No. I'm a night owl, so I'm up at midnight most nights. My husband and kids will be asleep.

Every stage is like teaching a new kid for me, and so it looks so different. Early elementary? Middle school? High school (gulp)? What the child needs and what is expected generally is different yet again each time. I bring a more mature and experienced but still with a similar underlying strength/weakness set me. So I do my best knowing it won't be the ideal I wish it could be. I think that's the biggest way I've changed, though. Truly accepting that you work with what you have--in child and in teacher--and that means X and Y may not be realistic or best for child B and teacher me. So I guess a mindset of flexibility and grace? If I had a big age gap in kids, though, maybe I would feel different? I think I could do each stage better if I had a re-do. But then every child is so different from the last. So, maybe not.

It takes through 8th grade to cover all of the grammar sequence, if that's important to you. I think it's some of the verbals, maybe infinitives?, that are introduced in 8th. You could look at the scope/sequence to see what you think.

I agree with mlktwins, I'd love to have your recipe.

My kids have closed doors and always have. This was for fire safety primarily, but also because still awake people are less likely to disturb a sleeping person with a door closed. I have always slept with ours open since we had kids, though, so I could hear if they call out in the night. I always figure a child needing me is less likely than a fire.

Given some volunteering I do, I come into close contact with women whose children have been removed from the home by protective services. In our area of the US, most children are removed due to drug use in the home. And in my volunteer work, these are the families I see almost exclusively. I just finished reading the Glass Castle. And the thing is children are generally removed when mom has contact with authorities due to drug use. However, often these women have other issues that become apparent after removal--mental health, domestic abuse history, and often generational poverty. Many of them that I work with have homes that DCS won't return a child to even if the drug use is handled. We try to find alternate housing, and sometimes this is hard due to drug convictions and just generally how the system works here. And the patterns that come from this life that make it hard to maintain housing--pay rent/utilities--even if programs or protective services steps in to try to help and we get placement. Often these women have housing without electricity or water, for example, and other issues with cleanliness and major disrepair. Some are living in vehicles. The descriptions in that book---I've seen similar. All of it due to poverty, and the long standing mindset and lifestyle patterns that can bring even outside the addictions. But I struggle. What should happen with a child whose parent can't maintain housing for whatever reason? Here it's neglect....it's poverty though! Most of these moms want to give their kids the world. I'm struggling. (my volunteer work has nothing to do with deciding what kids are removed or returned...but I think about these kids a lot, and their moms. All of it is traumatic and sad for everyone). Thoughts? I'm sort of a muddle. I found that book hard to read, given the families I see.

CLE's grammar is definitely more thorough than most schools. Their 8th grade will cover all grammar I think. So it doesn't surprise me at all that your kids are struggling. I would stop the program while you decide. Tell them they are placed incorrectly, and these light units are meant to be levels more than grades. Do the online placement test and decide whether you want to start the kids at whatever levels they place. If you want in depth grammar, select this or Rod and Staff or Analytical Grammar or similar. If you don't want this level of depth, there are other options.

I use a light box. and recommend that. Get a good one. Sunbox is a good brand, if pricey. We sold mid-winter. I would get a new agent, make absolutely certain I'm really priced correctly, and keep it listed past what you think of as "buying season" if the listing/showing itself isn't terribly stressful.

We had them right after we moved in. They literally ate their way in through the wall. I really felt it was overnight--a hole in the wall and ants. We talked to an extension agent for ID and he recommended two different poisons--one was sweet and the other savory maybe--and both for Carpenter. I don't know. But they eat different things depending on their life stage. They ate all of one and disappeared. They came back about a month later, ate some more, and I guess died.

I feel a bit hesitant to post this. I hope it doesn't come across that I think all Christians need to hold a certain scientific belief. There are sincere Christ followers in all the camps--young earth, old earth, evolutionary creation. I'm good with all my fellow Christians who are holding different beliefs and teaching those to their kids. I fall into the evolutionary creation understanding of this. I put my answers in red, but hope anyone threatened by evolution won't read my replies below.

I would just focus on learning to read well and lots of enjoying read aloud books together. What you have sounds fine. I don't even think you need AAS if reading isn't solid yet.

Thank you--looks like a great resource!

I had a similar experience judging essays for a scholarship. I often wondered how kids with such weak writing skills would make it in college. That was in my pre-homeschooling years. I'm curious about what formulaic writing program you're talking about--if indeed you have a specific one in mind.

Is there a good, and maybe even enjoyable, way to work on keyboarding skill (speed, accuracy) after a child has learned the basics. He can touch type to the point that he doesn't even want to look at his hands when keyboarding for papers and such, but I'd like him to be faster.

My middle schooler hasn't done any standardized testing. When should I start preparing for the PSAT (or SAT) and ACT? Are there good ways to do this in middle school?

This looks great!

I was going to recommend FLL--having that memory stuff in the head comes in handy later. But sentence family is very cute--I hope he likes it!

I've been forming those thoughts over many years. So that is my “now†after lots of reading and reflection and prayer. I can list authors I read over the years. But some of my theology comes outside of Universalism, including what it means to be a Christian and atonement theory generally. Most begin understanding hell by studying the etymology of words translated in scripture. There are words that have different connotations in the English translation than the Greek words had when written. And, unfortunately, some biblical translators let their extra-biblical theology and understandings inform their interpretations. Two of those words are hell and eternal, but there are other issues, even words added that aren't in the original Greek! You can find extensive study on those words in the original Greek in online and book sources. I believe the two sites I linked in my first post will get into that. The Yale theologian one I linked is quite good, though more involved than the second. You can also get bibles which have more direct and accurate translation from Greek including the Concordant New Testament, which is the one I am most familiar with. I need scripture to support universal reconciliation to accept it. I need no scripture to oppose it to accept it. I needed that intellectually. And, properly translated, it's there. It's there anyway actually. But even clearer when you know Greek or at least you have an accurate translation of Greek. Beyond that, there is early church history and a long line of Christians post early church who have held to this belief—it's orthodox. I can link some website with that information if it's important to you. Here is one for example that kind of hits the high points of how hell was taught throughout church history: http://www.tentmaker.org/articles/how_hell_became_eternal_vincent.htm. There are scriptures which talk about refining that we will all go through and of course judgment. I can find sites with that information and teaching about the purpose of judgment, and it's in many books on the subject, but I'm having trouble finding it done succinctly online right now. It also comes down to correct translation in an intellectual sense. For me it also pulls into the character of God as shown in Christ. I can continue to look if you would like. Here is a bit from William Barclay: “The word for punishment is kolasis. The word was originally a gardening word, and its original meaning was pruning trees. In Greek there are two words for punishment, timoria and kolasis, and there is a quite definite distinction between them. (at this point he sites sources to support—I included just a couple here) Clement of Alexandria (Stromateis 4.24; 7.16) defines kolasis as pure discipline, and timoria as the return of evil for evil. Aulus Gellius says that kolasis is given that a man may be corrected; timoria is given that dignity and authority may be vindicated (The Attic Nights7.14). The difference is quite clear in Greek and it is always observed. Timoria is retributive punishment. Kolasis is always given to amend and to cure.†it looks like there is a more full quote and teaching on this site: http://www.epochalypsis.org/pruning-and-kolasis/ The links I put in my first post and this one talk about the word eternal and the word hell. There are lots of scriptures I could go into, but the Yale theologian in the link in my first post http://campuspress.yale.edu/keithderose/1129-2/ uses some of them and explains them pretty logically and relatively succinctly. He mirrors a lot of my rational thought on it, and I shared a bit of that above. I started this journey of exploring universal reconciliation because I could no longer understand God as good if he was who was as I was taught he was. This is a view of a good God who is going to heal humanity and make all things new and right—for he saw the results and the end and decided to create humans anyway and to come and die to heal us from the consequences of our sin. And it's biblical, while I no longer believe the eternal conscious torment is at all. It actually grieves me that so many see God through that lens; I think it's damaging to the cause of Christ. My answer to your question, then, is this has been a long process with a long list of resources, not all universalism based. It's hard to put all that out in succinct form. Those two links I posted in my first post, while I actually found them just as I was posting to you, lay some of the theology and scripture out. But if you are interested, there are so many other resources online and in print. There are also forums where you can ask questions—including about specific scriptures that seem to be against it. http://evangelicaluniversalist.com/forum/index.php and https://tentmaker.org/forum/ I'm not really sure which is better—it's been a long time since I've looked at either. I've kind of settled this thought in my mind and am exploring atonement and similar things right now. Oh, my church denomination doesn't teach this stuff unfortunately.

First, I think the bible teaches universal reconciliation, and I needed to explore the biblical support and examine the verses that seemed to teach there was an eternal hell. I came to the conclusion through study that this hope is intellectually and spiritually sound. http://campuspress.yale.edu/keithderose/1129-2/ http://www.frimmin.com/faith/godislove.php Would anyone, if they could really clearly see truth and the love of God reject that to choose destruction. Or are we blinded, all to different extents, by our humanity and sin? And does God who wanted to welcome us all really get his plan ultimately thwarted by our humanity and sin? If narrow is the way that leads to life....most are on the way to destruction. Of course a loving God doesn't want that, but he's limited by us and the finite lifetime we have? Is it possible instead that eventually we will all see clearly? We will all repent and come to God through Christ? He will make all things good--reconciling the victim with the now repentant victimizer, bringing healing and health? I believe in a hell--an age of time--where all of us will be purified. Some will have started that purification on earth and will have already begun selecting life over death by following Christ--living out his love in this new kingdom his death and resurrection ushered in and walking in that light. So I think there will be a judgment--but it will be restorative, not punitive in nature.

Lion

I don't wear make-up around the house/around family. I do wear it when I'm going out and about though, even routine errands. I feel more confident and pretty with it. My biggest issue is under-eye circles, and I look a lot better covering those. But the rest of it makes me feel more put together too.

There are meds to chelate iron, or phlebotomy if health allows. Has her doctor recommended treatment? Did she have transfusions/do they know why her iron is high?

If I have to scaffold the Singapore word problems, I do them on a white board. Then I have the child re-do it--either when the book is done (works well for FAN math) or as we go (works better for the longer Singapore workbooks). You will cover less ground, but I think the retention is better. The other thing is that you are doing so much extra. Especially given the little time, why so much? I'll give an example from my experience. If he's needing scaffold for the Singapore books, I would pick the best of the bunch (I favor FAN math over CWP for example), and make sure it's truly mastered. If MM is a slog, you might think about Math in Focus (Singapore) as your spine instead. It's still conceptual. You could add c-rods easily along with a book or two of the Singapore supplementary stuff if you needed it.

I do not wear a bra unless I am going out in public. I don't wear a bra when sleeping. I'd be really upset and confused that the teens latched onto that. I don't understand the mentality of the pastor who shared that information with your husband. How strange.

I have always had one program as a spine completed entirely--meaning I assumed that the child benefited from a full program's scope and sequence. I always tend to add materials on top of the base program. Some programs are better fits for supplementary work than others. So some were more like complete programs on top of a complete program. My instinct is that taking a section from this and another from that without using one program as a spine might lead to gaps. On the other hand, adding x, y, and z to a full program can lead to math overload--either in terms of time spent or in terms of burn out perhaps.