Exactly! Then they would actually develop their own style. They could use the instruction for adding the dress-ups but then not be required to add them to every paragraph. But when they are doing a re-write they could add in one here and there to make their writing better. I really do like how IEW teaches the dress-ups to the dc...and that I don't have to explain it :D He makes it very easy to understand how to do that...but then once they've practiced it then not to make them add it to every paragraph.

This is what we're doing...so far...everything is subject to change, right???:D We started with IEW. I like how it helps them pull just a few words in the KWO BUT I want them to be able to go back and write from their outlines at a later date and I don't see that happening with KWO and my dc. ;) In the last month I think I have listened to almost all of SWB audio lectures. (I still have the Writing for Elementary Years and High School to listen to but listened to the one for Middle grade and also the first one I think called Writing without Fear.) Anyways.....my head is so full it is leaking out my ears. One thing I do remember...SWB does not like the dress-ups and my dc hated them....so we ditched the dress-ups. She said that she would prefer a child to develop their own style. Also my dd likes to do the creative writing but my son would rather have us pluck his eyeballs out. SWB says that creative writing is not necessary for each child but expository writing is. So I have the newest version of WTM and we are going through her outlining section. They love it. I believe their prior use of IEW has helped them to outline like this - looking for key thoughts/main ideas (plus the Q's in the book that she tells you to use). They really like doing this. When they get really good at this then I will have them write from their outlines. Not sure when that will be for my dd but I'm hoping my ds (9th) will be doing that in about a month. I really don't think it will take him that long. The one thing that I really like about SWB outlining is that you use complete sentences. Technically they could put it together and make a paragraph easily from their outline...might have to add a few connectors, etc. but from a 3 Level I think it would be really easy.

yep...I have all of those too and really like them. (the mp3's) I have them on my iPhone and listen to them everywhere trying to get them into my head. Not that it is hard to understand but I have a child in each level also. We also have IEW. My dc love watching him and he has given them a desire to write, so that is a good thing, but they hate the dress-ups. It was so "freeing" to hear SWB say that she didn't think doing the dress-ups was a good idea. So I'm going to be supplementing IEW with SWB ideas until we're done with IEW. We started doing some outlining instruction today...and they actually LIKED it!!!! (well my ds said for school it was ok, LOL)

My dd had hers out about a year ago. One word of advice from her best friend. Don't eat anything you really, really like at first because that food mixed with the taste of the blood can ruin it for life. :D So dd chose Jello - something she liked okay but could live without - she hates the stuff now. Her best friend ate mashed potatoes I think it was and can't stand the taste of them now. The other thing...keep those ice packs on all the time or as much as she can stand. It really helped with the swelling. Good luck - my dd (the same one) gets one of her teeth pulled and the implant post put in next Tuesday. They say it's not a big deal and she can go back to work the next day...I'm hoping so. :tongue_smilie:

My oldest has three baby teeth with no adult teeth behind them. On next Tuesday she goes in for her first implant. They are not cheap let me tell you!!! I don't even want to think about what we have paid over the years for her dental work. She did wear braces too - and is a faithful retainer wearer every night :001_smile: She has also had a root canal and assorted other dental procedures. My son was told he could wear braces but they were not necessary and our ortho told us us that unless he was willing to wear the rubber bands all the time it really would be a waste of our money. He opted out. Fine with me since his teeth look fine. He said that when he is older (in his 60's) that he may have a problem with some wearing on the tops of his bottom teeth. I figure he can handle that then....but for him to have to wear the rubber bands...oh what a fight that would be. My other dd the ortho says she needs braces and he is ready to put them on her but I need to get through the implant with my oldest first...there is only so much $$$ to go around. KWIM?

Oh I agree....I have bought all of her MP3's in the last month...got 3 more today to listen to. Listening to her speak and then going back and reading sections in the book has helped me sooooooo much in the past few weeks. I think I may finally "get" it!!!

Thanks...I'm really struggling with some of these issues in our home also. I bought those two mp3's. I think my biggest problem is not only are we doing a new curriculum - we are also changing our philosophy of schooling. Those types of changes don't just happen overnight and I don't need to be discouraged or think something is not working just because I need to "tweak" things or even radically change what we are doing. Well I got one to download - it seems the whole "store" is having an issue right now...so hopefully I can listen to this one and when I'm done the other will be able to download, LOL. :D

Another fridge/freezer in the garage....we live in the south....it's hot.....no problems with my fridge except that sometimes it gets too cold on the top shelf and explodes cokes.

We use Entourage Yearbooks for our group. We do about 100 books with approximately 120 pages. They also have a website so that anyone in our group can upload pictures for us to use. The software that we use is called FotoFusion and you work offline and then upload your pages to a central storage server and then either the editor (that would be me) or they (your assistant with the company) will access them and put the book together. Our books cost $25 last year.

That was my problem with Skedtrack - it's online, sometimes I can't get online and therefore it is not a help. During our first week of school our DSL went out. Thankfully my dh has connections (he works for the company, LOL) and had us back up and running in a few hours...but I didn't print everything out because you can only print a daily sheet. I need a weekly sheet because of how we school. I'm looking at HST+ because I think you can print out a weekly assignment sheet and I am interested in being able to keep grades, etc. since my ds is in high school this year and I want a good record of his grades and transcript, etc. I don't have to keep a record of hours for my state, so that is not really a problem for me. Right now I am back with a weekly planner from Donna Young. It is working right now and I love each of my dc having a copy of their weekly work right in front of them. I am hand-writing it in right now...so if they lose it....well then I'm in trouble - or rather I have to re-write it for them. So that is not going to be happening long. I just don't have enough time right now to try and learn HST+ - hoping that I can in about a month.

For very difficult places I use the blue painter's tape. Otherwise a brush with a tapered edge and a steady handy. I really don't like to use the tape too much at all....just for tricky places. But I have a pretty steady hand and can draw a straight line ;) My dh, not so much :lol:

So glad she is ok!!! I have never heard of an eye swelling with fever.

Well, we totally changed up ALL our curriculum this year. We were doing total ABeka. Now not one book is ABeka. :lol: I had heard about IEW several years back but had heard it was pricey....this past spring a local HS friend told me her success story with it. I had the opportunity to listen to the TWSS dvds this summer with her and we are doing SWI B. My dc LOVE this class and are actually WRITING!!! I never thought we would be doing anything "latin" buuuuut we are doing First Form Latin and it is a HUGE hit!

I really like one that I use from Donna Young. You can type in whatever you want for the subjects - simple and flexible. It's what works for us.

Welcome to the Hive! I've only been here a few months...but this is a great place!

I taught ABeka in a private school, then taught my oldest dd most of the way through her education using ABeka (took a break on 5th, 6th & 7th grades) and then went back and did total ABeka to 12th. After that I decided that I really, really did not like their math. She made straight A's on their math (did the DVD school and turned in her work) and still had a hard time on the math part of the ACT. She scored fine, but just barely. Then I heard from a few others that had the same problem. So that and the fact that my dc HATED to write ANYTHING really got me searching for alternatives. We switched to Teaching Textbooks. So far my dc LOVE it. If it will just give them a love for math and that they understand what they are doing I will be delighted. My ds is doing Alg 1 and my dd is doing Math 6. She probably could have tested into it higher, but since math has always been an "issue" subject for her (she can do it just hates it) I wanted to make this year a bit easier on her. So she completed 5th grade ABeka math. I think at the lower grades ABeka is just fine...but I'm glad we made the switch when we did. I really wasn't looking forward to teaching my dd 6th grade ABeka math. One of the curriculums that I did use when I made the switch with my oldest dd in those grades was to Shurley English. What I really liked about it was learning the question/answer flow. That opened MY eyes!!! I was finally understanding grammar!!! When we transitioned back into ABeka I used that information to teach their grammar but I always felt they taught it in the wrong order. In my quest for a grammar program this year I came across Analytical Grammar (and they have a Junior program also) that totally agreed with my idea of order. So far we are into the first few weeks but they are really understanding what they have learned and are enjoying it. I am also using what I learned with Shurley to help teach it though...:D It's a major habit for me now. For writing we are using IEW...now that is probably the BIGGEST HIT for them. They LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that class. Who would have ever thought??!! My ds who is writing challenged (meaning that his idea of writing a complete sentence is "The dog ran.") :lol: has written several paragraphs and hasn't complained the FIRST time...not once. We are doing SWI B. They look forward to watching "that funny guy." Back to ABeka writing. It was so dry and the writing prompts only prompted tears and temper tantrums. This is what began my quest into really looking into a classical education. So far we have not been disappointed. The other big hit for us has been First Form Latin...they really like that class too and are really doing well.

great neighbors are such a blessing!!!!!! We have some great ones that live next door and the people that lived there before them, my ds and their ds are still good friends even though they moved several hours away...they Skype all the time! Now the ones across the street...not so much. I just had to tell the one young girl to stay out of my yard. She was being destructive and she and her friends had been cussing out my son and his friends. They boys were ignoring them and continued to play their game so they came into my yard and were grinding their shoes in my newly grown grass. I was not pleased.

My dh takes car of the vehicles. Although dd does take care of hers - taking it into the dealer to have the oil changed - hers sits really low to the ground and it would have to put up to change the oil - just easier this way. He changes the oil in both of our trucks, takes care of any repairs, etc. The dc do clean it out and wash it though. I put gas in it. I have dropped the truck off for tires - but he takes care of all the details. I just tell them it needs new tires and showed them which ones my dh had already chosen for my vehicle (he wrote several brands down on a card), they gave me the prices, I called dh on my cell and let him talk to them. Then I pick it up, LOL. Oh...and he works about 60 - 75 hours a week. We have "farmed out" some of the other chores that he used to do when he didn't have to work so long. (meaning the dc and I pitch in and do them) :D

My dh did this about a year ago...he is off all meds. Makes cooking a pain at times...but worth it.

Do you know the name of the site? The above url doesn't work. Thanks

Oh good....we were posting at the same time. Guess I'll have to keep the stick close :D

That sounds great.....does it work on Windows 7? I ordered it - I have a Mac and also another computer that runs XP - so no biggie for me if it doesn't...actually it will help keep them OFF my computer, LOL. :tongue_smilie: But mine is where we do school...so that would keep things a bit more centrally located for me if it does and I'll just have to beat them off it with a stick :D

mine has too.:hurray:

Yes...maybe that was the problem....I also copied it from the post in bold. The next time I just typed it in. Thanks for helping:001_smile:

Tried it again and it worked...thank you for posting it!!! This is exactly the type of vocabulary program I have been looking for. I am excited about using it with my 9th and 6th grader.