Thanks! We don't use a separate writing program...just kind of a Grammar/Language Arts/Writing all in one. I really like the BJU High School program but not so thrilled with the elementary level ones. I will definitely check out Galore Park!

Hoping y'all can give me some advice. DD (is 10) is in 5th...we used BJU English 4 last year and she really got very little out of it. I have BJU English 5 and we started school and it's waaay too easy for her. I was thinking of skipping to 7th because when I looked at 6th it also looked to be too easy. I'm wondering if there's anything crucial that she will miss by skipping the 6th grade book? What would you do?

In my "past life" I was an agent for a State Farm Agent here in VA for 10 years, so the experience I have is with their products and here in VA. That being said, Homeowners Insurance policies have an inflation index built into them. The idea is so that you don't become underinsured as the years go by. (The little old lady that bought her house in in 1957 and never increases her coverage will not have adequate coverage to rebuild her house at today's prices.). Since premiums are regulated by the states (meaning the premiums aren't supposed to be negotiable-to change the price you have to make a change to the coverage in some way), I'm thinking that your agent is backing down that coverage to whatever you had last year, and that's keeping your cost back to what it was last year. This is probably safe; the inflation index may be a little over-inflating if you've made no improvements, etc. Just make sure you have enough coverage to REBUILD your house...has nothing to do with the price you paid for your house or could sell the house for. The downside to changing companies? You get renewal discounts if you remain claim free for XX number of years (it was 3 with State Farm when I was an agent). You also build a relationship when you stick with one company. Red flags tend to go up when someone has had a policy in effect for a year or less and they have a claim. Just my .02. :)

We're doing BJU 4 this year...last year I put my curriculum together from various sources, after changing mid-year. So far we like it and it's working. This year for reading I did some internet searching and have a list of books that will go along with the Heritage Studies (History) Book. You can search lots of places and use Sonlight's lists (I have an old catalog) to get book ideas. Rainbow Resource is also a good site because it has the age or grade suggested for the book described. What we can find at the library we get there. What we can't we order online.

I used to get freaked when we'd get off schedule...then I decided that I control the schedule...the schedule doesn't control me. Some days just aren't conducive to sticking to the schedule. Just remember that what works for others may not be a good fit for you and/or your child (thinking of all the catalogs showing children smiling and reading and enjoying schooling and most days my reality doesn't look like that....). Take the day off, go outside and observe nature and just relish the time you have with your child-all too soon they will become teenagers and will be replaced by an alien...LOL!

...and here I thought we were the only ones that did this!

I really loved using SL with my DS (2, 3, and 6) but it just didn't work out with DD (go figure, right!?!) I WANTED it to work for her because I love the elementary levels. I only purchased from the company a couple of times and had no issues at all with any of my purchases. I only purchased stuff I couldn't find used. I didn't care for the LA and supplemented but that was just me. However, I really started to dislike the attitude that the staff started displaying on the MB....like many other posters here it bugged me when they came across like as if they were doing the customers a favor by being in existence. I actually have the Core 7 IG and books and changed this year's curriculum for DS...I don't care for the way the IG is written (maybe because it's older?) I just was really disappointed when the attitude of the company shifted...they seem to be disconnected from their customers and really don't care.

Glad to know I'm not the only one out there with situations like this...:grouphug:

August 6th

I've got a Core C and books listed on Ebay right now and recently sold a grade 6 and will be selling a 7 soon. I was at my local HS convention's used book sale this weekend there were tons of Sonlight products there.

I've had depression for several years now and this will be our 3rd year homeschooling. I really only have "REALLY bad days" when I'm having an "episode" and at the same time my kids have a 'bad school day' (i.e. my youngest gives me grief and sits at the table and doesn't do her work because she is having a 'tude'). Fortunately these two don't coincide terribly often. Some days when I just want to stay in bed the fact I'm homeschooling helps me get up and be productive...I have to convince myself it's not about me-it's about my kids and what's best for them. When I do have a bad day, and she's having a 'tude then we do the "must do" stuff (math) and play catch up the next day. Sometimes it's hard-I won't lie-DH is acutely aware of how the effects of depression reflect on my life and everyone else's. If he notices that I'm in a funk he'll make me get out and we'll walk the dogs when he gets home or take me for an ice cream or something-just to try to break the "funk". (oh and don't forget to take your meds!!)

http://www.virginiasafaripark.com/ It's worth it to take the wagon tour-they give you so much info that you wouldn't otherwise get to find out. :) We had a blast and the kids LOVED it!

Very cool-this is the first I've heard of this-thanks for sharing!

It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do but I stayed when I put my Sadie to sleep (I still bawl about it like it was yesterday and it was 2 years ago!)...I just felt like it was my responsibility to be there...I don't regret it but it was very very hard.

This is me in a nutshell...I'm learning that while I may love a curriculum that doesn't mean my kids will or it will be right for them. I know for some of you that sounds like a Duuuhh thing...lol but unfortunately I insist on going through the school of hard knocks. Maybe that's a lesson that has to be learned the hard way, I don't know but it kinda leaves me a bit at a loss for one of my children for her curriculum this year. We're going to the conference this weekend to look at some of the other things out there...we tried Sonlight with her and I was surprised it wasn't a good fit because for DS it was...go figure, right...they are individuals, after all. I love reading what everyone else has learned and what everyone else has tried here on the forums...I'm a bit of a lurker but I really have gotten so much from all of you, so thank you for sharing! With DS' math I think we'll try something with a Mastery Approach (like maybe BJU). CLE wasn't a good fit and I found I had a hard time discerning whether or not he was learning anything from Fred (am I alone in this?). I posted elsewhere about the math, but we're staying with Horizons' for DD...she is excelling...and "if it ain't broke.." LOL!

Ditto! (we have been using it for our 7th grader)

We used Horizons for our youngest and CLE for our oldest. Our DD, who is finishing up 3rd grade (Horizons) went from a child who HATED math and barely had a grasp on her addition facts to a child who likes math ("it's ok") and is doing multiplication, divsion and some algebraic equations successfully. The workbook is bright and colorful. If you are comfortable with math don't bother with the TM. I do have the answer key though and use it to make grading quicker. We plan on using Horizons next year for her. (If it ain't broke...lol!) Our DS, who is finishing up 7th was working through CLE. It's not a fair comparison to compare the two curriculums since they are on such different levels. I do like the price of the CLE. I like the idea of the units-it gives me a sense of victory when we finish one, although DS could care less. He hates math and hates the spiral approach that CLE uses. I like the way things are explained in the units. The curriculum seems to be very thorough (we only used it for part of the year). DS hates it, though, because of the spiral approach. At his level he usually has about 2 pages of problems a day that are review. For him we are switching to BJU and try the mastery approach and see if he likes it better. I wouldn't say he's behind in math...but since we've only done a part of the CLE books there are some things we haven't covered. At the beginning when we first started using it we had to do a lot of review...DS was in public school last year and there were lots of things that they didn't cover that CLE had assumed he knew. The good thing is that in the first book there are references (lightunit number) where that subject was covered in the previous year). The units aren't colorful, so if your child likes bright colors and fun drawings CLE won't give them that. (but then that's why the price is so awesome!) You can't go wrong with either, IMHO...

Ditto

I had a friend that was suckered in by one of these scams....what they do is they include the money for shipping and then you have to deposit the check and then take cash to Western Union and wire the $$ to the "moving company" so they will come pick up the items. The check is counterfeit and you've just sent $$ via Western Union and the person you sent it to is not traceable...the person that picked it up and you sent it to doesn't exist... Basically you are out of the money that you wired to the mover. She lost $250 that way. I tried to explain (before she wired the $$) that there was no way I would wire $$ to a "moving company" to come get my stuff I was selling.

Thanks-I hadn't heard!

I thought it was just me! LOL! Sonlight 2 just wasn't happening for DD...lots of the books she doesn't like, etc. Going with R&S Language and Abeka for history and having her read the books from SL 2 & 3 that she is interested in. Sticking with SL Science though. Fred books and Horizons for Math seem to be working... DS is so easy...he's good with SL7 (so far)...

Dogs is the 4th book in the new Elementary Series

We just finished LOF Apples. DD is in 3rd grade but her math skills are weak. We're using the LOF books to warm up and try and get her back on level with her math. So far she's loving the books (she finished up Apples in one week...). DS is in 7th and working through the Fractions book and he loves it! (He HATED math before LOF!) Well worth the $$, IMHO!

That's a big ole' DUUUHHH for me...why didn't I think of using my PP Card!

Same here!