I'm considering Writing Strands for my rising 7th grader who hates reading AND writing.

In case you're unfamiliar with the acronyms, DEAR = Drop Everything And Read and USSR = Uninterrupted Sustained Silent Reading. In each of these strategies, kids and teachers alike read silently to themselves from a book of their own choosing for a set period of time (usually 20-30 minutes), but sometimes longer for older kids or shorter for youngers. I am probably going to institute this when we start back after summer break. I'm wondering if you do anything like this during your school day and how well it works for you. Do your dc like it? Has it helped your reluctant reader enjoy reading more?

Dh & I have just started watching the Psych and/I] Eureka[/i] television programs via instant play. We get the DVD's for Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom ( a HUGE favorite from our 1960s childhoods) and Criminal Minds as well as various movies that the family watches together. We recently enjoyed Tangled, Megamind, Despicable Me, and the Harry Potter movies.

:lol: ER got a big kick out of this!

:iagree: I left that one blank because there was no "0" option.

Done! :001_smile:

An attorney who works as a CNN commentator said earlier today that asking for an aquittal is just a formality that the defense usually performs in cases like these. He said that it's pretty much understood that it's not going to happen, but that you never know unless you try.

Our anniversary is also coming up on Monday; it's our 31st. Dh & I met when I was 17 and he had just turned 18. We dated for almost 2 years, then got married at age 19 just after our sophomore year of college. I do wish that we had waited a couple of years--until after we had graduated. I think we would not have had such serious financial problems throughout our marriage if we had waited until both of us were out of school, gainfully employed, and had experience managing our own finances.

:iagree:

I have a Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 6000 and I really love it.

I've had you and your family on my mind, and I'm praying for you.

Off the top of my head, here are my top 6 recommendations for 3rd-5th grade level books that also have movie tie-ins. My kids read and enjoyed the books and also the movies for each of these: The Sign of the Beaver Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (If you watch the movie, the Gene Wilder version is much better, IMO, although the Johnny Depp version does follow the book more closely.) The BFG Shiloh Charlotte's Web Because of Winn Dixie The Chronicles of Narnia are wonderful, but if you do one, you should do them ALL, and that's more than 6 books with that one series alone. :) My Side of the Mountain and A Wrinkle in Time are also quite good, but they are 6th grade level, I think. We also read The Indian in the Cupboard (also 6th grade level?), and started to watch the movie, but stopped it a few minutes in because we felt that the language was inappropriate for youngsters. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (6th grade level) was a WONDERFUL book, but the movie (animated) was AWFUL. It added elements of magic/sorcery which were not found--or even hinted at--in the book.

Just wanted to say that I LOVE this book!

:iagree: I had my dc do Geometry between Algebra 1 & Algebra 2, and that has worked well for us.

I like TT Geometry, but :iagree: wholeheartedly about the solutions manual.

I don't know whole books, or even whole chapters, except Psalm 23 & Psalm 100. I do know many random verses, however, and I can immediately think of one or more of them when the need arises. I might not be able to quote it in its entirety, but I can remember enough of it that I can look it up in a concordance and find the exact wording. I heard David Platt speak a few years ago, and was amazed when he quoted most of the book of Romans in his sermon. This was at a youth conference, and he certainly had everyone's attention!

:iagree: Consistency is the key.

There's no Costco anywhere near me. Can I order from their website?

I write checks only occasionally, but I'm about to run out and need to buy a box (100 or so?) I don't want to order them from the usual place where the bank gets them because they're too expensive!. Where do you order your checks?

Recipes one day, a brief devotional the next, another day a book review or a movie review, my thoughts on a newsworthy matter on another day, occasionally some of my photos, once in awhile a homeschooling project to share, a diary of our family vacation... You get the idea. I'm not sure anyone would really want to read my blog except people who actually know me IRL and care about my opinions and my day-to-day life. What do you think? Anyone else here have a blog like that? If so, please post a link. I'd love to see it!

:lol: I'm sorry if this happened to you, but it is definitely funny. Except if, like me, you live in an area where it's near 100 degrees every day lately, and you're having to stand out in the sun trying to figure out how to get into the car. :001_huh:

My sister was actually due on my wedding day, but the baby came a week early, and she was the maid of honor in my wedding one week after she gave birth. We planned all along for her to be in the wedding, and our grandmother was making her dress, so she sewed as much as she could and waited until the last minute to finish it so she would know whether to go by the original pattern or alter it for a pregnant woman.

I was going to suggest this one too. Even I like that one!

Me too! :iagree:

I'm privileged to pray for you. :grouphug: