He was a little perplexed by the question. He has liked my hair in all its various forms, though he will admit a preference for it a little longer (shoulder length or so). His much larger beef is "fake" hair. He doesn't think length is an issue--all different lengths can be flattering. He really, really doesn't like hair that has been shellacked firmly into place with hairspray. He's also not crazy about perms or straightening as that makes the hair dull or ratty. He thinks healthy, shiny, natural hair of any length is what's nicest. BUT he was also careful to say he thinks the hair police are out of line and that women should just do what they like without worrying about it. :-D

*

The criticisms aimed at you seemed to me to be more teacher issues rather than curriculum. The teacher is the one who structures activities around the abilities of her class--as the curriculum writer, you provide the options. The teacher implements those options in whatever way is appropriate to her class. If the kids were acting up that is a teacher issue, IMHO. Also I would *never* put up with a revolving door of a million kids needing to go to the bathroom. It's only an hour, for heaven's sake. If they are little ones, there can be *one* group trip to the bathroom. I would not see bathroom time as a problem with a boring curriculum, but rather with a teacher who has not managed her class efficiently. Sorry your friend criticized needlessly. Just keep praying over your writing and know that your service is for God. ((( ))))

There are so many good travel guides that an agent seems unnecessary. We have also found it best to plan somewhat loosely, and then make last-minute changes based on information from the locals once we have arrived.

I did buy the answer guide--it's inexpensive so I thought I might as well. I find it helpful when we are not sure exactly what a question is asking for. With inductive study, the nice thing is that all the answers can be discovered directly IN the Bible text. I did consider buying the corresponding adult study for myself, both to give *me* a more in-depth study, but also to have the commentary/notes to augment my own teaching. I did not purchase it (though I still think my reasoning has merit) because it is kinda pricey, and because my focus this year is more on the PROCESS of inductive study and less on the CONTENT of the passage (although naturally we study both). My point is that I did not want to spend the extra cash on the adult study because whatever extra time I have in class is not spent on more content, but rather on having the girls practice various methods of inductive analysis. I teach a small group of 5th/6th grade girls. We typically go over the homework together, during which I interject whatever additional information relevant to the text. We also discuss the notes, and then I have the girls practice a little more intensively on a selected passage. If I were teaching just my own daughter I probably would do much the same thing. She would do her homework independently throughout the week, and we would have a longer, in-depth discussion once a week on what was studied. Hope this helps--feel free to ask any further questions.

Definitely 2. If they are strong readers they may be ready for Discovery next year. My own daughter is in 5th grade and comfortably doing Quest. I have found with most Bible curriculums that kids can work one level ahead of where the curriculum says. While Explorer's comes closer to hitting the mark (developmentally) than many I have seen, it still seems to be a trend among religious publishers that the curriculum does not seem to grow at the same rate the child does. I find there is a BIG jump in ability when a child is reading fluently. In the programs I direct and classes I teach I tend to recommend working one level higher than the curriculum recommends, and I typically have high schoolers doing "adult" level stuff.

We have been using Job, Psalms, and Proverbs this year in the Quest series. Job was well done. The Psalms are more of an overview (which is fine) rather than a minute, detailed study. We have not yet gotten to Proverbs. My dd has done fine with the work involved but has struggled a little with the switch from previous years' study of historical narrative to biblical poetry. It's just not as interesting to her. (She is 11yo.) I would probably save Job/Psalms/Proverbs for an older child (logic stage) not because of the Explorer's study but rather because poetic writing is a little more challenging, especially in the New King James Version. YMMV.

I highly recommend Explorer's. It is definitely inductive in nature, although it does not include the manuscript study component that the Precepts materials do. (Manuscript study is marking directly into the Bible text.) Your ds could probably do the Quest studies just fine. The series includes both the Bible study and commentary-style notes for each week. I have really been impressed with their quality. My experience has taught me that jr. high and high school kids can comfortably handle most "adult" studies.

The meds might have started the problem, and now it's kind of a habit her body and mind are in. Also it takes a while for the meds to truly wear out of the body. I would stop the pulmicort and then also treat her as if she has an insomnia problem to retrain her body out of the habit it has formed. You can google this or research. There are options such as putting her on a strict sleep/wake schedule--especially wake her up at the same time *no matter what* and not allowing her to sleep during the day *no matter what*--and other options like doing the same, soothing ritual each. and. every. time. she goes to sleep (something like warm shower, music, sleep).

