just things to think about. I used to be a contract technical writer and let me tell ya...drawing up a contract is tough stuff when it comes to making sure every single thing is covered...just incase.

My mom did angel food for awhile. They have a lot of processed and frozen meals, but they kept her belly full when she was laid off work. They really are "no questions asked" so you should have no trouble at all picking up the boxes. As for the extras, I am pretty sure my mom could pick from one of three specials - usually meats of some sort, if I remember correctly. It was like $20 extra or something.

Without pics, I am not sure I could even venture a guess. Sorry!

Reason # 2 (2nd one today) that I like living in my little secluded area of the mountains with our land surrounding us. :) Honestly, though, a homeschool mom and I took my older son and her daughter (who is the same age as my son) to the park to play before a class at the library. The two kids "picked up" a 5 year old child, who, after awhile was just driving them nuts and would not leave them alone. The kids were nice (9 year olds) for a good while, and then wanted time to themselves. My friend and I noticed this and decided to take the kids away from the playground for a walk. What happened? The 5 year old started to follow. We didn't know this child, nor his mother. She saw us walking away and just sat. My friend and I stopped and told the child that he was going to have to go back to his mom. The mom walked over and told us, "that is okay, he can go walking with you..." WHAT? That was the first time, in my life, that either I or my friend had met this woman OR her child...and the mom was just going to let us take the kid off walking! Now, my friend and I joke that, if we need a babysitter, we can just drop the kids off a thte park and some mom will surely watch them till we get back. (UGH! What kind of parents are these?)

The jiggling of the collapsible tables is what made me go with a CHERRY wood table. Have you considered a dark colored wooden table? Or even one painted black?

Ha...my MIL lives 200 YARDS from me...at the end of my driveway. :glare:

Sorry, I know this is out of context...but :lol:

My MIL was a teacher too. She also did the "OMG" bit and once even told me that "you can't teach him at home...he will be BORED when he gets to Kindergarten." LOL All I have to say is that the proof is in the pudding. :) My MIL now constantly brags on me and on my kids - including her 5 year old grandson who reads at a 2nd grade level. ;) Once she saw him thrive like he is, she realized I was totally doing my "job" and that he was going to be JUST FINE...if not better. Now, she tried to "help" by sending me books and such that she had in school. They obviously are for people learning to teach a group of kids, but hey...she is on board now and it is the thought that counts. Let the proof be in the pudding. Till then, get some ear plugs.

:iagree: P.S. :lol:

I started with my child when he was 3 because he was interested and wanted to. He is now reading at an end of first/beginning of second grade level, writing sentences, you name it...and he is 5 and a half. By state standards, he would start KINDERGARTEN *this* coming August. Just a funny side note...my dh told my 5 year old the other day (after said 5 year old read him a book with paragraphs rather than sentences on each page) that he would only be starting Kindergarten this fall if he wasn't homeschooled. My little fella looked at him and said, "yeah dad...I know how to read and those kids are just learning how to pick their noses..." :lol: Where do they get these things?:D

Actually, in my belief, no. Sin is sin to God. Adam and Eve ate fruit from a tree that God had told them not to eat from. They were punished by being sent from the garden (an, of course, ultimately with death...but not an afterlife in Hell...). Cain killed his brother Abel and he, too, was punished by being sent away. However, God marked him so that no one would murder him as he had his brother. I believe that trying to vary degrees of sin is simply a human thing. All things that hurt God and that are not done for His glory are the same in His eyes.

I watched it and there was only one part where I honestly just could not even look *the part where they are beating him with those things that rip away skin when they are pulled back.* I did a lot of crying and it was hard to watch, but I am glad I did. I really considered letting my almost 10 year old watch...then I remembered that it is all in subtitles. I am not sure he can read the subtitles, comprehend what they say, and watch the movie and get what he needs to from it all at the same time at the age of 9. I am going to wait until he is around 12 or 13, but, at some point, I do want him to see it.

I am not sure what you think it says, but I find the whole thing a bit bizarre.

Yeah, I could have been clearer. We stop formal phonics instruction after all have been covered. Then we proceed with CLE LA. We also use DITHOR for Reading (Drawn into the Heart of Reading - Heart of Dakota) and WWE for writing instruction.

The WONDERFUl thing about writing is that you can assign him to write about anything. Anything at all. It doesn't have to be "taught" persay. Once a week, do some creative writing by asking him to write a story about "what happens next" in a book he is reading or "write a short story about your favorite person/place/thing." I was like you...I learned to write by writing and it just came naturally. That said, I am using WWE. LOL I like the gentle approach and while I don't think it makes them think "creatively" necessarily in level 1, I do think that it works on getting things "right." It gives them practice retelling details in a story and writing sentences correctly. This is important for my 4th grader who is a struggling writer. I find it beneficial for my younger son as well. :) And it takes what? 5 minutes a day??? At least that is what it takes my older son.

This post makes me truly love my little hole in the wall area and my 60 acres of land back in the mountains. :)

Christian Light - http://www.clp.org/store/browse/31_curriculum

We will CLE Language arts 200 starting in 2nd grade. They have placement tests so you can be sure to place your child in the correct level. Everyone who answers this question will say something different. It is just about finding what works for you.

I think you may be able to with Bigger and up. Beyond little hearts and below takes a "God's world" approach to History and Science and the books she chose are CLP books that mention God over and over in the teaching. The literature is decently secular in the reading portion, however.

Oh...and PLEASE eat at J. Alexanders for me while you are there. ;) It is off the interstate in Chattanooga near the Gunbarrel Rd. Exit. Wonderful, wonderful restaurant. :)

Rock City, Cades Cove, Bristol Caverns, Dollywood, Chattanooga Acquarium, Knoxville Zoo, Coolidge Park in Chatt is FUN - there are springs that just shoot up now and again. The kids LOVE it. Ruby Falls is pretty too. I have to admit, though, I am confused how Dollywood (in Piegon Forge TN) and Chattanooga will involve a trip to Nashville. Nashville is about 4 hours from Chattanooga and about 3 hours from Piegon Forge...and you take the split to the RIGHT on I 40 to head toward Nashville and the split to the LEFT on I-40 to go to Chattanooga. My point is...they are in different directions and quite a ways apart. If you are coming down I-81, you will pass through Bristol (Bristol Caverns, Hungry Mother Park is neat and is right off the interstate too). Then you hit I-40 and go on toward Knoxville (Knoxville Zoo is also right off the interstate). Then you stay on I-40 and split there either going toward Nashville or Chattanooga.