NY may have more regulations than most states, but it doesn't bother me in the least. My district is not strict. Living in NYC and homeschooling is the most incredible thing- they even give my kids free bus/train passes. I would gladly send in paperwork every week if they wanted, just to be able to live and homeschool here. And since my kids opt to go to the public high school of their choice, the records kept by the Central Office of Homeschooling and the homeschoolers' guidance counselor are extremely helpful. My paperwork takes less than an hour per year and testing is done in 5th & 7th grades only (every yr in the high school grades). No biggie.

I break it up into categories and put the money into envelopes. I also have a "miscellaneous" envelope, though, for things that aren't planned.

I checked "sort of". I put a couple of Google Adsense ads on my blog and then I sit back and wait for my yearly $100 check. Not that big of a deal, but it's a nice surprise in the mail.

The only thing that works for me (and my mom) after throwing our backs out is aspirin. No other pain reliever (that's not prescription) works at all.

I was at 7 months gestation. Don't remember much. :D

I always made the liquid. Well, it was like a gel. I only wash in cold and powder never dissolved well enough.

My 6th grader will do about 3 hours a day, 4 days a week. Probably from about 10am to 1pm. Friday is field trip day. Our 3 hours will happen in nine 20-minute blocks. Most subjects will take only 20-minutes. Science experiments, nature study, and art projects, may use 2 blocks. Two blocks will be used for breaks. So for example a day would look like: Math (20 minutes) Spelling (20 minutes) Break (20 minutes) History (20 minutes) Literature (20 minutes) Break (20 minutes) Spanish (20 minutes) Nature Study (40 minutes)

We lucked out. I suspected ds had dyslexia since he was 8. We never got formal testing because a basic battery of tests cost around $1500. About a month ago I found out about THIS and we jumped right on it. He did over 4 hours of testing last week and we should get the results before the end of the month. We were contacted again for him to come in for the EEG to further take part in their study. Only dyslexics are called back, so I think it's safe to assume he does have it. I won't know the extent of his dyslexia until the full report is finished, though. This study is happening in NYC - less than 20 minutes from my house, as a matter of fact. If you're nowhere near here, see if any medical colleges near you are conducting similar studies. At least get your name in there to be contacted if something comes up.

Sorry Kim, I haven't checked back on this thread til now. We've had a lot of success with Spelling Skills (Harcourt) and will continue using the 5th and 6th grade books. I don't think it goes higher than 6th grade, but if your ds is struggling, he may do well with the 6th grade book. There's spelling, vocabulary, proofreading, and grammar in every chapter. And ds loves it. Also this year we're trying Simply Grammar (Andreola) and Wordly Wise 6 (Hodkinson & Adams). The things that's really helped ds throughout the years have been oral narrations, weekly written narrations, copywork, dictation exercises, and buddy reading aloud. The CM method seems to be great for him and AO puts it all into a nice structured package for us. Ds narrates back really well, but can't seem to get his words down on paper. I'm going to try recording the narrations I want him to write down and have him hand-write some and type some.

Daily: math, spelling, oral narrations, independent reading 2-3x a week: history, geography, science, grammar, vocabulary, copywork, poetry, writing, art, Spanish Weekly: nature, artist, & composer study

Hey!! It really is a small world. That was a great trip.

Of course it's possible. You don't have to live in Manhattan, though. I live in Queens (one of the other NYC boroughs) 6 miles from the heart of Manhattan. It's more residential (I have a backyard, garage, front patio, etc). Yeah, it's somewhat expensive to live here, but it's fine once you know where to shop and how to live cheaply. Some people just don't "get it" about NYC. I, personally, would never live anywhere else. Homeschooling here is a dream. The places we get to go, the things we get to do and experience, and the opportunities and resources at your doorstep are unlike anywhere else in the world. And my kids love it, too - neither of my girls even want to go away for college because everything they need and want regarding education and future careers is here. Ask me anything.

Dd(18) was right around 4 and continues to be a voracious reader (just bought herself a nook, as a matter of fact). Dd(15) was 3.5 - so precocious, then school pretty much killed any love of reading at all. She still won't read for pleasure. Ds(11) was 4 when he could read beyond the BOB books. He didn't progress much for 3 years, then he got a little better. Then at 8 years old I realized he is dyslexic, then he made a lot more progress when I changed the way I taught. So I'd say he started to truly read independently at around 9.5, but just scraping at grade level. Last week we finally went for a full battery of testing (for free, yay!) and I should get the results sometime in the next week or so. I can't wait to know the full extent of his dyslexia so I can readjust his homeschooling to accommodate his specific needs. He also doesn't read for pleasure...yet.

Academically, I would focus on writing and math and have her read every day. I would also create many opportunities for her to learn time management, organization, be a part of more group activities, and learn how to get from place to place on her own (unless she's getting driven everywhere).

This.

My dd wowed the crowd with a few verses of "Born to Entertain". It's great if your dd has a belty voice and is somewhat hammy. It's over the top and fun.

We study 1 or 2 poets every 12 weeks. The poems are readalouds or ds and I alternate verses. We'll usually cover 1 or 2 poems a week. I love using them for copywork (usually only 2 lines), typing them out, and I'd like to try doing some memorization this year. I either print them out individually or read them from one of my anthology books.

It's got less leg room than the other seats, but ds doesn't mind. I drive dd's friends home often and it fits them fine (average sized 15-16 y/os).

I work 20 hours/week in a call center selling cable/internet/phone for a major cable provider. I work because I enjoy it, I'm good at it, and the money is great. We are on a path to be 100% debt-free and financially secure through retirement. I chose hours that mesh well with homeschooling and that leaves me plenty of time to be with my family. Eventually I plan on going full-time there, mainly for the 401K, the pension, and excellent medical benefits.

Isn't it called a "saddle"?

We implement most of the Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling and keep afternoons free of parent-structured academics. During the afternoons, if we are not out somewhere, ds is doing something of his own interest.

Writing and math are what I would work on. Written narrations of books they read are great practice.

Not a bad idea at all. It is the most wonderful place at Christmas and it's my favorite time of the year here. During the day it's really not cold at all - the buildings block most of the wind and you do so much walking that you almost feel warm. The Christmas tree, the holiday windows, all of 5th Avenue, FAO Schwarz, The American Girl Store, Radio City, Rockefeller ice skating, Columbus Circle...I can go on and on. It's crowded, but it's fun. You have to come and experience all of it at least once in your life.

No personal chairs here. My dad does, but only because his legs are bad and he can't get up off the couch. Catholic.

1. no 2. no 3. we are a wonderful team in all areas of our marriage and our lives.