Our piano instructor introduced us to KITS, Keynote Independent Theory Services, and we have been really pleased. It's rigorous, and you move at your own pace. www.keynotetheory.com The website is underwhelming, but the program is thorough preparation for college level music theory.

NM

NM

NM

Pumpkin pancakes and also sweet potato pancakes. We love them!

My mom does custom work. She made my kids' baptismal gowns as well as my daughter's 1st Communion gown. You can email her: jostellard@yahoo.com or find her on Facebook: Rockin' Roly Boutique. Much of what she has posted online is informal whimsical stuff, but she can send you pictures with examples of event creations.

An electric blanket was the best present we ever got and since they run $50+ nowadays, it isn't something we would have bought ourselves. Rather simple, but we have always thought it a great gift. :001_smile:

I buy a lot of pouches every year and always end up laminationdepot.com. If you don't hit $250, ask around and do a group order to get $10 shipping.

Yes, everything one the east side of the Rocky Mountains, but not further than about 20 miles east of the foothills is considered the Front Range. There's a huge variety along it...Ft Collins, Denver, Colorado Springs and everything in between. I don't live there, but really like the Castle Rock/Franktown/Elizabeth/Monument area. More rural, but very easy to get everywhere. Castle Rock would put them closer to multiple educational options.

Front Range of Colorado.

She will be missed here, she made an impression on lots who are asking after her...not realizing the whole situation she is facing and hoping she gets to come back soon (to what I hope will be a different environment altogether).

I don't always trust Google, so would you share how to check for registered SO's? We bought our house this summer and it never occurred to me to look at that.

Colorado ACTS is a very active one, they have sites all over the metro area. I know a ton of homeschoolers out here that participate.

I've used both CC and CCM for a few years each now, so I think I can answer those questions. The CCM songs are memorable, but not unique and as professional as CC's. We still sing and use them, even if some of them are awkward and tricky to sing. The point is that they are memorable! The timeline song is new to CC, with the publication of the CC timeline this year. CCM does not have a timeline song on their audio cds, but if you look on YouTube you should be able to find where at least one co-op is setting it to music by week. On the CCM audio cds, the history, Latin and math (skip counting) is set to a tune. Memorization-wise, CCM is just as rigorous as CC. Slight variation in subject matter. For example, there is no English Grammar component to CCM. There is, however, a religion/catechism component. In CCM's Latin, you are memorizing Latin hymns and prayers, versus CC's is Latin grammar and vocabulary. CCM is 18 weeks over 4 cycles. CC is 24 weeks over 3 cycles. The amount of material covered is the same. The BIG difference is that each CCM co-op is just that: a cooperative among like-minded families. It is not a tuition-based program with a national organization of communities (as is CC). If you want a community with trained/paid leaders, CC is the way to go. With CCM, you are on your own unless you luck into (or start yourself) a co-op with experienced families. If you're comfortable with doing the memory work on your own, then this won't be an issue. Also, the CCM books suggest things to use for the fine arts component, but there is no official fine arts component. Most co-ops I know of do music and/or art in addition to the CCM memory work. I love the science in CCM, as the science experiment/projects are laid out in an easy to use way, multiple suggestions are given (different complexity levels) and always directly correlate to the science memory work for that week. I much prefer the whole science component of CCM (having done CC's for all three cycles). CC's science memory work is fine, but the experiments/projects rarely line up and are more of a "scatter shot" approach covering various the various branches. Hope that helps.

I just had the conversation last night with some others and yes, you can send an NOI to any CO district you want, not just the one you live in. The options program is run by the public school district and they do get money for your student. You are considered part time public schoolers, but under the homeschool laws. Many options programs have the benefit of providing curriculum in addition to the extracurriculars and days "at school." I use an umbrella that does not require testing, it sounds like most others do. Your sister could easily find a testing site for her third grader or pay for an evaluation if she wants to just send in an NOI and meet the days/hours/subjects req by keeping a record of it herself.