I do not wear any skirts at all at this point, and I do not advocate it for my very active daughters at this time, for religious or any other reason. I do however think that my friends who wear skirts/dresses on a daily basis look very lovely and very classy. I envy that in them. Please don't stop, because YOU LOOK GREAT!!!!

For K level Science, I recommend the "Let's Read and Find Out" series. Just print a list from your library and check them out one at a time. I count 42 in our library, and see 102 online. For K level History, look at "Picture Book Biography" by David Adler They are biographies, and not a history sequence, but they touch on many ideas introduced in history: Louis Braille, George Washington Carver, Harry Houdini, plus many of our presidents. I count 14 in our library, and 37 total. These two series are not "have all - be all" of history or science, but the data is good, and the age is appropriate. If I was homeschooling, I would consider a simple (homemade) timeline to add basic events and people for a K level. This would plant the seed that different people did or did not live at the same time. It would also outline specific wars or other major events. Example: WWII: not so long ago. Revolutionary War: not the same as WWII, and quite a bit longer ago. George Washington: same time as Revolutionary War Rosa Parks: not even as old as WWII.

Dd6 is so excited about the Dinosaur curriculum that we are into the 2nd week of it! She just couldn't wait until autumn!

Dd is 6, and we've been doing piano since she was 4. I have taught her most of that time since we realized that (like you), that I have just enough musical experience to teach the beginning years. We saved $$$ with me teaching her, and she progressed much faster by my teaching that with professional teachers. We are nearly done with Book B. We use My First Piano Adventures. There are 3 levels of My First Piano Adventures: A, B, and C. Each level has both a Lesson Book and a Writing Book (theory). There is a CD in one of the two books (probably the Lesson Book). There is also a Christmas book for each level, with a fun advent calendar on the back page. 4/4 time, rests, and etc are all covered. :001_smile: The more we use these books, the more impressed I am with how well they dovetail together! However, My First Piano Adventures may be two juvenile for the age your boys are. I recommend that you try one of the next levels. Again, there are lesson books, theory books, performance books, and Christmas books. If you have a Reiman Music store locally, they are probably carried for you to wander in and browse what will work best for you.

Dd6 is so excited about one subject. She has resorted to threats and blackmail to begin the Dinosaur Curriculum before autumn. As soon as we finished piano in early June, she wrote a note for the piano demanding "No more piano until Mom finds the Dinosaurs!" We did Lesson 7 today (of 50). I've added some video clips from youtube and I have found some of the Walking with the Dinosaurs documentaries on Netflix. I just know I'm going to have nightmares from some of the creatures that have crawled out of the ocean!!! Next semester, I'll have to make her study the "Fairies and Princesses" curriculum while I recover.

Dorie in Finding Nemo: "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming." Dd6 is doing Saxon 2. Don't worry because: 1) Counting money and telling time are practiced heavily in Saxon 2. 2) These skills are important, but they are not necessary for continuing to learn continuing "number" concepts. For example, not knowing how to tell time is NOT going to stop him from learning to multiply by 2, graph ice cream flavors, or calculate perimeter. 3) Dd6 struggled every day with money and telling time, but we "just kept swimming." Then, one day, it clicked for both. Of course, now it is July 11th, and I ask her what time it is, or a game of hers requires the time skill, and she goes blank. And we put money in the parking meter, and I ask her what coin I am handing her and its value, and she guesses wrong. :banghead: But I have every confidence that she can and will get it permanently. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reader Rabbit Math (age 6-9) has time and money components. We also have a Disney Cars game to teach money (non-computer, from Scholastic) that we have played often. I checked, and it is unavailable anywhere, but I would encourage you to look for silly little games to teach time and math to supplement your math curriculum. Teaching Money website of ideas

