After much experimentation and curriculum hopping (SL, ToG, etc) I finally realized that I'm an open and go girl. Last year, with three kids in different grades, each weekend I update a table on Microsoft Word that just lists the students name, date on the top line, then M-F across the top and each subject down the side. I would list the next thing (doesn't take very long with open and go, I just look up the page numbers or chapter # and assignment)...for our Math program there are 6 review pages per week plus a quiz so I would chose which 4 pages to for each student to do M-Th, we do quizzes on Friday. I take about 30 min per student once per week to fill out my table, print out any pdf maps, coloring pages, etc... and place them in the kids three ring binders. I move each week from the smaller binder to my larger annual binder about once a month. The annual binder fulfills my states requirement to maintain records to show that we are doing something. :D Like another poster mentioned I like having each kid mark off each box as they go through the day, that way we each know what was done (or not).

Hmm, this sounds like my church...are you part of the Charismatic Episcopal Church by chance? We have the full liturgy at every service (priests/deacons in robes), have traditional and contemporary music, are socially conservative but also evangelical in our outreach. It's a very rich expression of the Christian church.

We are looking at A World of Adventure, all in one without math, lots of read aloud and usable for a 4 year cycle though only first three years completed. :) By 4th grade you could go another route if the Modern part isn't done. http://learning-adventures.org/

No incoming-producing mom for about 13 years. I tried working for 6 months but hated being away from my (then) young children.

All this talk of cloth diapers makes me want another baby! :drool:

Thanks for the positive thoughts and prayers! Actually Disney moves *very* slowly with multiple background checks and alot of interviews. The holiday in the midst also slowed the process down a whole week, plus there was a new hire up dh's chain of command which then required another interviewed and we lost another week there. They aren't pushing him to move that quickly - we are just ready to be done with all the suspense and go get settled in early enough that the kids and I can be part of a good co-op and so that we can get health insurance already! :D Still so excited - it's hard to get to sleep tonight! LOL

Dh got his job offer tonight and we are moving! We have found a nice rental house in Clermont (about a 40min drive to his work) and we are very excited about this! We are hoping to move at the end of *next week* - let the packing commence! :w00t:

On a slightly different slant Tamora Pierce's has several different series of books in a fantasy setting that feature young female protagonists who become knights. Honor, loving animals, and typical coming of age themes. I've been enjoying these series as light reading for the summer. :) I'd start with http://www.amazon.com/Alanna-First-Adventure-Song-Lioness/dp/0689878559/ref=pd_sim_b_20 No sex/language but still assumes the reader is intelligent. :)

Great advice here! I also come from a low line of hypoglycemics and struggle with it myself. I keep peanut butter crackers, packs of nuts and nut granola bars in the car/house at all times. Hope peace reigns in your house!

I really appreciate your comment and slowly I'm starting to come around to the kitchen and other 50's decor in the house. It's very different from what I'm used to (kinda more victorian(?) with cherry book shelves, dark red's and blues in the apolstery. This is going to be an adventure! :)

Broccoli Cauliflower Asparagus Cabbage Onions (green, white, red) Carrots Potatoes (white & sweet) Crookneck/Winter Squash Zucchini Green Beans Bell Peppers Brussels Sprouts Lettuce (romaine primarily) Spinach Spring greens Tomatoes (buy frozen various beans) ....dreaming of having a garden to grow some of this!

Thank for the suggestion (especially the contact paper!) This is our first rental as a family and I've been really lucky over the past ten years to live in a house we had built and picked all the finishes. (spoiled too, I know!) There is alot to like about this house, the kitchen, bathrooms and basement aren't those things however...boy I could imagine what we could do with this if it were ours though! lol

TranquilMind, The money aside, would you be offended/reject someone for asking for possible upgrades on the property?

Dh is expecting his formal, written job offer Monday or Tuesday. We went down today to look at the area we think we would like to live and see a few rental houses. One house that we saw we really liked. It had a nice lake view, was big enough, has plenty of storage and is within our price range. On the negative side it's a much older house (1955), with knotty pine wood paneling in much of the living areas and knotty pine kitchen cabinets. Even worse, in the kitchen there is chipped avocado green laminate counter tops. Not pretty! They even have the *original* stove with the double ovens! There are a few things that we would like to see fixed before we would move in. The house has been on the market and empty since the beginning of May and the owner has already dropped the asking rent once. Is it out of line to ask and see if the owner would be willing to replace the counter tops in the kitchen? Really even new laminate would do, not a whole kitchen remodel. The other things we want to ask are that they have someone paint one bathroom, replace the rusty medicine cabinet in same bathroom, and patching or replacing a rusting exterior door. The previous tenants apparently trashed the house and the owner put in a good bit of money to get the hardwood floors refinished and the trim and bedrooms have all been freshly painted. I've never rented a house before, just apartments, so I'm not sure what's ok/in the ballpark. I've heard everything is negotiable. What does the Hive think?

