Our prayers are with you and all those affected by these storms. Stay safe. Please. Denise

Oh, that is horrible. I am so sorry. My prayers go out to your cousin, her family and you. :grouphug::grouphug: Denise

:lol: Thank you for thinking of us! Denise

:bigear: I am under the same impression. I hope someone who has used the book will chime in soon. Denise

My oldest ds asked this same question last yr. We asked him what end goals his friends had and that made him realize his goals were different. Maybe that could help your dd? I did caution my ds that it's not that his goals are better, just that they require a different path. Denise

I can't help you because we haven't listened to it yet. But, when I bought it, I paid $30 + shipping and that was on sale too! Denise

A wife. One of those people that cooks, cleans and does the laundry. After that, a laptop. Denise

Cute pics. Your kids are adorable. I'm assuming that's you in the last picture - you're hair looks good. Denise

Wow. That's really bad. I'm sorry you had that experience. It's just amazing how incredibly ridiculous people can be. Denise

Yes, a few people do this to us too. My ds10 is adopted and we get questioned. It's hurtful when it's in front of him. It singles him out. He takes it all in stride, thank goodness. The funny thing is, I think he looks just like me. Somehow, he reminds me of myself when I was a kid. I'm usually rather dumbfounded when people ask about him. Most people don't mention it and don't seem to care, thankfully. Denise

:lol: That's funny Aubrey! Tell you husband, I'm a leg woman. :D My dh is a runner and well, I'm happy about that. Denise

Prayers for everyone in these areas. It seems like the disasters will never end this year. :grouphug: Try to stay safe everyone. Denise

1. They're only with me for a few years. 2. I enjoy their company. 3. Agreeing w/the Quality statement. You asked for only one reason but it's hard to chose just one reason. I guess the first one is the main one. Denise

You asked about non-classic literature. If you go to the College Board, the SAT people, they have a list of books colleges like students to have read. Many of these books are good books but may not be considered part of the Great Books. Still worth reading though. If you can't find it, I'll try to dig it out for you. Have a great time reading. Denise

Learned skill. My mom is always late - always. So, that's what I learned. Then I went college and unlearned it. I've been punctual ever since and I teach my kids to be punctual too. Denise

Character matters to me. I can forgive some things, maybe an affair during a rough patch or something. But, you mentioned neglecting a child or abuse - no, those are deal breakers for me. Lying, cheating, stealing to get votes, I don't like those things either. Denise

For the academics, you can do just as good, if not better, than any school. Since you can tailor your curriculum to the needs of your child, your program will likely teach him the best. For the diploma, well, there are lots of views on that one. Is it easier to give a college or employer an official diploma from a brick & mortar school - yes. But most homeschoolers are not having problems with their home made diplomas. If it is a concern, you can enroll in an umbrella school that does not dictate what to teach. You will need to comply with some state requirements. For example, my state requires PE/ health. But, my umbrella school only requires that I teach the subject, not what I use or when I choose to teach it. You also usually need to submit attendance records too. Some people on this board use or have used NARHS. Maybe some of them will chime in. I hope this helps you. Denise

We just stuck w/the stories she provided. It took about 1 hr. per day. Some days were lighter though. We also skipped or reduced a few of the assignments, not many though. Denise

We did something similiar this past yr. We did not do MCT vocab. because we use Wordly Wise as a spelling program. Also, we did Ancients for lit. reading. Your program sounds good. Denise

English & Lit. - utopia theme Math - Alg. II and Geometry (at the same time) Chemistry U.S. Govt./Econ. - 1 semester each Russian I Religion - Our Quest for Happiness through Our Lady of the Rosary School Elective - Chess Extra - Scouts, Engineering Club, Chess Club, Church Youth Group At least, this is what we have planned for now. Denise

For my 9th grader, we used Scratch Your Brain Alg. & Geometry. He is good at math and says those books offer a challenge. For my 3rd grader and PK, we used Math Reasoning. They both like those books and it has certainly helped my 3rd gr. better understand math concepts. He is my concrete learner and has a difficult time understanding the "why" behind the math. I have also used Balance Benders for my oldest. He says at first it's fun and challenging but, once you get the hang of it, it becomes boring. We haven't tried Crypto Mind Benders but they do look interesting. Hope that helps. Denise

Oh, this is just what I need. And a good cup of coffee to go with it. But there's not a Whole Foods near me. The closest is 5 hours away. Now I just have to think about it and... suffer. Yes, Whole Foods is mean! Sad, sad Denise

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Denise

English: Lit. about Utopias (The Republic, City of God, etc.), Wordly Wise, Writing Strands - still undecided here Math: Alg. II using Foerster w/Math w/out Borders DVD TT Geometry Science: Chemistry using Chang Lab - still deciding History: U.S. Govt./Macro Econ. using Oak Meadow Language: Russian - TBD Religion: Our Quest For Happiness through Our Lady of the Rosary School Elective: Chess through Oak Meadow - may count as an activity, not credit All above is subject to change. Denise This is for 10th. I apologize for not reading the op more closely. Sorry.

Yes, we still read a-loud as a family. We just don't get to do it as often as we'd like. The kids enjoy reading to each other too. It's a wonderful activity. Denise