Do you have diastasis recti? MuTu didn't close mine up...at all. I really don't think it's worth the money, IMHO. I would look for free WODs online and do those. (WODs are Crossfit exercises that can easily be done at home. MuTu incorporates some exercises that remind me of Crossfit. Her workouts are also short like Crossfit.)

I just picked up this book, and it looks very promising. The kids do all of the projects on their own. Perhaps there are a few neighborhood kids your son can recruit to help him? http://www.amazon.com/Carpentry-Children-Lester-R-Walker/dp/0879519908/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406670691&sr=8-1&keywords=carpentry+for+children

Those photos really made me smile. How adorable. Congratulations to your sweet little girl...and to you, too!!

DH and I were up late last night discussing if we should buy a horse or if we should just lease this expensive pony my son is riding. Wow, I think we will stay with the lease. It's cheaper than owning, for sure. I'm green when it comes to horses. I had no idea they were so much $$ and so much work. Too bad my son is hooked...he has decided he is going to be a horse vet (although I'm sure that is very expensive schooling and going to be a difficult field). For all that shared wisdom on leasing vs. buying, I wish I could send you a dozen roses, a box of chocolates and a bottle of wine. Thank you for posting. :wub:

My husband and I thought we were going to have to host an intervention for our dd's Ramona audible addiction. :laugh: She still listens to it, but when the family is listening to an audiobook, something else has to be chosen... Now I have that music in my head..."WAH-wa-WAH-wa-WAHHHHH!!"

http://www.amblesideonline.org/02bks.shtml scroll to the bottom of the page for their additional reading practice list. My son has enjoyed all of them.

We're at the end of Level C. When we were done with our lesson today, I almost kissed the book. I love Right Start, even with it's flaws (moves too slowly sometimes, jumps around, etc.) I feel like I can teach math to all of my kids because of the foundation I got from learning math the Right Start way. I can't wait to start Level D! I want to finish all of the books on my own this summer so I have an idea of where we're headed. I think I'll go kiss the book now. :)

I :wub: SCOPE! She should attend the SCOPE conference on June 6-7 and attend the "How to Homeschool" session. SCOPE will be having a used booksale in a couple of weeks, too. She definitely should attend that...always good deals. http://www.scopehome.org/ SCOPE is a Christian organization, so you may want to ask her if she is OK with joining a Christian organization. If not, I can look for some secular groups for her...

Thanks for this thread. We are city folk who decided to buy a hobby farm and raise our kids in the country. We have been on our 5 acres for the last 4 years and it has been a real learning curve for us. :) Don't know if we could handle a real farm with four little kids to raise. One day, maybe. :) A few questions: 1. Do your kids participate in extracurricular activities? How do you do this and manage a farm? What about friends who want to have playdates (city folk who don't have farms)? I'm not sure how to balance my children's extracurriculars and playdates. I don't care for playdates, I would rather pick weeds, but I'm an introvert. :) 2. We are raising chickens for eggs and meat and have been doing well with this. We are ready to move on to buying two steers for beef. How would you go about finding steers? What do we look for? And what vaccinations do you think are important? Thanks!

I am really sorry for your loss. I'm praying for you and your family.

OK, so it looks like MM 3 with RS D. Throwing out another idea here...Mom2Hh, have you looked at the AL Abacus workbook? Maybe this could be the extra practice the student needs when we don't get to a lesson? So many options, so little time. :) Lexi, I'm going to read your blog post tonight! Thanks for sharing your experience!

Not all Paleo are low carbers. Low carb is mostly for people trying to lose weight. We're Paleo with lots of roots and tubers, which would include potatoes, IMHO. My kids love their baked potatoes, boiled red potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, squash, etc. Typical meals are a protein, veggie, and a root with enough fat to make you feel a little nauseous looking at it. :) Snacks are more protein, raw fruits and veggies.

We are living parallel lives! :) I wanted to ask the same exact question. I love RS, and I don't want to miss a thing, but I'm not getting to the games as I should. What level will you use (if you add or switch to MM) when you get to level D? I feel the same way about the end of Level C...moving pretty slow, not much of a challenge. My only apprehension to switching solely to MM is the RS Abacus and how numbers are grouped by 5's. I don't think MM presents problems in this way. The grouping has been key for our understanding of numbers. Lexi, what level Beast Academy are you using? Is BA as teacher intensive as RS? And back to the original question...what concepts are most noteworthy and not to be missed in RD D?

Thanks for this. :) I know she had some sort of scholarship, and that was all assumption on my behalf that is was merit based. I know she nailed her SAT and graduated early...I'll have to inquire more about this. More to learn...there's always more to learn! :) Thanks again, everyone!!