This is my life, too. But we DO get through things. And looking back over our past year (K/1ish), dd6 HAS learned a ton. Part of it is that we have a toddler in the house that needs attention and nursing, too; part of it is that I am VERY thorough in what I want dd6 to know, how I teach it, what I require, and even the curriculum choices I make. But this is MY CHOICE. :iagree: Any complaining falls on deaf ears. Although, if she really is that tired or not feeling well, she is better off going for a rest. This is GREAT!!! You now know how to motivate him!!! Cut screen time, and link it to work done. In our household: 1) dd6 gets a half hour of free tv every day. (Video games haven't been an issue for us yet, because nearly all of the games in the house are educational; so I care less if dd6 maxes out on those). 2) If dd6 wants more tv time, she has to do schoolwork. I have a list of "10 Lessons" that I expect her to do each day. A Lesson may be --just a page in a book (like Explode the Code) --a completed lesson, like doing a whole state in our U.S. state study --20-30 minutes with a timer of working further in Spanish --Math is worth 3 lessons for us because a) the curriculum we have is time intensive b ) we are doing double lessons (We do Saxon, so the Meeting counts as a Lesson for us, then each set of 3 workbook pages/lesson counts as a Lesson) MOM determines what a Lesson is for each subject. If she completes 4 lessons, she gets 30 minutes of tv time. Then, if she completes 3 more lessons, she gets 30 more minutes. Then, if she completes 2 more lessons, she gets 30 more minutes. Then if she completes 1 more lesson, she gets 30 minutes. By the time she has completed 7 lessons for the day, we encourage her to just finish up because the benefits for the ratio of work are just too great. Especially considering that we start are day with the hard intensive stuff and finish with fluff. Caveats: 1) If dd6 screws around too much, she has to save her tv time for later. 2) If she wants to use her tv time during the day, she must watch educational tv. If she saves it for "when Daddy comes home" or "after supper," she can watch whatever she wants (Scooby Doo, Pokemon, Spongebob :001_rolleyes: ). This teaches delayed gratification. 3) If dd6 complains she does not get enough tv,then I ask her what she needs to do about that. *I* am nearly always willing to work on stuff with her. 4) Things done incorrectly must be fixed. 5) If you can afford it, get a Tivo. We've had a "factory-renewed" Tivo for 4 years. It has outlived its warranty, and still works great! YOU DO NOT need cable or satellite tv for a Tivo.Current sale cost of the tivo we have is $75 + $15/month. For our household, this is worth.every.penny. --I save all of the kids' favorite PBS shows. The kids have a lot of choice at any time of day or night. There is no complaining of missing a favorite show because it is always waiting for them. --We can start and stop the shows on our schedule. The tivo remembers where you were at. So I can interrupt dd6 if I need her for something. --Tivo turns itself off at the end of the show, so I am not the bad guy. Plus, it easily breaks tv time into discrete 30 minutes chunks. ----------------------------------------------------------- We pay our daughter $$ for schoolwork. Disclaimer: PAYING CHILDREN FOR SCHOOLWORK IS NOT THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR EVERY HOUSEHOLD. This system: 1) Reinforces that school is dd's job. She needs to do it every day. 2) Her work is of value. 3) It is worth ~$1/day to have fewer arguments over working hard at school. For K work, dd6 gets paid 5c/page or lesson. (This varies by subject). For 1st work, 6c/page or lesson. for 2nd work, 7c/page or lesson. If 10 Lessons are completed in a day, there is a 25c bonus. If you completed all of your work on time, shouldn't your boss give you a bonus? This teaches life lessons of: --Harder work pays better. --If you jump through these hoops now, the rewards will be better later. --If I want something material, I must work for it. --We want to do the hard work first (Math, Phonics) because it pays the best! --It is good to finish things. You don't get paid for unfinished work. You'd never guess I was a Lefty Liberal, and not and Ayn Rand Conservative! :laugh: ETA: If anyone has questions about our system, recording, etc, please feel free to PM me. --------------------------------------------------------------------- If this system sounds more complicated than what you want to do for pay, would you be willing to pay $100 over the next 12 months to get your child to read better? One of the best studies done recently on money and schoolwork for kids paid first graders 25c/book they read aloud. The advantages (of becoming a better reader) lasted through the next 2-3 years the kids were tracked, even though no financial reward was given in 2nd or 3rd grade for reading. At 25c/book, your child would read 400 books by the end of the year for $100. I don't know what level reading your son is at, but this is what we did with Bob books (Look for posting #10, scroll down to Bob books.) If he is at a higher reading level, use the same system for easy readers (Green Eggs and Ham, Go Dog Go) or pay him 25c for each chapter he reads to you if he is doing easy chapter books (Magic Treehouse, Buddy Files, etc).

While he's at it, could he offer an addend to the original game: make half of the characters female.

