Good! I'm glad you feel better. And see, I was right. No one quoted what I said either. :D Blessings, Lucinda

Happens to me often as well. Sometimes I spend a long time writing out what I believe is an insightful, hopefully helpful answer, yet there is absolutely no response. This isn't always the case, but more often than not. Just keep contributing anyway. You never know how humorous or helpful in some way your posts are to others, even if they don't let you know. Blessings, Lucinda

Praying for you today, Chucki. :grouphug: Blessings, Lucinda

If you're into wine, they always have a FABULOUS selection at TJ's! I love their frozen food section, their selection of pastas, their soups, and the chips - especially the blue corn tortilla chips with spicy bean dip and/or their wonderful salsa. Oh, and they also sell a good variety of brands of free range chickens. (I don't usually buy other types of meats there because even though they are organically grown or all natural, I've found that they are priced a bit higher than I can get elsewhere.) Have fun! Blessings, Lucinda

It depends. I'm not familiar with ILL, so am not sure what they cover. Has she done diagramming? Does she know the 8 parts of speech yet? These would be the main points I'd consider. If your dd has only done some diagramming, then I would highly recommend starting her at 5th grade level. Rod & Staff English 5 is a foundational level that really should be taken before moving on to 6. Blessings, Lucinda

The TOG lesson plans are laid out with weekly assignments, not daily. Therefore, you actually COULD do it in 4 or 5 days, but it would mean adding a little extra to each of the days so you get the same assignments completed in 4 days rather than 5. Make sense? In our case, my dd works on her assignments 5 days, but I am home with her 4 of those days. I don't hold her hand through the whole thing at D level anyway, so it works out fine. She reads and does her assignments, then meets with me 2x per week. So it really depends on your personal needs as to whether or not you can customize TOG's schedule to fit for you or not. We have done this a number of times and it has worked out really well. You have to let go of your need to follow the lesson plans to the letter and give yourself permission to finish a unit in a longer amount of time. Doing this has worked well for us. We usually do 3 units per year instead of 4, and since it's still chronological I really don't mind. Hope this helps, Lucinda

At my house, it's the daddy that has it on most of the time. No matter how I've pleaded over the years, it's been to no avail. I would rather live without TV altogether, but not so with him. <sigh> Blessings, Lucinda

I think I'd like to talk to the girl first and offer her an opportunity to go with me to talk to her mother. I'd give her the choice of joining me and confessing to the truth with a friend by her side, or having me go without her to see her mom and facing the music later. Either way, she'd know that the gig is up. Blessings, Lucinda

The only exception to spicy food that I just don't like is that bitter-hot flavor that I believe comes from some types of peppers. I've experienced it with Thai and some Indian dishes in restaurants, and it's horrible. Other than that, I LOVE spicy food! I just wish I knew what type of spice/pepper/seasoning that bitter hot flavor is so I can more easily avoid it. Blessings, Lucinda

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree:

:iagree: I would be going nuts without doing this very thing. Blessings, Lucinda

My 80 yo mother has lived with us for several years now, and it has had its pros and cons. Overall, it has been very positive and we would make the same decision again if we went back in time knowing what we know now. I would say that it's important to understand in advance that some challenges will come up with older parents living with their adult children that have to do with role reversals, and also the issues of aging as it relates to grief and emotions, health needs, etc. Expect it and prepare if you go into a long-term living situation together. I think that the majority of issues that we have found to be difficult in our home would have been solved by Mom having more private quarters in the house. She has her own bedroom, sewing area and computer alcove, but we share a bathroom, kitchen and our dining space. The living room is really for her too, but she mostly watches tv in her bedroom and only comes out to sit in the living room occasionally. We've set up a portable greenhouse near the patio and containers for her flowers and plants right on the patio so they are easy for her to reach. She seems content on the most part, but for her to have had a contained apartment would have been ideal for both her and me. (Sharing a kitchen with my dear mother has been quite frustrating.) I think it would be especially important to have more privacy for a fil that works and sleeps on a different schedule. So when you start looking for a home, do keep these things in mind. The real key in going into a situation like this is honest communication up front before making any commitments. Allow your fil as much independence as possible and for as long as possible. Give him his space, and establish your own need for space. Set boundaries. Explain clearly that the children's home education is vital to the family and needs to be respected in the same way as any other school or home business with as few interruptions as possible -- especially when it comes to an elderly parent relying on you for transportation. My mom is on oxygen 24/7 and gave up driving a few years back. We have an understanding that all medical appointments she needs to make will only be on certain days of the week, and only in the mid to late afternoon. This way her needs are met and our school day is not chopped up any more than necessary. I also arranged for Mom to have other transportation to a weekly meeting to seniors at church, and it has worked out well. One last caution is regarding personal privacy. Without meaning to in any way, older parents and their grown children that live together can become more involved in each other's personal business more than they would have otherwise. It can happen very subtly over a period of time without you even realizing it. Make intentional efforts to respect and/or set boundaries when it comes to marital issues especially and also child rearing. Having open, honest discussions about this in a loving way at the start makes a big difference. Despite what I've said here, I believe that having multiple generations in the house is a wonderful thing and that it should be encouraged. There should be fewer people sent to live in assisted living centers in this country! It is possible to take care of our dearly beloved elderly folks, as they are our family. It's just that we need to be prepared and be smart about it! Planning ahead for these things makes all the difference in the world. Blessings, Lucinda

