1996 - "Jill" by Harry Connick, Jr.

My husband is Gustav. He's a very nice guy, too!

Gabriella Joy Victoria Mae My daughter is Lillian Mary, which also goes nicely with your classic girls names.

I just bought 7's for my 11 year old at Payless!! (this past Saturday) They even had 7W's which was what we needed. Go Payless!!

Ha-ha!! LOL! That reminds me...I once called my gynecologist to make an appointment for my "12 week old son!" Needless to say, there was a long silence on the other end before she notified me that that would probably not be advisable! I can so relate to the humiliation!

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. Just finished reading Charlotte's Web aloud again. Of course I had to fight to keep it together when Charlotte died all alone :-)

Hi Maria! My oldest 2 worked through the Remedia outlining workbook this summer. So when she does the assigned reading from the Kingfisher History Encyclopedia I have her outline the sections on the page. Just a main topic and 2 or 3 subtopics underneath. Eventually she will flash the reading out more, but this is about what she can handle now. For a timeline we are LOVING the History Through the Ages Record of Time. along with the timeline figures. The figures include the dates right on them, so placement in the book is easy. I hope this helps some. For what it's worth, we didn't start a timeline until last year. My children just didn't "get" it. So depending on your child's age, you may want to wait.:001_smile:

Yes, you definitely can! I have been doing this for the past 2 years. Currently I have a 3rd grader and a 5th grader doing SOTW 2. My older daughter has a much meatier reading list than my younger daughter and outlines her Kingfisher reading once or twice a week. When she isn't outlining she is required to write a one page summary on the SOTW reading. We keep a detailed time line, as well. Both daughters do the map and coloring page. I don't think you are shortchanging your younger boy at all. He will get a lot out of the reading, maps, and coloring pages.

We begin our school day at 7:30AM and work until 9AM. We then walk or ride around the neighborhood for 1/2 hour followed by 1/2 hour snack/read aloud time. School is resumed at 10:30 and we go until we break at 12:30 for lunch. Then the older 2 (5th and 6th grades) spend 2 more hours in the afternoon and we are done by 3:30. It does make our day longer, but it makes for happier people. It has become more important to me that they get exercise during the day, as it can be so easy to be couch potatoes! As soon as our school day is done they spend another hour outside playing however they wish.

I agree!!

No nonsense here. The oldest four were trained by 2 1/2 with very little struggle. It definitely can be done, and done without resentful feelings :-)

I would love to go to culinary school and eventually open a seasonal bed and breakfast. I would also love to take some intense writing courses.

Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. All things.

FLL3 was a great fit for my daughter last year in 2nd. Thorough, fast, scripted (so no prep for Mom). I will definitely use FLL again the next 2 times around.

My 11 year old son started fencing in April and absolutely LOVES it. He goes once a week for an hour long group class and once a week for an hour long footwork/open fencing class. It is great exercise and requires plenty of thinking and self-control. If your boys are interested, I would highly recommend it.

Typing Instructor Deluxe here

We are going through The First Whole Book of Diagrams until it comes.

Honestly, my K-er has been participating for a year. He just loves poetry and loves reciting it in front of people. Of course, all his life he's been listening to his older sibs memorize and recite poetry. I think 1st grade is a fine time to start. I began when my oldest was in 3rd. Everyone else folded in nicely in K or 1st grade. It really only takes 15 or so minutes a day, so it's easy.

OK, Christy, you CAN handle this. I promise. I have been where you are, and certainly still have struggles periodically with sibling unpleasantness, but my kiddos have taken great strides in recent years. Here are some things that have helped: If your daughters are not used to playing nicely together, start small. Set up 15-20 minutes in the schedule - every day - for them to play. Choose a time when they are well-fed, bright eyed and bushy-tailed. Avoid that last 20 minutes before nap time, for instance. :-) Set clear boundaries. Say, "Why don't the two of you build the best castle you can with these blocks?" Let your older daughter know that this is the time for her to serve her little sister...to help her, encourage her, and praise her when she does well. My kids seem to respond differently when I tell them it is time to "serve" as opposed "play." Praise your older daughter for playing nicely with her sister. Even if it's only for 5-10 minutes. They need to build their relationship during this time, so encourage as much as you can. Around here the older sibling will lose a privilege (computer, free time, etc.) if they are mean or hurtful to their little sibling. As they get used to this regular situation you can increase the amount of time. Most importantly for me I had to keep my own expectations in check. They won't become best buddies overnight. There will be days where things don't go well. But if you keep at it and refrain from getting frustrated with them, it will happen over time. Blessings to you...

My Father's Dragon series and Thornton Burgess animal stories come to mind.

I have relaxed my standards in that way quite a bit since my kids were younger. I now look at all we read as a jumping-off point for discussion. I think if your children have been well-trained about right and wrong (and it sounds as though yours have been) then they will not get any wild ideas when reading a book. My children, almost always comment on the 'wrong' behavior as being just that: wrong. Plus, most of the books we have read have had significant consequences for the bad behavior, which simply reinforces what we are teaching our children. Excluding a book because it has a character behaving in a way you do not want your children to behave will significantly limit your reading pile.:001_smile:

Right!:thumbup:

Very good question. I think the answer to your question, "Is it right for ANYone to attempt to affect societal change?" is a resounding yes. But I would disagree that pastors should attempt this from the pulpit. Paul couldn't wait to get to Caesar but his message, as you stated, was the gospel. Not a list of political points. We are commanded in Scripture to submit to the authority God has appointed, unless doing so forces us to sin. And yes, pastors should "preach, like Paul, from their pulpits on whatever is apropo to their congregation's needs" But I would argue that those needs are the same regardless of where the congregation is located...to acknowledge their sinfulness, repent, and put their faith in Jesus Christ. Yes? Ultimately, that is the Scriptural directive for a pastor. As Paul writes to Timothy: "Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching." I think you and I are basically in agreement on this. Certainly, if the government is commanding us to sin then we must refuse. I would expect my pastor to lead by example in such a circumstance. But if that is not the case, I would expect him to "devote himself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching." I was interrupted umpteen times while I typed this, so hopefully it is coherent enough. :-)

Yes, I think I am looking at it from the latter standpoint. The Bible is clear. Pastors are to preach "in season and out of season." And they are commanded to preach the Word of God, even the parts that are not PC. :001_smile: I guess I was assuming this thread was talking about "An 8% sales tax is a sin against God, and you need to vote Demopublican in November."

Ah, but is it the mark of a true Christian? (Said with all gentleness and a request that you understand that I am pathetically non-confrontational. Really.) I agree with you about our country. The Lord is sovereign and willed that this country should come into being, but ultimately, did those pastors do what the Bible calls them to do? Was their focus to preach the Word of God, or affect societal change? Ultimately I think that is the big question.:001_smile: