Julie Gentry's comments

Female Student Fights for Her Right to Wear Pants to Graduation - Blog Entry

17 Jun 2009 02:55 AM

I highly doubt, based on her past "statements", that this was about dresses at all.

If she had come asking to wear a nice pants suit, I doubt there would have been the controversy. She wanted to dress like the males of the group. The graduation is not just about her. Don't the OTHER students have a reasonable expectation that it will be a dressy affair?

A Radical View of Marriage? - Blog Entry

04 Jun 2009 01:17 AM

You're absolutely right, Dale. It's mutual submission. And it depends not a whit upon how well our spouse is fulfilling his role. Our responsibility doesn't change. We are to submit to his leadership as unto the Lord. We don't have to do anything that violates our conscience, but there is great freedom in submission. Those clearly defined roles are one reason our marriage works well. Understanding that a marriage takes work helps, too :-)

Do You Punish Your Kids for Bad Grades? - Blog Entry

04 Jun 2009 01:12 AM

I'm not his parent so I can't say for certain. But I'm sure this isn't the first step, and that they are doing everything they can. Also, the "embarrassment" is not a direct quote -- they might very well have said his grades are embarrassing.

If they're doing this out of love (which it sounds like they are), I don't see a problem in it. We don't know all the circumstances.

(Part of the beauty of homeschooling is there is no such thing as a bad grade -- didn't get it right? do it over. Straight As ;-))

75 Things You Can Do to Save Money (2) - Blog Entry

30 Dec 2008 03:37 AM

I could never understand why people pay for a storage unit -- especially people who have a garage. Most of the items stored in a storage unit aren't worth a year's fee, yet they pay over and over again.

How Do You Sort Laundry? - Blog Entry

20 Oct 2008 10:52 AM

My husband keeps his clothes in a separate hamper; otherwise, they end up in the dreaded "waiting to be folded and put away" pile. I wash his nice clothes on cold with Dreft or the equivalent. It's just a load a week. His running and workout stuff is bleached, boraxed, washed in hot, on the heavy load cycle with an extra rinse. P-U.

For the rest, we sort as we're loading. Regular clothes on cold, whites on hot with bleach, smelly stuff on warm with borax. It sure helps having a large capacity washer.

Where Can I Find Modest Clothing? - Blog Entry

20 Oct 2008 10:42 AM

Thanks for the links, Tristi! I hate going into the department stores with my daughters and finding nothing but pants and tight-fitting tops.

Frugal Gifts for Hard Times - Blog Entry

14 Oct 2008 10:12 PM

We're heading practical / frugal this year, too. Found a great deal at Office Depot clearance -- 2# bags of specialty coffee for $6. They're in cute, decorative bags. A pair of coffee mugs from the thrift shop (.50), a repainted basket (free in the garage), and some candy canes (.79) to round it out. Less than $7.50 for a great gift!

Love reading your blogs, Mary Ann! Thanks for adding a subscribe button.

Considering the CLEP exams for homeschoolers - Blog Entry

14 Oct 2008 09:53 PM

My brother did most of his undergraduate degree via CLEP. He said the Sociology test was the easiest :-). He would typically spend a week of intensive study before the exam, then take it while everything was still fresh in his mind. Mine will be doing some of them.

Another way is through summer field studies. Since they need a lab science anyway, this is a good opportunity to fulfill high school requirements while earning college credits. One of mine is considering an archaeological expedition through a local community college. 15 credits for an 8 week full-time course. The instructor will take 16-year olds.

One son will also be taking FEMA courses. He started these for a Scout badge (emergency preparedness), and is going to have them converted to college credit (through the link on their page: http://training.fema.gov/IS/crslist.asp).

The Difference Between Being Frugal and Being Cheap - Blog Entry

09 Oct 2008 12:23 PM

LOL! So true!

Homeschool Questions and Answers: Reversing Letters - Blog Entry

09 Oct 2008 11:17 AM

My eldest son was similar. He's "math-minded". I didn't push him too much. Just before puberty, he 'discovered' reading. It took less than 4 months to catch up to grade level. He still reverses his letters sometimes, but a lot less often. One thing we taught him was to make a sort of football goal with his thumb and forefingers. It's supposed to be a BED. He can spell bed :-). Tracing the small 'b' on his left hand, and the small 'd' on his right helps him remember which way it goes.