Get the newest iPad you can afford with the most GB possible. I do quite a bit of shuffling files back n forth because of my 16GB limit. If I had to pick, I'd get a slightly older iPad with more memory. YMMV.

I studied Latin for only one year and I still find it useful 30+ years later. Looking at roots to derive meaning, learning French, scientific nomenclature. And organizing my brain. It helped that too. Knowing Latin has helped me see how languages are organized and that helped me learn Turkish, even though it's not a Latin language, but Turkic.

I'm going to see it this week. I could use a little brain candy.

This book for poetry? http://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Poem-Fall-Poetry/dp/0156005662/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366501534&sr=1-1&keywords=how+to+read+a+poem

DD (5) uses it primarily as a toy, but she hasn't realized that many of her games are at least mildly educational (Starfall, Reading Raven). I have a lot of curricula, book lists, notes on it. On PDF: Miquon, MEP, Telling God's Story, and the CHOLL supplements/curricula to go with SOTW. Sassafras Science Zoology and WWE to be ordered, as well as the SOTW Activity Guide. Oh and Scholastic Readers from the $1 sale. Podcasts from SWB. PDFs to go along with courses from The Great Courses. Kindle app and a gabillion books, including 2nd & 3rd editions of TWTM, TWEM, SOTW, reference books and classics. Audible app for audiobooks, almost all children's books or classics. You Tube videos for DD and me: TED talks, classical music, SWB Q&A videos, etc. Overdrive app for electronic library books (mostly for me). Drawing apps to work on handwriting and to use as a white board for math. Yes, most of this could be accomplished on the laptop. But one does not simply cuddle up to a 5 year old with a laptop. An iPad, yes. Also we are not in the US and don't have access to a library or much of an English language bookstore. Ordering books for delivery is problematic. When DH first gave me the iPad last fall I had no idea what I was going to do with it. Now I use it constantly.

DH or MIL. Both are excellent at listening and letting me get it out, then moving on. I'm not good at venting verbally so it's almost always an email. They've learned to read and sit tight. If I don't say anything else, they know it's a vent. If I pursue it, they know to do more.

That was the rule in one of my elementary schools. I was caught talking and the punishment was to take my tray and stand on the stage (combined theatre/cafeteria), holding my tray, waiting for the meal to end. Nope, I couldn't eat, or put the tray down. Just stand there, a la Jane Eyre on her stool. Once lunch was over I was told to bus my tray and return to class. No more lunch for me that day. Never spoke during lunch again that year. Moved that summer to another state.

Thank you thank you thank you!!! I've registered with touringplans.com and making mental lists. Both girls are "girly girls" if that helps.

Thank you everyone! I've been buried in the Unofficial Guide. I see Bibbiti Bobbiti Boo in our future, pins, autographs, Lord knows what else!

I'm overwhelmed. I tried to navigate disboards.com and my head exploded. We are planning an August trip. Yes, I know, hot as hades. We are from Texas and Turkey so I'm not too worried about that. We want to stay on site. I'm pretty sure we want Disney dining. Fairies and princesses are very popular and character dining with these folks or classic characters (Mickey, Pluto) would be ideal. Obviously, we want to maximize fun and minimize costs, but this is probably our one shot at Disney. I'll have DD (6) and her "cousin" A (9)., DH, and for a part of the trip, grandma. I'm overseas so I can't get the free DVD and planning guide. What is Magic Your Way? What is Park Hopper? Where do I start?! Aaaaiiiigggghhhh!!!!! ETA: The last time I was at Disney World was 1977. Epcot wasn't built yet. I'm horribly out of date.

I great big puffy heart Ellie! She has been helping me too. Thank you!!!

You're not too old. I began learning Turkish at the ripe old age of 40. I'm far from fluent, but I'm functional now. DD was an infant when we first moved here and it was hard getting lessons, but we found a tutor that came to the house and taught me while DD napped. When that wouldn't work, we got a mother's helper to watch her. After a while (a year?) we stopped the tutor and I just began learning from the TV, housekeepers, shopkeepers, friends. Like others, my Turkish is functional, not abstract. I can shop, bank, travel, communicate with DD's school. I cannot discuss politics or the meaning of life. That's ok. Maybe one day I'll get there, maybe I won't. All that to say don't give up, and find some help. You need to be able to communicate and the mother's helper is worth it to achieve that. :grouphug:

Awesome!!!

Left!

And I loved both of your posts! My curricula has to fit in a cupboard, so I'm trying not to buy ahead. Right now I'm concentrating on the "bones" - reference books, Cuisenaire rods - and next year's curricula. It helps that DD also attends a B&M school, but because we are overseas what I teach is not covered in her school, so it's like she's dual enrolled already in kindergarten. But it also means I can not worry about science, music, art, French, Turkish. I can focus on history, English reading, writing, etc., and math because she's struggling. Off to cull the toys....

No. No I don't. But we're just getting started. :)

Ms. Ellie - I have received my WRTR 6th edition and read it - cover to cover. I'm overwhelmed. I can tell this is the program that will work, once I figure out how to get it to work. I can also tell that this is the program used with me when I was a young child. "Her first nurse works early" has stayed with me 35+ years. I'm thrilled to know this is that program because I know the way I was taught worked. (Folks here are amazed at my spelling abilities in English. Apparently I'm a rare bird indeed.) Here's the deal, and this is where I'm getting overwhelmed. There is nowhere in the 6th edition that says, clearly, start HERE, go THERE, and then go over YONDER. I get that there's a Spelling Lesson, a Writing Lesson, and a Reading Lesson. I get that you start with the Spelling Lesson. But it's not clear to me when the Writing Lesson is added in, or when the Reading Lesson is begun. Also - it's not clear to me when Kindergartners start writing the primary notebook vs. learning orally, or when they start writing Rules 1-9 vs. me teaching them on a chart or whiteboard or separate notebook. If I was in the US I'd probably just punt and buy the Kindergarten Teacher's Guide, but I'm not in the US and getting the manual & cards shipped here cost more than the cost of the manual and cards themselves. I now understand why y'all were so keen on the 4th edition, which I have not seen. The 6th edition is clear as mud about what to do when for whom. Help? if you can just point me to the right sections/pages, I might can figure it out. I'm going to dig in again tomorrow. As confused as I am, reading this manual just makes me happy for some reason (I know, I'm weird, but it's so familiar!).

Kathy Kuhl is your SIL?

So glad you are happy! It's a great feeling!!

Thank you!! You are wonderful!!

Preach it sister!! Funny you should mention the ProClick. I think I'm going to go with Rollabind for our books exactly because of the A4 paper issue. When I'm in the US I'm going to LOOK at the punch to be sure it can accommodate A4 paper and then drag it back here with the discs. I emailed Rollabind and they assure me it will work, but I have to see it first. I could order from the UK, but it is so much more expensive!! Until then it's binder clips and staples for us. I'm just grateful we go to the US periodically so that I can look at things and bring them back.

Gave up and ordered the set from England. Fudging it is only confusing my poor already befuddled DD!

I'm with you. I still have nightmares about palmetto bugs flying through the air. {{{Shiver}}}

Call him a kindergartener and carry on. If someone questions you, just tell them, he wasn't ready.

This. Exactly. Meals are wonderful, but naps and showers are heaven-sent.