I really like to get to sleep until the kids wake. My husband needs less sleep and stays up late, as do our children. I sleep until about 8am-9am each morning....But, I get up whenever I wake up...and sometimes that's 7 or 7:30. On Wednesdays I have to wake up at 6:15 and do that with an alarm clock. :-)

Ok, so some of you are financially able to just pay for your children to attend college because you've been diligently saving for 18 years. My husband and I have been married for 7 years and his oldest is college age next year. One college she's looked at is St Andrews and they accept no financial aid, but the college is under $10,000 a year plus living expenses. (like living with a family off campus) so about $15,000 total a year. Another is Hillsdale College, which is more like $28,000(living and other expenses included) but she could hopefully get a financial aid package of $12,000. So, I'm curious. Do most of you really pay the $15,000 per year for your children to attend college? How about for those who didn't start saving right away....Do you work so your child is able to attend college? Do they leave owing $60,000?? And...whatever we do...we have four...one right after the other... Thanks! Carrie:-)

Too bad you don't live in Oregon! I'd like to know you in real life! Carrie:-)

Do you have an Ergo or something like this? I was still wearing my son for walks around the block...mall...I could walk him with an Ergo for a few hours at a time. I've heard sleeping with children with bonding issues is good...but that may cause other problems...(I still have my 5 year old that comes pop in bed at night...when he wakes up...I'm fine with this...He is independent and yet likes Mama time:-) I like the blanket idea... It'll happen...slowly...but surely:-) Carrie

How about a Lagotto? a Portugese Water Dog, or Wheaten Terrier? You have to have 'work" or lots of exercise. Anyway, if I was going to purchase a dog, I would go to dog shows, meet the people who are showing their dogs and get hooked up with a puppy that way. Carrie:-)

My son's bd is July, too. Last year while 4, we started going through the one letter phonograms. We've added a few that are two letter. At this point, you couldn't tell if I'm trying to SWR or WRTR. I am planning on going through rules (which I've barely started) and spelling lists....maybe next year. At this point, with the sounds he knows, he can have a word told to him and spell it. He can also read if we want him to sound out simple words. I have read enough about early reading and eyesight problems that I've gone back and forth about really "teaching him to read" since he's not dying to learn. I can see that there aren't "problems" so I've just decided to let him learn slowly. Carrie:-)

Oh, Thanks Michelle for telling me about him speaking. I'm still interested in anyone who's heard him speak... I'm wanting to pass of some great recommendations to our homeschool board member that I know. I don't need to be convinced:-) I have plenty talks I can imagine him giving. So can all of the homeschoolers that have read his books.... Anyone? Carrie:-)

Hi There, I'm wondering if anyone on the board has heard Andrew Campbell speak. I really like his book and I would love to hear him speak. I would love to hear anything great about the topics he spoke on as well as how he supports homeschooling in his talks. Did I say I really want to hear him speak? I just had a get together with some other moms off this board...and we all want him to come out here to Oregon! Feel Free to Pm me :001_smile: Thanks! Carrie :001_smile:

You just say, "Gosh, we wish we could, but we just are too cash strapped, right now." If we hear of any odd jobs you might be interested in, we'll be sure and give them your number..... Gosh....(whatever your husband's name is) could really use some, too. So, if you hear of any..maybe you can think of us. It's not a lie. Do you have years of money saved? As the TV judge says, "So, did you think about this before you loaned this money...that you're giving to someone else...$$$ that you could be giving to your kids?" Carrie:-) You can do it...just say "NO"

My daughter, when she was 8, was doing LCI. Really, she did as well as her sister...3 years older. All three of my girls started together... 8, 11, 14 and now at 10, 13, 16, they're doing Henle I. My youngest really is find doing Henle at 10. The only thing I would say is for you to do it with them, and have them practice flashcards on a schedule. Something that really helps is to have a day and time each week...even easier with another family. If you do it with another family then you are less tempted to "skip" your lesson for the week. (My mom does it with another lady and her daughter..so there's accountability to get through the material) I am planning on learning Latin with my son as he goes through it. Carrie:-)

http://academicrecords.net/crossware/transcript.nsf This is from Classical Conversations and it's free except for $15, I think, when you print it off. You don't have to be part of CC to use it, either. Let me know what you think, since I just started to use it. Carrie:D

We do the insurance that's hooked up through HLSDA. They cover by the calendar year, and our cost for the amount of students/parents we have is about $600 a calendar year. This is for about 8 teachers/ all their parents and about 40 students. I have to say, the process for doing the other insurances I looked at was too overwhelming. The pro is that it's easy, the con is..whenever the last year is...we'll love the $$$ from being insured from the last day of class...(maybe March?) through December..... :-)

I would say, "Yes" stick with the cursive first, and then when they're in 3rd grade, you wouldn't have to be concentrating on a whole new writing class. AND, they will "just learn" print when they need to fill out maps and such. Memoria Press has an inexpensive copywork set. And, I use the actual "Cursive First" book, but not necessarily on their pages. If you really want a copywork set, Memoria Press' is really nice, but I wanted something that taught HOW to instruct each letter to be formed. I'm not sure if MP's does...but the CF one does... Carrie:-)

