I guess I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist. I do wonder about the Kennedy assisination though. I voted "Oswald alone" because that's the evidence to date. Interesting poll.

I offer it to people. It's out on my counter or table for my kids to eat when they want. I buy organic when I can but it's not so available here.

Or insights. Whatever you want to call it. My husband talked to me for 3 years about a feeling or message he was receiving about a situation. He said he knew he would be away on travel when it all happened and that my son and I would be alone. He was very upset but I kept telling him he was just feeling insecure about all the travel required for his job. The situation he "knew" was coming - the attack on 9/11. It was as he described and yes, he was on travel near Boston. We were living in Washington, DC at the time. I don't want to freak anyone out. I think of myself as a reasonable and practical person - but, maybe we are given these messages for a reason. Just before the attacks, my husband came to me saying the message was becoming more urgent. Again, I reassured him that it was just an insecurity. So, trust your dd.

I've run into this situation several times. These people are usually very complemetary too.

I just got their catalog. It is called "Art: Over 2,500 Works from Cave to Contemporary." The write-up says that it is a comprehensive art appreciation tool, includes works from the beginning of time to today, and can be used over a six year period? The price is $50.00. I have not used this book but it looks very interesting and may fit your requirements. I hope you find what you need. Denise

I am thinking of buying the computer game "Crystal Key 2: The Far Realm" for my son's 15th birthday. I am looking at used games and noticed there are two different publishers/makers for this same game. One of the publishers is DreamWorks. Is this the one I should buy or did this one have some problems or glitches? If anyone is familiar with this game or with this company as it relates to computer games, I would appreciate your help. Thanks. Denise

Where are all the used TE for algebra I books? I understand the lack of material with the Dolciani books but Foerster? The only solutions manual and TE books I've found are new ones from Pearson. And they are fairly expensive. Has anyone else noticed this problem or am I just crazy? Denise

They integrate AIT with OT so while the kids are listening they are also swinging, playing in foam, etc. We did 5 or 6 loops altogether. We saw huge gains during the first 3-loop cycle and more moderate gains in the others. We then did FastForward, SOMONAS and some Earobics. Not much improvement with those. Interactive Metronome was interspersed with the other AIT programs. It seemed to help some but wasn't the "bang for the buck" that I hoped for. OT, gymnastics, dance, martial arts and yoga do seem to help. It's probably the movement of the water in the inner ear that brings improvement. I'm not sure what, if anything we'll do next. He still has the problem of not being able to participate in medium or large group conversations. Anyway, I hope that helps you. Denise

notetaking. Nan, I will find your thread and read-up on Livescribe. I always tell my kids to sit in the front row of classes. I didn't think about being late to a class and being forced to sit in the back. Maybe if the student sets up his or her schedule with breaks between classes? But then, I remember that that wasn't always possible. By the way, I did sit in the back and not pay attention my first semester of college. I was young and dumb and it's something I will always regret. My dc are the benefactors of my bad decision because they hear how this one semester caused lasting negative consequences. There sure is a lot more to preparing our kids for college than just academics. Denise

today. I don't usually check these boards until the weekend. My oldest ds also wants to be a physics major. He'll still be in Alg. I when we begin 9th grade. He won't be able to go to any of the top physics schools (MIT, etc.) but I'm pretty sure he'll make it into Florida State. I love the post that says it's like pulling teeth to get a 14 yo. to work! Last night I was thinking about posting that my ds had lost his passion for math and science. He only wants to read and play video games or chess. Maybe some of the books and videos listed will motivate him again. We will do Conceptual Physics for 9th, then Biology, Chem. outsourced to cc, and either cc or AP Physics. I also emphasize writing, which he hates. Indulge your dd and see where it takes her. Even if she changes her mind later, a strong math and science background won't hurt her. Denise

On the one hand, my son writes slowly. His processing is slow and I doubt he'll be able to keep up with handwritten notes. He may not be able to keep up with typing notes either. Filming the class would be his best bet, but that's for another conversation. Also, for those students who aren't going to pay attention, I would rather they type messages to each other than whisper. I hated that in college and my son will loose his mind if people are chatting. It's very distracting. That being said, for many students, laptops in the class are simply a toy. It's one more thing for them to fiddle with and distract themselves. It may distract other students in ways I can't think of right now. It's probably a big distraction for the professor and certainly rude. I have heard that there are companies who sell well-written notes for classes over the internet. They buy the notes from those students who are good note-takers, then sell them to other students taking the same class. It's legal and costs about $10 per class, if I remember correctly. Just my opinion. Denise

We live in the panhandle of FL, which costs about the same as the Wash. DC area where we used to live. We eat meat 2-3 times per week, very few organics (milk, cheese and yogurt) and I cook from scratch. This price includes paper products, cleaning products and toiletries. It also includes diapers and wipies (don't ask why she's still in diapers). We have been able to cut about $40 out of our original budget by buying bread and bread products at a day-old bread store. They carry whole grain breads (with no corn syrup) and bagels for $.99 per loaf and I freeze a week's worth. If you have a day-old bread store near you, it might be worth checking it out. I am collecting recipes for $5 and under meals. I only have a few but I'm trying to make them alot. We'll see how successful I am as these meals tend to be more time consuming to make. Planning ahead is key but I barely keep up with that for homeschooling!:tongue_smilie: Denise

I have the TM for Modern School Mathematics, Alg. I (1967) and Modern Trig. (1966). My Trig. book says "1969 impression. " Is that just a reprint? Anyway, I don't mind sharing. There is another thread discussing where people have begun posting answers. I'll go there and begin learning how to do this. Are we sure this is ok legally? It doesn't infringe on copyrights does it? Denise

through. If he takes Geometry with Alg. II we will need to drop at least one other subject. We'll keep writing/lit., science and latin but will have to let other things go. Right now, he is taking Alg. I (Dolciani-he loves it) and sometimes it takes 20-30 min. But sometimes it takes close to 1 1/2 hours. I know as he gets further along, he will need a full 2 hours. For two math classes, that's 4 hours per day. Well, I'll figure this out or make him chose another MAI! Thanks again for your help. I wish many of you lived close by. I would trade making you all dinner or doing chores for help with my son's math! Denise Oh, micjayne, I forgot I started this thread! It's turned out to be a better conversation so, thank you!:)

Beth, How did you complete 5 math courses in 4 years of high school? If you doubled up, which classes did you take consecutively? I am curious because Florida requires several credits in a Major Area of Interest (MAI) to graduate high school. My son wants Math to be his MAI but it will require that he take two math classes during one of his high school years. Since math is sequential, I'm wondering how and what to take consecutively. I don't mean to hijack this thread. I've been struggling with this MAI requirement for a few weeks now and your comment caught my interest. Thanks. Denise

I think that is a different program but I'm not sure. I will look at it. I was sure I heard about the program Read ! on this board but my memory is not what it used to be! I'll post on the K-8 board and ask if anyone there has heard of it. Thanks for your help. Denise

If so, what do you like or dislike about it? Also, will you please provide the web address? My searches have not been successful and I would like to take a look at it. Thanks. Denise

I love reading about the things all of your kids are doing. It's fun to hear their accomplishments, interests, etc. Even when my oldest was struggling to read, we loved hearing about 3 year-olds who were dragging their parents as they raced down the reading highway! Besides, I've learned so much from you all. Some of the strategies and techniques you all use work for my son too (and he has learning disabilities). I'm sorry this mean person said such nasty things to you. They appear to be a jealous bully. Please don't withdraw. Your son sounds like a wonderful child. Let us all rejoice in his accomplishments with you! Denise

I had my dd at age 43. My pregnancies have all been very difficult, both physically and emotionally. We've had many miscarriages and two stillbirths. The 2 that resulted in live births were both c-sections and the last one was monitored weekly. Would I now have another one at age 45? Yes. If God chooses to give us another baby, we'll gladly take him or her. Somehow, that sweet baby and those smiling older children help you recover from, well, everything.

A lot of people have responded saying that denominations are man-made. While that may be, it's really about what you believe to be true. Is the Eucharist really the body of Christ? Do you take it literally when you read Christ saying "This is my body" and "whoever eats my body and drinks my blood will have everlasting life?" If you don't, then it may be that a different church would better match your beliefs. You said that your husband wants a friendlier church. I grew up Methodist (and attended a lot of Baptist churches with friends). It is friendly, though some more than others. Still, I converted. What I've learned is that Mass is meant to be very reverent. We are there to show thankfulness to God, as well as participating in the Sacrifice of the Mass. So, we don't socialize at Church. I don't allow my children to talk once we enter the Church. They can whisper to us if they need to go to the bathroom or something but they are to be reverent. I'm sure this formal approach looks very dour and/or cold to outsiders who don't understand the beliefs. It did to me at first too. That being said, we have met some wonderfully warm families. We became active in our Church (activities and groups) and that is where all the socializing and jovial interactions take place. We have a lot of fun with other Catholics but the culture works differently than in Protestant churches. Denise

Tina, Thank-you for this! A friend saw your note and called me about it today. I sent in a request to join the group but did not see an "open poll." Will I have access to that once my request is approved? Am I too late to participate? Your group looks great. Thanks again for setting this trial up. Denise

You all have made many great points. There are some programs I now want to look into for my son. Also, from this discussion, I think it is best not to stop schooling. I do have a lot of questions for you all. Some of you said not to do anything that wasn't "proven" scientifically. So what technique or program is scientifically proven to improve processing speed. From the posts, it looks like PACE might be and the info. on repetition for children with dyslexia. Besides what we've already done (listed in previous post), is there anything else? Is the BrainSkills program a "proven" program? The description of BrainSkills intrigues me. It is my understanding that motor planning, processing time, short-term memory, organizing and attention are all part of Executive Functioning. They are all connected. My son has deficeits in all of these areas. I was once told that Executive Functioning problems are the most difficult to improve. Do you all agree with this statement? Have any of you had any success with a program or treatment for Exec. Functioning? The evaluation we just had done showed my son does have attention issues (the daydreamer ADHD) and dyslexia. The doctor wants to put him on stimulant medicine and thinks it will help with the processing time as well as focus (it all seems to be the same ball of wax). We are not opposed to medication since he is now a good way through puberty and since he is reaching a critical point academically. However, I would like to help him make permanent changes to his brain so he can either eventually go off meds. or needs less of them. Does that make sense? This thread continues to be really interesting as well as informative. Thank you once again. Denise

We used it too. Under the guidance of an OT. I agree with everyone who said not to try it without the specific instructions and someone to guide you. I have the written proceedure and would be happy to mail you a copy. You will still need an OT to show it to you and give you guidance though. My son loved it, at first. The expression on his face was that of someone getting a much needed back scratch or head massage. After a few brushings, he hated it. We continued with it, again under the guidance of an OT. We saw no results. Given his first reaction, it must have done something his nervous system needed. I don't know where to buy the brushes. Denise

Wow! Thank you, all of you. It looks like I have some research to do. In addition to BrainSkills, have any of you used anything that increased your child's processing time? Some of you asked for background info. on my son. Here is our story. When he was three we discovered, through county testing, that he had receptive/expressive language delays, gross and fine motor skill delays. Over the years we have done the following: 1. Sublingual allergy drops - worked well 2. Nutritional supplements - most worked well 3. Auditory Training - Tomatis, SOMONAS, Fast Forward 4. GMS - a sensory integration gymnastics program 5. Vision Therapy (with Dr. Wachs in Wash. DC) 6. OT 7. Interactive Metronome 8. Cranial Electrical Stimulation 9. Some limited Brain Gym 10. The Brushing technique (Wilbarger Protocol?) 11. I don't know what to call it but I rolled him in a futon and laid on top of him, gently. He loved it. 12. Assorted things like weighted vests, nubby cushions, etc. that didn't seem to help. We saw fantastic results with Tomatis, Vision Therapy, IM, CES. We saw good results with GMS and OT. I really didn't see anything with Brain Gym but we didn't do that much of it. Everything else, we didn't see any results, though we kept at it for a long time. His processing time is much better than it was but I am worried about high school. I'm even more concerned about his load for college. At this point, I think one or two classes will be all he can handle. That will frustrate and depress him. If he has reached the limit as far as processing, fine. We'll focus on helping him accept his limits. But, I am hoping to bump him up just a bit more so he won't struggle as much. As far as testing, he's been tested by Neurologists, Audiologists, OTs, Psychologists, Educators, etc. They all diagnosed slow processing time, among other things. The vision problems were that he didn't have binocular vision and his eyes weren't tracking. He did vision therapy under an O.D. who is, in my opinion, a gifted doctor. Is he working below his IQ? Yes, significantly. Not that I put that much stock in IQ scores. It's just that it is evident that he thinks he can work faster and better. He's frustrated with how long it takes him to do his work. He tries very hard to quicken the pace and he is concentrating very hard. By the way, my processing time is slower than the average. I remember lots of people always being frustrated with how long I took to do things. But back then, I'm 45, life was slower. Today, everything is now, now, now and I'm not as slow as he is. Honestly, I'm scared for him. I'm sure many of you feel that way about your children too. We have two other children, an 8 year-old with ADHD and a 2 year-old. Thanks again for responding to my questions. Denise

Thank you Virginia and Laurie. You're right, I wouldn't stop everything. I was tired and feeling overwhelmed last night when I wrote the original post. I am concerned about my son getting further and further behind. Just not sure how to help make things come a little easier for him. Virginia, can you tell me more about Audioblox and Brainskills? Especially Brainskills. Is that a computer program? Are they both Brain Gym type of programs? It seems many programs today are predominately mid-line crossing exercises. How do you tell which one is best for your child? Thanks for your help. Denise