http://www.wwnorton.com/college/titles/english/seagull2_lit/students.php I will be using this as the readers have a website support for students and a wonderful intro to each piece to guide our discussions. I have looked at many, many "literary analysis," type anthologies or texts and many have discussion questions that are not relevant to our goals. I think you have done a wonderful job leading and teaching your son . His scores are very worthy of praise , you should be proud of these superb achievements. Congratulations to you both on a job well done and I hope that if this is not a suggestion that is useful for your family that others might utilize it. I do not know if others write their discussion guides from whole cloth so to speak but I am not able or interested in reinventing the wheel. It is quite teacher intensive to cobble together history, literature, philosophy and theology thus when I can find a resource to give me a bit of help I readily embrace it. The odd thing on the ACT/SAT/Graduate Record Exam for Grad school is that students must adjust to the concept that they are looking for the best answer not too narrow nor overbroad. There are almost always two that are not incorrect one is simply "better." Drove me nuts trying to figure out what they were looking for. I did use the Princeton Review for assistance in this respect and it was very helpful. We are a couple of years away from ACT but are taking the PSAT this fall . I am simultaneously excited for dd and quaking in my boots...

I appreciate the clarification and response to my post. This is a very important topic and I look forward to hearing from others regarding resources both textual and visual. Thank you once again for listening to me and clarifying your thoughts.

I am absolutely a ...fan...This is frequently a source of discussion around here as I really think Bethenny is smart and lovely but he thinks the Countess is fabulous. What can I say? Too many years around eurotrash , I know what I know...Seriously is anyone else really creeped by Ramona and Mario and their complete disregard for civility? And what of Simon and Alex is that a circumstance of "odd bedfellows" or what? It is really interesting and ultimately tragic that these ladies believe their public image is anything but grotesque. I mean that strictly in the academic sense of the word. What praytell does it say about me that I simultaneously loathe and relish my time with the Real Housewives??? Too late for deep thought here.

For what it is worth , to even begin to compare life in the United States as a Christian to life under totalitarian communism is grossly disrespectful to those who suffered mightily under communism and those who continue to suffer human rights abuses that we cannot even imagine. Read the biography of Pope John Paul II by Carl Bernstein , The Gates of November by Chaim Potok about the refuseniks in the USSR , the unimaginable sufferings of the Jewish people trapped behind the Iron Curtain are in no way compared to whatever hardships you percieve you face as being conservative christians in the United States. As a side note I am a practicing Catholic and a moderate individual in all matters but this comparison of "what could happen in the US to freedom of religion "due to the new administration is a dubious and highly offensive comment . Communism by Richard Pipes would be a solid start to learning why the pov espoused on this thread is not in any way related to historical facts .

How wonderful for your dd. I am delighted to hear of the accomplishments of self directed students who discover their passion and with the guidance and love of their family go forth to do great things. Congratulations to your lovely dd . This is only the beginning!!

I am so sorry for your troubles. She is very blessed to have someone who cares trying to take care of so very many different needs right now. It is best to have a living will witnessed and signed , notarized . YOur attorney can go with you and a nurse can witness it. This is far better in my experience(as a human being and an attorney) it is not ambigous nor is the burden on you to make tough decisions .With the living will you are merely seeing her wishes fulfilled regarding her care as a terminally ill person. You must also get a power of attorney form which will need witnessing and notarizing again, your attorney should go with you to do this. Unless it is a long distance in that case you should hire an attorney near to the hospital where she is being cared for. We do this all the time and charge nothing extra as this is simply the situation the client is facing and the only way to accomplish the task of meeting the standards of making their wishes ironclad with a terminal and critical patient is to do this in person. As dh always says, "We chose this work ,it is what we do." I hope this appointment goes well and is a lifting of the weight of responsiblity you have so graciously carried. Peace to you and your family at this very difficult time. elizabeth

I am so sorry for your troubles. She is very blessed to have someone who cares trying to take care of so very many different needs right now. It is best to have a living will witnessed and signed , notarized . YOur attorney can go with you and a nurse can witness it. This is far better in my experience(as a human being and an attorney) it is not ambigous nor is the burden on you to make tough decisions .With the living will you are merely seeing her wishes fulfilled regarding her care as a terminally ill person. You must also get a power of attorney form which will need witnessing and notarizing again, your attorney should go with you to do this. Unless it is a long distance in that case you should hire an attorney near to the hospital where she is being cared for. We do this all the time and charge nothing extra as this is simply the situation the client is facing and the only way to accomplish the task of meeting the standards of making their wishes ironclad with a terminal and critical patient is to do this in person. As dh always says, "We chose this work ,it is what we do." I hope this appointment goes well and is a lifting of the weight of responsiblity you have so graciously carried. Peace to you and your family at this very difficult time. elizabeth

http://www.puffpastry.com/recipes.aspx I love this website and the recipes work well. Shhh - it is just our little secret cheat for fantastic appetizers, desserts and the lovely little beef wellington entree that always brings high praise from guests.

I love this video and cannot stop watching it . Be careful when you underestimate or belittle anyone-I hope"His royal smirkness" Cowell eventually gets the egg of his face. This is for all the nerds ,self proclaimed and otherwise, here is one for our team!! I hope this makes you smile tonight. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY IF link fails google Susan Boyle .

Robert Johnson Keb Mo John Lee Hooker- the king of blues in my humble estimation Koko Taylor Stevie Ray Vaughn Albert Collins Ry Cooder Son House Buddy Guy Start with the greats and work your way forward. Clapton- well- what can I say -a master of the guitar yes- blues not so much...donning my flame retardant suit

I had these two years ago the injections did sting as the needle went into the area around the upper trapezius(sp?) however my doc used a lidocaine spray while the shot was being given which helped. They sting and you must remain still as you do not want to get a punctured lung . They did nothing for me but oral steroid therapy for an acute episode was helpful. If you have not had an MRI I suggest refusing the injections until they have a pretty solid idea what is causing the pain. My back pain in the middle of my back between the blades was not gallbaldder disease but rather a rotator cuff injury compounded with c-4, c-5 neck disc degeneration without a compromised nerver root problem. I take Elavil and do massage therapy once a week. I am so thankful that I quit smoking(horrible for chronic pain) and have found relief. Start with your feet, if there is insufficient support and a disc is damaged every step sends shock waves through your central nervous system . Back pain is like a water leak in the home it is nearly impossible to trace it to its origin but that must be done or else everything else is a band aid masking the underlying problem. Keep us posted please. Naturally you are in my thoughts and prayers . Take dh if possible for the injections should you decide to have them. You need help getting home due to the tenderness and possible nerve damage at the injection site. The Medrol injections might give relief but they make ligament tears far more likely-nice choices- huh???!The shots are not without risk but far safer than epidural injections which I have never seen work on our clients and they are risky as heck.

99% of the material out there for Native American study for the young is nonsense. I am delighted to see that pbs is undertaking analysis on this crucial part of US history . Thanks much for the heads up.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/mac-and-cheese-recipe2/index.html

I love cooking and get in a rut making the same dishes every year and they turn out well but lack variety. This year we were invited to dd's godparents home for a gathering and I brought this dish. It is insanely delicious and pleased the other guests. I understand why people swear by her version . Follow the link to carbohydrate and dairy bliss. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/mac-and-cheese-recipe2/index.html I broke out of my routine and although it was a bit costly due to the gruyere cheese it was a winner. Did anyone else try a new recipe this year or an old standard that you just are pleased with year after year? Share please???

Gosh I hate to say this but in all my years of experience as a woman and a lawyer there is something terribly wrong that his own family has nothing to do with him. Your dh needs to stay close to you and your daughter at all times. There is never a good reason for family to shun a relation absent the most horrible of reasons-drugs, abuse, sexual abuse, or old fashioned criminality.

http://chronicle.com/free/v55/i32/32b01501.htm I thought many here might have used this in self education or in college . An interesting critique for writers of every stripe. What text are you using for style ?

If you have a newer crock pot(within 10 years) I would only cook on low for 8 hours otherwise it will boil and really be tough and stringy. For best flavor heat some oil and garlic in a fry pan and at a pretty high temp sear all sides of the roast to get some carmelization started in the meat.It should be a crusty dark brown on the outside and raw throughout that is the goal here. Remove meat. Deglaze pan with a bit of wine or sherry to get all the cruchy goodies out of the pan pour over meat in crock pot. Add whatever veggie and a cup of liquid , wait 8 hours and I promise you will love it. Seriously fine roast people. This works great with beef ribs as well add a little prunes, carrots and sweet potatoe raw and sliced pretty thick to the mix and you have a feast .

http://www.the-niche.org/2009conference/mealssnacks.html It says a hsing family from Pella is doing the cooking...I have been to the tulip festival and wow the food was amazing everywhere we were. It will likely be pretty food and 6.75 to spare driving all over seems like a good deal to me.

http://www.amazon.com/Gates-November-Chaim-Potok/dp/044991240X The Gates of November by Chaim Potok is one of the best books on the subject of living in USSR under Stalin, Kruschev and Brezhnev. Furthermore it shows clearly the perils of being Jewish and trying to survive in a totalitarian ,communist regime. I cannot recommend it highly enough for the breadth and depth with which it is written. I also learned much from reading Red Scarf Girl . For a general overview ,I am using Richard Pipes's book , Communism but as others have pointed out it falls short in terms of being critical of the equal and opposite reaction to communism-horrific human rights abuses under new totalitarian regimes from the opposite side of the political spectrum. I have not found anything else to meet my standards so it remains the text around which our discussions will take place next spring when we cover the material.

I think it is a good question that is all too readily glossed over by the unabashed enthusiasm one finds on a homeschooling board. I am not at all certain what uneducated means...Self taught ? No formal education? No college education? Uneducated merely in a formal sense means very little to me. Some of the most amazing individuals I have ever had the privilege to know were largely self taught. Having said that I also have been around many , many individuals who skated through high school and /or college without cracking a book . I consider them uneducated and victims of social grade promotion. I guess what I am saying is if you lack the confidence and work ethic to self educate the areas where it is needed then you should not educate others. However, with the proper work ethic and solid commitment I think self education is a superior route in many ways to that of a formal education. It seems a knee jerk reaction to simply assert that because one wants to do something that they automatically should without more information regarding whether or not the ability and more importantly ,the commitment is present. I am not trying to naysay your laudable intent but feel that there are realistic limitations or impediments to some situations and only you know if those exist in your particluar case. Needless to say your attitude is laudable and I suspect you will do whatever is needed to give your children your best effort.

Dd often behaves like this due to biological changes. Welcome to the world of adolescence. Chocolate and a good sense of humor with a hefty dose of "we are in this together" usually gets us through the rough patches.

Sign me up . We would love an opportunity like this and would gladly pay for the classes.:hurray:

As a hsing mamma who also can be found practicing law to help dh out a bit when schedule is overwhelmed I can honestly say I have not yet , in 15 years met a client who put education first ...It is all about the extra curricular activities often 3-5 per week and scheduling social activities . Honestly I will eat my Birkenstocks if I ever meet a parent who truly gives a darn about eduation in the context of divorce. they will wrangle over the ugly wagon wheel table and likewise shed blood over who gets what holiday but schooling never, ever comes up. We get plenty of calls from parents wanting to sue the school for taking reasonable disciplinary measures against their little darlings. They will need to look elsewhere for legal counsel as what they are trying to sell is not being bought here. Sorry to say that Aggie was correct and all too kind regarding the level of apathy I see all too often.

http://www.usccb.org/movies/p/thepassionofthechrist.shtml review and recommendations from the USConference of Catholic Bishops-adults only...I trust their opinions and guidance on this and generally have found their movie reviews a solid source for what is advisable .

Why would a code pink event ( opposed to violence/war) make you terrified? I am not being snarky at all just really curious as I was not aware that there was a history of rioting with this group. I have seen the G2 Protests on the news and they seem really quite intense and not what I am accustomed to in behaviour. I have been to 2 organized national marches in Wash DC and must say everyone was extremely well mannered and patient. Crowd control was superb. I realize that what is scary to me might not be to you and vice versa as we do seem to be on different ends of the spectrum politically. I just was not aware of violence or rioting at Code Pink events . I do not like it when people want to assemble and do not file for permits then become agitated when forced to leave...perhaps that has been an issue. Aside from my query I think it is fantastic to take young people to political events, gatherings, meetings as that seems to be where the proverbial rubber hits the road and your children can experience democracy first hand. So long as their are permits if needed and the group seems to have an agenda you support I say yes . Dd has been going to caucus, campaign headquarters to mail letters etc for years. She knows we stand up for our beliefs and are willing to work for candidates and issues we believe in . That is why we choose to educate at home quite frankly. Take your kids and have a wonderful time letting them experience democracy!