What kind of dogs? And how old are your children? Is your money situation really tight? I'd suggest monthly boarding, if you need a spot just for a month or two. My dog actually likes it. Or, doggy day care. And, depending on how old your kids are YMCA or something similar. Library story time. Anything where you get out and enjoy. Work on...Working out...Playdates at other people's house... Parks with doggy parks? Carrie:-)

I've seen Spalding used (with my brother about 23 years ago, when he was 7) and I'm kinda using it with my son. He's wiggly and jumps up and down on the couch while practicing his phonograms. He's as squirmy and wiggly as you can get, and it's fine. We go through the cursive phonograms from the program "Cursive First", which I've laminated, and then through the Spalding/Writing Road to Reading manuscript/phonograms. I'm loosely using the WRTR program and will bump up our sessions to more of a full program, when he starts to show an interest in reading. Carrie:-)

My only call would be to see where I could get one. Wait, those wraps are really spendy(what are those wraps called?)....so I'm not sure I'd sacrifice them for a swing, but it looks like a blast! Looks alot like the chair my husband's ex has...kids do all kinds of dangerous things....my mom always reminds me that you can "safety" worry yourself to death! Glad they can have fun! Carrie:-)

I was homeschooled for 6th grade up basically. I have to say, things were harder then. Not as much outside support. My parents are very educated but somehow it didn't leak down. I would have been the perfect student for Sonlight! I did love to read. I did have fun corresponding to "Grandpa and Grandma Moore" for a while when I was a teen. I got to meet Gregg Harris, Phyllis Shaffley, Edith Schaeffer, and a few other known people...all while I was young, because I was homeschooled. Fun, but too bad I didn't really understand who they were. I was just too young... I am trying to give my kids the education that my parents wish I would have been willing to receive. Carrie:-)

Nope...you shouldn't feel guilty. You can really only point out safety issues to parents that care. I mean, you would have told her, she would have ignored you...and baby would have been up there anyway. She's gonna have more issues than this, anyway. And, as far as the cream...not everyone is going to parent like you. For someone who feels like they should be able to leave cream down...they're gonna spank or time-out or something their children when they get into it. (And yup, I've spanked my kids, too!) But, my favorite advise for how to spank was given about what to do when your dog is bad. 1st you get a newspaper 2nd you roll it up 3rd you hit your head and say, "Bad mommy, bad mommy, bad mommy" (or dad) 4th you remember to train your dog. Maybe kids are more like dogs than we like to admit:-) Carrie:-)

My plan is just to not get out of the car while I'm out with my children. As my kids say, I have a story for everything. That one is because a mom took her kid out...kid pulls up...hits mom...mom dies... I have 2 teens and a 10 year old...so soon I'll be out...Or, better yet, I'll have my husband take them! Scares me to death! You're brave! Carrie:-)

Our recipe for White Bean Chicken Chili is basically the same, although I usually just use a chicken from the store's deli and I like frito chips, cheese...and sometimes sour cream. Yum! I think I'll make this tomorrow! Carrie:-)

Moira,:001_smile: Perhaps this is because they support every parents right to homeschool, but only list groups that submit their information to Christian Organizations. It may be that no other groups have submitted their information. And, even if they will represent all homeschoolers, they still have a right to only put Christian Organizations on their site. Although, I do believe that you have to sign a statement of faith to be represented, which would make it so I would assume that groups have to as well. It will be interesting to see if someone comments about this assumption, with information back from HLSDA. I suppose they could say that they only represent Christian Homeschool Families with the intent to bring freedom to all Families regardless of where their faith lies. Carrie:-)

Wow Bill, Wish the broccoli thing would work with my son! Oh well. Not that we keep the games and videos from my son, BUT if it was a choice that was only mine to make...we'd have no games or anything until children were at least in middle school. And, my children would never see movies or use computers in school...or calculators...or even do those comprehension tests that they have young children do...on computers. And, no little gadgets that you punch words into them and they tell you how to spell....And of course, no phones that you text message words, incorrectly...because it's faster. I guess the perfect spot would be untouched out in the country.... Reality is that we have computers and such..and my husband is playing the Wii with my son right now. (he's 5.5) Crazy....BUT, nothing of ours that is electronic is paid for out of taxes! Maybe I can at l get him to eat his broccoli....If he eats his broccoli...he'll get strong and be able to play the Wii. Carrie:-)

Actually, I would think they would know exactly who to refer you to...if there's an alternative. Carrie:-)

Yes, thank you, he did:-) I purchased both of his LCC books...cuz I wanted the second edition. BUT, the Memory one and the The Iliad of Homer: A Study Guide to Richmond Lattimore's Translation is from the Lulu.com which is a self-publishing spot. I was just trying to see if anyone had used it, yet. I didn't think to look on Lulu for the date he submitted it to them..... Carrie:-)

Well, Perhaps they should make that something the exchange place takes into account when placing students with families. She still should be kind, but that would be an incredible disappointment, if she wanted a busy city, and got placed in rural. Not that you don't have beautiful, just different. It's kinda one of the problems that some of the older kids have when they're adopted, they're expecting something like the show, "Dallas" and then they get someplace that still carries water(real story!) and it's a big shock! Carrie:-)