Extending my deepest sympathies for your loss.

I'm so very sorry.

My deepest condolences and sympathies...I'm so sorry for your loss.

This whole thread is highly offensive. It is filled with political insinuations and overtones. I suggest discussing the original topic in a polite and "compassionate" way. I'm so tired of how unkind so many posters here are to each other. Please be considerate of thoughts and ideas other than your own. This board has continually slid down the hostile slope over the years...and I have been reading it for literally decades. This is completely opposite of what we as teachers should model.

I've quite a few natural history guides using living books for that level at my website. There are samples for each one. 🙂 Digital Shop | a-mind-in-the-light (amindinthelight.com)

We had a baby shower for my sister a few months ago and I'm with you about the gross baby games. A close friend hosted the shower, but my other sister and I helped out. Here are some games we played: We played a quick game where each guest filled out a card guessing/choosing which parent would best satisfy as the answer to each question. So, something like "Who will be more overprotective of baby....Mom or Dad?" "Who will change more diapers...Mom or Dad? My sister and her husband had answered the questions in advance and created an answer key. The one who missed the least won a prize. We also played a game where no one could say the word "baby". Everyone wore a diaper pin and whenever someone said "baby" someone else could claim the pin. At the end, whoever still had their pin won the game. You could also give the person who had collected the most pins a prize too. This one isn't really a game, but an activity. Each guest was given a card where they could fill their guesses about the baby...weight, hair color, length, time of birth, date of birth, etc. There was also a space at the end where each guest could write their most important advice to the new parents. All of these were really lovely and sweet. The day was very special for her.

Congratulations! Your family is beautiful!

My deepest condolences to you and your family. I'm so sorry.

I haven't kept up with these threads, so forgive me if this has already been shared. This company has been republishing classics and recently published this book by Ella Frances Lynch: Educating the Child at Home. I thought that I'd share it here in case anyone would like it. 🙂

Since I'm always interested in curriculum, I decided to take a look at Master Books. I was especially intrigued since there was mention of it being "Charlotte Mason inspired". But, after looking at a couple of their language samples, I can decidedly say that this not at all in keeping with Charlotte Mason. How misleading! I see that they define it as "inspired", but some of their lessons are actually in complete contradiction to her ideas and methods. There are different approaches to "narration", but this emulates another style and not CM. Where are the living books? One of the main tenets of CM is to allow children to make their own connections with what was seen, heard or read. Younger children and students new to narration might need some time and occasionally some help getting started with a narration, but this shouldn't be assumed to be needed for every lesson until 5th grade and shouldn't resemble comprehension questions. Narration is not an attempt to "check" a child's comprehension of something. The assumption is made that as the teacher you have cleared the way for comprehension (though building up skills through the years, choosing appropriately leveled books, asking connecting questions from prior lessons, going over unfamiliar words and locations, etc.) and you allow the children to listen carefully and then tell you in their own words what they took from the story. So, comprehension questions are made unnecessary since you have assured through your teaching actions that they are capable of comprehending the story/book and as the teacher you will know from their freely given narration whether that comprehension took place. Sorry, if I've stepped on some toes. That was definitely not my goal. I just want to be sure that anyone attracted to a CM education understands that this is not really an example of it. If this works for you, then I think that's great! Homeschooling works best for families when both teachers and students are happy with what they are learning. I just wish they wouldn't attach the CM label to it -not even "CM inspired". It may wonderful as it is, but it is not CM. I think that even "CM inspired" is too much of a stretch.

I'm so very sorry for your loss. Thinking of you during this difficult time.

I'm so sorry. This must be such a difficult time for you and your family. I hope your niece comes home safely.

I'm so sorry! Thinking about you and your family during this difficult time.

Aww, I'm sorry. 😞 That sounds tough. Hang in there.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Thornton Burgess also wrote a book for birds, the seashore and flowers. He also wrote some titles such as The Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse, The Adventures of Grandfather Frog, etc. Feel free to message or email me if you have any questions. I'd be happy to help! Also, there are lots of articles on the blog portion of the website: A Mind in the Light as well as links to many books and resources under the tab Resources.

books dark chocolate candles fires...and cooler weather to make fires nice trees windy days snuggles with children blackberry cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream hmmm...oh yes....books!

