We JUST got a Nook a month ago. I knew we needed one when I went to library and two of the two books that I wanted to get for dd5 were only available by download. There have been a few other books in the past year that I wanted from the library, but have only been available as an electronic resource, so this has been building for a while. The reason we choose a Nook was because the Nook is the most library-friendly (at least in Iowa). I don't want to buy every book; I just want to check them out. Disclaimer: Of the 6 major publishers, only 1 will currently sell e-content to libraries. I feel as if we are for books in the same place we were just after Napster but as itunes was getting started. Kindles seem to be very Amazon compatible. It's not that you can't use a Kindle to check things out from the library; your choices may be limited. As I understand it, there is also a certain amount of marketing to you with a Kindle. For example, if you purchase book X, your will receive comments of "You liked book X; would you like to purchase book Y?" Our library has been having "Tech Talk" every other month where Justin, our tech librarian, demonstrates how to set up one's Kindle or Nook. He also fields random questions of all types. Justin is also available at the help desk most days. Is there someone at your library where you can get good and non-salesman information about which ereader is most compatible for the needs of your family? You say that you will use one for "school related books." Will you be purchasing or checking out from the library? See the disclaimer above, and if you want to check out the books, you'd better go see your "Justin" to see which reader will be more compatible for what you specifically want.

My experience and philosophy: When I was in 5th grade, when everyone else was reading out of the big "reading textbooks" with short stories, poems, and parts of chapter books, Ms. Rosie Ryan's 5th grade Reading Class read actual books. We read Amos Fortune, Free Man Tom Sawyer Island of the Blue Dolphins The Great Brain The Upstairs Room Sounder To Be a Slave Old Yeller Where the Red Fern Grows Tuck Everlasting The White Mountains My Side of the Mountain and probably a couple of more I can't recall. Aloud, she read Summer of the Monkeys, The Westing Game, the Great Gilly Hopkins, Superfudge, Caddie Woodlawn, and Bridge to Terebithia to us. We read sooooo much great lit that year. I did not love all of the books we read, but I was happy we had read them. I was challenged by the history and new worlds we learned about. Within that one year, we were given the shared experience of knowing the characters and plots of these well-loved stories. It wasn't until I was an adult perusing the Newberry Award poster in the library that realized the great gift Ms. Ryan had given to us by making us "well read." I want to give that to my children, so they will not only know how to read, but will be able to say, "Oh, yes, that is the book about the ________! I like/didn't like it because ___________." --------------------------------------------- For 1st grade: We're planning to read as many of the Caldecott winners (and Honor books) as we can starting this year. There are lists of these online that you can print off and check them off as you read them. Dd5 will pick the ones she wants to read, and off we'll go!!! This is easy because our library had big colorful posters displayed of the Caldecott, Goldfinch, and King awards for this year and the past. We have already read/analyzed a few via a 1p sheet I wrote up (title, author, copyright, publisher, setting, characters, plot, I liked/did not like this book because....). dd5 has already started looking through the stacks at the library for books with the gold or silver Caldecott seal on the front. Disclaimer: Because Caldecott is so old, some of the very early books have a less politically correct view of the world. Other lists to read from are: The Goldfinch Award -- has only been around since 2008 or so; Iowa children vote their favorite books; for age K-2 Theodore Seuss Geisel Award -- best books for beginning readers C.Scott King Illustrator or Author Awards -- best books that express the African American experience through words or pictures Sibert Award -- best informational books FTR -- Caldecott is NOT awarded for the book but for the illustrator! I didn't know that until just a few years ago!!! ---------------------------------------------------------- For 5th grade: We will be reading as many of the Newberry Award winners as we can. As with the writing above, I am open to books from other award lists, too. Disclaimer: some Newberry Award books may be inappropriate for children as young as 5th grade. If you are unsure, get the advice or direction of a trusted librarian. Other Lists to read from are: Iowa Children's Choice -- the older brother to the Goldfinch Award; Iowa school children vote on these books; for grades 3-6 Printz Award -- for age 12-18....so some books may be too mature for a 5th grader Oprah even has a list of books for 10-12yos to read! -------------------------------------- By high school, I hope that we will transition to "classics." How do I define a classic? Probably just about anything that is on the Cliffs Notes list. Plus two Shakespeare plays a year.

