All grades start at the beginning with 10 sentences per day to work on orally--only the checkpoint tests are by grade levels. HTH.

Thanks for the quick replies. I don't know why I didn't think to call the agency first to ask this question, but I just did and their staff can't accept squat in the way of a gift--only "kudos" from the survey we turn in.:glare: Oh, well. I'll give them a thank you card and express my gratitude.

My husband had surgery a few weeks back that required in-home therapy and nursing. They finish today and I'd like to give them a gift. I had thought about a fruit basket, flowers, etc., but they travel a lot so I knocked of the flower and balloon gift idea and with so many people allergic to various foods or eating organic foods only, I'm scratching food off my list, so that left me with a money gift in a Thank You card. But my question is what is too cheap, but what is too much? I'm needing an amount that seems just right. They have been so warm and welcoming to our whole family--even making comments saying that homeschooling sounds cool. Talking with our children in a nice manner, answering our children's questions about what they are doing, etc. This will be their last day this afternoon, so I have time to get some cash in hand. HELP! and TIA!!!!

Have you ever used FLL? It's like the Oral Usage exercies in FLL only more and all in one book ready to open and go. It trains children to hear sentences correctly.You say the sentences and your children repeat after you. There are usage exercies in subject pronouns (I, he, she, we and they), learn distinction between lie/lay, among/between, beside/besides, well/good, bad/badly, kind/sort-this/that, sit/set, and so on. One short exercise per day, 5 days a week, for 35 weeks. Unit reviews and checkpoint tests every 4 and 5 unit. The checkpoint tests are divided by grades: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6. Here's a link to describe it--> http://www.abeka.com/ABekaOnline/BookDescription.aspx?sbn=1849X It can be used from 1st grade and up. I've used it with my older kids and will begin using with my others shortly. HTH.

Read the update--wonderful news! It does sound like PPD. I had it with my 3rd child and began going through it again with my 4th child at the age of 39. I began using a natural progestrone cream 3 months after the birth of my 4th child and it made such a difference that my husband said he'd buy stock in the company. I also found out that if you're low in progesterone, if affects lactation which it did for me. My milk dried up within 5 months after my 3rd child was born and in 2 months with my 4th. I found this out too late, but it wasn't too late to help shorten the PPD. I had the love and support from my immediate and extended family--they showered me with love and loads of help until I was able to function normally again. I commend you and your sister for phyically reaching out to help the baby and mother. I would do the same thing if I were in your shoes. That's true charity in the working.

:iagree:

My husband's brother used to drill my kids about their school work. I grew tired of the confrontations and so I kept a list of "talking points" in my head to be able to change the course of the conversation at a moment's notice. It worked every time. Btw, that same BIL went to our daughter's graduation held by our state's homeschool support group--he was impressed by the many accomplishments of the 101 seniors and has never "drilled" any of my kids ever again. If this member knows you have children that can get up to go to a job, then they are only antagonizing you and I'd change the subject. I've learned when and how to pick my battles over the years.

What about people who work a 2nd or 3rd shift job? Those people are up and working while some (like your family member) are still asleep.:lol: I get up at 5 am--but that's "my" day and I don't expect everybody to live by my standards. Sheesh. I don't wake up my kids before 7:00 am--most times they wake up on their own around 7:30 and we start school around 9 am. I *need* to have the 2 hours of quiet before the storm breaks loose because I'm busy from "sons" up till "sons" down. :lol:

