Hugs. I am not looking forward to this too, he has mentioned coming back for his next vacation, which will not happen.

According to the company (I asked them in an email), your child needs to know basic math such found in a K and 1st grade book plus know how to add/subtract multi digit numbers with renaming and carrying. We have been working through BA slowly and together because dd is not a strong math person. Even though I hand hold her though the book she is learning the logic and enjoying it. Don't feel you need an advanced math student for these books, just be willing to work along side your child and talk through the problems.

Calvert is the only curriculum I have found in my 20yrs doing this that is truly an open and go curriculum. At 6th grade the manuals are written to the child so you are there only for clarification and correction (and for an extra fee you can have them correct). The curriculum is well done and not skimping in anyway, interesting, fun, and has computer lessons that integrate with what they are learning. Everything is there including literature (you can add in extra if you want and it is scheduled in), computer, poetry, and art. The only drawback is the price, it is expensive, but it worth it if you can afford it.

I started the 4 yr cycle with great intentions of doing 3 full rotations. After half a yr in ancients I started thinking to go another route. Felt she needed an intro US History and Cultural Geography first. We will start the history cycle again in 5th and cycle twice but add in a World Geography, state, and civics courses somewhere along those 8 yrs so the cycle will be interrupted along the way unless I can come up with a great plan to incorporate it all in as we go.

Not sure what typical means but this is what my dd does: MTWTF Bible Spelling/Vocabulary (alternates weekly) Reading Math (2x/day) Science History (we are doing cultural geography this year) Formal English gets done 3x/week but she writes in some form or fashion daily. Art lessons once a week but supplies are available for anytime Nature studies are on Friday Library 2x a week (Sundays and Wednesdays) Handwriting is not a formal study but she is practicing her cursive with writing her spelling words and Bible verse.

He acted jerky but we all ignored it. Because his gifts were sent early to him in Korea and his visit was unexpected, I went out and bought a few small things so he could open something under the tree. His response to them was pretty much "OH WOW what I always wanted" (sarcastically said) and he did not thank anyone, then he made a few comments about helping the dog with her gifts so he could unwrap something. He made a few snide comments about the money his Navy brother spent on our gifts. Basically he was a jerk.

Bought all the males RC helicopters and the two I spent $$$ on turned out to be junk. The one I bought on the fly and for considerably less was great though. The sad part is the expensive junk helicopters went to the two who asked for a RC copter. They were bummed.

Thank you all for the responses. It is hard to hold your tongue when you can see what will most likely be a problem happening, but as many said, he is an adult and needs to learn from his mistakes. I did however make a suggestion about changing his bus pass to a day earlier and he has agreed it would be better to sleep in the airport for a night if the bus runs on time then miss his plane and have to face the Army's wrath. As for the laziness and money...we tried to deal with it while he was living here and it did no good, so you all are right, he needs to mature on his own. Certain things I will expect from him...closing bathroom door, cleaning placemat after eating, and wiping the floor of melted snow from his shoes...the rest I will just keep quiet. Again thanks. Being able to see things while not being in the thick of it helps/

:iagree: Just what I was thinking.

20 yr old Army son is here for the Holidays. He is single, lives on base, has only a phone bill to pay for. He has no money saved and lives from pay check to pay check. His travel arrangements are sketchy and the chances of him making it back to his Base in time is very iffy due to weather, bus schedules getting messed up (it was suppose to take 12 hours from the airport to here on a bus, took almost 3 days instead...if this happens going back he will miss his plane), no money to buy another plane ticket of things get messed up. I am trying to get him to change his bus ticket to leave a day early but he will chance it...grrr. Not sure what will happen if he misses his plane, he had to take out a loan for the tickets to begin with. Do I insist on this or just keep quiet? His visit was a surprise and I had sent all his gifts to him early. But because he will be here Christmas morning I bought him a few small things and ds and dd bought him something too. I asked Army ds if he needed me to take him shopping for gifts and he said no, he will have to wait till later to get them gifts because money is tight...okay, fine, but I personally think buying something, even small (some candy, journal, something) to give to his siblings would have been appropriate seeing that he is a working adult. Then he tells me later that day he needs to go into town and get a price on repairing his tattoos he got in Korea, hoping it will not be more then $200. I am mad about this...he has $200 to spend on tattoos but not money to buy his father and siblings a gift? Should I open my mouth here and tell him this is wrong? It is selfish from my point of view. He even got a little upset because his Navy brother sent gifts for us but not him (1. no one knew he would be here christmas day, and 2. his navy brother and him do not have a relationship, 3. Navy brother gives gifts to the younger siblings because they are still children) even though he has no intention of giving navy brother a gift. Grrr Last (so far) he is being extremely lazy. Just sits around, does not help clear the table, or help with bringing in the groceries. He has mentioned several times he is on vacation. Common courtesy rules should apply though. Should I mention this? Just happened...using the bathroom with the door open, his excuse...'I checked and dd was not around"...I DID mention this though. This is going to be a looooong week.

I usually put the gifts under the tree as we get them, but dd has always had at least one big unwrappable package that gets brought out Christmas morning, until this year. So when I mentioned all the presents were under the tree she said not all, Santa will bring at least one for Christmas morning. She was very sure of this and would not listen to anything we said, needless to say I had to go out and buy an extra gift that was Santa worthy to put out Christmas morning.

This is a good idea on many levels.

We stay in pjs all day, play with the toys, work on a Christmas puzzle, watch Christmas movies. This year we are making Butterbeer and pretzel dogs. If they are feeling better, maybe a nice Christmas hike. Make cookies, eat cookies. Make a gingerbread house. Get one of those foam board kits they sell at Michaels and put it together...these usually are discounted by now. We did a Christmas train one year and I am thinking of getting the gingerbread house this year. Hope you all are better to enjoy the day. One of mine was sick last year and it was the pits, she was miserable and could not enjoy her gifts. This year we went into quarantine mode 2 weeks before Christmas day so we can avoid any sickness or be over any we did catch.

Besides his favorite meals to eat while here and home made cookies to take on his bus ride/plane ride, I bought him a rc helicopter. Hubby and 16yr old will be getting one for christmas and I figured he would enjoy playing too. Also a new pair of pjs. Both these things were small to fit in his suitcase and they were not expensive. Thanks for the ideas and perspectives.

He is coming from Korea so he cannot bring his packages. Landing in Utah and taking bus here because Utah plans fell through....grrr, grrr, and grrr...the money spent on plane tickets and bus tickets was astronomical, all of which we kept telling him NOT to do...anyway I won't get into it cus I won't be able to stop. I'll keep you in my thought though because I remember your backstory, sort of similar. Maybe a few stocking stuffer things and I planned on making him a toque after Christmas, but now he can pick out the yarn and I can make it while he is here.

Already brainstorming on the menu while he is here, I know he hasn't been eating good so this Italian mom is going to fatten him up some. Banner is a good idea, dd will love to make one.

Just got a facebook message that his plans have changed and he will be here for 2 weeks instead. BIG surprise both good and not so good (looooong back story). Since his original plans had him elsewhere for Christmas I sent his Christmas packages to him already (which he received). But now he will be here and on Christmas morning have nothing to open while we all tear away at a mountain of gifts....do I get him more so he can have a Christmas morning too? Or not? Money is not tight but is budgeted. Any ideas?

A shop vac....someone here suggested this once and my son thought it would make the coolest gift if he had gotten one when he was younger A metal detector

I second Elemental Science. If you just get the teachers book and the nootebook then you can use books your library has that might be similar to what they suggest. The teachers guide tells your the subject covered each day so any book that has a pg on the subject will do. However, the Jan Van CLeave book is needed but most libraries carry her stuff. This course takes 10-15 mins tops, has notebooking, and an experiment a week that does not require expensive supplies. It even has several long tern projects. I think a lapbook is available for this curriculum also.

Not a goofy gift but a few Christmases ago I needed a gift for my techie husband and got him something like this... http://www.amazon.com/Ambient-Weather-WS-2080-Wireless-Station/dp/B003OSJ08S/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1355867518&sr=8-4&keywords=weather+station A cool but useful gadget.

I am using this site http://homeschoolcreations.com/Geography.html (scroll down and click on a continent. She has 2 week plans for each country) And I use Children Just Like Me and GTG. Simple and fun.

Got to love teen boys. If they make it to adulthood it is by the grace of God for some. What is it about shiny sharp objects that make a teen boy drool? Ds is getting a survival knife for Christmas, NOT by me, but from his brother whose in the Navy. When I questioned Navy son on his purchase he said "He's 16 now, needs to learn how to handle the fun stuff and survive it" , I can only hope and pray we don't have a red Christmas. Hope your son is going to be fine, but more importantly...did he learn that rotary blades are sharp?