I understand many homeschool curriculum publishers are dutifully aligning with Common Core standards.   In other news, my homeschooled daughter would LOVE to someday be published as a "politichick!"  Super cool!  Congrats!

Andy McCarthy was asking similar questions on this week's podcast.  Something there.

If you want to get them learning math without the drudgery, check out Life of Fred, As Serious As It Needs To Be.  These math books are HILARIOUS, and really teach mathematical thinking.  When we got our first one, my son spent many summer days reading it, and he couldn't help trying to figure out  some problems, even though it wasn't even his book (it was for his older sister).

I guarantee it's the only math book that inspires kids to yell from the next room, "Hey Mom, listen to this!"

My favorite book for boys is Little Britches.  However, I recommend you read it TO THEM, so you can talk about it as you go along.  It's full of great father/son moments and life lessons (and also includes a little bit of "cowboy-type" swearing that you can edit out if you so choose).

If you end up liking it, there's a whole series that follows.

 I can't believe I forgot about this one:  The Hiding Place.

I haven't read it yet, but was considering Sergeant York and the Great War for my 8th grade son next year.   Are you familiar with it at all?  I'm hoping to cover WWI and WWII, so I was excited to see your post.  Keep the suggestions coming!

I made that mistake recently - still scarred by the experience.

A juvenile fiction series I dearly love is the Little Britches series by Ralph Moody.  Great life lessons, and darned entertaining.

http://www.amazon.com/Little-Britches-Father-Were-Ranchers/dp/0803281781

Here's why I haven't signed this petition yet.  I'm paranoid about having a whitehouse.gov account.  Can someone allay my paranoia?

That irrelevant gal is the only one I watched, and like my beloved Mama Toad, I loved Ted Cruz's intro too.  Now that my own Senator DeMint has left the senate, I believe Senator Cruz is set to be my new favorite.

They do shrimp and grits in Mississippi?  I thought that was a Charleston signature dish! 

Troy - I'm glad to know you haven't let city-dwelling kill the Tennessee boy in you.  And as far as the life expectancy goes, as my husband says, of what worth is 3 extra years of life if bacon can't be part of it?

I LOVE IT! 

I can't help but love the bit with the Big Gulp.  And the fact that she calls it "pop" just endears her to me even more.

My pleasure.  Good luck!

I think we're all missing the bigger picture: 

Every scene with Maggie Smith is worth whatever nonsense might come in between (though I like most of that too).  I am afraid, however, that the introduction of Lady Rose may indicate a "Cousin Oliver" jumping of the shark, but I hope not.

Also big thumbs up for Foyles War and Larkrise to Candleford.  Both can be watched as a family.  My twelve year old son can quote Larkrise like nobody's business.

The bit about the idiot son-in-law is priceless.  I already used the wealth creation section in a homeschool co-op class this morning.  We're big Bill Whittle fans at my house, and have been eagerly anticipating this.  Really looking forward to future addresses....hopefully even a SOTU response next week.