Our first day last year was supposed to go like this: Eat breakfast at Denny's Go to zoo Come home and do the school supplies scavenger hunt I made up (you can download it on my blog) The way it actually went: I woke up feeling not great, but the kids were excited about our first day plans. Ate breakfast at Denny's I came home and had one of the worst stomach viruses I've ever had in my life for the next 24 hours and another 24 hours of recovery ruining all of my big plans. We never did make it to the zoo, but we did get to the scavenger hunt which the kids LOVED and have still been talking about doing it this year. Instead I'm going to do a scavenger hunt at the library on the first day the ps kids go back (since we've already started) where the hunt leads them to new backpacks with coupon books to use during the school year (claim a sick day, work outside all day, go bowling for a physics lesson, etc.).

I'm learning Latin along with the kids. Currently I'm on a Russian history binge so I've been doing quite a bit of non-fiction reading about that. I'm also writing a book and a lit study and a church history study for our denomination.

Look at the Table of Contents of Story of the World Middle Ages or the TOC of any Middle Ages curriculum. Use the TOC to decide what books to look for. You could also purchase All Through the Ages which lists hundreds of books for different time periods and reading levels then all the work is done for you and you only need to find the books. I can easily say that All Through the Ages has easily been the most important purchase I've made in our homeschool so it might be a good investment for you beyond this year. And congrats on the baby!

Sure. Just shoot me your email.

We are going to library school a couple of days a week this school year due to necessity of timing when it comes to outside classes in which my oldest is enrolled. We are bringing our own books, backpacks, etc. Although I like the idea of having them find things that interest them while we're there as well. Our library actually has a section of textbooks that are not available to check out but are available to use. I believe they are the books either currently being used or that were recently used in the elementary and middle schools. They are there for parents or tutors to help their children with school work. You might see if your library has something similar, then you really could cover math, grammar, etc.

For me small talk is things like finding out life details, marriage, kids, jobs, etc. Once I've found something we have in common or something that interests me, I'm good to go. I can talk with you all night long at that point. It's the build up to that which makes me uncomfortable for a couple of reasons: 1) I don't know when/if I'm going to ask you something that is awkward. For example, "Are you married?" "I was but my husband died last year." Now I feel really awkward and feel like I made you feel bad. 2) I don't know if I'll encounter someone who doesn't really share (aka keep the conversation going) which makes me feel awkward as well. For example: "Did you grow up here?" "Yes." "We moved here about ten years ago so everyone still considers us newbies." <insert awkward silence> "Well, um, do you have kids?" "Yes." "Me too. I have three, two girls and a boy." <insert awkward silence> At which point I usually give up and try to extract myself from the conversation without looking too awkward about that as well. I've encountered scenarios 1 and 2 often enough that it makes the prospect of making small talk a nerve-wrecking thing for me.

The one fly in the ointment for us ever having consistent quiet time is that my kids have always shared a bedroom with another sibling. Right now dd8 and ds5 share a room. There is no way they could both be in the room for an hour without getting into squabbles that I would have to break up and deal with which kind of defeats the purpose of alone/quiet time. Any suggestions?

So just to clear up some extrovert fallacies: I stink at small talk. I can do it, but I feel foolish. I honestly think that's just a gift. My mother, who is an introvert, is fabulous at small talk. In fact when I have to engage in chit chat with people I don't know, I try to channel my mom. I hate team work/group work. I'd rather just do it myself so I know it gets done and done correctly. I don't want to sit and toss around ideas. I don't want to depend on you for something as important as a work or school project. I would love to celebrate with you after or even have you in the room while I'm working, just don't help me. I love to read. I read ALL the time. Not an introvert monopoly on that one. And if people make you (introverts), feel like you are less, that's their problem. I do agree that our culture pushes making a spectacle of yourself (extrovert) more than they value the quiet, thinkers (introverts). I find this very sad considering that most of the advancements in law, technology, medicine, etc. were accomplished by introverts. We should value that characteristic in people more than we do. I definitely think extroverts have their place in society and in families, but I don't see them as better. I would be lost without the introverts in my life.

I'm probably what you'd call an extreme extrovert, but I'm married to an introvert and my best friends have always been introverts. I think introverts are awesome for a lot of reasons. I love the fact that introverts are observers. Whenever my dh and I are at the same gathering he'll notice totally different things than me because he's usually on the sidelines talking quietly one on one with someone or just sitting there while I'm busy chatting it up and working the room. When we get home and compare notes, it's like we've been two totally different places. Introverts also don't tend to stick their foot in their mouth as much as us extroverts (or at least me!) because they are quieter and seem to take longer to respond where I just get caught up in the moment and blurt. I understand introverts and their need for quiet. I respect it and give it to my dh. Sometimes it does hurt my feeling when I want/need to chat it up with dh, but he's needing alone time. However, I don't push him and just wait. Introverts help us extroverts learn patience! As for the semi-serious accusation that extroverts aren't happy with themselves. We are. We really truly are. I have no problem being alone, but I can only take it for so long before I need to be around people to energize myself. Is that a character weakness? I don't think so, but maybe others perceive it that way. It's not like I run up to random people and force them to hang out with me. I just like to be around people. I like people and being with them, talking to them, laughing with them. It makes me happy and boosts my energy levels. I found it amusing that so many of you talked about your churches feeling very extroverted. When they do studies of ministers (like my dh), the findings are that actually about 70% of them are introverts. In fact, in dh's seminary class out of about 30 students, there was only one extrovert. My dh, and I assume most other ministers, can turn it on when they need to and be sociable, but then they have to go somewhere to crash later. For example on Sunday, dh stays in our bedroom pretty much all day except coming out to eat lunch because it takes so much out of him to play the extrovert all day with our congregation.

Good to know about the rebate timing. I'll try to be patient a little longer. :001_cool: I bought my paper online, picked it up in store, and entered my rebate online in case that helps anyone who doesn't have their rebate validated yet.

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Mine says validation complete, but I still haven't received anything in the mail. Has any one else received their pre-loaded Visa card?

I am currently doing the three month free trial. It is cheaper than Amazon on the things they do have since the more you buy the bigger the discount which makes it super helpful if your purchasing grocery items. Right now I'm trying to decide if the amount I save buying groceries from them instead of Amazon is worth the yearly membership price for Jet.

I recently discovered Jet and was really pleased. Their prices were cheaper than Amazon. As you add things to your cart, it keeps discounting.

I have read aloud lists in my signature pulled from The Read Aloud Handbook. I choose books from those to read to my kids.

I would eat them as well.

The younger kids can leave when their read aloud is over and they have finished their lunch.

I separate literature from history as well. My dd does have required books to read for history, but those are read as part of her history assignments. Her literature readings are read on her own and narrated to me. I tried to make her literature varied this year across many disciplines, but also include some great books that I know she'd like for her free reading.

I read while they eat lunch. I start with a couple of picture books for my youngest. I move on to a family read aloud (I read one chapter) then I have read aloud lists (linked in my signature) that I pull from separately for my girls. I read one chapter of Sophia's book next and finish with one chapter from Grace's book. It usually takes about an hour to get through all of it. They have a 30 minute recess at that point while I eat lunch.

I do something very similar to what you have outlined. I do grammar two days a week and Writing and Rhetoric three days. We do spelling every day because my dd needs it to be every day. We don't have an official vocab program until the second semester when we'll pick up Caesar's English which will take the place of grammar on the schedule.

I would eat it. Absolutely.

After realizing that Grace wasn't retaining anything with MCT even though she loves it. I decided to add in Fix-It Grammar so we are doing a MCT/Fix It! combo this year. We'll see how it goes..... Sophia is using Foundations Level D which includes an introduction to grammar and mechanics. The last term of the year I'll do Sentence Family with her before we begin formal grammar in 4th grade.

I think it looks good. One thing I would do is that since you know your kids are weak in LA and that your toddler doesn't always nap, I would have in the back of my mind a plan B (Emergency DEW Loop). My plan B would be to just do AAS since it would touch on both reading (phonics) and spelling which your two struggle with the most. I would leave off Treasure Conversations and Latin on those days when the toddler just won't be consoled. There is plenty of time for learning grammar and Latin, but getting reading strong is much more important so just do AAS on those days, IMO. OR You could move DEW loop to your first subject of the morning and save math until later. Have the kids do their reading time in the afternoon (when you would normally have DEW loop) so that one of them can rotate out to entertain the fussy toddler. I definitely wouldn't plan any skill subjects for the afternoon when you know the odds are high that your toddler will not cooperate. That, IMO, is just setting yourself up for trouble.

I agree with the others. Definitely LWW first.

I got an entire week alone at home earlier this month. Dh and Grace were at church camp while the younger two went to visit my parents that week in Arkansas. I posted what I did every day for that week on Facebook (read, watch chick flicks, sleep as late as I wanted, etc.) I won't lie. It was sheer bliss. I can't even tell you how many of my mom friends on Facebook were commenting about how much they would love a week or even a few days like that. It made me realize that all moms need this time to not be a wife or mother, but just to be me again for a while. The best part is dh said we'd try to make it happen next year too.