I absolutely cannot stand store bought bread anymore. I'm on a routine with my Kitchen Aid. Always make cake from scratch using Joy of Cooking one egg or lightening cake. Everyone asks what's so good about this cake--it's been so long since most people have eaten a scratch cake they don't know what cake is supposed to taste like. Two nights ago we went to a dinner and awards ceremony for dd and others at a major downtown hotel. I was up all night with indigestion, which I NEVER get at home. What do they put into that stuff? Not only do I wonder about the mystery ingredients in groceries, but now restaurants too. Danielle

Here's what we did--I suppose anything might be worth a try at this point? We had tried that book "Toilet Training in a Day" when dd was about 2 and it DID NOT work. So I put the diapers back on and gave up. However, when nearly 3 rolled around, I decided that I was just plain sick of changing them. I sat her down and nicely told her that since she was big enough to eat by herself, she was big enough to take care of her own diapers. She could continue to pee and poop in her diapers, but I imagined that that would be kinda stinky and itchy, but it was up to her. But from now on, she would need to change them herself. I showed her where the diapers were, and where she should throw them. Then I mentioned that I thought that would be a lot of work. Maybe she would like to consider using the toilet like all the bigger kids did. Then I reassured her that it was all up to her. It was a good exercise for me, too, in setting limits. She immediately requested training pants. She never pooped again except in the toilet. She had 2 pee accidents in 2 weeks in the training pants, then never again. (Couldn't tear herself away from something interesting) I don't know if this will work for anyone else, but with dd, calling on her to act at the edge of her competence has worked ever since. Good luck.:001_smile: Danielle

3rd grade with Timon and Pumba. Now in 9th grade, she thanks me frequently for how much faster she can type on googletalk, IM, and her message boards.:001_rolleyes: Be careful what you wish for! Danielle

I'd like to google it to find out more. Not to abuse the system, but we could definitely benefit by a college course and U Missouri offers some I'm interested in. Danielle

If the house was burning, one of the possessions I'd run for would be my Unabridged Larousse. Well, maybe not--probably I'd get my collection of recipes first. Anyway, I love that Larousse. It has great sample sentences. If you don't want to invest in the Unabridged, I'd go for the Collins college edition--that's what I bought my daughter. Danielle

You are definitely right that Biology (and sciences in general) have moved away from field experience to lab work. However, with the new interest in green living and the environment, there is apparently more demand for scientists with some natural science background. We have a friend who's a prof in environmental engineering at a great tech university and his department cannot keep up with the demand for grads. He looked at our "alternative" biology and thought it would really stand out in a college app, as well as being just plain useful and pleasurable. FWIW. You have to know all the terms and molecular stuff for AP, but I still believe the joy of science is hands-on, in whatever the kids are interested in. My dd will not do dissection, but the naturalist training is right up her alley. These lists on this thread could keep us busy for a long time! Thanks to all. Danielle

We've had some very old cats also. (18, 19, 21). I try to make the decision on them based on what decision I would make for myself in the same situation. We have a vet who is a good friend, and he once said to me that if you're a careful pet owner and the animal isn't killed in an accident, generally at some point you need to make the decision to euthanize. With most of our extremely old cats over the years, the "slimming" has occurred as almost a decision to begin taking leave of this life. It's almost as if they are tapering off their involvement with the things of this world. It's not necessarily cancer, just old age. Then, their kidneys fail and it's time. I think it shows a wisdom often far beyond what the human medical community will permit for people. Our cats have shown us that life into death is an inevitable progression, not some surprise or disease. My heart goes out to you. It is such a privilege to share one's life with pets. This transition is always hardest on those left behind. Danielle proudly owned, currently, by Beauregard (Giant Schnauzer, 9); Cadeau (calico alleycat, 7) and Fantome (grey generic alleycat, 2?--who knows).

DH claims the house is sinking under all the books. Dd recently calculated that there are more than 2,000 books in our 11 x 12 "family" room. There's a 4 stacks next to my side of the bed that are as high as the bed. Then there's the stack on the floor next to my end of the couch, the stack on the kitchen island, and the stack of magazines on the sideboard that I read at breakfast. I just finished reading that book "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" and even HE comments on how he keeps discovering books that he is unaware of or hasn't read, but "everyone" else has. And he's an English prof! If only I could read 'em as fast as I can buy 'em! Danielle

Maybe browse the Annenberg courses? www.learner.org I'd love to do the cinema course if we could just find the time. Danielle

We used these one year when dd was younger and she really liked it. They're great intros to world music. http://www.putumayo.com/en/putumayo_kids_multi.php Danielle

It's a three volume novel. I bought the first book on Friday nite to see if I would like it. By Saturday morning I was outside the bookstore waiting for it to open. Danielle

Sei Shonagon's The Pillow Book. I've really been working on non-Western literature and being surprised by how easy it is to reach across centuries and cultures, with the help of a good translation. This one is like reading a gossip column, but the gossip of more than a thousand years ago. Some things never change. Also, struggling through Le Cid, in French, by Corneille. Since they eliminated AP French Lit, I thought I'd do it on our own in a few years, just using the reading lists. Oh man, rhyming couplets...wooofffff. Danielle

We're doing a naturalist training program(+reading a textbook on biology) and here's some of the stuff I've turned up. The Amateur Naturalist by Gerald Durrell (out of Print, I believe, but well worth tracking down)--a reference book Any other books by Gerald Durrell (My Family and Other Animals, etc.) The Nature of Life (Great Books Foundation) selected readings in Biology Lyrical Life Science by Doug Eldon Volume 1 Cellular Life, Classifications, Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles, etc. Volume 2 Mammals, Ecology and Biomes Really helps memorization Arnie the Darling Starling by Margarete Sigl Corbo King Solomon’s Ring by Konrad Lorenz Ravens in Winter by Bernd Heinrich--great example of how a field scientist works and goes about problem solving. Assorted Tom Brown Field Guides -Wilderness Survival -Nature and Children -City & Suburban Survival The Lives of Birds by Lester Short A Field Guide to Your Own Backyard by John Hanson Mitchell--just loved this--never let it be said that all your yard has is sparrows and squirrels. Indian Uses of Native Plants by Edith Van Allen Murphey The Backyard Naturalist by Craig Tufts (National Wildlife Federation) How to Stay Alive in the Woods by Bradford Angier The Lives of a Cell by Lewis Thomas The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2007 edited by Richard Preston North American Tree Squirrels by Michael A. Steele and John L. Koprowski--I almost choked to death laughing while reading about the sex lives of squirrels. This is absolutely a scientific work, but oh! that chapter. Perhaps preview first. The Education of Little Tree--I hesitate to recommend this as the author was an absolutely horrible person IMO. However, the book reflects none of this and is an enjoyable semi-mythic tale about growing up in the woods and living in natural harmony Sierra Magazine National Wildlife Federation Magazine Danielle

http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2008/08/2008080101c.htm Has technology really fried the brains of college students? Are we doing any better homeschooling? I think my dd is getting a way better education than I got way back when. But this article makes me wonder what she's prepared for. Danielle

I'm glad I made the decision to put other things (the bulk of my own work)on hold and free her from being incarcerated in traditional school. I'm glad that she knows I voted with my feet, and the vote was for her. I'm glad we've always done 2 languages. Now that she's finally getting to a reading level, all the work has really paid off. Here's one area where I'm so happy we were able to be consistent. I'm glad we began nature/field studies last year and that she has some outdoors knowledge to go with all the book-smart science. I'm glad she's got self confidence combined with kindness and good judgment about boys/drugs/booze and a lot of things I don't need to worry about. I'm glad that we are so close. I never had that with my own mother, and I wanted to believe that we didn't have to be at war in the teen years. We get along beautifully. I'm glad that I made her stick with music lessons now that her love for music and her playing fills our house with beautiful music. I hated the yelling and the nagging, but I'm glad I did it and didn't let her quit. I'm really glad I don't have to nag her to practice anymore (the switch flipped about a year ago--8th grade--for those of you who are still hoping!) Now she fights for time to practice. I'm glad that, thanks to WTM, her head is just stuffed full of literature and history and science and that she has so much material to think with. Danielle

Biggest regret: ever sending dd to school at all. We looked at tons of schools but never considered homeschooling. First grade was bad and second grade a disaster and it took a LOOONNNGGG time for her confidence and interest in learning to return. She's recovered years ago (still hates the idea of school) but I don't think I ever will forget the condition my little girl was in when we pulled her in March of second grade. Not a regret really, but I'd do it differently: I have always been terrible at math and didn't think I could trust my instincts without a program laid out for me. We used Saxon until 7th grade, and if I had it to do over, I'd just do flashcards and stuff like Family Math, with fun math books (Theoni Pappas, How Math Works) until she knew math facts and was ready for Life of Fred. Then, there would have been more joy to the study. We always did "fun math", but I'd just bag the rest of the drill, drill, drill and the endless practice and use games and manipulatives a lot more. I would say to those of you with younger kids, now at 14 with 6 years of homeschooling, my dd survived my parenting and all my mistakes. Kids are resilient, and you really do just need to strive to be good enough, not perfect. Danielle

Hmmm, using the percentage of tax rate you paid on your income and applying it to mine, I'd have saved about $5500 in tax by running our business in Canada instead of here, and got the health care to boot. That's federal only, we also have state income tax. Makes me dream about moving. Danielle

I found it very interesting yesterday to watch a person who was almost certainly of Medicare age railing against the government and how she was against having her taxes raised to pay for health care. Apparently only for other people. So, I have a request for responses. I learned while watching the conventions this week that it's suddenly become verboten to discuss how other countries do things (heaven forbid anyone might actually know more or come up with a better solution than we have). But anyway, when we were in the Netherlands, we were told that the average Dutch person pays about 22% of their income in taxes. Say we pay 17% (no, I don't remember where I got that figure). For that extra 5%, the Dutch get excellent national health care--they're among the longest lived people in the West and the health care has a co-pay to keep costs down. They have old age pensions such that, as we were told, no granny has to live with their family, and there is a lot of elder housing. Students get not only free college, but also a living stipend. There is a lot of vocational/trade training available. Say you make $100,000/year (easy to calculate). Say you're paying $17,000 a year now in taxes. Under "Dutch" taxes, you'd be paying $22,000 ($5,000 more), but you wouldn't have to worry about educating your kids, long term health care, disability or short term health care. My family pays just over $1,000/month for health insurance (self employed). In order to pay the $200,000 cost for college that the calculators predict, we should be saving $12,000 per year (not!) We also pay $5,000 for long term care insurance and $3,000 for disability insurance, neither of which we'd need under "Dutch" taxes. By my calculations (just using these two areas), we'd be better off by $16,000, which would be available for saving, investment or maybe even spending, which would all help the economy. I'd be willing to invest $5,000 to get $16,000 worth of benefits. Even more if I knew that maternal and pre-natal health would improve, parents could take time off to be with their newborns, every kid that deserved it could get an education suited to them, and elderly people would be well cared for, with independence and dignity. It's not the taxes that bother me, it's what we (don't) get for them. Thoughts? Danielle

Every time I open the Chicago Tribune, they're endorsing the Republican candidates. However, I do distinguish between news coverage and editorial, and I think the news coverage is generally fair, although there's still a bias toward consumerism, define yourself by what you wear, glorify big business and its leaders, and always be against taxes, no matter what. I'd classify myself a left wing liberal with libertarian tendencies, so most media have good opportunity to offend me! Danielle

Since you haven't had any other responses yet, perhaps you might check out a post I made a while ago about this. HTH http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18619&highlight=Auralog Danielle

I'm surprised that no one on this board, with all of us who teach our kids logic, has pointed out the logical fallacy of the Republican's appeal on McCain. This is clearly an appeal ad misericordium--vote for McCain because he suffered so much. I admire his courage and service, but does not counter his objectionable political beliefs, his poorly thought out policies (when they exist at all), or the continuation of the disaster his party has wreaked on this country in the last 8 years. Someone once said that all Rudi Giuliani has to say is "a noun, a verb, and 9/11". It seems all the Republican party has to say is a noun, a verb, and McCain was a POW. And, where is the outcry about the smarmy ridicule that characterized every speech last nite? And the utter lack of discussion of any policy proposals whatsoever? The substance of the Republican speeches so far makes the Democrats look like the Encyclopedia Britannica. Or are there different rules when it's Republicans doing it? Danielle

Disclaimer: since I'm the author of First Start French, you will surely have to take my comments with a grain of salt! No real answers, just some of our experience. French (or Spanish, German, etc.) is nowhere near as essential as math, grammar, etc. Neither is Latin, or music, or art. But for me, one of the reasons I chose to hs was to be able to give my dc the opportunity to enjoy these topics, which many schools no longer provide. These are the luxuries of a well-furnished mind, but also have provided my dd with a way to positively develop an identity. I firmly believe that the buzz she gets when people learn she speaks French fulfills the same corner of the teenage psyche that causes some kids to get a tatoo or a piercing. It's a way to be "different" in a positive way and to have pride in some "uniqueness". When dd was younger, I too felt that there was NO TIME to cram it all in. We strove for 45 minutes of Latin and 45 minutes of French 4 days a week. (and almost never achieved more than 3 days of each). But over the years, that still built up knowledge, and certainly improved grammar and vocabulary in English. Dd regularly "switches" languages in her mind for cognates--if Latin doesn't provide a clue, French often does. I made every effort thoroughly to cover grammar, but also to provide fun magazines and kid's books in French--even if they sat on the shelf for a year. She was just dying to unlock all the good stories, and it was high motivation. Believe me, our dc do NOT have more time to cover material in high school! The special interests and extracurricular activities kick in big time, along with the pressure of covering every base for college "resumes". My dd is now so busy that we're reduced to eating dinner in the car two evenings a week. If you continue with French, even at a slow level, it is very likely that your dc will be able to read by late high school level. I am really looking forward to dd reading Balzac or Maupassant or Corneille in the original when the period comes up in our history/literature rotation. You do not have to cover a text in whatever schedule the author recommends--even me! 15 minutes a day over 4 or 5 years is better than none at all for 4 or 5 years, then trying to pick it up again. It makes other languages just part of the normal study day, and everyday life. I know this is going to sound like heresy, but I'd cut back on science in the early years before I'd cut out languages. Most kids will willing do experiments from kits as "play", and science books can be part of normal reading. Serious science requires more math than most kids have early on. If something has to go, I'd try to strike a balance. Finally, I concur with the poster that recommended songs, etc. Also, you might try turning the French subtitles on on any DVD you're watching for a little more exposure. JMTC Danielle

I'm sorry this happened to you. I'd ask for the refund, too. But if it didn't work, maybe you could consider donating the glasses and taking a charitable deduction? At least then they'd do somebody some good and you might feel a little better. Lions Clubs take donations of eyeglasses. Danielle

Obviously, Palin's methods didn't prevent teen sex in her own home. Why would they be any more effective as national policy? At some point, we all need to stop blaming "the media", "bad friends", "inside the beltway" and look to the person's character. We are all responsible individually for our own souls and for forming the principles by which we guide ourselves. We also need to make policies based on what can be shown to work, not on what "sounds" right. The sun does not circle the earth, no matter what we once wanted to believe, and what appeared to be truth. Danielle

This is the textbook that accompanies the Western Civ course. If you're using the textbook, you might want to check out the free lectures. http://www.learner.org/resources/series58.html Danielle