"1984" has quite a lot of sexual content to it. OK for an older high schooler, 16+ I would think, but the emotions and disturbing imagery of the novel overall are probably too much for a less mature student. I just recently re-read it and was surprised I didn't remember most of it from junior year in h.s. though. Either I previously skimmed it or blocked it out! ;)

I don't buy shredded cheese or American cheese, so I don't know their prices at Costco. Not *everything* at Costco is the lowest price always. But here is a sampling of the best deals I purchased yesterday: 2 gallons whole milk $3.89 ($1.94/gal) 1/2 gallon half-and-half $2.45 whole rotisserie chicken $4.99 5.5 lbs green apples $5.99 ($1.09/lb) 3 pk chai tea concentrate $8.75 ($2.92 ea) Besides that I think the quality of their fresh food is higher than our local grocery stores (your mileage may vary). Since I mainly buy fresh foods (due to health restrictions and special diet) this is important to me. And these are their regular prices. I don't have to wait for something to go on sale to buy it. I do know families that are VERY successful and buying loss-leaders and couponing, but it didn't work well for me. It was both too troublesome (I did Grocery Game for a long time) and too restrictive in what I could purchase (I ended up with lots of packaged processed foods that would no longer be allowed on my family's diet). Whatever works for you though!

I forgot the most important part--actually responding to your question! :blush5: I'll pray for you too.

I have had the summer blahs in a major way this year. I kept dragging out the school year another week and another week to try and finish all these books I'd added on in the spring. I desperately need some peace and quiet too. I have my entire curriculum bought and planned for the coming yet and yet...I have pretty much decided to put the kids back into public school for the time being. It was hugely freeing for me to realize I didn't HAVE to homeschool this next year. So much so, that I have felt that maybe I should stick with hs'ing again. But there are other reasons that ps makes more sense for us this year. For me it was good to realize that I could change my plans if last year's plan wasn't working for me any more. Maybe incorporate more breaks into your next school year? See if relatives can take the kids for a weekend once a month or every two months? My husband works looooong hours, so a lot of the time it feels like I am single parenting. I am starting to realize, as much as I love being with my children, how much I need time away. :)

I've come to feel that it is important to use your real name in internet discussions. So I've become more careful about what I post--because it is public. When I google my name I get many Amazon reviews I've written and a bunch of my blog stuff and even some links to my church (where I am a volunteer catechist) but nothing that I feel is "too much information."

I think it depends on how you cook and what you like to eat. If you prefer a wide variety of meals--or don't mind buying whatever is on sale and adapting your menu to suit--then clipping coupons and stocking up on grocery store deals can be the best way to go. My family has food allergies that keep us on a fairly strict diet. I prefer to keep things simple and prepare pretty much the same meals over and over in a very short rotation. For us, the Costco membership is hugely beneficial. I like the large quantities--we never have too much of any item (OK, other than the bean dip, since only 2 of 6 of us like it!)--nothing goes bad before it is eaten in our house! I pretty much buy the same items every month. I like the rebate check every year! And yes, they do have the best prices on many things. I do head over to Target or Safeway and Trader Joe's or the organic foods co-op a few times a month for specialty items Costco doesn't carry (stevia, gluten-free pastas, iced tea mix, etc). I would estimate 90% of our food and household supplies come from Costco. It just depends on how your family eats.

I am a huge Lewis fan but this is not my favorite Lewis novel and I would agree, 11-13 year olds are not the best audience for it. I wouldn't let my 11yo read it. I don't know what curriculum you are using (Veritas Press?) but I would question their judgment. It is one of Lewis' more difficult novels to understand and definitely contains very mature themes built on very ancient myths (Cupid and Psyche). I would skip it and substitute something else like "Out of the Silent Planet," also by Lewis.

Sue, three of mine are going back to ps and one to preschool too. I am planning much of what you suggest. Devotions in the morning before school and some additional reading/lessons afterschool. I am having my older two continue with their Latin study, since that is for sure something they won't get in public school! Also they are taking a catechism class. Other than that, I am assigning classical literature (this year retellings of Odyssey & Aeneid) for now. If we have time, I will read aloud Famous Men of Greece too, but I figure start simple and see what everyone has time and patience for first.

We are starting Classical Liberal Arts Academy's online Latin class (called Grammar I) next month. It is a solidly Catholic program--which is no problem for us, since we are Catholic!--but won't fit every family's needs. The first course focuses on translating the Gospel of John. The website is www.classicalliberalarts.com. Otherwise, I know Memoria Press offers Latina Christiana and Henle courses online. They are scheduled study sessions weekly. CLAA's Grammar I is self-directed; you can take as long or short a time as needed to master the material. Latina Christiana is also available with DVD instruction through Memoria Press.

Our house payment is about 40% of our monthly income. Ignoring student loans and other debt (which theoretically could be deferred for a short time), our utilities (and I mean the necessary ones, not the cell phone and tv) plus food and gas (except we wouldn't be able to keep the cars!)would exceed 50% of our current income. Scary thought. If we were to try and live on 50% of our income, we would have to live with my parents--essentially zero money for housing and probably sell one car. The kicker would be, I doubt we could sell our house in this market--at least at a price the bank would allow! So many financial things I wish I'd been more prudent about 15-20 years ago!

Actually we still have seven weeks left until public school begins in our local district. I taught everyone at home last year--and didn't really call an end to the school year until just last week--so in some ways it feels like our vacation is just beginning. However, since I am most likely putting them all into public school this fall, I have been doing some prep for the new academic year. I requested immunization records from our doctor. I called the local preschool for registration forms for the 7 hrs/week 3yo class. I am frantically trying to get the 3yo toilet trained! I picked up the supplies list for the middle school and purchased them all. (Even if for some reason I don't end up sending my 6th grader to ps, they are materials I can still use). I bought backpacks and lunchboxes for the 3yo and 6yo, who've never had their own before. That was fun! (The 3yo chose a "Cars" backpack and the 6yo chose a pink monkey themed set.) I'm planning a short tutorial in the metric system for my 11yo. We used MUS Epsilon last year--no metric. In PS, metric is introduced in 4th/5th, so she needs to brush up on it before starting math at the middle school. Also decimals. Just one of those kinks in the road of transitioning between two very different curricula. In the meantime, my oldest has been gobbling up the Percy Jackson books and writing stories. My 2nd oldest has taken on an ambitious sewing project. They both went with my hubby to "Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work" day yesterday and followed that up with viewing HP6 at the movie theatre. My youngest girl is making friends with a new boy across the street and swimming and just enjoying summer...and reading up a storm. My son, who is 3yo, is still working on that toilet thing! Still upcoming: choir camp (for the older two) and VBS week (for everyone, including me, since I'm the VBS director). For the coming school year, I plan to have some Bible reading/Saints stories/devotional time in the morning, possibly including the Liturgy of the Hours. After school the older two will work on CLAA's Grammar I online course (Latin) and all three girls have already started CLAA Catechism I, which they'll continue. I plan to give them the LCC literature/history books (which I'd already purchased for this year) to read during winter and spring breaks. I am still thinking and formulating a plan for possibly going back to work. I am looking forward to a few quiet mornings when school starts. As much as I love the curriculum I'd chosen and love being with my kids, I am just craving some peace and quiet. So I have picked my favorite parts of homeschooling and decided to do those before/after school and let the public school take care of the rest (for now).