If you have a way to grind up oatmeal reallly fine (blender, food processor), I would use a combo - 1/2 oatmeal, and the other half either bread flour or whole wheat or a combo of both. If not, I'd use a bread flour (or a combo bread and whole wheat)... just make sure you don't overmix... stir until just barely blended and it will be fine Good luck!

Unbelievable. I am so tired of being stereotyped.

Okay, I just spit wine on my computer screen. LOL!! Tried to rep you for it, but it wouldn't let me... just thought you should know :). Robin

I can't tell you how many times it was assumed that I was available during the day because we homeschool. There is a perception out there that because our schedule is potentially flexible, that it really IS flexible in this way. Maybe you can drop her a hint by saying something like, "One of the hardest things as a homeschooler is when people don't realize that we have a full routine (especially the older boys), and think that we should be available during the school day. It makes me wonder if people think we sit around doing nothing, or that we do our schoolwork at night!" Something like that. :) That being said, we go to violin a little early (2:30) because it is a time that is available (because P.S. students aren't home from school yet). I'm sure our teacher would make another time available for us if necessary, because dd has been her student for six years now... but by coming a little early we help her out (she can take more students)... as a result, she is generous and patient with us. So maybe that could be a compromise? Closer to 2:00 or 2:30? Maybe if all three boys didn't have lesson on the same day (I'm assuming they do for some reason), you'd be able to eek out a mid-afternoon lesson time for them. Or at least do the early afternoon lesson time with only one of them, preferrably the younger. Good luck with your decision! Robin P.S. Personally,I would prefer a teacher that went year round, but that's just me.

LOL! When you are on the main forums page, and this particular thread shows up as the one with the most recent post, the subject line is abbreviated to read, "I want to make my own baby..." Oh, the fun we could have with *that* subject line! LOL

Okay, now I'm looking at All American History. GAHHHHH! Too many choices!! I think that Notgrass looks so good I should save it for when she's old enough to do the whole program. Thanks for the comments! Robin

Thanks so much for all the responses... I joined the group and looked at the linked conversation. We like all the books in 7 and 8, but the problem is we've already studied a couple of them and I'd rather not go through them again. I was hoping we could skip those, perhaps substituting something else like one of the new Teaching the Classics study guides. Sounds like we can, which is just what I wanted to know! Thank you all so much for the help!! Robin

If you are using one of the LL guides, and it includes a book that you don't want to study, can you just skip that book assignment and go on to the next? Or do the lessons build on each other? Can you pick out two or three novels/stories, or do you really need to do the entire course? Thanks!

Thank you! Yes, I am planning to use it just for the history, and to actually use readers from SL (some from 3/4 and some from 100). I just want a good, decent, simple spine for American history at this level that isn't as "full" or detailed as SL's Core 100 IG and the Hakim series. However, I will use that IG if someone convinces me that it is really worth the effort :). I'm wanting to spend more time on the literature than the history spine. I looked at Notgrass for the first time because of recent conversations here. I really do like the simplicity of it. Thanks so much for the feedback.

I read somewhere that it was designed for use in late high school, after the world history (which has easier reading). Would you agree with that assessment? I'm looking for something to do a quick read through American History with a 13yo (who is a good reader). Thanks! Robin

I'm pretty sure you can inhale lead dust. Ingestion is most common form of contamination by lead paint in young children becauase they stick everything in their mouth, but contact with any mucus membrane or open wound is a risk factor, as well as inhaling small particles. I'd get it checked out, too.

If I'm remembering correctly, when something like that happened locally whoever owned the park (or maybe it was a school playground) paid for testing. You might want to check into that. ((Kay)) I hope you can get some assurance that your boys are okay (which they probably are, but it sure would be nice to know for sure).

Ditto!! I ordered a batch from her about a year ago as gifts for a group of friends, plus a few extra for me... there is one bar left over that I keep in the guest bath and it STILL makes the room smell fantastic... a WHOLE YEAR later!! Just got moved into our new house... will be ordering more for sure! Thanks, Amy, for such great products! Robin

The website I was looking for: http://www.lets-clean-up.com/ The thread from the old boards where people gave some other good ideas is linked in readwithem's post above. HTH!

If we did CYT all three semesters, I would go bonkers. CYT will be new to us next year - up until now she has done a play every semester with children's choir at church. One CYT play a year is all we will be able to handle. That's only ten weeks of craziness a year :). Swim team and tennis is in my neighborhood, the rec center being walking distance from the house. I'm counting this as her p.e. If she didn't do this, she wouldn't get any exercise EVER. She has no siblings/neighbors to play with. The swim team is not a summer intensive swim team - it is a year round swim team (heated pool) that doesn't require participation in meets. She just goes two or three times a week for a swim workout, and that's about it. Orchestra is once a week, and it's not really advanced. A weekly hour of playing with others. The plays we attend are student matinees. About five a year, in the morning, over by noon. I think it sounded like we do a lot more than what we really do. If we did CYT full time - all three productions a year - I would drop orchestra and tennis. And I'd still probably go nuts :). And I'm sure we're not doing NEARLY as much in academics that others here are doing. Of that, I am certain. We all have the same hours in every day... in our house, performing arts is high on our priority list (whereas science or history/literature might be higher on others' lists). I'm sorry if it sounded like we were super-homeschoolers or something! LOL Believe me, we're not. You'd probably be pretty disgusted with me if you knew what DIDN'T get done around here! Robin

I should have just read this response first and said ditto :) Robin

Ellie, I've done that before and it can work... you might find that the rolls do sorta rise a little in the fridge, and the crust can dry out a little. What I do is spray Pam on them and cover tightly with saran wrap to keep them moist. You could just put the dough into the fridge unformed (covered bowl or ziploc) and then shape the rolls right before baking. That would probably give you more predictable results (maybe not better results, but at least it will turn out the way you expect). Good luck! Sounds like a fun visit! Robin

The website Sunflower mentioned is the one I was looking for, but I sure do appreciate the link to the old thread... there were some very good ideas posted there! Thank you!

That's the website! Thanks so much, Sunflower! Robin

No, it wasn't either one of them. It was something new... and it was just a guide for how and when to clean everything in your house, or could be used as a guide to evaluate how thorough a cleaning service was performing. ACCKKKKK! I can't believe I lost the link. It was exactly what I'd been looking for! Flylady drives me insane :).

There was a fantastic website linked on the old boards which gave a basic schedule/list of things to do and how often they should be done, etc. It could be used as a housecleaning schedule, or a checklist to evaluate a cleaning service, etc. I *think* there might have been a free trial period, but maybe not. Does anyone remember this? Thanks for any help! Robin

I think I understand what you're saying... you don't want to be tied to the books in LL7. I get it now. Sometimes I sorta think that the person who can do a complete literature program with just TTC probably didn't need TTC to begin with, kwim? But you never know... did you see Janice in NJ's video? Something she said really struck me. She said that she finally figured out that doing this stuff a heck of a lot more fun than talking about doing this stuff. You just gotta jump in and do it. Why don't you start with TtC, and if you don't get into a good groove, you can always add LL7 later... I don't think it would be a waste of time or money investing in TtC because you will still use it to discuss all your history related reading. You will benefit from it all the same whether you fold in LL7 or not. I'm sure you'll pick the right thing eventually, though! Let us know what you decide and how it goes! I sure have enjoyed thinking about your dilemna today... it's given me a much needed break from mine :). Robin

Lucky you! Some of those lectures sound new... I don't recall a workshop on How to REad a Book, or the Great Books... Don't miss the "what we'd do differently" talk if it's offered. She doesn't allow it to be recorded, so you won't get to purchase the tape in lieu of attending. Just a heads up.

The reason for the facility restriction is that the church doesn't currently have a "playground" or outside area where kids can run around (due to recent construction). This is a class program for students 7th grade and up... during any off periods, students must be in either a room designated for study hall or a room designated for socializing with friends (kind of a coffee break room). They hang out, there are snacks and drinks... at the other place, the "hanging out" is done outside rather than in a a designated room. I didn't mean to make it sound so oppressive :)... they really are doing the best they can with the facilities they have, and I know many families who return to it year after year... so they must be doing something right! Robin

Yes, that is my impression, too. I will say, though, for someone who was never taught this way and doesn't know how to begin to teach this way, watching the TTC DVDs really made the light bulb go off for me. I went, "AHA! Now I get it!". I am very glad I got a chance to watch it. What it adds to TWTM content-wise is complete coverage of literary elements, the elements of a plot and how to diagram them, etc., and getting to watch someone use this method to analyze a piece of literature. Really, the DVDs make all the difference, but they are kind of expensive, so borrowing or going in together with a group is the better way to go. I really don't see the need to ever watch the DVDs twice, but in my opinion the workbook by itself without the DVD really would be a waste of money. JMO, though :) I agree, though, about going back to WTM annually and getting back to basics. I can't tell you how many times I've re-glanced at WTM and thought, "Duh... that's what SWB has been saying all long! Why don't I remember reading that before?"