You can still get the dvds, but they are considered to be a rental. If you get the online course, they have the teacher manual and student text online. You just would have to buy a student textbook if you wanted them to have a hard copy. For the next 10 days or so, they have a $99 deal for their online courses which is quite the savings. Another thing that's cool about the online option is that the tests and quizzes are online. This system gives you a place to input grades on chapter reviews and labs and the program will calcite their grade for you. Beth

We have no idea where he would be going to college. He's a 14 year old boy whose goal in life right now is to be able to do a front flip. :glare: All I know is that we have no money for college for him (and even if we have more, it's going to be spent on long term care for his disabled brother) He will most likely be going to a state college if anything. Part of our goal for him is to complete as much college/CLEP/AP exams as he can so he can get a good chunk of college paid for a little more cheaply. I also do mastery. I am considering having him retake his math course next year as well unless he can show that he really knows his stuff the remaining part of this year. I'm not really giving grades because of that right now, but I feel like I should at some point for the transcript. I have considered Apologia only because I do believe he would understand it more. On the other hand, the BJU online teacher for physical science has really helped him understand things now. Decisions, decisions... Beth

I'm starting to get into the high school years. Ds has always worked a grade or more ahead so currently he is easily doing high school work in math and science. Ds is currently in 8th grade. In these classes, he is getting a "B". If I had him working at grade level, he could get an easy "A", but it wouldn't challenge him. I'm starting to think transcript. Which would be better - to have challenging classes and get a "B" or do what every other high school student is doing at his age and let him get the easy "A"? I guess this has come up because he has finished BJU press physical science (which is integrated chem and physics) and is getting a strong B average in the class. If he was doing Apologia physical science, he could have easily gotten an A because the material is not as in depth. DH thinks he should be challenged and continue with BJU biology (which he would be starting in 8th grade). Yes, he can do it and understand it, but those BJU tests are hard and he will not get as good of a grade with BJU as he could with Apologia. Transcripts for college are just going to show "biology" - not how rigorous it was. BYT, he doesn't really like Apologia (mostly because he's a visual guy and it's a boring looking text), but he tells me to just pick something - he doesn't seem to have a strong opinion. OR---Should I give him Apologia Chemistry now which after this physical science class would be doable (he has the math knowledge for it) and then transition him to BJU biology when he's a year older? Beth

I suggest not getting the blender attachment for the Bosch. Sometimes I (or my kids) wouldn't put the base of the blender on correctly and it would seep liquid into the base which is just above the motor. Otherwise, I love my Bosch. I make 5 loaves of bread at a time. I found out also that if you put the cookie attachment on, you can shred cooked chicken in 30 seconds. Saying that though, for a smaller family, it's a big capacity machine that you may find to be too much. Beth

Osh kosh

I used TOG for 5 years and switched to HOD this year mostly because I wanted Bible integrated and something scheduled out for me. I am doing two guides this year. I also did it because I knew I would have handed my 4th grader the books to read in TOG without discussion (because TOG doesn't included discussion at that age). That is a problem because I'm not sure he understands everything he reads. I really like HOD because it includes all the comprehension questions for younger grades and integrates Bible into the guide. Because I am a tweaker, I have a different math, a different science (just because there was a co-op opportunity), and a different writing program only because I have done it for years and know it works with my kids. I also needed something simpler for my youngest. My kids know exactly what to expect each day and I like the ease of it. I think HOD does the younger years better. I don't know if I'll continue it through junior high/high school, but I do like HOD for my elementary kids. Beth

I was wondering this very question for the biology. It seems like the editions are pretty similar. Anybody know? Beth

Are there any very beginning programming apps? We are trying cargo bot, but it is too hard - there are no real instructions for it and we just need something more basic. This is for the iPad and a 10 year old (who's never done anything like this at all). Beth

Anyone know the difference between the 3rd and 4th edition of BJU Press Biology? I know the online option includes the 4th edition, but the 3rd edition is so very cheap---$61 vs. $4.50. Would I be kicking myself if I got ds the 3rd edition to use with the online option? Beth

I have 3 solid nodules and 1 cyst on my left side of my thyroid. They have been biopsied and found to just be benign nodules. I had them checked again after a year and they haven't grown although I can see one a little when I swallow. I also had part of my thyroid removed because of a cyst, but also because the cyst was hyperactive. I have found I can feel that choking feeling when I am stressed. Lately, I have been taking a really good multi-vitamin and licorice root and have noticed that I don't feel them anymore - even when I am under stress. I have also gone gluten free and have found other body issues I've had clear up. I don't know if the vitamins or the gluten free has made the difference. I have a feeling that my body was/is needing some good nutrition and when I "feed" my body, I don't have that choking feeling or accompanying ear pain (which I was also dealing with).

Are you an introvert? I am and can totally relate. I have always been the one to initiate getting together with people. I've just learned if I want to get together with people, I have to get outside of myself and just do it. It's annoying. There are whole months I just don't have the energy to call anyone to get together and so I stay by myself. There are also things that get co-ordinated without me and my kids just because we weren't there at xyz event and missed the excited planning of the "extroverts". Sometimes I will call up a few friends who I know better than others to go out for coffee or something. It's not that I'm excluding anyone, it's just that I'm getting together with people I know better. My guess is that these others are not excluding you purposely, but are just not thinking about you. Us introverts tend not to be noticed and not thought about just because we're not ones to make our presence known wherever we are. You will most likely have to ask to be involved more in activities you want to be a part of. The worst thing they could do is turn you down - the best, you get to have a bunch of new friends. I know that it will go against your shy personality, but you'll have to do it.

In Algebra 2, I let my son use the calculator. I feel like having to do all the extra computations just slows the child up from learning higher level concepts. They should know how to compute by now. Beth

My 7 year old still does b and d reversal. I finally figured out how to get her to catch the difference. A b is really a big "B" with the top erased. She is finally getting it right more often than not.

By the way, we don't live close to them now. Even visiting them twice a year is becoming harder and harder.

As far as being close in proximity to my extended family, it can't happen. They live in a state that would bankrupt me and my husband due to the combined high cost of living and total lack of any support for my special needs son. We considered it. My husband was going to apply for a 100k job. After the very high property tax (higher per month than our current mortgage) extra state tax, higher housing costs, and the sheer amount of money my son will need in his near future (we're looking at full time nursing home care costs if we can't take care of him), we would have been living paycheck to paycheck again or worse. We've had a lot of crisis in our lives so far. My mom was able to help. No one else could or did. I don't want to be far away physically, but all of my extended family lives in a place that is detrimental to my immediate family. The cost is too high. Our church friends and neighbors have helped have been the ones to support us when we needed it. My ideal is impossible.

I think I'm the only one who wants to communicate directly with my siblings. For example, when we're visiting Grandma, I will call up a sister who lives 3 blocks away and try to get together with her kids and mine at a nearby park. She will finish what she is doing and then call back to coordinate through my mom when they can do it. It's hard to work around this weird system. The thing is, when we finally realized after 6 months of trying to move closer (last year) did I even realize how disfunctional everything really is. Even the sister who has no kids says she longs for a closer relationship with my siblings doesn't return my calls. She's an hour from the hub so she's a little on the outs too. So there is this mourning going on when I have finally looked honestly at this situation. I have to give this ideal I've had in my mind for years.

My extended family would call themselves "a close family". We enjoy being around each other and never have "those" holidays where someone gets mad at someone else and all the family drama. I have 5 siblings along with husbands and nieces and nephews. Here's the thing - the family revolves around my mom a bit. The only way I know what is happening to my siblings and their families is from my mom. It's not from a lack of trying to get in contact with my sisters. I call, leave messages, leave e-mails and get no response. Eventually after a bunch of those tries, I give up. The only way I can actually talk to any of them is if I can figure out a time when they're home and hope they answer the phone. No- there is no animosity between us - I'm apparently not that important. I have this fear that when my mom dies, I will completely lose any family connection and I can't seem to do anything about it. My dh and I need to move to get a better job opportunity for him. We considered moving closer to my extended family. We knew we couldn't move to the same state but just across the border which was still a distance away from my mom which seems to be the family hub. We figured out that even an hour away was still too much to have any relationship with any of my siblings because we wouldn't be convenient. It was also a place where his job opportunities would be severely limited. So, we essentially have given up and decided to move over 1000 miles away because it's a place with a lot of job potential for dh and it's an overall nice place to live. We're not consciously moving to avoid them, but moving because it's good for our immediate family's health and happiness. I feel like I'm betraying my extended family. We won't be able to see most of them for the 5-6 hours twice a year like we do now at Christmas and in July. I am the oldest and moved away from home for the most part when I was 18 to go to college 350 miles away. I never returned home - not because I needed to be away from them, but only because I had a job opportunity 300 miles away. I've never lived close to them since I was 18. I never really got a chance to really know some of my younger siblings only because they were so young when I left. I love my family and want to be close to them, but what do you do when you try and try to have a relationship with someone and they don't reciprocate at all? Beth

