Ok, I tell you what... If you are sincere about teaching ID respectfully, then tomorrow when I go back to work, I will pull up our curriculum guide for biology and send you the topics we teach for evolution and ID. We have a 100% pass rate for the AP Bio exam so it is possible to include ID (and even creation theories for our school) and still produce students with excellent scientific knowledge.

Nope, I get it completely. I'm just not playing along. You can't "say" you want to give something "equal time" in a classroom if you don't intend to do it justice. If you really see no merit whatsoever in the topic of intelligent design and your whole point is to prove that there "isn't" enough out there on ID to be able to teach it for equal time, then don't bother.

It really depends on your goals. What do you hope to gain for your daughter by taking piano? Does she want to be a concert pianist? Grow up to teach piano herself? Etc. If so, then you need to stick with the teacher who most "knows their stuff" and will hold your dd accountable. Usually that means strict, high expectations and so on. My ds had that teacher. My ds hated piano. We argued about it before every lesson, every week, for six years. My ds does not want to play piano professionally. He just wants to play for enjoyment, play at church, and so forth. We finally switched him to a teacher who is more that style and the change for us has been dramatic. He LOVES piano now and plays all the time at home, at church, at school. It's like a dream for me to see him get so much enjoyment from piano. But He plays a lot by ear, takes a lot of shortcuts, probably uses improper fingering and so on so he will never be a piano teacher. But that's ok because he doesn't want to be. So that is the conversation I would have with your dd. Why does she want to learn piano?

Again, you cannot expect to teach this topic with respect if you are not willing to do the research. All of this can be simply googled then further researched. It will take a lot of time and effort on your part to get up to speed in this area and do it well. Also, intelligent is spelled with two i's.

I've always been fascinated by the topic of irreducible complexity. This link should give you a lot of jumping off places and lists topics, scientists who believe in ID, etc. http://www.intelligentdesign.org/resources.php If you are going to do this then you will need to do the research and treat the topic with respect. Teenagers can sense scoffing from a mile away and no child deserves to be mocked by an adult for their beliefs. I work at a christian school. We present the info on evolution, ID and young earth/old earth creation with equal time with no qualms and no scoffing towards any of those beliefs. Truth has nothing to fear.

Good village: a child is riding their bicycle down the street and falls, a neighbor sees it and stops to help Bad village: a complete stranger walks up to me and my daughter and says (to my 2yo daughter), "Aren't you a little big for that pacifier?" To which I replied, "Aren't you a little fat for those pants?" Good village: if the government provides free preschool for those who WANT it and can't afford it Bad village: if the government forces EVERY child to go to preschool Your turn...

I can see your point. On the one hand, community support would make raising kids a lot easier. Unfortunately, it rarely comes in the form of "support" but rather judgment, ridicule, etc.

A man speaks out on the Mommy wars. He is my new favorite blogger: http://themattwalshblog.com/2013/08/11/hey-that-person-is-making-different-parenting-decisions-someone-call-cps/

I didn't do it as a young, unmarried woman, either. I moved here at age 39, married, with lots of life experience behind me.

Well I simply disagree with your assessment of the situation as being abuse. Nothing they are doing is illegal.

I think they are a beautiful family and they have the right to live in a way that they feel is best. Interesting that many on this board espouse that same belief for ALL manner of relationships EXCEPT quiverfull. What happened to the "tolerance" we are supposed to embrace for every other type of lifestyle? Live and let live, right?

My dh was in a motorcycle accident and broke his neck. Without modern medicine he would be paralyzed. He is fine now. I have three nieces all delivered at 27 weeks. They are now healthy 8 year olds!

1st Corinthians 10:13 is such a misused scripture. He won't give you more than you can handle? Define "handle." That scripture is talking about your salvation... not your life problems. I hate when people say that because it is such a load of crap. I am pretty sure all the apostles who were tortured and executed didn't "handle" it. But their salvation was intact. It's one of the reasons I loathe the prosperity gospel. Right now our amah is spending half of her salary every month playing lottery tickets and telling us she is going to win because she is praying to God and her pastor said that God wants us all to be rich. No amount of discussion on my part will dissuade her because "her pastor said so." Grrrr..... We are not promised health or happiness or riches. Period.

I am Irish and Cherokee Indian.

Interesting. I was just thinking about this the other day mostly in relation to a grade my son received on a test. We have many teachers here who believe that no one should ever get 100% because there is always room for improvement. But doesn't that, in and of itself, promote the idea that we should strive for perfection? No matter how hard you try, no matter how well you do, you will never receive a perfect score. It will never be good enough. You always have to do MORE unless you are perfectly satisfied with a mediocre grade. I can tell you that in the Asian world, an A- is as bad as an F. It's not just an American thing. If I try to compensate as a teacher by marking my students harder, they just work harder and produce more. They will.not.stop. until they get an A+. If I ask for a 10-page paper they will give me 15. If they get a 97% on a test the first thing they ask is "how can I do better to get 100%?" The other thing we have to ask ourselves is: what is the purpose of grading? In education you start with an objective for the lesson. For instance, "Today in grade 1 we are learning to add two digit numbers with regrouping." If that is the objective, how do you know when the student has reached that objective? How do they show mastery of that info? Do they have to get it right 100% of the time? 90% of the time? 80% of the time? So is the point of education mastery of knowledge or the grade? I don't think "giving an A for all work that meets the criteria" or "never giving an A ever" is the answer. There has to be a better way of determining mastery.

