I bought a Kenmore oven and within 2 months the ignitor went. I called the customer service and they set up an appointment for the technician to come over to fix it. Unfortunately, the day came and they never showed up. I called up the service department and they switched the day without every telling us. I was upset because I had to take off from work and I had to use two days off instead of one because of their incompetance. I tried to talk to a manager and I ended up in a world of "being put on hold" and how I should be grateful for their service. Anyway, I will never buy another Sears product again.

I was at the closing ceremony in Los Angeles - you did a wonderful job! I was lucky to get tickets to the volleyball venue and track & field. My favorite activity was the pin trading - still have my pins!

Our prayers are with you! What region is Katya located? My younger son was near the Carpathian mountains near Muchekevo. Is this the first time you have been to the Ukraine? If so, enjoy the sights in Kiev - Terri

I found if I make my own tea using just cinnamon sticks with fresh ginger and honey that I am much better within a few hours.

Thanks, Bill - it took me 1 1/2 hours to download it - and it was worth every minute of it. Truly an exceptional piece of art - I never seen anything like it. Simple, yet beautiful ... thank you for sharing! Terri

Gifts that were appreciated by my MIL (and Mom as well) ... - Poems written by your children on why she is a wonderful grandmother, printed nicely and framed. - If you can afford a digital frame, pictures of your family and grandchildren for her to view. - I don't know if she collects the Willow Creek figuerines, they are relatively inexpensive and you could buy the grandmother w/ grandchildren figuerine. - Find out her favorite foods or shows from her childhood. - A Christmas ornament that includes all the family members Good luck to you --- Terri

If you go to Glenn Beck's 9/12 project webpage, he has a link to the video. Terri

I'm getting there - I've downloaded three minutes (5 to go). We were very lucky when we stood in the Ukraine. We were there for three weeks and except for a blizzard, it was an amazing experience. My son's orphanage was in the foothills of the Carpathians mountains in between two castles. The village was quaint and you only saw one or two cars. The landscape consisted of hills and horse-drawn carts. They didn't have our supermarkets so they relied on their own gardens. The food was delicious - green tomatoes, mushrooms, potatoes, homemade wine, borscht. One thing I still remember were their cookies - homemade and fresh (not packaged) and they loved their chocolate (homemade). We took a train from Kiev to Muchechevo - the trains were old (something from the 1950's). Also, the cars outside the city would make any antique car dealer drool. They dated back into the sixties and seventies. :lol:

I just finished reading "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand and the events happening now you can definitely relate to. It is long, but worth the read. I also just finished reading, "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser. I don't think I will be eating out that much anymore. Everytime I look at fast food, I get an uneasy feeling about it. Terri

This year - no, but I'm planning to register him in 10th grade for the PSAT's. Terri

Thanks, Bill - I'm trying to download it, but since I'm on dial-up it is taking forever. The Ukraine is such an amazing place. Kiev is going back into time, but in a quaint way. The architecture and churches is nothing what you see in the states - so much detail and beauty. We were lucky because we were able to see a performance by the Ukrainian ballet company of "Romeo and Juliet" - such beauty. We met so many wonderful people and it was a memorable time for us. Terri

Dear Bill, I didn't get a chance to see the movie - my PC doesn't handle YouTube's videos very well. My younger son was adopted from the Ukraine and I wanted to share my experience over in Kiev when we went to adopt him. Ukraine's WWII memorial museum is located in Kiev - it was the most potent museum I have ever experienced in my life. Walking through the museum, you have solemn feel to it, but it was the last room where I just started crying. They have a long table with shots of vodka on it, but it was the pictures that got to me. Life size photos of the families that were destroyed by the war hung from the ceilings and walls. Haunting, I was there 8 years ago and I still remember that room. If you ever want to go on a vacation with so much culture and history, I would recommend the Ukraine. It is a poor country (except the major city like Kiev), but the culture is a step back into time and truly exceptional. Terri

Do you have any pain? If so, it might be a blockage within your intestinal track. Also, what type of foods are you eating and what did you eat five days before all this happened? Could be a food allergy or if you ate some bad meat - food poisoning. Keep a food diary - this might reveal some type of allergy to you. Good luck to you ... Terri

He just finished "Anthem" by Ayn Rand and he started reading "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser.

My favorite & quick "Lemon Pie" recipe: Ingredients: Pillsbury Pie Crust (1 package) or any other pie crust recipe Lemon Pie Filling: Dr. Oetker Lemon Pie Filling (Shirriff) 2 egg yolks 1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice (fresh) 1/3 cup cold water 2 cups of boiling water 1 Tbl Butter Bake pie crust for 12 minutes at 450 degrees. Let cool. Mix Lemon pie filling w/ cold water and then add 2 cups of boiling water and mix. Heat mixture at medium heat until boiling - stirring often. Remove from heat and add fresh lemon juice & butter. Stir. Let cool for 5 minutes and stir again. Pour into pie crust and refrigerate till set. Add any type of topping (dairy, cool whip, etc.)....Enjoy!

