Hi! I'm LAmom because I live in Los Angeles not Louisiana. :D. I have 5 kids, homeschooling for 3 years. I'm from the Chicago area and miss it much! We moved willingly for my husband's work. He is a pastor here. We are oddballs, being reformed Christians, somewhat conservative, etc. Not many like-minded people in this little town. Do you think anyone will actually read every response?! Anyways, love all the help I get from this board....maybe sometimes too much when it comes to all the great choices of curricula. :001_huh:

It could be a "more popular" thing because they (in-crowd) people tend to post more? It seems to me that many of "you" know each other well and have a history together. It isn't a big deal IMHO but I do get what is meant by the in-crowd and a slight chilly feeling. There is a person that seems super, super loved and no matter what she/he says they get smiles and happiness and I've been more than one time majorly offended by this person. But, again, no big deal! I appreciate all of you. :001_smile:

:iagree: I've totally gotten this impression. It truly seems like there is an "in crowd." Maybe I just don't post enough or don't care enough. I've gotten a lot of great input to questions I've asked so am thankful for these boards. :D

No Bugs?! Well, not mosquitoes but yuck, we have seen lots of nasty bugs around here and oh, the cockroaches. Ugh. Lots of black widows in my backyard, right where my kids play. I HATE the weather. I want my seasons. I am in LA, by the way. From Chicago and also live in Michigan. They claim to have seasons. No. Not when you have a HOT summer and then comes September and you are ready for fall and it is still 80s and then even 80s in November. Blak. Nasty. I want my fall and winter. Oh, I miss thunderstorms. Love them and we don't get them. A plus for the weather: nights cool off and no humidity like back home. HOUSING: My house is so-so, needs work, decent size but half a million dollars!!!!!!! Do you know what we could get in Chicago suburbs/Michigan for that price! WOW. So too expensive in that aspect. Gas is more, too, but I don't notice food prices being more. Yes, traffic stinks. We avoid it since my husband works 5 minutes from the house. We know what times to avoid on the highways. Don't ALL big cities have that problem? Smog: Not too much of a problem except for the area you are looking at. Seems dirtier and drier and much hotter. The closer to the ocean the better. Love San Diego. Love Santa Monica and Santa Barbara. :D We are close to the ocean (20 minutes), close to lots of great museums, activities, easy to find quiet places to hike, enjoy nature away from city life, etc. Lots of pros, lots of cons. I would be miserable in the Valley or the place you are talking about. But, I like cold weather, so maybe you would like it here. SMOG is nothing like it was years back. Friends here that are now in their 70s tell stories about school cancelled because of the air, it would hurt to breathe, etc. I haven't noticed that. There are strict smog rules for cars, etc., and I'd say much improved. The smog we do get blows out further than LA area though. It also stinks that I can't get friends to move out here! Not affordable for them.

History: SOTW 1 with lit books/extra history books Math: Math Mammoth 4 English Grammar: R&S English 4 Spelling: R&S Spelling 4 and Spelling Power Science: Considering God's Creation (focus on geology) Health: Care and Keeping of You (required Health) Latin: Song School Latin/Prima Latina Vocab: English from Roots Up (cards)

A mini schnauzer. I had bad allergies when I was little but not to schnauzes. Ive had 4 in my life. All great, though the ones my mom trained were better behaved. Otherwise, Maltese are hypoallergenic as are poodles. My parents have had 2 Maltese and they both are sweet. But I love schnauzers. Yes, they can be barkers but trainable. The ones I have had all loved kids. Make sure you look at minis. My last one ended up standard size! Fine with me but I was upset that I was told it was a mini. No shedding!!!

Thank you! I will look into what has been mentioned. Shining Dawn price vs RSO.....yikes. RSO is quite pricey, considering add ons (rock kit), etc. wonder why Apologia only has astronomy and not earth science? RSO is looking good.

I'm not sure what to do for science next year-- I would prefer studying anatomy and physiology every year....:D. I asked my daughter and she mentioned that she wants to study rocks. OK, maybe I can go with that. I thought I would use Apologia, but they don't include any geology,etc. with the astronomy book. Any unit studies out there or any science curricula that you recommend? I have found some books that look good and hands-on stuff but don't know how, nor want to, piece it altogether myself. Otherwise, I'm looking for something easy to stick into our schedule because science is going to get done if we get to it. I barely make time for history as it is. :bigear:

Great! Thank you both. Since I just checked the two I have and they seem to line up....I will just ignore the other two mentioned.

I'm sure the answer is on here somewhere, and I don't know why I'm having such a hard time.... But the SOTW1 AG has 4 encyclopedia cross references listed: 1. The Kingfisher Illustrated History of the World 2. The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia revised 3. The Usborne Book of World History 4. The Usborne Internet linked Encyclopedia of World History Can someone link me the appropriate books that match up. I'm getting a bunch of books confused and can't tell what is what. I have these two: http://www.amazon.com/Usborne-Encyclopedia-History-Internet-Linked/dp/1409519074/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1300319252&sr=8-3 and http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_13?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=kingfisher+history+encyclopedia&sprefix=Kingfisher+hi%2Cstripbooks%2C475 Are these books 2 and 3 as listed above? Then what are the other two? I'm assuming I don't need all four.:D Thanks for any help. Don't know why this is so difficult! I guess I want the page. Numbers to match up...though I'm sure I could figure it out based on the topic of each chapter.

:bigear:

:bigear: I saw this listed on a blog and thought it looked great. I wasn't sure if it would work out well for my 4th grader and 2nd grader adding fun books from the library to it. Do you think it would work? They would like doing a lapbook like your kids did. I didn't do science this year and thought a little something is better than nothing. I know I won't do too may experiments.

Oh, too bad I missed this post originally! I went Thursday night just to the exhibit hall. My husband walked around Long Beach with all the kids and I just wandered around spending too much money. Actually, I stopped buying and decided to leave because the bags were too heavy...and it was getting late for my kids to be out. I really wish I would have signed up to go to the lectures. Next time!

Another question: can we leave all our luggage/stuff in and on our car? Do you generally park next to your site and then trust all the luggage to be ok while down and the pool, etc?

Thanks, all. I have looked into RVs and for a 5-week rental it was base rate $6000.00 plus whatever miles would be!! Another website was around $1000.00 a week! So that is not an option. We bought a tent today and my husband and I tried putting it up in the living room. Ha, it might have been easier if it were staked....my 6 yo is actually quite helpful. But, it was a lot of work! It is a 10-person tent that Costco has right now. It would be fine and dandy if we put it up and had a few days of relaxing. But, to do that after a long car ride....all to take it down again! :confused: BUT, it is kind of an adventure, right? The kids might have fun. Or be miserable because of not getting good sleep and being hot/sticky from the humidity. Well, I will keep debating things through with my husband. He is up for the challenge. It sees the negative side of it, too. Our main focus is 4 nights in a hotel being about $400 total and 4 nights camping the most it would be is about $160. Round trip: $800 vs $320. That is quite a savings. I guess, minus the $150 tent and whatever else we would purchase (but use again in the future, possibly). I've stayed in enough hotels to know the breakfast is not worth it unless it has a super fancy full breakfast buffet. We plan on fruit, nuts, cheese for breakfast or Pbj. I don't know! Maybe the next step is setting up the tent in our yard and sleeping in it. And I'm scared of the bugs in our yard. We have found more than one black widow and have plenty of other critters around. But, setting it up after a long day and while the sun is beating on us....maybe that will kick my husband and me into reality! :D Oh, and one KOA I looked at had a cabin to accommodate our family size and it was $133!! That is a lot for needing to bring sheets, not having your own shower, etc.

What would you do? We are a family of 7. Kids are 8 and under. My husband grew up camping; I grew up going to Florida and staying in condos. :D. We need to get to Indiana (our first longer term stop) from California. We normally would stay in hotels. I budget the price at $100/night and sometimes find them for about $80. I've been researching campgrounds and have found them cheaper! <shock> :tongue_smilie: So, should I try it? I'm scared of all bugs (except ants and ladybugs...) and oh, my the thought of a bear or mountain lion or... Yes, I stayed in a cabin once here in California. I did experience a bear. It snuck around the corner and was poking at a garbage. What did I do, well, I RAN, of course. Even though I knew I wasn't suppose to. :) If you vote camping, what do we need just for sleeping overnight? We don't have much space and will have to pile everything on top or off the back hitch. A tent, pillows...and? Thanks for your input. All my friends think it is a no brainier. I think it would be a huge challenge but a good and necessary one for me? Or not? Oh, the humidity, and mosquitoes, and? :). And should it be KOA only or ?

:bigear:

Thanks. It seems best to just do SOTW and read the bible alongside.....I need to quit looking at other stuff. Too many good choices!:tongue_smilie:

Anyone? :bigear:

I have been searching the forum trying to figure out what I should use for Ancients. I was set on SOTW 1 w/AG but really would like some more handholding for adding in biblical history/biblical perspective, etc. Not just adding Vos Story Bible. Maybe a good timeline would help me connect it all? I see some people use a combo or ALL of the above mentioned. Isn't that an overload? I failed in doing history this year...I want to do better next year and make sure I get it done. I will have a 4th grader, 2nd grader, and K (with 2 more little ones keeping me busy!). I love living books, the idea of the spine on audio CD, some activities to do if I want, a flexible schedule that says now read page ____ in SOTW and read UILE pg ___ and then add library books:____ Any tips? It all looks so good. I have not been successful with MFW the past 2 years, we tire out midway...my problem, not MFWs. Or....MFW vs MOH. Don't even mention TOG! I'm trying to hold of on that until we get into a better routine and kids get older. Thanks!

Cool! I just discovered this today, too. I thought it looked good for free minus printing!

Thank you, everyone. The CC nearby has a meeting on Wednesday so I can get more info then, too. I may get a better idea when I get to actually have my hands on stuff. I am not reading too much pro CC on the forum. But, I guess I can find pros and cons to everything I research!

What do you use at home for history and science? CC is just the cards and no spine right? I mean, if I were to do CC next year would it just be adding extra work to my schedule? We struggle now to get bare minimum done. I am switching to SOTW 1 next year. Cycle 1 is being done for CC. So some ancients....but on top of doing history at home would I need to add in a lot of work at home to be prepared for CC? How about science? I may do Apologia. Should I avoid that and do whatever CC does in class and that be enough? Just not getting how it all works out. If it would just suck up money, time, energy that I don't have. Though something interests me about it! :001_smile:

:bigear:

:grouphug: My kids (the 8yo and 6yo) hate school. The 8yo will just tolerate it and the 6yo basically cries every time I get him to try to do some reading... It is partially my fault. Routine has been off for about 7 weeks...waiting for baby and then adjusting to new baby. They just want to play--I just want to clean, organize, etc. We barely get anything done. We dropped MFW ECC and are trying to just do reading, math and english. Bare minimum... So, no advice, just I get it. Every day I feel like I fail and it would be best to just send them to school. At least they would learn something! It is hard to make school a priority. Thankfully, my 8yo at least loves reading and reads a lot on her own. :bigear: