...was it worth it? How much more did you love it? TOG- was it that much different than Sonlight? TOG- Do you plan to do it through high school? We've done Sonlight now for 6 years and I'm thinking about switching to TOG for my 7th grader next year. Also, I have another child that will be going into Core 3 of Sonlight. Would you suggest I switch her too? What about the Cores 3-6 I have sitting on my shelf waiting her? Is the cost to switch programs worth it in time and money? I really need to step it up a notch with my 7th grader next year, and while I really like the looks of the Veritas Press Omnibus, frankly I don't think he will be ready to handle it in 7th grade (maybe 8th or 9th). :) Right now for my soon to be 7th grader I am considering two options: 1. Switching to TOG- and continue through high school. (possibly both children) 2. Continuing Sonlight (with supplements) through 7th or 8th grade and then switching to Omnibus.

For my son grade 6, age 12: History/Readers- Sonlight Core 6 + lots of library books. For history we follow the daily reading schedule, but do it The Well Trained Mind way. Once day a week he writes 5-6 most important facts. Another day, he outlines 4-6 pages of text. He also writes one report a week on a history subject using library books and the internet. When he finishes a reader or read aloud he writes a summary. Math- Singapore 5A, 5B, 6A (We switched to Teaching Textbooks from Singapore last year. Terrible mistake, now having to catch back up with Singapore.), last summer did Life of Fred Fractions, this summer will do Life of Fred Decimals and Percents. Science- Apologia Botany and 100+ Series Science Enrichment 5-6 workbook Foreign Language- Latina Christiana I and Elementary Greek I Grammar & Language Arts- Growing with Grammar 6 and Keys to Good Language 6 Writing- Write-at-Home 6th Grade Composition. (This is an online writing program with a coach.) Expensive, but I really like it. Spelling- Spelling Workout F Logic- We started the year with Critical Thinking Book I, but he was not quite ready for this, so after Christmas we will start working through the Bonnie risby Series. (Logic Countdown, Logic Liftoff, and Orbiting with Logic) Geography- Sonlight Maps (I copy them from the instructor guide and he labels them.) He will also work on a couple of maps and geography workbooks of some sort (like Scholastic Success with Maps) prior to the Stanford achievement test in April. Timeline- Sonlight Timeline Bible- We started with Sonlight Bible, but just switched to Bob Jones Bible Truths 6. (The older version that starts with the Old Testament.) He also takes notes and outlines 1-2 sermons a week at church, plus works on whatever his Kid's Club assigns. Music- Orchestra, theory, and private violin lessons once a week. Violin practice for 1.5 hours a day. (He also helps her sister with hers.:)) We do our regular school work 4 days a week and travel to orchestra and violin one day a week.

No. Wow! Thanks!

Will check them out! :)

Yes, this one might be what I'm looking for.

Yes, I have read the TWTM, The Core, and Teaching the Trivium, and we are already following the classical method with Sonlight's books. :) While I like teaching history with a lot of historical fiction type books in the lower grades, I want to distance myself from this in the upper grades. I already have most of the books for Core 7, and I know my son will really enjoy these for pleasure reading. (He's a voracious reader.) For required school use though, I really want to go in a different direction. The reading this year in Core 6 has been very light for DS, and were are constantly supplementing. We really need to step it up a notch next year.

I just left their website to check this tread. :)

I've been slowly digging my way through numerous threads, and could use a little organization and direction please! We've now used Sonlight through Core 6, and I think I would like something different for the upper grades. I would like to go in a more classical direction for history and readers. I could really use a list of classical curriculum, so that I can check out websites, catalogs, reviews, etc. Would someone help me make a good list? :) We are Christian, so Christian material is not a problem. Secular is ok too.

Thanks for all the responses! Over the past couple of years the gift giving on DH's side of the family has finally gotten under control. :hurray:(One year we actually had to buy a present for DH's second cousin's live in girlfriend. :glare:) It's been nice just getting together with the family without the giant mounds of presents. Talked with DH and we're going to just draw the line at married and call it good- although he's a wonderful nephew and we just love his new wife. But husband says we have to draw the line somewhere, and he doesn't want him to feel obligated to buy us or our kids gifts, especially if they have kids in the future too.

We used RS Latin for a year. A complete waste of time- we learned nothing but how to guess well. My #2 biggest curriculum mistake. I spent $200 on it too, and could not resell it (a whole other story). Even free, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone but my worst enemy.

If not received by Christmas I'd ask.

We've always bought presents for our nieces and nephews for Christmas, even while they were still in college. One of them is now an adult and married. Now I'm wondering what to do. What do you think- gift or no gift? What does your family do?

I've used seven cores with Sonlight. There is only a book here or there that I will remove and replace. I do it with two GIANT tweaks- I chucked the comprehension questions and vocabulary. Instead, I just ask a few questions of my own. With my younger child I have her do dictation, copywork, and narrations from our reading. We use the globe instead of the markable map. We've also tried different vocabulary programs over the years. Starting this year for my older child, I do the history reading aloud and he reads both the readers and read alouds to himself. (At his request.) My older child is no longer doing the copywork dictation thing. One day a week he writes down 5-6 most important facts from his history reading. Another day he outlines around 4 pages of history text. For two days he works on a history mini-report from his reading and library books. (1-2 pages.) I also copy the Sonlight maps and he labels them as we go along. Both children use the Sonlight timeline too. We no longer do the Sonlight LA, Bible, or Science. If life gets in the way and I'm rushed for time, I occasionally will have my older child do the reading to my younger. He will also listen to her read aloud. I try not to do this too often though. Hope this helps!

Yea, I don't want it to be even close to buzzed in the back. That's want I didn't like that much in the first picture I posted. It was a little too short. I'm looking for a stacked appearance, height at the crown, longer layers to frame the face with a distinct angular look. I actually wrote that down for when I talk to the stylist. :D I wish sites would post more pictures of the backs.

Thank you. I like the one with the sharper definition. Nice.

I often find my kids do not pay that close of attention to their surroundings while shopping. For that reason, I've taught them to get out of the way quickly if someone says excuse me.

of the BACK. My hair was once a stacked bob- I think. Over the last few cuttings it has changed. Not sure what it is now. :glare: I'm going to find a different stylist next week and get it cut yet again. I think it is called a stacked or wedged bob. I'm unhappy mainly with the back and need to get it straightened out. I can't seem to find a good picture of a stacked or wedged bob online that shows a good view of the back.(Maybe I'm calling it by the wrong name.) I also like how it takes a sharp angle up from the jawline to the back. Can anyone point me in the right direction. Here is the closest I've got:

Our paperbacks now look terrible. They get slept with alot, son goes to sleep at night reading. :D I would still get paper back though, so you could get all three.

Next time you might try one of those $10 gingerbread house kits that you see at the store. Everyone can work on the same house together. They are pretty easy and quick. I put the house together, and they stuck the candies on. I bought a few extra candies though for variety.

Growing with Grammar

These are my son's favorite books. He's read the first and second one at least 10 times each. The third was his least favorite. The first one should be easy to find. Even our Walmart had it.

You can color them, but not with regular food coloring or even the cake kind that comes in the Wilton jars. It takes a special kind of coloring for candy melts. I think it maybe has to do with being oil based. Jo-Ann's should have it with their melts. It is usually sold in packages of 4 jars, they are about half the size of Wilton's. Primary colors may me your only choice, but you can mix those.

My old diamand is around .25 I think. A necklace would be my first choice. Do you think that is too small for a single pendant? Would it look weird?

I feel the same way. It meant so much for me that my husband of 20 years wanted to buy me my dream ring. It was all his idea. I would have been fine with a plain gold band. My son on on the other hand was less than trilled. He'd been lobbying for a new bass boat for a year. Poor child, I'm wearing his bass boat. :angry:

This is another reason that we decided to go with a whole new set. I only wear white gold, platinum, or silver now. BUT, I found out that there is really no such thing a white gold. Gold is not white, it is still gold colored. They take gold and add some other metals to it. (This tones down the gold color some.) Then they plate it with rhodium to give it that shiny chrome like appearance. Except for a few pieces you will find here and there, most white gold has been rhodium plated. This is done to 10K, 14K, and 18K white gold routinely. I had no idea about this before my three month ring buying adventure. Google rhodium it is very interesting- I had no idea. Anyway, now to my point. A lot of people take their gold rings to a good bench jeweler and have them polish out the scratches and rhodium dip them. $35 dollars at our local jeweler. It is not quite as white as the white gold you see at the stores, and it may have to be dipped a little more often. Google it for more information. I was just shocked. Had no idea.