I have six: 10.5, 9, 7.5, 6, 4, and 2. ;-) A VERY active 2! My 4 year old will do very well while we work on school, but the 2 year old is quite the handful. I do admit to using the tv for keeping the boys occupied sometimes. It is hard to do that though because the girls want to watch, too. And if they hear the tv they are looking for it! Since Christmas break has been over we have brought our travel DVD player inside and I'll put that on for the boys. It's small, and quiet and the girls can't see it when I set that up away from the school room! I realize this is not a good solution for all the time!!! But it's what gets us through especially tough days! And we aim for videos of value (most of the time ;-), not just fluff! My husband works at home and while he must stay on track, he is able to pay attention to us sometimes. He has often put a blanket next to his desk (which is also in our school room!! He wears headphones and listens to music while he works! We call the "headphones" his "office"!!) to help the little guy sit quietly with cars or blocks or something. I have done this too when my hubby isn't home. It's time consuming to sit next to him and encourage the quiet play time, but little by little it pays off. We aim for 10 minutes at first. Then add time gradually, and eventually I will sit at the table rather than the floor with him. Gently remind him to stay on the blanket! And once time is over we say "Wooohoo!!! Good job, buddy boy!" And make it a big deal that he obeyed. **As I type this I am thinking "You know... I really need to use this method more often!! " I like the suggestion of having 2-3 full days and the 2-3 lighter days. I feel like we are kinda bare bones anyway. The girls (oldest 4) and I go to Classical Conversations. We are doing Saxon Math (with DIVE cds) for the older 2 girls and Essentials for English. The younger 2 girls are doing Rod and Staff Math and one is doing R&S English and the youngest girl is doing Sing, Spell, Read, & Write. So basically math and english! And they all love to read. They read a lot at bedtime. I don't know how to cut back anymore. I guess I just need to schedule better in a way that will fit us and work for us. I feel like most days are hectic at best! And I feel down on myself when we don't get to "everything" or when I think we are behind. Yesterday was especially trying. That is why I was searching "big family and homeschooling" today! I am so encouraged reading what you all posted. Thank you, thank you!! Shannon

Where will we go from here??? I have one child finishing up Level 1 and another child just beginning Level 1. I have no idea what we should do next! We are using MFW Adventures, and they suggest Primary Language Lessons. It's quite a bit different from SSRW! I am not against it, I am just not sure. We have really enjoyed how SSRW covers so much. So if you have used SSRW for K and Level 1 what did you do next?!?! Thanks so much~ Shannon

Well, I just talked to BJU and they said some of the workbooks (for younger kids anyway) will come glue only, and some will have a wrap around type spine. Whatever! I still think it's ugly. They said they do that so it is easier to tear out pages... which I understand that but I didn't want to tear out pages! So just if anyone was wondering I bought from CBD, but BJU assured me that that's just how they come. So it's not CBD's fault!

I just started it with my almost 6 and 7.5 year old. My 7.5 year old LOVES it, my 6 year old is kinda bored with it. Well, we are still in the beginning of the book, the Practice Exercises. But I am still newish to homeschooling, and I feel like I HAVE to start at the beginning of a book and work our way through! Perhaps I should mix it up! They are itching to get to the paint and marker cards! They ask EVERYDAY! Hmmm... maybe I will surpise them Friday when we are done with school!:)

The version that I have already did have inchworm, kite, and quilt... but some of the other stuff I could tell was different from my readers. For example some of the questions in the workbook that pertain to the readers were completely different... they had redone the characters completely (from bugs to people!) so the kids could get confused! I did call them today, and the lady I spoke to told me that they will continue offering the 1998 edition workbooks for quite a while. She said that MOST homeschoolers have the 1998 version, and Pearson actually prefers the 1998 version for homeschoolers. She said the 2004 was more for the schools. I told her we still have three students to look forward to SSRW and we would need those books in the future (since I don't want to rebuy everything I already have!) and she said that should be no problem. She also told me that if I would have called to place my order (instead of ordering online) that they are really good about verifying what version you have so that they send you the correct books! Oh, and greensummervillian, since they still have the workbooks available I don't think you will have trouble selling yours... just make sure whoever buys it knows to double check that they get the correct workbooks! I bought my entire set in 2006 from Ebay (it was brand new in the box) but the 2004 edition was already out then. I have reordered books twice now, taught 2 students with it and RIGHT NOW is the first time I have heard or seen anything about the new edition!

