I do see your point here. As a Christian, one thing to think about is that everyone is a sinner, and no one sin is worse than another. Even if you were in a Christian college where the professors didn't blaspheme, they would still be sinners, whether or not the sin was visible. There is just no way to avoid it in this world. We all have to interact with and depend on each other; even isolating ourselves would not solve the problem. I'm not sure what you should do in this case, but it's something to keep in mind.

:iagree: We sing a mix of hymns and contemporary music, but the contemporary music all has meaningful theology (no mindless repetitions, etc.). We sing a decent number of Sovereign Grace songs, and songs by the Getty's. I love the mix at our church!

I think you're referring to The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I read it while on vacation in Austria. We visited an old castle that had an original painting of Vlad the Impaler. Very, very creepy :D I loved the book. http://www.amazon.com/Historian-Elizabeth-Kostova/dp/0316070637/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1284259218&sr=8-1

I heard the "full version" A LOT in high school (i.e. that sucks d**k, or that sucks c**k, or that sucks the big one) so it will always have sexual connotations in my mind. I don't use it and won't let my children use it, although I don't consider it a swear word when I hear others use it. I think the OP's description of distasteful is spot on.

I haven't used Dave Ramsey's method, but I do use and like You Need a Budget. It's pretty easy to set up, and I like that it's aimed more at budgeting rather than just tracking spending (although it also does this). For example, all of the money you have to spend for a month comes from the money that you actually bring in that month. You can't budget money that you don't have (actually you can, but you end up with negative, red columns which will drive you crazy until you have everything balanced :D).

:iagree: It always reminds me of the gleaning guidelines in Deuteronomy: Deuteronomy 24:19-22 19 "When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. 21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. 22 And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this thing. NKJV It's not exactly the same thing, but this is what I always think of.

:iagree: I gave up Diet Coke a few years ago, and the caffeine withdrawal was really hard for me. Bad headaches, nausea, irritability. It lasted about a week and then all was well. But for almost a year after that, I'd get a bad headache whenever I'd have any caffeine. It was like my body remembered the caffeine addiction :glare: Now a few years out, it isn't a problem and I can have caffeine without any problems (although I don't drink it regularly).

I'm here!

He should be able to add you to his Amazon Prime account. I think it applies to everyone within your household. My husband and I both use the same Amazon Prime account.

Look at Amazon's textbook buyback section. It's easy to look books up and they pay for you to ship them there via UPS.

Use all compact fluorescent lightbulbs. This cut our electric bill by a good amount. Using the crockpot for cooking won't heat up the house and doesn't use much electricity.

You could also try Google books (books.google.com).

If they liked The Hobbit, they might like The Neverending Story. I remember loving it around the same time I read The Hobbit, although I was a bit older than your children are now. It's epic and adventurous enough to be a centerpiece for the summer (I love the idea of having a "centerpiece" for the summer).

Aww, that's so sweet. I love it!

The Science Buddies website might be helpful. You can search through projects by grade level, topic, time available, cost of supplies, etc. They have some excellent project ideas and lots of help on how to do them. http://www.sciencebuddies.org/

I think state universities are great! They are the top schools in many areas of science (along with the Ivy League schools) and it's hard to match their resources and opportunities at most smaller, private colleges (unless they happen to be a Research I university).

I've had bouts of stabbing pain in random places (my arm, hands, big toe, etc.). It usually has lasted a few weeks and is always related to stress. I have no idea why this happens, but I do know that stress makes my body do all sorts of weird things and causes weird pains. My (completely unscientific) theory is that my body cannot physically handle the stress without some "outlet" and the resulting sensations are a kind of overflow. Or something like that, lol. I've also had random problems with taking deep breaths and swallowing which are stress/anxiety related. Usually the symptoms only last a few weeks and then are gone for long while.

The other posters have some great advice. I just wanted to encourage you again that it gets much easier as time goes on. Once you get in the habit of always checking labels, finding your safe foods, etc. it just becomes a new routine. I would add that bringing safe snacks wherever you go helps with any unexpected food issues. You may not need them often, but it's great to have them when you do. Good luck with everything!

Science, including science education, science and religion, etc. DH is the same way so we always have lots to talk about. :D

Sounds like an awesome idea! I know of a couple of charter schools who have an approach similar to this, and they are EXCELLING. Even with the students being drawn randomly from the traditional PS student population.

I'm currently teaching a small science co-op class (I have one DS but he is only 2.5 now) and honestly, if one of the students isn't learning a concept, I DO assume that it's my teaching. Granted, I know my students are all capable of excelling, though it may require a lot of hard work on their part. I know in many PS settings, there are so many extraneous circumstances that are out of the teachers control. I graduated from a failing PS system, and I have lots of sympathy for the teachers. I absolutely do not think it is the teacher's fault for students failing (unless the teacher is genuinely one of the bad teachers, which do exist). The thing I wonder about, though, is what can be done to solve the problem. Are there really teachers out there who could somehow reach the students, in spite of miserable circumstances, and inspire them to excel? Is it worth looking for these teachers? I don't know the answer to this, and it may be the answer is "no" to both questions. Although I really hope not. For what it's worth, I admire teachers of all kinds, especially PS teachers. I really wish that they could be treated and respected as professionals.

I agree with you completely :) I don't think there is any easy answer, and I don't think standardized tests are the best way to hold teachers accountable. But I still think they are useful and shouldn't be totally discounted. AND I agree that the administration should be held equally accountable for student success.

I agree with this. But the problem becomes, how do you determine which teachers are the "bad" teachers? Some are completely obvious, but others not so much. And though testing shouldn't be the definitive yard stick, it can be a helpful metric for determining how much students have learned. The topics covered on most standardized tests ARE important, and not particularly advanced, and it's a shame if students aren't capable of at least passing the test (if not excelling).

I've struggled with this issue too. On the one hand I agree with you completely. On the other hand, if you keep teachers whose students don't show progress, how is that helping the students? Unless you are willing to admit that it is IMPOSSIBLE for the students to improve, it might make sense to keep looking for the teachers that will somehow connect and help their students to improve. I don't know what the answer is, but I think teachers should be treated as professionals, and dedicated teachers should be rewarded. IME, the teachers that should be fired are those who don't take their jobs seriously and don't put much effort or thought into preparation.

Thanks to the poster for finding this again and thanks to the op for posting it in the first place. It looks like fun!