I took a break in phonics when my son became frustrated. When we started back up, it all just clicked and was easier. Sometimes, a change of pace is all that is needed to clear the mind and get back on track (even in young ones)

I am in the same boat. I have been homeschooling for 11 years but now I am back to teaching a first grader again. It feels like I am starting all over as a newbie. I will be following this thread for some ideas!

I agree with the Beautiful Feet curriculum. It has less reading than Sonlight, but we didn't care for all of their literature selections. We just substituted other books for the ones we didn't like.

I had 4 c-sections with no problems. My doctor did tell me that with each c-section there is a greater risk of problems. Fortunately, everything went well each time.

Our family was hit by this too. The symptoms and the order of the symptoms are exactly what we had. No vomiting. Unfortunately, it was the flu. For our family, it took 7-10 days for each of us to feel well enough to actually get up off the couch or out of bed for any length of time.I was the first in our family to get the flu and it came on quick. One minute I was in the dining room teaching the kids, within a matter of 1/2 an hour, I was on the couch with a 101 fever feeling like death was coming over me. It all started on Dec 4. Here it is Dec 18 and I am still coughing. Most of my energy has returned though. Unfortunately, my four kids caught it and the respiratory symptoms turned into an ear infection for one and a sinus infection in another. The doctor couldn't do anything for the flu, but he was able to give them antibiotics for the infections. By the way, the infections came a week after the flu started. I hope you and your family heal quicker so no one feels yucky for Christmas!

I would only say something if it made him look like a "goober". Otherwise, I would keep my mouth closed and love him anyway!

Have you taken a look at Essentials in Writing. It starts out covering Grammar and then moves into writing. Each lesson is taught using a DVD and then the child applies what they have learned by using their workbook. I am currently using the Grade 3 program with my son (8). He really likes the instructor on the DVD and is doing well in his workbook. It may be worth checking into. You can find samples at http://www.essentialsinwriting.com. The price is very affordable.

I have had 4 c-sections. After being in labor with my first son for 12 hours things started to go wrong and I had to have an emergency c-section. I was scared to death, but all went well. I had to have a c-section with all of my pregnancies after because of my pelvis. The recovery time really depends on the person and their tolerance of pain. I was up walking the next day with each one. I found that keeping a pillow on the abdomen helps tremendously. Make sure your hubbie brings a pillow to the hospital so you can hold it over your abdomen on the way home. I also used a pillow whenever I held the baby to protect the incision. C-section babies are so beautiful! Their heads are perfectly shaped and they really have very little stress compared to being delivered the other way. The c-section takes very little time to be performed. Once my doctor began the c-section, I usually was holding my baby within 15 minutes. Remember to take advantage of the down time after the c-section. You will need someone to help you for a while. Just sit down, love your new little baby and follow doctors orders. You deserve a much needed break from dishes, housework, cooking and cleaning! So line up some help now if your hubbie can't take time off work. I wish the best for you and your new little one.

I have used SRA Phonics workbooks with my son. In Kindergarten he did SRA Phonics 1. This year he is using SRA Phonics 2 and I already have SRA Phonics 3 for next year. You can buy them really cheap on Amazon or they are $19.95 brand new from various sellers.

We started with Prima Latina when my boys were in 3rd and 5th grade. We then moved on to Latina Christiana I this year and already have First Form next year. Latin is their favorite subject and we are all learning a ton. None of us had any prior Latin experience. We did use the DVd's with Prima Latina however, we haven't used the DVD's as much with Latina Christiana. The DVD's do make it "open and go" if you use them. BTW, these Latin programs are by Memoria Press.

We will be using Prima Latina for my son who will be in 2nd grade. He already knows quite a bit of latin from his two older brothers. He also has watched many of the DVD lessons that accompany their curriculum. He can't wait to start next year. BTW, Prima Latina is from Memoria Press.

We have a large popcorn tin that has a very pretty winter scene on it. We place it next to our fireplace in the winter and store the individual packaged fire logs in it. Five or six of the logs fit perfectly inside with the lid on. When the fireplace season is over we just place it in the garage until the following year.

We are a Golden Retriever family. They are the perfect family pet but they do shed. However, I wouldn't trade him for anything. I don't mind sweeping and cleaning on a daily basis. It is just a drop in the bucket, compared to the messes my four boys make on a daily basis. IMO, Golden's are the gentlest, most loving and loyal breed of dogs. Their whole existence is to please their master. Just be prepared to hunt for missing socks, shoes and stuffed animals on a daily basis. They love to bring things to their master to seek praise. They are "retrievers" after all.

Thank you for all the great suggestions. I had already been looking into Write Shop for the past week or so. It looks really good, however I wanted to know if the hive had any great finds that they wanted to share before I made up my mind. I am always amazed at the "little known" gems that come across the boards. Thanks ladies for the info.:001_smile:

I have two boys ages 10 & 12 who have never used a formal writing program but do writing projects within their subjects on a regular basis. I am really beginning to see the need for a formal program to help them improve their writing techniques. I would love to hear what programs have worked best for your child/children and why? We use a formal grammar and spelling program, so the writing program does not need to incorporate those subjects. One of my boys enjoy writing, and the other dislikes it. However, I believe that if he had a "know-how" on how to do it, he would not dread it. I am familiar with IEW, but I really would like to see what other great programs are out there. Thanks!

My husband and I both recieved a 3rd generation 3G Kindle for Christmas. We love them. It is so easy to download books with the 3G. It was well worth the extra expense to buy the 3G model over wi-fi only.

"Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole and his daughter Natalie Cole. It was the song we danced to at our Wedding.

The boyfriend in "The Cat in the Hat". I am talking about the movie with Michael Meyers. I think the guy I am talking about was played by Alec Baldwin. He was such a slimeball.

I know you asked about Wii Just Dance games, but you also stated that your main goal was to get them moving. Well, I recently purchased Wii Active Life Explorer with the mat from Amazon. It is awesome. My boys, husband and I just love it. It keeps you moving and is a ton of fun. The game is basically an "Indiana Jones" adventure type game. There are a ton of mini games that will have you running, jumping, leaning, bending and moving that body. This has been a wonder for my oldest boy who loves to stay inside and hibernate during the winter. Everytime they play it, they end up pausing the game and going to change into shorts because they are hot. It also has a one player adventure setting. I thought you may be interested in this too.

I love the looks of this history curriculumm. I have read the samples and reviews and also visited Diana Waring's website. However, I would love to hear the thought of those who have used this curriculum in the hive. My main question is "Can it really be used for elementary kiddos?" I know they offer an Elementary Activity guide for the younger ones, but has anyone successfully used this with younger and older students. My boys are in 1st, 4th, and 6th grade. I can't wait to hear what some of the experiences have been using this curriculum.

That was so funny. It could have been one of my boys in that commercial. My boys still raise their hand to "force" open the automatic doors at every store before we all walk in. I hope the "cutest" never leaves...

I always buy homeschool T-shirts for my boys and give them out on the first day of school. They wear the shirts anytime we go on a field trip or homeschool outing. It is easy to keep track of them because the shirts all match. I have been doing this for three years now and they would be so disappointed if they didn't get one. This year I even purchased matching hats for the two older boys. It was a huge hit. I always order the shirts when they run the big sale on Great Homeschool T-shirts website. :001_smile:

I had a house full of kiddos and hubby with the flu. It started Thursday with my 22 month old and then it progressed to my 6 year old on Christmas eve and then my 10 year old and hubby on Christmas morning. My oldest son and I were the only ones able to make it through without getting sick. All of our family get togethers were canceled. A ton of food was wasted. Presents sat under the tree unponed because the kids were too sick to care about them. I went three nights with very little sleep, so I could take care of the sick kiddos. I was exhausted by Sunday with all of the laundry, cleaning, changing clothes, taking temperatures, keeping track of medicine, trips to the walgreens, etc.. It wasn't a great Christmas, but it is one that I will never forget.

I was wondering if there are any other programs just like Rod & Staff English, but with consumable workbooks? I really like the Rod & Staff curriculum. However, in the younger grades, I think a lot gets lost when they have to write the answers on another piece of paper. Especially since some children in the younger grades have no attention span and forget what they are doing before their pencil makes it to the other piece of paper. I do like the Christian content of Rod & Staff, but I don't mind if our English curriculum is more secular. I have researched a lot of other curriculums on-line, but have not really found anything that is comparable to Rod & Staff. I was hoping that someone may have found a gem and would like to share it. Thanks!

I just read on the Memoria Press Forum that the "introductory price" for their New Kindergarten curriculum is ending as soon as the new catalog comes out. The price will go up from $200 to $260. If anyone has been sitting on the fence about purchasing this program you may want to make a decision while the introductory pricing is still available. Just thought I would pass along the info! :001_smile: