I live near normal. There was so much sweet corn this year, people couldn't give it away. ( we had 4 different acquaintances asking us to please take some to freeze) We never buy it, it is like zucchini, people are desperate to get rid of it, but hate to just throw it out. (We stopped planting it because we get so much given to us anyway.) But We don't eat sweet corn as a meal. (Might eat it by itself at a fair or festival though) We eat it at a lot of at meals in the summer, but my farmer husband needs something else too. Seems like we go for a few weeks eating fresh corn and fresh green beans and then we get so tired of them. Maybe that's why it isn't a meal. The first couple batches are great, but you know your going to get tired of it soon.

In elementary k-6 we were read to fairly regularly. In jr high I can not remember being read to. In high school my English teachers read aloud regularly. Funny I never though about it, but in elementary and high school I was in the same school district in upstate NY. In jr high we were temporarily living in California. I really don't recall being read to there.

I just spent time working through MEP planning, here is how I do it: (Please note, My kids are mathy, and I am good at math) I have a spiral notebook, and open my computer to the lesson plans and the worksheets. I read through the lesson plan, and look over the exercises and choose what i want to do. In my notebook I write something like: Day 5 Lesson 6 Activity #1 - need number cards Wrksht 6 - #1-3 Activity 7 - use whiteboard Wrksht 6 - # 4 use whiteboard When we do the lesson I pop the lesson plan up on my iPad, make sure I have the materials I noted in my notebook, and cross out activities as we finish each one. Sometimes I will just do the one day, sometimes I will move into the next day. Occasionally I will do less than "1" day, depending on how dd responds to the lesson. I do skip some of the activities and occasionally some of the exercises. I also tend to do my own thing for the measurement lessons, though I do make sure the concepts of the lesson are covered. I do about 2 wks at a time. That way I know what I need to focus on or skip since the program is spiral. I usually do the review worksheet in conjunction with the lesson before, or save them for sometime when we don't have time for much formal school, (Saturday, field trip days etc...). I only print the worksheets I need for the next few weeks, We don't do all the worksheets, though I do do most of them. MEP has been a great program for my very mathy daughter who struggles with output (4 exercises seem much more manageable to her than pages of equations). It is also nice that it is "free".

Public school is pricey here. It is $90 just the base registration fee for K-5. That doesn't include book rental, workbook cost (they can charge you cost and shipping for workbooks), activity fees, required school supplies, and "optional" things like pictures, yearbook etc... My friend just told me this morning it was $300 to register her son for middle school. Extracurricular also have special fees. Granted for many people this is cheaper than child care. But I do feel like I can spend a bit on homeschool curriculum, since I am "saving" $180 minimum by not sending my kids to ps.

I let my 2 y/o out in our backyard alone. I did look out the window at her every few minutes though. She was certainly allowed to play out there when she was 3. Now at 5 and 7 they can go anywhere on our property. I do look out the window occasionally, but not because I am particularly concerned. I live in a semi-rural area, no fence. My daughters are pretty obedient and cautious though.

I'll b 53. I imagine I will work more, I work part time now. I may go to graduate school - only because I would really like to get involved in geriatric research. or I may get more highly involved in some volunteer opportunities. Or I may have some totally different ideas, maybe I will farm with my husband. It is a long way off yet :)

I have found the discussion in this thread fascinating in all it's twists and turns. I think what makes me really appreciate this board, comes down to the above quote. We feel normal here. Not because we are the same, our experiences, challenges, gifts, and kids can often be drastically different. But because here it is just fine to be drastically different. There is commonality in uniqueness. I have one child who isn't particularly "accelerated" but makes unconventional leaps and connections. This board has been so helpful with creative approaches and making it feel normal, or doable anyway. My other child is "accelerated" and has focused passions. So, I find this board both calming and inspiring. In general I don't feel the need to define my kids' giftedness to be here. And I don't think we all have to be here for the same reason. So I do find it very welcoming here. :)

I picked the day after Labor Day, but it was actually always the Wednesday after Labor Day, and still is in my old school district (upstate NY). Here it is Late August, and has been that way since my dh went to school