My two daughters (17 and 23) were gifted a pair and absolutely love them! We know of others who have them and love them too. I recently gifted my mother a pair, since she loves to wear leggings and is always so generous with us. She loves them too. We are sure to wash them carefully and not put them in the dryer. Also, the big price tag includes a lifetime warranty, so if anything at all happens to them you can send them in for a new pair for free. 🙂 I found this article and thought it had some good tips! https://www.styledemocracy.com/lululemon-secrets-from-previous-employees/

I'm so sorry for your loss, OP. And my condolences to all of those in this thread who have suffered loss.

I found this on a website: Medium 16 inch (40cm) Bitty Baby Doll Measurements taken on Bitty Baby by American Girl Doll has soft stuffed cotton body, vinyl arms, legs, head, and sleep eyes. Chest - 13 inches (32.5cm) Waist - 12.5 inches (31.5cm) Hips - 13.25 inches (33cm) Across shoulders - 5.75 inches (14.5cm) Shoulder to waist - 4.5 inches (12cm) Top of arms - 5 inches (12.5cm) Waist to below knees - 5 inches (12.5cm) Waist to ankles - 7.5 inches (18.75cm) Medium 15 inch Baby Doll Measurements taken on American Girl Bitty Baby Chest - 13 inches Waist - 12.5 inches Hips - 13 inches Neck to waist - 3.5 inches Waist to knees - 5 inches Waist to ankles - 7 inches Upper arm circumference - 4.75 inches Forearm circumference - 4.5 inches Thigh circumference - 5.5 inches Calf circumference - 4.5 inches Neck Circumference - 8 inches Head circumference - 12.25 inches I hope this helps! I found another one, so maybe both will be helpful. 🙂

I hope he is better soon!

I just wanted to support this perspective. My younger daughter has been heavily involved in dance since she was a little girl. She attends a true classical dance school, which teaches jazz, modern and contemporary, but with its biggest focus on ballet. In all her years there (she's a senior this year), she has never been taught the style of dance often taught at competition type schools. Research would show that true versions of these styles of dance do not involve any of this. Her classes in jazz, modern and contemporary were never taught this way. In fact, modern dance can sound as if she were being taught a lot of "modern" movements, but her teacher is a true Martha Graham instructor and this style is nothing at all like what one might perceive it to be. Her school did offer hip-hop sometimes (something she has never been interested in learning), but even these classes were about hip-hop dance and not about sexualized movements. I just wanted to share this, so that those who are unfamiliar with the dance world do not think that they are all alike. Definitely do your homework to be sure that the school teaches dance within your family values, but know that dance schools have a multitude of goals and purposes. We also have a local Christian dance school as well as an assortment of competition dance schools. And just to be fair, many of the competition schools also focus more on dance quality than showmanship and sexualized movements. My daughter just happens to have no interest in learning dance in order to compete.

I'm not sure how helpful this would be, but I recently wrote an article about Charlotte Mason style narration and young children. I'm attaching it here, in case anyone might enjoy reading it. I have to agree with some previous posters that a Charlotte Mason narration is very different from the style taught by SWB and other curricula writers. If I find some spare time, then maybe I could write a better post about this. I do have a number of articles about narration at my website, which may be helpful too. Narration and the Very Young.pdf

Yes, but give me a few weeks and I can convert the others over too. I'm currently moving my guides to my website Shop as PDFs. I'm so glad that you like the samples!

I'm a huge fan of the books by Dorothy Mills -both of my daughters love(d) them! I haven't yet found books for history which are so highly readable, but yet interesting and thorough. I also love how Mills extensively incorporates quotes from primary history sources. This made it so easy to add to this part of history, if I felt the need. I simply offered or expanded on the quoted primary source. I loved them so much that I created guides for them. 🙂 I do have and have looked at HO and while I agree they are well-done, they just weren't the right fit for us.