I looked around both sites for quite sometime. It appear that homeschoolers are allowed to take classes starting in middle school. Oh well, it just seemed odd to me.

I've looked into the 2 virtual public schools Florida offers and neither DS qualifies to attend. The stipulation in both programs is that the child was counted in Sept. and Jan. in the PUBLIC school system. How is it that a public school can discriminate against private and homeschooled children? Isn't it public tax dollars paying for this? I honestly don't understand why a child has to be in public school the year before to attend. I most likely wouldn't have switched to virtual school but knowing I CAN'T is really upsetting me.

Very cute clothing but too expensive IMHO. We like Hartstrings/Kitestrings for good quality clothing. They have an outlet store not too far that has 70% off pretty regulary, so it makes them a VERY affordable option. Sadly DS is at the largest size and I haven't found any shop comparable.

DS and I do not eat red meat or pork. DH only eats it occasionally when we are not around or dinner out. We eat chicken, turkey, or fish about 3 days a week.

I know you are doing this shower out of good intentions but can anyone tell me what is with THEMED showers lately. I really dislike being told to bring specific gifts and I always end up purchasing 2 gifts, one from the heart and the other out of feeling obligated. It should be no surprize I dislike gift registries and gift cards too. I know I'm the odd ball but it seems so thoughtless. :rant: All that being said, I do like the idea of creating a favorite book list.

No need to start with 65 until you finish 54. Trust me, he should be able to test out of about 30 or more of the Lessons in 65 when he complete 54, leaving you only 90 lessons to complete. If you continue to work 6 days a week on math you will finish the book in about 17 weeks. (I included time for investigations and tests) One option that might work for you now is to do just the lesson practice in a few and then complete every 3rd?mixed practice for review. You would be able to do multiple lessons in one day.

:grouphug: I am sorry for he loss of your little girl. In regards to your son's math I would continue on with Saxon 54. The end of the book has lessons on averaging, probability, fractions, etc which are very important. To speed things up we take the tests for the next book before we actually start. I let him continue to test until he falls under 85%. We review the problems he missed on al the tests (unless it was a careless mistake) and go back and complete those specific lessons ONLY. Then we do all the lessons from that point on.

I would be very hesitant to purchase a Coach or D&B purse from a yard sale. Honestly there is no guarantee of authenticity. I've never purchased a used purse but if I did I wouldn't pay more than half the value. You have to remember that the outlets sell NEW purses for close to half price. I know you are against Ebay but people feel a little safer knowing they have some safety in purchases. I know it's a shame for these purses to sell for so little after spending so much on them. Good luck with you sale.

We have used Reading Detective, Progeny Press guides, and Sonlight questions in the past. All were OK but nothing special or exciting. We currently get our reading list from AO and http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/celoop/1000.html and discuss the books throughout the reading. Reading actual books seems far richer than reading snippets and answers questions.

Thank you! My DS is on the same history cycle so your list will help us too.

I bought both thinking there would be signifcant changes but honestly I don't feel it was worth spending the extra money. If your child is really into the pictures then you can always puchase the student pages seperate. I do agree the maps are much better but again I don't think it is worth spending the extra money. That is unless money isn't an issue.

We use Rod and Staff along with WWE. We added WWE because writing is one of the subjects where DS struggles. Narration exercises aren't frequently assigned in MFW but there are plenty of opportunities. DS narrates each day with history. Some days he only wirtes a short paragraph while other days he will wirte an entire page. We focus more on content than grammar and usage. I don't know if I am doing it correctly but it seems the only way to get DS to write without stressing him out. The science in MFW RTR just doesn't seem to have enough meat to narrate IMHO. We do use science for vocabulary and write reports on experiments but no real narration.

One gift is all you need to buy. If you were attending a shower then you would purchase two gifts but the total amount should stay the same.

DS will continue his year round swim team which requires 1-2hours/day M-TH and then all day meets on Sat. We may continue with gymnastics and possibly restart music lessons depending on finances. I really wish we could do more but for now this is our plans.

Toni I cannot tell a lie. I have been eyeing your co-op group for 2 years already. :001_smile: I love looking at all you do and one day I just might actually join. lol You are slightly ahead of us in your history rotation and I don't think we will be caught up by the beginning of the year. Just wanted you to know you had a stalker.

Oh yes, I have heard of and seen these "instructors" first hand. DS was actually on a swim team with these "instructors" and they never got in the water or instructed him on anything. I was pissed my money was used for such nonsense. The last straw was when they allowed one of the little girls to play on the safety equipment. We are now on a new swim team where there are multiple instructors and the majority are in the water while the lead coach is out of the pool guiding the children and other instructors. She is amazing and really helps the kids. They stop the children half way to correct strokes and really give a lot of encouragment. I could have sat and watched my child swim without paying the money of coaching.

:iagree:I couldn't agree more. Look at Octomom! She was able to afford plastic surgery and IVF but was on welfare. Ummm... do we see a problem.

I am completely against socialized medicine. We already provide basic healthcare. Our taxes pay for FREE clinics that provide basic healthcare including vaccinations. Emergency rooms are NOT ALLOWED to turn away true emergencies regardless of if a person is able to pay for it. We provide the poor and disabled with health insurance that allows them to have regular check-ups. Sorry but enough is enough! I am sick and tired of having to pay for others to live better than me. I work to provide for my family. My husband is unemployed due to illness. He is considered "partially" disabled and doesn't qualify for ANY government help. I pay for insurance through my work. I pay for the medication not covered by the insurance. We make sacrafices so the government can continue to increase my taxes to pay for others. NO! I know this probably sounds selfish but I am so sick of paying for others to have more than my family. The government has already made a mess with medicare/medicaid why would I want to expand government healthcare. I won't even get into the abuse of the system that I see at the hospital. Thank you very much I think we provide MORE than enough handouts already.

I tried both my user name here as well as my actual name and came up with nothing related to me. I don't have facebook or myspace for privacy reasons. DH got a FB account and posted pictures of us on it and I quickly made him remove them. I don't like unwanted people in my business. Thank you for keeping everyone on alert.

Just an FYI MFW does not use SOTW Vol. 1. It is a great program though and very easy to use.

I think we end up spending the most money on science. Last year we cut out music lessons. However, after speaking to my 94yo great-aunt I think I'm convinced to place DS back in lessons. Music will then become my greatest expense. I won't even mention the amount I have spent on Latin programs. :( We spend the most time studying grammar and math.

I know earlier this month they were having trouble with their website but were still operational otherwise.

I homeschool just one too. My advice is to try and find a balance when it comes to socialization. ;) The first year I homeschooled I drove an hour and a half to go to co-op classes. We also crammed in music lessons, park group, gymnastics, and swim team. Yikes! Another mistake I made at first was always being around to answer DS's questions. I was making it too easy on him. Now I require him to try and find the answer for himself and even when he is unsuccessful at first I show him where to find it rather than just giving it to him. I'm sure others will have more advice. Homeschooling is a wonderful journey and we learn just as much about ourselves as we do our children.

I'm not sure I could have managed nursing school and homeschooling at the same time. Nursing school involves so many extras that aren't included on your class schedule. It is very different than other college courses. You need to take into account study time, lab time, clinicals, etc. It was hard for me to even keep a part-time job. That being said, nursing is an amazing career. I work two 12-hour weekend shifts and my hospital allows me to bring my son to classes if necessary. Is there any way that your DH can take over homeschooling while you are atending school?

Amen Caroline! I bought out the Rubbermaid magazine holders at our Walmart last year because of all the flimsy books. If your bookshelf is deep enough you can double up on the books to save some space.