I live north of Ind. The homeschool convention will be there at the beginning of April. Maybe you could attend and learn more at that time.

If you can't stop buying the good deals go ahead and drop off the extras at a local food pantry! They will be very grateful for your help.

Christless Christianity by Michael Horton Too Good to be True: Finding Hope in a World of Hype by Michael Horton

Go with brownies or CC cookies. Less stress and no one will remember anyway what the dessert was 5 days from now!

I have a list on the wall for "morning", "afternoon" and "evening" routines. I have it laminated with a dry erase marker close by so they can mark when they complete each task. I don't have to keep asking whether they've done "X"; I just look at the list. One of the tasks on their afternoon routine is, "ask Mama how I can help around the house". When they ask I may have one girl set the table. Maybe I'll have her sister take out the vegetables scraps, etc. Many times when they ask I tell them it would be a big help to go play quietly in their room and let me work on supper by myself. (After schooling all day, I enjoy alone time in the kitchen). Other times we cook together. I agree that being part of the family means each member has certain jobs to do, period. That's what we do here. However, I have implemented a system recently that has helped a lot with my sanity. This is not a system for chores or tasks on the routine lists. I was so tired of tripping over left out (insert toy, clothing, shoe, library book here)! My girls are 8 yo. They like to have money to buy toys for themselves or gifts for others. At their age they only place they can get any money is from me or dh. I started giving them a roll of nickels on Fridays. They love this. They put them in a cup with their initials on it. (At this point the nickels still belong to me!) During the week if I trip over a left out toy, or if there are clothes on the ground I take a nickel out of the offender's cup. It's amazing how much better they are remembering to pick up after themselves! When the next Friday rolls around, they transfer the nickels out of the cups and into their piggy banks. Then I give them another roll ($2) to put in the cup, and we start the new week. [because we are all tempted to steal, I told them if they are ever caught taking nickels from sister's cup, they will have to fork over all their nickels for the week (in addition to receiving a spanking--which is free of charge!)]. This is what is working for us at this age.

Zucchini grows well all over the world! Not sure about its nutrient value, but we like it here. Have fun! Also there is a book calle How to Grow More Vegetables Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine Maybe your library has it.

I agree with Jana that we can feel superior when we know we are using correct grammar. It is something many of us need to keep in check. I do see a difference between mentioning common usage mistakes we all make at times, and pointing mistakes out to others who may have made those mistakes. I don't correct other people (unless they are my students, and not in front of others!) As much as I love to learn about grammar and prefer to use words correctly, I would rather be a gracious, kind woman who uses poor grammar, than an ungracious and unkind woman who has impeccable grammar!

These are the two I see a lot: to instead of too, alot instead of a lot. Katia, I was pointing out that you wrote it correctly :)

Since my name is "Donna" and because I grew up in New England with a strong Boston accent, I have personal experience with the "don" thingy. I always pronounced my name "Dawn-a". Then I went to college in central PA, and eventually married a guy from Indiana whose name is "John". (We were married four years before he told me (very gently) I said his name "wrong"!) I just call him "Hon" now, no more "Jawn". I love hearing other accents! My Boston accent is long gawn, but I can switch back in a nanosecond if I'm speaking fast or just trying to be the old me!

I see it alot, to! Two more I see all the time.

when I was under too much STRESS!

I just started doing this with my girls. . . I go to http://www.worksheetworks.com/english/writing/handwriting/handwriting-cursive-copy.html and type in the sentences they want to practice. The site makes a work sheet for them. It's pretty neat!

We've eaten them for years and we're all healthy!

Yes, they should be hard. The one that is soft probably got poked on the way home and the vacuum seal broke. You must bake A LOT to buy 2 one-pounders! I bake bread frequently, and one pound lasts here for weeks. Happy baking!

Try using a Magic Eraser. They take dirt off of everything!

Another vote for letting dc do the fake skating with old cotton socks and soapy (or just plain) warm water. The have a blast and I get a clean floor:001_smile:

If you want to learn more about "Nightshade Arthritis" you can vist www.noarthritis.com It's been about ten years since I realized that I am one who cannot tolerate the solanine content of the nightshade vegetables. When I abstain from eating them I feel like a completely different (and better) person! No stiffness, no joint pain, no insomnia. I know there are others out there, but sometimes I feel like the only one. Just looking for commiseration, I guess. The nightshade vegetables include white potatoes, peppers (of any kind), tomatoes and eggplant. I was a biology major, and I didn't realize that all of those vegetables were in the same family, Solanacea, until I had to find out what was wrong with my joints. Do you have this? Or if you have arthritis symptoms, have you tried to stay away from these vegetables and experienced improvement?

Place them in the dryer for just a few minutes, and then dry them the rest of the way hanging up. They will be soft.

Yes, you can save a lot of $. If you still like fluffy towels, but want to cut down on dryer use, place them in the dryer for 15 minutes or less and then dry them the rest of the way on line (clothesline, that is ;)).

From a Christian point of view you can look at Ten Things to do with Your Child Before Age Ten www.triviumpursuit.com

I just stumbled upon this thread and thought I would share a book that I just finished reading. It's called Christless Christianity by Michael Horton. Also, what was the "original thread" that others are mentioning?

You might be interested in this thread http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79861

I almost never say anything about his driving. I just shut my eyes, and try to relax, so that if we run into somebody, I won't be all stiff, making it harder to recover. LOL. This is hilarious!

Tracey, I hope this doesn't make you feel worse, but corn is a grain!

www.pluggedinonline.com is where you'll find a review. I would not take my child to a movie I haven't seen.