We used Minimus, then Lively Latin and finally Latin Prep. We loved Minimus the best, but don't expect kids to learn much Latin in elementary school regardless of the program.

My aunt self-published a mystery novel that I cringed my way through. It was pretty terrible. The writing style, the plot, the characters... But I read it and tried to find something positive to say about it when she asked me what I thought.

I go for a combination of products with d-limonene (a solvent found in orange peel)... Google "limonene and lice". I've found it in cleaning supplies and pet shampoo and it's been really effective. Afterwards, since your hair will be free of lice, nits and all natural moisture and oil you once had, I do a Cetaphil treatment and comb through. http://nuvoforheadlice.com/test/?page_id=9#acceptLicense

Listening in -- I will have an eighth grader entering public high school the following year and am definitely thinking about what skills I can give her to help make high school more successful.

In our area, as long as your children are not too advanced, it's easy to enjoy the cheaper, publicly supported classes (like through parks and rec). But once they reach a level of skill, you end up committing to expensive daily lessons to see progress. My advice would be to try lots of activities and sports but not to progress too far in them.

Ballet (technique, pointe, contemporary, stretch/strength - totaling 15 hrs/week) comes to a bit over $2000 per academic year, plus 1000 for the summer (6 week intensive at home studio) plus probably 1000 per year for pointe shoes and tights and leotards. So... $4000 (Ack!!) Tennis is harder because my younger daughter and my wife and I all play, so it all adds up with tennis club membership and tournaments and clinics and privates and clothes and re-stringing racquets.. Definitely pricey. If my wife wasn't a doctor, we'd have the kids doing much cheaper activities. It's kind of nuts how much we spend on recreational activities.

Thanks - she did Keys to Algebra two years ago, but there are other supplemental algebra stuff out there.

My daughter just a few weeks ago finished Foerster Algebra I. We'll start geometry next fall. She has done pretty well throughout Algebra (usually 80-95% on chapter tests) but she has a tendency to forget things she hasn't used recently. She got a 75% on the end of the year final test. I don't think she needs to repeat Algebra I, but I do want her to continue to review what she's done throughout the summers and next school year so that she doesn't forget. She will go to our public high school in the fall of 2016 and take Algebra II and I want her to feel solid and confident about Algebra. I was thinking that the spiral of Saxon might be a good fit for review, just doing maybe 2 lessons a week, but I'm not sure whether to get the Algebra I or the Algebra II book. We wouldn't be doing the whole program, just using it to help prevent stuff falling out of her brain this year. She's done great at the quadratic equations and graphing functions and trigonometry and can tackle some pretty tricky word problems, so I'm wondering if we might want to start at the beginning of Algebra II? How hard is it? On the other hand, easy review is confidence-building and maybe Algebra I would do the job better... but would she even encounter the harder stuff she learned from the end of Foerster Algebra I? How do they compare? Which book should I get? Is there another spiral type book that's useful review during a year of geometry? Thoughts?

Homeschool helper app on the iPad has been awesome. It's my third year using it and it's exactly perfect for me. I usually start with a table on word to organize the extra bits I want to mix in to history and English, but then it all goes into the daily planner app.

I've got a 2 yr old foster son right now who I have some concerns about too. He's non-verbal and does this unusual hand thing. I'm waiting for early intervention to send me the paperwork to get the process of evaluation started.

You sound a bit like my dad who has lately become obsessed about his blood sugar. He is not diabetic and has similar readings on his glucose meter as you are reporting. He ultimately was told by his doctor to get rid of it because it was driving him nuts (not to mention his family). Unless you're diabetic, it's not helpful to obsess about specific blood sugar readings. It's a number, not a symptom. Eat well and exercise and use how you feel as your guide, not a reading on a glucose monitor intended for diabetics.

I'm not sure it's helpful to think about language arts in terms of a strict grade level progression. Outside of easy readers, books don't really come in grade levels. A person can read a novel in first grade, and then in 8th grade and again in college and get something different from it each time. The same writing assignment could be given in multiple grades and while the written output will hopefully improve over time, the assignment of summarizing or analyzing or whatever isn't really linked to grade level. My suggestion is that you disregard grade level and simply teach her where she's at. When she's in 9th grade, whatever you are doing will be appropriate 9th grade work for her. Now in 7th grade, whatever you have chosen that will challenge or enrich or excite her will be appropriate for her regardless of whether the number on the book says "grade 5" or "grade 12". Since it sounds like you prefer structured programs, I'd consider Lightning Literature or Galore Park So You Really Want to Learn English. If you feel like her writing mechanics are up to speed, I'd drop grammar. If you think her spelling or handwriting needs work, add those. If WWS is working, keep on going with it. Just don't get hung up on grade level. It's really pretty arbitrary.

Our studio doesn't do report cards, but I wish they would. They go more for the favoritism / ignore approach. A few kids get corrections and awesome casting, most everyone else is little more than scenery in productions. It's a friendly studio, but this part drives me bonkers.

The "horrible history" series (books and videos) and videos of songs from "history for music lovers" or "Worst jobs in history..." have really motivated my kids. Travel, documentaries and food from different eras has also made it more interesting. Watch the British series "Supersizers go/eat..." and then try to replicate a meal. Or start a coin collection of historical coins or research your own genealogy. My daughter tends to like the social history - the role of women, the jobs they worked, music they listened to, things they did for fun, but if weapons and military battles is what attracts your son, go for that. Basically do what you can to help him find a connection to the past.

My kids got passports at like 2 months old. They did not sign it - I just left it blank. At 5 they wrote their names in hilariously large print. At 10 they used cursive. Learning to sign your name is a good skill to have. Maybe teach it and let them choose.

We've really enjoyed the American experience videos. Also, let me know how your trip goes! We're planning a trip in August around Washington, D.C.

Maybe write down some minimal pairs and have her point to the one you say to her. (I'm assuming you have a similar American dialect as me so that these words either have a voiced th sound or /d/ sound). Try to make them identical except for a th or d sound: mother and mutter Then and den Father and fodder Rather and redder Lathe and laid These and Dee's Bathing and baiting Lather and ladder If she can hear the difference, I wouldn't worry. If not, it's probably a speech perception problem and you should talk with an SLP.

We used online G3. It was fine. I just have my doubts that you can learn a language with only an hour of contact per week.

Our schools do Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1a, Geometry, Algebra 1b for kids needing the slower math track. You could use programs like "Keys to Algebra" or "Understanding Geometry" or something from Walch power basics or AGS or perhaps teaching textbooks or MUS. Call the class what you need to to meet state requirements, but teach him where he's at.

I did just that a few years ago. I pulled worksheets off the internet and put them in a packet with a mean looking military guy on the front and we did about two weeks of (mostly) commas and capitals. I tried to make it a little fun with games and activities. I think we did math and a little history during that time too, but I dropped everything else until the punctuation improved.

"Object" would never double the t because it's not ending in CVC. I'm surprised they teach it like that...

We had a "homeschool buddy" who I taught for a few years. Originally the other mom and I agreed to each teach two subjects. It was awesome at first to have another child to play games and do activities with, but over time I began to feel used as the other mom stopped doing her part and I ended up just teaching her child full-time. It just didn't feel right.

The best way to learn a language is immersion. A month or two in France speaking only French will give you more fluency than a few years of high school french. As for kids vs adults, young kids immersed in the language definitely learn pronunciation better than adults, but they don't necessarily learn syntax any better or more quickly. In a classroom or homeschool setting, younger isn't necessarily better. I'd keep pretty low expectations. But if he's motivated and you're motivated... Give it a try!

I try to avoid tipping when possible. We don't really have housekeeping clean during our stay. We just put the "do not disturb" sign out.

I think any mainstream US History program will be just fine (including, but not limited to Hakim), but I would stay away from the conservative Christian publishers.