LG Gone Wild-- Earlier in this thread I posted strength exercises that really, really help. My curvature is in my upper spine, between my shoulder blades, and my bone spurs are in the upper spine and neck, so my exercises are focused more in that area and less on trunk strength. I am not as disciplined about exercising as I should be. BUT when things are going well, I do the strength exercises I mentioned and alternate them with general exercising: T-Tapp, walking, jogging on the trampoline. I jog on the trampoline specifically because the bouncy surface absorbs a lot of impact and it is much, much easier on my joints. I have also used both an arm bike and an elliptical with wonderful effect. The repetitive aerobic activity seems to stretch and relax the muscle spasms effectively. I find that bike riding is really hard on my neck because of the posture--hunched forward with head up. It aggravates one of my bone spurs pretty badly. I do well on a recumbent bike (nothing to do with the scoliosis--just for exercise in general) and my dh would like to get me a bike with higher, longer handlebars so that my posture is better. Hope that helps. I really do find that exercise is EXTREMELY effective to keep the system relaxed. When I have a flare-up I do a combination of heat, naproxen or ibuprofen, chiropractic adjustment and/or massage, and sleep. Usually one big blast of several of these options knocks the problem out--then the next day I focus on stretching and exercising gently.

First of all, I agree with the other posters that the special interest is not healthy. Unless these are people that YOU know intimately as best friends, then you don't know them well enough for your son to be alone with them all the time or even most of the time. Listen to your instincts. As to HOW to do it--I find that fading back works much, much better than a big declaration. Set boundaries on small things, like: "I would prefer for you to check on our plans with me privately first instead of in front of ds." Also, if your ds' behavior is that bad, he really, really needs YOU. Whether he's just being spoiled all the time (making him bratty) or whether something more serious is going on, the result is that he needs YOU. His social interaction with the outside world should STOP whenever he shows you he cannot treat you well. Keep him close to you (tomato staking), not in a punitive way, but because he obviously needs to be with you. He needs both to reconnect with you, but he also needs to learn from YOU how to behave appropriately. You can fade away from the relationship simply by being busy and by having other plans. You can encourage group interaction (like babysitting all your kids) and just not let your son be available for one-on-one time. Finally--yes, there are enthusiastic, boundary-less people in the world. These friends may be so--they may be genuinely loving and good-hearted. BUT--and please take this seriously--there is a danger of pedophilia. The special interest coupled with your son's behavior makes me concerned. To be on the safe side, I would strongly advise you to talk to your son about privacy of his body and others' bodies, and I would ask him point-blank if anyone (don't specify who) has ever touched him or asked him to touch them. When you have this talk, make sure another witness is around (like your dh) whether right there with you or just in the next room listening. IF something did happen to your ds, you will be *so glad* someone else heard it. If your neighbors are totally innocent (and chances are, they are) then no harm will come of this talk. In fact, a lot of good comes of it, as that subject becomes one your ds is comfortable talking to you about.

I think it can be done IF --All members of the co-op agree to a 10-minute tidy-up before they leave. Inspect or designate an inspector. --You are assertive (in a friendly way, of course) about treatment of your home and possessions. --You are assertive about starting and ending times. --You have CLEARLY DEFINED rules about who can be where and supervision of kids. DO NOT let the kids run rampant--you will live to regret it. I have found it works best if I have an appointed "enforcer" who is known as the group police guy--someone who is firm but friendly. --Coach your children to hide things that are precious to them before co-op so that they do not get mistreated. --As with any co-op, make sure others agree to help with specific duties. Do not let the group depend on you to make the magic happen, free. It's not healthy for you OR for those taking advantage of your welfare state. (I speak from experience.) I have opened my home similarly, though not for so many weeks. I have also directed large programs many, many years. If you are someone who likes to hostess it can be a good thing WITH certain boundaries firmly in place.

