MUS Has a skip-counting CD that is helpful as well. After my ds had all the tables memorized, the mechanics of multi-digit multiplication came easy. We used MUS Gamma, too, and it worked well for us. Good Luck! :)

We're using the Explode the Code primers with my almost 4yo and he's loving it! We're about to start book b and he's working on the first BOB book. :)

I just turned 30 this year and finally feel "Grown up" (somewhat). Granted, I've been living an "adult life" since my 10yo was born, it just seems a little easier to actually BE the adult this year. :)

I was gonna say a pop up tent or tunnel. That way you can get it out to play with and then stash it under a bed, or behind a piece of furniture when it's not in use. Both of those can be outdoor or indoor toys too. For outdoor toys and crafts I LOVE Oriental Trading. If you sign up for their rewards you'll get tons of coupon codes for free shipping + X amt off your order, etc... get more bang for your buck! I just ordered my 3.5 & almost 2yo a see-through pop-up tunnel, a magnet maze, a tapping set w/ little "nails" and a hammer with a corkboard to hammer shapes into, and a cutting food set... I've ordered from OT numerous times though (and keep coming back!!!) because I've always been happy with the things I've ordered through them... we have the stacking pegs, the pipe building set, the nuts & bolts set, do-a-dot stampers, a set of counting cookies, a window painting set (I ran a few OT co-ops locally a year or so ago and we got the HOOKUP!)... ooooh, the sticker scenes are great too, especially if your kids are sticker fanatics like mine! ;), stamps (alphabet stamps & animal faces which are super cute!), and big foam stamps & color paddles... OT has a ton of good outside toys too! I would definitely check them out before spending a ton on the same items somewhere else! Sign up for their rewards!!! :) HTH! :D

Another suggestion that might be helpful: I cut the binding off all the primer books and put them in page protectors in a binder. This way we can use dry erase markers and after Caleb goes through them, we can wipe them and reuse them again for Julie. I bought some *little* dry erase markers that are about the size of a chunky crayon when the cap is on the back of the marker. PERFECT for his little hands. The writing is a little "slick" at first, but it seems to have made him have to concentrate more on what he's writing, and now he's learned to hold the page, etc. to keep the marker from slipping. Anyway, just a thought for you, especially since you have 2 working through the books! :)

My DS(3.5) is almost finished with book A. He had a HORRIBLE grip until he started doing ETC. I just corrected him continuously until he got it. After 3 or so weeks of correcting him every time, and showing him my grip the entire time he's trying to write, he finally seems to have caught on!!! Now if he would decide which hand he wants to use, we'd be golden! He's still swapping right and left but is predominately left-handed at this point. :) I would stick with ETC and put away HWOT until he's a little older and DOES have good control with the pencil/chalk. Just let him practice formation with ETC (and learn the phonics!) Maybe incorporate HWOT's teaching methods on the day when you're learning the new letter, and then just let him practice the writing in ETC. I personally wouldn't stop ETC. My ds is learning too much, and while he doesn't have the control to write well yet, he still tries, and he's learning to READ which is so much more important, imo, at his age. Just encourage, but don't force him if he's not ready. It's not going to hurt him to skip some writing, but he will gain plenty just by going through the series. ETA: Maybe he needs to skip to book 1 if he already knows all his letter sounds?

My DS(10) is about to finish up SOTW2. Before starting SOTW3 we're going to go back and listen to the audios for 1 & 2, and do our timeline work that we've not done up until this point. Then when we start SOTW3 we'll incorporate timeline into our weekly schedule. I'm excited about "just" reading/listening. :)

must be nice! :glare: :D

That's awesome!!!!!! :D

Goodness, I hear the tears in your mama heart! :( :grouphug: (((HUGS))) :grouphug: I don't have any sage advice, but I am listening for those who do. I see things like this happening between my ds and the (public school) boys who have been his best friends up to this point. Something about this age is creating a deep split between him and them and I'm lost as to what to do about it. :( I completely agree with the pp: they will feed on his innocence, they will make him their game and will not only try to corrupt him, but try to get him to corrupt himself. :( I'm seeing this with my ds already (AT TEN!!!!!) and I'm not standing for it. Everything in my mind/heart/soul tells me to pull him in tighter and so that's what I've been doing thus far. If it means he has no friends, then so be it. I won't let people hurt him, and I won't let him be a puppet on a string for them! We are their parents and our #1 top priority is to protect them until they can protect themselves. Even at 15-16, I'm not sure they are fit to truly protect themselves in these kinds of situations.

I do not use either of the programs you're using, but I do have a 10yo DS with atrocious spelling!!! :001_huh: It's actually gotten better this year (we're using K12 LA which teaches phonics in the spelling lessons) but if it's a word outside of his current spelling lessons there are absolutely NO guarantees that he'll know how to spell it correctly (especially in his own writings). It's like he just reverts to the easiest-known-spelling-to-him...??!! :confused: He's a smart kid, no known learning delays or anything like that, just a typical, bright, 10 yo boy. IDK but I hear ya and will be listening for pointers :bigear: and praying someone mentions their kids' survival! ;)

Oshkosh, walmart, the thrift store, the flea market here has a seller that specializes in liberty overalls and they have kids sizes (that's where hubby gets his work overalls b/c they are the only ones made in the USA anymore :))

I use istudiez pro for school. It's our "official school bell" and keeps our day running smoothly! :) Haven't thought about an app for chores--good idea! :)

Julie is in the myride 65, rear-facing at 23mos. She will remain rf until she hits the 40lb rf limit for the seat. Caleb is ff in a 5pt harness. He can remain in the 5pt in this seat until 65 lbs but it is a ff only seat. The longer they can remain rf, the safer they are in your car.

The only thing that works with my ds(10) is to be hardcore for a few days/weeks about how things are gonna be. If he doesn't want to do his schoolwork, he gets more added onto his load. His life STOPS until his schoolwork is done. Same thing with chores. Don't want to do the dishes? Well you can swish commodes when you're done, too. His choice, not mine. He now KNOWS the consequence for not doing what he is supposed to do is more work for him so it has become EASIEST to just do what is required of him each day. The consequence for ALL bad behavior is physically laborious WORK. It sounds like your ds could use a dose of it himself. I have learned over the last few years a few hours of hard work a day does a boy GOOD. It really helps with work ethic and he WILL start taking pride in his work. They have to use their hands/muscles and get rid of some of that testosterone and physical labor is the way to do it! Put his little butt to work and he'll be too tired to stay out late! Put him to work and he will gladly sit to finish his schoolwork each day. GL! & HTH!!!! :D

:iagree: We're using Cambridge this year with my DS(10) and he is really loving it and learning a TON!!! You start translating with Cambridge from the very first day so it's very easy for the kids to pick up the vocabulary easily. We dropped our vocabulary and word studies after we started Cambridge because there is such a huge focus on vocabulary acquisition and derivative studies. Another perk for Cambridge is the online support--each chapter has a a few different online activities available and there is an online Latin-English Dictionary for each book in the series. Very helpful and the online subscription only cost about $10 a year. HTH Some!! :)

I've always had mine plain. 2%. Although I could manageskim if it weren't for dh. He likes whole milk so 2% had been our compromise! :D I just bought my 1st can of Ovaltine last month and MAN is that stuff good!!!! :drool: My kids love it too and I only have to use abt 1/4 of the recommended serving size and it still tastes GREAT. We have the chocolate malt flavor.

oh dear, this might get embarrassing! :D Ok, first off let me explain that our desk is L-shaped, and right in our living room - this is school-central. So. I'll start at the top! On top of the hutch is: A full set of encyclopedias, front & center Scholastic's Children's dictionary UILHE & UILSE. The first 3 volumes of SOTW readers, 3 AGs and all 4 levels of audiobooks for SOTW. My personal copy of TWTM You Mean I'm not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?! :glare: My teachers guides that are not currently in use Future curriculum (SOTW3--we're about to start next month) not currently in use. Preschool math manipulatives: pattern blocks, c-rods, counting bears, lacing beads & some Lauri puzzles to keep the littles busy. The preschoolers' Calendar 3 baskets set on top of the encyclopedias that contain random, various, office supplies that I need to keep far away from baby! Inside the hutch: Current teachers guides for 4th grade: K12 Lit, Grammar & Spelling, SOTW & Singapore Math Same shelf: some DVDs (Math U-See Gamma & MUS Skip Counting songs) & CD-Roms (History through the ages Timeline) Current teachers guides for preschool: Explode the Code (A), Singapore Essentials K, Miquon Orange and additional (future) preschool books (ETC B&C + Miquon Red - Purple) Same shelf: Some Counting potatoes we use to sing "Hop potato, Hop potato!" and count to 20 with! :D Got that idea just last week from a sweet mama on this forum!!! :) 2 Staplers and a 3 hole punch I HATE Some magnetic tape for things I like to laminate w/ a magnet on the back for morning board A couple ADD DVDs: Totally ADD Tips for an Organized Life + ADD & Loving it?! Stationary for Braden from when he was like 4 that has construction vehicles on it but they're just too cute to throw away! :) Our memory boxes: One each for memory work, Latin & Spelling The big fat "Story of the World 2, Medieval Times" Notebook & my 2010-11 Plans binder A cabinet that holds a ton of junk, mostly leapster and leap frog cartridges and books and other CD-Rom stuff... Onto the ACTUAL desk: (as my almost 4yo would say! :tongue_smilie:) The big printer, then my monitor & keyboard, mouse 2 little dry erase markers + a dry eraser & 2 dry erase lapboards I use with the littles mostly. A coffee cup on my AU coaster (war eagle!) A caddy full of eraser-capped, sharpened pencils, sharpie click-its, grading pencils, highlighters and pens. A set of pocket references: Spanish Dictionary, Dictionary & Thesaurus 2 plastic Magazine files hold all of DS(10)'s school books: 1 for Math, History, Science & Latin and 1 for LA. Our pc is one of those really small ones, then we have our external hd sitting on top. A library audio play-away is ontop of that at the moment On the "L" of the desk DS just finished writing his literary analysis of King Arthur and so all his lit stuff is shuffled about with his planner, SOTW reader & ten facts, plus his Singapore IP book he was working on earlier... I really need to put all that away! On the end of our desk is a spot for bills that need to be paid and currently there's a random basket there because I'm about to paint ALL the baskets in our living area espresso and while that one usually goes in the desk drawer, I didn't want to forget it when I started painting! :D So. Hope that makes you guys feel better! :lol:

This year, for grade 4, we're using K12 LA and we have really enjoyed their Literature program. I found the entire set of K12 readers for grades 1-8 for around $65, so I am buying the whole set! I'm looking for the teacher guides and/or the student pages on Amazon. The student pages honestly aren't necessary but I really like having the teachers guide to help guide literary analysis, discussion and writing exercises. HTH & Off to check out some of the ideas mentioned already in this thread! Another thought I had before I found the K12 readers was the Edcon books. Has anyone used them here?

Ah, they're just junky! ;) I let the kids play with them for a day or two and trash'em. The novelty wears off quickly and I feel like she gives them as a "gift" to pay for her lack of BEING in their lives. :glare: It just irks me.

Oh thanks so much y'all!! :) I feel so much better about this just reading through your posts. You have all given me SO much to think about & explore... Some further thoughts: This is not the 1st time they've asked for the kids to come stay. We've always managed to deflect their requests one way or another. My husband was completely against them going the last time she asked but I know when I mention her asking again, he will feel pressured to say yes (or give an explanation why not, or else we'll just look like meanies :glare:) MIL is a hospice nurse & worked in the state-run NICU for 13 years before hospice--I have no doubt she could properly care for the kids, I just worry about all the "what-ifs", yk? She's not even in her 50s yet, I don't think, and is in decent health. DH & I lived together (with Braden in tow!) 6 months before we were married so that excuse (or whatever) would never fly. :tongue_smilie: I think the reason she doesn't come visit more often is her work schedule. She works nights, and almost every night (sometimes 6-7 nights a week--every once in a while she'll take a weekend off). And she's 45 minutes away, so that's 1.5hrs travel time during the time she's supposed to be sleeping, not including the time she spends here with the kids, yk? She was also having car trouble a few months ago, but I think that's been fixed now. For the longest time she was telling me she didn't want to come to the kids games because if she cut her car off it wasn't reliable enough to crank back up if it hadn't set for over 2 hours. :confused: This was my main reason for her not getting the kids the last time she asked--if she didn't have a reliable car, I didn't want her having them in case there was an emergency. I hate that I don't know more about her bf because he does seem like a nice guy (well educated, good job, has kids & grandkids of his own) and I know that saying no continuously makes it look like we think he's a bad guy or something and that's NOT what I want to convey but... at the same time I am my children's ONLY mother, their only protector, and I don't take my job lightly!!!!! Thanks so much for listening guys. :grouphug: At least now maybe I can rationally talk with her about this rather than just sweeping it under the rug or making it seem like something it's not (like the bf's a bad guy). Then again I may just default to hubs because I'm pretty sure he has NO problem being the meanie in this situation. ;)

Ok, I generally like my MIL. She is not perfect by any means but she keeps out of my business and has never really played an integral part of my children's life so I've never really had a reason, myself, not to like her. Some of the things my husband has told me about his childhood definately makes me judge her (probably unfairly) but I really try not to blow anything out of proportion, etc. The one thing she does that drives me absolutely bonkers is that she'll plan things with my kids then cancel. Most of the time it doesn't affect them because I've learned not to even mention G-ma coming for a visit until she's in the driveway. I don't want to pump them up and then get let down. She's the only person in their life that I consiously "protect" them from, in this way. And everytime she comes to visit, she brings a bag-full of happy meal toys she's saved forthwm over the 3 months time since she last visited. So I guess that's two things that irk me. But still, not much against her, as far as MILs go. ;) Now, here is the dilemma. She wants to keep my kids, over night, 45 minutes away. Just the thought makes me feel all panicky and when she asked a few minutes ago, by text message, I told her she'd have to ask their daddy! :001_huh: He will NOT want to let them go. She lives with her boyfriend of a little over a year. He seems like a nice guy, but I Just don't trust people around my children, yk? And, she NEVER asked to get the kids overnight when she was 15 minutes down the road, in her own house. So in my mind, it feels like there is some alterior motive, yk? Do I sound crazy?! :001_huh: What would you do in this situation? All I want to do is protect my babies but I also don't want to over-react and cause tension in the family, etc... FWIW, the kids stay at my parents' house nearly every weekend for a night, or sometimes two. The boys would be fine but I probably wouldn't send Julie just yet as she's just now getting used to staying at my parents & she's not very familiar w/ G-ma yet (and she's still nursing, and is sometimes hard to deal with--I'd hate for her to FREAK OUT 45 minutes away)... I just don't know if I need to just suck it up and let them go, or if my mama alarm is going off for a reason? Thanks for reading if you got that far!! ;) Sorry, I'm long-winded!! :D

(bold mine) Knowing this, I can't recommend Cambridge Latin highly enough. My DS(10) is LOVING it. It's really an immersion Latin course where kids are translating the language on day 1. The content is also very interesting. At first I was worried there would not be enough grammar with Cambridge but now that we're about 4 chapters in I realize that while vocabulary acquisition is the main focus in the first book, there is plenty of grammar (conjugations & declensions), they are just given to the student in bite-sized pieces, so as not to frustrate. It's really REALLY working great for my ds and I hope others have as good of an experience as we have with Latin!!! :) IMHO, you would NOT need additional vocabulary program using Cambridge--one of the main focuses is on derivatives and Latin to English translations/word studies. HTH Some! Your dd just might love it with the right program. Latin doesn't HAVE to be rigorous or boring. Just go at her speed. She still has plenty of time to master Latin if you start now!!! :D

Knowing this, I can't recommend Cambridge Latin highly enough. My DS(10) is LOVING it. It's really an immersion Latin course where kids are translating the language on day 1. The content is also very interesting. At first I was worried there would not be enough grammar with Cambridge but now that we're about 4 chapters in I realize that while vocabulary acquisition is the main focus in the first book, there is plenty of grammar (conjugations & declensions), they are just given to the student in bite-sized pieces, so as not to frustrate. It's really REALLY working great for my ds and I hope others have as good of an experience as we have with Latin!!! :) IMHO, you would NOT need additional vocabulary program using Cambridge--one of the main focuses is on derivatives and Latin to English translations/word studies. HTH Some! Your dd just might love it with the right program. Latin doesn't HAVE to be rigorous or boring. Just go at her speed. She still has plenty of time to master Latin if you start now!!! :D

LOL Thanks for the warning!!! :D They do look nice! :)