Thanks for posting the link, Amy. I hope Jessica starts to show some improvement soon. This is so horrible for her poor family. Cat

No, but I'm pretty sure it makes me OLD! I remember wearing those outfits. And the hair. Don't forget the hair! ;) Cat

Well.......... you're supposed to watch the Mom's Minutes....... but some Moms are a little on the lazy side (ok, me...) and don't go too crazy with the preparation. At first, you'll be kind of a lunatic about it, but then you'll learn that you don't always need all of the "stuff," and that your dc can watch the lessons and learn just as much without it. I still remember carefully counting out popsicle sticks to be sure I had exactly 100 for math class (second grade, I think!) and cutting out and sorting all of the little manipulatives into labeled envelopes, and making sure I had just the right number and colors of Unifix cubes. And that was just the beginning. I was such an idiot. I later learned that it's just as easy to only prepare the items that are used frequently, and have your dc ask you for anything else that's needed for the class when it actually happens on the DVD. Often, you don't really need it all. I also found that the majority of work was for math and science. The other classes required very little preparation. Sometimes, there was a little project for Heritage Studies or something, but the daily requirements for the classes were usually more along the lines of a pencil, some crayons, and maybe a sheet of paper. Even if you don't watch the Mom's Minutes, there's often a little screen at the beginning of the video class that tells the child what they'll need that day, so there are rarely any surprises. The Mom's Minutes are usually more about what your child will be learning that day, than they are about specific preparation instructions. (By that, I mean that they sound worse than they are -- they're really no big deal, just the teacher speaking directly to you about the objectives of the class. Additionally, not all classes have daily Mom's Minutes; some are less frequent.) I'm sure I'm coming across as the laziest mom on the planet, but I'm speaking from a BTDT perspective, and I've found a lot of ways to make life easier when using the DVDs. Cat

At the second grade level, I don't think I'd bother with them. Let's face it, we're not talking about incredible complexity here, and I'm sure you can come up with enough questions on your own, or just have your dd narrate the stories back to you in her own words, and then ask her to explain a few passages or see what she would think of the characters if she met them in her real life. When my ds was that age, I was a complete idiot. I bought all kinds of comprehension guides, thinking I'd need them, and when they arrived, I thought, "I paid 20 bucks for this... and 12.99 for this... and 24.99 for this???" The questions are generally pretty basic, and certainly not something you couldn't come up with on your own. Cat

I do, too, and hate to see more and more companies eliminating the printed book option. I know it costs them more money to offer the printed versions, but I will gladly pay extra for the convenience. And, as stupid as it sounds, it doesn't feel like a "real book" to me when I print pages and stick them in a binder. Guess I'm just getting old and crabby... :glare: Cat

Sorry, Megan! I didn't think to look for your location before I posted. Just having another one of my clueless days, I guess! :tongue_smilie: Cat

Same here. :( Ds would be so happy if we could meet just one nice friend for him. Cat

We have a Canon Rebel XSI and really like it. It's a step up from the "regular' Rebel, and apparently is the better purchase if you ever plan to get more serious about digital photography. I'm sure the Nikons are excellent, too. I read a ton of reviews for all of them before we chose the Canon, but I can't remember specifically why we picked it! Amazon often offers good package deals for Canons and Nikons, and I have also seen some deals at stores like Costco, BJs, and Sam's Club. Cat

If you can do P90X, even barely, none of Leslie's workouts will be even remotely challenging for you. But... they're great for a light day, or when you're recovering from illness or injury. I have almost all of her videos and DVDs (since way back when she was still Leslie Tommelleo... and I'm pretty sure I butchered that spelling,) and they all have their merits. I would recommend reading the reviews and searching the threads at Videofitness.com for tons of recommendations. You can also watch video previews at Collagevideo.com. Cat