I do not speak Latin and I have not taught it yet. I do not know about LFC. I have heard your complaint/concern voiced about several Latin curriculum. Others have said that after a few lessons, the lessons get much harder, and that is when Latin is dropped. 1) I believe that many of us have not had the opportunity to learn Latin in high school, so Latin is intimidating to us. 2) I believe it is hard to learn something and teach it at the same time. While you're struggling to read and understand what is going on in the lesson, your 4th grader is sitting patiently, or impatiently. The 5yo has a question. And the toddler is redecorating the couch with your stash of whiteboard markers (which don't come out!) 3) Teaching Latin is hard because of the added verbal/oral aspect of it. You're not just learning new vocabulary, but you are trying to pronounce it properly. This is a challenge of any language, but Latin has all the other challenges listed here, too! 4) Latin is a dead language, so, especially for those of us who did not learn prior to teaching our own kids (in public school or college), it can be hard to see how Latin will be necessary in our kids' future. It is much easier to be motivated to teach Spanish (which is all around us in America) so the kids can play with their bilingual friends at playgroup. We know the kids will need math and reading and writing skills for college. Map skills are a good thing to know. Science and art have their place, and we are more comfortable with them, but Latin is indirect in its benefits. Is Latin good? Yes, it is. Do we know all the research associated with kids learning Latin? Yes, we do. But there can be a gap between knowing something intellectually and powering through the tough part to make it possible. So, as the weeks go by, and our schedules get busier, and the lessons get tougher, the Latin gets dropped. Whatever Latin curriculum you decide to go with, be prepared to be tough with yourself. I am hoping my daughters will have the opportunity to learn Latin. I've looked into a few different curriculum (Latina Christiana, Song School Latin), but I'm still a little intimidated.....

Work hard, but have the wisdom to know when to take a break. These breaks may be for a half hour or a day or a few months.

We used Saxon Math K. It is very gentle, with no workbook for the kids. Near the end of the curriculum, there are a few optional worksheets you can copy off that consist of number formation, and maybe counting some objects and circling the number. Otherwise it is all games and manipulatives. For Saxon Math K (if I remember correctly), there are two lessons each week, and the option/recommendation to repeat each lesson an extra time. We didn't do any repeating, and we flew through the lessons because dd was ready for us to so. However, I can see how having the extra review would be recommended for some kids. Also, for our next dd, I will probably supplement with another book of (writing) math pages for extra practice; but I think that Saxon's optional pages (or to opt not to do them) is also the right choice for some children. I also like Saxon because it has a good reputation, and it goes all the way through Calculus if we end up homeschooling through high school. However, many people seem to love or hate Saxon, so do a little research on these boards and on your own before jumping on the Saxon boat.

I don't think that you can unring this bell (charge/penalize her for purchases you made even though you did not have all the facts). Oh, I would still be mad though! I do think that you need to set her down and tell her that it is wasteful to spend money on things that are not needed. Mention that this seems to be a pattern. Tell her that there will be new systems in place. 1) She will be given a budget for clothing from mom and dad. If she wants to buy one shirt for $30 or six shirts for $30, that is her choice, but she will need to use her money wisely. Be specific with dates and amounts of money. 2) The money is meant to be spent on CLOTHING, not pizza or stuffed animals or whatever. Mom will control the money, but keep a running tally of what is left to spend. 3) Daughter will now be responsible for washing her own laundry. If she only has 2 shirts in her drawer, then she will be doing laundry every other day. 4) No allowance, but opportunity to earn money in the household by doing chores. Set a certain amount for dishes, folding and putting away laundry (not her own), washing the family car, cleaning out the cat's litterbox, whatever. We have this system in the house (we pay for schoolwork done, piano practiced), and whenever dd5 wants to buy something, we discuss what will need to be done to earn the money--IF she chooses to follow through. It puts the solution to her unhappiness (wanting to buy something) in her own hands and makes me not responsible for her wants. 5) Your daughter may have a clothing "emergency." For example, I once went on a school weekend trip to Worlds of Fun, and if we chose to wear shorts (late May in Missouri), they needed to come down to our knees. I only had ONE pair of shorts that met the clothing code for three days. Mom and I had to run to the store to find a second pair. If a "clothing emergency" occurs, you may either disperse the next payment early, with extra understanding for your daughter about this, or you may have a physical and specific list of chores she must check off to earn her way out of you covering her bum (literally and figuratively). If she doesn't complete the chores, then the next payment will be held until she completes the list.

I'm proud of you, too. There are days that I just feel like going to bed. I can only handle one crisis at a time. I hope that one day this will be a crazy story you can laugh until you cry about it.

This is our library, too. A few years ago, our library changed to one card/family. I think our fine limit is $10, but I've had it over $20 before. We have no limits on the number of books to check out. (Movies have a limit of 10). A part of this may be that our library is too small. It should be double the size it is for the number of patrons it serves. This information came from an outside evaluation. Our library must literally throw out one item for every new item they purchase because they don't have the physical space. :D:D I consider it community service to "store" 90+ items at my house each week. :D:D The bond passed, and they will begin remodeling/ expansion next year. Will your library let you do community service to pay off some of your fine? You could shelve books, dust shelves, or do whatever else they need at $5/hour. Our library allows this on a limited level. I know of more than one parent who sends their child/teen in to work when the kid has been irresponsible/lost a book. (They have special jobs for kids to work off their fines).

Legally, parents have no responsibilities towards their adult children. Morally, parents (as family members who allegedly "love" their chldren) should --love them, some days "because of" and some days "in spite of"; Love them for who they are rather than who you wish they were. If you choose to judge them, do so on the basis of whether they are a good human being (are they kind to others? do they follow the law? are they honest in their dealings?) instead of the rules of a specific code of conduct that you choose to follow. --protect them, especially if they are sick or in an "at risk" situation Example: if your daughter is living with an abusive man for the sake of a place to live while going to college, give her other options. --advocate for them, if they are unable to advocate for themselves. Example: If your child is sick and being treated unfairly and illegally by her school or employer, step in and start stating the law. Help with a lawyer if you need to. --advise them; parents have more experience about life and how our society works. Example: if your child comes home from work with a 2nd or 3rd degree burn the size of a can of soup, tell them about "workers comp" and "OSHA" so they can get some medical care instead of advocating for the employer. --give them the best start possible; it is much more difficult for young people to get a good start in life now than it was a generation or two ago. Understand that the cost of a college education has skyrocketed and wages have fallen. Understand that housing is MUCH higher than a generation ago. Give them every opportunity to get through college debt free. Example: Don't tell your kids at age 18 that if they don't pay rent, they will be out on the street. If your kid is working 2-3 jobs while going to school AND pulling down good grades, consider maybe "the work ethic of the younger generation" is not why your child can't finish school. --respect their opinions and ideas; remember that they are not 13 years old anymore, and they may have good reasons, or even EVIDENCE for why their ideas don't mimic yours exactly. Listening is a good idea. Yeah, btdt with my parents. BUT I get a second chance at a parent-child relationship.

MommyK, Oh Elisabeth is right. You're going to be awesome! You don't have to do everything, and you just need to meet the needs of your kids the best you can. You are already doing that by seeking lots of information!

We don't use the teachers manual for Level 1. We are swimming through 1.5 quickly at this point.

A part of the issue is library leadership. We have incredible leadership in our library, which is the best run of any that I have ever seen in our life! They harness tons of volunteers from special needs individuals, to a teen volunteer core, to people to man the bookstore. They also utilize the skills of their people to the utmost. The leadership granted one employee the time and support to write a couple of children's books about our library and bookmobile (Smyles the Dog). Another very talented children's employee DESIGNS --yes DESIGNS! -- elaborate summer programs for the kids...and teens...and adults. She also designs the window display, in which she has even turned her childhood doll into a mermaid to decorate the ocean display. (She used the undersea netting to hide the one hand where she had chewed off the fingers as a child). Likewise, our leadership always says their success is based on community support. The city council supports funding for the role of the library, and our community recently passed a bond to expand the physical size of our library.

Lots of good advice here, and OP, you seem to be aware of sooooo much. I wouldn't make an extra visit with the doctor, but the next time you go (give the doctor a heads up before you attend), ask the doctor in your daughter's presence if your dd is a healthy weight. Of course, the doctor will say, "YES!!" and this will be one more tool in the toolbox. "What did the doctor say the last time you went?" I used to nanny for a mom who had had ED issues in the past. She started to be very concerned that her 2nd grader was getting too fat and eating too much. (No! She was very healthy and active. She wasn't a skinny minnie, but she certainly wasn't fat!!!) I got lucky when the mom asked me to take the daughter to the doctor for a potential cold/virus/whatever, and I pointedly asked the doctor if the child was overweight. "Uh....No...." I then had this as a tool to reassure the daughter that she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

