Um, I've homeschooled one child for three years and feel exhausted! For all of you that have been teaching multiple kids for a decade or more, my hat is off to you... You've truly run a marathon! :grouphug: I think it just shows that no two families really have the same path... And that sometimes, it is important to do what's best for everyone, and that even includes MOM!! :)

Does anyone have the "Norton Book of Classical Literature", edited by Knox?? http://www.amazon.com/The-Norton-Book-Classical-Literature/dp/0393034267/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389679040&sr=1-7&keywords=classic+literature This looks wonderful, thinking of getting it as a resource for school and enrichment for me! Oh, and you all are a bunch of temptresses.... I did get a 12th century book, "Beloved Enemy: The Passions of Eleanor of Aquitaine." ;)

A little different here, but I love the Mitford series by Jan Karon. It does have a love story as a theme flowing through it, but it's so much more than that. It centers around the life of an about-to-retire Episcopal minister and the very quirky people of his little town. It's funny and warm. The first book is called At Home in Mitford.

The only thing I can imagine is a gross mispronunciation of Anthony?

What she said. :) I hear you, I've seen some doozies.

Hmm. I hadn't planned on any 12th century, but a few titles do look good. Perhaps While Christ and his Saints Slept,or there is one called Beloved Enemy by Jones. Pondering... Last night I started Lies You Wanted to Hear by James Thomson. Still also working on Little Women.

Gosh, I haven't seen the Hive so united on anything for a long time!! :D Adding my voice to the chorus... No, no, no!

Best wishes as you begin your transition. We are looking ahead at making the same change, if not this fall, the next. I will have a hard time with it as well, but I keep reminding myself (trying, anyway) that there are new joys to look forward to as well!! :grouphug:

LOL. He will probably feel that way about it!

Consider yourself blessed! We unfortunately don't have any of those. Our private schools are all religious/church affiliated, and most of them put more emphasis on spiritual life rather than academics! We are looking at returning DS to brick and mortar school, and are having a hard time finding a good choice. As to the question at hand.... Show your work, and know that most teachers will require it! Yes, I know you can do the problems in your head, and I've walked through enough with you to judge your understanding. A teacher will not be able to see inside your head like that, nor, with 25 other students, will he/she have the time. So show your work. (If you can't tell, this has been a conversation held multiple times at our house!)

I knew what the 13.1 and 26.2 meant. Only enough to roll my eyes at them, really. Dang overachievers! :leaving: But the 0.0?? I gotta get me one of those! :D

I don't see why. I'd like to think we can all agree that, no matter one's views on abortion, reasonable discussion and supportive options are a better plan of action than yelling insults and invoking terror. Agreed. People like to ask "What would Jesus do?" I'm pretty sure the answer has never been, call someone terrible names and make them fear for their lives.

Yes, go ahead and meet at the park. Be polite but firm that unfortunately, you have a lot on your plate this week and it just won't work to meet before then. Just remember, boundaries are your friend here. If she pushes, just keep being firm but polite. "No, I'm sorry, we don't allow sleepovers unless we've known a family for quite some time." "No, this week is pretty full, but we'd love to meet you at the park on Tuesday afternoon if that works." Repeat as necessary. And if, after a few "get to know you" meetings, it's clear that that things aren't clicking, there's nothing wrong with simply not pursuing it.

That might be some kind of record among homeschool moms, LOL!! ;) Glad it's working so well for all of you. Signed, A mom who is ready to chuck half of what we used last semester

Just marking the thread for reference... I would very much like to relearn French (four years in high school, I know some of it is hiding deep in my brain!) and this is a great list of links!! Thanks EM for the list, and thanks EL for posing the question!! :)

Yes, you'd absolutely think so. And really, *that* is the ironic part of this. I can't wrap my head around why anyone would think such violence is okay. But as pointed out above, there are many groups, both for and against whatever cause, who think it's their calling to prove a point by any means necessary. If one wants to work toward reducing abortion (and that doesn't have to mean outlawing it, I'm thinking of the old "safe legal and rare" idea), there are many productive and compassionate ways to go about it.

If you're talking below zero, then yes, you need to bundle up for safety reasons, and it's recommended that you not be outside for any length of time. However, in that kind of weather, I just don't leave the house if I can possibly help it!

Yeah, I pretty much skip the coat if it's 30 and up. I'm only running between the car and the building. Too much of a pain unless it's really bad. I have taken to wearing the zip up vests quite a bit... It keeps you a bit warmer, but you can also leave it on inside the stores, it's not in the way and I just consider it part of my outfit!

So, to use SWO for the roots, start at least with F? I'll dig out WTM and check it out. Also... If we're using Caesars English, would it be overkill to do SWO, or does it approach it differently? I'm looking at spelling options and that sounds like a good one, but not if it just repeats what we're doing with another book. Although Taryn, are you using both, or is anyone else?

We're finishing the old version, because I currently have a 5th grader. We just finished MM 5, and it makes sense to finish out with the same version of the final level.

Well Taryn, it isn't what I was hoping for, but it does give me the answers I needed! The parts about not doing presentations, and not going any further than what's in the book.... That's what I was wondering. We've done two levels of MCT on our own... We can keep going that way, but I just wondered if this class would be a great enhancement to the program. Apparently not. Thank you for the review! Bummer, but that does save me a couple hundred bucks, LOL! :D Interestingly, the setup sounds exactly like Athena's Academy classes, and I noticed their website was very similar as well. I wonder if they're affiliated?

How despicable. And if he's "just a dog" as these people claim, why on earth do they think you should have put yourself in danger to save him? Or are these different idiots smacking you from both ends of the opinion line?!? Try to shut them out. You were Rowan's mom for the short time he was able to be with you, and nothing changes that. I'm with Cat, I probably would have been dumb enough to try to help my dog and you'd all be reading about me in the paper. You kept your head and did the right thing, and that's admirable. Please don't second guess yourself. And please come tell Rowan stories anytime you like, if it helps. As a fellow Standard Poodle Mom, I know the love you feel and can only imagine the heartache you face. It was hard enough to lose our previous dogs peacefully at the end of long lives, and I'm still so sorry you and he went through that. But he will be with you forever in spirit and in your heart. :grouphug:

Depending on what you're after.... My favorite for a roots based program is very much Caesars English from MCT. For a more context or literature based program, I like Vocabulits. But we've done the MCT books because he is able to include literary tie ins as well, so it's kind of the whole package!

Bless her heart. :D

Unfortunately it's pretty common now. When DS was in 1st and 2nd grade at PS, he and his buddies were all pretty much on similar levels, obviously some were better because of natural talent, playing with older siblings, etc. By 3rd grade when he came home, it started to shift, and now in 5th, they have trouble getting enough boys to fill the rec leagues, and most of his former school buddies are on competitive tournament teams or elite travel teams. Basketball and soccer seem to be the worst of this. If he does go back at some point and want to play on a team for one of the larger area high schools, he will be at a disadvantage, even though he's done basketball every year in some fashion.