There is a supply list in the MFW Families group files, but it is from 2006. Not sure if the guide has been updated since then.

My parents support us because they would support me in just about anything (for which I am soooo blessed). They worry about the impact on me, such as lack of personal time, but they see how well my kids are doing and how they get to pursue their interests. My in-laws are another matter. I don't think my FIL really cares either way, but my MIL (DH's stepmom) has voiced her opposition from time to time, about how kids need to learn to live in society, deal with problems, etc. I mean, they are seven and four and she wants them to be bullied on the bus or something?? I have no idea. I do my best to ignore her, be cordial, and be grateful that she doesn't try to influence them another way. But, she spends tons more time with the other grandkids (who attend an exclusive private school) versus my kids. Sigh.

This is very encouraging to read! We are in our first year of CC, and I want to continue. To the poster concerned about expenses, I agree that the initial investment is big. The Foundations Guide is $50 and timeline cards add up to $100, and tin whistle is $10. You don't need the other materials (science book) unless you are a tutor or just want them. You may be able to find someone who is finished with Foundations and is willing to sell you materials at a discount. Ebay sometimes has materials, too. Or, if you are going to be in the program for a while, you use the same cards and guide year after year. So $160 the first year equals $40/year if you are in the program for four years. Hope to hear other responses about people's CC experiences.

I have a part-time nanny/housekeeper. I work part time (one day a week) and also have some mild health concerns. We are very blessed to have her help. Her first priority is my son with special needs (who is a toddler and not homeschooled). Next comes taking care of all laundry and housekeeping and getting snacks and food ready for the kids. She works three days a week. I do not expect her to do anything with homeschooling other than check on completion of assignments on occasion (as in , let me see your math workbook). She will sometimes help my DD with spelling words. But to have someone who does laundry, cleans, and makes snacks and lunches on the days she is here (and sometimes dinners) -- this is such a Godsend. It involves a lot of communication and expectations, as well as regular conversations about what is going on, what is/is not needed, etc. I do school four full mornings a week, and then the afternoons are free for playtime, catching up on work, my dr appts or my son's therapy, etc. Hope this perspective is helpful.

My adoption experience was with an infant. However, I have heard great things about these books: Toddler Adoption: The Weaver's Craft by Mary Hopkins-Best. The Connected Child by Karyn Brand Purvis

Very sweet picture! They all look quiet and focused -- two things that rarely happen at my house. :)

My son w/Down syndrome has a big belly and very short legs. So we have to get much larger pants and hem everything. As I am still dressing him, the snaps/buttons are not an issue yet, but I am sure that in a few years he will need more elastic-waist things, as his dexterity may not be that strong. On the other hand, my typical seven-year-old hates snaps/buttons on pants and jeans. Luckily the "jeggings" and leggings are in style for girls right now, but even then, we have to take care for things to be modest and not too tight.

I have been very pleased with McRuffy Color Math K. I'm doing it slowly with my four, almost 5 year old. Sweet and simple and easy for mom and kid to follow.

Have you looked at My Father's World or Heart of Dakota?

I really liked Heart of Dakota (HOD) Little Hearts for His Glory. Easy planning, my daughter loved it.

Oh, this post is just what I needed. I've been having hot flashes off and on for a few months, and the past two weeks my eyes have been SOO dry. I couldn't even put in my contacts for an hour or so after waking. Welcome to 40, huh? Thanks for the tips. I will try drinking more water and getting drops.

Here is the Redshift link. The workbook pages are just what I think you might be looking for! http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/fancy.htm#workbook2

Yes, yes. Taper. Slowly. Get a pill cutter. Start slowly -- half a pill one day, 3/4 the next, for a few days. Then go to just a half, then rotate half and a quarter dose for a few days. Then just a quarter. Then a quarter every other day. And be prepared. It is painful to come off depression meds. You will feel dizzy, disoriented, etc. You may feel "brain zaps," which only those who have felt them can relate to the term. It gets better, but it is not easy. Asking gently -- is now the best time to go off meds? Is another med a possiblity? (I am on Lexapro, and it is very helpful). Hope your doctor calls back SOON. Good luck.

I struggle with the issue of how much the government should help others -- especially those who REALLY may not be able to help themselves -- the elderly, disabled, victims of horrible abuse, etc. My son has Down syndrome. As he is a child, I accept responsibility for him and his expenses. Though he is eligible for Medicaid, we keep him on our private insurance and pay for all that we can for him. We are saving to meet with a lawyer to have a special trust set up for him to cover his future expenses, similar to the college fund we have for our daughters. I hope that he will grow and live in some level of independence. But if something happens to me and my husband, I don't know if my other children will be able to care for him. What, then? Will there be a group home for him? Will there be a social worker available to help him? No one wants to pay for another's expenses if that person is undeserving. The question, however, is what defines "help" and what defines "deserving." This is hard, and I truly, truly hope the leaders of our country find a way to cut the crazy spending that is going on, while still considering "the least of these" among us.

I have a family history of celiac and asked my primary care doc to do the celiac panel. I had a positive blood test, and then a few months later had an endoscopy. The endo showed no celiac. So I went to a different gastroenterologist and requested the blood test again. It was...negative. So a single blood test cannot always be indicative of the condition. Might I have mild symptoms that flared up on a particular day of the first test? Perhaps. But the two subsequent negatives (over the period of many months) showed me the reason why there is more than one test for celiac disease. Also, it is best to keep eating gluten in order for the effects to be shown on the endoscopy. Talk with your doctor about getting the test quickly so that if there is celiac, the diet can be started quickly. I hope that you are able to find answers quickly. Best wishes.

I recommend these: Yahoo group you'll need to join with great stuff: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hannah_hs_helps/ Paula's Archives: http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/SOTWmenu.htm And this blog: http://livelearnandlovetogether.blogspot.com/2010/04/sotw-2-my-massive-book-list.html Hope this helps!

Elemental science for Physics is very hands-on -- lots of fun activities to go along with very light reading. My brother (a physics professor at a large university) really liked it when he looked at it over Christmas. He said that he would have loved something like that as a kid.

I REALLY appreciate all of the input here. It seems that the mastery approach is more what I am looking for. Thanks for all of the suggestions. I'm going to pull samples and read reviews of different programs you all listed for mastery learning. We'll see what might be a good fit for me and DD. Thank you again!

Thanks for that perspective. On thinking about it, it may be easier to switch to something like MUS than a total shift like RS.

OK, after looking at Right Start, it is definitely hands on. I think my 4-yo would like it, too, as she's into songs and fingerplays. But wow, that would be a big shift. Maybe that's what we need? Off to read reviews of RS. Thanks again! Gwen

I grew up in Fairfax and loved the atmosphere -- culture, music, etc. DH and I lived in Greenbrier when we were first married, just west of Fair Oaks. Unfortunately we moved away in 2001, and so I doubt any advice I have would be worthwhile. But I hope someone else here has some suggestions! Blessings, Gwen

Thanks for all of your replies! Regarding DD's math -- when I pulled her out, she seemed to know next to nothing. Basic addition was beyond her -- yet she was reading very well, and so I know she was learning something at school, just for whatever reason math did not "click." We spent a lot of time with addition, trying to get beyond counting fingers (though she is still there a year later). Subtraction is still a struggle, and today's lesson on more vs fewer was a struggle (Matt has four cars and Dan has two -- how many more does Matt have?). If I put it right in front of her -- four blocks and two blocks -- she can get it. If there are four blocks and two blocks drawn on the paper, she is not making that leap yet. I appreciate all of the comments and suggestions. I'm still not sure what to do, but I will look into other options that may be more visual and hands-on. For now, I decided to take a break from Saxon for a week or so just for my sake, and we're doing other things like time, money, etc., through games and other hands-on things. Thank you very much!

I pulled my daughter out of school half-way through last year (first grade) and discovered she was woefully behind in math. We spent the rest of last year trying to catch up with basic concepts. I used Singapore 1A, but at some point it got too much, too quickly, for her. So this fall I decided to do Saxon 2, since many of my local friends use it. DD does OK with it, though she says she doesn't like any math. But Saxon drives me BONKERS. The meeting time and script seem SOOO long, and then the concepts seem all over the place -- temperature one day and subtraction the next. And then only a few problems to work on each concept. I'm wondering about whether I should just grit my teeth and keep going, or try something else to make it through the year? If I switched, it would probably be to Math Mammoth, since that is solid and inexpensive, or go back to Singapore and just spend more time on each concept. Does anyone else not like the all-over-the-place nature of Saxon?

I enjoy CC for the accountability, the social aspect, and also the science and art/music, which I am not good at providing at home. I have a different distraction -- a child w/a disability that requires a lot of attention, appointments, etc. -- and so I am grateful that, at least one day a week, I know that my kids have consistent structure. We listen to the memory work CD in the car and follow some of the science and history along at home. For us, it is a good balance of home and school!

Our CC group offers nursery available for a fee as well, though moms with babies often keep them in a sling/stroller right with mom. Because we are there all day (I tutor Essentials in the afternoon) and because my youngest has a disability, I use an at-home caregiver for him on CC days. Hopefully when he is bigger and doesn't need such one-on-one attention for things like feeding, etc., he can join us at CC.