Happy birthday to Emily! I can't the time has passed so quickly. I hope Emily knows that an entire community anticipated and celebrated her arrival, and she'll always be special to us :). Thanks, Patty, for pointing me to this thread. I love this place and all the memories and friends I've made here!

Susan, I hope that seeing so many supporting you, and seeing all of us old timers who heard about this and came back for a moment to support you, makes it crystal clear to you what a special, beautiful thing you created when you created these boards and your resources. To this day, I talk fondly of the diverse, interesting, smart women I've met because of you, and how rich and interesting my home school journey was as a result. I met you personally the summer before my daughter began "Kindergarten", and have depended on your advice and all my "imaginary" friends from the WTM boards throughout the entire process, and I always tell everyone who will listen how very fortunate I feel to have been given the opportunity to experience the unique path you blazed. I'm better because it, and I know others are, too. Thank you for all you have done, for most of it blessed me in some way at some time and continues to do so. It would be hard to overstate how loved and appreciated you are and what a difference you have made. Praying for this to end quickly and favorably, my dear friend.

HI SUSAN!!! So nice to come here and see you and everyone else! (P.S. I am secretly planning a trip to the B&B as a graduation present to myself. :))

I had nothing to pull down, but wanted to report in anyway and say hi to all! For anyone who remembers me, my daughter graduated and is now at college, I am working full time and have returned to school to finish up my accounting degree. I'm really sorry and extremely disappointed you're going through this, Susan. Wish I could do something more to help you. Warmest regards, everyone! Robin in Tx Long time BooKer

I have a rising 11th/12th grader and want to switch to this program from R&S. What do you recommend? I don't understand the difference between the graded levels and the complete course. I am also afraid to forge ahead without at least an answer key.

Thank you for the book recommendation.. it is on it's way!! :) Robin

Hi Lisa, we did end up getting the Oxford. Success!! My hope is that we'll have a good enough time to want to continue beyond these initial few readings. Thank you... yes, our year is off to a decent start. Only two more years left. Amazing how time flies. I don't know if I'm happy or sad :/ Take care, Robin

Thanks everyone! I purchased the Oxford books for Hamlet and McBeth and so far so good.... dd loves them... she's taking her time to slowly read and take it all in. I knew I could count on you guys! (am searching for the Folger's series, too). Thanks again, and Hi everybody! Robin

This is a required research project for the one day a week classical program my daughter attends. It has to be a probing question, accompanied by a hypothesis, supportive of 40 hours of research, with a conclusion as to whether or not thehypothesis was proven correct by the research. The teachers apparently like it a lot when you come to a different conclusion after conducting your research. We haven't come up with anything that is particularly interesting. Any ideas, oh hive mind? Robin

Anybody want to take a shot at explaining that to me in layman's terms? I grasp it, but not well enough to explain it. Which is the same as not understanding it very well. Thanks, Robin

If not, how do you tackle unfamiliar words? Thanks for any input, Robin

Hey MFS, My daughter is in a one day a week classical ed program that next year will be studying Shakespeare. When I saw the reading schedule, I immediately thought about you and your son with fond memories of your reports on his passions. I remember your stories about living in the city, and then the move to the country. What was your tag line? Something about a little prairie at the edge of the woods? I don't know if this is correct or not, but I also seem to remember that your son was involved in swimming... either swim team or life guard? Whta I remember most was how much you love your children, how proud and supportive of them you are, and what upstanding character you nourished in them. Anyhow, I haven't been on the boards in several years, and have lost touch with all but a few of the treasured virtual friends I've met here. I had the pleasure of visiting with SWB today and she told me about your son. I was devastated to hear the news. She said you were back on the boards so I came online to find you and let you know what a wrenching kick in the gut it was to hear about your loss and how very, very sorry I am. Love and peace to you, MFS. May his memory be eternal. Robin

Hey everybody!! My dd has an opportunity to take Chemistry in the fall but she will have completed only Alg I (Chalkdust, with high scores). According to Apologia website, that is all the prerequisite necessary but I've had several friends advise me to postpone chemistry until she is in Alg II (she'll be in geometry next year). Also, would it be okay to go straight into Chalkdust Alg II and do geometry another time (if the Alg II really is needed for the chemistry)? My chalkdust DVDs have both the Alg I and the Alg II lectures so we could easily do that with just a purchase of the textbooks. What sayeth the hive? And how is everyone? I smiled when I logged in and saw all the familiar faces(names). :D