How about try to tell us what you DO have. . . and we can try to tell you what is missing. I have plenty of SL Cores, including 6, but my 6 is 2009, so obviously it would be different. You should have, in general . . . + Some general introductory pages telling you how to organize stuff and listing the books, etc. + Wks 1-36 weekly schedule (a chart for each week) with weekly "notes" that go behind *some* of those weeks. (Some weeks will not have any extra notes, some will have 1 or more pages.) + Read Aloud Guide -- organized by book. All the books should be there, alphabetically. Typically a couple/few pages per book of comprehension questions, mapping, and various notes. + Reader Guide -- similar to RA Guide + History Guide -- simialr to RA Guide + Appendixes -- I don't use them, so don't recall exactly what's in there. Some forms or charts or something. ** If you have the schedule, notes, RA, R & H guides, you are probably in OK shape. If you are missing any of those things, then you might want to start over. :(

If you want to go, could you consider camping at a campground or in the yard if you have, or could borrow, gear? If you don't want to go, I don't think you have to. A renewal service is not the same thing as a wedding, IMHO. (If it were a wedding, I would say go if you can possibly make it happen.) If the main thing holding you back is your stress, can you plan to be gone some of the days? Is there somewhere nearby you could spend time window shopping or visiting a museum? With some smaller subset of relatives? What do you usually do for your own stress (yoga, xanax, etc.)? A great book?

I have a cell phone, and know how to dial both my dh and 911. Does that count? (Obviously, I voted No.)

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Mean kids stuff puts me over the edge!! But, these are good family friends, so I'd go to some real effort to trudge through the mess. . . as we know, (almost) all kids are mean sometimes, so I wouldn't want to lose those friends if avoidable. Can you maintain the relationships & class participation while ramping up your supervision/involvement? Presumably, unkind things won't be said in your presence. . . and also, you can ramp up your guidance of your ds so that he becomes less annoying. Unless you want to totally sever these friendships, I can't see that giving up the class would help solve the problem, as the class time is presumably a BETTER time for your ds to interact with them (more structured & supervised, so less chances to be annoying or mean) than free play. So, perhaps minimizing OTHER times together and focusing on making the time they are together better would be a middle ground to buy time for all to mature and interactions to improve? I do think it is fair to set ground rules with all involved. When my youngest was annoying to the big kid crowds who came and played at our house, I had to firmly take ALL the kids in hand a couple times to ensure that they weren't being mean to her (ducktaping her to a tree!!!! tying her in a wagon and leaving!) I let MY kids know that if they were mean to a sibling b/c of the influences of their friends, that'd be the END of that friendship . . . and let ALL the kids know that they MUST be kind to the littlest one OR ELSE (they'd have to go home and not come back!) b/c it just WAS NOT ALLOWED at my house -- they could come to me for help, but NOT BE MEAN. I also made sure to supervise and rein in my littlest terrorist more carefully. . . Combined, the problem was controlled until, thankfully, everyone matured out of the problem w/o it escalating. HTH

How did you join them, if, say, you were turning a corner?

Here you go. . . Just the right size for you. . . 3 colors to choose from. . . $195 http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40057853 I'd do that in a heartbeat.

I'd go with the cuisinart.

We are very happy with Galore Park's So You Really Want to Learn Spanish. They also have it for French. They have a special on the spanish right now http://www.galorepark.co.uk/special-offers/home-educators-copies/1/ which is an excellent price. My kids really like it. Their tutor (who teaches college & high school spanish) seems to like it and says it is very solid, and is very happy with their skills.

Doesn't AOPS cover half of their algebra book in Alg 1 & then the other half in Alg 2? Here is a link to the Alg 2 page http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/School/courseinfo.php?course_id=algebra2 Obviously, you could choose either the course or just use the text solo and go at your own pace. So, I would have her go on to the second half of their Alg book, which would be Alg 2 on her transcript. If she can handle (and likes) their books for Alg, I would keep her in AoPS for the rest, as it is a step above/beyond anything else I've seen. I am pretty sure their website lays out their sequence somewhere.

I'd put spelling on the essentials list. The other subjects can wait IMHO so long as the kids are reading (& being read) a vast amount of good books!

No free, but the Dover coloring books are so cheap that they probably don't cost much more than the ink would cost. . . and they are so lovely. . .

My own laptop that the kids aren't allowed to touch. . . and a wireless network. . . and comfy couches everywhere!

:party::party::party: I don't know if I posted on any of your earlier threads. . . but I just wanted to let you know that one more virtual stranger is so happy for you. I not only have read all the threads, but stalked your blog for photos, and kept stalking the boards here for updates when you were hoping/praying/trying to add her to your family. . . I felt your excitement, worry, devastation, and finally, elation as the process went on. . . and I am so very happy for you and your family. What a blessing you must be to your daughter. . .and how very right that she is with you. Some things are just meant to be! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

I love their cores (we have used 1,3,4,5,6 so far and 2 & 7 this coming year). . . and we really enjoyed Science 4 and just bought an older Science 3 for my youngest. I like how the science is all scheduled and it has a nice balance of texts and many experiments. I don't want to use most of the science years b/c I won't have Apologia in my house. . . and they've incorporated more and more YEC materials in their science years. (E.g., the 2007 Science 3 has all secular books so far as I can tell. . . but the 2010 has a creationist DVD + what else I don't know). . . But, if you are a creationist and don't mind some of your science books to be creationist, it seems to me that the younger science years are pretty well done. Once they get to 6th gr or so, it goes to Apologia, and I personally don't find that an acceptable science program. So, I guess my advice on SL Science is to check out the book lists (amazon, etc.) and if the book lists look good to you, then I would expect you'll love the science b/c it makes great use of the books and ties everything together very nicely. For me, there are only a couple of SL Science years that are a good match for us, but I definitely am happy to take advantage of those few years that match up with my needs and wish there were more I could utilize. I tried LA 4 once a few years ago and failed utterly. I haven't tried it again, but Core 7 incorporates LA into it, so I might do that LA this year. But, I believe that from 7 & up, the LA is simply writing assignments, so that is very different from the younger years. For me, the LA was a total bust.

Or Sonlight 6, then 7! It's very nice, IMHO.

Will your lender run the numbers for you to show you how long you would pay if you added $ to your payment each month to add up to your current monthly payment. I.e., it is a new 30 year loan. . . but if you add that $150/mo to it, you might have it paid down in 22 years instead of 27. . . If you plan to stay in the house more than 5 years, it is probably worth refi-ing; if you plan to stay more than 10 years, it is surely worth it. . . It is harder these days to make it pay to refi b/c of the higher fees and, of course, with that huge tax you pay in your state. Before the mortgage crisis, we had been able to do a refi with TOTAL fees of under 1/2 % of the loan balance, so going from a 6 % to a 4.75% loan was a no-brainer and paid for itself in under a year. . . Now, there is a longer "pay back period" b/c of the higher fees and taxes. It's a shame. Talk with your banker and see if they can run some numbers for you.

Gosh, i liked it. . . but you are totally allowed to drop it! There are many great books. . . choose another!

WOOHOO!!!!

What's your favorite? TIA

It is also entirely possible to download to your PC through broadband, then plug in the cable and transfer to the Kindle. It is very easy. I figured it out in under 5 min last week when we were out of the country. . . You might want to go ahead and figure it out since this will be a routine issue. That way you get your instant gratification. . . It really is EASY.

ACK!!!!!! That is horrible on many levels! Especially since it seems to me that many if not most hs'ing families on this board continue math year round! How bizarre!! Do you have Peggy Kaye's Games for Math book? I suggest getting it from the library or purchasing it and spending 20 min a day playing math games. She has many for mult. tables and many for most/all other K-3/4th concepts. There are so many fun ideas. All you need is household items (paper, pen, dice. . .) and a few minutes. So, I'd play math games daily for 20 min or so. Good games can review and preview math concepts, broaden understanding, and get some fact drill in, too -- all in a super fun way. Then, I'd spend 5-8 min a day officially drilling facts. Personally, I like triangular flash cards & wrap-its for daily drill. . .mixing in calculadders and various freebie online worksheets to mix things up. Drill systematically, not randomly. Ie., Master x2 first, then add in x10, then x5, then x3. . . meanwhile you are KEEPING the "mastered" ones by spending, say 30-50% of your drill time reviewing those ones and the other 50-70% of the time on the "new" ones. THEN, I'd spend 30 min a day or so on your main curriculum. (I would be sure you have continuity here. If you have something you are happy with, stick with it. If you are jumping around, then rethink that and try to make a careful choice this year.) Since you've had a long break, you'll likely want to start at the beginning of a year/level . . . and from now on I wouldn't take more than a one week break, EVER. If you must take a longer break, I'd at least spend 10 min/day on math just to keep things fresh. HTH

If LoF was working, you might just go with it. FWIW, all of my dc learned long division in Singapore -- at 3A -- which they each completed around age 7. Not one of them batted an eye. Not one blink. Learned it in a single lesson and kept chugging along. So, who knows, your dd might do just the same with it. So, anyway, I don't have big answers on the personality/behavior issues. They sound common for high IQ kids. . . other than to keep trying to find challenging and interesting curriculum choices. So, if LoF works, do that. . . If something doesn't work, change it. Don't make it "easier" but DO make it more interesting and more fun! And, don't forget that the drudge work of memorization may well be just as hard for her as for a lower IQ kid, so plug away at it slowly and regularly w/o demanding rapid mastery. My youngest child has the least frustration of my kids in her schooling, most likely b/c I have learned from the olders to make sure to include regular, careful drill work in a timely fashion, so fact mastery is achieved painlessly and before it inhibits her progress (i.e, master multiplication tables before doing multidigit multiplication, etc.) HTH

Thanks for posting! I ordered a few days too early for my youngest & Island. . . but I was going to order Voyage this month, so I'll go ahead and get it now so I can get a free Classics in the Classroom. Yay! THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is why I like to employ household helpers (and nearly all staff) by the hour. . . It is so much simpler to ask for certain things to be done a certain way, as I am paying for being picky. . . It is so much simpler by the hour! I hated having by-the-house cleaning help b/c of those kinds of issues. . . I felt guilty if I left a bunch of dishes to be done b/c that wasn't "their job" and I felt resentful if they missed the inside of the microwave b/c is *was*. . . Paying by the hour eliminates those concerns and simplifies it so much. Employing people requires the willingness to supervise unless you getincredibly lucky or you have very low standards. . . Nearly all employees will slack off and do as little as they have to do if not supervised and coached. This is universally true IME. Ask me how I know, lol. So, you have to put on your "boss skirt" and politely, firmly, tell your employee what you want done and what was in error. This is very uncomfortable at first.I hate it, but there is no way around it. It does get easier with practice. I.e., upon her arrival next time, you say, with a smile and a firm, polite voice (NOT apologetic!!!): "Susie, I noticed that after you were here last Wednesday, most of the house looked awesome, but there were still dustbunnies under the beds and the microwave interior was dirty. I need you to be sure to get to those things every week. If something comes up and you aren't able to get to everything on your list, please let me know what you've missed when you are leaving. Thanks so much!" Rehearse that as much as you need to until you can be confident and polite. Repeat, repeat, repeat -- correct errors as soon as you find them. Make the correction short, polite, and very clear and absolutely unapologetic. (Exception to unapologetic. . . in the case of a housekeeper, you can sometimes get away with blaming the dh -- and sort of apologizing for HIM b/c he is so silly, but that gets risky b/c if you instill fear/dislike of dh, the housekeeper may well quit. I know mine has quit several other homes where she felt uncomfortable around the dh. If you want to try it, you have to be careful . . . Perhaps a "You know, John is a fruitcake about dustbunnies! I think his allergies are just driving him up a wall and he's on me about the bunnies under the beds. Can you be sure to get under there really well from now on? Thanks so much!!!!!!!" I have used this approach on certain topics that were true. . . as in "dh is so crazy about laundry detergent! His eyes popped out of his head when I put it on the list again already! He seems to think I can do 80 loads of laundry with this little box! I found this measuring scoop that is just the right size for one load. . . Can you use it please? Thanks so much! Sorry to be so silly! I swear, we should make dh do the wash for a week and see how much detergent he'd use! Geesh!" [Note that the box of detergent is labeled for 80 loads and my dear housekeeper would use it in 20 loads if I didn't steal the scoop that comes with the box as soon as I open the box and replace it with my carefully selected plastic scoop that holds just the right amount when filled to overflowing. . . I *agree* with dh that dear housekeeper uses an inordinate amount of detergent. . . I just DO NOT CARE b/c the cost of the wasted detergent isn't releveant to me in comparison to not rocking the boat with dear housekeeper who is sensitive to criticism!] [You can likewise blame to kids sometimes. . . as in, "Wow, I'm sorry the kids are such slobs and keep exploding spaghetti sauce inside the microwave! Yuck! Can you be sure to get in there really well every week so I don't get queasy when I go to make my tea? THANKS!" -- Note, you are not apologizing for telling her what you need done. . . you are just apologizing for silly other people!] If the "job description" is unclear, you might need to walk the house together and write up a list of tasks to be done. When I used a by-the-house service, they had a detailed room-by-room list of what was to be done, so that was done for me. If this is a more casual arrangement, and you don't have a written list, maybe you need one. My rules for happy relations with staff: 1) Supervise (see above). 2) Be sure to find opportunities to thank and compliment. I tell my housekeeper ALL THE TIME how "awesome" "amazing" "fantastic" she is and how I love how beautiful she makes my house. . . how peaceful I feel after she leaves me with a totally tidy home, etc, etc. These things are all true and heart felt. 3) I also take time (say 10 min most days) to chat with her about her life and mine, no matter how busy I am. I am sincerely interested and sincerely like my staff. . . But, it is easy to be so busy you ignore/forget to connect. It makes a world of difference to take this time (nearly) every day. So, if you follow rules 2 & 3, then the infrequent corrections given via 1 will not sting so much. A reasonable person will respond and will comply with your guidance. If they are impossible to train, then you will have to get rid of them and try someone else. With the new person, be sure to follow rules 1, 2 & 3 fanatically the first 2 months so as to set good habits. HTH