In politics. When the choices of one party's instituted policies affect the country as a whole in a negative manner and in the exact same manner that the opposing party said would happen for years if said policies were enacted. ETA: History repeats itself. Most of this stuff is not hard to figure out with a little data and a little history.

When I asked about health insurance that covered pregnancy in my mid-twenties (in a stable relationship, but also not married, engaged, or planning any babies for several years), our insurance agent told us that: "Pregnancy is not covered because it is a PLANNED event." :lol: ------------------------------------------------- In our town, if you drive to the hospital and give birth by yourself in the hospital parking lot, you are still charged for a birth. If you give birth two block away in your car, you are charged for the ambulance ride, but not the full birth. :lol: ----------------------------------------------------------- To their credit, all of the obstetricians in my current town accept Medicaid, so no woman has to drive several hours one way to the University Hospital for prenatal and delivery care. This is not the case in all towns.

Is it possible the binder you used is not the one you remember? You may remember a big white binder, but maybe it is a slightly smaller blue one? You may need to clear the house of kids, put on your favorite music, and go through every stinking binder on the shelf, one by one. --Duckens Queen of Lost Library Books (currently Song of the Swallows) Empress of Missing Craft Items (two boxes of embroidery floss) Diva of science items gone AWOL (dd6's insect collection supplies)

Somewhere on my computer I have a file of a keyboard with clipart for each reminder word on it: dog, cat, elephant, front door, etc. If anyone is dying for this, PM me, and I will look for it.

A couple of ideas: 1) Piano Keyboard Story Piano Keyboard Story Teach this story at the keyboard. Show the page to the kids afterwards. Point out a set of two black keys. “This is the Dog house. A Dog lives here.†Play key D. “This is where the Dog sits – right inside his house!†“The dog has two friends: Cat and Elephant.†Play C and E appropriately for Cat and Elephant. Point out the adjacent set of three black keys. “This is the big house. Some people live here, but they are out right now.†“One day, the Dog, the Cat, and the Elephant decide to go into the big house. They go in the Front door.†Play F. “When they get inside, they see some Grapes on the table.†Play G. “So they eat them all up!†Make gobbling sounds. “When the grapes were done, the Dog, the Cat, and the Elephant were still hungry, so they saw some Apples.†Play A. “So they ate them all up, too!†Make gobbling sounds. “When all the Apples were done, the Dog, the Cat, and the Elephant went out the Back door.†Play B. Repeat story, but have child play the notes. Ask child what they would think if they came home and a Dog, Cat, and Elephant were sitting in their house eating Grapes and Apples. Give child random notes to find on the keyboard using this strategy. 2) Race to Middle C Purchase poker chips and label them with the musical alphabet. Have at least 3 or 4 octaves. Put them in a bag. (We use a ziplock). While sitting at the keyboard, take turns drawing chips blindly from the bag. Example: Person 1: Chooses a C, and puts it on the first C at the high end of the keyboard. Person 2: Chooses an F, and puts it on the first F at the low end of the keyboard. Person 1: Chooses an E, and puts the chip on the next E of the keyboard (moving toward Middle C). Person 2: Chooses an A, and puts the chip on the next A of the keyboard (moving toward Middle C). Continue until someone crosses Middle C (or the center of the keyboard).

This sounds like it would be a brilliant plan for your crazybusy life right now. When I free-read to the girls, I have a stack of (library) books. Unless a book is due at the library on that day, I will hold up two books and let someone choose what we read. Then one book goes into the "we have read" pile, and the other goes into the "discard" pile. Then the child chooses from two new books. When we have gone through the original list, we return to the discard pile, and I hold up two new books, creating a new discard pile. We take turns choosing. It is also okay for Mommy to have a turn choosing a book to read. Often this is the library book that has been in the house the longest. Warning: if you have library books, watch the due dates. Kids do not always choose the oldest library books in the house.