5ray2006, My pages aren't perforated, or 3 hole punched. I know I could do that myself, but just for comparing... you have the 3rd edition and yours are already done like that? Again, weird. I might go ahead and put everything in a 3 ring binder. More work though:glare:.... Oh well! :tongue_smilie:

I just called them... I didn't know that I had the 1998 edition and they updated in 2004! They are not compatable! But Pearson does have the old ones... so I am getting those now. What a slooooooooooow start to this school year. Good thing for copywork and other activities!

It is the 3rd edition, I did get the Review book and it looks fine - it does have a green spine. Weird that the worktexts don't! ACTUALLY one that came in did have the green spine, but it was disconnected from the glue. BJU said that is how theirs was (the one that the customer service rep. was looking at in her hand at the time).

We just finished up K and 1st grade with this for our first child. Daughter #2 has finished K and so naturally we are moving on to 1st for her. I just got her workbooks in the mail and they are a new format!!! I didn't know they switched! Pearson's website doesn't show any pictures where I ordered them, so I had no idea! Some of the songs have changed, readers, who knows what else! I don't want to rebuy the readers and Instructor's Manual. I am going to call Pearson, they might have the older workbooks that I can order. Anyone else dealing with this? Shannon

Yeah, I forgot to mention... they are the 3rd edition! Shannon

We received two Math 1 student worktexts and neither one of them have spines! The gumming or glue for the binding is all that is showing. I called and had two replacements sent to me and they are the same way! Is this normal? I called BJU to check and they said no, but I ordered my books through another distributer and they are telling me that is how they come now. This can't be true! It's hideous! I can't believe they would expect me to think this is acceptable! UGH! So I guess I need to call them back, but I just don't even want to mess with it anymore! We have already started in the ugly workbooks... we don't have time to waste waiting for more! I am so irritated! I don't know if I am allowed to post a picture, but I do have a picture if anyone can tell me what to do. Shannon :confused:

Hi there, We are just getting started with Bob Jones Math 1 (3rd ed)... I have never used it before. We used Saxon before, but it's not for us at this point:001_smile:. Anyway I have 2 children that will be doing this together. I ordered two worktexts but I was just wondering about the Reviews book... I only bought one of those forgetting that I might need two! Do you really use the Reviews? Thank you in advance! Shannon

Hi Susan, I used to have a Black & Decker rice maker (it was a wedding present) and I liked it just fine. But I noticed that the Chinese buffet that we like has a Zojirushi rice maker. So did my Korean friend. And I was super excited when I found one at a yard sale for $5!!! It makes 12 cups, keeps it warm all day long, and the pot it cooks the rice in is super easy to clean. My B&D rice cooker made a layer of crunchy rice on the bottom. I would have to soak the pan for a while, then really scrub hard to clean it. My Zojirushi is a breeze to clean... nothing sticks, I can just wipe it out with a damp cloth! You can't add anything to the rice while cooking it, no oil or salt or anything, which doesn't bother us. Just thought I'd let you know. Also I think the kind of rice that you makes a difference in how it turns out. I don't know all the differences very well, but here's what I can think of! Uncle Ben's rice (I think it's converted?) comes out nice and not mushy, but more like individual little rice pieces. I always like this rice when my friend makes it. We have noticed that Jasmine rice tends to be a little bit sticky, but we love it! It smells and tastes so good! But we only like it with certain things... we use it with stir fry, or more asian type stuff. We have been trying to eat more brown rice though so that is all we've bought lately. I hope you find one you like! Ours has sure been worth the $5!!! Oh, and my 7 year old can make it for us! It's really a piece of cake! Shannon : )

Hi there, I am a newish homeschooler, well we've done this for two years now, but I still feel like I am walking around in cirlcles! Anyway we have four girls ages 7, 5.5, 4, 2.5 and then a boy 10 months old. Needless to say it gets crazy around here! I am very interested in using Adventures in My Father's World, but then I also think I like Story of the World (which I see that MFW does do later) and Mystery of History. I really like that MOH outlines everything by showing God's hand in history. But then I found out that it is not a complete set yet! Which isn't so bad for the first 3 years, but aren't there 2 more volumes to go? Someone said that it would take the author 3-4 years per volume to finish! So what would we do once we are done with 1-3? So because of that I have looked at SOTW. I hated history when I was in school, but I am really excited about a "story" and I think it would make it much more grabbing (for my short attetion span as well as the kids!). So I just wondered what you all thought. Also would it be just as easy and a whole lot cheaper to do SOTW or MOH and Apologia's elelmentary sciences with my girls rather than MFW? Just wondering! Thanks! Shannon Mallory