Here's our favorite recipe. Oatmeal Cookies "the Best" 3 eggs 1 cup raisins 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup butter 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup white sugar 1 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 2 tsps. baking soda 2 cups oatmeal 3/4 cup chopped nuts Combine eggs, raisins and vanilla and let stand for one hour, covered with plastic wrap. Cream together butter and sugars. Add flour, salt, cinnamon and soda to sugar mixture. Mix well. Blend in egg-raisin mixture, oatmeal and chopped nuts. Dough will be stiff. ( I mix with my hands at this point). and flatten slightly on cookie sheet. Bake @ 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Yummy!!

ME TOO!:001_smile:

We've done gymnastics, tap, swimming, and softball in the past. Right now dds 15,13,10,9, & 5 are in American Kenpo Karate. We've been doing that for 3 years. We dropped the softball a couple of years ago when both became just too much! dd 6 feels his best sport is MarioKart racing, if only cyber activities built muscle!:D

So, are you saying that your son is spending 4+ hours per day on the computer doing something other than academics? If this is the case I think it is a problem, or could become one if not addressed. Maybe talk with him about your concerns. Does he even realize how much time he is spending online? Talk with him about his goals, things he is interested in, things he would like to do. Make some plans/goals together. If he isn't quite ready to make some decisions hinself help him out. If it were my child I would be concerned with the unwise use of time. There are so many avenues to gain knowledge, maybe your son needs a fresh perspective?

Faithe, I have to say your post bowled me over. No mother/wife/daughter/aunt/grandmother is easily replaced. Another person may be able to fulfill some of your roles as housekeeper or teacher but they could never replace who you are to those you love. I am sure your family would say the same thing if given the chance. If that is the attitude your taking any member of your family, including your husband, is easily replaced. As to the original question: We have provisions to do the same thing for our family if I or DH were to become too ill to provide or pass away. DH would be able to quit working and take care of the children including schooling until the youngest was out of the house.

I second Eat to Live. I lost 12 lbs. in 12 days. No exercise. The book has some amazing insights that will change the way you view eating. My skin looked better, I had more energy, and I didn't have to go to a meeting, log onto a site, or buy meals.

Thanks Susan! I'll check it out. Anyone else, maybe web based forums?

The worst I can remember in recent memory is "Premonition" with Sandra Bullock, just when you think it will end well the whole thing goes up in smoke. I was so mad, I hardly ever get to the theater, and I hate dropping almost $10 for nothing! I have a friend who won't read or watch anything remotely fiction.. I know it boggles the mind. I always tell her that I get enough of "real" life most days and who doesn't want a little feel good sappy romance injected into the mix?

I had a booth a couple of years ago and the hottest items were the rubber band guns and the marshmallow guns my nephew was selling!

Congratulations! Her name is lovely.

We have this one and the kids really enjoy it. http://www.amazon.com/Oregon-Scientific-Smart-Globe-Deluxe/dp/B000Q64HRA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=office-products&qid=1252274680&sr=8-2

We write 1 large research paper per year, this is anywhere from 4-5 pages up to 10-12. I also assign a weekly paper, analysis, compare/contrast, themes, setting, memoir, poetry, non-research fun papers, etc. This practice helps them to develop the skills needed for a larger more in depth research paper.

Sonlight Level 3 + 4 is a one yr. American History curriculum, although your boys are kind of young and I preferred the two year study. My older dds are using Sonlight 100 this year and I'm winging it with my younger kids. I'm using lots of American History early reader books from the library and adding in activity books like: Lewis & Clark for Kids, Coloring books, History Pockets, Interactive 3-D Maps:American History, Pioneer Cookbook, If You Lived in... books, The American Story, The Encyclopedia of American History, A First Book in American History,etc. I'm also adding in American composers and artists studies.

The links provided don't say that they don't "meet" California standards, it states that they don't align well. It also states that they are great programs. It doesn't seem to mean that doing them is detrimental to your child's education at all. If your child is required to take certain tests maybe you need to look at the scope & sequence, figure out if anything is missing and study it. I agree that as far as the teacher goes I would give her the information you have received here. MUS also doesn't align with California requirements and plenty of kids use the program and excel. I do not use any of these programs, just trying to give my unbiased opinion!:001_smile:

Perhaps it is referring to a satyr? From Greek mythology these are the troup of males that accompany Pan and Dionysus.

My daughter has been studying Rosetta Italian for some time now. I didn't even know that the company had workbooks, and all kinds of stuff until we got my other dd the French set. Does anyone have any suggestions for supplements for the Italian? Thanks!

:iagree: although I did not see the aforementioned original lesson plan. While we are not Obama "fans", my children and I watched the inauguration and other events with great reverence for our nation and the hurdles that we have managed to climb over, keeping in mind that there are still many more.:001_smile:

:iagree: This is what I do. Sometimes it's simply complaining about what they have to do so I add another, they stop whining pretty quickly!:D

I would not be happy to find a question phrased that way and directed toward my child in any textbook. I have used Horizons math for years and can only recall once seeing a cross when the kids filled in a puzzle, other than that I have not seen any quotations or questions of a religious nature.

What beautiful thoughts. I am so happy for you that you are experiencing these wonderful moments in your life. Have a lovely birthday.

Definitely don't take it personally. If he thinks your 20 lbs. has anything to do with his reputation disabuse him of the assumption immediately. It's more likely it has to do with his birth!:D Next, I would inform him that he doesn't need to be concerned about being seen with you in public because the public won't be seeing him until he can find the humility to treat you with respect. I also would sit down with him, the three of you- dh included, have a heart to heart. Don't make it a yelling match, find out where these feelings and attitudes are coming from. Let him know how his words make you feel. Perhaps he has started hanging out with kids who speak and think this way? Yes, the teenage years are hard, yes, they deal with a lot of emotions and questions. No, you do not have to allow that kind of behavior, and no, you are not a fat, gray, old doormat!:D :grouphug::grouphug:

Praying for the Klicka family, they are an inspiration.

:party:Congratulations- what an awesome opportunity!

We started 100 EZ Lessons and are continuing with that along with BOB books. We are using FLL 1&2, finishing up RightStart Math Level A and moving to Level B, using Artistic Pursuits K-3 book 1, starting piano instruction, listening to lots of music and learning about composers, we are studying plants, human body, and space (combined with my 1st & 3rd graders), we are also studying US History/Geography using living books and activities.

This is our experience as well. I have used SL cores: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,100, 1+2, and 3+4. Core K was our least favorite. My daughter loved Core 5. I love history so I can't say which of the others I liked best although doing a 2 year rotation was better than squeezing the info into 1. I have managed to combine many age groups and used different Language arts guides to accommodate either older or younger children. We do not use the bible curriculum and sometimes dropped books with a more religious bent to them. If you order a Sonlight catalog they devote an entire section to reasons why you should or should not use their curriculum. I have never bought a core brand new. I always find them used, using eBay, the used forum at Sonlight, Vegsource, etc, and the library.