Thanks Lovedtodeath for this link! I almost fell over when I followed your link -- it is how I was taught to read! (I'm old :D) And really, it is how I was taught at my old-time Catholic grammar school. It's the piece I've been missing in my first year with my dd, 5. I kept having this nagging feeling like something was missing in my phonics/reading curriculum, and this is that missing piece! I'm so very grateful to you. To A home for their hearts, I would definitely recommend you take a look at this. Our school was always known for producing little ones with great language and reading skills. This was the foundation upon which we built.

Former Ft. Lee-er happily living in Wildwood Crest for the last 5+ years. :D I'm a homeschooling Mom of a K5er and an unschooling Mom of a 2 yr old. ;)

You probably already ran across this, but in case you didn't... http://www.homeschoolshare.com/hello_ocean_lapbook.php

Do you think he's testing you and your resolve? I noticed your screen name, and was wondering if it has to do with testing to be sure you really are permanent and always going to be there for him, and not turn your back when the going gets tough. This can be for bio kids too, but the underlying context of adoption sometimes can bring this type of testing up in unusual ways. Just a thought... Definitely take a :chillpill:...and try to find the good in what's been done today and point it out to him. Some days it is very hard to "catch them doing something right" but you will. Hang in there!

Ground Beef/Rice/Peas. Yep, exactly that. Prepare rice (real stuff, not converted). Brown beef (I use bison) in a big skillet. I throw in a whole lot of peas once the beef is mostly done. Then finally, I stir in the rice to get everything blended for about a minute or two. My two little children act as if it is the most gourmet meal around. :drool5: We have a lot of seafood recipes, as we live at the coast in NJ. Let me know if your family would eat any fish/seafood, and I'll try to get some of my easy ones posted here.

Hi -- first post. :) I think the reason the Hooked on French/Chinese etc. are so cheap now is that the system requirements are for Win 2000/XP, not Vista (just a heads-up). In beta testing Windows 7, there's an XP compatibility mode, which I believe is shipping with the final product. My 5 yr old is just starting both the French and the Chinese. The Mandarin Chinese has one speaker who doesn't pronouce well, but I simply remind her that his example is to be avoided. I haven't listened to the French yet, but I would check reviews to see if the pronounciation is a problem with the French version. Hope that helps a little.