We've had rain and clouds the entire winter. Very few sunny days and pretty much no outside time as it's soaking wet outside. A few times my son has played in the mud and water, but it's in the 50's and 60's so it's a bit chilly for that. Hence very little school in Feb and very little in January. We are supposed to have a dry sunny week this week so we're feeling a little better. Can't wait for summer...

Oh I took most of February off, starting this week off fresh.;)

I think the exposure is good. You would be surprised at what they do remember. I have found that asking outright Bout what my son remembers does no good. It comes out in other discussions or when he sees something related to it in another book we are reading. That helps me know that some of it is sinking in. So no, I don't think it is a waste of time. I do make sure it's short spurts and nothing long and drawn out. Long lessons are a waste of time for my son.

proclick came in 30 in ago and I made my first little book! It's just colored paper bound together to make a drawing pad for my son, but it was fun to do! Laminated front and back to protect it. Can't wait to do more! Even my son is excited! I can't believe the things the last couple of months cause of reading this board! Will make homeschooling more organized for sure. Laminator, laser printer, and now the proclick!

we're pretty light for first grade. The only thing I try to do daily is Math and phonics. I'm just now going to do handwriting every day. My son hates it so much - yesterday he told me it was his worst enemy! otherwise grammar, science, and history are a couple of days a week, sometimes science and history don't get done every week. Of course we read every night. He spends his time in a lot of imaginative play. I'd rather let him do that right now instead of a w hole bunch of schoolwork that he really doesn't care anything about... Next year I'll be a little more regular in the deeper subjects, and then for third grade we'll be a bit more rigorous. I think at 8 he'll be more ready than he is at 6. At least I'm hoping!

when driving or cooking or ironing. It's the only time I get to listen.

Normal reaction to me. I'm not close to my youngest brother - he treats us like dirt. So if my mom told me he was having surgery, I'd be concerned a little, but honestly I would not be falling to pieces over it. If it was my sisters I would be cause we're all close. But he has nothing to do with us, so there is no emotional attachment there. You can't help how you feel. It's born out of the circumstances. Be supportive and kind, that's all you Ned to do, IMO.

Yeah, I should have just waited 30 min and then I would have seen the post. About the cheaper in store price! Oh well, it's being delivered to my door today...

I would never upgrade my wedding band. We couldn't afford an engagement ring so that is all I had for 10 yrs. I got a diamond solitaire for our tenth and then a few years after that dh bought another diamond ring. I'm not one for a lot of jewelry so I'm satisfied with that and feel no need for more. I love my wedding band and feel it still suits me, even after 25 years. ETA - for our 25th ann dh got me a brand new dryer. The sales lady thought it was an odd gift, but I was thrilled! For our 12th he got me a dishwasher. I still have that dishwasher too, runs like a top still. I adore appliances for anniversary presents! I much rather them than a ring!

oh man, I was thinking it would be the same price online! Guess I should have called the store! Store is 20 miles away, not a great distance, but not somewhere I go very often...

I got Spelling Power and vocabulary for next year already.. I have MM for up to grade 6 and will get the 3rd level of Miquon probably in the next 2 months or so. I'll get TEacher File box on Friday and that will take care of a bunch of stuff for the next year. I"m all set for 2nd grade, which I hope to start around May.

thanks!

there is also a free app that we use. I think it only covers nouns and possibly have to pay for the rest, not sure, we've only done the nouns - the rest isn't unlocked. I'll need to check it out further.

I use Math mammoth and Miquon with some verbal math lessons thrown in for mental practice. have LOF but it's not really working for us at the moment, so it's just sitting on the shelf.

never heard of pink with a short i. Or blink or any of the other words mentioned. From Louisiana but I"ve traveled all over the US and have never heard that before. pink, blink, wink, sink, ink, rink, ring, bling, bing, all the same. In fact our phonics (K12) teaches "ink" as a single sound, not separate as a short i would be, at least that is how I'm seeing it. "ink" 'ank", and "unk" are taught all together. using short i would seem very awkward to me. But saying the word "ask" is awkward to me too. We say "axe' :)

I went ahead and ordered from office depot. with this coupon code: 1BSAOMPXMXRG90 I got $15 of of $75 and free shipping. The device was $72, but I added spines for $8.39, plus tax of $4.98, minus the $15 came to $70.

http://www.amazon.com/GBC-ProClick-Desktop-Binding-Machine/dp/B00006IAS3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361804075&sr=8-1&keywords=proclick

I just bought it myself. We have used it only twice so far, for my six year old. It moves kind of fast, but I figure since i got the lifetime subscription, whatever he misses this go around, he'll get later on. He likes it for the animation and music. He did well on the little quiz so I guess he did retain it well.

I want one! I would use it a ton. I may go to Office Depot this week. They have a 30% off coupon this week.

Our kindy math didn't do money either. We started it in first grade with math mammoth. It was just as well because we had covered repeated addition already so it made it easy for him to count the money with no problem. I think for kindy just going over the coins and their value is sufficient. I like the way math mammoth presents it incrementally.

spelling started with phonics in kindergarten, oh about the 2nd half. Read and spell simple words. Isn't called spelling, is just part of phonics.

oh I see. I won't be printing wirelessly or with a Mac so maybe it will work for me. I'll just have to see. Yeah, you're coming out about the same without the hassle of printing and using up your toner. I don't blame you.

Do you have an older printer? I'm getting the brother 2270 that was on sale this week. Any way to test it out on something similar? Tho it is reassuring that if it doesn't work out TFB will refund your money. Aren't the PDFs as expensive as the books?

oh good, I hope mine does too. I wonder what the issue is that some don't?

oh no! I just bought a laser printer especially to print from TFB! Does this mean the printing will be crappy at all times?