I'd want to just get it over with. I'd send her an email and say, "So, this might seem kind of awkward after tonight's dinner conversation, but I may as well let you know that I plan to homeschool my kids. I know not everybody agrees with it, but I've researched it a lot and I feel it is the right choice for my family. I hope that I will have your support and that we will continue to be friends, even though this isn't a choice that you would make for your family." I'm sure she will feel absolutely mortified and will say all the right things- and if she doesn't, well, she's not all that good a friend then.

I would suggest you all don't. You'll grow hair on your elbows.

Ha, that's what I was going to say. I get in the car to get to the places I need to go. Otherwise I don't do anything outside on purpose in the winter! :D

Yep. Some go on a little sooner, some a little later, we grill each to the tastes of the person who is eating it- that doesn't affect how we like ours.

Wait, I've been thinking this was an incomplete post/question, but maybe she's simply asking "do you take college classes" and we're all goofing off with our answers and sounding totally obnoxious? I dunno. I'm still confused. lol.

I finished "The Virgin's Lover" by Philippa Gregory and picked up "The Year of the Flood" by Margaret Atwood from the library to read this week! Alexa and I finished reading "Skellig" by David Almond together, and we will be starting "Ida B and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World" by Katherine Hannigan together this week. It's a children's book, but a 246 page one!

Mine do a decent amount, but nothing I've found ridiculously expensive or time consuming. Like, my daughter goes to Girl Scouts- it's only once a week, with very occasional extra activities (like a yearly winter fun day, a yearly fall hike etc). We do the Girl Scout cookie fundraisers but no others; we don't do the summer camp. It's for an hour and a half a week, after dinner. It's only over the school year. She's in like her fourth year of it. I think the registration is $12.00 a year and then $1.00 dues a week. My daughter also goes to Judo but it's at the Y and we have qualified for a family discount there, I only pay $7.50 a month for it (plus the cost of her uniform). It's on a Saturday morning for an hour, hubby and my son spend time together, and I bring Alexa (and I work out at the gym there while she does her class). She's been going for like 6 weeks now, and she loves it. She does a book club at the library, which is free, and is only held every few weeks (like every three weeks). It's for an hour or so, before dinner- none of this affects us having dinner together as a family or anything. The kids both do a winter/spring homeschool bowling league once a week, which only runs for 10 weeks and isn't very expensive. Hubby's at work when they go, it's during the day, and I just take them. In the spring, I'm going to sign my 5 y/o son up for teeball. I just have to pay the $30 registration fee and buy him a glove. Everything else is provided (shared equipment and they provide a cap and shirt and he can wear jeans if I don't want to buy pants). I don't think there's anything wrong with NOT doing organized activities and just doing your thing as a family if that's what works for you. But I also don't think there's anything wrong with enjoying diverse organized activities...actually, I never had the chance to do ANY of those things growing up, I was never put in any scout groups or classes or sports or music lessons or anything...and I wish I would have had some of those opportunities. I like being able to provide my kids with the means and the opportunity to try so many different things.

LOL

If there's a traffic detour, I can't even find my way back home again unless my GPS says: "Re-Calculating." So, no. Navigation/a sense of direction is not my strong suit.

I apologize! You're right, of course. It's a very personal matter. I shouldn't have intruded! Please forgive me!

Are you morally opposed to it? Or it just isn't your thing?

Sometimes I do. But only if it's a Tuesday.

marshmallows AND whipped cream. Yum!

Teaching Textbooks? See my review and some pics of it in action here: http://nancextoo.livejournal.com/124221.html

We don't.

heh we don't do copywork, although she does do other types of writing assignments.

Thank you... and lol I think I know what you mean!

I think it's fine to be matter-of-fact and honest about it. "So, I'm hoping that we can get something together that's for teens only, where the teens don't have to worry about younger siblings being around- I was thinking either it could be drop off events where I would chaperone and get at least one other volunteer to chaperone, what do you guys think?" and take it from there. Another alternative might be, depending on where you are going, that the teens are at least left to their little corner alone. Like, let's say you were trying to organize bowling for teens. Moms want to stay and not drop off, and they have to bring youngers... so the moms go to one end with the youngers and the teens hang out on their own lanes... I don't know, something like that. It's not going to be rude to say this. But you're definitely going to get some parents that are all for teens only and others that are going to be like "welllllll I have to bring the others..." Just do your best. :)

Well, right now we're reading: Ben and Me for Social Studies Skellig for the 52 Books in 52 Weeks (doing together w/my daughter) Wright On Time, Wyoming (my daughter reading independently) and sometimes there's something thrown in for science or some such- so I'd say 2-4 books at a time, usually!

Anytime! :D

This one? Five Senses Poem/Activity Eyes , ears, hands, mouth and nose, Which one of these can smell a rose? (yell out an answer) Which of these can see the sky? (answer) Which of these can taste a pie? (answer) Which of these can pet a dog? (answer) Which of these can hear a frog? (answer) (HUGE CELEBRATION!)

lol... here's our 5th grade book list (so far) http://nancextoo.livejournal.com/122233.html P.S. It doesn't include 20,000 Leagues...

YOU, Mom, should read: "Protecting The Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane)" by Gavin de Becker. It's a great book that I think every parent should read. I'd suggest reading it before starting whatever program you're going to start with your son. It also includes some really good resources, including this one that is about "tricky people" rather than "stranger danger" (see http://www.yellodyno.com) because we don't really want to teach our kids to fear strangers...they may need strangers for help in certain situations. The book really covers a lot of good aspects of this thought process. Check it out!

Yeah I think she's pretty good at knowing all her letters, I guess I was just thinking of something for more practice or for continuing to develop her style, but maybe that just comes with time/practice anyway.... I'm attaching a picture that shows what her cursive looks like these days, do you think it looks like it "should" for her age/grade (10/5th) and that she just needs to practice it when she's writing letters to people and so on?

In addition to Timez Attack, there is a site called http://www.multiplication.com that has lots of free games. Some people also have had success with purchasing a program called Times Tales. Currently it's a book/flash cards (look it up for their method, it's not just standard drilling). But they also have a video coming out, which I've pre-ordered to see if it helps my daughter get better/quicker with HER times tables. (She does love playing Timez Attack, too, so keep that in mind for later on).