[What are you changing up next year?]

I am changing my approach to teaching writing to my teens. I have been correcting their papers and discussing with them how to improve their weak areas, but they are still making the same mistakes. We are going to start next school year with books containing examples of the best teen writing and also a guide to writing essays about literature. We will read and discuss the essays in these books together, and this way my kids will have a guide to follow and I won't have to feel like I'm always the critic (hopefully.)

We are also switching from Sonlight to a Classical approach to History and Literature.

Both of my teens are taking a Poetry course as an elective. I'm super excited about this one!

[Please pray for dd's prom date!]

Praying for all.

[How has your homeschooling changed over the years?]

We've changed a great deal. We started out with unit studies in the early years and now we use a classical approach in high school.

[pairing classics and YA]

This is such a cool idea! I found some more suggestions online: Night by Elie Wiesel and Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick; A Wrinkle in Time and When You Reach Me; Fahrenheit 451 and The Last Book in the Universe; Catcher in the Rye and Looking for Alaska; Frankenstein and This Dark Endeavor.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

Yes...I find both Benedict Cumberbatch AND John Krasinski extremely attractive.

[I am so sad...]

:grouphug:  I am so very sorry.

[High School Science - Guest Hollow - Good and Bad]

I used the Biology with my daughter and am currently using it with my son. I've been pleased and they learned plenty and did quite well. They both enjoyed it, too.

[What is for dinner this week?]

Wednesday - Fish, brown rice, green beans

Thursday - Spaghetti, salad

Friday - Pizza, vegetable tray, cake, cupcakes, cheese puffs, honeycomb cereal (This is for my youngest child's Winnie-the-Pooh-themed birthday party.)

Saturday - Meatballs (slow cooker), cheese & crackers, olives, and pickles

Sunday - Omelets, whole wheat toast

Monday - Tacos, Spanish rice

[Help me with a list of songs...]

Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken - Pink

This Girl is on Fire - Alicia Keys

Fighter - Christina Aguilera

Bad Reputation - Joan Jett

Scars to Your Beautiful - Alessia Cara

Nasty - Janet Jackson

No Scrubs - TLC

Part of Me - Katy Perry

Confident - Demi Lovato

Survivor - Destiny's Child

[Stepping out of my comfort zone again]

:hurray:  Yay!!! 

[My thoughts a few months after cutting off all my hair]

Yay! I'm so glad you're happy. And I totally agree with you. Cutting my hair off was also one of the best decisions I've ever made, too.

[Science recomendations please]

We've used this Biology and my kids thoroughly enjoyed it. She also has Chemistry & Physics programs, but we haven't tried them yet.

 

http://guesthollow.com/biology/

 

http://www.guesthollow.com/homeschool/science/chemistry_highschool/chemistry_home.html

 

http://www.guesthollow.com/homeschool/science/highschool_physics/physics_home.html

 

 

[Deleted main post. Thank you.]

I am so sorry. Those of us who are moms of children with special needs often feel as if we're failing our children, but you did not fail your daughter. Please don't carry that guilt. You are in my prayers.  :grouphug:

[M Night's The Visit]

It was disturbing, but IMO the ending was a letdown.

[Squeee!!!! My exciting grocery score!]

:hurray:  I love happy stories.

[Church and Flu]

We've stayed home a few times this month. I've taken the bread but not the wine lately. My youngest child has severe special needs, so the flu for her would be a nightmare.

[Poll: Do you save your kids' baby teeth?]

No, I find them gross; however, if you DO save them, you might be interested in this:

http://www.scarymommy.com/the-tooth-monster-doll-is-a-pinterest-craft/

[When Christmas disappoints (a vent)]

:grouphug:

[Grammar in high school]

Have you looked at Analytical Grammar? Once you go through it they have refresher books to keep up the skills in high school.

 

My 9th grader is currently using this. He's really blossomed with his grammar skills since August.

[favorite xmas song...]

Christian: O Holy Night

Secular: Please Come Home for Christmas (The Eagles)

[Requesting prayers for my brother]

:grouphug:

[FYI: ACT (Dec 9th) many test sites rescheduled (esp Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina)]

We live in south Alabama, and my daughter's ACT was rescheduled. We actually got snow yesterday! And we had accumulation!  :hurray:

[Today Show firing]

I've thought Matt Lauer was a jerk ever since that scuff up with Ann Curry.

 

:iagree:

[For fun...share a holiday food disaster]

This Thanksgiving, on Tuesday night, my oven went out completely - stovetop, too. Thankfully, we were planning to go to my husband's relatives' home for dinner, so I wasn't hosting. All I had to cook was a green bean casserole and an apple crisp. I have two slow cookers, so I tweaked my recipes a little; then into the slow cookers they went! They turned out well, and today was a good day. When I was a child, my grandmother tried a new way of cooking the turkey. It didn't work, and the turkey was still frozen on the inside. For my grandmother, that was a Thanksgiving disaster!

[just...why.....]

:lol: