The DVDs might be an excellent option for you, because the video teachers speak directly to the camera, and many of them are so good at it, so it really seems like they're talking with your child. There are a few duds, of course, but most of the teachers are quite good, and may be able to hold your dd's attention better than if she were working on her own from a textbook or worktext. Cat

:iagree::iagree::iagree: Cat

It would be even more of a surprise if you took the kids, dropped them off at her door, and ran away. You'd have to go back and get them, though... eventually... ;) Cat

I'm planning on a very special Mother's Day this year, where I act surprised when I'm given a whirlwind trip of Europe, followed by a week at an exclusive spa, and then another week on a tropical island. That's my plan. Sadly, my dh and ds probably have other ideas. :glare: Cat

We have used the BJU DVDs for the past few years, and Science and History were our favorite subjects! I also think BJU English is very well-done. We've found the Reading program to be ok, but quite easy. The Spelling is hit and miss for us, depending on the teacher. I'm not excited about BJU's Spelling in general, though. BJU 4th grade math was such a bust for us that we're considering something new for next year. The DVD teacher had a way of complicating the simplest of tasks, and I ended up teaching ds on my own. Hopefully, the 5th grade teacher is better. (I haven't checked to see who it is.) Cat

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

Personally, I wouldn't have a problem with it. Kids are naturally curious, and you can't shelter your ds from every topic you don't believe in. He probably just thinks it's kind of cool to imagine interesting aliens and ghosts, and wondering what they would be like. I don't think that equates to anything evil or Satanic. It's probably more of a "science fiction" thing to him, rather than something he sees as being "real." Realistically, even if he starts to believe some of what he reads, it's an excellent opportunity for you to start a conversation on what you believe and why you feel as you do. Perhaps, too, as he researches and writes his paper, he may come to the conclusion (on his own) that he agrees with your point of view. I agree that if you forbid him to read about these topics, it will probably backfire on you. That's why I think you should let him do the paper -- it will give you a great excuse to spend time talking about the subject matter in an "educational" way, without appearing to be too preachy. (You can ask him for concrete, valid support of the different theories, etc.) Cat

:iagree: Let's face it, if there's one person on the planet who knows the truth, it's your mom -- unless the "switched at the hospital" scenario is true. Is there any way of getting in touch with the other girl (well, woman!) that you knew from church? It's an unlikely coincidence, but stranger things have happened. I'm sorry you're worrying about this -- the good thing is that both of your parents are still alive, so you have an opportunity to learn the truth, if you decide to pursue it. Personally, I would want to know the truth, but not necessarily because I'd want to go off on a search for a long-lost parent. Whatever you decide to do, good luck, and :grouphug:. Cat

:iagree: At first, TWTM can seem quite daunting, and I must admit that when I bought my first copy of the book (oldest edition,) I read part of it and ran away screaming. Well, ok, maybe I didn't run away screaming, but I put the book away, never to be seen again. Then... with much trepidation... I bought the 2nd edition when it was released... I have to tell you that I was a bit nervous about reading it, convinced that I would end up sitting on the couch in tears over what an abject failure I was at homeschooling and how everyone else's kids were probably already fluent in Ancient Greek and Latin, and doing calculus at 5, and my ds wasn't, all because I hadn't followed The Book (WTM) to the letter and forced my ds to spend 15 hours a day on his schoolwork. But I read it anyway. And it was nothing like I'd imagined. Because I read the whole book. I'd only read snippets here and there when I bought the first edition, and I completely missed out on SWB and JW's true message. Had I not been so lazy (and worried that I might read something that would have entailed more work for myself,) I would have gotten so much more out of that first book. So... my best advice is to read the whole book and then go back and look at the "details," to see what will work best for you. I would guess that very few of us follow TWTM to the letter -- I know I don't -- but the philosophy is what appeals to us. I think it's all about the overall goals; at least that's what TWTM has done for me. SWB and JB have given me a basic outline to follow and myriad wonderful ideas for achieving a successful homeschool experience for my ds. Sorry to ramble, but it's what I do best. (Now, if I could just start making more sense...) Cat

Karen -- I recently bought a complete set of Year 1 Redesigned at our local curriculum fair, but I haven't had much time to go through it. I saw a thread earlier today that made it sound (to me) as though Year 1 was a lot more Bible-oriented than I'd originally thought when I skimmed through it, so I thought I'd post my own thread to see if that was really the case. I'm not "anti-Bible" by any means, but I generally use secular resources for history. I just checked out the link to your website, and found so much wonderful information there -- I remember having bookmarked it a few weeks ago, but of course, things got busy and I forgot all about it. I won't forget again this time! Heather -- Thanks for the info about the secular resources. I was getting worried that TOG wouldn't work for me. I'm currently in a quandary as to what to use next year, anyway, as I'd already bought Oak Meadow Fifth Grade, and then found TOG at the curriculum fair. And then there's always our "tried and true" BJU DVDs... I hate all this confusion! Thanks again, Karen and Heather! Cat

:grouphug:Paige:grouphug: I hope everything works out for you -- and your son sounds like an absolutely wonderful young man, so you must be a great mom! Cat

Thank you so much for posting the update, and thank God the tumor was benign!!! Cat

Anyone? Cat

I just read HappyGrace's thread about the biblical tie-ins for TOG Redesigned Year 1, and I have a similar question -- that goes in the opposing direction! I'm wondering if there's any way to lighten up the Bible portion of TOG Year 1 Redesigned. I don't necessarily want to totally secularize it, as I know that's probably not even possible. However, I don't want to teach ancient history entirely from a biblical point of view; I want to include secular resources as well. Thanks for any ideas anyone can provide! Cat

We use the BJU DVDs and are always completely finished with everything (including the written work,) before lunch. We use 4th grade, so maybe the lessons are longer for the upper grades? Cat Edited to add: The running times of all of the lessons are listed somewhere on the BJU website, or you could call customer service and they will give you all of the information you need.

