Strategy games or other board games? You could have a tub filled with board games that make you think, like chess, risk, stratego, blokus, scrabble, etc.. or everyone could bring their favorites from home that day. My kids love at least one chill class like this at co-op where they can relax and be social with their friends (they can actually talk to each other during class). It gives them something to do that makes them think and keeps them in one place. Doesn't require any planning or teaching- good for a substitute day. Strategy games is a favorite class at our extra-curricular co-op. Sometimes kids like some less structured time with their friends. Just a thought!

Thank you all for your warm welcome! This site is very addicting. I am going to put my kindle down and walk away for a while, lol... Posting is like having a new toy to play with and I am having too much fun. My laundry may never be clean again.

I just recently realised how much money I have spent on formal grammar programs that remain in mint condition. I seem to have a fascination with buying grammar programs that I do not use. If I can ever bear to part with my homeschool collection (i.e. hoarding problem) some lucky kid is really going to understand the ins and outs of grammar. Now my own kids? Hmmm....

We used Math U see for 1st-4th/5th. I found it to be very strong conceptually in the early grades, especially with a visual, hands on learner like I had. Both of my kids have a great grasp of place value and understanding the 'why' of math. I had a kid who really needed manipulatives and drawings to understand math. We still do a good bit of drawing to this day in pre-algebra. I have to give MUS credit for that solid base. However (in my humble opinion) MUS was weak on word problems and I did find myself supplementing math over the years. It also stays on one topic for a long time. This is supposed to ensure mastery but may also ensure boredom. At least for my kids it did. I am not a MUS basher by any means, as we got a good foundation out of the program and a lot of families I know love it. I did make the switch to Math Mammoth when my kids were in 4th and 6th and while we did have to do a bit of catch up (mostly in geometry), both my kids did fine with the switch overall despite all the dire warnings I heard about changing math programs with different sequences. I like that Math Mammoth is also very conceptual and they offer workbooks in color which is a plus for my visual learner. It stays on topics long enough for my kids to get a good grasp on them without boring them. I wish I had found Math Mammoth when they were younger although we did get a good foundation with MUS. I can't speak on Saxon as I have never used it. I looked at it a couple of times, but I was fairly sure it would make my children cry. I did not test the theory.

Morning time around here consists of a lot of moaning and groaning that 1) they must get out of bed 2) they must get out of bed and 3) that at some point eventually (after said moaning and groaning, breakfast, and some leisure reading) school must begin. I am so thankful when our 'morning time' is finished, lol...

Poetry tea... I really wanted to like it. I bought a lovely tea set from the antique store, draped a lace tablecloth on the table with some fresh flowers and made some yummy treats and bought a variety of teas. I got a pile of poetry books from the library. It was going to be our new 'thing', Tuesday tea and poetry. I think I should have found this when they were younger. They looked at me like I was ridiculous. They reluctantly picked out a poem to read aloud and nibbled on cookies. They preferred coffee to tea. We never did it again.

I posted in the test post but I am sure no one is hanging out on that board! I just wanted to say hello to all of you and to tell you that I have finally gotten the courage to log in and become a member! I do absolutely zero social media (I barely text-no Facebook or anything) so this is definitely outside my comfort zone. Still trying to figure out simple things like creating a signature.... Yet I am a longtime lurker on these boards and it is really strange to learn other people's stories, to have them make you laugh so hard you cry, or to truly cry for them sometimes when the posts get more serious, yet these people don't even know you exist. Just another anonymous visitor to these forums somehow doesn't feel like enough anymore. I have been homeschooling for a while (7 years) so not a newbie to that, although I have my days like anyone else where I could use the encouragement (more posts to follow on that, lol). I have learned so much from these boards, so much curriculum research has been done, and yet more and more these days I find myself just reading the chat board for fun. It has become my daily ritual, a little me time in all the crazy business of my life. There are so many more people out there like me, who all of you never knew how much you were helping all these years. So thank you all for putting yourselves and your homeschool journey out here in cyberspace for people like me. Even just the rants about a homeschool day/week/month gone horribly wrong make me feel encouraged. Just knowing I am not the only one banging my head against a wall that day helps. And the humor here...very therapeutic! Just wanted to say hello and that I look forward to getting to know you all better.

Hello! I am a long time lurker but first time poster. Some of your names are so familiar to me, as I have been reading posts in this forum since we started homeschooling 7 years ago. I look forward to participating more fully as a member now!