Is it possible to see the private messages we have sent to people? Sometimes mine don't make it to the person for some reason:P

We should find out this week if my husband got the job in DC and I'm looking around for homeschool co-ops etc. I don't know if we'll be in VA or MD but I wanted to see what is out there:) If you have a great area you live in I appreciate those suggestions too!

Crissy - The book is SO much better! Enjoy:)

A few of my favorites... The English Patient - Michael Ondaatje The Secret History - Donna Tartt The Garden of Eden - Ernest Hemingway Fall on Your Knees - Ann-Marie MacDonald my favorite of all the books I read in 2009 was The Help - Kathryn Stockett

I'm looking for a short and simple bible study to do early in the morning with coffee before my kids wake up. Any suggestions?

I don't know if you are big on used books but I get a lot from Paperbackswap. I think that would be more for books you don't need immediately because they don't always have what I want right away. I make a wishlist and then they email me and I think if you buy instead of swap its always about $4 with no shipping. Everything I have ordered has been like-new:)

Do you have the Passport books for National Parks? My boys have fun getting those stamped:) Well, the first thing I thought of were the Tetons in Wyoming - have you been there? When I was 12 we took a Summer long road trip from Florida to Gold Beach, Oregon hitting everything in between. Of everything we saw I was most impressed with the Tetons:) I don't know if we camped right in the park but it looked like we were right at the base of the range - Amazing!

I love reading about peoples trips too! Sounds like a lot of fun:) We were able to live in a cute little village in Hanau for alomost 3 years and I miss it! I really miss being able to walk to everything I need. I had a great thrift store near me where I found a lot of Playmobil, Haba and puzzles and I loved going to the flohmrkts:) Everyone takes such good care of their things there, everything always looked new when I thrifted.

Terabith - Thanks:) I'd love to see your reading list! Starrbuck12 - I hear you - we didn't have much of a budget this year. I only just heard of SL a month ago and by then I was a little late for the boat. I had thought I could gather all the books at all my favorite used bookstores but they were cleaned out of SL books:) The library is a great idea. I'm finding some good sales on here and craigslist but I'll have to start gathering things for next year much sooner! I think I'll start with P4/5, check out P3/4 from the library and add in the Science, Miquon Math, TWRTR and some art things like Child Size Masterpieces and Artistic Pursuits. Then maybe we'll get into some of the SL K later in the year. I want it to be a fun year and I'm excited about getting into this new routine:)

Thank you all! Everything you shared is helpful and interesting because I've never done SL so I have no way of knowing how it will go. I have 2 boys 364 days apart turning 4 and 5 - the younger is not as interested and likes to just play on his own. I had thought I could do P3/4 for my 4 yr old and go through P4/5 at a fast pace with my 5 yr old and then start the K and do it through the Summer if we aren't finished. I'm trying to buy it all used so we can try it out. Perhaps I will get all the materials and have a look before I decide what to do. :)

So this is my first year trying out homeschooling and I'm pretty clueless. I'm blending a bunch of different things for my oldest who turns 5 in two weeks. One of the things I want to do is Sonlight and I'm wondering if doing Sonlight's P4/5 and K will be too much. My oldest is very excited about learning and learns quickly. I know we'll go at a fast pace with a lot of it because we already read a lot and I know my boys will want me to read more than the required amount. I would like to have him ready for 1st grade. We're big on just being outdoors, make-believe and art around here so I don't want to get overly intense with the other stuff. Has anyone else ever done 2 in one year like this or have any advice? Thanks:)