I agree. The agent must have thought enough of your writing if she took the time to write a personal note... or at least that's what all of my bazillion "how to get published" books have said. I think you should consider it encouraging that the agent wrote the note. I also think it may be worthwhile to make a few phone calls before submitting your query to different agents, to see if they handle books like yours. Otherwise, you may be wasting their time -- and setting yourself up for a long waiting game to hear back from them, only to be disappointed in the response. Anyway, if you keep getting personal notes, it means your writing is good. You're just sending it to the wrong people (or you need to consider the possibility of writing about different topics if you want to get published more easily.) Good luck!!! :grouphug: Cat

I'll be watching for updates, too -- I hope he's ok! Cat

:lol::lol::lol::lol: I love that one! (But I'll bet the BIL wouldn't have understood what she meant...) Cat

I'm so glad to hear that I'm not the only one! Cat

Sue G -- thanks for posting the update. I honestly think you're handling this in the best way possible for your dd. I completely understand your post and how you and your dh are feeling about this, and I can also understand that your dd is truly remorseful. I thought you and your dh made the right decision about the trip, and I think your dd is lucky to have such concerned parents. I'm sure you will all find a way to work through your dd's anger issues, and perhaps much of her behavior can be linked to feeling lonely and frustrated about not having many friends. Maybe she also feels a bit "lost in the crowd" in a large family, or that her behavior is singled out because she thinks you want her to set a good example for her younger siblings? Does she feel that you're comparing her unfavorably to the other kids who have milder personalities? (I have no clue about any of this -- I'm really just grasping at straws here!) Anyway, you sound like a great mom to me, and I'm sure your dd is a wonderful kid, too. You'll find a way to make it all work; it just won't happen overnight. Personally, I am tremendously encouraged by the fact that your dd was genuinely remorseful for her behavior; it tells me that she's a good kid with a kind heart, who needs to find a better way to express her feelings when she gets upset. That's a whole different thing from a child that hurts others and doesn't care. Cat

My ds will be doing OM Fifth Grade, too! We're finishing up our BJU DVDs (well, "finishing up" may be a bit premature... ;)) and I can't wait for a change. Part of me is considering buying the BJU DVDs to use for a few subjects, just for some variety... and I already bought Tapestry of Grace Year 1 Redesigned, but it's Year 1, and I'd like to stick with American History, so I guess TOG will sit on the shelf this year... and I have tons of Sonlight that I kept buying even after it was clear it wasn't working for us (but the American History-related books could go along with OM Fifth,) and then there's WinterPromise American Story 1 (but I keep telling myself we could use some of those books with OM, too...) I am the Queen of Rationalization. I have to admit that using BJU DVDs was a no-brainer, and far less stressful decision-wise, because I could place the order at a motel meeting and try never to look at anything else. This forum, and any kind of book sale or curriculum fair, are my downfalls. I'm always finding the "next best thing," and once I buy stuff, I never seem to be able to part with it. Don't even ask me how many writing programs and history books I bought at our local used curriculum sale last month. (They were cheap and I couldn't resist!) Anyway, I'm more excited about Oak Meadow than anything else I've found, and ds seems to really like it, too. I have the third grade package (bought cheap on eBay) and ds just loves the Folk Tales book, even though there are no pictures. He actually brings me the book and asks me to read him a story... and this is the kid who hated read-alouds and would grab the book and say, "Just let me read it myself -- it's faster!" I particularly like the general philosophy of Oak Meadow, which seemed a little weird and new-agey to me a few years ago. After homeschooling for several years now, I've reconsidered a lot of my old, traditional views about education and I have to admit that I wish I'd used OM from the start. (At the time, it seemed "too easy" for my gifted ds, which in retrospect wouldn't have been the end of the world, and we probably would have had a lot more fun!) What have you been using? Cat

I hope we hear something soon. I have never had it take this long to get into a Yahoo group, and I really want to be a part of the OM group. It doesn't seem like the most popular curriculum (possibly because it's secular -- or because, at first glance, it can seem a little "new-agey?") and I could really use the support from an active group. I wish there was a way to contact the list owner to ask what's going on. I'd be glad to help her out in any way that I could. Cat

:lurk5: No advice here -- I'm feeling the same way you are, so I'm pulling up a chair and waiting for all of the wise words of advice! Cat

Forever. I am a pack rat when it comes to curriculum. I am also a complete idiot. :rolleyes: Cat

Well, I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm glad you didn't take away the trip. I don't think it would have solved anything, and you also would have been punishing your dd's friend, who (I'm sure) is looking forward to a great day with your dd. I wish I knew what to suggest as a reasonable consequence for your dd's actions. Honestly, I feel badly for your dh, as I'm sure that about 30 seconds after he punished your dd, he probably regretted it and wished he'd managed to control his quick (and understandable at that moment!) response to your dd's actions. Now, both you and your dh are in a tough position, because it's obvious that your dd can't be permitted to raise her hand to a parent, but it also seems that the solution should be somehow related to demonstrating respect for her dad. I keep coming back to the idea that maybe your dd and her dad could do something special together that's "work," but can still be a fun, bonding time for them. I just wish I had the slightest clue as to what that might be. It's difficult because you don't want to seem "too soft," yet punitive punishments often seem to backfire into creating more aggression. Good luck, and I hope you'll let us know what you decide to do. Cat Edited to add: Under most circumstances, I would have let the punishment stand, but I thought that, in this case, taking away the trip was excessive. Your dh really needs to think before he speaks, because it's so easy (for all of us) to make threats that we will regret 10 minutes later, and backing down on a punishment is not usually a good example to set.