I've been very happy with the Galore Park English Prep series.

Why not?

We leave ours for a weekend, but I wouldn't leave them longer than that. We have the non-leak water bottles, and while they don't leak, the piggies like to play with them and empty the water out of them.

Some are friendly and lovable. Ours are not. They are terrified of us and hate being held. Guinea pigs are eating machines and they stink. The bedding needs to be changed frequently. Cedar is toxic and should never be used. Kitty litter is probably not a good idea; they may try to eat it and it would be hard to keep clean. We use Care Fresh, and it is expensive. They would need a decent sized cage- we made one based on plans at Cavy Cages. Be sure they are friendly or there isn't much point in having them as pets.

Kumon math was very helpful for my oldest daughter in elementary school. She had a terrible time learning her basic math facts, and it had turned into a battleground between the two of us. We did it for a few years and her computation improved enormously. I do think you can replicate it at home, but it is more complicated than just giving random worksheets. If your daughter is having trouble with reading, I would stay far away from Kumon. I would highly recommend ABeCeDarian for any struggling reader. It's excellent, efficient, and affordable, and there is great support available at their yahoo group.

Pam, I'd really like to hear what you did for writing. My dd is going to start ps either next year for 8th grade, or the following year, and I'm panicked about her writing. She has always struggled and while we've made progress, she is still far behind where other middle schoolers are. We can use any tips you can give us. Thanks.

Debra Bell I've also found them at Amazon marketplace.

We just switched to Vocabulary for Achievement. They like it better than VFCR.

I haven't heard good things about Power-Glide, the curriculum K12 uses for HS foreign language. Any K12 users doing something different? We are planning to have my 8th grader start K12 in the fall. She wants to take French, but I don't want to teach it myself. What are my options?

I've seen some negative comments on this board about the charter option , and I'm wondering what the positives would be.

a D+. Here's a review.

different so I make a salad bar. Along with a large bowl of various lettuces and spinach, I set out small containers of tomatoes, cukes, onions, carrots, peppers, garbanzo beans, edamame, mushrooms, feta, sunflower seeds, and whatever other assorted veggies I have around. Everyone builds their own. We almost always have this stuff ready to go in the fridge, so we eat salads almost every day.

We dip it in horseradish sauce.

camisoles. Same purpose, much cuter.

Here, for example. I think much of the problem for my ds is frustration in expressing himself, although some of it does seem to be a misunderstanding of nonverbal communication.

I'm asking this here because I'm wondering if this issue is related to my ds's language based learning disability. My 10 year old son seems to think it's hilarious when people are trying to have a serious conversation or get upset with him. This, of course, just causes the situation to escalate until things are totally out of control. He doesn't seem to understand that when people are angry it really isn't a laughing matter. He doesn't seem to get social cues in general, and has lots of trouble making and keeping friends. I really don't think he's acting like this just to be a stinker, I think he just doesn't get it. Anyone else experienced this? Do you have any suggestions for teaching him how to respond appropriately when someone is trying to have a serious conversation with him? Thanks.

Have you used it? What do you think? I watched a sample lesson and it looks okay, but a little dry.

Video Text after pre-algebra? We're finishing up Chalkdust pre-algebra, and I'm reconsidering my plans for algebra. I really wanted to use Foerster or Dolciani, but my kids did so well with the DVD approach I started looking into other video based programs. I've heard great things about VT, but since we've already finished a pre-algebra course, I'm worried about redundancy. Has anyone done this?

We're finishing up Chalkdust pre-algebra, and I'm reconsidering my plans for algebra. I really wanted to use Foerster or Dolciani, but my kids did so well with the DVD approach I started looking into other video based programs. I've heard great things about VT, but since we've already finished a pre-algebra course, I'm worried about redundancy. Has anyone done this?

Our ps uses Everyday Math and it was a disaster for my kids. It's what got us started on the path to homeschooling. Check out mathematicallycorrect.com and NYCHOLD.com for lots of information.

Black bean soup and grilled cheese. I always have these ingredients on hand for emergency dinners.

I used to work in an Emergency Department.

Not Soph - but here's some information about tetanus. From http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/PREVIEW/MMWRHTML/00046462.htm An acute injury sustained before onset of illness was identified for 148 (77%) of the 192 tetanus cases. Of these cases, 72 (49%) occurred after puncture wounds. The most frequently reported type of puncture wound was sustained by stepping on a nail, which was reported by 23 (16%) of all patients who had sustained an identified acute injury. The other most frequently reported types of acute injury were lacerations (20%) and abrasions (12%). Five patients had been bitten or scratched by animals, including one patient who reported having been scratched in the face by a peacock. It's not common, but we are vigilant in this country about vaccinating for tetanus. It is standard of care to give dT for any puncture wound or burn, and those numbers would be much higher if it wasn't done. Tetanus is very common worldwide, but I couldn't find any information about how many cases are caused by animal bites.

If it's been more than 5 years since your last dT, you need one.

I used the "... for Dummies" book and found it very helpful. The guide that came with the calculator was worthless.