Do any of you have links that you would share for old standardized tests online? Thanks!

Thank you! I did not think about getting tests from around the country. :) Great idea - I will start another thread to see if anyone else has links to their tests.

I would pay off the $1000 credit card first, then the dental, then the other $1000 debt with no interest... Then you can pay as much as you can on the car to get that down quickly. Of course, that is my opinion and only if you have the money to pay them. If you do not, then I would reconsider which debt to pay off in a different order. Good luck :)

Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end :grouphug: We have just gone through my husband being laid off due to funding cutbacks. I understand. Hang in there :) I am a firm believer that everything is for a reason (even though it is impossible to understand at the time) and hopefully something much better will come your way soon.

Thank you Karen and all... This is what I was wondering about. I have heard some discussion of supplementing Singapore for different reasons. I do have some test prep books and one thing that caught my eye was a square root problem which we have not seen in her math yet. I think it will be covered in 5. I suppose the next best thing is to get a sample test and go through it for anything we may not have covered. Thanks again!

Thank you!

Can some of you share your experiences with me. My daughter is at the end of 4B now and our goal is to get through 5B by July next year. Meanwhile she will be taking the 5th grade standardized test this year. I am wondering if I need to supplement any other math with Singapore in order to ensure her doing well on the standardized test. It is my understanding that Singapore is above grade level, but I wonder if it teaches all of the math standards that the states have adopted. I appreciate any advice!

This is a wonderful article. Thank you OsmosisMom for sharing. :)

After my 3rd (with my oldest being 4 years old) I was mentally finished. However, I found that I was very sentimental with ending nursing and all of the milestones that we marked. About 3 years later I got pregnant again. This time the sentimental feelings were gone. I felt extremely blessed but I really felt that I was finished. I was not sad to quit nursing or sad to get rid of the baby things. I felt really blessed and thankful for my family, but did not have any desire to have a baby again :) I think it is just a feeling that everyone will feel differently.

:iagree:

My husband is using this site now to find a job as well (He lost his about 4 weeks ago too). But this site (indeed.com) is great! It pulls jobs from many other sources. It is hard when a family is already on one income and then this hits. It helps me to remember: Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end ;) Hang in there.

:lurk5:

I have a set of Meet the Masters book and art cards in small folders. I have steps 1-8. I am reading some posts about Meet the Masters that you all have on CD and questions regarding using the program on the computer. Does anyone else have the older edition with the art cards? Any advice on the quality of the program? Thanks!

We actually bought ours at Habitat for Humanity. If you have a store nearby, you may ask them to call you when they get some in because they sell so fast! But we paid $25 for both of ours. When we priced them new they were over $100. We did not compare brands or anything. You can not adjust the temperature (like a thermostat) but you can turn the wick down which will use less kerosene and put out less heat. So yes the amount of heat produced can be adjusted. Good luck in finding some!

We have 2 kerosene heaters which we use to save on our electric. It really helps. We keep our heat very low about 62 and then turn it down to 58 if we are out for the day in the winter. We dress warm and when we first come in from being out, we turn on the kerosene heater to warm up the living room. We also use it when the power is out. We just have to remember to keep kerosene on hand in case it is really cold and the power is out. I was worried about the safety of it as well when we first got our heaters, but we have not had a problem. I think ventilation could be an issue if you are using it in a small room. We have a large open living room/kitchen and sometimes we will crack a window.

I agree with your statement on being narrow minded. People who are narrow minded can be on both sides of the political fence. :001_huh:

Emma, We are in the Chattanooga area and it is really beautiful right now. Coming up from the coast you will either have a straight shot into Knoxville or Chattanooga. Knoxville is near Gatlinburg (very touristy) and Cherokee NC which is nice because it is a Native reservation. BUT, if you come into Chattanooga area you will see the Nina and Pinta (Columbus' boats) as they are docked at River Park right now. Near Chattanooga there are several state parks. Our favorite is Red Clay State Park which is where the Natives held their last meeting before heading out on the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma. If Native American history is of your interest, there are Indian Mounds just off interstate 75 in a state park in GA. If you take that route you can stop at rest areas just north of Atlanta and ask for info OR google it and you will find the info. Chattanooga also has Lookout Mountain. There is a lot of Civil War History here. Good luck with your planning :)

If you are anywhere in the south and can drive north to Cincinnati it is worth it! We are in TN so it is a days drive for us. The ultimate field trip about slavery is to drive up while discussing the underground railroad and how people had to travel (walking this distance) at night. Then once they reach the river they were able to obtain freedom. Just to see the river and think about the people to found a new life there is just amazing. Cincinnati is full of museums too!

I see how my words can be misunderstood. This is why it would be a much better conversation face to face :) No, I do not think that one has to travel in order to vote. That would be very intolerant indeed. I just think that if one is educated in world issues (which traveling helps that, but not necessary) then they are better able to understand the issues at home and politically are able to step out of a bubble that so many are in. That does not necessarily make one liberal - it just opens one up to see other sides of issues a little better. I also realize that not everyone who travels the world is educated. I was just answering the original question with my opinion of my own life I suppose. I was raised very conservative 'following the leader' and not encouraged to travel or learn about other cultures, religions, ways of life, etc. for fear of being brainwashed. It was when I began traveling that I began to learn about ME and about the WORLD and where I fit into this world. It was eye opening to see that everything does not revolve around America and we are just a drop in the bucket in the great scheme of things... I guess I better stop before I say too much again :) It is a good conversation and it is refreshing to see every ones views. M

I have been pondering this since Sunday :) We met a man who is taking one year from work and donating his time and money to Habitat for Humanity. He is paying his own way and donating the supplies for each house he is building. I think this is a project where they put 15 people together for each one. He will be spending 2 weeks in each place and will be gone for one year around the world. Something like this would be my first idea right off... :)

You might check this one: http://www.thefarmschool.tv/fsah I am not sure about their testing, but they are very liberal so it may be a good fit. Good luck :)

I think traveling makes one more educated. I do not know how one can actually vote from their own opinion if they do not know what the real issues are in the world. Here in America I see many people just watching their choice of news station and feeling that it is 100% true and they are persuaded by what they see and hear. I feel like traveling makes one more liberal overall, but that is not necessarily always the case (missionaries, military, etc). I think if one is traveling to explore the cultures which is how we travel then they are going to learn more about the world and it will make a difference in their lives politically because they will be more educated about the world and they will learn about themselves by being in different settings. However, if one is going to tourist resorts and hot vacation spots then they are really not leaving home. Just going to a fancy hotel in the weather of the other country. Personally, I see that as a waste :confused: when there are so many beautiful countries, lands and people to meet! So much to learn!!:auto:

We have been watching on and off all day. It is such a wonderful story of bravery and dedication to each other on behalf of those miners and their families. This has been several great lessons (geography, science, culture, language, etc) for our homeschool. We are watching the 28th miner now and it is so awesome! Definitely a great story amidst such horrible news that we see every day :)

Thank you all for the ideas. We will see what we can figure out :)

We are thinking of a few days in London within the next few weeks. We have 4 children under 10 and it seems almost impossible to find anything reasonable. Here in the states we can usually get a double room with 2 queen beds for $50. I know that there is no way we can go that cheap, but I need ideas from some of you who have traveled or lived in the London area. We would be willing to stay outside the city :) A family hostel would work GREAT for us so that we could cook our own meals. Thanks!