Education Unboxed is perfect for visual and hands-on learners.

I think it's possible to make BFSU less teacher-intensive. I used it with my older child, and he was highly motivated to learn science. I didn't do any prep. We opened the book together, I skimmed ahead while we took turns reading parts aloud and then took breaks to discuss the concepts. If there were activities, we did them another day when I had gathered the materials. I'm planning to start BFSU with my younger child soon, and I expect it to be a very different and much more time-consuming process. He is not an auditory learner, so I can't just read aloud to him. I'll need to learn the material myself first and present it as we do the activities for him to "get" it. But if your child's age, motivation, and learning style allow for it, BFSU can be made somewhat open-and-go.

Derek Owens' Physical Science is recommended for 8th or 9th grade. You can purchase the course materials instead of enrolling in the online class for significant cost savings (around 80% savings, if I remember correctly).

My children have food allergies, and one of them also has dermographia (basically, sensitive skin). The allergist said that the cardinal difference is that an allergic reaction is systemic rather than just on the surface. One condition doesn't rule out another though. My child with dermographia and soy allergy is also gluten intolerant. Having multiple issues going on makes the detective work more challenging. If you think celiac is a possibility, getting the blood panel done isn't a bad idea.

We can do one lesson/day. I alternate ours with character training activities and hymn study, so we don't go do a BSGFAA lesson every day. My kids cheer when I say that it's a day for BSGFAA though. They *love* it. Their retention surprises me, especially in my youngest who has some learning challenges.

Recently a science educator recommended Technical College Physics for science-oriented kids at the high school level. He likes this book because it doesn't simplify physics formulas like so many of the high school texts, but it doesn't require math beyond algebra. We are still waiting for the book to arrive, so I don't know much about it other than that.

We play both Rummy Roots and More Roots. My son requests to play and loves it. He is able to apply what he's learning as he encounters new vocabulary words also. It's a great way to learn roots. There is *some* overlap in the games. Because the roots are eventually combined to make new words that contain 2-3 roots, some of the more common roots from Rummy Roots are also included in More Roots. This makes the game more playable and practical. But if you are expecting a complete set of unique roots in More Roots (as the publisher seemed to indicate), it may be a surprise.

Kids of Integrity is an amazing and free resource by Focus on the Family. For each character trait, there are relevant craft projects, Bible stories (with really thought-provoking and age appropriate discussion questions), object lessons, and activities among other things. We *love* it, and I've seen some real changes in my children when we focus on a specific character trait in this way. We started using Bible Study Guide for All Ages this year, which quickly became a favorite. It is basically a Bible study program and does not focus on character traits, it does include life application in each lesson.

If you haven't started on a formal math curriculum, it really sounds like he's hungry for it. Along with that, my puzzle/mathy kid loves games like SET and Rush Hour. Living math/logic books like those by Anno are great too.

His test showed severe allergy to eggs and peanuts (both of which he was getting through my breastmilk) and mild allergy to dairy (which I had already figured out and was avoiding).

My son had dramatically red cheeks and red chin as an infant. After allergy testing and eliminating the foods that he was allergic to, the redness went away. It was definitely related.

Our pediatric allergist said that the way immune systems change, children can begin to outgrow food allergies around age 3 and that any allergies not outgrown by/during puberty should be expected to remain (though I've known of people who have outgrown them at other times in life also). At age 2 my youngest was allergic to 6 of the top 8, and 5 of them were anaphylactic level allergies. At age 5, he only has 2 anaphylactic allergies and another that is mild and fully expect it to be gone within the next year. For him, I've noticed that they begin to show up as mild and then eventually go away completely. He went from a severe dairy allergy (and had a very scary anaphylactic reaction resulting from a *tiny* exposure) to no allergy at all within a year's time, so it can happen quickly sometimes.

sorry--double post

There is a wealth of information on these boards. You may want to re-post your question on the K-8 forum. Glad you are here!

Welcome! I appreciate hearing how much learning differences affect your homeschooling. I've come to realize that learning style will really impact my youngest's education because he has such a strong learning preference. This forum has become my go-to place for questions about homeschooling. It's a great place to be! :)

Welcome! This is a wonderful place for support and advice on the homeschooling journey. Glad you're here!

