There is really no reason to catch up espcially with a 5yo. You can just jump in right at Cycle 2. We started at Cycle 3 with no problem. But if you feel you must you might try the Half Hundred Acre Woods blog for living book suggestions. Or perhaps you could read through the timeline cards until you get to the middle ages or listen to SOTW1 CDs.

update: still working on boys' room. I shouldn't have allowed it to get so bad. :wacko: They are junior slobs and packrats!!!

Clean boys' bedroom ( :svengo: if you don't hear from me, I drowned in a box of legos) tidy dining room tidy living room tidy foyer Laundry OOO kitchen clean up meal in CP vac entire house

Sudden onset like that makes me think you are coming down with something like a cold or allergies. If you had a cold recently it could be that your ear rocks are out of place and a couple therapy sessions will help put them back in place. (and ear rocks really are for real! your Dr. can do a test for to see if that's the problem.)

5 pokemon cards (or something your kids collect) per finished chapter book within 1 week. (mine have a tendency to not finish a book or take forever!) I like the cards because they play the game with each other and friends in the neighborhood. Games are good! Double benefit! And I got the cards at a garage sale last year for super cheap. I'm going to start collecting again with garage sale season starting again. Or I give them xbox time. Not my favorite but sometimes that's what they want. Check local restaurants to see if they offer something. Meatheads & Fazoli's offer reading incentives. If not, then make up your own certificates for their favorite treats.

To me, the lapbook was just another way to review the memorywork and not really a source for deeper study. We didn't benefit from it but we aren't really lapbook types. ;)

Buy a used windows phone for your cell carrier and don't get the data plan.(don't buy new, they'll make you get the data plan. Transfer your chip to the used phone for cell service.) Most of the features will work on or off wi-fi. So when you want internet, connect to wifi at home. When you are about town, it will stll be a cell phone to make calls but won't work on the internet unless you connect at a hotspot. My boys have our old phones without any celluar service. Great Mp3 player, camera, video, and some of the apps are fun for them. Maybe something like this would work with a used Android as well?

We do extra work on the off weeks. CC is 30 weeks and our school year generally covers 40-42 weeks. So I have room for a few more units. ;) But they don't have time for extra work within the 30 weeks they are in session. I haven't noticed a disconnect with the class or a feeling of being left out because of sitting out on math class. I think one boy stays in the room and just does his own math lessons and another comes in later in the morning since they travel really far to get to our community. It's not a highly participatory class anyway, (honestly no time with the pace they move!) and it's first hour in our community. Those kids are still half asleep. :D Oh, and they won't give you a discount if you choose to do a different math for Challenge A or B. Just FYI!

Well, I think if you look at that texts that are being offered, you should be able to gather the scope of what is being covered as far as CC science goes. It isn't a standard biology textbook. And it really is as described in the catalog and not much more than that. I think your interpretration of vague is that the course really is as writen in the catalog and not much more. Yes, it is more research skills but they do teach science in the Challenge 1-4 levels with Apologia textbooks, just not in Challenge A & B. I think Challenge A is more of an extension of the Foundations program as it continues on with memory work and drilling. They transition out of that in Challenge B and into deeper thinking. My point above is that if a parent is very concerned about standardized testing and STEM, then curriculum needs to be chosen accordingly and CC probably will not meet those standards without supplementation of the Challenge A & B science. CC is really just a curriculum and the tutors follow it closely. You don't have to do that at home and can alter it how you see fit and still participate in the community. You are the teacher and the tutor is really there to facilitate discussion and hopefully provide some motiviation and inspiration for the kids as well. I love CC and feel it is the best choice for us, but it doesn't follow the standardized path making it not the best choice for everyone. I really don't think they are trying to conceal that in any way. Personally, I feel that the math course is right for us. Not all the students in my DD's group use Saxon, so there is some flexibility if Saxon is not your math text of choice.

Well, it doesn't teach to a standardize test and if that is important to be covered in someone's homeschool, then there are other weeks in the year that they aren't doing challenge coursework where they can cover that material. Or they just shouldn't choose Challenge as it really doesn't fit a core knowledge mold. CC makes it pretty clear what it does cover and how that is covered. It's no different than selecting any other curriculum and it may need to be altered if you want it to fit a certain mold.

I'm in the same spot you are in. I have tried and tried many different approaches. I know that my problem is follow-up to make sure that they did the chores and then also making sure that they get paid. It becomes too complicated to track. I'm reading a book called Cleaning House and she has some techniques that might help and I'm going to try to implement. I also like this idea: http://homemadebycarmona.blogspot.com/2012/12/chore-system-for-kids.html

We loved it!

I give a very brief overview of the history sentence either using a corresponding timeline card(s) and reading the History Highlights from CC. We still read through Story of the World at our own pace but don't try to match it up. I have found that my oldest son memorizes better if he has a picture of what happened. My youngest is still a parrot. Over the summer we are going to read the backs of the timeline cards to get a quick overview and work on keyword outlining on a few chosen cards.

We mostly eat cereal with whatever fresh fruit is on hand for a morning snack. I'm not at my best in the morning. :blush: I would like to add in a little more variety and move out of the cereal. I would like something that is pretty quick to throw together. Not that we are rushing off somewhere but that we are all generally cranky until we eat. Fussing in the kitchen doesn't go over well with my crew! I've tried the slow cooker oatmeal. I loved it but my kids didn't. Maybe it was just the recipe? I used steal cut oats. Other than that, they eat almost anything. I probably will try it again before I give in that they really don't like it. So, if you have other ideas, please share!!! :seeya:

A friend of mine back in my highschool days participated in two ceremonies because she moved from another state before her senior year. She went back to her hometown for graduation and also did graduation with my class. I'm certain her heart was with her former class but her diploma came from the school she graduated. I guess I don't see what the big deal is. Will it somehow take away from the ceremony if he has his name announced? Maybe further thinking through the circumstances and consequences will help answer the question?

Never had a problem with CBD and packaging. I also order from Amazon. RR charges me sales tax which is fine if I don't have to pay shipping. But I rarely order from them.

1. Yes 2. Yes :)

Another Frontline user! My kitty hates it though. But we never have a flea or tick problem unless I forget to put it on her.

That is developmentally normal. That's why the lower level books often have larger print. I personally think that what is going on with him is normal and that there is no need for further evaluation unless you see more things happening. Read through the copywork with him before he starts and have him put a piece of paper or paper clip under each word until it gets easier for him to track while copying. He's removing his eyes from the page and getting lost, so give him a tool to help him keep his place. Eventually he will not need the tool.

Ovulation or ovarian cyst, maybe? It could be a pinched nerve somewhere in your back.

I like Aldi's skin care products.

Update for the evening: Dinner in CP Shower & Dress Clean my bedroom Put away my laundry Dishes Sweep & Mop kitchen floor (DD) School (really hard today, they just want to play outside!): Math lessons read aloud independent reading history reading science reading IEW WWE/FFL Spelling Plus/Dictation Places to go today: Music lessons Weight Watchers Exercise (with DH?) New shoes for EE

I would find a good stylist to give you a cut that works with your hair. You should also try this product: http://sexyhair.com/products/healthysoy/index.aspx?p=eed3ded9-75ed-4788-895d-603b73babafb It has really helped my frizzy ends!

Dinner in CP Shower & Dress Clean my bedroom Put away my laundry Dishes Sweep & Mop kitchen floor School (really hard today, they just want to play outside!): Math lessons read aloud independent reading history reading science reading IEW WWE/FFL Spelling Plus/Dictation Places to go today: Music lessons Weight Watchers Exercise (with DH?)

Digital Scrapbooking (if only I had time...)