If it makes anyone feel better... One way of thinking about it is that the price of a book = cost + publisher profit + retailer profit Whether you buy from PHP or Amazon, PHP gets their publisher profit. If you buy from Amazon, Amazon gets the retailer profit for promoting, maintaining, and shipping the book. If you buy from PHP they get to keep the retailer profit (though there is extra cost in doing that compared to shipping pallets to Amazon). The kicker is, a lot of the direct purchases at PHP are undoubtably generated by the visibility of PHP products (such as WTM) at retailers such as Amazon. Most people discovered WTM thru a retailer and then found this site and discovered they could buy direct. What exactly the terms of contract with the retailers PHP has, I don't know. But I agree it is profitable either way, else they wouldn't be in business. ETA: I agree with buying from PHP directly for PDFs and mp3s makes sense, and I'd do the $1-2 but not the $5-10. BTW, that's one thing I like about Apple products: they have always had such tight control on the pricing of their product. Sure, I'd like to get a "deal", but at least I don't have to worry about comparison shopping. :D With homeschooler's discounts (or Black Friday sale), the 10% off means ordering directly from Apple is a wash compared to ordering from an online retailer, 'cause the 'savings' gets paid to my state as sales tax. :lol:

For us the basic rule is that they get screen time WHEN IT SUITS ME. :lol: That really starts with how I think about it -- easy to think in terms of "but they like it" or "PBS is educational". Truth is, unless it is strict 'schoolwork' they would be better off doing something else. The reason they get to watch tv, play on iPad, etc is because it makes it easier for me to work with the other kids. I try to make that screen time as productive and educational as possible. The real "games" stuff I try to keep to after all lessons are done for the day, but it does creep in ("just checking on Bug Villiage"). I agree with PP about distinguishing: 1) lessons on electronics (videos on topic, PDFs or drills on iPad/computer) 2) educational entertainment (math games, puzzles, etc) 3) pure entertainment Kids do understand that different uses can have different rules. Final advice: although I'm joking (a little) about the rule being at my whim, part of that is recognizing that if you make a RULE you better be ready to enforce it consistently and stick with it (at least for a while) before you tweak it. For that reason, use is a case-by-case basis. How it usually works is I give the iPad to one kid with the directions, "You can do [item from group (2), or "check on" something from group 3] AFTER you do A, B, and C". [Where A, B, and C are from group 1.] Then I work one-on-one with another child, etc. It's a constantly changing balance. :p

Curious how much our past sibling relationships control their future. If you have more than one sibling, to answer in terms of "in general" or the ones closest to you. Feel free to post WHY you think that is. 'Tis the season! :)

Keep in mind that you would have kids with as much or more age and ability spread in the standard ps classroom, so I don't think that you shouldn't be able to keep them combined, except in math. Most subjects like LA, history, science are better "accelerated" by going deeper, rather than faster. Math is the exception (though depth is also good, there's just only so deep you can do with addition, for example, compared to history where you could spend all year on WW2 and still not cover everything). I agree with PP that logic stage is more an issue of readiness than grade or age. Personally, I would just keep both in grammar stage work until the younger one is ready for logic (could be now). The older child can do extra writing or add some more challenging books for her to read, if you like. Then move both to logic when both are ready. Your older child will not be harmed by spending an extra 6mo or year doing grammar stage work.

I know there's significant size difference, there. :lol: Looking for a dog to soak up lots of love and attention, we have a med sized fenced yard but dog would live indoors 100%. Would like a dog we could take with us on road trips. Our youngest is 3yo, and would want a pup (but not necessarily a little puppy), so probably be smarter to wait 6-12mo. Thoughts? Experiences? What about adding a dog to the family? I grew up with dogs, but dh did not (actually, I'm shocked he suggested it). TIA!

nit-pick: creationism is not just a christian phenomenon -- the belief in a YE creation is shared by some fundamentalist muslims as well (esp in Turkey). I don't know if any jewish groups also believe in a YE creation, but all 3 groups share roots.

Can you explain what you didn't like about MFW and MCP? Might help with the recommendations. :)

I'm using neu.annotate PDF (free) and have had no problems on my iPad 2 (running ios5), but then I have had no problems viewing MM on my Mac either (Lion or SnowLeopard using Preview). Make sure you have the most recent versions of the MM PDFs. My file is dated Jan 10, 2011.

I agree with using multiple curricula that attack the subject in different ways. I like the one for practice, one for fun, and one challenge/interest/need model. Another option is to work different "strands" of math at the same time, so do a lesson (maybe fewer problems if they "get it") from 2 or 3 chapters on the same day (one arithmetic, one geometry, for example). I broke elementary math down into about 4 different strands. If the math topics are different enough, kids won't burn out -- lots of different stuff are lumped together as "math". PS: your ds readiness for algebra doesn't really have anything to do with acceleration or ability -- it really should be determined by HOW your child thinks. Some kids think abstractly young and are ready for algebra earlier. Others think more concretely and their brains just aren't ready for abstractions until somewhere in the 8-12yo range. You really cannot push a kid into abstraction and really shouldn't since at BEST you would be forcing them to task parts of their brain inappropriately to the task. There are TONS of fun, useful math topics for the accelerated math student that do NOT require algebra or abstraction. Math is not some sort of linear progression from arithmetic to algebra to calculus -- I like the AoPS description of each as just another toolbox. It's better to make sure your kid can use all those tools in their current toolbox proficiently before adding more tools! Depth, logical thought, creative problem solving are more important than doing algebra early. Of course I say that with an 8yo who is doing pre-Algebra now. :lol: So I'm not against accelerating, but I am making dd dawdle here in breadth and depth for now, and starting pre-A was about her deep boredom with the 5th grade curric (it was all obvious to her and she was starting to dislike math). So she does one part drill, one part deepening on percent/fractions, one challenge problem for critical thinking, and one part pre-A.

I guess one benefit of living in this part of the country is there was no wait at all for this book at the library! :lol: Personally, I think when Dawkins is focussed on the science he's amazing -- I really enjoyed Ancestor's Tale. I think his issues with religionS (or more exactly, the consequences of religions) are understandable (historical source of conflict; ends critical thought). I think he is honest and up front about that. You won't see any overt anti-YE arguments simply because he doesn't believe they warrant it. :D He isn't so much against religion as anti-fundamentalism, be it islamic or christian. I do think there are places in this latest book where his opinion overshadows his knowledge, for example the whole last chapter is basically that miracles don't exist because they defy laws of nature and you should always go with the most likely reason (lies, delusion) rather than the less likely (miracles). Gee, I don't know how string theory flies without a little suspension of disbelief (at least belief well beyond what we can sense, trusting in the math of multiple dimensions). I think that "the simplest answer is usually the right one" is a valid criterion to interpret reality, but it isn't the only one, and I think he glosses over the fact he is making an assumption. If you are not easily offended, I think there is a lot in Dawkin's work to spark many interesting discussions. Whether you love him or hate him, at least he says what he believes and why he believes it, there's no ulterior motives or hidden agendas with him.

THis isn't about being friendly, this is about doing whatever YOU feel is in your child's best interest. You do not OWE them "one more chance" to fix things for your child. Regardless of the teacher's best intentions, if they have a bad environment and 20-odd kids, how much is she really going to be able to do? Even if it was 20 kids, that would only give at most 18min per 6hr day per child, and the reality is far less than that!

I hope the counseling is helpful for dd. I wouldn't worry about it being you or dh's "fault" -- some kids are just wired to be more sensitive or see life thru certain glasses. Taking the initiative to get some outside help is great. My parents were of the "let the kids work it out" mentality (though otherwise very involved parents) and although nothing as bad as you are seeing happened, it definitely is something I chose to do differently as a parent. The way I see it, both of your children deserve to feel safe and valued in your home. NO ONE has a right to harm or devalue your child -- even their sibling. Especially their sibling. I've made it abundantly clear to my kids at an early age that I will NEVER let ANYONE hurt them, including each other. Absolute ZERO tolerance. For me this is a "your life as you know it will crash to a halt if you harm your sibling" thing. That only works if you can say it, mean it, and follow through. Maybe remind them that they are siblings but also your children. By that I mean, "He is my son. How dare you hurt my child? I would never let someone come into our home and hurt you like that, because you are my daughter. So why would it be ok for YOU to harm my child?" Sometimes they forget that. Similarly, sometimes they forget "dad" is also your husband. I agree with a pp that it sounds like your dd has learned her bad behavior gets attention as does playing the "I'm not special enough" victim. You cannot reward abuse behavior by trying to "balance out" the accolades. The reality is your ds is better at sports than your dd. She needs to learn to deal with that. Maybe even find it in herself to be proud of him. Trying to make everyone equally gifted doesn't work because it just isn't true. Life's just not fair that way. Do you praise results or effort? Praising achievement is a no-no as talent is something the kids cannot control, but praising effort and persistence is. We also make a big point about how we can't always control how we FEEL and feelings are never good or bad, but we certainly ARE responsible for how we act on those feelings. You will also probably need to up your supervision. That may mean your kids cannot be left alone together for a while. At all. Would you let an abusive stranger doing the same things as your dd be left alone with your ds? Why os the fact they are related make a difference? Start with every interaction being in sight, then earshot, until they earn your trust back. If dd is 15yo, it may also be a good time to really talk about what kind of person she wants to be. What is a good person? A kind person? Maybe journaling about her feelings would help? Maybe discussing each day what things she did that she was proud of and what things she wants to do better. She may already feel great shame about her actions and needs productive ways to handle that. Modeling your own anger management can help -- speak your internal dialog. Ask her to brainstorm about what she can do to calm down. There are probably lots of little tweaks to your family dynamics that the counsellor can suggest. Kudos to you for taking this seriously. ETA: rereading your last post... sounds like you are making positive changes. If dd was bullied, it could be she identifies strength with the bullies (rather be a bully than a victim). My friend's mother grew up watching her dad beat her mom and identified more with the dad and thought her mom was "weak". She could never criticize the abuser's actions (and no shocker later abused my friend as a child). I would watch out on going too 180 on the "zero tolerance" -- no social life for a year may be unrealistic. You also need to make sure your goals are attainable by extreme supervision -- you need to catch them before it escalates to teach them how to back it down. The abuse and anymosity are habits now and will take time and focus to break. Again, good luck!!!

chicken breast stuffed with feta and spinach. Flatten a few chic breasts, sauté spinach and maybe garlic -- whatever you like, mix in the feta), stuff *can add a piece of mozzarella or other cheese if you like), roll, dip in egg, flour (and breadcrumbs if you like), own fry then bake. You can use the pan drippings and a bit of wine for a nice sauce. YUM! For simpiler fare, we love it on pizza or sprinkled on spaghetti (instead of parmesan).

I'd try to keep math informal -- if you can work with her on counting, number sense, addition/subtraction concepts and facts, sorting and patterns -- those things are fun and can be done without curriculum, then when they are faced with curric it's easy. Maybe have your 5yo and 4yo work together playing games with blocks. Maybe even get your 6yo into it. Things like taking 5 blocks and one person hides a number and the other person figures how many. It's just a way to practice math facts. If your 6yo is starting to do multiplication, the 5 and 4 yo can add up the blocks to "check" the 6yo who makes groups. A fav with my kids was carrots for bunnies. All sorts of operations to figure out how many carrots each bunny would get (dd set out stuffed animals and pretended to feed them). Duplo blocks have hundreds of uses -- make a game continuing a pattern, or figuring out how many red blocks you would need for a tower 12" long. Anyway, you can cover a tremendous amount of math that way -- arithmetic and patterns, especially. It's fun, it's hands on, and it uses the see one - do one - teach one model (all the kids benefit from seeing different ways of doing things and trying to explain to the others). Even just 5-10min every day. There are also some good math books aimed at the preschooler and K-2, math games and kitchen table math come to mind. ETA: both my 8yo and 6yo read to my 3yo. The 3yo is doing phonics and learning to read, but all three enjoy reading to each other (being able to read stories to the "baby" was a huge motivator for my 6yo learning to read). It really has had a positive impact on their relationship as well -- one big mutual admiration society (most of the time), esp since the 3yo finds it useful to always have a lap to crawl into with a book. :D

Umm, that doesn't mean you have to do it right? I don't think your dh's CO's press knows what he's talking about. Here's a stat for you: there are more chinese people who speak english fluently that american citizens, and the number is growing rapidly. Chinese is a difficult language for english speakers because of the "tones" -- in other words, whether your inflection of a word goes up, down, flat, or "other" changes the meaning of the word entirely. I think spanish is still your child's best bet, unless you or dh are already fluent in a chinese language. You need conversational practice to learn a language, and I suspect finding groups of kids to practice spanish will be easier for you. NOT saying you shouldn't do chinese -- I toy with the idea myself for my kids, but don't do it because of some questionable advice from dh's employer. DO whatever language fits your family the best NOW. If you chose chinese, expect to need a tutor to do any serious study.

