I really enjoyed Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. It's about a young woman who meets and marries a wealthy widower, moves into his large home on the Cornish coast of England and finds herself constantly walking in the shadows of the deceased wife. It was written in the 30's. Very suspenseful and a bit eerie.

The ride in Epcot is Spaceship Earth, but it's not a roller coaster; it's a slow moving ride that shows how communication technology has evolved. I think you're thinking of Space Mountain in the Magic Kingdom..it's a roller coaster in the dark. And it gives me a headache, too :001_smile:.

While August is not our favorite time to visit Walt Disney World, we always manage to have a great time. Yes, it is HOT, yes, it is crowded (although the crowds lessen a little towards the end of the month when Florida schools go back in session), but there are steps you can take to make it more comfortable. If you get to the park at or before opening, you can fit in more and swelter less. When you enter the park, grab fast-passes for one of the more popular rides, then head to another high-traffic attraction. Try to do the most popular rides/attractions before the park becomes over-the-top crowded. Keep in mind that many attractions, including their queues, are air conditioned, as well as all the shops, restaurants, etc., If you feel like you need a longer break from the heat and crowds, you have several options: Have lunch at a sit-down restaurant (most require a reservation), or, if you are in the Magic Kingdom, you can take the monorail to one of the Disney resorts for lunch. All the monorail resorts have a choice of restaurants (sit-down and counter), and all have beautiful, spacious, and, most importantly, COOL, lobbies with big comfy chairs so you can relax and revive a little before heading back to the park. Even better, if you stay at Disney resort you can go back to your hotel during the heat of the day for a swim and/or nap. In Epcot, all the attractions are indoors, and there are several wonderful sit-down and counter-service restaurants, so it's easy to stay cool and comfortable there. The only park I prefer not to visit in August is Animal Kingdom. It is much more difficult to get out of the heat, as there are lots of outdoor attractions, plus, the walkways seem unbearably narrow when it's crowded. As much I enjoy this park, it's better left for cooler weather, imo. Anyway, I think you can have an awesome time at Disney in August, as long everyone stays hydrated, you take frequent breaks, and you don't try to do everything in one day. We have visited in August 9 or 10 times in the last 13 years, and are looking forward to going again this year. HTH!

Dh does all the grilling in our household. Weirdly enough, I have never even used a grill.....

I really like how you put this, Jenny; I wholeheartedly agree.

I really like All through the Ages History through literature Guide by Christine Miller. It has suggested historical fiction, biography, and literature selections. It also has timelines for each period.

First of all, we are a music-loving family; my daughters take piano, my son takes guitar, and we all enjoy listening to music. That said, it became a hot topic in our home about six months ago, when my dd started discovering genres I never even knew existed. It began when she asked me to listen to a band called "The Devil Wears Prada," a Christian metalcore (sometimes called screamo) band. My first reaction was :eek:. It was pure cacophony to me. VERY heavy metal sound, mostly unintelligible lyrics because they SCREAM them, rather than sing them. I could not fathom how my dd, who loves learning waltzes on the piano, and was exposed to classical music at a young age, could even stand to listen to this..........stuff. Well, after days (weeks?) of wondering where I went wrong, I realized that no matter how much U2 I made her listen to ;), she was going to develop her own taste in music. I looked at our specific circumstances: Dd is a happy kid, with no disciplinary problems. She's level-headed, mature for her age, and has exhibited wise decision-making skills. So, with stipulations, I chose to allow her to listen to what she likes. I don't allow lyrics that I feel are violent or vulgar, and I encourage her to listen to a variety of genres. I hope you are able to come to a decision that works for your family!

Hi Sue, I usually see Level F marketed as a 6th grade workbook, so maybe that would be the place to start with the younger of your two boys. Level G corresponds to 7th grade, and level H to 8th, but you could always have your 8th grader work through both G & H . HTH, Tina

Thanks so much for the information on Castle Heights, Jenny!

Hi Jenny. I'm in the middle of planning biology for my upcoming 9th grader, and am leaning towards Exploring Life by Campbell. Can you tell me about Castle Heights labs? I have not heard of them. Thank you!

Well, I used Easy Grammar Plus with my then 6th grader after she completed five years of ABeka Grammar (and wanted a change of pace :)). I found it very thorough, easy to understand, and self-guided; she worked through much of it on her own.

Thank you, April. Yep, I'm thinking the TE would be necessary for me also. Did you purchase the text and TE from Prentice Hall?

Thanks so much for the link to your page, Barb! I especially like how you incorporated the Handbook of Nature Study into your program. I have a copy, but have never put it to use. I think I might try to fit it in with whatever biology program I go with next year.

Thanks so much for posting this!

quote] I had several 9th graders in my class. Two of them (including my dd) took the AP exam. While American Government is typically a 12th grade class, the material itself is not difficult. It's a step up for many 9th graders, since it's AP level. IMHO, ds1's APMacroeconomics was more difficult than USGov as it had more economic theory and graphs and whatnot. Not hard, but harder than APUSGov. The only reason you might want to hold off would be to do it during an election year. HTH, Lisa Thank you, Lisa!

One of my favorite resources, and something that may be helpful to you, is All Through the Ages History through Literature Guide by Christine Miller. In addition to timelines, she has suggested books listed by reading level.

Puzzles and Games: The Continent Puzzles from A Broader View Human Anatomy floor puzzle from Melissa and Doug Wordigo The Amazing Labyrinth 10 Days in Europe American Trivia Board Game (we have the junior edition) SomeBody Brain Quest (the board game and the cards) Software Critical Thinking's Word Roots Critical Thinking's Academic Challenge Cup Critical Thinking's Revenge of the Logic Spiders Other fun stuff Fischertechnik engineering kits (these are pricey, but wonderful!) Thames and Kosmos' science kits---we've had and used one for chemistry, and one called Perfume Science

Great information, Lisa. US Government is the first AP I plan to do with my dd. In your opinion, can a ninth grader who is a strong reader with an interest in politics/government take the class and test with success? Or is it better put off until later grades? Thank you!

Thank you! I have read such good things about the Campbell book. Do most homeschoolers use it without a teacher edition? While I enjoy science, it is not my strongest subject. Thanks, also, for the mention of The Way Life Works. I will look into this also.

Thanks so much for this information, Kathy. Would you mind updating when you make your decision?

Have you looked into WinterPromise?

We really enjoyed Five in a Row. All of my children loved the books in this program. We also had success with Phonics Museum from Veritas Press. For K math, we liked Horizons. The biggest kindergarten hit here, however, has always been nature study. Ventures to the backyard to collect leaves and bugs, and trips to the beach to collect seashells and play in the sand were (and still are) favorites in my family.

I found that adding Getting Started With Latin to our schedule gave both my kids more confidence and made their primary Latin courses (Henle for one, LfC for the other) less intimidating. The lessons are very brief and can be completed in minutes, but have been quite helpful to us.

Hello, I am new to posting, but have been gleaning SO much valuable information from these forums for quite some time. I am exploring the biology choices for my rising ninth grader, and am currently looking at Campbell's Biology: Exploring Life, as well as SWB's recommended Biology: A Self-Teaching Guide by Garber (along with the suggested primary sources). I would appreciate input from anyone using either of the above texts with a child for whom science is NOT a strong subject. Also, is it possible to purchase a teacher's edition for Campbell's text? Do I need one? Thank you!