I need 5th grade curriculum. I am looking for everything except bible. I do NOT want Abeka and will marginally take BJU if it is complete..

Anyone have any 5th grade curriculum that is complete and CHEAP?

Math
Science
English (grammar, spelling, vocab)
Social Studies (preferably with mapping skills type stuff)--this can be American History with maps

And a foreign language program(spanish) that can be used by both a 5th and 9th grader that is totally "teacher hands OFF" (I can't teach spanish or any other language)...

Please email me: hmskoolmom AT verizon DOT net

Thanks!!!

~~~Toni

Butch (YaY, she's back) has issued an open challenge. Apparantly, a lot of our blogs have become "boring" because we are all ranting about the same things over and over again. She challenges us to show her (and everyone else) daily life, real family life, etc... all the truly boring stuff in my life...:)

But hey, she asked, she shall recieve..(After all, I'm not a Butch Bitch for nothing).....

The last, oh, 4 months have been spent on trying to get a house--something we'd never thought we'd get. Well we got it.

It started out like this:
First Phase

Of course, this is just the model house. I mean, it is what our house will be like, but that house is still (or was) sitting on the lot.

And, in between all of that, this happens:
Second Phase

Which, led us to the next link:

Well, that was a bit ago. About a month ago, we came to this:
Third Phase

You can see my ugly mug at the end of it, but my hair is gone now--I cut it short. I'm not bald, just short. And you can see my kids and the pictures that I am actually hand drawing for our new walls.

Today, I was just told that the house is finished. We should be closing by the end of the week, next. I really hate moving.

Schooling has ceased. It ceased a while ago. I did get the girls tested, though. CAT testing. They both did as good (and as bad)as I thought they would. Gives me an idea of what I need to work on next year.

As of right now, my husband is playing some dumb wrestling game on the gamecube, the girls are packing (eek)their room and I'm playing on the computer. Sounds like fun, eh?

I will be going out to the house very soon and I will be taking more pictures.. and, so the masses can enthrall themselves to my wonderous home, upload them and post on here, for all to see.

(luv ya butch)..

~~~~Toni

**eta**
I am adding this, as it pertains to my "death" rant--would you leave your father alone already? For fuck's sake--he is a grown man. Get over it already. Sheesh, this woman is starting to piss me off--"daddy won't come see my son play, he's so selfish, why can't he see how selfish he is being?"--HELLO!!! Pot + Kettle = Big Fucking Black Soot ALL over YOUR face!!!!

Grrrrr... I hate people who think they are "entitled" to something......

What Type of Homeschooler Are You?

Salvador Dali Melting clocks are not a problem in your reality. You are an unschooler. You will tolerate a textbook, but only as a last resort. Mud is your friend. You prefer hands-on everything. If your school had an anthem, it would be Dont Worry, Be Happy. Visit my blog: http://www.GuiltFreeHomeschooling.blogspot.com
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I guess because I'd prefer to ditch everything and just go. I use textbooks for pete's sake--but I am also prone to some form of Homeschooling ADD--get up, drink coffee, say "screw it" and go to the museum--thereby, completely ditching any schoolwork I thought we were supposed to do that day. Which is kind of weird as I am the type to spend ALL summer writing lesson plans, grading this and that and planning out at least, through Christmas.

Of course, the best laid plans of Mice and Men (in this case Homeschoolers)......

Never fails....

Although, I've lived in Florida all of my life and I still have never been to the Dali Museum..

I smell a Road Trip.... Mom? Wanna come????

~~Toni

Death....
It's a tough thing to deal with. In fact, it just plain hurts. It can kill you emotionally and take your life away figuratively.

So, why rant about it? Inside the span of two years, I lost my brother to a freak motorcycle accident--only 30 years old. The following year, almost exactly to the day, my father dropped dead inside his work truck of a heart attack. I had just (over the course of the year my brother passed)gotten to re-know my father. He had just gotten to know his granddaughters. And then he was gone.

My mother, who despised him, even cried. It hurt her as much as it did me. So, before anyone bitches, I KNOW the pain of death. I know the hurt. I STILL cry.

But my rant has nothing to do with learning to cope. It has everything to do with not growing up. You see, when you are an adult child, there should come a time in your life when you realize that your parents, while they will always be mom and pop, have moved on without you. I'm 33, Mom is around 54. She's married to an almost 60 year old(my step father). She's more than old enough to handle her life now. I think she's earned it.

But you know, as sad and as distraught as I would be if she(we) should ever lose my step-father, I would NEVER deny her the right to remarry--even if it is 6 months after his death. My god, it isn't my place to tell her she can't. It isn't my place to throw a temper tantrum because she decided to marry "That guy".

Get over yourself. Your father is a grown man. He has every freakin' right to remarry and at any time he wishes to remarry and he does NOT need your approval to do so!!!!!! Posting on a message board, whining about how Daddy is marrying "that woman" and "it isn't even 4 months after Mommy's death, How could he?" is bullshit. Your daddy doesn't need your approval, doesn't need you telling him what to do and he certainly does NOT need you suggesting a freakin' pre-nuptial agreement.

For what reason would he need this? Yeah, this world has some idiots in it(a right fair more than most places in the world) but for pete's sake--he's how old? Oh, and if he doesn't want to invite you to his wedding--HE DOES NOT HAVE TO!!!!!!!!! Just because he helped create your life doesn't mean he owes you a damn thing, especially bowing down and catering to your feelings. And, just because he remarries doesn't mean he doesn't or didn't love your Mother. That's just stupid to think that.

And another thing, throwing a damn hissy fit because he told you this "new woman" will be your Step-mother, only proves you are too damn immature to handle the situation. She IS your Step-Mother, whether you like it or not. And, she IS entitled to everything your father has, per the law, as his wife. He is far from being insenstivie for telling you this. He probably sees how immature you are and doesn't think you can handle it--which you are proving.

GET OVER IT AND YOURSELF. For pete's sake--he's at least in his 60's--- I think he can handle it--he sure is acting more grown up than you!!!

And yes, I am quite certain you will know who I am talking about. I don't care if they read this rant. I stand by it. Mind your own damn business and let your FATHER handle his. He's earned it. He raised you, he's done. He doesn't need you breathing down his neck for every little thing he does that you might disagree with.

Sheesh.

~~Toni

Alright, as promised... prepare to be humored and go ahead and laugh at my own expense. I learned how to "smile" yesterday to the point where my face hurts. Now before I go off on my rant, I must give you a "disclaimer" of sorts.

1--I am not anti-kid.
2--I am not anti-handicap
3-- I am not prejudice against anyone.
4--This is a Tongue-planted-firmly-in-cheek rant. Yes, I kind of sort of feel this way (especially about the driving), but I'd **never** say anything to anyone. Ever. I'd just mumble it to myself and go along my merry way.

So, if you PM me with "how could you be so cruel to people in wheelchairs" or "how dare you not like kids" or any other such nonsense--well, you can bite me. That only proves you don't have the common sense God gave a Camel to discern between tongue in cheek humor (even if I am ranting) and serious "I don't like these people". Think of this rant as a "George Carlin meets Toni Wilson hyped up on Caffiene" type rant--- A little bit to offend someone (cuz surely someone will be) and lot to make you laugh and think "hmmm, I might say that too"...

This rant is also two-fold.

First fold:

DRIVING

People, if you are going to drive on a Majorhighway during rush-hour morning traffic, there are a few rules you should have learned in Driver's Ed:

1: QUIT trying to "jockey" for position. If there is an opening ahead of you, you can bet one of three things have occured: 1) The idiot behind that opening isn't paying attention or 2)Some spazzed out Semi-Truck driver **is** paying attention and somehow, from 2 rows over and 10 cars back, **he** WILL get that open space and 3) if this occurs, there **will** be an accident(which won't involve the truck, miraculously).

And should any example in #1 occur, this leads you into the #2 spot:

2: Do NOT attempt to "witness" the accident. Yeah, that's right. Quit freakin stressing me out by "breaking neck" to look at what happened. If you do this, wash, rinse and repeat #1 ad naseum.

3: If there is an accident, those LOUD sirens you hear indicate for you to GET THE BLOODY HELL OUT OF THE WAY!! Do NOT attempt to "outrun" the emergency vehicles, do not attempt to "get in a better position" and certainly do NOT attempt to "move ahead" of everyone else. That's why they make "emergency lanes" on major highways--for Emergency Vehicles!! You fools who move into this lane, thinking "I'm out of the way" only create a bigger bloody traffic jam that was there already. Not only does the EV now have to play "pinball" with traffic, but you have to as well, trying to merge back in with us. Guess what, moron--if I see you in the EV lane--waiting to get back into traffic--because you were too moronic to **stay put**--you are staying in the EV lane longer... I'm not letting you through. (And just so you know, here in FL--the EV lanes are for that reason only(unless you break down), but barring that, in bumper to bumper traffic, you are supposed to stay on the main lanes and stay put--letting the EV pass you using the EV lanes.)

4: Lastly, once everything is clear, can we try to actually locate the GAS PEDAL AND MOVE out of the way, instead of sitting there picking your noses and lollygagging on whether you should change lanes or what. I don't care what you do, just find the damn gas pedal and go. I don't need you further slowing things down by driving the lowest possible speed one can go, until YOU feel like speeding up.

Grrrrr. Cracker Jack's are out of style. Quit buying the boxes just to get the driver's license inside.

Second-Fold:

KIDS,BABIES, THEME PARKS, OLD PEOPLE, AND WHEELCHAIRS
(again, don't you dare PM me and tell me how horrible I am..I'm not the only one who thinks this way)..

Theme parks are meant to be fun. A day where the whole family can get away from the rigors of life and go someplace "magical". Someplace they don't get to see everyday (or even every year). To be fair, I have a 2-year pass to the place I am about to mention. I could go back at any time (which is why this rant is tongue in cheek). But, since I am ranting about "etiquette", here are my (sometimes wishful thinking) "rules" for Theme Park enjoyment:

1: Firstly, bringing **babies** to an overcrowded, over priced, theme park on a HOT day is just stupid. It is asking for non-enjoyment. Not to mention the uncomfortable-ness that baby is going to feel being couped up in a stroller, being bumped into by many people (because mom allows the older kids to drive the damn thing and they can't even see over the "steering wheel"), being put in and out of the stroller over and over again and just plain being HOT. Why torture an infant that way? (And, that isn't in general--I counted no less than 25 actual **babies** yesterday--ranging from NEWborn to around 10 months old)--WHY????

2: So you have older kids, right? Just how much fun can a 2-5 year old get out of a park like Sea World? They get hot, tired and bored just as quick as a baby. In fact, they need a stroller too. Why bring them that young to a park that crowded (and did I mention HOT) and have them ruin not only YOUR fun, but everyone else's? Ok, kid, I GET that you have no freaking clue what kind of animal Shamu is--so PARENTS, would please freakin answer the kid **before** they SHRIEK at you that they want to know this? And for pete's sake, I have no problem with the kid running around a bit during the show (like behind me) but can you STOP the kid the FIRST time I turn around and shoot you a dirty look because I've just been KICKED in the back of the head?

SIDERANT: If the kid isn't tall enough to ride the ride, DO NOT force the poor gate attendant to get mean on your ass because you are making junior stand on his tippytoes. It not only holds up the line, but ruins it for the rest of us who do follow the rules.

3: While we are at it, you think maybe you can put a leash on that brat who keeps running around, table to table, dumping drinks over, kicking chairs and screaming that they want something?

4: Oh and btw, if the kid needs a stroller, he's too young to be entertained at the park any damn way. More than likely, he's going to be afraid of those dolphins you are forcing him to feed and even more scared of that big ass shamu costume you are forcing him to take a picture with. Leave him at home with grandma...or a babysitter... or freakin' wait until he is old enough to actually appreciate or remember the place. Your day will go so much better and be that much more enjoyable.

SIDERANT #2: What the hell kind of parent are you to stick your kid on my row (when there isn't room anyway) and you hike your ass 5 rows above them? If you don't like the fact that their arent' seats in the splash section, GET THEIR EARLY ENOUGH TO GET ONE, MORON. Don't ruin my fun by sticking your kid (she was like 5) at the end of my row--when the damn kid can't sit still, keeps insisting on kicking me and keeps scratching her head (that freaked me the hell out. I HATE Lice!!)

SIDERANT #3 (which isn't going to make sense with the rest of my normal rant)There is a reason why the seats in the first two rows say "HANDICAP" on them--they are for those who cannot walk up the stairs, for family who have accompanied them to the park and for those in wheelchairs. NO, you cannot sit your brood in those seats marked "HANDICAP" unless you consider "Brat" a mental illness.

Which leads me to:

5: While I loathe people who take advantage of the handicap positions, I loathe, even more, the people who are handicap (namely wheelchairs) thinking they are "owed" something. Listen, I really don't care how you got in that chair in the first place, but I'd be more inclined to feel sorry for you when you aren't using that electric wheelchair as a means to RUN PEOPLE OVER just because you've got to use it. I'm more than happy to give you the right of way (just out of courtesy) but you run over my toes one more damn time and you can "scoot" behind my fat ass for as long as I want to keep you there.

6: It is bad enough they don't make the pathways wide enough for two people to walk side by side, but damn it people, must you STOP in the MIDDLE of the freakin walk way to look at the map? Can't you step to the side and get out of the way so traffic can flow nicely? Here I am, clipping along at a nice speed, enjoying my clip and BAM!! I've run straight into someone who has his back turned to me, with his face in that damn map, and I've got to be the one to say sorry because you give me a dirty look? Listen jerk, one more person stops dead center of the walk way for no damn good reason, is going to get pushed out of mine. I'm tired of having been raised with the common courtesy to move out of the way if I can't contribute to the flow, where are your manners?

7: Old people. Please believe me that I do love them, I really do. But like babies, I think it is cruel to bring your 99 year old grandmother to a HOT, crowded theme park and push her in a wheelchair. At the same time, old people are probably the ones who caused my first rant to happen on the highway. But, seriously, old people at theme parks don't mix. And no, I'm not talking about someone in their 50's-higher. I'm talking about those that cannot keep up with traffic, that cannot move out of the way, that just cannot. If you are 99 years old and can run circles around me--I bow down to you. Likewise, if you are 55, require a cane, a wheelchair AND someone to carry you, maybe you should have stayed home with the baby. I loved my gramma (she's in heaven now) but even SHE had enough common sense to know that it would be a helluva burden to take her to a theme park that's HOT, crowded and full of stupid people.

What is it about Theme Parks that bring out the stupid people?

8: Lastly, School Groups. This falls under the "young kid" catagory, however, I am less inclined to pull my hair out at them. At least they are somewhat ordered. At least the follow that "little white line" to some extent. At least they know enough to get to a certain place on time if they want a good seat. But the one thing they don't know that truly pisses me off ---allowing the kid to act like a completely and utter moron. That is to say, that walrus, who is behind 3 feet of unbreakable glass, can no more hear you screaming and banging on the glass, than I can *not* hear you a mile away, when you do scream. Seriously, at the walrus exhibit, there was this cool walrus doing some funny stuff (like he knew kids where watching him, he kept acting dorky and it was funny and cute)and every freakin kid just had to get right up against the glass--banging and screaming--at the poor thing. I stood there for TEN minutes begging the teacher to let me get "just one" picture of the walrus WITHOUT kids hands in the picture and even after they had been there longer than me, they REFUSED to move on. So all my walrus pictures have little greasy hands in them.

SIDERANT #?? People, move on. After you've had your fun and taken your pictures, could you please let the rest of us enjoy it too? Hogging that one space isn't going to make the animal do something different for you. In fact, he doesn't give a damn about you being there. Screaming at him to do something "cool" (mommy, make him growl-- seriously, this kid expected his mother to somehow **make** the animal growl at him. :eyeroll:), isn't going to work either. Move on. That's why certain rides have a 50-60 minute wait on them--because you people don't know how to locate the freakin "gas pedal"......

In all seriousness, we did have a pretty good time. For once, I didn't encounter much rudeness (despite this rant). In fact, I'd say a majority of the park was filled with Europeans and all the ones we encountered were very nice and friendly. Even a few northerners were as well. I thought it was cool that I was showing off a picture of my daughter (she got picked to be a "guest trainer" for one of the shows and I've got a picture of it), and the couple who sat next to us was just as excited at the picture as I was. Very sweet people.

We went to Busch Gardens last week, and it was busier than yesterday was. However, I encountered so much rudeness that I actually complained to management ( I cried too...that was funny).. But yesterday, through all its faults (too damn hot), was not too bad.

I just wish, wish, wish, people had some sembalance of common sense. I know this is wishful thinking and a girl can dream, but sheesh...

~~Toni

.....Transmission Received.... suffice it to say, I don't think I'll be adding anything more... it's over with, point made.

Toni

Edited to add: Our illustrious teacher has removed his blog. He emailed Daryl this morning with nothing but a letter laced with profanities that even I couldn't top and told Daryl and his "Cronies" that we won. I didn't know we were in a contest, but apparantly Mr. Teacher just couldn't handle it any more. C'est la vie. Now if only he quits teaching. He proved in his letter to Daryl that he shouldn't be a teacher. How very sad because this country is lacking good teachers. He just isn't one of them.

I'm speaking of this: If Ignorance is bliss, this guy is moronically happy... (and also to further prove I have nothing against Daryl)...

So, let's pick apart (Mr. I'm-such-a-wonderful-5th grade-teacher-I'm-going-to-rip-anyone-else-apart) his blog post that I linked to.

Now, let me say that I am very fortunate to have family and friends who are totally supportive of my homeschooling. Part of there reasoning is due to the very things Mr. "Wonderful" is speaking of.

By our very nature, we, as homeschoolers, are out and about in the world more than most kids. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing. It is good because our kids are getting that "socialization" society thinks we lack. It is bad because we are mixing with the very society that we feel isn't doing their job to educate our children well enough. Now before I go on, let me just say that I realize homeschooling is not for everyone. I am not like some (who shall not be mentioned as they are being boycotted), that feel **every** child should be brought home and homeschooled. I simply do not think this is possible. And, let me also say, that though the top of a homeschoolers list might be "bad schools", the majority of them are not.

That said, let's have it, point by point.

Everyday that I drive home from work, I pass by a private, religious school. This school is a K-12 school, and is well known in the area. It's called Mesilla Valley Christian School. As I was driving by this school today, I was struck by the thought of people pulling their children out of public school in order to put them in this school.

And rightly you should be. I mean, if they aren't in your school, you won't get paid. I understand that concern. But this one paragraph is more loaded that it appears. Mr. "Wonderful" teaches Public School. I hate to tell him this, but the war between public -vs- private has existed long before he did. And it is an unwinable war. It will never been won so long as we have the money in existence to pay for these private schools.

But, onto the next matter:

I have nothing personally against MVCS, I haven't heard bad things, and it's located very near the NMSU campus, so they are probably at least mildly aligned to the ways public schools run things. The problem I have is that public education gets bashed so much in this country, and it's unfair. We are extremely lucky to have free education in this country. If you want to go to school past 7th grade in Mexico, you have to pay.

Are you sure you have nothing against this school? Sure sounds like you do. And let me tell you, public school (the ones that deserve it) gets a beat down because the Government does not value education in this country as much as it should and as such, those schools suffer. When will you public school teachers realize that it isn't YOU we are beating down, it is the school system in general. I don't care about you and what you teach or even how you teach it. I care about the fact that you don't have the resources TO teach it and likely won't get those resources any time soon. And because you won't get them, is the reason my kids are at home being taught by me. Oh and don't use the "your tax dollars are paying for the school system and if your kid isn't in school, the schools aren't being paid" bit--won't work, buddy. My tax dollars are STILL going to public schools in this county, whether I want them to or not. So the schools are STILL getting their money's worth. Why don't you ask your under-worked, over-paid bigwigs who are pocketing some of that cost to build their multi-story homes with gas-guzzling SUV's in the driveway--one of which belongs to their over-spoiled, never-punished, and just-barely-legal-enough-to-drive teenager.

But no. It's all the homeschoolers fault.

Next:

Now the problem here is that private schools and home schoolers (don't even get me started on that bunch) claim higher averages on the SAT's, they claim higher graduation rates, and they claim to put a higher percentage (all per capita of course) of students in college. I have some issues that stem from these trends, and here's why:

(1)Parents PAY MONEY to put their children in private school. This means that a poor Mexican woman with 4 kids and daddy in prison isn't going to have the resources or the means to put her children in private school. Also, Smokey McCrack isn't going to care enough about his children to pay for their education. This means that public education has to deal with children of parents that don't hold education as a high priority, and that drags down the numbers.

Firstly, we claim higher SAT scores because we can prove that our scores are higher, just by the student-teacher ratio alone. There is ONE of you and THIRTY-FIVE (sometimes higher) of them. How in the hell do you expect them to get any kind of education, let alone you actually having the ability to TEACH (as opposed to sheep hearding, crowd control, in-service days, testing that has absolutely nothing to do with learning, etc.). Whereas, there is ONE of me and only TWO of them. I'd said I have the upper hand in that game.

As to your first reason "why": GET OVER IT. If you did not want to teach "smokey mccrack's" children, or immigrant children, you should have NEVER become a public school teacher. You sir, are the antithesis as to why I homeschool. Your attitude of "why should I have to" is the exact reason kids do not learn. You feel someone owes you something just because you have to teach the "lesser" children of this society? You feel that homeschoolers are at fault because you've been put in this position? Well, got news for ya.... You live on the border to Mexico--that's 5th grade geography right there. You are going to, by rights, have to deal with immigrant children (whether illegal or not) and, guess what--TEACH THEM. And here you are only concerned about "dragging the numbers down"? And you question US and our right to homeschool?

Next moronic statement:

Parents who home school have an alterior motive. I've seen it myself. Whether it's for religious reasons, personal issues, over-bearing parenting, or because that child couldn't handle the social aspect of public education. I've personally seen lots of extremely socially inept home schooled children who go off to college and can't handle the rigors of large classrooms and having to socialize in an educational setting.

I don't think I need to touch this one with anyone's ten foot pole. It stands on its own merit. All this idiot needs to do is read my previous paragraph, and for anyone else reading, you'd see that he just proved ALL of my points.

Moronic Point "whatever":

Private schools are not accountable for what they teach. This should not be. I don't care whether they're taking state money or not, they're educating children, and should be accountable. I can't start a business and decide not to pay taxes because I did it without government assistance, and when it comes to education, everyone should be accountable, public or not.

And rightly they shouldn't be. They've proven repeatedly that they can give our children a much better education (in some instances, of course) than public schools can. Feel threatened?

Blah blah:

How do we know that home schooled children aren't basically being taught how to take the SAT's? At least in public education we're held accountable to teaching standards. The inequities in public school are present in both private and home schooled education, they're just magnified when a public school has 500 students as opposed to a home setting of 2.

Wow, pot, kettle's calling, he's black.... Ayep, I'm sitting here just giving my kids the answers to the tests, that's **exactly** what I do, as do every homeschooler I know. Ayep, that's what we do.

Next:

Education is not a one-size fits all, but it's getting better. For someone to say that they're going to pull their children out of school and they don't care about others, they are socially irresponsible and show exactly what is wrong with this country. All children deserve a fair chance at education, not just yours. If the American society works together, we can fix the problem. If you're selfish and don't care about anything beyond your front door, then fine, but don't expect help when you need it either. Children deserve better, our children, everyone else's children, all children, deserve better. We can give it to them, but we need to put the bickering aside and focus on fixing public education, not tearing it apart.

He says what he did above, but then he backslides and says "All children" deserve a chance at education, not just mine. Yep, you are correct. All children do deserve a chance and honestly, while I have the chance to give them something better than YOU can provide, I will. And no, my keeping my kids home is not "tearing it all apart". If anything, it should become a wake-up call for the public school bureaucrats to actually FIX the problem instead of just applying multi-million dollar band-aids.

Here's the thing, Mr. I'm so wonderful: My husband is a PUBLIC high school teacher. My husband busts his ass daily (and nightly) to actually see to that his kids are EDUCATED and are LEARNING. There are many, if not most, teachers who do. I live in a predominantely Mexican population (my own child's elementary school was 62% Mexican/Hispanic), my own neighborhood is an "every other neighbor is" Mexican or Hispanic.

Hell**I'M** Latino by birth.

And no one here is complaining about us "homeschoolers" ruining their child's education. In my county alone, there are some 4,000 (that's THOUSAND) of us alone. And get this, some of us are black and some of us are (gasp!) Mexican/Hispanic.

Oh, and it was MY HUSBAND'S idea we homeschool. That was after public school and after private school. BOTH failed to educate my kids.

If a public school teacher admits that it would be best if his kids were OUT of the school system--then something is wrong with the SYSTEM--not the teachers.

Lastly, as I said above and to any teachers reading--GET OVER YOURSELVES. It isn't all about you. Some of you just out and out stink at teaching and others don't. Go back bite each other with your problems because it certainly isn't this homeschoolers fault your school boards cannot figure out how to properly spend the money MY taxes pay for.

~~Enjoy your day.....
Toni

(ETA to add my comments I left on his blog)

Mr. Ross,

I'll ask you like I asked you (figuratively)on my blog: why do teachers take offense to my homeschooling **my** children? It has nothing to do with YOU (the teacher)and everything to do with lack of true education time, and lack of space or will (to teach) by **certain** schools (read: not all) to educate our children properly.

My husband is a public high school teacher, it was his idea we homeschool. As I said before, if a public school teacher has the idea to homeschool his own kids, then something is wrong with the **school** system itself, not the teachers.

Teachers should not feel threatened by us in any way. You have no reason to.

I take offense to your "these people have no redeeming values and are un-productive members of society". Prove to me where your kids are. Most high schoolers don't work (and if they do, only work part time), only participate in activites that pertain to **them** and wish to have nothing to do with this "society" you speak of. In fact, it is now **required** that a student have so many hours of volunteer work before they can graduate. Why "force" them to have this if they are such "productive members of society"?

But nearly all of the homeschoolers in my county are Civically minded, volunteer on a regular basis (without having to be **told** to)and most, like my husband, hold down more than one job. We support ourselves and no one else--that is we don't take funds from you in any way. We don't come knocking on your door asking for money for over-priced pieces of thin christmas wrapping paper, really badly tasting chocolates and cheap calendars. We fund our own resources AND we STILL pay taxes to fund yours.

Without complaining. Willingly.

And no, I'm not going to attack your lack of spelling skills or grammatical mistakes. We ALL make those mistakes--even homeschoolers.

You should try to be around us, just once. You might learn something. Something you never thought you'd learn.

Like tolerance.
Like acceptance.
Like how to be socially productive with **every** member of society, not just the ones **like you**.

Here, I'll give you your first lesson. Contrary to what you believe, homeschooling IS part of that "vast public educational expeirence" that you speak of. We co-op, we buddy up, we lesson plan, we "teacher conference", we learn from each other, we get and give advice and we educate each others child when it calls for it.

We **are** socially conscience. We do just as much as you do in your classroom. But for us, we aren't limited to four walls.

Now, none that I have said is a personal attack on you. I have tried to give you reason for why we take exception to your blog post. You might note that your blog is public and if you wish us to not read it (seeing as how it is on a public blogging space) you might think of using the administrator tools available to you and make your blog private.

If you'd like to see a "true attack" (at least on your comments, not neccessarily you) go ahead and visit my blog.

I dare you. If you delete this, you are a coward and thusly, will have proved my point.

~~Toni

This is where it starts...Daryl's Blog .. Scroll down to the "And Another" thread and read the comments.

