What about learning some 80s dance moves? Walk like an Egyptian, the Thriller dance, robot dance, etc. ETA: And the moonwalk! And break dancing.

Good list! Goldfish crackers too. Maybe Reeces pieces? This might be so obvious it should go without saying, but surely you'll want some sort of dress-up component. Costume contest? Dress up as an 80s celebrity? etc.

If it makes you feel better, I'm in the same boat. I looked long and hard, but in the end R&S was the best. In fact, I just ordered it today! Good luck to us both!

We also do it to the tune of Yankee Doodle, but ours is a little different. About, above, across, after, Against, along, amid, Among, around, at, atop, before, Behind, below, beneath. Beside, between, beyond, but, by, Concerning, down, and during, Except, for, from, in, inside, into, Like, near, of, off, on, onto, Out, outside, over, past, regarding Since, through, throughout, to, toward Under, underneath, until, up, upon, And with and within and without.

What are you all asking permission for all the time? I can't think of any time recently I've used the phrase "may I" or its substitute "can I"? My child does, of course, ask permission for things from time to time, and I believe he says "may I." I'll pay attention next time to see for sure.

Can't you get area rugs? Put them in the spots you'd like to be more cozy. The nice thing about area rugs is that you can send them out to be cleaned rather than have the ordeal of carpet cleaning every year.

You can get even smaller. I'm putting the answer in white -- The smallest difference is 247, for example 50,123 - 49876. Happy mathing!

I'm wonder what grade level these are intended for. I didn't see any indication on the website. The Life Science one is available for FREE, so that's definitely a plus. But it seems awfully elementary to me. I think my ds needs something more in-depth. NOEO Biology II uses the Usborne Science Encyclopedia as a spine, I believe. We did a 6-week unit on plants this fall using that book, and I guess I found it a bit dry. I think I'd like a text that's less encyclopedic and a little more engaging, if I can find one. This looks really fun to me. I wish I'd known about it when ds was younger. Unfortunately, their Biology 1 is a too young for my ds, and Biology 2 isn't out yet. Sigh. Yeah, this is what I'm sort of hoping to avoid. Actually, I don't mind pulling the experiments together, but I'd really like to have a good spine rather than doing the library thing. Goodness, I didn't mean to sound so negative toward your suggestions. Sorry about that! Finding good secular science shouldn't be so difficult.

Does it exist? I'm looking for an upper elementary or middle school level anatomy program that's fairly thorough and rigorous. Planning to spend roughly 8-12 weeks on it. Apologia seems to fit the bill nicely . . . except for the religious content. I am not fond of mixing religion with science. Does anyone know of a comparable program that is secular? Or is the Apologia program good enough to use anyway and filter out what we don't want?

I know this problem. :) Yup. Both correct. This one you can get quite a bit smaller. And you are correct, of course, that there are multiple ways to get the same sum/difference.

I pay $100 a year for a neighboring library, and it doesn't even have all those offerings. (Or rather, their special offerings are open to everyone, member or not.) It's absolutely worth it for our family. The overwhelming majority of our entertainment is through the library -- books, dvds, audiobooks. Our local library is well-loved, but the bigger library with a much larger collection is very important to us. And it's a wonderful place to hang out. We go do school there once a month or so just for a change of pace. We could do that whether we had a card or not, but it would be no fun to hang out there if we couldn't check anything out.

Holy smokes! Sounds like heaven.

I had just checked my records when I saw this thread. I have cards at two libraries, with a total of 42 check-outs right now. I don't know of a limit for check-outs and I use holds sparingly, so I don't know of a limit there either.

Clever! I'm going to have to try that. I poke them several times with a fork. I *have* had a potato explode in the oven. I tried doing oil and salt on the outside once. It was incredibly delicious, so I have no idea why I haven't tried it again.

What a coincidence. We just began using Minimus today, and my plan is to do it orally. I don't own anything but the text. It isn't, however, our main Latin program. I just wanted some fun stories for ds to read, and the background information and historical context adds some interest.

Actually, on reflecting further, I think my explanation was mistaken. A subordinating clause CAN act as a noun in English sentences, so theoretically the "where . . ." clause could act as a predicate nominative, as in these sentences: The kitchen is where I cook. The stairway is where the murder happened. In those sentences, however, the subordinating clause that begins "where" describes a place, a location. In each one, the sentence could be rewritten with the word "place" inserted: The kitchen is the place where I cook. The stairway is the place where the murder happened. In the OP's sentence (or her dd's sentence, I should say), the subject is "a homogeneous mixture." It's conceivable that could indicate a place or location, as in this sentence: The homogeneous mixture is (the place) where the evil wizard added the drops of poison. I suspect, however, that the dd was not using it in that way. Interesting question! It was fun to think it through.

Tell her that a linking verb can be followed by a predicate adjective or a predicate nominative: (predicate adjectives) A homogenous mixture is delicious. A homogenous mixture is fearsome. (predicate nominatives) A homogenous mixture is a combination of . . . A homogenous mixture is a chemistry term meaning . . . It appears that she is trying to follow a linking verb with a subordinating clause. This is somewhat common in informal spoken English ("The reason is because . . ."), but it is not correct. If you've done diagramming, ask her how she would diagram it. She won't be able to do it!

The Sandlot

I don't think that line is the issue. That line of instruction is so precise: "Take that sentence and make it the first line of your first paragraph." The ten-year-old nods along, clearly understanding how that sentence "sets the scene". Then he turns the page and reads, "When you are finished . . . " Aaack! How does he finish? Now, if I understand correctly, it's actually quite straightforward. He just "finishes" the essay with the analysis, right? So essentially, he is merely appending that first summary sentence to the analysis from Step 2. But I think many students may not intuitively see that it's that simple. Perhaps an instruction such as, "You essay is now mostly finished. The large part of it will be the paragraphs you wrote in Step 2. But it's missing something . . ." The number of paragraphs is a confusing too. The finished essay should be two paragraphs, right? The opening line implies four paragraphs. ETA: Perhaps instead of saying, "Take that sentence and make it the first line of your first paragraph," the instruction could read, "Take that sentence and add it to the beginning of your first paragraph from Step 2."

Our favorite was Paul Revere's house. And if I recall correctly, there's some fantastic gelato just around the corner.

Oh, I wasn't meaning to imply advanced vs. not. Family Math has some quite advanced stuff. But it seems like it would lend itself more toward group work, if that's what you're aiming for.

You might be interested in Family Math. It has lots of games and math explorations, if that's what you're looking for. Our club is more problem-focused, and we mostly use the MATHCOUNTS problem resources.

I'm not sure what ages you'll have, but this problem was a great success at one of our math club meetings (ages 10-13): Arrange the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 into two 5-digit numbers (note: that means neither can begin with zero) so that (a) their sum is as large as possible (b) their sum is as small as possible © their positive difference is as large as possible (d) their positive difference is as small as possible The kids in our group don't really "work together" on problems, but they share their ideas back and forth and often give each other sparks of ideas for how to move forward.