My kids love the puzzles from those books. We end up taking a photo of the puzzle then putting each puzzle into its own Ziploc bag. They then use the book for whatever they want.

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Oh, so shouldn't have opened this thread. :eek::svengo:

My husband works in a field where he has constant interaction with hundreds of strangers daily. We get exposed to more germs from him going to work that he could possibly expose others to by going. He is diligent about wiping down all surfaces, phones doors etc during the cold/flu season.

I'm finding the varying public school experiences really interesting. I was thrilled when the Principal at my children's school said very clearly to the parents. "I want your children to be able to go visit grandparents when it is convenient for your family. Grandparents and other family experiences are important. Just please do us a favor and find some kind of educational explanation for the trip. It is okay to go overboard on your explanation. I will approve it. But I need to keep the school within code." Yes, It is annoying that he had to say it in the first place but I love that he openly gave the parents permission to do those thigns without penalty.

Right.:) I would actually be pleased to find a Christian curriculum that was more emergent progressive leaning. I almost always avoid the faith based curriculum because the ones I've seen are very conservative and we are not. I also don't really put Rick Warren in the emergent church catagory. And having read the book it really isn't anything earth shaking in content.

We don't like them either.

My hair went from stick straight as a child to mildly waving through my teen years to curly after having 3 children. And like you said the curls are delicate. One mismanage and you've got frizz on your hands. It took a while but I found I can't wash every day. I have to have layers cut to my waves/curls and a little conditioner goes a long way.

THis sounds so nice. I'd prefer that to the way we're taught to do it. -Bigger is better -Climbing laundry mountain once a week -Not being permitted to hand laundry because it is unsightly -weekly or bi-monthly trips to the village simulated grocery mall to purchase apples from Chile and strawberries from Mexico. -driving to the post office half a mile down the road because it isn't safe to walk on the road. :tongue_smilie:

What stuck out to me was that the tone was not just against homeschooling. It was negative toward any woman who would choose to leave a career and possibly live on one income to be personally fulfilled in their life. Yes, it is possible to be personally fulfilled when you are not doing something for yourself but because it benefits someone else.

SO what are you supposed to do then when you run out of laundry detergent to wash all the dirty sheets, towels and handkerchiefs from someone being sick or you find you need to get a prescription filled? I'm not being snarky or anything. I'm genuinely curious what the solution is. I'd love to stay home entirely but lately I've been on my own with my husband traveling. I've had all three of my kids find some kind of sickness for the past two weeks. I have to go. I don't have any other option. :sad:

But the meeting was mandatory right? So even though they are adults they weren't given the freedom to not attend an even filled with religious teaching. I'd scour the handbook before I made any contact. Also because it would give me time to cool off.

I smell like eucalyptus, mint and coffee. I do much better with essential oils than with actual perfumes. I also sometimes smell like lemon and tea tree oil. That is mostly in the summer.

There is always a roll of TP out and available in both of our bathrooms.:) ETA: If we are having a party or something then the bin for the cloth has been emptied, the cloth is washed and the bin isn't even in the bathroom at all.

Yeah, we get this too. The other night they were reading to each other. I slyly watched and listened from the kitchen.

I've chosen to view the public school as a partner in education. I went through the past two years with the opposite view and it did nothing to help my daughter's education experience. Sure there are things I don't like. Public School isn't what I think is ideal for our family but it is what is practical for us right now and the best of the options on the table. I'm sure there will be teachers down the road that won't be as accommodating but so far I've had a positive experience with the teachers and administration of the school to make it the most positive experience possible for our children. I've also chosen to only speak of my frustrations with school to my husband away from the children's ears unless it is something that I need to take big action on. It becomes really confusing for them to know that mom or dad don't like the school because they then start to think they shouldn't like it either and that seeps into the effort they put into their work and how they respect the teacher.

Me too. I don't have incisors on the top. I had braces. It wasn't a permanent solution because I also don't have wisdom teeth on the top so there is just too much space and the teeth didn't stay where they were moved. I even have a small mouth and I'm still self conscious of it.

I'd go to farmers market with 4xs my normal amount. We'd purchase the ethically raised meats, local and organic veggies, fair trade organic coffee, the good cheese and filll the rest in with great wine and chocolate.:)

That is a lot for a family of 3. I can eat all organic, stocked pantry for $1000 a month for our family of 5. However, it really depends on where we shop. Also my grocery budget is only food that people are going to consume. I don't count household into my food budget because honestly when push comes to shove usually the household items get cut first.

coffee and sugar

We heat with wood. This year the cold came quicker than we were ready for so we are impatiently waiting on our chimney sweeping before we can start a fire. I really don't like our furnace.

My kids liked WeeBee Tunes. We would watch a video and then we'd pick a country to look into more at the library.:)

I do take into consideration my children's opinion when deciding on a schooling option. Unfortunately this year I couldn't act on their input. Last year I had one at home and one at school and one not doing school yet. If they had their way they would have continued on that course. Academically we afterschool to build up strengths where I feel the school isn't strong enough or my child isn't challenged enough.

For me legalism is a belief where there is no room for grace and mercy.

Yes. Just like I permit my children cupcakes once in a while as a regular old snack. I won't classify an entire genre as twaddle either. As it is right now, my children pick about one book a week on their own. We read much more than that. I also read twaddle on occasion. There are just time when I want to be mindlessly entertained.