(Need to add clarification... it is not Daryl with which I have the problem, but rather only linked to his blog to show origination--it is the link (to Molly's blog) that I speak of. Daryl is not a problem--I have no problems with Daryl. I only used his page to show the beginning of a conversation, which leads to where my blog starts its rant.~~Toni)

Then we have this, linked from the above: Molly IS a homophobic Jerk... Yeah, I called you a bad name.. oh, boohoo on your wheaties ok? I call a spade a spade and that's what you are: round-headed with no point.

Yeah, there are anti-Christian sentiments on my blog and yes, I link to the boycott. I am a flipping Christian and I dislike you guys too!! Gloredhel put a famous quote on my comments section that sums it up: "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.".. Too bad some "christians" think Ghandi a sinner. Too bad truer words not ever spoken.

I LOVE Christ. I do NOT love his "christians". And, by me saying that with confidence, and the fact that I am NOT AFRAID to admit that--only proves where my faith lay---with Christ--as it should be.

Not with the bible. Not with other "christians", especially not with their opinion.

Butch, come back. Screw them. They are NOT Christians. True Christians would NOT behave like this. This boycott has absolutely nothing to do with your sexual prefernce--NOTHING. Nor should my (or anyone else's for that matter)opinion on this boycott rest with who you choose to sleep with (or not).

It has EVERYTHING to do with CHILD ABUSERS reaching out to families with their "how to abuse in 101 ways without getting caught".

Everyone who reads this, please understand this:

1--It has nothing to do with Christianity at all. That the Pearls are "christian" is only a side bar to this.

2--It has nothing to do with who started the boycott. That the person is gay is only a side bar to this.

3--The ONLY opinion that should matter is the opinion that we ALL understand what child abuse is and we all should come together to stop it.

To do anything else with this boycott--worry about the "gayness" of the one who started it, right down to the "righteousness" of the people we are trying to stop-- is nothing short of murder. Letting children willingly die in the name of "Jesus" is blasphemy.

Oh and one more thing--to say that one shouldn't "listen to a gay person, her opinion doesn't matter" or "OMG she's got eth gey!! She will infect us if we listen to her!!" or even something remotely resembling simian intelligence (and that's actually insulting the monkeys, as I think they are smarter than some): "We are "christians" and we are called not to be unequalled yoked with sinners, she's a sinner cuz she's gay, so we should all stick our fingers in our greasy ears and stomp our feet in temper tantrum mode, singing "la la la, I can't hear you"...

Very mature and [sarcasm]oh, so very "christian"[/sarcasm]...

Horrible.

~~~Toni

WoW!! I am currently watching this movie. It is a Neil Gaiman (Sandman comics)and Jim Henson production. I do not know how to describe this, but I will try........

Mirror Mask--Enter then click on "enter site"

The Dark Crystal meets Labryinth meets Princess Bride meets Big Fish meets Salvador Dali.

Dali-esque style artwork and creatures/people meets the artwork and worlds of Brian Froud (though not actually him) meets the mind of Tim Burton meets the creative artistry in music of Danny Elfman.

From the site:

Plot Outline In a fantasyland of opposing kingdoms, a 15-year old girl must find the fabled MIRRORMASK in order to save the kingdom and get home.
Plot Synopsis: MirrorMask centers on Helena, a 15 year old girl in a family of circus entertainers, who often wishes she could run off and join real life. After a fight with her parents about her future plans, her mother falls quite ill and Helena is convinced that it is all her fault. On the eve of her mother's major surgery, she dreams that she is in a strange world with two opposing queens, bizarre creatures, and masked inhabitants. All is not well in this new world - the white queen has fallen ill and can only be restored by the MirrorMask, and it's up to Helena to find it. But as her adventures continue, she begins to wonder whether she's in a dream, or something far more sinister.

Let's just say that this is a COOL movie. Very interesting...

~~Toni

What wise quote fits you? [pics]

Your wise quote is: "The best antiques are old friends" by Unknown...
Your buds is the source of your happiness (maybe not all but still). Even if it's just one, a couple or a whole group they are the ones you can't wait to see. It does not matter if you're shy with everyone else or not, with them you let your true spirit shine and can be as loud as you want. They accept you, and you love them for that.
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Butch, Come back!! You ARE missed.