Worst cruise we ever went on. Long story short 1. Too many kids everywhere-but especially in the kid zones-CHAOS 2. Loudest most obnoxious mealtimes ever 3. Worst embarkation and debarkation ever (we've been on Carnival, Holland & RC) 4. More expensive than any cruise we've been on-even the Alaska cruise was cheaper!

Go back and read the first two responses. We clearly stated what we felt was inappropriate on the part of the daughter. And I think it is very, very helpful to understand how cultures differ. It is not inappropriate unless done in a mocking/jeering/pompous (etc.) way. I'll give you an example. There is a culture I have interacted A LOT with in music-and I'm not speaking of the Chinese culture. I have noted that it is very common for people in this culture to use sarcasm in dialogue. When my dd was younger, she took lessons from someone of that culture. Sometimes she was confused by the sarcastic comments. I was able to explain what sarcasm is and how to identify it. Now she just laughs and understands it is all in good fun-no biggie. However, when the sarcasm started, we could have been greatly offended. Understanding that this type of dialogue is common in that culture helped us to understand-and still love and respect-this teacher. Being aware of cultural differences created understanding.

For the most part, I agree. Lawrence isn't an author I go looking to include in my personal reading, nor my literature classes. However, this one particular short story is a thought-provoking, excellent story. I can't wait to teach it. Holly

I like Graham Greene's "A Shocking Accident" *O'Connor's "My Oedipus Complex" Warner's "The Phoenix" ***Lawrence's "Tickets Please" *Kipling's "Mary Postgate" Hardy's "The Withered Arm" Mansfield's "The Doll's House" I've starred the stories I'm most looking forward to discussing in groups. Do not miss "Tickets, Please!" There is a wealth of discussion with this short story!!!!!!! When I taught Am Lit my students were transfixed by Yellow Wallpaper. I think "Ticket, Please!" will create the same reaction. Holly

Long story short-drop the class immediately. Nothing you can say or do will change the situation for the better. It will only get worse. Complain till the cows come home-college professors will just smile then screw you over when it comes grading time. You have completely legitimate concerns and issues. However, your dd has evidently ticked the professor off and all I can see is vengeance coming down the pike. Had this been a mandatory class for a college major, you dd should have followed the instructors instructions to the letter. Find some fake pictures and pretend that they are the family. But, by choosing to use Shakespeare as her father (which I find funny, yet inappropriate), she mocked the professor-publicly. And-yes, yes, the professor is a dufus. Yet, I see no other recourse than to drop the course. Next time, go along to get along. Tough life lesson! Holly

Hi Laurie, My dd is doing AP Euro this year. It has been awhile since I did the research, but I remember finding out there is very little overlap between AP Euro and World History. I did teach a Western Literature class last year and my dd has been able to use much of what we studied (Dante, Spenser) in only the first few weeks of Euro. So, even if you do Western Lit this year and Euro next, you will still be able to use that info to help with Euro. I'm not certain that Western Lit would help with World History. It seems like World Lit would be more helpful-but I haven't put a lot of thought into it. My plan is 10th Brit Lit, AP Euro 11th US Lit, APUSH, US Gov't 12th World Lit, AP World Hist and maybe Comp. Gov't My dd's experience with Euro thus far has been exciting, yet overwhelming. There is just SO MUCH! I can't imagine supplementing it with anything else. But, this is dd's first AP and she is only a sophomore. Maybe your kids are older and more experienced. Good luck with your decisions! Holly

Folgers

If you don't find a resource......I'd start by listening to a few sonatas (a sonata is usually a solo instrument accompanied by the piano) by the featured instrument-let's say oboe for example. You can certainly hear the difference between the oboe and piano. Then I'd move to oboe concertos. The oboe is playing with the orchestra in a featured manner. Then I'd move to picking out the oboe within an orchestral work. Repeat with various instruments. Some instruments are harder than others, of course. For example the violin and viola share 3 strings, "A," "D," and "G." So, if you were to play a piece that mainly featured those 3 strings, it would be really hard to tell if it were violin or viola. Sometimes you can tell from the tone color of the instrument-but not always. My dh and I (both violists) will listen to recordings and sometimes have a hard time guessing, especially with a talented violist. For a novice, the clarinet and oboe might have a similar sound. The oboe and english horn are also similar. Have fun learning about the orchestra instruments! Holly

Personally, I'd rather not have a "C" on my transcript. That would be the deciding factor in my mind. However, I think I'd ask your ds and let him decide. Isn't he a senior? Holly

NO WAY! BJU science is quite hard. Bio is very challenging. It is their 10th grade program. The earth/space program is also challenging and much more appropriate for 8th grade. You will have plenty to do with that program.

OK-recently dh provided anesthesia for a twenty-something young man. Young man was riding a bike-no helmet-on a flat surface. This was just a casual ride, not mountain biking or racing. For some reason he fell. Even with everything modern medicine could provide, he died.

In our house, job=school & music. DD has the rest of her life to work.

