Wow....it's unbelievable what's going on out there. I am speechless! My ds only went to K - so, it's like we are living in a sheltered environment/place and I LIKE IT!!!! At this point, I am just sooooo happy and grateful we can afford to keep ds at home. I just pray dh will keep his job (not sure as of right now). But I know we'll find a way to continue hs. Sonja ___________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

Hi Kel, thanks for letting us know. We are currently using Level 1 and we really like it. Now, I don't have to hunt for a science curriculum. How cool is that. I actually have one subject covered for our new school year. :) Sonja ____________________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

My son started Taekwondo when he was 7, now he is 9. He tried Taekwondo when he was 5 but didn't like it. At age 7, he wanted to give it another try - and at this time he was ready. Now, he just loves Martial Arts and trains 3x a week for 1-2 hours. So, I guess it depends on your child. Don't worry about any comments - in my son's school there are many Koreans, Chinese and Japanese taking Taekwondo and everyone just thinks it's cool. :) Sonja ____________________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

The samples look great. I have ordered the book and now, I can't really wait for it to arrive. I am so excited. Sonja ________________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

I have ordered from rodandstaffbooks.com as well in the past. Their customer service is fantastic, shipping was super fast. They have a great variety of books and it's just a fun place to shop! :001_smile: Sonja ____________________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

It looks like something my cat would have done. :D He looks like a handful. A real cutie. Sonja _______________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

Even though more than 5 languages are spoken fluently in our house, my ds 9 is only fluent in German as of right now. We have added Latin this summer and will add Spanish next year. The next language added will be Russian. I guess, that will keep him busy for a while! :D Unfortunately, we don't have anyone close by who speaks German or Russian. Therefore, my son spends about 3 months each year in Europe, sometimes 6 months. He as attended a German kindergarten, as well as a German Montessori School during the summer/winter. It has helped him tremendously with his understanding and pronunciation. It's just better to hear it from more than one person! The only two American foreign language programs used in our house right now are Song School Latin and La Clase Divertida. The rest is imported from Europe.:001_smile: It is possible to teach a child more than one foreign language at a time, but it (at times) can be confusing for the little ones. But it is getting easier with time. Sonja _______________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

Our Christmas tree and outside decoration will be taken down after Epiphany. Sonja _______________________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - DS 9

You know children at this age soak up a foreign language like a sponge. It's the perfect age to learn a foreign language through immersion. What a perfect opportunity for your little girl to learn a foreign language. Take advantage of it right now. It will be easier for her later to add another language such a Latin. I would recommend La clase divertida as a Spanish program for kids your age. It has a lot of hands on material, some fun cultural and historicial information, recipes etc . You can watch the dvd's with your daughter and "learn" some Spanish together with her. How cool is that? My son (9) grew up bilingual and is studying Latin (Song School Latin) right now. We are planning to add Spanish this summer. He admits that knowing a foreign language before studying Latin has helped him with his studies. Figures :glare: Sonja ____________________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

My son really likes Saxon. We are using Saxon 3 right now. To get his logical thinking going we add in Singapore (alternate by weeks) and RightStart Math. Fridays are our "game" days. RightStart Math games are just awsome for learning the facts, for understanding how things work. LOVE IT! :D I think RightStart Math games can be used with any math curriculum as a wonderful suplement to learn and drill facts, fractions, addition, subtraction, time, and money. Can you tell we love RightStart Games at our house!!!!;) Sonja ____________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

Growing up in a different country, Christmas is celebrated differently there than in the US. Hence, I voted symbolic, not celebrating Christmas the way it is done in the US. There is no Santa coming to our house. St. Nicholas is celebrated on December 6. December 24 (Christmas Eve) is when we celebrate Christmas. The Christ Child (Christkind) brings the gifts. Sonja ________________________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

Homeschooling is illegal in Germany - BUT only for German citizens. Homeschooling can get you some jailtime, huge fines, and you might loose custody of your children. However, as an American citizen, under the AF umbrella, you don't have to worry about homeschooling at all. If I were you, I'd just study world history. As others have mentioned, it is very easy to travel in Europe due to a fabulous transportation system. You can travel with a Europass all around Europe from Germany, to Italy, to Greek, England, etc. by train. Just imagine all the wonderful places you and your family could visit. Talk about some cool memories. :001_smile: Learning German will come naturally to children at this age when exposed to the language through immersion. If you don't want your kids enrolled in a German school (BTW, most of the time the kids are out of school by 13:00 or 1:00 pm - unless they attend a Ganztagsschule (can be compared to American schools) maybe you can find a German speaking playgroup. Maybe, you can check out "Volkshochschulen" - they offer (at times) some cool courses for kids and adults. I hope you'll have a great time in Germany. Sonja ____________________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

We are using Saxon Math 3 in combination with RightStart Math Games and Singapore Challenging Word Problems. Fridays is our "GAME DAY". We use RightStart Math Games to "drill" our facts the fun and easy way! We LOVE, LOVE these games. :001_smile: One week we use exclusively Saxon, the other week we do two days Singapore, 2 days Saxon. Sonja ________________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

We are using GWG 3 and it is right on target. Plenty of review and very easy to implement. My ds definitely likes GWG better than R&S. More fun! Sonja ________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

I wanted to buy Drew's book - BUT money has been a real issue this year. I received some unexpected X-Mas money from my Godmother yesterday. NOW, I can get myself the book "Living Memory" by Drew. I am jumping up and down! :hurray: I just can't wait to receive it. All those wonderful reviews!!! Sonja ______________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

At our house, we love LLAT (Learning Language Arts Through Literature) :thumbup: Sonja ___________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

:lol: Sonja ______________________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

We are at week 18. Taking some needed break on Monday until January 5th!:hurray: Sonja __________________________________ Homeschooling JUSTONE - ds 9

Wow....that's my kind of curriculum. :D I'd finally be satisfied and happy with my curriculum choice. Can s.o. just tell them out there that we need a curriculum like that? Maybe, they'd hurry and start getting things done...:smilielol5: Sonja _____________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

Turn back the wheel and I'd use RightStart Math in a heartbeat. We are using their math games right now and love it - however, I am very hesitant to change a curriculum that late into our math program (3rd Grade - 2nd year Saxon user). I just wished I'd have found that program earlier. Maybe my son would do really, really great with it - but I am just such a chicken!!! :001_huh: HELP!!! Sonja __________________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

I use a mix of Waldorf, Charlotte Mason, and Montessori. As of right now, I am using OM as our main spine. I write our lesson plans to make sure it fits my son's learning style (mildly ADHD + other chronic illness). Sonja __________________________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

Both, my husband and I moved away from our families. Everyone except us lives in Europe. It is hard for our ds to grow up without having his grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc around. But my husband's job is here in the US, and there is no hope for us to come back to Europe. It was not such a big deal a couple of years ago - we were both younger, went to college, had no kids, the parents were younger... you get the idea. However, as my parents age (my husband's parents died 5 years ago) I wish I could be clother to my family. It is so hard to know they need help but we aren't there. I am an ONLY ONE - so, it is really hard. Unfortunately, life does not always work out the way we wish, want, or dream it to be. Sonja ____________________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

We are doing Saxon Math 3 this year. The only supplement I am using is "Rightstart Math Games" to help my son memorize his facts in a fun way. I love RightStart Math Games. Every now and then I use "Challanging Math Problems" by Singapore. Overall, we love Saxon Math and will continue using this program. RightStart Math Games and Singapore Challanging Word problems are a great addition to Saxon Math. Hope that helps. :001_smile: Sonja ______________________________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

Thanks so much Peek A Boo!!!!!! Now I can order some X-Mas crafts for ds. He'll be soooooo tbrilled! :D Sonja ____________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

Jessica, by reading your letter I can feel your strength and confidence in yourself compared to your last e-mail. You have a rocky road ahead of you, but I know you CAN DO IT. Your e-mail today shows this. I am so glad you have secured a job. :grouphug: HUGS :grouphug: Sonja _________________________________ Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9