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HeWillSoar

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Posts posted by HeWillSoar

  1. Is this a good program for older kids?  My middle schooler took the highest placement test (level C) and got them all correct.  It says it is not recommended to start higher than book C.  He and my older high school son are still behind in spelling so I want to keep working on this. 

     

    I thought I had decided on Sequential Spelling but now I'm also considering Megawords or Apples and Pears (because I hear such good things).   It needs to be easy to implement as well as effective. 

  2. Those comments never really bothered me but I couldn't really relate either.  When my kids were in public school,  I loved the lazy days of summer without the hustle and bustle of school, getting up early, constant phone calls and fundraisers, plus the kids being there over seven hours a day.  I would just smile but no, I wasn't ready for all of that. 

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  3. I got my set of stainless Calphalon at Bed, Bath and Beyond using a coupon so it wasn't too expensive.  I fully expect them to last forever.  My MIL gave me a set Revere stainless pans that are also still going strong--over 20 years now!  One lid (plastic) broke over that time and the company sent a new one.

     

    There is a little difference in cooking.  You have to heat the pan up first before you put anything in it, and you need to use some sort of oil (at least I do).  I'm sure you can find tons of youtube videos to show you how to use them but it's really not hard. 

  4. We have a good year planned, I think.   We'll be trying IEW for the first time, and Runkle Physical Geography should be interesting (and maybe some field trips to caverns, gem mining).  What I am most excited about is MIT Kitchen Chemistry, our culinary arts elective and possibly the Great Courses cooking dvd if we decide to extend it out all year.  Even if my son changes his mind on becoming a chef, he will use these skills his whole life. 

     

    Also, we are no longer going to be following the public school schedule.  I did that because my oldest was in public school but now he has graduated so it's not an issue.  I planned on having larger blocks of time off instead of a day here and a day there.

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  5. I love, love, love Caesar's English.  We have been doing this together, just a short time each day, and are now half way through book two.  The books have a lot of review and only five words or stems a week so the kids have really learned most of these words/stems and it has increased my vocabulary as well, and I love that I actually come across the words when I'm reading. In fact, last night I made flash cards to use when we are finished with the book so that we can keep practicing after the book is done. 

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  6. The only idea I have at this point is cheesy chicken rice casserole on the Carnation website.  Last week I made chicken and shrimp fried rice, lasagna (double batch lasted two days and also lunch), chicken wraps.   Maybe I'll get dh to grill some chicken legs. 

  7. I hope you have a good time!  Sometimes I like bring my own bread or buns (put them in baggies individually) because usually there is some meat or lunchmeat you can add.  Also, protein bars can fill in for a meal with some fruit.  Pistachios.  Bananas travel well. 

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  8. I am not one for keeping up with brand new music. I don't go looking often. However, I was on a music hunt yesterday and adding all sorts of new (or new-to-me) music to my player. I actually laughed out loud at myself when I started playing the songs on shuffle.

     

    I went from a song from Moana (Disney movie) to a My Chemical Romance song (alt), to Need to Breathe (Christian), Imagine Dragons (alt/rock?), Carry on my wayward son (older rock?), Toby Mac (Christian-rap)  :lol:  then I hit a song from the Top Gun soundtrack.

     

    So, I was looking at my top 10 and realized that, yep, I'm a weird one.  :lol:  I also realized that, though I'm a Christian and love most Christian music, I wouldn't want to explain my music list to my Pastor. My taste for Alternative rock* music has held strong through youth... though dd was labeling some of it Emo... :001_rolleyes:  whatever.

     

    *(of course one can be a (insert faith here) and still listen to any form of music. I just acknowledge that my Pastor is both nosy and quite more conservative than me)

     

    I love MCR!  I can go from them to Opera, Rap that I listened to back in the day, Garth Brooks (only country I like), Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Classic Rock.  All over the place!  Oh yes, alternative like The Smiths--yeah my kids call it Emo. 

     

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  9. DD's are on the dining room table where they have been since May 28th.  I am now down to begging to just do the grandparents.  Please.  I even provided her all the addresses.  What is the problem here??  But DH said he didn't do his for graduation and still feels guilty about it to this day.  *sigh*

     

    Maybe he'll thank me one day!!!  He ended up getting mad at me at one point and walking off because he didn't like me telling him he needed to write more than just "thank you for the money." 

     

    I sat there along side him and addressed the envelopes.  Maybe that's too much hand holding but I wanted to get them done because I'm going to be the one who looks bad if they aren't done, and these people deserve a proper thank you!

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  10. I started with various dumbbells, and a long step with 5 risers for each side to use as a bench for chest work. I later added a barbell and exercise ball. I also have exercise bands in various tensions, tubing in different tensions, a weighted vest and gloves. I use exercise videos by cathe friedrich.

     

    I wish I wouldn't have gotten rid of my step!

  11. I'm interested in this too - I need to get started doing some strength exercises.  I'm kind of lost on where to start, its been so long since I've done anything like that.

     

    HeWillSoar, what kind of arm exercises were you doing?

     

    I've been doing mostly bicept curls, hammer curls, overhead press, bent over row and tricept kickbacks.  I had to look them up to get the correct names, lol.  Also squats.  I just saw on Pinterest there are some nice charts of different exercises to do.  I just kept the weights in my bathroom and it takes almost no time. 

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  12. Oh I do have a set of kettlebells  They could add some variety.  My son, who lifts weights at a gym, has told me a couple times to watch videos to make sure I don't throw my back out.  I'm trying to just slowly work up.  I put that book in my Amazon cart.  Thank you!

  13. I'm interested in adding to my at home routine since I'm not a member of a gym.  For months now, I've done arm exercises in my bathroom before my shower.  Just a few minutes a night, but I've went from five pounds to 20 and I can see definition in my arms that I've never had!!!  It's kind of exciting!  Now I'm inspired to do more so I bought a barbell and am looking for a good bench.  I'm trying to build some muscle to help boost my metabolism since I struggle with my weight. 

     

    Any tips or advice?  I'd love to hear what you do, where you started and where you are now. 

     

     

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  14. We don't have requirement although I have followed the ps shedule of 180 days.  This is the first year that I'm doing our own schedule and instead of a teacher's workday here and there and random holidays, we are going to take chunks of time off.  I think it puts us at 175.  Mainly, I just want to have enough weeks to finish our curriculum.   When my kids were in public school, the last week was mainly cleaning out desks and watching movies.  It didn't seem like they did much.

  15. I'm in a major rut right now myself.  The other day the thought of dinner just hung over my head and I just could not think of anything to make.  The kids weren't much help with ideas either.  I ended up getting some chicken tenderloins and cooking them on the Foreman Grill to make wraps with.  Then I got another pack to make chicken parmesan the next day.  Now again, out of ideas. Normally I have a plan and am pretty good about having a home cooked meal during the week but right now it's such a struggle!! 

     

    My lazy ideas (that everyone is tired of) are rotisserie chicken and Bob Evans mac and cheese, frozen ravioli with marinara sauce and cheese quesadillas. 

     

    And I agree, salads are a pain to make.  I guess you could get the bagged salad. 

    • Like 1
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