I think 14yo is too young for a relationship but YMMV. My son, at 15yo and not dating yet, wants: - someone who shares his faith and values (most important) - a good sense of humor - intelligent - preferably somewhat introverted like him - willing to live abroad if the opportunity presents itself - non-smoker - wants 2-3 kids Looks are on the list but actually pretty far down. He has several female friends that he hangs out with but none of them are ready or even willing to put the emotional energy into a relationship. They just want to have fun and do well in school.

Just watched her dance for the talent portion. So beautiful and amazing!

My daughter saw the picture and said, "Hey! She has brown skin just like me!" That's right, baby... Beautiful brown skin just like you. This is a moment that makes me so proud of America (despite the IDIOTS who make callous remarks). The good people outweigh the bad. Congrats to Nina!!

My DH has a Samsung Note II that he LOVES.

Started Reading: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (American author, DD class 800) Still Reading: The Map of the Sky by Felix J. Palma (Spanish author, DD class 800) Finished: 41. Mariana by Susanna Kearsley (Canadian author, DD class 800) 40. Man Seeks God: My Flirtations with the Divine by Eric Weiner (American author, DD class 200) 39. When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy by John Piper (American author, DD class 200) 38. Inferno by Dan Brown (American author, DD class 800) 37. That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo (American author, DD class 800) 36. The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God's Story by D.A. Carson (Canadian author, DD class 200) 35. Sandstorm by James Rollins (American author, DD class 800) 34. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (Mexican Author, DD class 800) 33. The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J. Maarten Troost (Dutch Author, DD class 900) 32. Bill Bryson's African Diary by Bill Bryson (American author, DD class 900) 31. The Millionaires by Brad Meltzer (American author, DD class 800) 30. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (American author, DD class 800) 29.The Sherlockian by Graham Moore (American author, DD class 800) 28. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (American authors, DD class 800) 27. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (American author, DD class 900) 26. The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio (American author, DD class 800) 25. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (Ethiopian author, DD class 800) 24. Having Hard Conversations by Jennifer Abrams (American author, DD class 300) 23.The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe (American author, DD class 600) 22. The Infernal Devices #3: The Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (American author, DD class 800) 21. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (American author, DD class 800) 20. Why Revival Tarries by Leonard Ravenhill (British author, DD class 200) 19. The Infernal Devices #2: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (American author, DD class 800) 18. The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (American author, DD class 800) 17. God's Big Picture: Tracing the Story-Line of the Bible by Vaughan Roberts (British author, DD class 200) 16.The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag: A Flavia de Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley (Canadian Author, DD Class 800) 15.The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner (American author, DD class 900) 14. Prodigy by Marie Lu (Chinese author, DD class 800) 13. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (American author, DD class 900) 12. The Disappearing Spoon: And Other Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean (American author, DD class 500) 11. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman (American Author, DD class 600) 10. A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller (American author, DD class 200) 9. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick (American author, DD class 300) 8. Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald (American author, DD class 100) 7. The Bungalow by Sarah Jio (American author, DD class 800) 6. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (American author, DD class 800) 5. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen (American author, DD class 800) 4. The Next Story: Life and Faith After the Digital Explosion by Tim Challies (Canadian author, DD class 600) 3. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (Australian author, DD class 800) 2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (English author, DD class 800) 1. The Dark Monk: A Hangman's Daughter Tale by Oliver Potzsch (German author, DD class 800)

Thank you all so much for the feedback! I think we are going to move ahead with this idea. And thank you also for the tips on keeping it running while we are away!!

Wow. That is an incredibly generous offer! I would be really scared, though, that something might happen. If we were in your car and were in an accident I would feel just terrible.

Each summer we go back to the US to see family for about 4-6 weeks. While there we need a vehicle to get around and also because we drive to a few states to see friends and family. There are 5 of us including one car seat (and my oldest is over 6 feet tall) so we need a decent amount of space. None of our family members have a spare car we can use while there. Last summer we rented a minivan for a month and it cost $1500 USD. That is a lot of money to us. I am thinking of our visit in June and already dreading spending that kind of money again...and again the next summer...and again the next summer... So I had this idea and I can't decide if it is smart or crazy. I thought, "what if we bought a car instead of renting one?" We couldn't afford a lot... Maybe $3000 or so. We both still have valid Michigan driver's licenses and a Michigan address (my mom's house). We would get the minimum insurance (called PLPD in Michigan). We would park it in my mom's garage the rest of the year (she would start it occasionally for us). Then it would be there the next summer when we come. And when we move back (whenever that is) we would at least have a starter car waiting for us. Or we could just sell it at some point and recoup some of our money? So what do you think? Great idea or crazy idea? What are the downsides? Would you do this or just continue to rent vehicles every summer?

Well for me, the problem with reading 50 Shades is that it makes me feel dumber (because of the awful writing) and makes me feel disgusted (because the weak, low-self-esteem, whiny, needy heroine is the polar opposite of how I am or how I want my daughter to be). At least The Bluest Eye is well-written.

I am a Pinterest dropout. I created an account but I couldn't really figure out how it worked so I stopped going there. I don't even know of any mommy blogs either. Sometimes I actually feel left out because I don't know what you all are talking about with this stuff so I think about going on Pinterest again or searching out mommy blogs. But then I forget to do it. Oh well. I guess if I am a crafty-mommy failure it's better if I don't know. Ignorance being bliss and all that. :)