I was rather shocked at how sex negative the woman was. Really making a big deal about a 3 y/o not touching herself in the living room. I always just said "don't put your hands in your pants in front of other people". I never had a fuss about the kids touching themselves at home. I am not sex positive. I am sex neutral. Sex can be a good thing or bad thing depending on context. I am willing to say to my 5 y/o I will explain that when your older, usually it is just a matter of not going into detail. Clouds are made of drops of water, she doesn't need the molecular structure of H2O yet. Same thing with sex, it doesn't have to be some big deal thing where I am scared I'll ruin her if I don't over share. Actually I do teach my children words like nose and neck. I have not yet specified nares, cervical vertebrae, upper trapezius etc... Vagina is very inaccurate word to teach a girl regarding masturbation, vulva is more accurate, but not helpful for communicating, as many don't immediately understand it, privates is a much better communication tool. Why is not teaching a child anatomical language early on shameful. I don't insist they say fecal matter or urine when they use the bathroom either. But that's isn't shameful? Fwiw I use perineum with my girls, because it is more accurate for the entire area. But they still say "front butt" :)

We have a huge variety. But primarily corn and soybeans. Our county is king for agriculture in IL. The other large commercial crops: Pumpkins (IL is the biggest pumpkin producer in the US) Wheat Dairy Hogs Also on a smaller scale: Cattle Chickens Sheep/goats Local vegetable and fruit farms. Maple syrup farm A little bit of everything- except those that require year round warmth. Oh and other large commercial harvest: Wind At least 60 turbines visible from my window.

This is really helpful. Thanks for posting! I remember being surprised when my oldest started K, realizing that "duh" she is probably gifted like I am. The problem I have discovered is that she IS probably gifted, but NOT like I am. Math is the trickiest part for me right now. She is much better at seeing and getting numbers than I am. (I am a theoretical concepts person, who my family jokes can't count) Multiple concepts is frustrating for dd1, because at this young age she gets it the way she sees it, and the other ways confuse her. This post has really opened up my mind to considering using or supplementing with "sub-par" options, that might help. :) Because really, an option is not sub-par if it is what works for your kid!

Great update. I love hearing about your daughters adventures. Definitely think you should get the moms together :). What a great opportunity to connect with people with whom you have a unique commonality.

This is how I see people confusing true "giftedness", based on the measurable definition, with the idea of "rewarded". If you are a good student you earn a spot in the gifted program. The program is like a "gift" in itself. I was in 2 different gifted programs as a kid. Interestingly the one in the middle/lower middle class area was for kids who actually "tested" as gifted (HG + kids tended to like it more than bright of MG kids). People didn't "try" to get their kids in the program, there was actually a little bit of stigma to it. In the upper middle class area the gifted program was more about being a good student (even though they considered their testing stricter and made me retest for it, many kids "studied" for the IQ test.). Bright or moderately gifted high achieving types did best, and high achieving parents pushed for it. In general I found my lower and middle/middle class friends and neighbors to be much less threatened" by my giftedness, than those in the upper middle class area. Although our gifted program did not use the termed "gifted". So we didn't have to deal w/ that terminology

I always wonder if it sounded different when they coined the term way back when. I occasionally try to explain to people that there is an actually "measurable" definition, from way back when, when "gifted" is used in the context of intellectual ability. I have always personally seen the term "gifted" as appropriately humble. I am not good at this intellectual stuff because I did something to deserve or earn it, it is a "gift". As a parent it feels humble too. My four year old figured out how to read, not because I was a better parent than others, but because she is intellectually gifted. Unfortunately society doesn't view "gifted" that way. I think society often confuses the term "gift" with "reward". And thus people miss the nuance of the term "gifted". We know that giftedness is both positive and negative, so it is hardly a reward. but people outside the gifted world tend to see it as a positive reward that we didn't deserve more than them. If I use gifted at all I always try to add "academically" or "intellectually" to it. I also try to point out things like other kids being socially gifted, mechanically gifted, athletically gifted, etc... But sometimes it is a lot of work to so carefully speak. I often call my youngest daughter "precocious". I find that people don't understand the term well enough react positively or negatively. Since she is 5 it seems to work, but I think precocious will cease to be a useful term as she gets older. For myself, on the rare occasions it comes up, I will say "my IQ is very high so my brain works differently". And if conversation appropriate I will point out some of the drawbacks to being "really smart". Still I don't think any term would really be better in the long run. Anything that would indicate you or your kids might be beneficially different or have something that "they" don't will be a threat to some people, no matter what we call it.

I am in a similar position. I have one natural reader and one not natural reader. I am thinking about some. Silent reading time as a break. I am trying to think of it as "silent book time" though. My not-natural reader wouldn't have to read, she just would have to look at books. Which as she is getting better tends to involve some reading. But I am hoping to keep her loving books by giving her time with no pressure to read the words right. Of course I have no idea how well this will actually work, since I haven't implemented it yet ;)

Is there a reason you have to "check off more boxes"? My instinct would be to keep school very interest-led, and forget the check boxes. Keep sonlight if she enjoys it. If you must require something, since she is ahead in everything, maybe require that she do some English and math daily, and some history and science at least weekly. By "require" I mean that she could choose anything that falls in that category, not must do x # of wkbk pages. Sounds like she could have a great education and keep her love of learning. Then focus on creating routines and structure around the life skills, going to bed, going places etc... Sounds like your daughter is very bright. Kids who have high intellectual curiosity are often hard to focus on daily tasks, and at 6 the daily tasks are really the more important area.

I don't like the garter and bouquet toss either. I did not have a garter. And instead of tossing the bouquet I gave it to the couple who had been married the longest. (Which ended up being lovely, cause it went to dh's sweet great uncle whose sweet wife was ill and unable to come. He got to take flowers to her :) ). Several of my single friends begged me not to throw the bouquet. I was more than happy to oblige.

"I don't think I could identify my husband by feeling his knees. Do most of you feel like you could?" I am a physical therapist, I have touched a lot of knees. My dh is 6'6", has a large bone structure, and I have felt his knees before. And I would be surprised if I could identify him by feeling his knees.

I flipped my fussy dd to forward facing as soon as possible. But When dd was 9 months we had to travel 8 hours rear facing, we brought my SIL and she sat in the seat behind her and entertained. Definitely at least put an entertaining/comforting grown up where the little one can see.

I have occasionally seen things like this at weddings. All were optional. And not necessarily common. One of my friends had pipe cleaners on the table and I think we had a pipe cleaner hat contest (optional, and friend knew it was goofy, but friend is known for being goofy). I think I have seen a few different paper quizzes to get to know people around your table (usually like how you know the couple, where are you from etc...). I have also seen available games (like bean bags, coloring books) at casual, or kid populated receptions. I have never seen mandatory type games, and hopefully never will or dh will never go to a wedding again lol. ( I wouldn't want to go either). And I would say all the areas of the US I have lived in games of any type are not typical at weddings.

The problem is their is no possible way to categorize myself. I don't speak for my denomination. (My denomination doesn't take a political stance on this anyway. Though they do not allow gay marriages to be performed in affiliated churches). My church actually left our previous denomination partly because of the gay marriage issue. So I am quite aware there is disagreement. But see I don't believe that being a Christian is a matter of group affiliation. I believe that is a personal belief that I have sinned and that salvation is by grace alone through the substitutionary death of Christ. I am not a Christian because I attend a specific type of church. And I don't consider others Christians based on their religious affiliation, which has gotten me in trouble on here before. But the board uses the term Christian in a broad way so I try to use it that way as well. But I did try to edit my PP by saying some types of Christian thought or something like that. FWIW I attend an Evangelical Mennonite church. While we do believe that homosexual sex is a sin, we do have at least one person who has homosexual attraction in our church. We don't take political stances as a congregation/denomination. And I know that there are a variety of views on the political issue of legalizing gay marriage both for and against. I guess I could call myself someone who believes in Grace through Christ for Salvation. I become seriously concerned about anyone who claims certain behaviors are required for salvation. But I am also concerned about anyone who would intentionally choose or encourage what they believe to be sin. It is tricky to clarify because I tend to be a think for myself type. But I also have a lot of opportunity to observe the culture, and make some inferences. .