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: Cat

:lol: :rofl: :smilielol5: :lol: Cat

We haven't used 8th grade, so I'm sorry to say I can't help you with any details, but if you call BJU, they can probably help you with that. I have called with questions in the past, and have always found the reps to be very helpful. You could also attend a motel meeting (which I highly recommend,) so you can see the actual books, view extensive DVD samples, and ask questions. As I've mentioned in other posts, it's not really a "meeting;" it's really just a big display, but the reps are there to answer your questions and help you decide what to order. Cat

I agree with Melissa about the DVDs (as usual!) and would add that we have always been finished with school by lunchtime, so we have not found the DVD program to be particularly long, or anywhere near a public school day, as another poster mentioned. Personally, I think there's a huge difference between the BJU DVDs and SOS -- we absolutely hated SOS! Cat

Maybe the principal was just jealous because the kid had nicer legs than he did. ;) Cat

Since the problem isn't your fault, and the book was grossly misrepresented, insist that the seller pay for return shipping. That may be enough to get him to simply issue you a refund and tell you to keep the book, as it won't be worth it to him to pay to have the book returned to him. You should not have to pay to return that book, because this isn't a matter of receiving it and not liking it. This is a workbook and it was used! If the seller doesn't comply, call Amazon about it. If you get a less-than-helpful rep, hang up and call again. Cat

The latest update from the KONOS Yahoo group: Cat

Do you think this would be good for my ds9? Would he get any real benefit out of it, or is this kit just another set of messy experiments that don't really "teach" anything? I have to admit I'm drooling over it, but I don't know if it's a smart purchase. Thanks! Cat

Another update from the Hulcy family that was posted to the KONOS Yahoo Group: I keep hoping that the next email will contain some better and more encouraging news. Jessica's family must be terrified. Cat

Here's an update from the KONOS Yahoo group: This sounds very serious and very scary. I'm praying for her here. I have never met Jessica or even communicated with her, but I keep picturing that funny, lively lady in her videos, and I'm so sad to think of her in the hospital in such serious condition. Cat

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: I am so sorry all of this is happening to you, RC. :grouphug: Cat

Heather, I'm so glad to hear you got everything off your chest and that it went well. I'll bet you'll sleep a lot better tonight than you did last night! :001_smile: Cat

I just posted to the other thread about this, and thought I would bump this up so more people can pray for Jessica. According to the KONOS Yahoo group, this sounds very serious. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't quote a post from another forum, but in this case, the Hulcy family is requesting prayers, so I will post the update from the KONOS group. If that's not ok, I understand if the moderators need to remove my post. I don't know the Hulcy family personally, but I've "known" them from KONOS books, videos, and the Yahoo group for years, and I pray that Jessica makes a complete recovery. Apparently, her vehicle was broadsided by a fire truck. Cat

Oh no!!! Praying now!!! I was just going through some of my KONOS stuff today, and it reminded me that I wanted to finish watching her video series that I bought a few years ago. She seems like such a lovely person, and I hope she will be ok. I've never met her, but I feel I "know" her from her books and videos, and I have tears in my eyes just thinking of her and her family. Please post an update if you hear anything new. I'm going to go check the Yahoo group to see if there's any more info. Thanks so much for posting, Amy! Cat PS. Maybe you could add her name to the title of your post, so everyone will know it's about Jessica Hulcy. I'm sure many of us are familiar with KONOS.

Same here, and when my throat is involved, it's almost always on one side. My tonsil swells up on that , and sometimes it goes away on its own (if I gargle with an apple cider vinegar and water solution,) and other times I need an antibiotic. When I go to the doctor, it's always a sinus infection or tonsillitus (which is often brought on by a sinus infection, or else the infection in my throat causes the sinus problems -- with me, it can be a vicious circle.) Occasionally I get a fever with it, but that's pretty rare. Do you have post nasal drip? That can cause a nasty sore throat, too! (And it's all part of the sinus thing.) Cat

:lol::lol::lol: The longer I homeschool, the more I think that asylums may be under-rated. Think about it... when was the last time someone served you three meals a day, cleaned up after you, let you wander aimlessly around the yard, and had you take naps in the afternoon? And that's not even mentioning the happy, mind-altering drugs they give you. The whole asylum thing is starting to sound better and better... ;) Cat