I highly recommend you read the book, "Gifts Differing" by Isabel Briggs Meyers: http://www.amazon.com/Gifts-Differing-Understanding-Personality-Type/dp/089106074X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321478350&sr=8-1 She and her mom developed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator which is still used by psychologists today (good chance you or someone you know have taken the MBTI sometime; employers use it for team building, etc). If you are an extrovert and have an introverted child, I consider it a must read. Otherwise you may miss out on all the amazingness that is your son, because it won't be on display. Farrar pointed out a lot of things, including there's nothing wrong with being an introvert and the difference between social and extrovert. You also can't make an introvert into an extrovert, their priorities are building their own internal world of self and values, not so much the external social one. It can be really harmful to try to force them to be more outgoing or social if that isn't their nature. Less is more, and odds are if he does some stuff with his brother and the neighbor kids sometimes, that's probably plenty for him. It is better to find something that interests him and hook him up with 1 or 2 other kids that share that interest than try to force him into large group situations. Introverts often go thru life wondering why people don't understand them, and the reason is because all the good stuff is on the inside where few will see. As he grows older he'll be better at projecting out into the world what he wants, but don't miss out on knowing who your ds really is or be fooled into thinking what he displays to the outside world is the real him. ANd don't make him think you believe there is something wrong with how he is. The good news is when they grow up, your introvert is most likely going to have a solid foundation of who he is with rock solid values. He's not the kid who will be swayed into doing something he knows is wrong. If he does something, he'll likely know WHY. It's your older son who's more likely to go along with the group and say, "I dunno" when you ask why. LOL DH and I are introverts. DH has great "social radar" and reads people like street signs. He was quiet and used his people reading skills to be a chameleon. I was a super-chatty, smiling, social kid, friends with everyone -- never phased me to run up to play with a group of kids I hadn't met, because honestly, it don't occur to me to CARE what they thought of me. LOL I had a tough time around middle school when my total LACK of ability to read social cues bit me in the rear, but by 16 I was in college and had no lack of great friends of depth once I got there. Of our kids, the first is observant like dh and socially clueless like me, the second has great social radar like dh, perennially happy like I was, and super social; our third is a quick to smile clown. I'm happy to say all are introverts, but each in their own way. Introverted children need parents who can understand them and they can feel know them for who they really are. They can take more work to find their currency and to keep tuned to them. But in my undoubtably biased opinion, the payoff can be huge. I know all 3 of my kids will be strong-willed, deep-thinking, confident adults. They won't live their lives like flotsam on the surface of the world, and sometimes that can make life hard, but we're determined to give them the tools to make the most of their personalities and smooth the rough edges that might trip them up. But you can't polish the stone until it has been shaped. Good luck! Enjoy both sons and their different gifts. :) ETA: I suspect introverts most benefit from homeschooling. School isn't a safe place if you are an introvert, and introverts need to feel safe while they are building their internal self. The "socialization thru socializing" is a mantra written by extroverts. Introverts will socialize only when and if they want to. School can be a horrible place for the introvert who is also not social.

I started having my 1st graders trace numbers (in an iPad app) before math. She rarely has any issues then and I figure even if it is just short term memory, it'll accumulate as he brain matures. I also have her trace letters or words (animals or dolche) every day, usually before we do the phonics part of her reading. I'll start her back into HWOT soon, but for now just tracing on the screen seems to have helped.

Being 2mo pp I'd think it may just be a little strain from things realigning. As you carry your weight differently (without pg belly) and hip ligaments tighten, it changes all the angles of force all the way down. Changing the angles slightly will require the ligaments and muscles in your knee to adapt as well. Try just gentle exercise and stretching, NSAIDs if you need something for the discomfort. Here's an example from my life (non-pp): you go for a long walk and your feet start hurting (new shoes). So, you change how you walk just slightly to take pressure off the sore spot. A mile later you realize your knees and hips hurt. Point: a very small shift in your step can impact your joints all the way up and down. Like the song: the knee bones connected to the.... :) I doubt there is anything a Dr can do for you. Unless there is severe pain, lots of swelling, or it goes on for over 6 weeks, they'll probably shrug it off as a pp thing or tell you to "take it easy" for a while. ;)

Which one have you tried? There are several. I've been really happy with NEU.Annotate and my kids love using it. I also used it to redact some financial docs I had to print out and it worked well.

Before you get the DVD I'd check out some of the videos, probably have them on youtube. They have a definite 70s sensibility and I was surprised at how sexist some are, since I don't remember them that way but sensibilities have chaged. I wouldn't let my DDs watch the history ones (though I played it all the time for my niece before I had kids -- go figure. Multiplication may be safer? On the CD -- there was a CD released of the songs "covered" by contemporary artists, which may not be what you want (have a grunge-rock leaning). My college friends loved it, but again I'd listen to a few snips or see if you can get the original versions.

Sounds to me like the usual problem of the ps system (and teacher in this case) using a one-size-fits-all model to evaluate diverse kids. It ignored the differences in how kids think and learn. To say that playing their reindeer games is more important than learning to read or math is asinine, imo. If it were my kid, I would first ask the teacher WHY it is so important and HOW that metric meshes with my child's learning style. I agree with asking for the specific rubric and State standards, preferably in writing. I doubt I'd get any satisfactory answer, just the presumption that all kids have to learn the same way. Then I'd go to my child and tell them not to worry, explain sometimes adults like her teacher get these crazy notions on how to do things and we just have to humor them, and maybe make a game phonetically sounding out words. Tell dc that when she doesn't know how to spell something, just write how it sounds and underline and you will spell it together when she gets home. Or I'd just tell dc to write "cat" every time she doesn't know a word, and when asked what she wrote to say "why, cat of course!" I'd also tell the teacher I was instructing ym child to do this and if they had a problem with that to have the principal give me a call. Perhaps the principal would be able to explain why it was ok for a teacher to make a child cry by refusing to TEACH her to spell. ;)

Generally, throughout western history the vast majority of scientists were christian, even when their discoveries were at odds with the church's views of the time.

Funerals are for the living (those left behind), not the dead. Among the living, my spouse and children are the only one's whose welfare for which I am truly accountable. Unless dh wants the kids there, I'd leave them all at home. They would be a distraction to the grieving of dh and myself and I see no benefit to practice running a funeral. I think it would be conflicting to them to see people they care about mourning when they themselves do not have those feelings. It might lead to feelings of guilt since most kids assume everyone feels how they do. I was deeply affected by my grandpa's funeral when I was 8yo. I went along, did the right things, but it was a surreal detached thing that didn't help me with my own grieving, which didn't really happen until 8mo later. I don't think more familiarity with funerals would have helped and probably would have made things worse. But that is just my experience, but perhaps that is the point -- how a child will react is highly variable and dependent on personality and developmental state. I wouldn't risk it unless there was a clear benefit to dh or the kids' grieving process, and it doesn't sound like the kids have much attachment to grieve in this case. Just do whatever feels right for your family and ask dh how he feels about it. :grouphug:

If 100EZ is working for you, stick with it. Be careful for signs of burnout -- my oldest dd flew thru first section, then stalled out and we had to put the book aside for a few months. I taught my 2 dds reading with 100EZL and LOVED it -- big jumps in difficulty around lesson 25 and 75, so prepare to backtrack when they hit those if they need it. I love how they teach blending from day #1. My ds just turned 3 and we did a few lessons of 100EL but he just doesn't have the maturity, so we do Funnix (same type) and ETC. He's flying thru ETC -- likes the pictures I think. He's just a different kiddo and needs a different style. But if your dc is willing to do 100EL don't let anyone scare you off -- it's a solid program. If it doesn't work, there's others out there. Sounds like dc is thirsty for learning, so enjoy!

How long has he been working in the field? When the job market was tight some years back, you could get hired without a degree and be fine. But right now most companies have plenty of folks applying with college degrees, even graduate ones, so if you don't already have experience it's unlikely you'd get hired. I have friends who were hired in like that and now feel the squeeze. One worked for 15 years, was laid off, and now can't get an interview competing against folks with degrees. It's brutal. So, I'm glad it worked out for your dh, but few folks are so lucky these days if the field normally requires a degree (and most that pay over $50K do, unless it is a skilled trade).