Yes those battles have already been lost in the political arena. But I bet there used to be political movements about it.

Btw I am not saying that everyone opposed to gay marriage thinks this way. Some are definitely hateful and fear filled. I don't believe in classifying sin as worse than others, or declaring people as worse sinners than others. But I personally find the hateful rhetoric against gay marriage more disturbing than gay marriage. I don't know that I would say that I find gay marriage to be a "mockery" of marriage, it just isn't marriage according to how I understand it. In real life the gay couples I know are much less a mockery of marriage than some straight couples I know. And yes to some degree I believe we are all pretty messed up when it comes to sexuality in one way or another. I personally really don't think legalizing homosexual marriage is going to mess things up much more than they already are. And as a Christian I find legislating morality (in relatively victimless issues) to be a distraction from the gospel. Thanks for listening :)

I was going to reply to the original topic of the thread, but your plea moved me. I am not sure that I am the person to reply. I am not completely opposed to gay marriage, in that I do not actively oppose current legislation allowing it. I don't believe it is profitable for Christians to fight the prevailing opinion on this. I am opposed to gay marriage on a personal level. I believe marriage is specifically between one man and one woman who have committed to permanent (til one dies) relationship. And this is the only situation where sex is ok. I don't believe that homosexual sex is "worse" than any other sex which falls outside the bounds of that specific relationship. I have realized that one difference in understanding is that when I oppose homosexual marriage it is on the basis of sexual behavior, and has nothing to do with love. It broke my heart when I read somewhere that "people who are opposed to gay marriage didn't believe same sex couples could love each other". This is completely untrue for me. I have friends who are in same sex relationships, and I have no question that they love their partner. I just believe it is wrong for them to have a sexual relationship (I'm sure they have one, but I don't believe in discussing ones sex life as a general rule) So, homosexual marriage which implies sex is wrong. I know it is hard to understand, and I am sure I will come across as a bigot to many, because obviously simply holding the position that marriage is limited to those of the opposite sex is bigoted to people. I don't know if this will help, but it is "normal" for most Christians to deny sexual appetites in someway. And most of us consider that a healthy thing. It would be a sin to ever have sex with anyone other than my husband, unless I was widowed and remarried. It is a sin for me to watch others involved in sexual behavior, pornography etc... My single sister in law can not express herself sexually with another person etc.... So it is not a leap for us to assume that it would also be a good thing for someone with same sex attraction, to deny themselves sexual expression outside of heterosexual marriage (which I realize they may never have, but many people who are attracted to the opposite sex don't get married either). These are not easy things mind you, but I find that they are good things. I believe that God's grace is sufficient to cover all sin. But all sin is harmful to us, whether or not we see the harm immediately. So If I see homosexual sex as sin, and harmful to the individual, I can hardly rejoice in it. However I also believe that we all sin all the time, so I can rightly declare that I don't see people who act on homosexual attraction as "sub-human". But completely human, just like me. ETA: I don't know why I put "most Christians" above, but I am not sure how to rephrase it. Maybe I should say it is a part of much Christian theology?

My almost 7 y/o does not read books independently either. (My just turned 5 y/o does read independently, kids are different). Reading aloud to your kids is just fine. I plan to read aloud with mine for quite a while. As far as the 30 minutes. I think of it as 30 minutes of interacting with books. My 5 y/o reads, my 7 y/o examines the pictures and occasionally reads words in books. My 7 y/o is having as important an experience as my 5 y/o. She is noting details, developing an understanding of plot and flow of a story (she often looks at books she knows well, but sometimes figures out the story by the pictures and a few words). Since she is by herself she doesn't have pressure to perform, and really gets to use her brain her own way.