Sovereign Hill gold rush re-enactment theme park in Ballarat & the Gold Museum next door. As PP's have said - Melbourne is very bike friendly. Ride along the river to Collingwood Children's Farm/Abbotsford Convent (now an arts precinct with restaurants, bakeries, a Steiner school & organic markets on weekends).

I haven't noticed any. I think most Aussies here are more southerly.

I wondered this recently when we had an awful gastro. I ended up turning the ipad off and spraying the screen lightly with disinfectant.

Same here :(

BFSU and McHenry, Just echoing everyone else really. Have you read lewelma's posts?

It looks very Steiner/Waldorf actually.

We don't do mama-planned topics so much, my planning is closer to what Donna described. I read a LOT & squirrel away information and resources so that when a topic comes up we are (somewhat) prepared to run with it. Our official school year starts on Tuesday although DD & I started last week. We are currently working through: McHenry's Elements, a seventh grade science text and some assigned science reading (on flight ATM) Finishing up odd pages from three different SM workbooks while we wait for LoF to arrive. I'll be ordering BA once the budget has recovered from paying all the new term class fees that are due in the next two weeks (if I wait long enough maybe I'll be able to order A-D? Wishful thinking) A third grade handwriting wb Music theory That's all for formal school. DD does most of her LA through free reading & resultant discussion plus self-motivated letter writing and journaling (she always asks for help/guidance or proof reading). I try to make time to play chess or Khet or her new favourite Flux with her and she fills the rest of her day with violin practice, ballet research (i.e. watching her favourite productions and trying to learn the choreography) and fighting with oops I mean playing with her brother.

Oh no. Big big big hugs.

Oh & hugs.

I don't think you are failing her & I think Crimson Wife is correct - you aren't likely to find a suitable classroom environment anywhere. I'm almost certain this is true for my DD and I doubt she is even close to where yours lies.

Yes :)

Love this!

Shipping stinks even more to here. I'm waiting for 3D to come out so I can buy the whole year. At least that way the exorbitant shipping will be just one big lump. Meanwhile DD is BORED with SM.

I still scribe for my 6.5 in maths. We get through a lot more that way, she is willing to concentrate for a lo longer if the writing portion is my responsibility. We will read through word problems (SM) together & I will ask her what I should write down & what operation etc. I know you said you don't think the writing is really his problem but I think it's partly an emotional thing for my DD - she feels as though I am "helping" her if I scribe even though she does all the calculations.

Yes we do. We are in a rigorous phase at them moment but it's all consolidation. As PPs have said - most of DD's leaps and bounds come in our "off" times. Then in times such as now she is happy to tread a little water & practice some skills for a while.

It depends what he likes. My dd like black & white so we actually use the workbooks (usually about half the pages) and usually skip the textbook, she doesn't normally need the colorful visual explanation anyway. If he like the text & the IP & it doesn't seem like he needs extra practice I would stick with those.

Jungle Book, Narnia.

BFSU is available as a book. Do you mind sharing how you found your ps science classes? About to google, but does anyone have link for these?

Yes. I have yet to read the book, but I would assume "tea" is afternoon tea, which is far more likely buns (sticky yeasted things with dried fruit or cream buns) than crumpets.

Or hey. It's hot hey? Yeah no...good weather for a swim but. I'd never ever noticed the a/e thing before DH pointed it out to me. Now when I visit home I can hear it in certain words, but celery/salary are still exactly the same to me.

There are slight regional differences within the general Australian accent. My husband who grew up in another state laughs at me because apparently I say "bell-cony" instead of "bahl-cony". Conversely I once had a flute student called Ellen; when I once had to fetch her from class the teacher was adamant that she didn't have such a student. As far as I was concerned I was pronouncing it the same way the Ellen Degeneres does. Eventually it was sorted out when she said; "Oh, Ehh-llen!".

Babies in slings, carry/pull on wheels everything else. Good luck.

My daughter (6.5) & I loved BFSU last year. She has recently started McHenry's Elements & loves it. We also read a lot & she eats up documentaries.

Those who say they don't get the problem with no gift parties have obviously never had an experience like this. I have and it seems so have many others on this thread. The biggest factor for me though is that it makes my children sad. They *like* to give & if they hear one of their friends is having a birthday the first thing they do is start talking about what they would like to give to their friend. As a parent obviously I want to encourage this.

Nor should they. Coffee made with boiling water is burnt coffee and tastes like crud.