I'm with SKL on this. 3D is the way to go for a 2yr old. Don't ever recall mine being bored at that age - just supply plenty of hands on stuff to get into. This is the time to be exploring the world around and warm weather presents great opportunities. One of my favorites was a pail of water & a brush on the sidewalk or wall. Chalk is great, as is tempera paint outside. Practice colors painting the grass. At the beach we did shapes in the sand. Count flowers, leaves, pebbles. Plenty of time for books later.

First step if you don't want to bury him in the back yard is dig the hole in the front yard. ahem, seriously now, the hole might be just as much for you to find your quiet place. My situation has been extreme at times, so I'll give you some basic wisdom. Family counseling: especially helped to understand that we are normal parents with normal expectations. Helped me to know I'm doing the right things plus added some good tools. Remain as calm as is inhumanly possible. Keep an escape hatch open. It helps if your son can see a safe way out. Be accessable. For me, the key has been open communication and availability. I am the safety person, base, trusted with whatever, I do not judge (at least outloud). We worked this out with the counselor & it really helps. Talk Time is your friend. Sometimes we just sit & don't say anything. Usually, the gates open, a crack at first, and all sorts of goo comes out. You wouldn't believe what sort of stew is brewing inside their heads. Be consistant with your message, whatever that message is. The first one (from toddler) was "I can't hear you when you scream at me." Still using it. Another is "it's okay to disagree" and "you can disagree without arguing." Give him some tools to help manage his emotions. These will vary depending on your kid: run, walk, dig, bang, count, recite, etc. For ideas, get some books, move on to counseling if necessary. For some reason, they absorbe more info when it comes from someone other than a parent but make sure everhyone on board with the steps. This will help in the talking phase and with consistency. I read a ton & learned a lot. Most important, stay as calm as is inhumanly possible.

I've ordered a ton from them & never had a problem. Great prices & I like having an Amazon alternative. If this is what it takes to keep their prices low, and selection high, okay by me.

K12 Algebra 1, online (after my DD refused to have mom as a teacher). Kid figured out how to 'pass' the test by working through incorrect answers. The choices never changed so it was a matter of trial & error. Caught up to her in the end though & when she went on to public school the next year, they tested her math & guess what - she got to do Algebra again!

Both of my kids are in public high schools now (for different reasons), but I homeschooled through Middle Sch. I started both on Saxon, primarily because the style was a good fit for me (taught math the way I learned math). However, due to their different learning styles I ended up using different a curriculum for each. The Girl ended up liking Saxon very much & she used it through Algebra 2. She's very methodical and needed the constant review. She likes math, but it does not come easy and is very happy that her Sr. year will have none! The Boy is a completely different story. I think he dreams in math and the constant review in Saxon made him crazy. I let him try several books & he ended up liking Singapore. Started with Primary, then moved into Discovering Mathematics. He really liked the way things were explained & it contained material that allowed him to push beyond the regular lesson. He also supplemented with Kahn 'just for fun.' I'd let your son look at the options & see what he likes. I would focus first on what's a good fit now and change later if you need to. I found with both of my kids, in multiple areas, their learning styles changed as they aged and the most important thing was to keep them currently engaged. As for the level, in my experience, it's a lot easier to skip through an easy book and move up quickly then to go backwards if the book is too difficult. Have fun with your math wiz, what a bright future he has. If you haven't already, you should also look into FIRST Robotics. Mine has been heavily involved in since he was about your son's age. Good stuff.

Wow, great report. Thanks for taking the time to do this. I'm going bonkers right now looking for a school that has a sailing team and film studies - not an easy match!

Code.org is a good springboard resource for coding with links to Scratch, Code Academy, Khan Academy & more all in one place. If he likes programming, he might also enjoy robotics - check out your local First Lego League robotics competitions, or they probably have a team at your local elem. or middle school. You don't need to be assiciated with a school to start a team & the most successful are homeschoolers due to the time involved. As for the film, the best way to get great at any art is to practice. A good way to keep him regularly producing is to start his own youtube channel & set a goal of how many posts he'd like to add per week/month - and remind him, anything is better than nothing. Sounds like a fun kid, enjoy!

Our living/dining/kitchen area is an open plan. The table seats 8 & allows much spreading of books & paper & now laptops. Also requires things to be put away before dinner - good for us as it would just turn into bigger & bigger piles. Science/chemistry labs require the kitchen. Bookcases are near enough & I have enough cabinet space that they each have their own shelf (they loved this when they were young). Kids have nice desks in their rooms & occasionally use them - more as they age. We also go outside on nice days. We don't have a room to convert to a class, and our style is loose so it works. I generally let them work where they want & that will vary.

Sometimes, but we all seem to be much happier if I relax about it. If it helps you find a happy place, go for it - you could find solice in a lot worse.

and maybe borrow a book & compare. Here are some reviews to get you started: http://soundmath.wetpaint.com/page/Math+Expressions I started w/ Saxon for both then switched to Singaphore for my boy. They both work great for their different learning styles. I think I reassessed what we were using almost every year but ended up sticking with those. I let them choose beginning in about 6-7th grade. The girl is starting public HS & tested into geometry easily. I have heard the same of my friends using Sing.

Generally not workbooks. I keep some writing and and science lab notebooks because I like for them to look back & see the progress, but not much else. My state has loose requirements & mine do very well on annual assessments so I'm not worried/don't care about officials ;).

The college question has been brewing for quite a while, in part due to the ever increasing cost. Now, with general revenue's down, those costs will increase even more. State U's have begun limiting enrollment for in state's, giving more time for out of states & internationals, who pay more. The other part is the quality of education. Small, private (& very expensive) schools are still doing a good job, but with the ever increasing numbers of students large univ's. are cranking out (on ever decreasing budgets), are they really getting an education, or are they just taking a bunch of classes? I think the big question at the end of the day (or 4-6 years), Was the money well spent & how long is it going to take to pay back?

People have done way crazier things for their religion & as long as the result is peace and happiness I'm okay. I will not watch the show though, I have way better things to do with my time.

I get on FB maybe once a month & don't always post. I like it to keep in touch with friends I don't see much & post the odd travel pics. I don't go on more because I generally don't care to know about so much everyday stuff. Either way, it's there when I want it, & I'm happy to not even think about it otherwise.

All of the above, but my favorite is w/ peanut butter on grahm crackers. Great emergency car food.

Mine snores too & I use earplugs & add Tylenol PM if necessary. If I really, really need a good night's sleep I use the couch (which is extremely comfy). I am also encouraging him to get help with the snoring as there could be serious health issues on his part. He's tried many over the counter things & they seem to be hit or miss, but are generally helpful.

40. I had my youngest @ 39.5 & while it was okay then, it's getting harder for me to keep up. Fortunately, I'm very fit & can still go snowboarding, surfing, windsurfing etc, but they're pretty darn good now & usually end up leaving mom behind. The old dog does still teach them a new trick now & then.

Great Gatsby, then watch the movie - young Mr. Redford, ahhhh.

Great job, and 1 in 12 is probably at least as good as would have survived in the wild. We've done it many years & it never get's old. I like to release them outside near the path lights (attract insects) then everytime we see one we like to think it's one of our 'babies'. Living in the woods has it advantages. We also have fire-belly toads which have laid eggs for about 7 years running. Getting enough small insects is the critical factor & I've improvized some pretty good methods that don't involve petco if anyone is interested.

I'm not a piano teacher but my mum'n'law is & she bought an electronic keyboard for my kids. It's full size and has all the features of a piano (including weighted keys) with additional features that are very much enjoyed by all, including headphones. It sounds beautiful piped through the stereo, is easily portable and consumes a fraction of the space. My husbands family includes several professional musicians and they all have electronic keyboards. My mum'n'law does have a grand, but she also has at least 2 electronics. I'd pay double for an electronic version of a saxaphone! :lol:

My dd went back part time last year because her attitude had became so bad at home. She was also having trouble dealing with difficult girls (heck, at that age, they're all difficult) in her outside activities. My husband is gone 50% of the time and she really needed to be accountable to someone besides me for everything. I hate to admit, but Middle School has been great for her. It's a small school (150) and they're really on top of the behavior issues and spend tons of time giving them the social tools they need to cohabit. I could not have done a better job.

Depends on the school, and unfortunately ours is not an option. I keep mine involved in a local homeschool group and other activities so they have lots of friends spread all over the place. My daughter just started p.s. part time and loves it, my son only wants band. I think our involvement with many outside groups is crucial for fulfilling their social needs.

I agree. As young as your kids are, it should be more fun. Perhaps you're trying too hard to get stuff done because you think it ought to be. We just blew off a whole day chasing and videoing an old steam locomotive that I heard going by. They then did a little internet research, and edited the clips into a little movie. Totally unplanned and totally fun but not at all a wasted day. Lighten up, loosen up & chase a train every now and then. That's why we homeschool, right?

Gertrude Bell, Queen of the Desert. An inspirational story of a friend and contemporary of T.E. Lawrance who did even more amazing things and got little credit. I have loaned this one out to several and everyone has loved it.

Follow his lead and let him read for the joy of it. My dd was a fluent reader at 4 but is only average now. My ds only wanted to be read to untill he was 8, and went straight to chapter books. He tests in the 99% of kids his age. They both require a grocery bag for trips to the library. To each his own as long as they love books.