I have a store bought one that I used to make some for others as gifts. Mine has Drings and boning. I have had one without Drings (it had a snap) and without boning. I prefer the boning and the Dring. I adjust the Dring first and then slip it over my head and I tend to just leave it adjusted at that place.

8" around the top 6" above the ankle 9.5" in length.

NOPE! I was forced to do that in PS as a teacher....I will not do it with my children!

DD is brushing her teeth. DS is eating mixed dry cereal and talking to YDS YDS is running around with an empty sippy cup, giggling and pushing dining room chairs all over the room. Next will be breakfast and then school.

I voted yes but I am not. DH is. I voted for him.

We learned it amiga mejor not mejor amiga...weird! Where are you seeing it that way?

I failed once...but I do not consider it my fault. I was taking the test in a town I had never been to before and the stop sign had been knocked down recently. They had bent it back up, but it was missing the little white sign below that said crossing traffic doesn't stop. How was I supposed to know that it was not my turn???

I also have a 5yo that will be starting TOG 1 this fall. We are doing like you and starting with Creation. In the notes at the beginning it does comment on the fact that if you have only a young child that you are teaching, it is probably a good way to start. I think we will start out this way, and then when we go through the rotation again we will start the flash back way.

I have half of it so far. I have bought: TOG year 1 and most of the books I need Miquon for DD Apologia Botany with Lapbooks Singapore 2A & 2B Math Mammoth the Light blue series (bought this after the Singapore purchase... I am sorta using both right now, but I think once I run out of Singapore books I will just use MM) A Reason for Handwriting A Passaporte al Espanol A Artistic Pursuits Book 1 I still need to get: The Phonics Road level 1 Violin Lesson Books A couple more books for TOG Apologia Zoology 1 and Lapbooks for second half of the year I would like to get the Piano Wizard Academy, but might be put on hold due to cost!

Earlybird A is very easy, think PreK level. There are things like sorting, matching, bigger taller etc. Earlybird B is more of a kindy program. It has money, numbers to 100, beginning addition and subtraction, calendar, time to the hour etc. The text are all you really must have. The activity books are fun for kids who like cutting and pasting type activities.

I am confused about age/grade and there only being 4 levels. Do you do the 4 levels of PR as 1st-4th and the LR for 5-7th? And you skip the bridge? My DD is newly 5, reading very well, and I was planning to start PR this fall. That would mean she is finished with PR at 9 or 10 yo? Is that too young to then move into LR? How much time should each level take? What about if the 1st level is review for her? I am really sold on PR, I am just trying to figure out the way this works.

I also use goodwill/paperbackswap.com/used bookstore/and library sales to get my books for as little as possible. If you plan ahead, you really can get most of them used for very little money.

We would have, but our homeschool group Valentine's Day party is later this week, so we are taking that day off instead.

I will have a 2nd grader in the fall...we are planning: TOG Year 1 Either Singapore 1B/2A or Math Mammoth Miquon Right Start Math Games Apologia Botany and Zoology if we finish Botany before the year is out Finishing LLATL Red and then starting The Phonics Road Passaporte al Espanol (BJU) Artistic Pursuits A Reason for Handwriting Lollipop logic and Logic Safari

I start by looking at the list of books and finding out how many I can get through the library. Then I check out goodwill, used bookstores, and paperbackswap for the ones I cannot get through the library, or that I need for more than a couple of weeks. If none of those avenues work, I check out the alternate list.

I just have to ask...Those of you who say Essential is meatier than EB, are you comparing to the Standards edition of EB or the US edition of EB? I have used all three (eb us version, eb standards version, and essential). IME EB US edition was way too easy. EB Standards is much better and on equal par with Essential. I agree the EB (standards) A is PreK and EB B is K level (and I would say the same about Essential A vs Essential B). I personally have used EB and Essential at the same time. Essential introduces a couple of topics that EB doesn't, and EB does the same. OP- I would start in Early Bird B. If you are intereseted in Essential it is very easy to combine the two. Again I would start at Essential B. As for the text/activity/manipulative Q...The textbook is the main workbook. The activity book is a thin book of cut and paste activities and games. My DD liked them and so does my DS now, but they are not a must. I bought a clock, play money, 100s board, and a scale. The rest I used from around the house.

