Our homeschool park group has lots of pre-teens---all boys except for my girl. I want a homeschooled preteen girl too!

We have satellite, but now that you can watch anything on netflix and hulu, I'm starting to wonder if it's worth it. Lately we don't seem to have time to watch half the shows we like anyway! We have about 8 episodes of Chuck waiting for us.

If there was an excellent classical school in our area and we could afford it, I would consider it. Homeschooling is my first love but life circumstances have combined so that I'm unable to do as perfect a job as I want to right now. OTOH, we're doing fine and I still love homeschooling best. And anyway, there is no private school nearby that doesn't require a SoF--and you know how I feel about those! This area is remarkably scarce in private schools of any kind--there isn't even a Catholic high school less than an hour away.

I also read a really interesting article in the Danish news, saying that there are lots of pleasure yachters roaming around, and when they get to dangerous areas, they actually board the big freighters and put their little boats on as freight. So there are other ways to get through those areas. They quoted a fellow from Maersk who said that they don't specialize in that job, but they will certainly do it, and others do specialize.

Yes, the news said that they've been gone for nearly a year and were on their way home. Though I don't know if they just took a year off school or were permanent homeschoolers. How terrible; it sounds like they were really foolhardy. I will certainly keep them in my prayers. The news I read said they were heading through the Gulf of Aden, which is apparently a very dangerous spot for pirating. A lone yacht doesn't stand a chance once sighted. They said they had a plan for what everyone should do if they got caught, but really, what can 7 sailors (3 of them teens) do at that point? The girl is 13. I don't quite want to think about what's likely to happen to her.

I read All Clear and We've Got Issues, both are excellent in their own ways. ATM I'm reading an Agatha Christie mystery because All Clear put me in the mood. :)

A good reason to be happy February is on its last day: today is our first-date anniversary, which we always celebrate (and skip V-day). My husband has something planned but doesn't know if it will come together for today. But, yay! (We have yet to go out to dinner for it, since we had yucky colds all weekend...)

I'm looking forward to March because we'll have decent health insurance for the first time in ages and I can take the kids to the eye doctor and maybe even get some contact lenses for myself! So, everyone please pray that my husband won't get in a car wreck today. February was good in that we started riding lessons (paid for by our charter) and got baby chicks to raise, and the annual spring bloom started which always makes me happy. It was also ridiculously cold and now our house is starting to smell like baby chicks because they get cold if I open windows. :glare: It is not supposed to snow and hail in late February around here.

I did, since I grew up in CA, but I don't remember a thing except that the teacher was an enthusiastic body-builder and would show Mr. Universe contests on video if there wasn't anything to do. :ack2:

But if you haven't attended for quite a while, maybe they figured you wouldn't want to go. I dunno.

Well, what would they say? "Hey, I noticed you don't want to see me anymore." :001_smile: It's a little awkward to bring up.

They won't be informed, but if they look on their friend list your name will be gone.

IMO by this age he's old enough to have input on decisions about his education. That doesn't mean he gets the final say, but I think he wishes should be considered and respected. I think I would probably let him do it and keep an eye on him.

My school ranks a 7. In which case, I upgrade my self-score to a solid 8+, or something. I don't think badly of my local school, but I know they waste plenty of time.

I never thought of that before, that you can't throw an electric one in the washer. :ack2: Just about everyone I know has a manual one. I tried an electric one once at someone's house, but TBH they make me nervous.

I guess about a 7-8. I would like to do better, but I live in the real world, not my fantasy academic land (darn it).

Eh, I don't care. Unless it's something about SoF's! :D In addition, 11 years of being a librarian have pretty much inured me to any inflammatory statements whatsoever. No matter how crazy it is, my reaction is to smile nicely and stay quiet, or if I'm at work, to smile nicely and try to find more information on the subject for you. I can no longer work up any outrage over anything much--the world is full of people with awful opinions or who think I have awful opinions, and I just don't care any more. Though if anyone posted anything actively hateful, I'd unfriend them. That's never happened to me on FB.

Done. :) They are growing very fast--we got them yesterday, and they grew overnight, and just now I looked at them and they've grown again. :001_huh: The peeping is indeed adorable, but last night when they were all asleep snuggled up with each other was even more so!

41. Now that I have to pay overdue fines, I'm keeping a much tighter lid on how long we keep the books. It used to be 60+ on average.

Yes, I think the comment assumes that you're doing your best and working hard to provide your children with the best education you can. Also, sometimes it's important for us to not let our worries get in the way of being an enjoyable person to be around. If we're worrying so hard that we grump and order instead of being cheerful, that's counterproductive.

I put in the ILL request this morning--I should have it next week! :) (Meanwhile, I'm doing my bit by raising 8 baby chicks in my livingroom for my mom, whose chicken coop has just one lonely chicken in it now.)

I have really been wanting to read this book, but no local libraries have it. Maybe it's time for an ILL...

What you will need to do is get hold of the head librarian and talk with her about the possibility of adding your materials to the collection. You will want to explain why this would be a good addition to the library and support the community. If you just donate the materials without an explanation or anything, they'll put them in a giant pile o' donations and most likely sell them as a fundraiser, which is the usual procedure with donated items. Many libraries receive hundreds of books, movies, and magazines a week in donations which are then sorted and sold by volunteers. You probably won't need any special codes or anything, if it's a local venture. Whatever the movie equivalent of an ISBN is would be good if you want to go beyond your own library system.

I read Connie Willis' Blackout and Murakami's After the Quake. And I also read Thomas Hardy's Under the Greenwood Tree. If you want to read Hardy but don't want to cry, this is the one. :) Now I'm reading the sequel to Blackout, All Clear.

Mooses come walking over the hill Mooses come walking, they rarely stand still When mooses come walking they go where they will When mooses come walking over the hill Mooses look into your window at night They look to the left and they look to the right The mooses are smiling, they think it's a zoo And that's why the mooses like looking at you So, if you see mooses while lying in bed It's best to just stay there pretending you're dead The mooses will leave and you'll get the thrill Of seeing the mooses go over the hill (Arlo Guthrie)