If you've thumbed through the student workbook and you feel confident enough to teach it, you may not need anything, but the answer key may be helpful to either confirm what you know for the answers or if you need it to help in understanding what the workbook is asking from the child. I have a Teacher Edition (that is no longer available) that has a smaller image of each workbook page plus side notes for the teacher along with dialogue to say to the child along with the answers to the workbook pages. This teacher manual works for me. :) This is what my Teacher Edition says about the Curriculum/Lesson Plans Manual: "The A Beka Language Arts 3 (this includes lesson plans for spelling, readers, penmanship, phonics and seatwork lesson plans) is a valuable/necessary aid in using this Language 3 work-text. It includes example words and sentences for you to use as you teach; ideas for oral and written review and practice (games, activities); instructions for writing journal entries; and details for introducing book reports. Daily lesson plans are given for 170 lessons. The Seatwork Curriculum is also correlated with the Language Arts 3 Curriculum." IMHO, I wouldn't buy the Curriculum/Lesson Plan Book and I always thought the Seatwork Curriculum book was a waste of money and time unless you follow the language arts program in every area. Since I used other curriculum for spelling, penmanship, composition and readers--both books were a waste of money for me since I only liked using the grammar workbooks. HTH.

My faith in Christ won't change if I win the HGTV Dream Home in Vermont! :lol:

Exactly. My family doesn't have anything good to say about the Red Cross--this memory of how the soldiers in our family were treated goes back to WWII and the Korean War. The RC made the soldiers pay for the cigarettes that were donated to them by the tobacco companies here in the US. The RC sold donated donuts and coffee to soldiers, too. During Desert Storm--my brother is a DS Vet-- Sony donated Walkman Radios for the soldiers and the RC charged the soldiers for them! They're a bunch of profit making crooks, IMHO. :angry: I've heard you have to agree to a contribution once you get back on your fee if they help you out during a natural disaster---you are on their mailing list for life.:glare: I've also heard that if you stick your head inside the building of a local VFW or American Legion and holler "Red Cross", they may chase you down.:lol: I won't give 'em one red cent.

Thanks for this tip--I keep a lot of vinegar on hand and use it for a LOT of things! It's great to spread on a sunburn, too--it takes out the sting--if you don't mind smelling like vinegar.

This was the method that many claimed it worked back when my 20 something children were young. We've never had lice, but I keep this method on file in case we ever do get it. This is *the* toxic measure that a friend of mine used on her head alone b/c it was driving her absolutely crazy--Sevin Dust, a bug killer. :smilielol5:

10-15 minute power naps If I can't do that, I walk the dog around the block and then take a power nap.:lol: Seriously, a short brisk walk will wake me up during the day and my kids like an excuse to get away from their school work. :D

:iagree: When two of my boys were this age, I held them back at Kindergarten--they just weren't ready to do formal schooling between the ages of 5-9. One son is now 21 and he took off reading at the ages of 10-11 and quickly caught up. My now 10 year old has had eye sight and hearing issues in his early years and I even began thinking he was dyslexic, and started re mediating him with a dyslexic reading program, but here lately he's been telling me he hates the reading program with a passion (we're on level 3 out of 10) and I've seen him reading subtitles from the TV screen and the many signs around town, books, the mail, etc.--he's not guessing either but sounding them out. I'm not sure I can even give the dyslexic reading program too much credit because he's reading words we haven't covered the rules for yet.:tongue_smilie: I remember times when my oldest son would hold his head and say his head hurt or he'd say, "this is dumb" which I later learned to translate as "I don't understand *any* of this", so I'd back off and come back later to it. I'm seeing the same pattern in my now 10 year old, so I'm wondering a lot these days if it was just a matter of maturity on his part like I experienced with my oldest son. My oldest is a girl and she took off early in her reading/writing skills, much like my youngest son who is 8 has done, but these two boys in the middle seem to be my late bloomers. I've heard that some children are just that--late bloomers for formal education, but OTOH, I do realize that some children do in fact have developmental delays. Just thinking my son who has not been formally tested, may have dyslexia, has given me a cause to be concerned and a strong appreciation for parents who know their children have learning disabilities--I really don't like that term b/c it pits a child against a "normal learning curve", but the only thing I've seen that is normal these days is the normal setting on my dryer and even it isn't an accurate term either since I have to re-dry a load due to outside factors--lint build-up on the outside vent or the fact that bulky items take longer to dry than other loads.:glare: Not sure my ramblings were helpful.:lol: