What is/was for lunch? Snack? I struggled for over two hours to get Chuck to nap with me and finally fell asleep, I missed lunch. Anyone else have spring fever? I'm not getting super antsy about it yet, but the sunny days are making me pretty happy. Anyone trying to figure out curricula choices for next year and just have no clue exactly what it is you want to do/use? I've already figured it out and we put in a huge order on Amazon!!!!!!! I'm so excited because it will be our first official year homeschooling. Packages should start arriving tomorrow and I told Pigby his "presents" will be here soon :party::party::party:

ooooo I can tell you how to do your avatar and siggy. I just learned how to do it today and I've been bragging all over about it. When you sign in, click on your name where it says, "Welcome, Canadianmumof4". That will take you to your profile. Your screen name will be on the left side of the screen, underneath that is a box. On the right side of that box will be a link to "customize profile" click on that. Then on the left side, about 3 boxes down, is the "settings and options" box, with the "edit avatar" and "edit signature" links. And just fill in as you wish, it will let you preview. It's that easy!! Even if you don't do it tonight before Lent (I'm not Catholic, I don't know when it technically starts) you will have the instructions ready for you when you come back. Just sign in and go back to your profile and you'll be able to read all threads started by you. Easy peasy. And welcome, I'm kinda new here too, but this board is so AWESOME!

I would think it's the final straw that broke the camel's back. :grouphug:

Thanks, I think so too! Oh my heck, there was a thread about this a few days ago and I was trying so hard to follow directions, but still couldn't figure it out! "Where are the plus signs? :confused: Where are the plus signs?!?!?! :banghead:" Yeah, once I signed in I could find them :D Yes, definitely feel that too. Thank you (couldn't leave you out) ;)

Look! LOOK! I figured out how to make a siggy and an avatar! Yeesh, you'd wonder what 26 year old couldn't figure that out, but I am so computer illiterate I never could before. I always felt like I was turning into my mother, who couldn't figure out how to use Microsoft Word. I could use Word, just not Excel:tongue_smilie:. Such a silly thing, but I'm still so proud:D

They talk once a week on Sundays. I guess they're pretty close, but since there's a big gap between DH and the rest of his siblings, she's very busy taking care of them, so mostly he talks with his dad. No complaints here. ETA: Whoops, I mean no complaints with him and his relationship to his parents, NOT that he's talking to his dad more

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Families can be so complicated

bob loblaw's law blog

I love cookbooks. And I love pretending that I'll someday use them. But right now the only ones that I use on a semi-regular basis are Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer and More Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer. I guess it's just that stage in my life. I like the Martha Stewart Cupcake book and Dorie Greenspan's Baking, from my home to yours for desserts.

I did a search, but couldn't find anything. I was wondering if anyone uses A Reason for Spelling and how they like it. Well, I guess there will be some who do and some who don't. But I was looking at the sample lessons and liked all the review and all the activities that go with them. Plus it looks colorful and fun. What worries me about it is the Christian content. And I don't know if that should or not as I am a very devout and practicing Christian. I read the story and I read the scripture and don't really have anything against using it. But I am just wondering if using the scriptures as a base is the best way academically. It doesn't seem like there's much rhyme or reason to the order of the words. Is there another curriculum that has all the fun activities and color but has the words in a more logical order? (This is for a 1st grade boy)

A friend would like to know if the second set of MUS blocks is worth buying. Her daughter will be starting Alpha soon and wanted my input. Since I don't know, I thought I'd ask the hive. What sayest thou?

Now I'm starting to wonder about a fine motor delay. I'm not really worried or freaking out, but just wondering if that's more of the problem. Because he's not really a wiggly boy. He's always been very laid back and mellow. (DS 2 on the other hand :willy_nilly::svengo:) He will sit for a long time and do reading lessons. Loves to read. He will sit for 2+ hours, yes HOURS, doing his math. And it certainly is not me saying, "You will stay here until you finish your math page" not even close. I'm saying after every problem, "Do you want to stop or keep going?" and he says, "Keep going" so he does the next one. But looking back, things with fine motor seemed to bore him. He'd sit with the lace and trace for 10 seconds and then start playing with them. He loves stickers but always has me peel them off for him. He only barely learned how to do buttons (because I made him) but had kept saying they were too hard and he couldn't do it. And writing lessons is the very last one he wants to do. Well, I guess I'll have to figure out a plan to get him to do more.

Well, we don't have a front yard, but I suppose the neighbors won't mind if I go traipsing about their yards, counting the varieties of grass. :tongue_smilie: In all seriousness though, PLANTS!! How could I forget about plants?! I think of nature walks and think of looking for animals and insects :ack2: Yeesh, can you tell I'm brain dead and sleep deprived? And thank you, I will look at that book.

Oh no! the abbreviation sticky doesnt have that one, what is it?

I've never really tried it, since he hogs the books to himself. It seems like such an obvious thing, I feel silly for not doing it. I will have to try and see how it goes. Maybe there's hope for me and the beautiful museum quality coloring books that I really really want to buy!

nope, must've been someone else :001_smile:

Thank you for that insight, I'd never thought of that. That would be excellent to help with his fine motor skills. Thank you, we will try it and hopefully find some cool things. Although, I will agree with your sister, I could have never let a giant spider stay there for so long. I'm getting creeped out just thinking about it :tongue_smilie:

I don't think you're behind. We don't really supplement with any other reading books, but he gets his practice reading regular age appropriate books. My son is 5 and LOOOOOOVES the Froggy books by Jonathan London. He also likes Baby Brain and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie books. What I do is have him read to me, if he gets stuck on a word I help him out with it. When he's hit his limit, I take over and finish reading the book for him. He can read for longer periods of time than he could when we first started, but he doesn't get frustrated because he knows I'll help him and that he can quit whenever he needs to.

Do you think there is much to see if you're stuck in suburbia? My husband has the car all day everyday and I wonder how interesting plant and animal life is from the sidewalk. I guess long walks could always count for PE instead

I'm trying to plan out next school year for DS5. For science, TWTM suggests the main books on plants, animals, and the human body. Then most of their supplemental books are coloring books. Which I would love to do, I could see myself sitting down and coloring some every week :lol:. But apparently I'm supposed to school him and not myself, so I need some suggestions as to what else I could use to supplement. Because to him, coloring = scribble, turn page, scribble, turn page and so on :glare:.

:iagree: I also HIGHLY recommend these books! Yeah, the second one is completely out there and has nothing to do with the original story, but it's still worth reading at least once. But I seriously love these books. They're the only fan fiction I've read that 1) isn't trashy 2) keeps the original characterizations from P&P and 3) Keeps the original writing style of P&P. So good.

Oh, that makes sense. Thank you for the help, I will look at those sites. I know two other homeschooling families; one with a girl my son's age and the other family just barely started HS and neither of them belong to any group.

This may be a stupid question, but what is a co-op? Just a bunch of people meeting together for classes? Some of the ones I've heard described on the boards seem very complicated and organized, I'd just always thought they were small I guess. Also, how would one go about finding one? I've googled "Provo Homeschool coop" and got nothing. I've looked on several state homeschooling websites and got nothing. I would really like to do something as DS5 seems so bored lately. I think he needs friends and a place to run around. School has dropped to listening to an audiobook during rest time, no math, no reading, no writing. If there really are none in the area, how would one go about starting something small? :bigear::bigear:

Sha-what? I always go up the hill to orem cuz I think your library is better. But really though, this makes me super p*ssed, (uh-oh are Mormons allowed to say that?). I want to go to the meeting, but I doubt I'll be able to, what with a 3 week old baby and all. If anyone goes, will you keep me updated?

I've decided that for my 5 year old's "quiet time" he can listen to books on tape. Recommendations? The only one I can think of is Boxcar children.