I can relate. I have two 14 ds's, so I know exactly what you are going through. In my younger son, the hormones haven't hit as much, but my older son has been "Mr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" some days. Anyway, I've found plenty of exercise, sunshine, and limited electronics helps him. Also, I made sure he takes his vitamins daily - especially, cod liver oil, B-vitamins and Vitamin E. I'm seeing an improvement in his behavior, along with his acne. Look at your son's diet to see if it is balance. He might be missing certain vitamins. Hang in there!

If you don't mind creating your own self-design computer course, I would recommend using "Creating a Presentation in Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 for Windows" by Tom Negrino (Cost $17.00 @ B&N). This book gives you a wonderful overview and usage of PowerPoint. You might be able to incorporate the presentation with another subject. Another great PowerPoint book is called "Beyond Bullets" by Cliff Atkinson. It doesn' show you how to use the software; but, it does help you present material on PowerPoint in a more enjoyable fashion.

My BTDT, First, I wish I took my sons out earlier from school. They completed 4th/2nd grade in a private school. In the beginning, I structured their day based on a typical school day. It didn't last long. Frustration and boredom set in. I've spent 4 years researching so many curriculums and methods, and in the end I learned just "to be". If I had to do everything over, I would do more read-alouds, more field trips, more hands-on activites, and less workbooks. I would expose them more to speaking activities and more creative writing. I do wish I knew about Classical Writing sooner. Mainly, I would laugh more and be less critical. Enjoy your little ones because before you know it - they grow up! Have fun!

To LatinTeach and MamaT, Thank you for posting the websites. I knew about Cambridge website, but I didn't know about the other websites. I appreciate you sharing the information. MamaT, thank you for posting the Wheelock's online answers. I've been onto the Wheelock's website but I could never figure out how to obtain the teacher's resources. I've heard mixed reviews on Latin Alive! I would suggest searching this forum to see what actual users thought of the program.

Hi, I have both the Wheelock's Book w/ Workbook and Cambridge Unit One. Wheelock is a very grammar intensive Latin curriculum and would work well if your son is a Part-to-Whole learner. It is a college curriculum. If you do use Wheelock, I woud recommend trying to find a tutor. The lessons are not self-evident. You don't need the workbook since there are extra exercises (w/answers) in the book. The workbook definitely will reinforce the lessons. Answers are available on-line by proving you're the teacher. Once Wheelock is completed, you should be able to read the ancient Latin texts by Cicero and others. Cambridge is for the Whole-to-Part learner by introducing Latin stories immediately and slowly identifying the grammar parts. Cambridge also provides a workbook and background information about the ancient Roman culture. You can purchase a CD for pronunciations. For us, we will be using Cambridge for High School (Unit One & Two). It is a slower pace, and it will work well for my younger son. He is a Whole-to-Part learner, plus I like the idea of incorporating some of the ancient Roman culture into the Latin curriculum. Your selection will probably depends on how hard your ds wants to work. Best of luck!

Next year, my ds and I have tentatively scheduled the following: o (1 Credit) - Geometry using Math w/o Borders or Jacob's o (1 Credit) - World History w/ Geography I (Spielvogel's HO 1/2 book) using 4 Primary Books (Ancients - Middle Ages) o (1.5 Credit) - Prentice Hall's Biology: Exploring Life w/ 20 labs o (1 Credit) - English I - Windows to the World (Literature Analysis) - Warriner's Grammar - Vocabulary to the Classical Roots - Classical Writing (Diogenes - Maxim) - Classical Writing Intermediate Poetry o (1 Credit) - Classics and Compositions (Elective) o (1 Credit) - Traditional Logic I (Fall) Traditional Logic II (Spring) o (1 Credit) - Cambridge Latin I & II o (1/2 Credit) - Fine Art Course (either Music or Art History) o (1/2 Credit) - Intro to Computer Programming (Intro to Alice) (Spring) o (1/2 Credit) - Public Speaking (Great Communicators) (Fall) o (1/2 Credit) - Health (Alpha-Omega LifePacs) o (1 Credit) - PE (Karate, Swim Team, Boy Scouts - Hiking) He is planning to work through some of the courses through the summer (i.e., Health, Traditional Logic I, and Swimming). He is also taking a two week 2D Video Game Camp in the summer, but I decided not to use it as a credited HS course. Some of the above might change because the co-op we belong to has not finalized their schedule yet.

My younger ds is working through the books now and he really enjoys them. He is an astronomy fanatic, so the subject matter attracts him. I wanted something that he could do on his own and not overwhelm him. Because the Pac's are thin and compact, they don't threaten him like some other curriculum. I wouldn't use LifePac's for the major subjects, but for light electives or something to work through the summer months - I would highly recommend.

"All Creatures Great and Small" and "The Hobbit" are great books to read. In my district, many parents were complaining of the "pornography" books that were on the list. I don't know titles, but a few of my friends complained to the school board to expand the reading list for more suitable selections. The good news is that you had at least forty books to choose from, so you had a wider selection to reject. :001_smile:

My younger son is finishing 7th grade, and he especially enjoyed, "Alice in Wonderland". If he read it earlier, he wouldn't have notice the logical elements within the book.

Check out your local library in the literature reference section. We toured our local library a few years ago, and my librarian made it a point to show their analysis books they had available. The books were very impressive and free (except for the price of copy machine). You might need assistance from your librarian the first time to find them. :001_smile: