Here is our typical day. We only have the following subjects four days a week. We spend the fifth day at the library and on field trips outside of the home. We start between 8:00 - 9:00 Rod and Staff Math - 45 - 60 minutes Latin - 45-60 minutes Classical Studies (Greek Mythology) - 45-60 minutes Christian Studies - 30-45 minutes Floating Subjects - 45-60 minutes Monday - American History Tuesday - Geography Wednesday & Thursday - Science Floating Arts - 30 minutes Monday - music appreciation Tuesday & Thursday - Physical Education (wii fit or outdoor activities) Wednesday - Art Appreciation / Art project Friday - Library and Field Trip

Yes. I was glad to see Boston Rob go. You know, I couldn't stand Russell at first, but he grew on me last season. Now, I can't even imagine Survivor without his lying, stealing, backstabbing ways. Makes things interesting!

I love my Well Planned Day planner. It is the only planner that I have bought that I actually still use and plan on buying again for the new school year. The one down side that I found was the predetermined subject headings. I easily fixed this by simply using white out on the subjects. By doing this it has allowed me to write in my own headings. It takes less than a minute to white them out each week. I use this planner for two kids and would find it difficult to use for more than that even though it is designed to be used with up to four kids. When I rewrite the subject headings, I use only two lines instead of the four they provide. This way I have additional spaces for floating subjects and activities. I don't think there is any such thing as the "perfect planner", but this is the best for me.

My sons and I love our fresh vegetables year round, but it is very difficult to find good tasting vegetables outside of summer. Is there a way to freeze fresh veggies, like cucumbers and tomatoes and still be able to keep the fresh, yummy taste after defrosting them? The cucumbers out of season taste bitter or have very little flavor. The tomatoes are tasteless most of the time too. I already freeze veggies for cooking, but have never found a way to freeze garden fresh veggies and retain their flavor. I would love to hear any suggestions. Thanks!

My sons were 5.5, 6 and 5 when they could read and comprehend.

I can't stand books that have pictures or quotes all over the pages in different locations. Sometimes it looks like a comic book and just drives me nuts.

I am using the R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey Chemistry (level one) this year with my 3rd grader and 5th grader. This has been great. It is not too complicated or too simple. For my 5th grader we write down what the next lesson is about, so we can check out a couple of books to reinforce the concepts learned.

Thanks. That is a great deal.

I have several friends who have said they could never homeschool their childrens because they couldn't spend that much time with them. I think that is so sad. I would not trade the time that I spend with my children for anything in the world.

Bob Books are great. I also used www.starfall.com. This site is a great eductational resource. It has different levels as the child progresses in his/her reading levels. It also have a printing section that allows you to print out books and worksheeets to go along with the books on-line. The best part is that it is completely free!

I used Hooked on Phonics to teach two of my sons to read. This worked very well for us. They are both reading and comprehending on a high level. The one downside to this program is that there is little to no instruction or scripts for the parent to follow. I would recommend Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading because it is completely scripted. You can literally pick it up and use it. The greatest benefit is that it can be used for all the children without having to buy any additional books. This is great if money is tight.

Math for my oldest ds. He did say that he hates R & S math less than Saxon. So, I guess there is a bright side in it.

Roasted sweet potatoes are delicious. I used to never like sweet potatoes until I ate some at someone's house. I have tried to fix them a couple times a month since then.

I currently use Copybook I with my kinder. This is the schedule. Day 1 - Read the bible story from the Golden Children's Bible that contains the memory verse. I then write the memory verse on the white board. We recite it several times and then identfy any words that may be complicated for him. We also go over the phonics rules for several of the words. Day 2 - Do the memory verse copywork in the book. Spend 10-15 minutes memorizing the verse using the disappearing line technique. (That works great). Hang a copy of the memory verse on the wall for him to see on a daily basis. (see note below). Day 3 - Complete the illustration in the workbook. Spend 10 -15 minutes memorizing the verse. Recite the verse for dad when he comes home from work. Note: I typed up all of the memory verses and printed them out 4 to a page. We then cut out and hang the memory verses as we learn them on a 12x18 piece of construction paper. When that page gets full we start a new one on a new color of construction paper. I also typed up the Table Blessing and the The Whole Duty of Children and hung them on the wall where we do our daily work to remind him of his manners. The other two days of the week we select a library book and read it. We then copy the title and complete two illustrations that are from the story. We keep these in a 3 ring binder for organization.

Yes, I contacted both senators and congressmen, but I am pretty sure it fell on deaf ears.

We are a Christian family. That is not the only reason that we have chosen to homeschool though. However, we do enjoy the freedom of religion that comes with homeschooling.

I am teaching my kids that being "rich" doesn't actually have anything to do with money. Our family's philosophy is this; We are rich because we have a family who loves us. We are rich because we have a roof over our head, food to eat and a family to share it with. We are rich because God chose to save us. As you can see from the wide range of responses in previous posts, everyone has a different definition of "rich". :001_smile:

We have the Chronicles of Narnia Radio Theater from Focus on the Family. It is awesome. It includes all titles in the Narnia Series. Great Listening for all ages! We purchased it in the Bargain Bin at Borders for $9. A good deal makes it even sweeter to listen to.

I loved my Kenmore Dishwasher before we moved to a new house. The dishes always came out clean and it was quiet. When we bought our new house it did not have a dishwasher. So, we purchased a portable Kenmore dishwasher. It is not as good, effecient or quiet as the other one. It does get the dishes done without me having to handwash them, so I try not to complain too much about it.

We are currently using Classical Writing Aesop, but we are looking into switching to IEW.

I am currently using the following for my son in 5th grade: :001_smile: Latin - Memoria Press Prima Latina History - Memoria Press Greek Myths and Ancient Greece History Pocket Bible - Memoria Press Christian Studies I Arithmetic - Rod and Staff Writing/Language - Classical Writing Literature - Reading the classics and using the socratic list for discussion. If you are unfamiliar with the socratic list, check out "Teaching the Classics" at www.centerforlit.com. This is an amazing literary program.

Classical Education here! This year our day consists of Latin, Greek Studies, Christian Studies and Arithmetic.

I love Iced-tea and drink it daily. I only buy Lipton's because IMO it has the best "tea" flavor. This is important to me because I drink my tea with no sugar or lemon and I do not like flavored iced-teas. Hot Tea is a different story. My son and I love "peppermint" flavored hot tea. I also like English Breafast and Earl Grey. We mostly use Bigelow, but occasionally we will try a different brand.

I have been using CW Aesop A since the beginning of October with two of my boys. Normally I can make my mind up about a curriculum fairly quickly however, I am not sure about CW. On a different note, I was just recently made aware of IEW. My husband and I were at a conference and Andrew Pudewa made a surprise appearance. After hearing him speak I began to research IEW further and now I am stuck. I have read that if you push through with CW you will learn to love it. I have also read that it becomes very time consuming to the parent and it doesn't get any easier or clearer to instruct to your child as the levels increase. On the other hand, I have heard such wonderful things about IEW. I would love to hear some opinions about which you would choose and why. I hope to hear a lot of great input. Thanks!

Here is what I use for my 3rd grade son. Math - Rod and Staff 3 - 5 days a week Latin - Prima Latina -4 days a week History - Memoria Press Greek Myths - 4 days a week Science - R.E.A.L. Science - Chemistry I - 2 days a week Language - First Language Lessons 3 - 3 days a week Writing - Classical Writing Aesop A - 2-3 days a week Geography - Evan Moore North America - 1 day a week U.S. State Study - various on-line sites - 1 day a week Music Appreciation - Piano Lessons and Classical Composers Study- 2 days a week Art Appreciation - Art projects and library books Literature - Tales from the Odyssey series by Mary Pope Osborne and various Library books