Thank you!!

Wowzer! What a schedule!! Bless you, Mama! I'm taking my dd to her first Suzuki Institute this summer...so excited!! We're going to Colorado, Beaver Creek. Anyone been to this one before?

It sounds like your dd has an ear for music, and what you are providing for her is good for her overall musical development. Usually, my students that were the second or third child, or children of musicians, always wanted to dapple in playing another instrument. I would encourage your dd's exploring on the piano, especially the transposition to other keys! I cannot remember (from the thread about going to a music magnet for piano), but are you a pianist? Would you feel comfortable teaching her from a beginner's book and teaching her how to use her fingers correctly? Maybe keep it really relaxed on piano, but keep focus on violin and her ear training for now. Really, every child is different, and take my advice with a grain of salt. I don't know your child as well as you. She does sound very bright and inquisitive, though. It sounds like she is thriving in lessons...I would just encourage her and let her have fun on piano. Perhaps keep it her secondary instrument until she expresses a desire to take lessons on piano? Maybe teach her a few basics, and then let her continue to explore? I think any approach you take, she will be good, as long as there is an expectation for practice on the violin. :) In general, for all students, having a main instrument and understanding what practice entails is the key here. That will eventually filter into other instruments, if the desire is there. All of the other instruments are secondary, and are for fun. Learn good mechanics and great practice skills with one instrument and keep the rest for enjoyment. My ds8 started on the violin and hated it. He's a visual child, for sure. We started to cross over to piano when he turned 6, and he loved the music reading and theory. He's only doing piano now. My dd, now 6, started violin when she was 4, and she is definitely an aural learner. I can see her pursuing music seriously, so I want her to have piano under her belt (so she won't suffer like all of my other non-piano friends in Piano 101!!). I'll probably start teaching her piano when she's about 8. She has started reading violin music, too. And she's learning solfege. Good luck with whatever you decide! You have your child's best interest at heart, so she will be fine!

WOW! So many great responses...I don't know where to begin! How about with a "THANK YOU!!" :) I spoke with my son's trainer and let her know that we are not interested in the half lease or doing shows at this time. Surprisingly, she was very understanding and agreed that we should wait to move into this caliber of riding until he is expressing a deep desire (and after we win the lottery). We let her know that academics are our top priority, and she, being a Princeton graduate, agreed wholeheartedly. I was really surprised. She talked about her experiences growing up, and how her parents had the same priorities for her (academics first, riding second), and how much she appreciated that. I think she was on a scholarship and has no student loans because of how well she performed in H.S. and on the SAT. His trainer recommended he try another pony at the barn and see how he does with him, which is what I think she was wanting all along. She wants him to progress, and I don't think the pony he was riding was letting him do that. I guess we just needed to do a little communicating. It's ironic, because I started calling people whom I know ride in our area and asked about the atmosphere of their barns...I was ready to move on to another place. I think I may go visit a few barns to see what lessons are like there, and I will definitely look into 4-H, but I'm feeling a little better about how this is turning out. My husband and I are completely green when it comes to the horse world. I sincerely appreciate the advice and wisdom you all shared with me. Thanks again!

When our ds was 6, we asked him what would he like to do for his extracurricular activity? He said, "I want to learn how to ride a horse!" We agreed, not knowing what we were getting ourselves into. We are on a couple of acres out in the country, so we thought is would be a good skill for him to learn. I bet you can guess where this story is going...sigh. A year and a half later, our son is at 2 lessons a week and his trainer wants him to do a half lease on a pony and start the show circuit. Basically, she wants us to lease our son a Mercedes Benz, and he's only 8. I'm not kidding you, it's $1,000./month, not including show fees, shoeing, etc. This is completely and utterly ridiculous, and we cannot afford it. Even if we could, I would be using that $$ to pay for tutors for my kids, not on a sport. My question...we have only been with one trainer. She switched to some A list barn and we just followed her, not knowing where we were going. Should we switch to a barn that is more "student friendly" (and pocket book friendly), one that is not training Grand Prix hopefuls, or should we switch disciplines (Western), or should we get out of the horse world while he is still young? Well, we don't know if we can get out of the horse world. Our son LOVES riding, and he cannot wait to canter jump. Presently, he's trotting over poles and cantering and galloping separately. He is progressing very well. Please help! We have 4 kids and can't afford this!! Is there a balance out there somewhere, or is the Hunter/Jumper world always more $$$$$$$$$$$$$$? Has anyone out there found a good balance for their child? Thanks for any advice!

Can you provide a link for the "How to Play Celtic Music" DVD? I would like to order it for my dd5 (almost 6). She is finishing up Book 2 right now. I have a feeling she will fly through book 3 in the next couple of months, and I'm hoping to slow her down a bit with some supplemental music. None of my students have ever gone this quickly through the books. She definitely was your typical 4 year old when she started the Twinkles (it moved very slowly), but once she started the Minuets, she just started flying...I'm a little nervous about it all, to be honest. I watched some of your dd's videos and I think I caught a glimpse of my future. My goodness...

Donna, thank you for that video clip. Your daughter ROCKS!!!! Very, very inspiring!! Did she start Suzuki? What age did she begin playing?

This is a great thread! I'm trained in both Suzuki piano and Suzuki violin. OP, when a child is learning to play the Twinkles, they are not learning to play a piece of music, they are learning to play an instrument. The Twinkles are a vehicle for learning the mechanics of the violin. So, try not to think of the Twinkle stage as never-ending, but think of it as skills to learn how to play the violin. Once the child has down the skills from the Twinkles, they will pick up pieces very quickly, AS LONG AS THEY ARE DOING THEIR DAILY LISTENING!! :) Have your CD running at breakfast and at bath time. If you can get it in between those, then that is wonderful. Just make it a habit to put it on during those times. Your teacher should also give you words to sing with the Suzuki pieces. Dr. Suzuki chose most of the pieces in book 1 from German children's folk songs (his wife was German). That way, you can sing the pieces in the car, when at the grocery store, etc. I always sang them during diaper changes. Never too early to start ear training. :) A smart Suzuki violin teacher will have their little ones playing supplemental pieces like Mississippi Hoe Down, E String Concerto, etc. These pieces require the child to play one component of the Twinkles with a fun accompaniment. The kids don't feel like they are missing out on anything, or going too slow, when they are playing the supplemental pieces. As others have stated, the goal of the violinist is to develop the ear. There are no keys to press on the violin, so a sensitive ear is critical for the violinist. A smart Suzuki teacher will start a separate reading program (I Can Read Music, etc.) before the child is too far into the Suzuki literature. Usually, a child is ready to begin reading music when he can read books...which brings me to my last point: Learning the piano is, in my opinion, harder than learning the violin. The violin comes in a size appropriate for a young child. The piano only comes in one size. Playing a weighted keyboard requires stamina, and reading music is a difficult skill for little ones. They are decoding much in the same way they are decoding with reading books. It requires a certain maturity. The difficulty in the violin is learning to hold this foreign object under your chin and to be gentle with it...to make it create a pleasing sound. That is difficult enough for a young child, so reading music should be delayed until the mechanics are there. The talent with the violinist is to create a perfect pitch, or to fix it before anyone can notice it is out of tune. The talent and skill for the pianist is music reading and theory. I don't teach Suzuki piano because I want my pianist to read from the very beginning. Violin, on the other hand, their ear is most important, so I do teach Suzuki violin. (This is not to say that a Suzuki piano teacher can balance both of these worlds...I just have never been able to do so. I'm old school traditional piano, and my kids use John Thompson, what Van Cliburn and Billy Joel used!) Must sleep...hope my rambling helps a little. :)

I'm reading Liping Ma's book right now. Definitely an eye opener. (I'm kind of peeved about how I was taught math in school, but I won't go there right now.) Are there any recommendations for a follow up to Ma's book?

another useful website is No Time For Flashcards...don't know if that one has been mentioned yet: http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/ lots of good watercolor paper is a great gift, too. wooden alphabet blocks a subscription to audible!!!

I have a music degree, and I can tell you that it is a hard world for the pianist. Not to scare you or your son, but he needs to be prepared to put in some hours, and I mean hours, of practicing. And when he's done practicing (for hours) he needs to read and read and read and read music history. And ear training. And sight reading. It doesn't end. Theory is paramount for the pianist, so I would encourage you to ask his teacher to make sure he is more than prepared for the h.s. magnet. It's even difficult there. I cringe when I think about the hours and hours and hours and hours and hours of scales, etc.. You're almost like an athlete...I had to soak my hands in hot water after many practice sessions. I will stop with the horror stories, but know that he isn't getting into an easy field here. The music world is hard and can be very cut throat. My professors were Tiger Moms x a million. I'm sweating just thinking about those days. He needs to love music more than life itself if he wants to venture into the music world. I was one of those kids who loved music, and I STILL wasn't prepared enough for college. Preparation now will make or break him.