We do some mid-morning --- whenever both kids are ready for a change of pace and agree that it's time. We also have a bedtime routine that involves Bible.

I started my son on Pianimals: Phonics 4 Piano just after he turned 5. I was waiting for that "magical" age when some kids are ready, but I honestly think he could have done it earlier. He is *very* motivated by music, which makes a big difference. He learned to read treble and bass clefs, fingerings for C and G positions, and 5 or 6 chords. I've probably spent a total of 15 minutes with him in the 7 months he's been playing. He was able to learn independently despite not reading well because it is so picture-based, and he was able to play a familiar song his first time sitting down at the piano (which helped the motivation factor). I was a little concerned because Pianimals transitions from numbers to letters to letter within notes to notes on a staff. It seemed like a lot of transitions, but he went through them pretty seamlessly. Samples are available online here: http://www.pianimals.com/index.htm

It is incredibly painful. We've been through it, and it was so much harder than I had ever imagined. Years later, we have seen how God took a negative situation and used it for good. Our members have experienced so much spiritual growth. There's nothing like a split to make you *really* examine things from a Biblical perspective, take personal responsibility for your faith, and cling closely to the Trunk of the tree. I hope that someday in the distant future you can look back at this time and see some unexpected blessings that were embedded in all the emotional upheaval. (hugs)

It is so worth it to find out what the trigger is. If you suspect an allergy, then allergy testing is a very quick non-invasive way to test a lot of foods. If it's not an allergy, intolerances do take more detective work. My kids have a combination of IgE allergies, IgG food sensitivities, and autoimmune (eosinophilic) reactions to food. When they avoid a food that is a trigger, we typically see a dramatic improvement after 48 hours, but I know it takes longer for some people. The one exception we have seen is gluten. It took an 8-10 week strict elimination of gluten during which time we did see improvement. After that, reactions were quite dramatic when gluten was reintroduced. If you suspect gluten issues, I highly recommend the boards at celiac.com. Not everyone there has a celiac diagnosis, and the understand gluten intolerance very well.

We've been down this road, and it's a tough one. My son begged--literally begged me-- for years to go to the next level of science. I bought ds a stack of science encyclopedias and high school science books, and he completed all of Ellen McHenry's science programs. I loved the idea of BFSU, but we could never find the right starting point because my son was pretty obsessed with reading everything he could about science. It hasn't been ideal, but it worked. Now he's connected with a science mentor who understands asynchronous kids, and that has been *amazing*.

My 5 and 8 year old finished up the Pianimals series this year, and it was a great fit for them. I really wanted them to learn independently, and even my child who wasn't reading well could follow the instructions of the program. They were able to play a familiar song the very first time they sat down at the piano, and I think that made a big difference in their motivation level. We're planning to start formal lessons this week. I was able to find a piano teacher who was willing to schedule lessons every other week instead of every week, so the cost is half what it would be otherwise.

Green smoothies in the morning help. We also love any veggie roasted. I put *a lot* of veggies in soup. The chili I just made is chock full of carrots, beets, kale, and zucchini along with the typical ingredients. It looks a little different, but it just tastes like chili.

I've never had Cytotec or a D&C. I also don't know what my HcG levels were after the miscarriages started. My first miscarriage involved *heavy* bleeding for 4 weeks, anemia, and after pains for 6-8 months (strong cramping if I stomped my foot or was physically active at all). My second was more typical with bleeding for 2-3 weeks but that tapered instead of remaining very heavy. Neither had any complications. My guess would be that still bleeding after 2 weeks is within normal limits, especially if the bleeding is no longer heavy. So sorry you're going through this. (hug)

I saw *dramatic* changes in my body when I did Zuzka Light workouts regularly. She does high intensity interval training that speed metabolism and build muscle. (You can find her channel on Youtube.) I'm trying to get back into that routine but am only managing it about once per week. It isn't a big time commitment and produced great results, but it really requires being in the mindset to give it 110% for a short period of time.