This is where I grew up. My parents still follow this type of church. When their CMA church in my hometown was dissolved (politics within the upper hierarchy on a district level), my parents eventually transferred to the Nazarine church in my hometown. http://nazarene.org/ Advice not asked for: Even within a specific denomination, there can be a lot of variation. Although all the CMA churches I experienced and visited as a youth were politically conservative, and "bible based," our specific church frowned mightily on movies of ALL sorts (even G-rated), ALL rock music (even Christian Rock), dancing, mini-skirts, and girls wearing jeans. (Boys, of course, can wear jeans to Sunday morning church). There were two CMA churches within 30 miles of my home church that our church did things with as a larger group sometimes. It was obvious that they were much more tolerant of the items listed above. For example, the choreography (Dancing!!!) in the Christian musicals our college's drama group would perform resulted in several angry letters from our congregation to the college's president. Of course, the other churches had much larger youth groups, too. You will have to make a judgment whether the price of a thriving youth group is worth more tolerance than you may allow in your home...or not. Clarification/Disclaimer: I know that chances are that your family is much more liberal on the subjects listed above than the family/church in which I grew up. I do not intend to imply your beliefs one way or another, and, even as an atheist, I truly and sincerely hope that you find the spiritual home that will nourish the hearts and minds of you and your family.

Dd5 will be 6 in December!!!:party: We plan to do the following, but probably will just cut down to the top half of the list. You know how it goes. Piano: My First Piano Adventures B Math: Finish Saxon 1 (2/3 through already), Start Saxon 2 Phonics: Saxon 1 ETC: Halfway through 1.5 now....will continue series and do "Beyond the Code" maybe. Wordly Wise: K and 1 Spanish: Visual Link Spanish with mom, and color sheets of Spanish words for a book for 1yo.:thumbup: Reading: (2X/week) We will read as many Caldecott winners and honor books as we can, and we will evaluate them by recording the title, author, copyright date, list characters, setting, plot, and I liked/did not like this story because.... (Mom does most of the writing.) Books that have won the Geisel Award, the Goldfinch Award (chosen by IA schoolchildren), etc, are also open for choice in this category. IEW Primary Arts of Writing: The 3rd section of this curriculum. Usborne Readers: (1-2X/week) You know these books. They are for K-2 age, and they are internet-linked. I plan that we will read them and check out the links. Geography: We are going to learn about the states this year and next (1 state/week, and just once a week). This will probably be a lot of coloring pages for state bird, flower, flag. We will mark major cities on maps, learn the state abbreviations, and record information about a state's capital and motto, etc. Also once a week, we will do 2 pages out of "Map Skills 1" workbook from TCR. 10 Terrific Weeks: This is an old summer program from Usborne that we are going to use as "unit studies." Between September and Christmas, we will do 10 Weeks about "Apple Tree Farm" (lots of cooking recipes and reading stories) and 10 weeks about "Oceans" (lots of sharks and pirates). Science Experiments: (1-2X/week) At what age do your kids get old enough that you can blow stuff up? I also have grand plans for Nature Journaling this year. Art: (1X/week, but with homework assigned to draw 2 more pictures) Drawing with Children by Mona Brookes. We will also read one age appropriate book about an artist each week until we run out of what our library offers. Then we will probably read about general art history (1-2 pages each week) from a general art history book (Usborne, or one of the others from the library). Other activities: Gymnastics (2x/week) Swim and Gym (2x/week) Library program (Wednesdays) Frontier Girls (2x/month) Clover Kids (1x/month) And I'm thinking about starting a relaxed version of Junior Lego League "Lego Club"

:)

I like Spelling Power a lot. I used it for one year that the mom I nannied for chose it for her 8yo daughter. (I worked 2 days a week). I was skeptical at first, but then I read the philosophy part of the book, and I became sold on the all of the potential. I was disappointed when the mom changed back to a traditional spelling program the next year. I already have a copy of Spelling Power on the shelf for when dds are older. Disclaimer: Even thoughI already have a copy of Spelling Power on the shelf for when dds are older, I do not plan on using it until the girls are past 2nd or 3rd grade. I do not feel that it has a clear enough plan for teaching spelling rules to YOUNG children. Disadvantages: --Initial price is scary. --No program works for everyone...which you could say about any program, but if you hitch your wagon to this star, what are the chances that it will be a good fit for all three of your children? --If you are only planning to do Spelling through 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade, it may not be worth it financially to you. Advantages: --Price. Compare the price to the cost of X number of Spelling Workbooks times Y number of years times 3 children. What is your cost then? --Child works through dozens and dozens of words each week, instead of just 25 words, of which they know nearly all at the beginning of the week. Child LEARNS to spell as many as 25 new words by the end of the first week that the child was misspelling at the beginning of the week. --System can be used to work on Spelling lists for vocabulary words of other subjects: history, science, social studies, geography, Wordly Wise Vocabulary, etc. --System can be used to prep for SAT/ACT by targeting just those words. Does your public library have a copy of the Spelling Power or can they get a copy through Inter-Library Loan? Is there a local homeschooling coop library (through the school system or a church) that may have a copy you can check out? If so, I recommend that you borrow a copy and read through the introduction part before you decide whether this would be a good fit for your family or not. If I remember correctly, the intro is 80-100 pages, so be committed to a long read. hth

Is there a placement test you can take for AAS or any other spelling program you are considering? He may know more than you think. If you want to make sure your child does not have any gaps, you could use the spelling lists of whatever program you choose, but just march through them as fast as you can. Here's how: 1) Set a timer for 5 minutes (or 3 minutes). Read the lists to your child and have them spell as many words as they can in the time allotted. When the timer goes off, spelling is done for the day. If your child knows all of these words, why would you spend a week reviewing them for a post test at the end of the week? 2) When your child has missed 3 words (or 4, or 5), you are done for the day. Turn the timer off. Have your child write these words X times each. Review the rules that apply to these spelling words. Perhaps have your child write them into sentences. 3) On the next day, set the timer again. Start with the words your child missed the day before. Then continue through the lists until your child misses another 3 words or until the timer goes off. This philosophy of spelling makes sure that your child is working on words they don't know instead of spending 5 days on words they mostly already know (like traditional public school spelling does). There is more information about this style of spelling in the book/curriculum Spelling Power. I do not recommend Spelling Power for a child as young as yours, because I do not think that it explains spelling rules in the detail and vocabulary that a young child needs. However if you like this system, you may eventually change over to Spelling Power.

The best advice I received (from the hive!) was just to know that you will fall behind and to be okay with this. It's not the end of the world. Of course, that's easy for me to say. My older daughter was 4 and on the cusp of reading already. I see you have older kids. Friends of mine with older kids (15, 13, 9) are currently pregnant and expecting in October. They are homeschooling all summer, and expect that the first month after the new baby is born, not much homeschooling will be done. The older kids know they will be expected to help out with running the household (dishes, laundry, cleaning up) and helping with the new baby at this time. Expectations for the kids are key at this time. IF you do anything, I would stick to workbooks and avoid even "curriculum" for the first month. In our household, this would be ETC and math flashcards, and probably just that. After a month, consider returning to one subject at a time, just as many households do in the autumn. I hope you find what works for you!

ZooBooks is nice an in-depth. Anything by Cricket is absolutely worth reading or subscribing to. Kids Discover Magazine is also in-depth and wonderful! Someone on another thread recently mentioned "Time for Kids," but my kids are a little young for that, so you might want to look online or start another thread asking for opinions. Stay away from National Geographic Kids. It is loaded with ads, and doesn't seem focused. If I wanted a magazine of factoids for Ripley's Believe it or Not, NGK would be it. ***Not to be confused with National Geographic Little Kids which is ad-free and very, very nice for tots!***

Oooooo! I'm adding this to my list!!! Thanks for posting!

We're starting this fall for dd5 using IEW's PAL-Writing. It is very gentle, and starts out with just copywork letters (section 1), moves into copywork words/sentences (section 2), and finally into writing paragraphs by summarizing stories (section 3). I am, however, quite aware that dd is only 5, and I am hoping to tailor the paragraph writing to the amount she can do. Perhaps, since she will be 6 by then, I will have her write the first 6 words, and she will dictate the rest to me. We are in no hurry.

Emma Nadine! Your Pinterest is so great!

Disclaimer: Both my girls are VERY good girls comparably. Dd5 is a hard and conscientious worker, and the baby is not much of a complainer. We are very lucky. Disclaimer: Older daughter is only in K, and we are ahead of schedule, so if things don't get done some days, I try to take a deep breath and not worry about it. Disclaimer: Loverboy is WONDERFUL about not expecting dinner on the table as he walks in the door, or an immaculate house at any time. If dd5 is close to finishing a subject, he is supportive and works with her to complete the lesson she is in the middle of. Disclaimer: Our crazy schedule may only work for us, but it should be inspiration that you should find what works for your family. I know we will not always have this schedule. Ages: 5.5 years and almost 20 months Overnight: Toddler still nurses in the night, but I usually sleep through it. She may nurse early (dawn) in the a.m., but go back to sleep. Waking up: 8am: Wake 5yo. Nurse 5yo. Morning bathroom routine. Snack offered, but usually refused. Neither girl has ever been good at "first thing in the morning eat breakfast" even when I am out of the house. Let the baby sleep as late as she can. 8:30: Piano for 5yo. Songs, theory, and usually at least one musical game. Emphasize that the best time to do schoolwork is when the baby is sleeping. 9:00am: Get as much schoolwork done before the baby wakes. Emphasize that the best time to do schoolwork is when the baby is sleeping. If we are lucky, math and phonics will be out of the way by the time she wakes. (Offer snack/toast/juice/crackers/etc again at 10am) If the baby wakes halfway through these necessary lessons, I assign something simple like two lines of math facts in the math workbook, then tell dd she can watch ONE PBS show. We have all of her favorites TIVOed, and she is independent with the remotes if the tv and receiver are set up properly. I nurse the baby in bed, and change her out of her wet diaper. She has started to wake dry, so by this fall, I will hopefully be putting her on the potty for the "first of the morning going potty." I'm not usually willing to do battle about getting her dressed at this point if we are not leaving the house. By now, dd5's tv show is over, so we finish whatever lesson we were in the middle of. We may do one more lesson, or we may start breakfast. I have had the best luck offering breakfast/brunch/lunch ~1 hour after the baby has morning breastmilk. It is not unusual for us to eat at 10:45am. After lunch, I will round out the hour of no schoolwork by moving laundry along and washing the lunch dishes. I prep supper if I am focused enough. Dd5 may watch tv if she has earned it. She earns extra tv time (beyond 30 free minutes) throughout the day by reaching certain points in her schoolwork. 12:30 or later: More schoolwork. We work at the little table between the kitchen and living room (open floor plan). Toddler is welcome to join us, and I try to offer her something stimulating while I work with big sister. I'll read her some board books; we'll color together; I'll give her some math manipulatives to play with (bears, squares, shapes); pegboard; rainbow rice (messy, but keeps her busy!); games/activities from Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready. 1pm or 2pm or 3pm: Baby lays down for a nap. She tells me when. I go to nurse her to sleep. If dd5 has earned tv time, she can cash it in at this time. I may assign her something she can do independently before the tv time, like Explode the Code, reading to the cat, or writing a handful of letters. I encourage her to get a snack if she needs it, because now is a good time for that. More schoolwork for dd5. Emphasize that the best time to do schoolwork is when the baby is sleeping. When the baby awakens, I will nurse her awake and put her on the potty. Again, dd5 takes a break from schoolwork (tv, etc). I encourage her to get a snack at this time. 3 or 4pm: Snack offered to whomever is awake. Usually something hearty like a bagel and cream cheese or the last half of the sandwich from lunch. Technically, this is probably our lunch. Offer the baby a snack when she awakens, unless it is close to supper. We do schoolwork until it is done or I need to start supper. --------------------------------------------- I don't know how this fall will be. Some days we will be out to co-op or gymnastics class. Our toddler will be 2 at Thanksgiving this year, and I hope to do more established "curriculum" with her at that time (Letter of the Week). Plus, with every month that passes, she is more able to do simple preschool crafts of gluing, cutting, painting, etc. Because she will be older and able to play with more purpose at that time, I am hoping to start organizing different "busy boxes" for different days of the week to occupy her during school hours. There are other threads on these boards that list what others have put in their "busy boxes" for their toddlers.

We are going to try to "Nature Journal" this fall, too. I'm inspired by a workshop at last month's homeschooling convention. We've never done this before, so I'm not sure how much help I can be. So far, this website is helpful: Handbook of Nature Study I also found this book at the library, but you may want to do a subject search at your own library to see what you can turn up. I haven't had time to do anything but browse through the book so far. I can't tell you whether it is good or bad for this subject. Keeping a Nature Journal by Clare Walker Leslie & Charles E. Roth If you figure anything else out, let me know!