I took just a quick look at the Explorer's site to refresh my memory. I will have to dig out my own curriculum sample, but if memory serves, the Beginnings books are more for young pre-readers and new readers. Those books are expected to be parent-guided. The next one up, Discovery, includes the Bible text right in the book. It's very clear--it's in a box on the page, with questions following. A young friend of mine is doing this level and likes it. Personally, I find that many kids, once reading, can work about one level higher than what is recommended by Explorer's. The group of 5th/6th graders that I teach are all comfortably doing Quest, the jr. high/high school level book. I'd say give the Discovery level lessons a try and see if you are better pleased with them. I will try to find my own curriculum sample (I wish they had it right on the site!!!) and double-check. If you don't hear back from me today you can safely assume that what I have said here is accurate. (The only part I am unsure on is my memory of Beginnings--I am personally familiar with both Discovery and Quest.)

So glad you are doing so well. Thanks for the update.

CBS stands for Community Bible Study. It was originally an off-shoot of BSF (Bible Study Fellowship). I have been involved with both organizations. The homework for both is *excellent* and there is virtually no difference in quality between the two (on the homework). CBS is much more relaxed than BSF as far as rules go--there are things I wish BSF would lighten up about, but there are also things I think CBS could tighten up. :-D The Explorer's Bible study is also an off-shoot of BSF, believe it or not. There were rural families who were having a very difficult time getting to BSF due to distance, and as a result that particular BSF class was having a hard time maintaining enough active members to stay open. The writer of the Explorer's series wanted to provide a resource similar to BSF but that families could do independently at home, or facilitate in small groups. Therefore--in many ways BSF, CBS, and Explorer's are interchangeable. The one thing BSF and CBS offer is the lecture/teaching. As far as the homework and the notes go, though, they are all roughly equivalent.

Short answer: The Explorer's Bible studies are my favorite. They are similar to BSF and CBS. Below is an old post that I have copied and pasted that gives specific reviews of several Bible curriculums: When I evaluate a Bible curriculum, I look for what percentage of questions require the student to answer from the Bible text itself (I shoot for 2/3--most studies unfortunately only hit 50% or less), how factual versus opinion-based any notes are and to what degree there is denominational bias. I also look for how much a good inductive process is reflected in the study--there should be factual observations, an opportunity to summarize the main point of the passage in one concise statement, and finally, application to real life. I also think that younger children do well with circling the right answer, puzzles, and drawing in response to the text. However, as your child reaches fourth and fifth grades, their Bible study should include more short answer and independent work. (SWB's SOTW reflects this same progression--SOTW 1 has a lot of coloring and multiple choice on tests, whereas SOTW 4 has more short answer and not so many coloring pages.) I have not found one single Bible curriculum or study anywhere, ever, that asks for a one-sentence summary of the main point of the passage. I highly advocate adding this feature in to whatever Bible study you use or teach, in any setting. A good way to do this with kids is to ask a question like, "What did you learn about God in this passage?" or "What do you think is the very most important lesson in this passage?" Keep it to one short sentence--there may be many subpoints that are good to know, but it is very valuable to be able to distinguish the main, most important point. My number one pick would have to be the Explorer's Bible study, which is available at http://www.explorerbiblestudy.org. Many thanks to Jessica at Trivium Academy for recommending it. I was impressed. It has a good amount of factual observation questions, is very Bible-text focused but still includes some cultural/geographical/historical notes here and there, and has a small proportion of application questions in each unit. Information is presented from an evangelical perspective but seems more factual than opinionated. For those who may be familiar with Bible Study Fellowship or Community Bible Study, this curriculum follows the same pattern. Each unit is also laid out into five days of homework--a decently challenging but not overwhelming amount. Another key feature of this curriculum is the fact that there are corresponding adult studies as well. For a logic stage student either their older elementary OR high school study would be appropriate depending upon reading fluency and maturity. I also, by the way, recommend both BSF and CBS children's programs. I evaluated both. I think the CBS program has slightly more challenging homework, but also really like the way older children and teens are led to do homiletics at the BSF meetings. (Homiletics is a process of generating an outline of the passage with a final, summary statement.) I recommend either program without reservation in addition to the Explorer's curriculum. I also have used and liked Kay Arthur's Bible study series for children. My own dd has used several books in this series successfully this year. However, I would steer away from *How to Study the Bible* as it is unnecessarily wordy and proved to be quite challenging for the 4th-5th grade girls I taught. The material is not hard--the presentation of it in this book was terribly convoluted, though. If you choose to do that book, take two weeks per unit and plan on really holding your child's hand through it. The other books in the series are much easier and quite doable, though--we have been satisfied with several others in the series. These books have five or seven days of homework per unit, include both factual questions and marking things directly in biblical text, and some application. After that, I consider Rod and Staff to be a decent alternative. There is a solid amount of factual questions and some good information on history/geography/culture. However, there is virtually no application, and no summary statement opportunity (none of those I reviewed include this). And, even at the older grades there is virtually no short answer--format is still multiple choice and simpler responses. There is more denominational bias in the notes but can be overcome by careful Bible study. This curriculum would be acceptable even if it's not my favorite. Christian Light was a lot like Rod and Staff but not quite as challenging. I also thought Christian Liberty was middle-range--not the greatest, but not terrible either. I was really NOT impressed in the least with either Abeka or AlphaOmega and would not recommend those at all. They were simplistic, passive, lacked depth and do not require much from the student at any age. One final thought--for high school I would gravitate towards the Explorer's adult series or towards NavPress study guides. I also think teens should be generating their own inductive notes (observation-interpretation statement--application) rather than passively responding to a Bible study guide. There may well be other wonderful resources out there. This is just what I have reviewed. I'd be happy to answer any further questions.

