Having triplets generates a lot of somewhat similar negative-but-not-really-meanting to be rude comments. "I'd kill myself if I were you" and the like. I used to respond kindly like this person. Having heard it a bazillion times though, at this point I am done being nice and so I correct them. "Wow! What a terrible thing to say! We feel so blessed to have them! We love our kids so much, and wouldn't have it any other way!" The equivalent for you would be: "Wow! What a rude thing to say! We are so glad that our kids eat healthy food rather than having their brains grown on processed junk like so many others!"

I just purchased the K teacher's guide, and it is coil bound as well.

:iagree:

I bought the lesson plan book, and it was well worth the money, even though I plan to sub OPGTR, HWOT, RightStart for their phonics/writing & math! :) If only they had a music CD and art cards...

I thought the same thing! It really simplifies things with little guys. I can truly just focus on the basics, and trust that everything else is gravy. Before reading all this, I had been so focused on how I was going to get in history, geography, science, etc. to go along with our CC stuff. Now, I plan to just focus on the basics, and IF WE STILL HAVE TIME, add the other stuff.

Anyone?

Keeping them together is the way to do it! I tried for a while doing both phonics & math individually, and it was a nightmare. It was so bad that I found myself avoiding teaching at all. Lump them together. If the youngest isn't ready (you will know about 10-15 lessons in), just postpone it for BOTH kids. A lot of people have young 4s who do great with RS A. My young 4 and one of my 5.5s weren't ready. If they aren't ready, use MEP Reception (which is free except for printing), then go back to RS A for both. As long as they are kind to each other (vs. competing), keep them together, b/c your life will be a lot less stressful, which will make you a much better instructor!! Let me repeat, if your older child has to wait a little, THAT'S OK!!!

Can you wait until they are 5 & 4, and then start A with both kids together? That has worked beautifully here. Yes, sometimes someone is moving a little slower than they would if they were getting one-on-one perfect pacing, but that's life. It's better than it would be in a classroom where the pace was adapted to 20 kids, right? :)

I hope this isn't a completely ignorant question, but how do you compute the cost per page? I don't see that the printers advertise a CCP - am I missing it?

I think of it as a rental fee. :)

I am SOOO glad I read this! I have heard time and time again "spend the first years focusing on the 3Rs", but I have gotten so excited about content and have spent all my efforts on that. (It's just so much fun to have your kids show Grandma that they know where each state is!) Time to refocus on the important stuff!

My plan is to use Beautiful Feet's Early American, along with the Betsy Maestro series. We are using map placemats & Audio Memory's states & capitals music right now to learn the geographic part. It is amazing how learning something that was SO painful for me when I was a kid is SO much fun for my kids! I guess it is b/c they are learning it in the appropriate developmental phase (at my school, we didn't do it until 5th grade). My kids have also been watching the Liberty Kids videos when we are in the car for long periods of time. This may all be over their heads, who knows. But I figure even if it's just exposure, not mastery, that's OK!

I bought the whole thing just for flexibility in the future. If the light blue works beautifully, we'll just use that, but if we end up needing to use something else, I want the blue as it would be easier to supplement.

And now for the REALLY dorky question - would I be a total nerd if I took my copy of TWTM and asked SWB to autograph it? :tongue_smilie:

My youngest is very difficult. She is the kid who keeps anyone else from learning anything, and distracts me to the point of driving me over the edge. After discussing it with some homeschooling friends, we just decided that for my sanity she is will be going to our church's preschool a few mornings each week next year. Not exactly ideal, but it is the best thing for the family as a whole. Maybe that's a possibility for you?

Oh no, I'm so sad to hear that! Sounds like she has a good reason and has her priorities straight though. Wishing him a speedy recovery!

Oh good! :)

I would get: From VP: - timeline cards - songs relating to the timeline cards These are very short bullet points that sum up the history of the world From CC: - the Foundations Guide - gives all the memory work covering history (detailed sentences with dates & important facts, not just bullet points), science, grammar, latin, math (facts & basic formulas), geography, & fine arts - the music CDs related to the history cycle you are doing next year (so Cycle 3 if you are doing US History next year) Note - no overlap between CC & VP CDs. I LOVE having the Guide, and would use it with or without attending CC.

It becomes obvious quickly if they aren't ready. Buy it now and try it, and put it aside for a few months if it is too challenging. I started A as my youngest turned 4 and my olders were 5.5. My older kids are a little developmentally delayed, and generally fit in perfectly with kids one year younger. Two of the big kids were the perfect age. 10 lessons in, it was obvious that it was too much for one of my 5.5 year olds and the 4 year old.

It is this weekend - CAN'T WAIT!!!

Oh, how frustrating!! Now I'm eyeing the one on Amazon that has DOUBLE racks and a shelf at the bottom. Ooo-aaah!

That's the problem with the Dell we have now. It was practically "free" when we got the laptop, but b/c it's the new model, you can't buy the ink cartridges anywhere except through Dell, and nowhere can refill them.

Us too - can't wait!

Thank you thank you!! That quilt might be the cutest thing I have ever seen! I don't sew, but I copied every one of the pictures from that and will be doing something with them!!