If it's a three hour drive, I would think it is worth it. I went to Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse monument when I was 10, and I just loved it. It made such an impression on me- but I was kind of romantic about the American Indian- I grew up in Oklahoma. If your kids are old enough, read a few books about it. (Maybe even read one on the way to break up the boring drive?)

We keep it simple (but my kids are still young) Church, homeschool group events and classes, playdates with friends at the park. I have a feeling that as my daughter gets older, she's going to need a lot more. But I'll cross that bridge when I get there!

Oh, man, I hear ya... Thank goodness for homeschooling! We get there early! :D

We're pretty low-key. Usually dinner together. (Just that and a babysitter seems to cost a fortune these days!) However, we both forgot our anniversary this year! We were in the process of moving, and in the chaos, just missed it! Fortunately, both of us did, so no one was offended.:o

I laughed so hard I cried at Spamalot. I don't know if just listening to the cd would be as funny without seeing the musical. I'm giving you fair warning- they make fun of Christianity a lot. But they are equal opportunity offenders- they poke fun at just about every group. I'm seconding Lifehouse, too. I think they've got a great rock sound.

but really like the term "inclusive", which others have mentioned. I have appreciated a group that includes people of many backgrounds. My beliefs are sometimes challenged, but I wanted that when I chose the group I did.

Because I don't want to embarrass my 7 yo son, I don't talk about this with others. But he has had maybe 5 dry nights- in his life! His old pediatrician was rather nonchalant about it, but I'm starting to wonder if I'll have ds in pullups until he goes to college! At least I know I'm not alone... I'm going to be meeting with the new ped this month, so I'm hoping to get a little more help.

He has had two so far of Lego Mindstorms. Last semester he did a Lego beginning physics class using a Lego duplo kit. For this Lego-loving son, it has been wonderful. He looks forward to every class session. (The teacher is also amazing.) It has been a big financial chunk of our homeschool budget (those Mindstorms kits are expensive!), but if your kids like Legos, I would say it is worth it!

Thank you, thank you! I was still in the dark!

can someone fill me in? I am currently reading Maximum City by Suketu Mehta- fascinating look at Bombay, India. I probably wouldn't be as interested if we didn't just get back from India. also: Free for for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee- (warning, lots and lots of language) interesting look at second-generation immigrant families in NYC. Up next: I really want to read the Abstinence Teacher.

And surprisingly, I'm not worried about it!:D This is unusual for me, since I both: worry a lot about homeschooling my kids and like to make lesson plans. We are in the middle of our school year right now...that seems to be taking all my energy. I'll probably work on next year this summer.

;)Close your door and curl up with a good book?

My husband was in sports heaven while we were in the Boston area (for about 10 years). He is a huge Patriots/Red Sox fan. (SHHH...don't let any of our fellow New Yorkers know;)) And I don't mind watching Tom Brady. It just makes the game more interesting. :D

You might have to sit with your little one, but both of my kids started playing around on their own when they were about www.starfall.com

and although I only have two children, I think the principles are the same. Throw/give away regularly. Whenever we get something new, I try to make sure something goes. At first I met resistance ("But Mommy! It's my favorite!" , but the kids have a good attitude about this now. They are old enough that I often let them choose what will be given away. (I have some rules- the playmobil, legos, and Thomas stay. They are investments for the future!) Organize, organize. Find books in the library- there are so many right now. Or, if you watch tv- check out HGTV. Every other show is about home organization! :D Use vertical space. If you are able, buy shelves for closets, wall shelves, baskets for the top of your refrigerator, etc. Look up! Tidy regularly. In a small space, the clutter can easily get overwhelming. Try to make sure that part of the family routine is each individual is responsible for putting away their own things. Go outside as much as possible.:D Good luck!

Since seeing Shia Lebeouf in Disturbia, I'm going to keep my eye in him. I think he could have an interesting career. Of course, I'm hoping the new Indiana Jones movie will be fun!

We live a couple thousand miles from both sets of family, so we are not able to get together often. There's no way we could do every graduation, recital, etc. However, when we do get together, we try to make it a big deal. We celebrate any birthdays or nearby holidays, and generally talk it up for our kids. As a result, our kids seem to feel close to their cousins. I grew up spending much more time with my extended family, so it has been an adjustment as a parent. I wanted my children to experience the same closeness to family that I did. Now I realize that their experience isn't bad, just different. We make the best of it that we can!:)

I have used with my 1st and Ker- Dr. DooRiddles-a huge hit! Here is an example: I will chase a mouse, And I start with C; I will chase a bird, And I end with T. What am I? Mind Benders Warmup- less of a hit, although I don't hear any groans when I pull it out. Here is an example: Mrs. Shore is Mary Jane's mother. Mrs Desmond is Mrs. Shore's mother. How is Mrs. Desmond related to Mary Jane? Both of these books are marked for K-2nd. HTH!

We have mostly knights/vikings with a few odd things scattered in. All the people, little pieces, horses I store in the largest tackle box I could find. Each person fits in a slot, the bigger dragons, horses, etc. in the bottom. The castles we own (two:o) belong in their own storage containers along with the trees and stuff like that.

Hercule Poirot was my favorite. I didn't discover Dorothy Sayers until college, prompty falling in love with Lord Peter. I may need to pick those up again sometime soon... My guess that those are still a little beyond her.

space is at a premium! We do seat work at the dining room table, science projects in our closet-sized kitchen, and read snuggled up on the couch. I have young ones, so it is working so far!

what is this 888 booklist that you are all referring to?

but I almost always get half an hour before bed. Sometimes I get a half hour in the morning. Oh, for those days when I would curl up on the couch and read for hours on end! I just made my son copy "Slow and steady wins the race" this morning. I'm going to apply that to my current state of reading. At least I'm making the effort! (And I'm sure I'm about to be embarrassed by all the others who will post that they're reading 3 hours a day, and keeping a writing journal :p)

I've been using Paypal for years, and have had no problems. I was very concerned at first because it was linked to my bank account. You can just link it to your credit card, if you would prefer. That's not to say that you can't have problems, but I've been very happy using paypal. (I even pay for some of our homeschool teachers with it!)

I was absolutely in love with the library system in Boston. Amazing catalog, our local branch had a helpful staff, the building itself was beautiful, tons of educational DVDs and movies. Now I'm in NYC, and you would think the library system would be equally great. Well, the catalog is great (just different), but I hate our local branch. The building is cold and unfeeling, an apt description of the staff. They usually seem put out if I have a question or need help, like I'm bothering them from doing their REALLY important work! Rant over. This whole thread just made me wistful....we used to live at the library during the week!