Mom of 7- I could not agree more! My favorite phrase is, "kids don't know what they don't know." As a teacher, I often find myself working through the process of figuring out what my kids do not know. Maybe they read a history passage but didn't comprehend how that selection fits into the broader category of history they are studying. Or, as was the case a couple of days ago, my child needed help figuring out the difference between kingdom, principality, state, and republic (The Prince). Are these terms synonymous? Are all republic states, but not all states republics? In high school biology dh and I found that the addition of one small word could totally change the meaning of a essay question answer. Do students understand that EVERY word counts? (precision vs accuracy-nuff said!) Holly

Send her a note explaining where the items are located. Then discontinue the friendship. No more play dates. Any family willing to enable their child's dramatics is not a family I'd be willing to deal with further. And, I strongly encourage you to forego the gift card. Giving the money is like admitting your child took the toys. ETA: And I agree with Auntie M. It is extortion-but voluntary extortion.

This was a totally preventable and predictable situation. First, Burmese pythons are nocturnal. So, the fact that it got out at night is no surprise. Here is the diet info on this species:

This is your dh's fault. He was negligent in not making sure that he had fully turned the burner off.

We have a piano teacher that also went through some heartbreaks. However, it has not affected her teaching, at least not that I can tell. If this were me, I would first make a list of grievances. Then, I would go over and talk to her in person. Finally, I would give her a chance to change. Yes, it is a business transaction, but any of us who have been with a music teacher for years (7 yrs for us) knows that it becomes much more than that. I think that your teacher deserves to know the unvarnished truth. Be tactful, but don't hold any problems back. Then, after the first bad lesson, quit. You've done the right thing. You can move on. I do not believe in lying to music teachers because in the end, it will probably bite you in the butt. (ask me how I know this?) First, music teachers talk. She will find out EXACTLY why you quit, eventually. Second, you will probably see her at music functions. Do you want to walk into an event and wonder if she knows? Third, this is a great opportunity to model the difficulty of "doing the right thing" for your daughter. Telling the truth can suck! But, I believe it pays off in the end. I feel for you. We have lots of lessons going and it would tie my stomach in knots to go through your situation!!! Holly

I would feel like my homeschooling life was a complete success if either of my kids could write as well as Dickens, Bronte or Sayers. I just finished studying Wuthering Heights for a literature class I'm teaching. Hands down, Bronte is one of the best writers I've ever encountered, bar none. There is so much to commend in her writing, it would be hard to know where to start.

100-90 "a" 89-80 "b" 79-70 "c"

If you were my spouse, I'd suggest that you edit the letter as follows: I like a lot of what you said. However, you cloud the issue with too much bulk. I like that you mention you have a doctor that will counsel you on health. I also like that you mentioned that she crossed a parental boundary. I think those are key and the rest is ancillary. I'd CC it to the principal. Holly

Thanks Moira! I am still pretty fuzzy about why the reference to Og? Seems really esoteric. I guess that person was trying to be esoteric, given the context. Wow! You learn something everyday. Holly

My students write on every piece of literature. However, some of the writing is informal. Next year my students will complete six large literature projects and 4-5 formal literature papers. The literature projects are responses to literature. However, they aren't necessarily papers. The students will also do smaller projects like imitation, journaling and poetry. Here are the projects I've chosen. Students pick 6 of the 8 choices. 1.*Literary Trailer- Create a video. The video will preview a work of literature. Imitate the style of a movie trailer. 2.Multi-Genre Paper- Create a large paper made up of little works inspired by a work of literature. Here are some examples of genres you can choose to include: poem, short story, obituary, journalistic article, drama, and letter. The paper should be tied together in some manner so that it feels like a cohesive unit. 3.Illuminated Text- Using flash or powerpoint, create a multimedia representation of a portion of text from literature we studied. 4.Timeline- Create a literary timeline. You may choose to create a timeline as one of your last two projects, project five or six. 5.Altered Audience- Rewrite a literary work for a new audience. For example, write a chapter of Animal Farm as a Poe-inspired gothic/horror tale. Or take “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,†and situate it on Sesame Street. 6.Altered Book/Play- Take an actual book and artistically alter it to highlight and emphasize both the text and the plot. If you search the internet you will find many examples of altered books. Although some folks define an altered book as a book that changes the meaning of the text, our definition is that we are artistically highlighting and intensifying the meaning of the text. 7.*Lights, Camera, Action!- Using one of the plays we’ve read, film a scene. You will need to decide on dialogue, actors, scenery, background music etc. Just as important as filming the scene, you will also need to judiciously cut your material to create tight sequences. 8.Historical Powerpoint- Choose a literary time period. Create a powerpoint presentation that comprehensively documents the time period. Include narration that explains the slides. Any background music must be from the time period.

OK-This is driving me a little bonkers. Who is Og? DD is reading Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie. Every once in a while she'll ask me who a person is or what a word means. Usually I can figure it out. But, I'm stumped by the reference to Og. The chapter is about Rasputin. Here's the context, Og????????? Thanks for your help! Holly

No.

I will write in some alternatives you could consider. First off, I'll be teaching the precis this year. You might want to consider teaching it too. Here's a link with more info. http://lonestar.texas.net/~mseifert/precis1302.html Illuminated Text: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbxX8_U1an8&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fweb%2Eme%2Ecom%2Fhollyk3799%2FAdvanced%5FComposition%2FProjects%2Ehtml&feature=player_embedded