Here's my library weird thing - dh has been looking for work in various places in the country. When he has a new lead, the first thing I check out is what is the library like in that town. I will judge a town by it's library. So, the latest possible work location has housing in two different locations that could be a small commute to work. The town that has a lousy small library is a place that I won't consider living because we are library lovers and are tired of our current small town library. I have done homeschool work with two of my kids there and there is one desk that we can work at. Yes- one. So, we are looking at the other place to live based solely on the size of the library. How warped is that? Beth

There's no harm in having a 7th grader do Algebra if they know the material. There is no harm in repeating the same level twice to get a better understanding. You'll know when she hits a wall and be able to back up and repeat if necessary. Beth

I too agree to not try gluten free bread until it's been a few months. It just does not compare. Try rice crackers with tuna or cheese in place of the bread. You can make pancakes with buckwheat (which is not really wheat) or look up recipes for quick breads using rice flours. After a few months, the gluten free bread will taste OK only because he will have forgotten what the real stuff tasted like. Beth

I do Sonlight readers when they are learning to read better and I just have a pile of books that I want my ds10 to read. I have to assign chapters (2-3 per day) and he gets to pick the next book he wants to read. They are all good literature books I had laying around. I just wanted him to like to read a variety of good literature. We have plenty of time for discussion when he's older. Beth

I had a friend who worked 40 hours a week or so for a year and "never got around to homeschooling". I asked the question about what should I do here and was told to pretty much mind my own business. I think the thing is, we all know someone who is probably not doing a great job educating their kids. Public schools do that also to be fair. But what do we do about the ones who really are not doing anything? My friend eventually joined a co-op that has mixed reviews on these forums, but for her, it's kept her accountable to continue. Her two oldest are behind a year and they know it. I think we will continue to have issues until true educational choice is available - if that will ever happen! In my town, if you don't want your kids going to the public school with crowded classrooms, you homeschool. There are no other options even if we could afford other options. With all the crazy worldview stuff being introduced in public schools now, there will be more homeschoolers and there will be those who really have no idea what they are doing or even the gumption to figure it out and ask questions. For a lot of people, little education would be better than losing their child's soul and that is what I think many people believe. This is not a problem that is going to go away. Beth

I have always made my children read to me for 15-20 minutes a day regardless of if they wanted to or not. If you're an unschooler, then ignore this advice or if your child is having learning issues, also ignore. Learning to read is hard work. It's hard work to decode words. I didn't have any children at that learning to read stage who willing opened a book to read in their free time. Eventually, with 15-20 minutes a day, it gets easier to read and they don't have to spend so much effort at learning to read. Then, they may (or may not) read for fun but at least it's easier. Beth

Rethink Minnesota. While late springs and early falls and even most of the summer is beautiful here, the winter is really harsh. Polar vortex anyone? We are trying to get out because of the weather and the real estate person down the street sold houses of 4-5 people who just couldn't stand it anymore. 6 months of winter and cold. I'm tired of being cold. Think about a job commute also. Last year my husband had to drive on highways the governor declared hazardous to life because he and most other people had no choice. It never warmed up enough for days to melt the ice on the roads even with liberal sprinklings of salt. I couldn't let my children play outside a good portion of the winter last year because it was a "bad cold". That means if you stay outside for more than 10 minutes, you can literally freeze your exposed skin. So, I love love love the months May through September. It's just the rest of the year that really stinks. Beth

We are in all probabilities moving to Colorado Springs. I have checked into homeschool options. There are almost too many! Public school, private school, just general homeschool groups - the choices are overwhelming. Any TOG groups? I'm looking a lot for high school stuff. Beth