Some of the ones we've enjoyed - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Dominic, Wolf Story, No Flying in the House, Tales from the Ark, Homer Price, Trumpet of the Swan... My children's ages: ds 10, dd 8, ds 6, and dd 4. Thank you!!!

Lunch is the most dreaded part of my day. I just can't seem to get a handle on how to do it efficiently. I hate thinking about what to have (we're all sick of peanut butter and jelly, turkey and cheese and chicken nuggets). I also dread getting it all out and putting it all away. I would love to just skip the meal entirely!! For awhile, the kids made their own "lunchables", but these never really filled them up. Any suggestions?!

I took the plunge and bought IEW several months ago. It's still sitting on the shelf. I don't know what it is about that program, but I just can't seem to motivate myself to watch those DVDs and figure out the program. I think it might help if the box and binder weren't a boring baby blue color - it reminds me of a staff inservice day. I would love some encouragement from someone who has had success with the program!!

Thank you! I'm so glad I moved our school to the basement. I'm just too distracted upstairs with all the chores I need to do staring at me!! I do wish we had some windows, but the bright blue and yellow walls remind me of a sunny day! :001_smile: Now, if I could just get rid of all the spiders down there!!

I wanted to add a trick for getting your kids to (quickly and happily) help with cleaning up a room. Before it's time to clean up, secretly pick one "lucky" item. The child who happens to be the one to put that item away gets a little treat (Hershey kiss, etc.). You'll be amazed how quickly the room gets picked up! :001_smile:

-Same thing happened to me, only I was 36. I knew I was ovulating right after my period ended for the same reasons you mentioned!! Some other symptoms I had - very dry skin/nails etc. All my nails were peeling! Also, a lot of dizziness, but I had no idea I was going through menopause. At 37, my period stopped for a couple of months. I went to dr. to get tested and found out I was postmenopausal!! If it is menopause, there is a great book called Premature Menopause -when the change of life comes too early by Kathryn Petras that I highly recommend. Premature menopause has been linked to auto immune disorders (lupus, diabetes, etc.). I was tested for those, but the results were negative. I decided to go on hormone replacement, and it has made all the difference in the world in how I feel. - The risks aren't the same for someone so young, and we really need the estrogen protection against osteoporosis and other diseases. Anyway, it may not be menopause, but if it is and you have any questions, feel free to send me a message.

In my efforts to avoid major burn out, I've been looking into more of a self-taught approach to homeschool. I think my 5th and 3rd graders can do a lot more on their own. I even bought Joanne Calderwood's planners (these are great for the child to fill out on his own, keep his own grades, etc.). Anyway, I was just wondering if any of you do more of a self-learning approach. If so, what's your favorite curriculum to use?

I bought Great Leaps because they use it at the public school here with great results. I think it is a good program, but the Victory Drill Book is not only better- it's a lot cheaper! I used VDB with my 2 older kids, and it really helped their fluency and speed. I should have just stayed with what I had. You can read about the VDB in the Rainbow Resource catalog. I went to the dollar store and got a bunch of toys/candy for a treasure chest. Whenever my dc met the speed/fluency goal for that page, they got to pick a prize out of the treasure chest. It has definitely been one of their favorite parts of homeschool. Also, you can use VDB up through 8th grade- Great Leaps is only through 2nd I think.

I have an ice cream maker that doesn't require ice and salt. You simply freeze the container ahead of time then pour in your ice cream and turn it on! The machine stirs it for you, and it takes about 20 minutes. soooo easy!!

I went through menopause at 37! At 36, my periods started going crazy (2 weeks, then 6 weeks, etc. and very heavy). Shortly after I turned 37, I started having hot flashes and night sweats - which I hated by the way!! I always thought hot flashes wouldn't be so bad bc I'm pretty thin and get cold a lot. Boy was I wrong! Anyway, since I hadn't had my period in a couple of months, I went to dr. to get tested thinking I was in perimenopause. Tests came back with estrogen levels of an old lady!! The dr. said I was POSTmenopausal!!! I was so thankful I had already had all my children (4)! Anyway, since I've already been through it, I'd be happy to answer any questions you have. Oh, and the dr. has no idea why I went through it so early. It can be genetic -but my mom didn't go through it early. Apparently, my aunt and grandmother went through it a little early.

I just searched on his website for the chocolate ice cream recipe and noticed that he has 2 chocolate ice cream recipes- but neither is the excellent one from his book. I tried the agave nectar one because sometimes I have blood sugar issues. It was good- but very rich. I haven't tried the "easiest chocolate ice cream" recipe on his website. If you love ice cream as much as I do, his book is a "must have" for your recipe collection!

Homemade chocolate ice cream is my favorite!! This past year, I bet I've made at least 25 gallons of it! I LOVE David Lebovitz's ice cream recipe book The Perfect Scoop. His chocolate ice cream recipe alone is worth the price of the book!!! -My husband calls his chocolate ice cream the food of the gods- it's really an incredibly creamy chocolate! The texture and taste are out of this world!!! He has a website where he lists a lot of his recipes, but I'm not sure if his chocolate ice cream is on it - just google David Lebovitz, recipes. There are basically 2 styles of ice cream-French and American. French uses eggs and makes a custard and Philadelphia style is made without eggs. The custard (egg) style is my favorite bc it makes a creamier ice cream. The other is a little more like ice-milk in my opinion. If you are adding hot milk to eggs, they will scramble. The trick is to just "warm" the milk - then with a whisk, quickly pour the warm milk into the bowl of eggs while you're stirring. Next, pour the egg/milk mixture back into the pot and place on stove. Now you can heat the custard until it's nice and steamy. I always put a mesh strainer above the cream mixture bowl - then pour in your eggy custard when it's done. That way, it catches any bits of egg that might have cooked. Enjoy your ice cream!

Not real sure how to attach pictures - hopefully this will work. My school room is in the basement. I just finished it last summer. The book turn around holder was a lucky find at Goodwill - just $5!

Thank you so much! I love the suggestions!

I bought All American History for next year thinking I could use it for both my 5th and 3rd grader. However, now that I've looked more closely at the program, I think it is better suited for my 5th grader. I don't want to buy a separate program for my 3rd grader. I'm looking for something that is self-teaching. Any ideas?

I used this with my 7 year old during the last couple of weeks of school. I was amazed at just how quickly she could recall the stories and then apply them to the flashcards that had only the numbers on them. The program works surprisingly well- I think you'll be glad you got it!

I found a coffee mug display piece you hang on the wall at a garage sale. It was wooden with an xxxx type design. My husband nailed a piece of wood to the bottom so the pencils wouldn't fall through - it's great for organizing different colors in the different compartments and sits in the middle of our homeschool table.

I painted mine yellow and blue! Of course, it's in the basement with no windows, so it was as close to a blue sky, sunny day that I could get! :)

My kids love ice cream cake - especially chocolate cake with chocolate mint ice cream. I whip some vanilla ice cream for the frosting - delicious!

I know where you're coming from. My sister is the same way! She can't understand why anyone would want to take on educating his/her children. In her own words, "I think the public school is doing a fine job educating my kids!" Actually, her kids go to a blue ribbon school where a lot of the teachers are Christians and really do an excellent job teaching. So, I can't help getting a little depressed when she talks about it! But homeschooling is so much more than educating!! I keep a list of all the reasons I homeschool to remind me when I get down. -This is a huge help! The other day, my dad asked my sister why her son was so depressed (he picks them up from the bus stop). My sister had no idea he was even sad! I couldn't help but think, "I know exactly what happens to my kids during the day!" There is no bully hurting my kids' self esteem!! How much free time is that worth?!!! My little girl has no idea who Britney Spears is!!! (Praise God!) My son with speech problems is a happy, confident kid. - Would he be that way in the public school?? Doubtful! I'd say that's worth quite a few lunches with friends! So when it's all said and done, all this hard work with very little "Me" time will be worth it. Like my husband said, "Everyone wants a job that is both challenging and rewarding!" I'd say that pretty much sums up homeschooling - wouldn't you?

I visited the website for AG, and I saw that it mentioned the well trained mind had recommended it? I don't see it mentioned in the book anywhere or on her website. Could someone tell me where I can read what SWB thinks about it? Thanks!

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who can't "do it all"! My mom is close, but she is not very helpful. I love her dearly, but I do not understand how a woman with no job, responsibilities, etc. can be so uninvolved with her own grandchildren! Anyway, I made this decision to homeschool, and I know she is not obligated to help me. Now that it is summer, I'm finally getting my house decluttered and enjoying some more free time. A friend and I are taking on the "Self Educated Mind" books. Maybe if I had been homeschooled like SWB I would be a little more disciplined and focused. I am trying!!! She is defiinitely an inspiration!

OK, I have to be honest here- I am in awe of Susan Wise Bauer. Does she just not need a lot of sleep? How on earth does she do all that she does????!! I would love to be a fly on the wall and see how she organizes her day to get it all done. Anyone know her secret?

My kids do not know the pronunciation sounds/symbols used in the dictionary. Maybe I should have used Abeka or Spelling Workout to teach these things. Any advice??

I used it this past year and really liked it! I was impressed with the variety of interesting literature pieces SWB chose for narration/dictation. Some of the books we hadn't heard of, but my daughter wanted to read them after she did the narration. We ended up using it about 3 times a week. She also did narration/dictation on some of the books she was reading and Story of the World.