You can school your children in whatever manner is legal in your state--including home school. It does not affect your ability to foster. There is no state that allows foster children to be homeschooled. They must attend public school, or you can pay out of your own pocket for a private school. I agree with Ottakee about taking kids younger than your own. It is very, very challenging, but also very rewarding. People often think that love will get you over the obstacles--in foster care you learn, all too quickly, that all the love in the world will not prevent some kids from making terrible choices. On the flip side, there are so many kids for whom just a little love and compassion goes such a long way, and they are so very, very grateful.

As whose children found a dead rat in our back yard once--I am so glad there are feral cats to deal with the rats in the alley. People in the city just are not careful about their garbage, and that results in a rat problem. I am totally fine with the alley cats--it's a much healthier alternative than the regular city treatments (ie--poison).

I don't think homeschoolers are any more or less organized than any other group of people. I have known really organized, well-run co-op or club situations, and really disorganized one. It's totally a matter of who is running things.

I love how she marries for love, but also refuses to succumb to her emotions and live in an immoral situation. As for locking the lunatic wife up--in those days, this would be considered a charitable solution. And honestly, there *are* people, even these days, that end up with a very limited existence due to mental disorders and violent behavior. Not that I am comfortable with imprisoning the mentally ill--just wanted to point out the Victorian mindset, and that they would have viewed Rochester's choices for his wife differently than we do.

*Poetry* by Jill Baumgaertner. She has a FABULOUS explanation and breakdown for how, specifically, to analyze poetry and then take your analysis and write a paper. It is clear, specific, and simple while still showing how to get a college-level product. The book also includes a well-chosen anthology. It's pricey but well worth it.

