What kind of a budget are you on? Do you want to get some education in at the same time? You can really rack up the bucks in Seattle, but well worth it if you can. Otherwise WA has some of the most scenic geography, from mountains, lakes, islands, to beaches, plains, and semi-arid deserts. Also plenty to do; ferry rides through the San Juan's, hiking in the Cascades, river rafting on the Skykomish, clamming or crabbing on the Peninsula, Antique shopping in Snohomish. If only in Seattle for the day I'd say Pike's Place, Pioneer Square, EMP (Experience Music Project), Space Needle (the food isn't the best but if you're gonna pay to go up might as well get a discount on lunch), Pacific Science Center (lots of hands on science for the kiddos)... Oh my WA :w00t:

:iagree: Well said! I take back any attorney jokes I may have made in the past. :001_rolleyes: :001_smile:

This actually came up a few days ago while visiting a friend and one of her other acquaintances stopped by. After a cup of tea she said “You don’t seem like a homeschooler.” I bit and asked “How so?” “Well you don’t seem like a religious freak, you’re educated, you aren’t a hippie, and your kid seems pretty normal.” “Ummmm” jaw dropping moment “Thanks??? I think” . Wow, what a stereotype. I was on neutral ground so I minded my manners. I did tell her though I don’t own a denim jumper, sometimes in the winter I don’t shave for weeks. I wonder if that is the real world perception out there. I don’t really care but, geesh.

I have been a victim of discrimination as well as a recipient of verbal and physical battery stemming from racial prejudices. These instances have been amongst the most humiliating and degrading experiences of my life. Though truly impossible to put someone else’s shoes on, and I in no way try to equate the following scenario to a hate crime, I wonder if some would swallow just a bit more bile if they could equate this situation on a more personal level. Say a private museum was displaying a very rare and exciting exhibit and they announced they were having a special day for school kids. You call a head of time and say you represent a group of students, you pay by credit card and are given tickets. You and your homeschool group get all organized, print out your study guides, pack your lunches and head out for a full, fun- filled, field day only to be turned down because by their definition homeschool kids do not qualify as students. You didn’t think to mention homeschool when you called because students are students to you. How irate would you be? How wrong would they be? Would we on this board finally unite, stomp our feet, and say “Not cool!� Just wondering. The sadness is that the children know there is a controversy surrounding them and, yes, more than likely they will think it’s because of the color of their skin.

No, I don't forbid either I just say it's a no-no when used out of context. When I learned how to speak English there was a lot of emphasis put on how much vocabulary there is in English and how to use that in communication. Believe me, there are many ESL people out there that do take words literally. English, to me, has some strong words that can vary wildly in their interpretation. If I really mean "dislike" for example then I say that. There are things I hate, like prejudice, and I mean that. I also really like apples. The same goes for love, I would not want my daughter to equate my love for her to a big fat juicy apple. I know, again, pretty literal, but it does desensitize it a bit. I'm not strict about, I do not care if other people use it in front of me. I know our language has degraded a degree or two. I'm just trying to do my personal part to try and say what I mean. :001_smile: I goof up all the time. :o I have learned from this thread that I'm pretty an*l in comparison. :lol:

Thank you, that's what I meant. :blush:

I agree, a head shake and a chuckle but saying they need to go to church? That's just as weird to me. I agree about the sensitivity and perhaps I was being defensive. I apologize. Somehow everything gets turned into a religious debate around here. I understand that 75 percent of this board is Christian (to varying degrees) but sometimes it feels well ... hypocritical. :001_smile:

I am not a big fan of Michael Jackson, though I can appreciate his accomplishments and generous donations over the years. I can also appreciate that you do not. Your PP stated people fawning should go worship in a house of God. Because people, in your opinion, fawn over someone they don't personally know they should go to church? If people liked him, let them mourn or express themselves however they choose. Wouldn't that be the Christian thing to do? Let people be and let God pass judgment. Yes, you are right this board is too funny.

Judgmental much? :001_huh: This confuses me.

No problems here, you can always fill out a generic "Intent to Homeschool" form if they insist on something. I have one for Kinko's/Fed ex; 10% off print jobs and for Staples, better rewards.

I was looking for the 50 states and Capitals song and ran across this. It's Christian in content. http://www.songsfor.com/songlyrics005.htm

Ummm, it hasn't yet for me (4 years). But I'm kind of a paranoid type :blush: Every once in a while I have a "freak out" moment when I fully weigh in the uber-responsibility of educating my child. Then I really "freak" when I realize it could be worse if I relinquished that responsibility to the PS system and I had little or no control over it. But then again, I'm kind of a control type too. :blush:

:iagree: Very nicely said :001_smile:

Yep, regular schedule here minus 2 one week breaks for camp and vacation. We school year round literally, but take several week long breaks. Cons: We never match up with anybody's "school year" We seem to be moving way ahead of the game Back to School deals are in the middle of our year No one academic year has the same seasons You can only keep them clueless about other kids summer breaks for so long :blush: Pros: Never have to spend a month catching up and/or getting back on track We seem to be ahead of the game Back to School deals are usually about the time I start running out of supplies Can take advantage of "off season" rates Can buy curriculum in the not so busy times, i.e. faster shipping

I agree the media is a bit much but we, as a nation, tend to operate on supply and demand. That aside. It is estimated that Michael Jackson has given over 500 million dollars to charities. The list below only some of the regular benefactors of his generosity. So, yes, ask anyone who has been on the receiving end of one of these charities and they are sure to tell you he made a difference outside the entertainment industry. Even our own House of Representives are resolving to recognizes Michael Jackson as a global humanitarian and a noted leader in the fight against worldwide hunger and medical crises. Here's a link to the resolution http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-hr600/text it describes in detail things he did outside the realm of entertainment. Please, let us give some credit where credit is due. AIDS Project L.A. American Cancer Society Angel Food Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles BMI Foundation, Inc. Brotherhood Crusade Brothman Burn Center Camp Ronald McDonald Childhelp U.S.A. Children's Institute International Cities and Schools Scholarship Fund Community Youth Sports & Arts Foundation Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Dakar Foundation Dreamstreet Kids Dreams Come True Charity Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Love Match Make-A-Wish Foundation Minority Aids Project Motown Museum NAACP National Rainbow Coalition Rotary Club of Australia Society of Singers Starlight Foundation The Carter Center's Atlanta Project The Sickle Cell Research Foundation Transafrica United Negro College Fund (UNCF) United Negro College Fund Ladder's of Hope Volunteers of America Watts Summer Festival Wish Granting YMCA - 28th Street/Crenshaw

I just received an invitation to my cousin's 6 y.o. dd's bday in the mail. The next day she followed up with a group email of very precise list of presents to buy. I did not ask for this. The presents are not education or even art specific just random in my opinion "junk" toys. I may have thought different if it was just a general category. She claims this is dd's wish list but it sounds an awful lot like my cousin to me. Anyhow I thought it was just plain tacky and out of spite :rolleyes: I'm going to get the child something I know she enjoyed playing with at my house with my daughter one day (which I know Mom said was okay to play with).

I started my dd with English from the Roots up, then Latin for Children primer a,b, and c then we will move on the Latin Alive then Wheelock's Latin. Though Latin for Children A has one or two quotes from the bible and one prayer for translation, I don't find it a problem.

No matter how poor I got I will never forget the sights I have seen in war riddled, starving, and oppressed countries nor pass judgment on those who did whatever it took to keep their children and themselves alive.

OMGosh he was in FL too! He gets around!

Funny thing is I do not like tomatoes but I can grow them like nobody's business.... I can tomato sauce, dehydrate for sun dried, and my favorite...making tomato paste. I use a huge pot, like a canner, and cook the tomatoes down on low heat almost all day. Then run it though a mill to separate the seeds and skins. Put it back on low heat and reduce it as far down as you can without burning. You will need to stir frequently. Once it is very thick, like ketchup, I spread it out thin on large metal sheet pans. Place the pans on saw horses in the sun covered with cheese cloth. Bring it in a night, you can start combining pans at this point, then put it out the next day again. You will need a scrapper to turn the mixture every so often. Depending on how hot it is this whole process can take several days. You will not be sorry. 6 gallons of tomatoes are condensed into the most sweet, tangy, flavorful tomato ball the size of a softball. Old timers kept this ball covered in olive oil in a crock. One full tablespoon will flavor an entire family sized stew. Yum, yum, yum...:drool5:

Congratulations! Good job to you mom! What test was it? I've been waiting not so patiently for our CAT's.

Not for me I'm a chicken but a friend of mine lost her 3 yo son in a horrible car accident and later had the most beautiful ankle bracelet tattooed with charms of his name, b-day, etc. Very poignant!

Huh? I was having a good read and then ...... :lol:

I think your choice depends on your goals for Latin. Are you interested in learning Latin for better understanding of the English language and vocabulary or are you planning to go all the way and hope for fluent reading and translation? We are using Latin for Children and are enjoying it. Yes, it does move fast, but there is no reason in the Grammar stages you can't slow it down. Yes, it does give out more vocabulary than other programs. It is what they call a "reading" driven program. It does offer classical and ecclesiastical pronounciation on the DVD and the CD's. I learned ecclesiastical in high school but the majority of classical studies at a university level uses classical. I would say that classical is a bit more useful for law and medicine studies as well. Overall we are very happy with LFC. I understand some people using Lively Latin supplement with a "reading" type program like Lingua Latina or Ecce Romani.

All is good. And I do respect your point of view. :001_smile: I myself need to remember there are so many different beliefs and interuptaions of the bible within the Christian community that using "Christian" and "Christianity" may be a bit too encompassing and might even run into stereotyping. I apologize if it came across that way. :001_smile: