I don't feel that HOD or Preparing specifically is too heavy on the Bible. Then again, I *like* that HOD is very Christ-centered. One of the main History spines, CHOW, (as a pp said) is very secular. The other one, Grandpa's Box, is a fabulous book. It is one of my favorites now. Science in Preparing is a bit light, IMO. We typically will do all of the science for days 1-3 and then I decide whether or not the experiment is worth my time. My 7th grader was using Rainbow Science as a supplement. For a 4th grader, I think the science as written in Preparing is sufficient. It is quite easy to just do your own thing, however, and it will not detract from the "togetherness", IMO. Just a note about ECC...we didn't love it as much as I wanted to. I had a 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 7th grader doing ECC and my younger 2 didn't get much out of it, except to learn where the countries were located (which is good!), do some of the coloring pages, cooking projects (if we did them). But, many families LOVE ECC. So YMMV. I am loving HOD and plan to stick with it. It is just a good "fit" for my boys.

Judy Collins. I like Barbra Streisand's version better, though. :D And I used to do the exact.same.thing...sit at the piano and play this over and over (and sing too!). :lol:

I purchased this one: http://www.amazon.com/Time-Learning-States/dp/0785396004/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1302844027&sr=1-8 a while back (at our local Target store) and I really like it. Was also going to suggest The Star Spangled States as well.

I used to LOVE Tori Amos when I was in college! Silent All These Years was a favorite of mine back then. Today, I don't think I can pick just ONE! Anything by Casting Crowns, Natalie Grant, Chris Tomlin, Francesca Battistelli. I love her new one, "This is the Stuff". Also, a new song by Laura Story called "Blessings". Ask me this question tomorrow and my answer will probably change! :D

:iagree: :lol:

:lol: Thanks for the laugh! I used to LOVE that song but b/c of that stupid commercial, I now loathe it. Hmmmm...I don't really hate many songs but there was this one song out there by some rap punk (Little Wayne maybe?) that just made my skin crawl. It was/is pretty popular and I want to vomit every time I hear it but I can't recall the name.

Too many! Anything by Mark Shultz (Walking Her Home, He's My Son and Letters from War are the top 3), Cinderella and Heaven is the Face of my Little Girl by Steven Curtis Chapman and On Eagles Wings. That song has been played at every single funeral I have ever been to and makes me cry every time I hear it.

"December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) by the Four Seasons. Takes me back to my college days. :D

Speaking of the registration fees...exactly how much is it? We paid $40 (for dh and myself) for the original conf. Looking at the RFWP website, if I'm understanding correctly, this is now $25/person if more than one person in the family attends? Is that correct? If so, that would be $10 more than the orig. conf.? Doesn't make sense. Am I just reading it wrong?

I want my dh to listen to it, too. I also got the one about moving toward independent learning. I def. want dh to listen to that one. He is of the mindset that I should be Parent at the Elbow for ALL of my children. :001_huh: And, if I can't do that then perhaps we (I) shouldn't homeschool. He works in the public school system. Nuff said. :D

I meant College Math, not College Algebra. Sorry. I looked over some sample pages and I think that the "look" of the pages is like Saxon (just in color) not that the content is. Make sense? Clear as mud? IDK...Perhaps I'll see if I can obtain a used copy. Thanks!

Cleo...I live south of Philly and you are more than welcome to stay with us and then ride with us to the conf. on Thursday. My couch is super-comfy. :D Dh and I will be staying at a nearby Marriott Thurs and Fri. night.

I can bring a few HOD guides: Preparing, Beyond, LHTH and LHFHG. Can also bring Galore Park's SYRWTL Spanish 1 and 2, FIAR 1-3, MFW K... I would love to see Latin Road or any other Latin program you guys might have, MFW Adv., LoF Pre-Alg. and Beg. Alg. Those are off the top of my head. :D

:lol: Sounds like something my ds10 would say as well! It really is a great lecture and I am just so relieved to hear Susan tell me that it is okay to "think outside the box". It's like a had to have somebody like her give me permission to do things my own way! Can't wait for Philly!

:D I just got finished listening to Homeschooling the Real Child and I can't tell you what a weight has been lifted off my stressed out, frustrated, panicked, terrified, doubtful, "stuck-in-a-rut" shoulders! I can't wait to give you a huge :grouphug: at the mini-conf. in Philly! :D My kids are normal! :lol: Did you all know that? They are 100%, completely and totally, NORMAL! I have just given myself permission to break out of the rut that I have been in (you know that "box checking, but we MUST do x subject EVERY DAY" rut?). Yeah, that one. I have learned so much in this one hour talk that I can't even begin to relate it all. Thank you, SWB! :D

:grouphug: I am so sorry. I will be praying for you and your family.

Susan, you just made my day! Can't wait to tell my husband that our anniversary weekend is back on and better than ever! :D

I looked at the Lial's College Algebra and I don't think it would suit him, unfortunately. Too much like Saxon. But thank you for the rec. Any more? :D

for my ds12 (almost 13). He hasn't had ANY consistency in math programs (my fault). We started homeschooling with K12 and he used their math for 2 years (2nd/3rd). Then we ditched the cyber school and went independent. He then used Saxon for 4th (unsuccessfully) until we switched to MUS which he did fairly well with. He got through Epsilon, I believe. For 6th he returned to ps and was subjected to the dreaded Everyday Math. :glare: He is home this year and started with Saxon 8/7 (placed into it). Tears, oh the tears. :glare: So, we ditched that and went with LoF. He is cruising through Fractions and will start Dec./Percents. I can't help thinking he is "missing" something by using LoF. Saxon was so rigorous and full. LoF seems so simple! Where do I go from here to get him ready for Alg. 1 in 9th (either at home or a ps/private school). LoF Pre-Alg.? Should I supplement? HELP! Thanks. :D

Been praying for you today and will continue. :grouphug:

I'm not familiar with Saxon Phonics so I don't know where it leaves off and what your Ker will have learned or not learned. TRL is what I use with my Ker and 8yo slow reader. I like the large print and uncluttered pages for my 8yo who gets very distracted. He is learning a lot and progressing at a slow, but comfortable pace. My 5yo is almost finished the book but she is an advanced reader. TRL does start out very basic, so you might be able to skip a lot or go quickly through it as review. Another program to consider would be Phonics Road, which is rather pricey but also very thorough and complete. HOD doesn't list it as one of their rec's. I plan to start my dd with it in Sept. and already use it with ds8 and ds9. Wonderful program.

If this is what you want, I do believe that HOD is what you are looking for. Christ centered, biblically sound, easy to implement and organize, not demanding at.all., leaves plenty of time for other interests. That being said, please have a look at the placement chart on the HOD website to make sure you are placing your kiddos appropriately. That makes all the difference. Ask me how I know. :D Good luck!

My husband works for Johns Hopkins Univ. in the department that developed a model like this. PM me and I can have my dh talk to you about it, if you want. He is actually writing the curriculum for the 9th grade academy (freshman seminar) program for JHU (Talen Development High Schools). He goes into schools to train the teachers and staff how to implement this program so it can be successful. It is a GOOD model if it is done correctly and followed but many schools do not follow the model 100% and wonder why it's not working. They "tweak" it here and there and make it their "own" which doesn't sound like it would be a bad idea (after all we as homeschoolers do that all the time, right? :D) but these schools pay JHU thousands of $ to use this program and their expertise. If the model is followed, it works. I'm not the expert, obviously, but my dh could tell you a lot more. PM me. ETA: He also TAUGHT at a high school like this for 8 years. :)

My dd14 enjoys it as well. I think it is more thorough than most as well. I know Spanish, too, so that does help with pronunciation and the listening exercises.

Thanks everyone. My heart is aching today. The news was so "unreal" yesterday b/c I was sooo expecting a miracle healing (in the physical) and not the ultimate healing that God chose. KWIM? Today, I am just...well...sad. Hard to get moving. Can't imagine what his wife and children are going through right now and I sooo wish I were in FL to be there with them.