Okay, it's been 3 months since I posted this. I've improved in many ways - I've got a menu plan so there is less time wasted figuring out meals, I'm using leftovers or convenience type foods for lunch. We are going out less - have cut outings to piano lessons one afternoon and 1 day off for errands, fieldtrips, group meetings etc. I've been working at teaching the kids to move on if they are stuck. Thank you so much for your many suggestions; they've been very helpful. By the end of every day, I still look back and wonder who didn't get what they needed that day. Every day, it will be someone who didn't get all of their subjects or that we didn't get to art or tea time, etc. I can't seem to fit everything in that I want to do. Am I expecting too much? If you have 4 kids from preK to 7th grade, how much time do you think it would take to get all subjects finished if the kids need help with LA and math?

I am working on the HPotter series. Have finished books 4 and 5 this week.

I"ve heard that before that most pple think BW is for kids who are already good writers (creative writers.) I think that happens because of what you just described - freewrite vs outlining. I wonder if you would use each in a different setting? I think of outlining when writing something in an academic setting. I think of freewriting if I'm journaling or blogging. I can't really imagine freewriting a science paper on the Krebs cycle, KWIM? How do you see IEW fitting into the mix? It seems to straddle the two a bit. Dress ups, etc like BW and key word outlining like SWB outlining. If it does straddle the two, it's ironic that pple sometimes say the IEW produces writers that sound similarly. thanks for discussing this!

I agree with all that you've said. BW never mentions outlining at all. IMO, that's the biggest difference between the programs. . .

I've read TWJ and my 12 yr old is taking KWI this month. He is finishing week 4. I've been rereading TWJ and I see now how to do so many of the things that Julie describes in the book. I really needed to see it done in order to do it. I've been outlining TWJ again, this time really understanding the process. My kid is a boy and he will write but he doesn't LOVE to write. So far, the class has been good for him. There was one exercise that bombed but otherwise, I've been very pleased to see what he has written for the class. It's also helped to see what other kids his age are writing. I'll take a stab at the differences between TWJ and SWB (my 7 and 10 yr old are doing SWB - WWE and beta testing WWS.) SWB focuses on copywork, narration, outlining and writing from an outline. She picks interesting snippets of stories for these processes. Each day, there is something new to do so the kid doesn't get too bored. SWB has the kid writing something. The focus is on writing, not thinking of what to write. Bravewriter uses the kids' interest and focuses on writing games, freewrites, noticing good writing (hooks, musical language, etc.) copywork, dictation, finding errors in writing, keen observation, revising. She uses the kids' interest to pull out of them what to write. Bravewriter seems more about what to write than the process of writing. In fact, she's pretty loosy goosey about grammar and focuses on good writing instead. I don't know that one is better than another, they are just different. I use SWB for my youngers because she has a book that tells me what to do everyday. Both programs use copywork and dictation for this age so I don't really see a difference in them for young students. I use Bravewriter for the older kid because SWB doesn't have a book and Braverwriter has a teacher's guide (TWJ), the arrow on her website, and classes. I suppose I picked my plan more on who will tell me what to do each day rather than a decision that one technique works better than the other. In fact, my only drawback to Bravewriter is that I wish she had a workbook. I'm interested in hearing what Capt_Uhura has to say about the two programs.

My 4th grader was born Sept, 2000. My state's cut off is Sept 30th. Most private schools have a cut off in Aug. I struggled with where to put him. He is bright but much more creative than my older son. My 10 yr old enjoys playing more than learning and is just now working hard. I decided that I could always move him up a year but that it would be painful for both of us to move him back.

I'm using it for my 7th grader. He reads it independently.

my kids do daily grams with WG. for writing, we use WWE and bravewriter. My 7th grader is currently taking the KidsWrite Intermediate class online. We loved WG and I'll be doing Adv WG with the 7th grader next year.

I am reading the Harry Potter books. I've been waiting for my boy to want to read them. I've read 3 this week. Don't ask about my laundry.

we started NEM1 but it wasn't a good fit. I forget who on the forum made this recommendation but it's been wonderful for us. My son is doing Lial's Basic College Math and it's been an EXCELLENT review for my kid. It's challenging and yet doable. I purchased the 7th edition from Amazon for $5.

Still finishing 1000 Gifts on Kindle (non fiction) I really like this. So often, books about thanking God seem to be written by people who haven't had all that much pain in their lives. It's fairly easy to say God is Good when good things are what are happening to you. It's so so hard to say God is Good when it's pain and loss that you are experiencing. Not only does Ann Voskamp talk about this problem, she lives this problem. I was drawn to the book because she has had such a difficult journey and struggles. Her writing is very poetic and soothing. I have begun The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet: A Novel (fiction) http://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Autumns-Jacob-Zoet-Novel/dp/1400065453/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294757628&sr=8-1

This has been my son's facial hair experience. He kind of enjoyed the comments at first because the other boys wished they had facial hair. Then wild hairs started sprouting on the jaw, chin and sometimes neck. He began shaving. Shaving seemed to improved the pimple situation as well. Boys' facial hair is seems easier than deciding whether or not girls should shave their legs and when.

Peter Walsh's book http://www.amazon.com/Its-All-Too-Much-Living/dp/0743292650/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1294491961&sr=8-3 It's all too Much was inspiring for me. He has a schedule for decluttering monthly: Jan - Christmas decorations Feb - File cabinets / Rolodex Mar - Spring Cleaning Apr - Basement Storage May - Outdoor items Jun - Bedrooms Jul - Kitchen / Living Room / Dining Room / Bath Aug - Back to School supplies Sep - Season Switch - closets Oct - Winter Preg / Garage Nov - Holidays / Plan / Party Dec - Relax Here's another declutter calendar that gives you something to clean out every day http://www.mysimplerlife.com/

Sonlight core 5 is a peek into the eastern hemisphere. You can get a ton of books from their booklist. Winter Promise has a year like that as well but I forget what it's called. We did Sonlight's core 5 last year and it was really fun.

Thank you so much for this advice. I have a PhD in science and sometimes I forget that what motivated me was a love of science from exploring nature as a kid, and not a text book.

I'm loving my new kindle. I'm currently reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. http://www.amazon.com/One-Thousand-Gifts-Fully-Right/dp/0310321913

how painful! they are bad enough one at a time.

my kids only get 1 canker sore at a time, so if your child has more than one sore in his mouth, I would suspect HFM. If it is a canker sore, zilantin is the best stuff. Tastes horrible but works like magic.

http://mrswizard.blogspot.com/ blog about kindle books and tips. always tons of free books suggested. http://manybooks.net/ 29,000 free ebooks thanks for the thread!

I didn't really consider Apologia because it is young earth / creationist and we are not. Are there any other general science texts appropriate for middle school?

I"ve been reading a lot of threads with suggestions for the 8th grade year. One of them is that you use a science text so that the student gets used to using a text. This is something that appeals to me because we are planning on sending our child to a private high school. We have used SL science until this year (we switched to Noeo Chem) and have covered many topics. Since we've covered several topics and most recently Human Body and Chemistry, I"m looking for a science text that reveiws many science topics for next year. Does anyone have a science text recommendation that would be a quick review of topics?

After I'd had my first baby, a boy, my girlfriend came by with a gift for the baby. Inside the box was a pink frilly dress. I asked her if she knew that I had had a boy and she said yes. I really didn't know how to respond.

My girlfriends and I do this every year. Some ideas of things that have been made: rosary truffles etched glass with candle food stuffs ceramic st. nick wine charms planter with mosaic tiles embroidered towels lotions & hand creams good luck - I know this is hard, but it sure is fun to see what everyone makes. Our kids all draw names and make handmade gifts as well. Every year, I'm shocked by the imagination and ability of the kids.

I have been in your situation twice. My first breech baby flipped at 38 weeks. My second breech baby wasn't breech until my water broke at 37 weeks. When labor didn't progress at home, I went to the hospital and discovered that she was breech. I had to make decisions pretty quickly. My OB would not do a version. He said they rarely work and are pretty painful. I'm sure the fact that I had no amniotic fluid was also a factor. He suggested a vaginal breech delivery. (I had already delivered 3 babies, the largest being 10 1/2 #, pitocin induced and epidural free so he knew that I could handle the delivery.) I went with a breech delivery. Because my water had broken, the clock was ticking. Know that a breech baby does not put the same pressure on the pelvis and so I had to have pitocin when my labor didn't progress. The pitocin is ugly but a shower and encouraging nurse are like magic. The delivery was pretty easy. I will warn you that if you go for a breech delivery, it will have to be in the OR. They wheel you out of the room when you are close (8cm) and things move pretty quickly. Also, everyone will want to come and see a breech delivery so you may end up with an audience if your spouse isn't shooing them all out. Also, the delivery is super fast and it doesn't always force the mucus out of the airways during birth. My baby stopped breathing a few minutes after she was born. The nurse was watching for this and had her suctioned out and breathing in seconds. It did mean an automatic night in NICU for the baby though. I would encourage you first go to a chiropractor and give the Webster technique a try. I have never personally been to the chiropractor, but I have taken in an infant for constant ear infections and she was immediately ear infection free. I've also taken in my son for constant headaches and he improved within a few weeks. Chiropractors are generally inexpensive - mine cost $25 a visit, and non-invasive. If your baby remains breech, go for a breech delivery. I had an emergency appendectomy last year and I'd never willingly go through abdominal surgery. The recovery is so much worse than a vaginal delivery! Good luck!

I'd look at their coverage map to decide http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/#?type=voice I live in an area where my previous cell phone would not work but my iphone works great. My sister in WI has had the opposite experience. If you are getting an iphone, the people at the store should show you how it works and what apps are. Then, you can search "apps" here and you'll find lots of suggestions as to ones you might want to add to your own phone. HTH!