Congrats on your great news!! :party::party:

So sad. :crying:

For Learning Adventures fans: I'm looking at A New World of Adventure (that's where we left of our history cycle though we've covered most of the first history unit)... since there are no addons for youngers yet for that unit do you think that if I'm doing math and phonics/reading/writing with him separately that he would get enough just listening in with his brothers on the literature/history/science?

I've been tempted by Easy Classical before but wasn't sure how to make it work since I already had my LA and Math worked out from other sources. I never heard of Learning Adventures before today but I'm very temped. We haven't pursued unit study type of work before - it may be worth a try! Decision, decisions! LOL

Hi all! I'm still struggling to figure out which history and science to use next year. I have the basics for the kids figured out but just need these content areas to get done! I am willing to have my 13 year old work separately from his brothers, that is likely to be more successful than having my 6 year old separate from the olders for content. I work with each child in writing, math, and latin... we need to work together for bible, science and history . Any great suggestions? We need to study 1600-1850 this year with a focus on American History. I have used HO in the past and it isn't a great fit for my boys with their fine motor skills - they struggle to do so much writing. I think I need more of a lit approach but can only read so many books out loud in a day. I'm looking at MFW using the 2-8 and getting the younger child supplements... Is it okay to jump in and start MFW on the 4th year (Exploration to 1850)? MFW includes science for the youngers so that would be great and then I could either get the Apologia General Science or I'm considering Rainbow Science for my older son. The Apologia is scheduled in MFW so at least that's one more thing off my plate. I'm just not sure if I will agree with the Apologia stance on everything. I'm a christian but not diehard YE/OE . HELP!!

Hi Katie! I feel kinda like I'm stalking you, we seem to be looking for alot of the same things - I have everything nailed down except history and science for my crew next year. I keep going back and forth between something I can combine them together with (honestly, with the wide age range this isn't going to happen) vs which student to break out. My oldest should theoretically be able to do alot of his own work here with supervision but I'm not sure that will happen...on the other hand I don't want to shortchange my youngest of the fun stuff he should be doing at his age! Anyway, we did Noeo Chemistry II and Physics II over the past two school years. I combined my oldest and middle son and had my youngest "tag along" and observe any experiments. I'm the worst at getting experiments done - crazy because at one point I was studying chemical engineering at Ga. Tech...my lack of enthusiasm in this area probably explains why I ended up with a degree in teaching English 6-12. LOL Noeo was fairly easy to do but I really feel that (at level 2) it doesn't go enough in depth. The things they should have learned from experiments weren't because the Fizz, Bubble Splash books and other really needed to have most of those experiments done...but sometimes it would schedule pages that included alot of crafty things in the course of one week - it just didn't get done. I'm considering Rainbow Science or Apologia this year, simply because they are both in my price range for a full science course and I can order lab kits and have everything on hand. What I probably *need* is a science co-op for him but with the moving and his Asperger's that is tricky. I'm reading this thread looking and hoping for the right direction -

When I went to pick up my husband's new suits for his job interview I noticed a lot of boxes at the store (Men's Wearhouse). The sales associate was glad to give me a stack of already broken down boxes and said I should come back for more, that they get shipments almost daily and always have them. We are in the midst of packing as well - I feel your pain!

:party:

I am also a strong introvert, two of my boys are introverts but the middle son is an extrovert like his dad. Quiet time helps but with a little one probably is harder. At her age a part day "pre-school" program might be a winner for both of you, especially with the baby coming. Though honestly, for me, even having to be social at morning and noon drop-offs was challenging at times. I just wanted to be left alone by strangers! :P YMMV In some ways it's getting easier as they get older and my dh has learned that in the evenings sometimes I just need some couch time by myself once we put the kids to bed.

I'll bet many of us feel this way occasionally (I sure do!) but since it's summer break around here, not so much. :lol: This thing has to work for all of us - best for the kids and (on average) best for me - if that isn't happening then time to find something different...and believe me I do take time to think about it and consider if it's working for each of us. :grouphug:

:iagree: Plus Latin and other foreign language study and the read alouds. Vocab isn't a problem here. :001_smile: