I would caution anyone to read Wilson's arguments before assuming anything or being inflammatory. His arguments tend to be about how to have a Biblical understanding of the issue of slavery. He points out what the Bible actually says and advises people to think about issues Biblically and not emotionally. I don't believe he is actually advocating for a return to the practice of slavery and he renounces the atrocities committed during the Civil War. Personally, I don't agree with everything Wilson writes, but he always makes me think deeply about issues. The Omnibus books are a wonderful aid to discussing great books from a Christian worldview. There are things in them that I can not advocate, but I don't have to agree with everything in the curriculum in order to use it.

In three weeks I will be doing this with dd, 8 and dd 18. We will not be going home in between because we want to watch rehearsals because my older daughter has the lead. I have had good luck with lots of gel, lots of hairspray and a hair net around the bun. My oldest will do this too, and she has a lot of hair.

I still like like Lattimore better than Fagles. I think it is due to his more poetic language. So much depends on personal preference. There are some really bad translations out there. I have picked up books at thrift stores for years, and I find that I really like some of the newer translations better. (I've been cleaning my shelves!)

I'm dreading sending dd off to college next year. It's hard to see them go! Plus, she is my right hand, so my day to day life will change so much. I think it will be hard for her too, but I'm thankful for cell phones and FB. When I went off to college, I had to use a calling card to call my parents from my dorm room! :grouphug:

I scanned the whole thread because I wondered just how unusual my son's name is. I don't see it here yet. I have not run into anyone else with his name yet. Kynan

I can't remember if Washington is included in the program that helped her or not. It is called WUE or Western Undergraduate Exchange. It makes out of state tuition 150% of in state tuition. Both of the WUE schools where dd applied award it based on academic merit just like other scholarships. She did not get any other scholarships there.

I think we must be really lucky. I also think this is one time when being lower income is a good thing. Dd is planning to attend an out of state university. She received a scholarship for most of the out of state tuition ($11,000-12,000 per year) and with grants and all she will have to borrow around $7000 per year and work at a work study job. We are not in a position to give her anything except some spending money. She will be a broke college student! She is an above average but not stellar student and she could have attended our state U for free after scholarships and grants. Her scholarships were over $6000. I wanted her to go there, but no school in Idaho has either of her intended majors and she didn't want to change her dreams. At both schools she was awarded over $5500 in grants and our EFC is $0.

We do a lot of driving to get to activities, so I borrow audio books from the library. We just finished listening to the first two Anne of Green Gables books. My ds, age 12 did not want to read them, but he loved listening to them and wants me to find the third book. (He will probably change his mind when he realizes that there is more "romance" in the third one.) My youngest really likes listening to books that are far above her reading level this way.

The Elegant Essay is a great all purpose essay writing course. We really liked it. The Essay Intensive teaches only 2 types of "unusual" essays; the college application/scholarship application essay and the SAT essay. It would be better for 11th.

I tried to get you guys to move here so you could start it with me, but your dh just would not cooperate and get a job here! :001_smile: Believe it or not, I have a note on my to do list to email you with some questions. I just reread LCC and I think we want to go that way but with some longer reading lists.

I'm so glad to be reading this today! I was feeling like it was just my dd. Dd only wants to go to a college that she can't really afford. They want her to take out too many loans and she needs to get a job, but she is really busy and way too laid back about it. She didn't send in the residence hall forms and now the halls she wants are full. I had to force her to apply for scholarships that I found for her etc. She is a bright, wonderful kid, but I'm seeing that I have not prepared her to deal with the details!

We received dd's financial aid offer yesterday. None of our in state schools still offer a major in classics and none offer the dance degree she wants. There is nothing here for her. The out of state school wants us to take out a loan for her, but we still have high student loans from when I was in school 25 years ago! I don't want her to end up like her parents in this regard, but there seems little choice.

I'm planning a small classical co-op and I was just rereading, his books. I miss Drew as well, although I mostly saw him on FB.

It could be worth asking about. It is actually quite common, but many doctors don't know about it. In our case, my dh and I are both carriers and we would never have known it if our dd hadn't been sick. It often does not show up until early onset lung problems develop in adulthood.

Have you been tested for Alpha One Antitrypsin Deficiency? It is a genetic condition that involves the lungs and causes these types of problems.

My dd had 12 vertebrae fused 5 years ago. She has had pain but usually only when she really overdoes it at ballet. She started ballet after her fusion and now she dances 6 days per week. Her pain is in her lower back below her fusion. She recently saw a chiropractor and he did some gentle adjusting of her lower back/hip area and it did seem to help her.

I love them. I've always been a fan of his. They are of course dated in spots, but they are very complete and well-written. They have been too much for dd to use regulary, but we use them as reference materials for her.

I don't have cable, but I think these things are almost always very staged. I have been thinking about this, because my dd who does classical ballet has been watching So You Think You Can Dance. Those young women are very suggestive. It makes me like ballet even more!

Recent changes to the Idaho regulations have made it even better. Parents have the right to homeschool without any regulations and that right is spelled out in the language of the statute, where before it was only implied. There are no requirements to register, report or test. The only requirement is that parents are to make sure that their children are educated. This law passed last year with the unanimous concent of our legislature! We ranked 4th on this poll, but we are at the top when it comes to homeschool laws! That being said, I would let the economy recover a bit more before I would move here.

What a beautiful tribute. You have been in my thoughts and prayers friend. :grouphug:

Thanks! I was prepping dd for a small LAC as she has done Latin and great books all the way through high school. Now she tells me she wants to major in dance and minor in classics or perhaps double major in both. Most small colleges don't have both! I'll look at the ones you mentioned.

I think that 7 and 8 are the most important books, and they are very complete. If you could look at them at a convention or something you could see where your dc might fit. The 9th and 10th books cover a lot more writing and review grammar, but they are not as complete as the jr. high books.

Jennifer-Thanks for posting. Several of those schools are on my daughter's list. I laughed because she has been looking at some schools in So. Cal because we are from the northwest and she wants warm. I was especially interested to hear your impression of Whitman. It looks good on paper, but I'm wondering about the fit. One recruiter told dd she might be the only conservative on campus! Do you know anything about Pomona College? It looks really good to dd, but it also looks very selective.

Lisa, I had an email today with the results. Dd won a silver medal on the Latin III prose. It looked like everyone did well.

Thanks for sharing. I'm going to pass it on to my dd who wants to major in classics. She is already getting the question. I heard it when I was in college as well. I think everyone felt they had to ask, "What are you going to do with a degree in philosophy?" I wish people realized that education is an end in itself, and that college can be something more than a training ground for a career.