I have not actually started TOG as I was waiting for DD to hit 1st grade. We plan to use it all the way through starting this fall. I own year 1 and 2 of TOG (bought ahead because of a sale!). As far as the books for it. I used the book central list before I bought the curriculum and looked to see how many were at the library. I then made a list of those that were not and started looking at used books stores, goodwill, and I also made a list at paperbackswap. I have been able to land nearly all my books for 3.50 or less each. Some as cheap as .50. I feel this more than makes it feasible for me! Plus, since I knew that I wanted to use it all the way through with many children, I went ahead and started looking for the other levels books as well. If you have the time to plan ahead a bit, you can save quite a lot buying used! I just thought I would throw that out there!

I was on 6 weeks of bedrest with my last one. When I say bedrest, I mean flat on my back only aloud to get up to pee and take a short shower. I had him in 42 min, no meds, 2 pushes. Very easy labor. I would say bedrest alone wont be the glitch in having a good or bad labor! My bad labor I was 1 week overdue and up on my feet trying to walk this kid out. The labor was awful!

I moved a lot, so I was always the "new girl", plus I was very small, and poor. I never had the in style clothes or ones that fit really well. I was bullied often. My DH was a social outcast because he was gifted. The teachers made him a "teacher" in the class instead of teaching him, so he was not looked on as one of the crowd. Neither of us loved PS!

My DD is 5 also and will be 6 in Dec. We are starting TOG this fall. I have the program and have looked through it. I also read what you did about the waiting until the oldest child is 3-5th grade, but then it talks about the younger children starting in K with the older children. I figured if the info is there for a younger child to start in K, then why not start with my oldest in K/1st? Also, I would rather get my feet wet with TOG, since I know that many people find it overwhelming at first, by using it with only one child at a much easier level. I also plan to read a level ahead of her so that I am familiar with all the levels! Anyway, that is what I have thought out and plan to do...

I do not have a watch at this time...neither does DH. However, when I did, I did sleep with it on most nights. I didn't sleep with it on in the summer.

What was the main thing that attracted your husband to homeschooling? My DH is "gifted" and had a hard time in PS as a child. When he saw our DD was very similar to him he was concerned she would be dumbed down in PS. We also wanted a larger family, and that meant we couldnt afford private school for all of them. What is his favorite thing about homeschooling? The ability to tailor the education to meet the needs of the student. Were the two of you in equal agreement from the start, or was one of you more "pro-homeschooling" than the other? I think we both came to the realization that this was the best choice at the same time. I was the one who decided to commit through high school first. Has he ever had doubts, and if so, what helped him? He was unsure about High School because I am not strong in math and science and though he is, he works long hours. When I showed him programs like Chalk Dust for Math and BJU DVD series for Science he felt better about High School. He has the time to be the go to man for questions, but not to be the teacher. Was there ever something that made him have a definite shift in his perspective about homeschooling? If so, what was it? Cost... How often does he look at the kids' work? When he does, does he usually give feedback about what he likes, or what he thinks they should be doing differently? Yes, he often looks at their work. He asks at the dinner table what we worked on today. Sometimes they have pictures, projects, or writing they want to show him. He likes going over their work with them. He rarely has feedback for me about my curriculum choices. He trusts me to just get it right:)! But I do go to him for input about curriculum choices in subjects he is stronger in. What does he consider to be "proof" of your family's homeschool success? Is he waiting for that proof? That they are learning. He also notices other children our kids ages and can see a difference sometimes. He gives me credit for it , but really it is his genes that made them so smart!:lol:

I also thank you Corraleno! Every post I read from you makes me more convinced that I should go over and get MM for next year! Thank you for all your help and incite.

Are you talking about the US version of EB vs the Standard version of EB?? If so, I have used the first half of the US version of EB and both halves of Standard EB. Honestly I like the Standards version much much better! As for the number of books... with the US version EB was 4 thin books. The standard version has 2 texts (workbook style) and 2 activity books that make up the course. You could do just the text if you would like what you originally had with the US version. The activity book has some cutting and pasting, games, etc that the US version did not have. My kids have really enjoyed the activity book, but it is not a must. As before the instructions are on the bottom of the page.