Well, with any luck, I'll be back! ;)

Well, I guess it depends on how you look at it. I vote pro-life because it is what God wants me to do. My faith dictates that I act in ways that glorifies God. Murdering babies does not glorify God so I cannot support it. I realize that voting for McCain does not ensure that Roe v. Wade will be turned over. But we each are responsible for our own actions and we will be judged for them. I will answer to God for my vote and McCain will answer to God for his actions in office should he get elected. Beyond that, all I can do is pray and know I did what I thought God wanted me to do. If I see a homeless person on the street and give him money and he runs off and buys drugs with it, that is his problem. I did it with the right heart and the right intentions. That's the way I feel about voting. I vote my conscience and let God take care of the rest.

Neither of the presidential candidates are as pro-life as I would like them to be so I am voting for the one closest to it.

It was AMAZING!!!! I can't wait to go again!

Sandra Lee's 20-minute meals is awesome!!!

I have to say that for the first time EVERYTHING is working out just as I had hoped (actually better).

"I gave up Christianity to follow Jesus." - Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne

Oh Ronette, :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: My heart aches for you my dear friend.

:lol::lol::lol: :iagree: At the risk of sounding like a suck-up...you are one very cool lady and I appreciate this board a lot.

:iagree: As much as I love a good discussion on which vacuum cleaner is the best, I also come here for the meatier topics as well. I find the women (and men) here to be very intelligent and I learn so much from reading your posts. I would hate for the entire board to be completely watered down.

:lol::lol::lol: I am not suicidal...sheesh!

I guess my biggest gripe is the danger that rescuers are now facing (and the money being spent) trying to help those who were stubborn and stayed behind. I think you should have the right to stay or go but if the government says GO and the NWS says GO and the government even provides bussing for those who have no transportation and you STILL don't go...you are on your own.

I have to agree. I was taught from the cradle up that you respect your elders, respect persons of authority, etc., regardless of whether or not you agree with them. The fact that someone is older than me or holds an office or a badge , etc. means they automatically deserve to be treated with respect. I may be angry at the police officer who just gave me a ticket I don't think I deserved but I still call him "Officer ____" and treat him with respect. I may not always agree with my doctor's medical opinion but I still call him "Dr. ______" and treat him with respect. It's this attitude that everyone has to EARN your respect or you must agree with everything they say in order to show them respect that allows teenagers to feel OK with cussing out their teachers or parents. Showing someone the proper respect that is due them does not mean you agree with everything they say. As I always told my high school students and I tell my sons now...how you treat persons in authority says more about YOU than it does about THEM. On a side note, with all this talk about how recent presidents are not worthy of respect because of the way they talk or the mistakes they have made I just have to wonder...how many of us could stand up to the scrutiny of an entire nation? How many of us have no skeletons in our closet? Things we've done that we are ashamed of? Dumb things we have said? There are certain job requirements for the presidency but perfection is not one of them (and this even applies to Former President Clinton whom I thought was an adulterous louse but I still respected him as president) Let he who is without sin cast the first stone....

I'm in the middle on this one. I am a firm believer in being able to laugh at yourself but I kind of feel that they took this stereotype a little too far. And the CPS comment was uncalled for. Now the Tina Fey skit was HILARIOUS. :lol:

:lol::lol::lol: Now you're talking!

Both of my kids started on the computer at age 3 with various jumpstart computer games. They learned a ton, are excellent readers and it has not impaired them in any way. Ths is the computer age after all. I say go for it.

Well, my older son Kyle has really coarse hair that we have to keep really short because if it starts to grow it doesn't grow down it grows out and he looks like a chia pet. So we call him Chia Kyle. My younger son is adopted from Korea and my younger brother (who is a doofus) nicknamed him "the little eggroll" when we first got him...which is stupid since I am pretty sure that eggrolls did not originate in Korea but you can't tell my brother that. OTOH, making fun of you is my brother's way of showing he cares. It's kind of messed up.

We are loving A Child's Geography vol. 2!!

....the curriculum you chose is all working out fine? :D I mean, I have nothing I am ready to drop, no complaints, I am happy with all of it and the kids seem to be doing quite well. This is so weird. It has never happened before. I have changed curriculum items so many times in years past that I have lost track. And this year I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop because it just doesn't seem possible that I actually chose the right stuff for my kids for all subjects. Where is my local chapter of Curriculum Junkies Anonymous because I am having some serious withdrawals.

I've hung out with Jennifer in MI a couple of times.

We use MUS with Singapore's CWP

As someone who taught in public schools for 12 years and currently works in administration I can tell you that teachers do not have a high opinion of parents in general. When they say they want "parental involvement" what they mean is they want to have contact with you only when your kid acts up in class or they need a chaperone for a field trip. Other than that, they just wish you would go away. I was that mom in the article and my son was that kid. My school district told me they had NOTHING extra to offer my gifted son and that I should just be glad he's not special ed. (and that is a direct quote) That's how I started homeschooling. ETA: I am a helicopter mom and proud of it.

I am reading Blue Like Jazz.

In answer to the "what is the whole story" questions... I'd love to say there is this big story but there isn't. There are 9 elementary buildings in our district. I have no idea what isolated incident spawned this district-wide policy but I am sure there was one. This particular incident was not it. It was just one principal complaining about one parent. And by "protest" I mean "argued her point" with the principal (principals do not generally like that). I understand that they are worried about disruptions, getting class started on time, etc. I think it was just the whole "these parents are nothing but a nuisance" attitude and the fact that their need to have a highly-controlled cookie-cutter environment trumped the need of a student or a parent. The "we are in control of your child" sentiment gave me the heebie-jeebies.

Well, they say it is a security issue. In fact, one principal even said "I told the mom that she doesn't have to worry about leaving her child at the building door. Once she is in this building, she is safe." Oh really? Ask all those parents of students who have been injured or killed at school what they think of that. I get security and what-not but it is MY child and I should have access to MY child when I want it. Give me a visitor's pass if necessary, but let me in the door.