We take the whole week of Thanksgiving off, then the last two weeks of December and the first week of January. We also take one week off in the spring, and the entire month of July. Otherwise we go all year round at a slow, but steady pace. Blessings, Lucinda

Dd enjoyed the program, but after awhile it was so much about earning badges. Doing good by serving the community, church and others is important for girls, but there are other important lessons in life that can come from scouting too. It would take a long rant on my part to explain how I felt about this, so let's just leave it at that. There is also a very stringent requirement for parent involvement, so much so that your dd is not the only one joining -- YOU are joining too. This was not good for our family, as we are involved with community and church already and can't possibly spread ourselves so thin. I was extremely discouraged by the lack of grace and flexibility in that area. Maybe it was just our troop and personalities involved, but we ended up leaving AHG after the first year. Blessings, Lucinda

bump :001_smile:

The ideas and experiences you've shared on this are great. I've had very little information to go by on co-ops, and so I found all of your comments to be insightful and helpful. I don't have any opportunities on the horizon, but I've wondered how it might work in our area. As my dd gets older I can see how a smaller, more informal group would be idea for us. I'm definitely going to give this some thought. Thank you all again. Blessings, Lucinda :)

I live in a rural area where there are very few co-ops, but a growing number of homeschool families are springing up. Please share with me the benefits (or even counter-productiveness) of forming a co-op. How does yours operate? How did you find one or how did you help establish one in your area? I'm really interested in knowing all about this.:bigear: Blessings, Lucinda

I had the same goal in mind for my dd when I went looking for the right studies for her. We have discovered the Explorer's Bible Study curriculum and have found it to be really great. DD is doing it daily and I'm very impressed with the amount of knowledge she is gaining. She's been studying the book of Genesis for a few months now, and will move on to OT prophets next. She finds the lessons to be interesting and challenging, yet do-able. Here is a link to their website with more information on what they have available. Blessings, Lucinda

We've done the HOAC lapbook as a replacement for our history studies for a specific amount of time, then we will return to where we were with history when it is completed. So the lapbook covers one subject, at least in our case. The lapbook is a nice keepsake for dd to hold on to regarding the subject that we studied. Unit studies, on the other hand, cover multiple subjects with the focus as the "theme" that is carried over into everything. (i.e. science about leaves, art projects with images of leaves, poetry and stories about leaves, math using leaves, etc.) With either approach, variety is added to the year for your dc. Hope this helps. Blessings, Lucinda

I am so impressed with what I've read at the MAFA website. i did not know about the organization until reading this thread. What a blessing and an encouragement regarding art education for our children in the current culture! I only wish MAFA was available here in my state in the Pacific NW region. I'd jump at for my dd it in a heartbeat! Blessings, Lucinda

I agree with Laughing Lioness on this. We just did a lapbook for the first time and it worked very well as a side road into our upcoming study of the Civil War. The HOAC lapbook was on slavery in NA, so it gave more of a focus on that issue alone before we talk about it more in the context of the war that abolished slavery in our country. We are just completing the lapbook and will return to our regular history lesson next. My end goal in this is being realized and my dd is happy -- 1. for a change of pace that included coloring and cutting, plus 2. she has some advanced vocabulary and background as she goes into the study of the war, plus 3. she is much more passionate and aware now of the slavery issue and racism in America. (BTW, it was pretty amazing to be studying slavery at a point in history that we we were electing our first black president into office.) Blessings, Lucinda

This makes me feel so much better! I have been doing this too, but was worried that maybe I'm not doing it right -- feelings of guilt, etc. :tongue_smilie: It is so great to know that it's all right to customize the schedule as needed, as long as we get the program in and dc understand the concepts. You be de bomb Donna! You made my day! Blessings, Lucinda

We bought the LFC Primer A Bundle and my dd enjoys it much , much more than she did Prima Latina. I just can't tell you how much more excited she is about learning Latin this year. It is her favorite subject because of the DVD instruction , the sequence and all of the fun activities. Blessings, Lucinda

I teach art part-time at a private classical Christian school, but I have neglected to teach art to my own dd at home. Your post comes at a time that I was evaluating my priorities, and one of them is consideration to giving up the school position so that I might give more to my family at home, especially my dd's education! Blessings, Lucinda

Churches based in Wesleyan theology allow women to serve in any role they feel called to serve in, including ordained elder, senior pastor, deacon, teacher, etc. These denominations include some that have already been mentioned, Nazarene and Free Methodist, and Methodist. The group also includes Salvation Army, Church of God (Anderson), Friends (Quaker), Wesleyan and Brethren in Christ. For some great reference material regarding this, I'm including this link to the website of the Wesleyan Holiness Women's Clergy group that I am involved with. They are a fantastic group of female pastors. Blessings, Lucinda

Dear, dear people, If you only knew me you would realize that I am not a sour grapes person or even one that goes looking for trouble. I truly do understand the power of humor and the importance of finding ways of coping. Along with being married for a decade to a man who suffered from mental illness, I also have a son that has suffered for ten years, and I had a father that suffered from dementia for fourteen very long and hard years before he died. My life has been deeply scarred by the horror of these diseases and I have suffered more losses than I can possibly list in a forum thread. It hasn't been very long at all since my son's last psychotic break during which time he was shot at and nearly killed by police officers when he was acting out in his illness. Because of our messed up system the hospital failed to keep him long enough to stabilize, which is why he was out on the street. My son almost died less than six months ago during this incident, so please forgive me for being a bit upset and sensitive when people bring up jokes about mental illness. I opened the thread because I was curious about the type of mental illness jokes that would be shared here. There is such a prevailing stigma in our culture and I am very discouraged to see that it carries over even on a wonderful forum like ours. Obviously you all disagree, but I still think that joking about diseases is in very bad taste. Where most of you are laughing, there are others that are crying and, unlike me, just aren't saying anything. Sincerely, Lucinda

:glare: I have a 30yo ds who suffers terribly from bipolar disorder, and I am troubled beyond words at our continual laughter over the helplessness and misery of people that suffer from mental illness. Why not try to erase stigmas instead of add fuel to the fire? I'm sorry, but I find no humor in jokes about the mentally ill. My family has suffered horribly for three generations because of these illnesses and I am grieved and offended by any jokes about it. Please don't tell me to lighten up, I've been through too many episodes and life or death situations to be told that. We are educated people here. Compassion is far more important than relieving our stress by laughing at the expense of others. Sincerely, Lucinda

I also voted and added my comments for debate. Thanks for the heads up on the survey. :) Blessings, Lucinda

:iagree: This method works beautifully in a home oven. The next step up is to have a stone or tile, but don't spend the money right off the bat. Find out if you love to bake bread and have the time to dedicate to it first. A bread peel is used to protect you (the baker) from burning yourself while removing the bread from a hot, hot oven. Wood firing ovens and tile lined ovens have been used traditionally by bakers turning out many loaves, thus the tool was developed. If you bake a lot of bread it is handy to have, but it is not necessary. Our ovens don't get nearly as hot as a traditional baker's oven, although the temperatures we set to bake artisan breads are a lot higher than other things we bake at home. Here is a really nice peel for $19.95 available through King Arthur Flour company -- the maker's of my favorite bread baking flour. Happy baking! Blessings, Lucinda

As an older mom who has been through the whole nine yards, I think it might possibly be PMS or it could be the start of perimenopause. Perimenopause is the transitional time after the child bearing years and before menopause when your monthly starts to change. You may notice an intensity and/or various irregularities during this stage. You might start clotting and having heavier cramps, etc. Everyone is different. Perimenopause is the beginning of the end, and it can go on for several years. Here is a good article with some helps. Sending some hugs and lots of understanding. Blessings, Lucinda

When I visit down south, people dress up in their best, and I imagine it is very similar on the east coast. I really don't know how it is currently in the midwest, but my parents are from the Dakotas and they were taught to wear their Sunday best too. It may be different now for all I know. Out here in the Pacific NW we are very, very laid back. I think I can honestly speak for the west coast in saying that Sunday mornings in church run completely across the gamut when it comes to wardrobe. People that come to church regularly mostly wear casual clothing ranging from jeans to dockers for both men and women, and many women also wear dresses. I haven't seen a man in a suit in church for many years. Most men wear casual clothes here, including shorts and sandals. I personally don't care, as long as people are decently dressed and they are in church. I encourage my daughter to wear dresses, but if she chooses pants and is neat and clean I don't give her a hard time. It's what's in her heart that really matters. We also belong to a church that reaches out to the oppressed, and we don't want anyone to feel that they have to dress a certain way in order to join us for worship. Blessings, Lucinda

Dear Laura in VA, Anyone that causes you grief over this issue does not deserve your time or energy to read or respond to in answer. You are a woman of integrity and courage and I applaud you for your transparency. In the end, people will hear you and pay attention to you more than they will hear or pay heed to your scoffers. Your message will have an effect, while the other message will push people away. God bless you! Lucinda

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: I'm so, so, so sorry for the pain you are feeling over your twin brother. Your post was heart-wrenching, as I am all too familiar with these types of challenges. I, too, have a loved one that suffers from mental illness. My son is 30 yo and was diagnosed Bipolar ten years ago. His father, my ex-husband, also has the same illness so I have been around the block a few times. (He also jumped off a bridge like your brother, and survived.) And look at all the others that have replied that have loved ones suffering this way too. Thank goodness people talk openly about these things in this generation. I agree with Jen. Everyone has a limit emtionally. Having a family member with this illness takes its toll on the whole family and each person has their own grieving/coping process to add to the mix. This has been my experience and observation over the years as well. Yes, people talk more openly than they used to about mental illness, but there is still such a stigma attached to mental illness in our society. We can't expect or force people to see or feel things the same way we do, as much as we want that to happen. You said you have a transportation problem, but I wonder if there is a way you could attend NAMI meetings in your area once a month. Have you ever looked into this? (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill). They have a wonderful website (www.nami.org) with loads of information, and perhaps an online forum for families in lieu of a real life support group. There is a 12 week course called Family to Family that is dynamic. I took it and it helped me understand and cope in a much better way. This, and lots of prayer for yourself, your family and especially your brother is the best way to help. I really believe that God watches over the mentally ill (and I could tell you stories about why I feel this way.) He is a God of compassion, and there are many stories in the Bible about Jesus touching the lives of suffering people. I had to learn in my own life that I cannot fix my son, but I can trust the Creator of the Universe to work through his life. Please know that you are cared about and that others are praying with you and for your family. Blessings, Lucinda

We were exactly in your situation and decided to give up the group insurance. It was costing almost $700 per month for our family of three, and at that it only covered 50-80% of the bill. As a cancer survivor with CAT scans and lab work that had to be done yearly, I was always having to pay my balance off with monthly payments. We finally decided that since my cancer has been cured for five years and we are all relatively healthy, we would be better off to cancel the insurance and pay as we go. It is a lot cheaper this way, and the clinics and hospital works with us. We live in a small rural area where there are excellent doctors that are willing to work with us. We are also considering a faith based medical cost sharing plan that we know is very sound as an alternative to health insurance. We can enroll at different levels for a fraction of the cost of health insurance. When a medical emergency arises, people pool together the funds and help pay the bill. They also have specialists that can help you negotiate the tab for each event. I know people that have used this type of plan and they have successfully worked through two major surgeries without ending up with huge bills. When dh and I married 14 years ago we had full coverage for our family of five that included medical, dental and vision. With a very small co-pay of $10 per visit, the only other cost was $35 per month. Boy, those were the days! blessings, Lucinda

For homeschooling I just can't get it to work either. Unit studies I've seen aren't at all in the same place that we are in each of the subjects. I think it can be customized in part, but not across the whole board of subjects (at least at our school anyway). No, it's not just you...as you can see there is a good sized line forming behind you! Blessings, Lucinda

...but as I stated in another post I am not in favor of either candidate due to reasons listed in that post. When it comes down to it, I feel it is the lesser of two evils. Blessings, Lucinda :confused:

My apologies, I used the word in vitro incorrectly...I meant violence in the womb, which takes place with abortion and/or domestic violence. If you are interested in reading about the early feminists views on abortion http://www.feministsforlife.org has a lot of information. Blessings, Lucinda