:grouphug: I'm winding down my first year as well. It was really, really hard with the bickering and crying and no breaks for mommy. A few months ago I frantically researched the nearby charter and private and other public schools. Well, the good charters were full and we can't afford private and other public schools would be about equivalent to the one where they were. So, I'm homeschooling again next year. Once I made that decision I did feel more peace. A side note: I noticed in ps that my dd would make frenemies. I was concerned that she was actually one of the mean girls. :001_unsure: Having taken her out of that environment I've noticed that she plays really well with girls of all ages now. She is much kinder to her friends, too.

Thank you again for your responses. I guess a change is in order for my poor ds. He really seems to have "on" and "off" switches. I've found low blood sugar is definitely one, but there seem to be others and I haven't figured it out. He did have an IEP for reading/speech at the ps, and he is actually due for a new evaluation. I would like him to get a psych eval, as well. Now that summer break has started it probably won't happen until October. CLE looked good, but I'd prefer something secular, or more subtle, like the Horizons I got for dd. I enjoyed your blog on TT. It looks like a good program; however, I would be concerned our poor old computer might rebel. Sometimes I'll put in a game or something and the computer just shuts down. Maybe I should just use Horizons for ds.

Anyone? :)

bumping myself ;)

So ds9 has been plodding through Saxon 5/4, first edition, this year. As a background, he does have a ld and I suspect dysgraphia. (I write out most of his lessons to save like an hour of time to make it more like a worksheet for him.) His last test he got 13/20. When we went back over it he understood his pretty petty mistakes. I'm surprised how many new concepts are introduced at the end of the book and I'm wondering if the next level will have ample review built in, and yes, I'll try to find one of the earlier editions to try to remain consistant. He GETS most (although, frankly, not ALL) of the math, except when he's unfocussed and "off", but he's also easily frustrated. Math time, for the most part, is frustrating for him. So...for next year- should I get something else altogether, repeat the last third or so of 5/4, or keep going to the next level?

Thanks for posting this. I'm now attempting to get it through inter-library loan. My ds almost 10 is scared to death of being alone at night. He went through this phase when he was much younger, but got over it until he saw a scary movie about two months ago. He insists that his little sister sleep on the top bunk every night. Even with her in the room he will cry to sleep on our floor. Which wakes up his baby brother with whom he shares a room. So then there are two kids crying, an angry sister who wants to sleep, an impatient mom, and a furious father. Maybe I should explore therapy. ETA: I didn't mean to intrude on the discussion. Carry on...

We used to live across from a home where a man butchered his wife while their two little daughters cowered in one of the rooms. He was let off on a temporary insanity charge. This was long before we moved in and we didn't know it until another neighbor gave us a book written about the case. It creeped me out whenever I thought about it. I guess the house sat empty for two years before anyone would buy it. I would never buy a house knowingly with a history like that.

I want to encourage writing this summer, especially. I would have a mutiny if we didn't take a break from school, but both kids need to continue to practice their writing skills. We are in sunny Arizona, if that makes a difference. :) DS enjoys history and science. DD is creative and crafty.

Thank you so much for all of your responses! I've pm'd a couple of you. I'm slowly getting a big picture gathered for next year. I wish our homeschool conference wasn't late July- I would love a chance just to wander looking at the curriculum NOW. I have a really hard time implementing programs that aren't already laid out for me. They just don't seem to get done properly, if at all. This last year I just sort of tried to organize my own science, which was my son's absolute favorite topic, and it just didn't really happen toward the end of the year. I will be looking at several of your recommendations. Thank you for all of your help!

:) lol.

Ironically I just hosted a shower for my bf over the weekend. It's her third child. She and her husband have been having a rocky time- they lost their house and currently live with her parents. Their marriage is a wreck. They had given away everything after the second never intending to have another baby since her pregnancies are so difficult. She needed everything again. In your case I would send a very inexpensive gift - towel or onsie set- if you can afford it. Every baby is a blessing.

:tongue_smilie::lol:

Thank you training5 for your links and others for your responses. Maybe I'm just a workbook type person at heart as I actually find skipping between books just one more thing to keep me disorganized. I'm not sure if speeding up DS9 in WWE would work, as his spelling is so bad; I'm spelling out every other word for him during dictation. He does very well with the dictation in AAS when the rules are freshly presented. Actually, both children are poor spellers. I was actually planning to continue spelling through the summer, but I'm just burnt, as are they. So do these curriculum choices include enough writing? They also will be attending an enrichment program next year that includes messy science, art, pe, music, computer, and library. I feel this will round them out a bit better, too.

It LOOKS really good, but in my first year already I've bought two curriculums designed by homeschoolers that just didn't seem really professional. They were designed by moms, it seems, not educators, per se. Neither one worked for us. Maybe the ideas worked well for their own families, but the presentation just wasn't organized/professional enough for me. Also, there don't seem to be a whole lot of reviews on it yet, and I'm not sure about the jumping around from different "living" books. I wish I could SEE it first, or at least read more reviews. Part of my challenge has been ds1 who would rather climb on tables and scream for mommy than sit for long working on any project. This pretty much leaves nap time to get the most accomplished. I'll spend more time reading the other comments once ds1 is tucked in for the night. ;)

I am ending my first year of homeschooling and we have decided to hs again next year. There have been many successes- my son has fallen in love with history. His spelling and penmanship have improved markedly. My daughter has made progress in math. Most of the year I felt scattered, despite my best efforts to incorporate the file system the first part of the year. I'm very concerned that we didn't do enough writing. I used WWE1. That's it. Nothing else in any other subject. Ocassionally I'd throw in a couple of odds and ends- thank you notes (narrated to me and then copied), etc. Eventually, I got a couple of Evan-Moore workbooks because I felt panicked. I'm afraid both of my kids are woefully behind their 2nd and 3rd grade peers. I feel embarressed for them when it shows- and it's my fault. (They both started the year behind, but I thought they would make a lot more progress than they did.) Side note: My ds has some dyslexia, and I suspect dysgraphia, as well, since he's always fighting me to tears, at times, but doesn't mind doing things orally. So for next year: WWE2 (already started this about 2 weeks ago- is this really enough writing, though? Where else should they be incorporating writing?) AAS3+ Easy Grammar Elemental Science (not decided on this- I think incorporating the writing portions would help with writing, but concerned about the professionalism of the curriculum) Saxon- whatever comes after 5/4 for ds and continuing on through Horizons2 for dd Undecided with history- used MOH1, but just read aloud and didn't do many of the side projects Any suggestions for a latin roots vocab type workbook? I need things to be simple, or I noticed I just can't get them done. :o No platitudes, please, I really feel like I need help in just organizing my curriculum. Thank you so much, kind Hive. I've posted far less than I lurk! In fact, when I find time while working nights, I catch up on all the talk. :)

Yes! Please post when you have taken a look through it! With MOH, I just read the chapters to the kids and take the little quizzes orally. I stopped doing the projects 2 months into the school year. As a new convert I'm afraid I wouldn't have the discernment the next cycle through to tweak it myself.

Bumping again for you... I'm rather confused about what to use next year in my history rotation. I used MOH1 this year, but not sure if that would be a good fit next year. I've had my eye on Connecting with History, but I really need an open and go curriculum, so I'm not sure if that will work. Also, the world is a big place and I don't want ONLY Church history included.

Goodness- I was sooo profound and deep in high school. Some of the "poetry" and what not is so embarrassing to read today. Egads, was I pretentious.

I used the Diva for several years. I LOVED it, since my flow is soooo heavy, once I got it working right. Unfortunately, after this last pregnancy things just seem more .... loosy goosy, and it tends to slip. Then I discovered Super Plus Plus (or something) tampons. I haven't looked into other brands of menstrual cups, but there's probably one that would fit better for me. Or, I could just religously Kegel. :tongue_smilie:

I signed the kids up for a local enrichment program through the school district. It's one day of PE, science lab, art, music, etc. Although it's a 30 minute drive both ways- it gives me a day with ds1 and freedom for me. They've only gone for a month, but I love it and so do they. I've signed them up for next year already.

Pineapple?! Raisins, yes, I would expect that. But, I'd prefer it didn't... :tongue_smilie: Definitely walnuts...

My in-laws adopted a springer pup once. It snapped at MIL multiple times and growled at dh who was like 5 at the time and MIL was expecting. It only liked FIL. They had to take it back to the breeder since MIL was afraid for her baby. That being said, they have had three others without problems. And, my BIL has two with no problems. We have a mix who is jumpy and goofy, but he's a good boy. We are a springer family. They are gentle family dogs- but do need a firm hand when it comes to jumping since they like to "spring" on people. (In-laws not good about that and I've gotten scratched multiple times by their exuberance - the dogs not the in-laws, that is.)

T-mobile. I use a cheapy phone from Target (totally bare bones) and buy minutes as needed- I manage to eek out about $30 over two months.

I have a 7 year old gap between my middle and youngest. I really hesitated to have a third because my first two were 18 months apart and I didn't get much support from dh or family. It was hard. BUT, my little buddy has been a wonderful addition! The older kids are helpful and enjoy playing with him. It's been so much easier than I thought! Or, maybe I just knew what I was getting into this time around. :tongue_smilie:

This is an interesting thread as I read her book about a year ago and was fairly convinced, and have been slowly trying to trust that my children are trained to make smart decisions. I think back on my more free-range childhood. I rode my bike and got into one car accident- only chipped my front tooth and didn't lose my life, which had the accident occured just a wee bit differently could have happened. When 13 or 14, I was approached by an older guy on my way home from school on a city bus. Flattered, since I was too shy to talk to boys much, I agreed to meet him the next day. We walked around a grocery store strip mall and then he wanted to "go behind the buildings". I had no idea he wanted to make out! I put the kabosh on that instantly much to my mortification and his angry disapointment. He didn't attack me or anything, though. When I was 17 I went on a missions trip to Central America without a group. My parents were stupid to let me go, really. I just wanted to get out of my unhappy house, and I didn't have any skills. I would NEVER let my own child do that. In fact, I'm so grateful I'm ok to tell about it. Location really does matter. Free-ranging suburbia vs. the forest vs. the inner city. What I think about was that 150 years ago women would get married at 16 and start their families then. Most parents I know don't trust 16 year olds to stay at home by themselves over night.