Do you allow for something in your life that is just for you and has nothing to do with the kids or your husband? I mean a hobby or interest with designated time scheduled in regularly that is just for you? Do you exercise and drink lots of water? Have you made an appointment lately to see your doctor about the depression? What about grief counseling or possibly journaling through your feelings of loss? When I burn out it's usually because I'm not taking good care of myself, so this comes to mind as I consider your post. Unless you take time to feed and nourish your own soul, you will continue to reach this point of discouragement. Remember the example of the mom and the air mask on the plane? In order to save her child she had to use the air mask first. We all need to remember that in order to take care of others, we need to take care of ourselves. So take care of yourself, dear lady. And don't feel guilty. :grouphug: Blessings, Lucinda

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art (concentration: painting) here. I am an art teacher and a homeschool mom that uses my degree all the time. I'd give my right arm for a Masters in Art Education, but I just can't afford to go back. :glare: Blessings, Lucinda

I try to stop everything and walk away for awhile. I watch fun movies with the family, pop popcorn or eat ice cream, go for a walk, take a nap....you know, get away from the issues and regroup. Then I pull out TWTM or some other motivating book or magazine and get back to the reason I'm doing this in the first place -- because basically, my mama didn't raise any quitters. Blessings, Lucinda

Here are our history related literature selections: Almost Home Lawton, Wendy By Right of Conquest: With Cortez in Mexico Henty, G.A. Gulliver’s Travels (Classic Starts) Woodside, Martin Dangerous Journey Hunkin, Olive Justin Morgan Had a Horse Henry, Marguerite Poetry for Young People: William Shakespeare Edited by Kastan, David Scott & Marina Kastan Robinson Crusoe (Dover Children's Thrift Classics) Blaisdell, Bob and Daniel Defoe The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Edited by Lacie, Christina The Witch of Blackbird Pond Elizabeth George Speare Blackthorn Winter Douglas Wilson In Search of Honor Donna Lynn Hess Amos Fortune, Free Man Elizabeth Yates Sign of the Beaver Elizabeth George Speare Scottish Seas Douglas M. Jones I will also be slipping in at least some of these books and poetry from TWTM list for 7th graders: The Adventures of Don Quixote, abridged Miqguel de Cervantes Perrault’s Complete Fairy Tales Charles Perrault/translated by A.E. Johnson Grimm’s Fairy Tales Jcob and Wilhelm Grimm The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Samuel Taylor Coleridge Wordsworth poetry Poe poetry (The Raven) Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Lewis Carroll The Way to Wealth Benjamin Franklin Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself Fredrick Douglass Blessings, Lucinda

I have always understood that the real purpose of a SOF is to help those that are interested in visiting or joining understand up front what Biblical interpretation is being taught in that particular congregation, denomination or group. It would be different if someone that doesn't agree with the SOF wanted to take a role of leadership, but to participate in a group one should not be bound to a list. A SOF should never be used to divide believers, or to discourage unbelievers and people of other faiths from taking part for that matter. It should be there for informational purposes only, more like a supporting character than a leading role. I cringe at the thought of people being turned away if they don't agree with a SOF. What a slap in the face! How unChristian can you get? Whenever there is division among believers, it is a clear sign that there is a cloud of oppression present. Division and isolation are not from God! We are supposed to treat each other with love, even when it is necessary for sin to be confronted, it is to be done with love. That, my friends, is biblical. If the use of a SOF actually divides people rather than being used an informational tool, then yes, I would have to agree that it goes against scripture. Jesus taught that we are to love God more than anything and we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Blessings, Lucinda

Same here! Except that I've gladly received contributions from close family members who wanted to take part in covering the cost of books for the upcoming year. (I'm fortunate to be in a situation where relatives are very supportive of our decision to homeschool.) This amount has ranged from $100-250 per year, and is usually given for a specific subject's books, i.e. "Here, this is to go toward (dd)'s math books this year". But the biggest fundraising has come in selling our used curriculum. I feel good about it too because it helps us, and it helps the buyer save money as well. Blessings, Lucinda

This 19th century movement sprang out of American Methodism, but spread to other nations and denominations as well. The movement "...called Christians to deeper levels of relationship with God and greater concern for the needs of hurting humanity." Outward signs of personal holiness would include conservative dress, lack of jewelry and makeup, a lifestyle that did not include movie attendance, dancing and involvement in other "worldly" entertainment, etc. But the Holiness movement was much more than that. A great amount of fervor was aimed at missions abroad as well as reaching out to the poor, the sick and the under-trodden in local communities. There were really wonderful things that came out of the movement, but at the same time a great deal of legalism and religiosity became a downfall. (BTW, in more recent times, there has been a humble, humble repentance by the leaders of FM for mistakes such as this made in the past and there has been a concerted effort to move toward more grace and less religion.) The Holiness movement connects the Quakers, Salvation Army, Church of God (Anderson), Nazarenes, Free Methodists, Brethren in Christ, and Wesleyan churches, who all - BTW - believe in and practice the ordination of women. Blessings, Lucinda

Actually, Free Methodists are very closely connected to both the holiness and Methodist movements. Because of this, it is correct to place them on either list. (I have studied FM history as a ministry leader and have taken many classes.) But hey -- just another little detail on the long, long list. The greatest enemy of the church from the beginning has been division, division, division. "Come on everyone...can't we just get along?" Blessings, Lucinda

I ordered a different curriculum from the Co-op a few months ago and experienced the same thing. The order was processing, however, and I received the product without any issues. I thought I should get more confirmation, communication, etc. about the order, but that wasn't the case. If you give it a few days, I'm sure it will show up. Blessings, Lucinda

I'm very tempted to wait until later in Sept., but if I do, then we have to cut our breaks short or working past June. Nope, I believe we'll start on August 22nd, even if we don't do all subjects for a couple of weeks. (Especially thinking about that ALL/WWS curriculum I'm waiting for...) Blessings, Lucinda

I am praying for you and baby Grayson, and trusting God to help you both during this time. My sympathies too, as I had one son stuck sideways for a week. The doctor was able to turn him "manually", and he stayed put thank goodness. I just remember how uncomfortable it was, so my heart goes out to you. Blessings, Lucinda

Although we have not been doing a virtual co-op, I agree with Rennaissance Mom. We are splitting YR-2 over two years at D level for my dd, and so far she's doing well with the Marshal books. I also throw in some alternate reading from SOTW off and on, depending on the workload for each week. As a side note, dd will also be doing some outlining from Kingfisher as part of her composition beginning this year, and I will be pairing that up with the TOG lessons. I believe that this will enhance what she learns from the core history reading. (Btw, although I do like TOG writing lessons, we are going to be switching over to TWTM composition methods. She'll be in WWS and ALL beginning this year as well.) Blessings, Lucinda

I started to gray early when I was your age too, and so I colored my hair. It was fun for awhile, but then it was such a hassle that I stopped. Now all of my hair is natural and I'm amazed at how much gray I actually have. (I'm in my 50's now, so really I shouldn't be though...) Anyway, I now have a really cool streak at the top of my head that I swear I used to pay big bucks for in the beauty shop!! I love my streak. :) If I'd kept coloring my hair I would have missed out and wouldn't have even known it was there! Going natural is the best. I don't care what the ladies at the mall do or what they look like. If they knew me personally, I bet there would be parts of my life that they'd be envious about. Blessings, Lucinda