Just that it was hard to be constantly flipping back and forth between books, and that I didn't find that the explanations were very "user-friendly." And, FWIW, neither did the kids. I just truly don't care for the layout in the Henle, either within the book, or in the 2-book set up. I really feel that the point of learning Latin is that it is such an organized and logically designed language. By not teaching it with that in mind, I think one loses the main reason for studying it. YMMV, of course. Good luck!

Yes! Fantastic books! Also the Edith Nesbit books. And Birdsall's The Penderwicks! Similar in style to both, but set in modern US--really fun for all ages, but eminently suitable for that age. Also, The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsey; it's Australian, and one of the funniest kids books ever. See here.

Colleen, I hate to say this, but I found the grammar book next to useless. :) The following year, we had a class, rather than a small group, and switched to using Wheelock. It has the foundation of first principles that I consider essential. If you have other questions about using both books, I would be happy to give you what help I can. :001_smile:

I taught Henle in a small group setting, and didn't use the guides except as a scheduling guideline. I didn't find, however, that Henle gave my students a good grasp of the grammatical principles involved. I felt like there would be eg. "vocabitis means you (pl) will call" rather than teaching how to get to voacabitis from vocare. YMMV. Good luck!

:lol: We probably do--except that I don't have one! :tongue_smilie:Maybe I should??

Some of them are heavy on the magic side, I agree, altho' the Star of Kazan, and the Beasts of Clawstone Castle are not so much. Ooh! I forgot--Susan Cooper's The Boggart, and its sequel, whose title escapes me at the moment. Very cool intersection of old-myth magic with technology (boy character is a big computer type). I love her books. My DH read all of the Dark is Rising Series to my kiddos this past year, with the youngest listener being my 6 y-o, so you might like those too.

Yes! Exactly!

I forgot about Prydain! No, I think your son would be fine with those. The covers are not an accurate representation of the stories. :) My sisters and I wrote a dramatized version of the first book, and put it on for my parents. :) Most of Lloyd Alexander's books should be fine for him, I'd say. I enjoyed the Hobbit at that age, for whatever that's worth. :) And Tolkien did write it for his kids. ETA: has he tried the Freddy Pig books, like Freddy the Detective? He might like those if he enjoyed the Dick King Smith ones. And yes, definitely Rascal!

The Seven Year-Old Wonder Book, by Isabel Wyatt--very sweet, but never sappy. :) Neither my kids nor I got into Redwall; I feel like every other scene is a meal! :tongue_smilie: I second the Green Knowe stories; a couple are a bit scary, but not overdone. James Herriot? The Hobbit? MY little sis read LOTR at that age, so maybe that too? Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by J.L. Latham The Indian In the Cupboard series. Good clean fun. :) Eva Ibbotson's books, including The Secret of Platform 13, and The Star of Kazan, and The Beasts of Clawstone Castle Cornelia Funke's The Thief Lord, and Igraine the Brave, and Dragonrider (wait on the Inkheart series--good, but sounds like too intense for your DS) Pippi Longstocking; Mio, My Son; Ronia, Robber's Daughter (my FAVORITE!); The Brothers Lionheart, all by Astrid Lindgren Tove Jansson's Moomintroll books--cute, funny, and unlike anything else I have ever read

As a kinda-secular liberal, I think your list looks excellent. :) For me, though, excellence in writing trumps agenda every time, so I cannot speak for her. :)

These aren't really "family movie night" movies in our house, but the Scholastic Videos of good-quality picture books are wholesome and pleasant. They're about an hour long each, and each contains between 3-6 books. Even my 11.5 y-o dds will watch them without grumbling when we borrow them from the library. As far as family movies, my kids have enjoyed the old Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton movies (available from Netflix); Errol Flynn version of Robin Hood; My Fair Lady; Fred Astaire/Gene Kelley dance musicals; Babe; the original film version of Dr. Doolittle with Rex Harrison; Prairie Pirates; old disney movies like the Apple Dumpling Gang and Swiss Family Robinson; Heidi; A Little Princess; the Secret Garden; Little Women; old episodes of the Muppet Show; the original Star Wars; the mini-series Dinotopia; hmmm. If I think of something to add, I will come back. :)

No advice, but lots of:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:. I hope that someone has some words of wisdom for you, and that you're able to find peace.

There's always the McGuffey's Primer (and all the others too! :)); that's what we use around here. :)

I don't follow this at all--what would that even mean? That seems analogous to being "pro-blondeness" or "anti-left-handedness." It's a description of a state, not something which we can change based on our attitudes.

You ladies are so sweet! :grouphug:I do feel that a weight has been lifted, at least for a while. Now, on to cleaning our the storage room... :tongue_smilie:

By the way, congrats both on your twins and on cloth diapering them! I did that 11 years ago with my twin dds. Happy CDing!:D Caitilin

We finally got our school area reorganized, and all the books and supplies where they need to be, and our new maps on the walls! I finally have the feeling that we will be able to begin (again!) in September. :party: Nothing like a little shot of "the little things" to make you feel like you can accomplish the "big" ones! :D

what is the reason for the 2/3 of the year veganism? I have seen Orthodox6 mention this on several occasions, but I was completely unaware of this facet of Orthodox practice. Can I have the "for Dummies" explanation?:001_smile:

but I don't know if they are sold out now. :)

Amen, sister. This is excellent. I will have to remember this. :001_smile:

You can sautee it (yes, I know) with onions and garlic, and then run it through the blender or food processor, and freeze it. It makes a nice pasta sauce, if you add parmesan and/or cream to it; or a soup stock for later use. :) And you can use it in all the same ways you would zukes... :) I feel your pain--we have summer squash burgeoning here too!

about living in Oklahoma. :tongue_smilie: When we drove through recently, my dh said, "we should open up a franchise in Sioux Falls!" I'd be down with that...

I am not sure if it's exactly what you're looking for, but it is Waldorf in its general approach, and it might give you some good ideas. :001_smile: Oak Meadow I hope you find what you need! All the best to you!

Tide of any kind bothers my skin. Have you tried a more "natural" brand of detergent? We like Seventh Generation, and Ecos, both of which have Free and Clear versions. Also, I have used a handmade (but not by me) soap; I will try to dig up the link. Here you go! Or, have you thought about using soapnuts? All the best to you in your quest! :001_smile:

Ok, so I have always read really, REALLY fast, but I would never have guessed that the totals would be like that test says. Apparently I read 961 wpm, with 82% comprehension. Like a previous poster, I felt that all the numeric stuff messed me up; I could have read straight text a lot faster! :tongue_smilie:I guess I won't be in the market for their software! It's good to know that other people have a similar experience, though. I have also frequently gotten the "well, you can't really be reading it if you go that fast" line. Thanks for the link, OP! Caitilin