Let me preface that older dd is 6, younger is 2. I think that families have different needs for screentime for different seasons of their lives. There are nights that I am still up late with dd2. On the following day, older dd6 will often watch PBS while I nap with the baby. I don't feel bad about this. When we have teens with smartphones, R-rated movies, and Facebook, the rules will change to reflect our family's needs and goals. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: I am unafraid of tv/screentime. I do not think that it is the creativity killer it is made out to be. While a video education is NOT a substitute for human interaction and discussion of issues and subjects (how to multiply, what is a noun, why did Harriet Tubman run away from her master?), video can enrich our understanding of the world. Just yesterday, dd6 and I watched a video on math. I turned to her and said, "Ferb, I KNOW what we're going to do today!" (or tomorrow). She agreed, and is excited about the mathy project. She stunned Daddy at age 4 by identifying the toy spider she bought as a black widow. Why? Because she watched a show with me about venomous creatures nearly a year before. She drew the conclusion yesterday that the gender of turtle eggs is affected by temperature just like with crocodile eggs (Wild Kratts). She wants our family to be a Food Chain for Halloween this year (Wild Kratts). She discusses the finer points of Egyptian engineering of Egyptian chariots and Egyptian seafaring boats. She understands that some archeologists try to rebuild ancient technologies to learn about the past. (Nova). And on and on and on. What can I say as a parent except, "I should let you watch more tv!" :tongue_smilie: ------------------------------------------------------- During the school year, dd6 gets 30 minutes of "free TV" per day. If dd6 wants more tv, she must earn it by doing schoolwork. If she does 4 subjects, she earns a second 30 minute block. Then another 3 subjects will earn her another block. Then 2. Then 1. All tv time must be "educational" during the day (PBS or an educational dvd). If she has the self-control to save her tv time "until daddy is home," then she can watch whatever she wants (movies, library videos). In an ideal situation, she is working straight through during the day, without big chunks of tv during our learning time but with the reward of Scooby Doo at the end of the day. We have a TIVO DVR with all of the kids' favorite shows saved, so it is easy to identify a specific block of time. The TIVO turns the show off when it is over, so I don't have to be the bad guy. The added advantage is that tv screen time can be interrupted at any time for any reason: meal, time to go somewhere, little sister is napping so we should do some math). The TIVO saves your place and can be rewound is something is missed. I have not limited computer screen time yet, but nearly all of our computer games and Nook apps are educational: PBS, Reader Rabbit, Starfall, MathBlaster. ----------------------------------------------------------- On weekends, our kids seem to watch a lot of junk tv. I have tried to modify this by demanding a certain amount of group reading or activities between shows. I discuss with dd6 about how we want to do more than just watch tv all day. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This summer, we are simply gone a lot (pool, sports, camp), so the tv is not on. Sometimes, we are so busy that when we are home, I pop in an educational dvd from the public library for some "suggested downtime." Favorites this summer are: Inspector Gadget's Field Trips Disney Imagineering (engineering and science concepts) Note that we also logging 80 minutes of group reading time each day for the library program. I am not organized enough to log dd's random reading on her own, so dd6's actual reading is higher.

You are not alone. Even though dd6 is in many, many activities, this seems to just offer her social interaction, not social bonds. We have not been invited to any play dates for two years. We have been to two birthday parties for the same girl. Last year, I didn't even do a birthday party for dd6. I've given up on that front. (Part of this may be my fault: if children are hurtful to others, I correct them. I always learn after the fact that I need to be more concerned for the feelings of the person being unkind than for the child being made to feel rejected. I'm just not careful enough with other people's "Special Snowflakes"). I remind myself that one of the reasons we homeschool is so my daughters can have friends of all ages. We focus on activities that dd6 enjoys (gymnastics, swimming, nature, engineering/legos). It's like going on a blind date: pick a movie you like, so even if the social aspect is a bust, at least you enjoyed the entertainment. If money or distance are an obstacle to activities, then pick some extra subjects to explore at home. Have a regular game night. Put together puzzles while snacking on popcorn and cocoa. Build complex lego kits. Read aloud while everyone knits. Expand the garden. This could be considered time lost or time gained. You can lament the loss of potential friends, or you could use it to strengthen family bonds and explore some new hobbies. Example: This is the 2nd summer that Loverboy has a summer intern (college grad doing a specific lab project). These kids know no one in town, and they have limited funds. I feel like telling them to study for their GREs, work every night on an online language class, or read War and Peace. It is doubtful that they will ever again in their lives have this period of solitude to work on themselves. No family commitments. No social commitments. No cooking and minimal cleaning (they live in a hotel). I hope this solitude encourages dd to follow her interests, and to not grow up to be socially needy or lacking.