My goals for my kids are: 1. Grammar stage--Gain familiarity with the Bible through teacher-led inductive process. Inductive means delving directly into the Bible text and using details of that text to determine the larger message. Down below I copied/pasted a loooong post that describes some curriculums that can facilitate that. My highest recommendation is for the Explorer's Bible studies. 2. Logic stage--Gain independence and proficiency in inductive study. We continue doing inductive Bible studies, but over these years the student learns manuscript study (marking things in the text) as well as how to write a Bible study or "report" on a passage themselves. The work is less and less teacher-led, and more and more independent. 3. Rhetoric stage--By now inductive reasoning should be easy. I have taught freshman inductive Bible study--on the whole they do well with it (able to write a study and/or a report on a passage themselves) though I think it's fine to do that in 8th grade too. High school is the time to intensively reason through their beliefs and to compare the Bible to other religions. Therefore at this stage I advocate a doctrine course as well as a comparative world religions course. I also recommend church history. (Bruce Shelley's Church History in Plain Language is fabulous.) At this stage devotional Bible study is a separate piece of life from the academic courses I recommend. Here is a post I wrote a loooooong time ago about specific curriculums: When I evaluate a Bible curriculum, I look for what percentage of questions require the student to answer from the Bible text itself (I shoot for 2/3--most studies unfortunately only hit 50% or less), how factual versus opinion-based any notes are and to what degree there is denominational bias. I also look for how much a good inductive process is reflected in the study--there should be factual observations, an opportunity to summarize the main point of the passage in one concise statement, and finally, application to real life. I also think that younger children do well with circling the right answer, puzzles, and drawing in response to the text. However, as your child reaches fourth and fifth grades, their Bible study should include more short answer and independent work. (SWB's SOTW reflects this same progression--SOTW 1 has a lot of coloring and multiple choice on tests, whereas SOTW 4 has more short answer and not so many coloring pages.) I have not found one single Bible curriculum or study anywhere, ever, that asks for a one-sentence summary of the main point of the passage. I highly advocate adding this feature in to whatever Bible study you use or teach, in any setting. A good way to do this with kids is to ask a question like, "What did you learn about God in this passage?" or "What do you think is the very most important lesson in this passage?" Keep it to one short sentence--there may be many subpoints that are good to know, but it is very valuable to be able to distinguish the main, most important point. My number one pick would have to be the Explorer's Bible study, which is available at http://www.explorerbiblestudy.org. Many thanks to Jessica at Trivium Academy for recommending it. I was impressed. It has a good amount of factual observation questions, is very Bible-text focused but still includes some cultural/geographical/historical notes here and there, and has a small proportion of application questions in each unit. Information is presented from an evangelical perspective but seems more factual than opinionated. For those who may be familiar with Bible Study Fellowship or Community Bible Study, this curriculum follows the same pattern. Each unit is also laid out into five days of homework--a decently challenging but not overwhelming amount. Another key feature of this curriculum is the fact that there are corresponding adult studies as well. For a logic stage student either their older elementary OR high school study would be appropriate depending upon reading fluency and maturity. I also, by the way, recommend both BSF and CBS children's programs. I evaluated both. I think the CBS program has slightly more challenging homework, but also really like the way older children and teens are led to do homiletics at the BSF meetings. (Homiletics is a process of generating an outline of the passage with a final, summary statement.) I recommend either program without reservation in addition to the Explorer's curriculum. I also have used and liked Kay Arthur's Bible study series for children. My own dd has used several books in this series successfully this year. However, I would steer away from *How to Study the Bible* as it is unnecessarily wordy and proved to be quite challenging for the 4th-5th grade girls I taught. The material is not hard--the presentation of it in this book was terribly convoluted, though. If you choose to do that book, take two weeks per unit and plan on really holding your child's hand through it. The other books in the series are much easier and quite doable, though--we have been satisfied with several others in the series. These books have five or seven days of homework per unit, include both factual questions and marking things directly in biblical text, and some application. After that, I consider Rod and Staff to be a decent alternative. There is a solid amount of factual questions and some good information on history/geography/culture. However, there is virtually no application, and no summary statement opportunity (none of those I reviewed include this). And, even at the older grades there is virtually no short answer--format is still multiple choice and simpler responses. There is more denominational bias in the notes but can be overcome by careful Bible study. This curriculum would be acceptable even if it's not my favorite. Christian Light was a lot like Rod and Staff but not quite as challenging. I also thought Christian Liberty was middle-range--not the greatest, but not terrible either. I was really NOT impressed in the least with either Abeka or AlphaOmega and would not recommend those at all. They were simplistic, passive, lacked depth and do not require much from the student at any age. One final thought--for high school I would gravitate towards the Explorer's adult series or towards NavPress study guides. I also think teens should be generating their own inductive notes (observation-interpretation statement--application) rather than passively responding to a Bible study guide. There may well be other wonderful resources out there. This is just what I have reviewed. I'd be happy to answer any further questions.

I fully agree.

I had mine removed just with Novocaine. Not fun, but also not a big deal for the first three. The fourth was impacted AND had an extra root, and it was a freakin' nightmare. I will spare you the details. I will say, though, that if your teeth are not out then yes, you need a surgeon and it really is best to be unconscious. It makes it easier for the surgeon to work as your muscles are all relaxed, and you will avoid a great deal of pain and fear. I know it's scary--it'll be okay, though. ((()))

I lived on water with fresh squeezed lemon.