No Mouse, I haven't read it. And I am not reading any more of your book related posts!:tongue_smilie: (as I add another one to my Amazon list...):lol:

I like my woven wrap for the newborn/infant stage and I use an Ergo for my toddlers. I find the back carry very comfortable whether I am hiking or just doing dishes. My current little one is around 25 lbs. He's tall and thin. My last babywear passenger was in the Ergo until he was 3+ and he is built a bit heavier than his brother.

They will be working on the 7th and 8th grade packages over the summer. You can call them and ask for recommendations, they have fabulous customer service. I am going to use their 1st grade package in the fall and a mix of their curriculum for 8th with my oldest. We have loved every program that we have purchased from MP.

Thank you!

The appendix has recitation, poetry list, literature list, Bible memory verses, and music list. The lit list is on the MP website and the memory verses are taken right from the copybook, so I could have pulled something like this together on my own. But I wouldn't have, and it is getting done, so it is worth the money to me. Science and social studies are scheduled into the week plan. Nothing mind blowing, but I love that it is open ended so we can use the suggestions as a starting point and do as much or as little with it as we want/have time for that week. We plan on using the curriculum in coming years and I will be using more and more of the resources as we go. I am using and have used some of their history/Latin/literature/Christian studies guides for my older ds. I love the format. Having it all put together for me has a lot of appeal.

You can call or email and ask them. It isn't up on the website, but if you need it now, they may have it, just not formatted well enough to offer for sale. They have been good about selling guides as they were being prepared and then updating as the more finalized copies are printed.

:iagree: I never would have expected my ds to memorize this much. And the best part is, recitation is his favorite part of school.

We sub out the math and phonics for K and I will do the same for next year. This year we have been using Who am I? and next year we will use Faith and Life. I add the catechism questions in with the other memory work. I have the Christian Studies 4 book for my oldest and the only thing I have had to edit so far was a question about the number of books in the Bible. I'm using Faith and Life with him as well. MP has the most Catholic friendly, yet not Catholic program that I have seen. Just in case you want to go look at their website again:lol:... I just wish they had their 8th grade package out in time for my oldest. I will be using a lot of their books for him next year, but it will not be all laid out nicely for me like his younger brother's schedule will be.

I'll have one in 1st grade next year. We'll be doing: MP 1st grade package finishing up OPGTR Faith and Life 1 not fully decided on math yet

My ds5 is in the Frontier also. We love it, but it is a big seat. I have a minivan so I have no problem fitting a RF Boulevard and a Frontier in the middle captain seats. I have a friend with the same two seats in the back of her full size sedan, but it is a tight fit. If you have the room, you can't go wrong with a Britax seat.

:iagree:

I am always relieved if DH has left for work before I get up. He is ridiculously cheerful in the morning and he finds my muttering and stumbling amusing in the morning. :tongue_smilie:

Ours is up and I think I am going to break a week early after all. :D

Our is up. Is it bad that I don't know what week we are on?

Ds5 is using MM1 and ds13 is catching up on a few skills with MM6. I also used some of the Blue series downloads to supplement when we were using Horizons. There are many threads on the board discussing the program and it is generally regarded as rigorous and complete, though there are also some that it didn't work for. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/tags.php?tag=math+mammoth Math Mammoth works well for my youngest because he is very math intuitive. I have to do a lot of explaining for my oldest, who has always struggled with math.

My ds13 has me pluck his. He can't stand them when they get bushy. I have been told by a hairdresser that she has quite a few men ask to have theirs waxed.

Happy St. Nicholas Day! I blogged this morning with links to the books and stories we read/listen to the day before to get ready. You may want to pre-listen to the podcast because they do talk about Santa in a way that may or may not influence their belief. My ds5 didn't bat an eye though.

What a great picture! I would be so surprised(shocked actually) if my dh dressed up with me. You have a beautiful family.

I have an almost 2 year old. We don't have room for a train table, but there is one at my IL's and I can't tear him away from it when we are there!

We are using the first of the Memoria Press copybooks this year for K. It really isn't a program, just copywork. We started it about halfway through the Zaner-Bloser K book. I ended up dropping the ZB book altogether, though I will pick it back up if ds' work starts to get sloppy.

We have the McCaughrean book too. I've been sewing the ornaments and have 5 left to finish, so I'm glad I have a bit of extra time.

I always match my colors. I eat my least favorite first (brown then orange) but then I worry that one of my children are going to ask me to share and I will have to give up a red one. (Is there no paranoid smilie?) If there are Starburst, the orange ones are immediately given away and then eaten in yellow, pink, red order.

That came out so nice!

I am making ones similar to these. You have to scroll down a bit, there are pictures of all 25.

We're doing the Jesse Tree too. Last year we used the devotional from A Holy Experience, this year we are using Geraldine McCaughrean's book and I am putting together some felt ornaments. I have an Advent calendar for each of my boys. We are doing the Advent wreath, just a simple brass ring candle holder we'll be decorating with some pine from the yard this weekend. We'll be reading this book throughout Advent and I have readings for myself as well. The boys put out their shoes every year for St. Nicholas to fill with chocolate coins and this year we are making braided bread for Saint Lucy's Day. We have a doll cradle that will be coming out this weekend and the boys will cushion the cradle with yarn and paper strips each time they are helpful, loving and/or kind. Ds5 will place a baby doll Jesus in the cushioned cradle on Christmas Eve. I'm cautiously optimistic that my cat is not going to make this his new bed and/or my toddler won't make a huge mess with the yarn. :D My husband and I have agreed to give up our Starbuck's habit during Advent and the boys will be able to help choose a charity to donate the saved money to. Between our home library and the local library, we'll be reading these books: Strega Nona's Gift Tomie DePaola Merry Christmas Strega Nona Tomie DePaola Country Christmas Angels Tomie DePaola The twenty-four days before Christmas: an Austin family story by Madeleine L'Engle The Legend of Saint Nicholas Demi The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski The Lady of Guadalupe Tomie DePaola The Legend of the Poinsettia Tomie DePaola The Clown of God Tomie DePaola The Donkey’s Dream by Barbara Helen Berger The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale The Night before Christmas by Clement Moore During the 12 days of Christmas we read: The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett Mary, The Mother of Jesus Tomie DePaola The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry The Story of the Three Wise Kings Tomie DePaola The Legend of Old Befana Tomie DePaola The Last Straw Fredrick H. Thury This year we are trying to focus on Advent first and then on Christmas. The cookie baking and gingerbread house decorating will take place during Christmas season, instead of before. We'll be putting our tree up later and leaving it up until at least Epiphany. Also during Christmas, our three Magi will travel through the house to visit Infant Jesus on Jan. 6th. Some of these traditions are new, some of them we have had for years. Start small so you don't get overwhelmed: some books or a family devotional each evening... If you don't want to do an Advent wreath this year, you could simply light a candle and say a prayer together each evening.