I sent this video off to a friend of mine that I am concerned about. Then I realized that she had already quit her job, moved to the Midwest (from Phoenix), and bought an acreage. :ohmy: The last conversation I had with her husband was about making buckboard bacon. I'm afraid there is no hope for their family. With the size of their garden, it is only a matter of time before they start to sell at the local Farmer's Market.

We also used 100EL. A famous early childhood educator was asked, "What is the best program to teach your child to read?" The answer: "The third one." Most kids need information repeatedly introduced to them to learn it well, especially for reading. Reading English is highly symbolic, and there are a lot of rules. Yes, there are only 26 letters, but there are over 100 sounds to learn and recall easily from memory to read fluently. It is astounding that young children can do this. As a follow up to 100EL, there are MANY good Phonics curriculum out there. I have used Abeka and Saxon personally, and both have been effective (although I think I secretly prefer Abeka. Don't tell anyone, or my atheist membership card may be revoked!) However, let me emphasize, there are MANY good Phonic curriculum out there. Other things we used: --YES! Read to and with your son every day!!!! --Starfall.com (free) --PBS Kids Island (free) or other PBS games (You will need to set up a password for PBS Kids Island) **If your child needs help maneuvering the mouse, use Reader Rabbit Babies and Toddlers. --Reader Rabbit software --Explode the Code(a must as supplement to any phonics program). Rainbow Resource probably has the best prices. You DO NOT need the teacher's manual. --BOB Books: Put a post-it note in the back of each one, with the following listed: 1) Mom 2) Dad 3) [sibling's name] 4) Cats (or other pet) 5) Friend (or Grandpa, or Auntie, or babysitter). Read the specific BOB Book to your child. Then, each day, your child reads the book to someone else. DO NOT have your child read the same book to three different people on the list in one day. The idea is that your child will read the same book 5 times on 5 different days to 5 different people. The child may read 3-5 different books to different (or the same person) in a day, but each specific book is only read once a day. Reading to Mom and Dad is self-explanatory. I had older dd read to our toddler and the cats under inspiration of the "read with a dog" program. The "dog" (or little sister, or the cat) doesn't really care if you get every word right. It is good practice, and very low stress for the child. Reading to a "friend" is what we used because we don't have willing grandparents or relatives nearby. If your little reader has several siblings, then you are all set. Fill in person # 5 with what is convenient for you. If you have enough siblings in the house, you may not need to go out of the house for this. Kids read to the people on the list in any order. Checkmark them off as your child completes each task. Once the child has read to all 5 people, the put the BOB book in a shoebox beside his bed. These are books he can competently read to himself. He can stay up after Mom has tucked him into bed to read these books quietly to himself! You may not like him staying up after bedtime, but if he has 5 books in his little box, it will take him 5 minutes maximum if he reads them all. IMHO, 5 minutes is a small price to pay for him to be reading to himself. --Introduce Sight Word Readers. The first time through, your child just reads the two sight words; you read the rest of the words. Attempt the system for BOB books, but your child may need to mature a little in his reading for this. --Also use the BOB book system if there are little readers for whatever phonics system you choose.

:iagree: Have you discovered Starfall.com yet? Let him play on there. It's not uncommon for kids to teach themselves to learn on Starfall. If he need help with mouse skills, Reader Rabbit Babies and Toddlers worked for both of my kids. PBS has a lot of online games. Also look for PBS Island.

Look for Reader Rabbit Babies and Toddlers. We use Starfall, but sometimes dd2 prefers RR.

It's Walmart for Homeschoolers! They have everything!

I use 1c ammonia in the wash for stinky stuff (in addition to laundry soap). If you have a front loader, put the ammonia in a downy ball.

The DoublePost fairy strikes again!

Dd6 (CloverKid) is taking a stepping stone and a Coral Reef Diorama. I am hoping to have her write a "Can you find...a sea anemone, a sea urchin, a starfish, etc.....?" list for the diorama. She also has a Snow Leopards poster from the Communication Contest a few months ago that will meet her there.

Look online for club choices for 4H. Google "Join 4H [county state]". Our Extension Office had the clubs and a description listed online, with contact information. I emailed our leaders and asked to attend a meeting or two with my daughter to see if it was a good fit for us. There may not be any more meetings between now and August. Everyone is getting ready for fair. Another way you can connect with 4H/Clover Kids is to attend your local county fair. Our local fair usually has plenty of 4H propaganda in the display hall. They would love for you to give 4H a try.