My girls switched easily from Calvert to Horizons. I didn't care for the layout of the TM, either. Too much bundled into a couple short paragraphs. Horizons does a much better job of explaining and separating everything. You would probably want to do a placement test first, since I hear that Horizons is a little more advanced. I chose it because I thought would be easier than the other maths I was choosing from. The workbook style is similar, but there are usually more problems per page than with Calvert.

We actually LIKE Zapotec! It is simple, and it is a picture book. But, IMO it has more than just a few sentences! It describes a day in their life. It has a CD that comes with it where someone reads it. If you look on the Sonlight website, you can also find extra stuff to go along with it. http://www.sonlight.com/Core_1_Tips_Weeks_1-36.html There are links that you can find more matieral to go with each week. There is stuff about Zapotec in just about every week. But, if you don't want to dive too much into other cultures, then it can be dropped. It is not VITAL to the core.

Just do it! Really! I was in the same boat as you (except for the farming part :001_smile:) The last time I had a check up was my physical for Jr High! I had my pregnancy check ups, but that was it. I had insurance for over 2 years when my DH said to JUST GO NOW! I did, and the Dr. said that he would order me a heart monitor, since I had some concerns about my heart. The 2nd day I had the monitor on, I had an episode, and a month later I had surgery. I have not had any episodes since. That all moved very fast, and came at the right time, since we now do not have insurance. They will probably want to do a gyno exam, too. Better to get it done at your GP than to pay an extra, higher copay for a specialist to do it!! So, make sure you have a Dr you are comfortable with. My Dr is my kids' Dr, so I knew him before. I have NEVER had a female ob/gyn so I wouldn't know if I would be more comfortable with a woman. Like I said... JUST GO DO IT!

I have these sheets printed out for my kids. http://homeschoolcreations.blogspot.com/2010/03/skip-counting-charts-from-2-to-12.html

I guess I was looking for the wrong thing. Thank you for pointing that out! I will keep some of those links in my favorites. Some have been there already!! Thanks!

That looks nice! With that, I could creat my own plan! Thank you! I don't know what I'm getting into, now.... lol! At least SL was already laid out for me!!

How badly would you think of me if I had not read WTM? I'm going to check it out from the library, but they only have the 1st edition available. The 3rd is checked out. How much of a difference is there between the two? I think I will just get the 1st ed. and wait until the 3rd is out, and see how that is. I'm just looking for a "curriculum plan for idiot's" or something lol.

I am currently using Sonlight to homeschool my 3 girls. I may or may not stick with them using the Cores. I know the LA leaves something to be desired, since it does not work out for me. Anyways, my question: Is there an online curriculum plan or guide that can help with what to pick out? I don't have enough knowledge of the different STUFF out there and not enough money to go by trial and error. Like a guide that says something like 5th grade math teaches this and this, or what maths are good for that grade. Again with LA. Handwriting and reading... easy enough, but to know what type of grammar, phonics, writing etc to use... my goodness it is confusing! I am using Sonlight LA and Lifepacs for my oldest and Sonlight and ETC with my youngest 2... it doesn't seem to be enough IMO. Maybe a syllabus or a general guide to what skills should be learned and I could just try to get a collection going...? THANKS for any help!!

WSS

Calvert K and Calvert 2. On their own they were just OK. For grade 2 it was a lot of material to cover in a day, and a lot of it was boring and TOO much information to retain. They had some text books that I did not care for, and much of their materials were printed and spiral bound. I felt that it could have been much cheaper for what we got. The K curriculum was very boring to my daughter. She wanted to learn how to read the books instead of me reading them. There were times where she did just read it to me. We never made it to the books that she was supposed to read herself. In both there was a lot of jumping around and shuffling of books and materials. When I was teaching 2 at a time it was bad! This is a curriculum where you can't just leave the child to do it themselves, until they are in 4th, I think. The math was way too easy IMO. At the end of K they were just beginning to teach single digit math... In 2nd math, it was teaching doubles plus 1 and at the end of second, it would start to get into multiplication of small numbers. I couldn't imagine trying to teach 3 with Calvert!! I am currently using Sonlight, and it is a good fit for them when it comes to the cores (so far). The LA kinda jumps around. I use Horizons math and so far they all love it. My 4th grader is starting to not like the amount of work she has to do, but she still does it. haha

I was going to post what I will be using, but she beat me to it. http://children.calvarychapel.com/site/curriculum.htm It's FREE and you can adjust to the needs of the child(ren) different ages and stuff..

I don't know why I am posting, since I have the tables on the wall.... lol BUT, my 9yo has a chart in the back of her book that I put a sticker on the facts that I KNOW that she has. Like the 2s 1s 9s 10s etc... When she gets another one memorized (like 8*8 for example, IDK why) I put a sticker on it (to cover it up). During 5 min drills, I cover up the table, so I can get an idea of which ones she knows, and she usually doesn't do much worse than if she had the tables uncovered. She is nowhere near memorizing all of them.

My girls are 9, 8 and 6. I usually don't let them play out front by themselves. The 6yo especially. She is the one most likely to play out in the road or do something wrong. Out back is fine. If it is during school hours, they have recess out back. There is nothing out front since friends are at school. I also have a fear of drivers taking advantage of kids being in school and driving like maniacs! We live in a subdivision so I could be more lenient if I chose, but I am not. When school is out, they play out front so they can play with friends.

Super Mario Bros. Wii is the game my girls are playing now. Ages 6-9 they have had this game for almost a year, so youngers can grasp this game as well. Cooking mama, maybe even Rockband or Guitar Hero.

I bought mine from Sonlight. If anything, just buy the manipulatives that you actually need! I only used the clocks and some flash cards. But, I don't use the TM that much since my kids understand it once it is explained. The ruler would have been nice, too, but that was broken a week after we got it... :glare:

In home ec I learned a really quick and tasty breakfast! Take a slice of ham and lay it in a small bowl or tea cup. Crack an egg on top of the ham and poke a hole in the yolk (so it won't explode). Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for a minute. (at least I think it was a minute! Test this first) It was yummy to me when I was 14, at least! My girls love to make oatmeal in the morning. They get out the measuring cups and the packets of oatmeal and nuke it.

If I were in a country that had mostly dark skinned people (Asian, African etc) I would be considered "the white girl". I would't take offense to it. I think it is more of us "white" people that over think it. I did ask a friend once what she preferred to be called, just out of curiosity, and she said "I'm black! I'm not from Africa, and you all aren't allowed to call me a n*****!" But, that was her opinion!

We had a short tail squirrel, too! He ran in front of our patio door and saw my cat itching to get at him! The squirrel ran UP to the window looked at the cat and raised his hands kinda like saying "what YOU gonna do behind that DOOR? HA!" The cat just crouched there like he was being stealthy... Then the squirrel walked away (well, walked like he'd been riding a horse his whole life, bowed knees and all LOL) turned around and raised his hand again like "I'll show YOU!" and ran away. He had a stubby tail and didn't mind that the kids and I were all standing there and laughing!@

I agree with the apple cider vinegar! Put some apple cider vinegar in a cup, add a few drops of dish soap and put plastic wrap on the top. Poke holes in the plastic and place out in the kitchen or where you have problems. I put ice and baking soda in my garbage disposal add vinegar, when the foaming action is done, I turn on the water and turn on the disposal. when my problems are bad, I pour cleaner or something down the sink(s) at night and plug up the drains. I didn't know that about fruit having eggs on them, so now I should wash them. I only have bananas set out in the open. How do you wash bananas?

Sometimes those days start even before school is in session! I am trying to get school started by LUNCH, but they don't listen... Right now they are doing math while I lurk here! :) As I write this, my place values chart just fell off the wall. :glare: Maybe we all just need to go to bed!

I agree with most posters above. Basic skills A basic cookbook Basic cuts of meat How to prepare veggies (either cooked or raw) A roux (used to make gravy, mac and cheese etc) How to cook noodles How to heat a pan Kitchen safety (hot oil, fires, knives, keep sanitary) Just think of the things you make in a week and the basic skills needed to cook it. Eggs- How to heat a pan Oil safety Sanitary issues How to crack an egg Also TIMING is critical!!!! My DH loves to cook, and often cooks his own gourmet recipes that he makes up. Mostly, it is pretty good. :001_huh: lol But, my issue with him cooking is that you just have to know how long something takes to cook! A simple breakfast he would screw up because he would start cooking hashbrowns, then prepare eggs for an omlette, start cooking the omlette, put bread in for toast. The toast gets done first, then 5 min later the omlette is done, then it will still take about 20 more minutes for the hash browns. By the time breakfast is served, the toast is soggy and the eggs are cold! Then the hashbrowns are screwed up because he doesn't rinse off the potatoes before cooking. :tongue_smilie: I don't know how many times he does this, but he always wonders why he can't cook potatoes. I tell him, but he conveniently forgets the next time he cooks! But, dinners he can cook well... This is a guy who has worked in restaurants for many years! So, last thing is EXPERIENCE! Sometimes you just need to cook to learn how to cook! I learned basics in Home Ec in PS, I still have the recipes :) Roux Muffins Spaghetti sauce Eggs These are things that I remember off hand :) AND DESSERTS and their favorite foods that are cooked at home.

Frontierville neighbors wanted here too :)

I didn't read the rest of the responses, yet, but I'll chime in here. My mom is deaf and disabled due to polio. The left side of her body is weaker than the right side. When she was pregnant with me at age 30 (an oops! :) ) friends and family told her to have an abortion. At the very least, told her to give me up for adoption. Needless to say, she didn't. She took care of me BY HERSELF. I slept near her and she would wake up at night to feel my basinette to see if I was awake. I have one memory of asking her to pick me up when I was sitting on a counter. She said she couldn't. She tells me now that it broke her heart. But, it didn't bother me! It really bothers me when someone says that someone else shouldn't have a child due to a disability. If they are LIVING, then apparently they can take care of themselves. Even if they have help from someone else, then that person can help with a baby. But, I know THAT doesn't help you. I'm praying that either the need is lifted from your heart or put onto your husband's as well.

How do you stop searching???? By finally finding it. Usually in the last place you look.

I'm sorry you are going through that! My family had the same thing about 3 weeks ago. DD threw up once and said her tummy hurt. DS said his tummy hurt then threw up once. DH had the "s**ts" all day and tummy hurt, but no vomiting. Then I get it. My tummy hurt (funny how I say tummy now that I have kids LOL) and I threw up once. I intended to feel better after that. I started to get ready to go do errands.... and I throw up again. We decide to go do some small running around, I go back home, and throw up again... In total I was incapacitated ALL freaking day!!! I didn't feel up to par for almost a week. DD had really bad gas the next day and would cry because of how bad her tummy hurt. We had to get her baby gas drops. MADE HER FART and she felt better! But, the good thing out of all that is me being sick had triggered my SVT (heart issue) and I was wearing a heart monitor (rarely do people actually HAVE an episode while wearing it) so it was recorded and my issues are being taken care of!! Feel better soon!