We've had a "the cat is chasing a mouse up the bookcase delay," a "the luna moths are mating!" delay, and most recently "the power is out in India for the 100th time, why did I wait to start school until after dark" delay.

You could pick and choose from the "Dates" section at the back of each Story of the World book and and add conjunctions and try to make them catchy.

I am very much in favor of illustrated poetry collections for beginners. We went through these three books, one poem (or section on a poem) a day. Beautiful illustrations. Lovely selection of poetry. Not too young, but introductory, if you know what I mean. (And after clicking on the link above, I am buying The Barefoot Book of Classic Poetry too! Why do I visit the curriculum boards?? My poor pocketbook!) A Child's Introduction to Poetry http://www.amazon.com/Childs-Introduction-Poetry-Mountains-Battles/dp/1579122825/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392973236&sr=8-1&keywords=a+child%27s+introduction+to+poetry A Family of Poems http://www.amazon.com/Family-Poems-Favorite-Poetry-Children/dp/0786851112/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392973297&sr=8-1&keywords=caroline+kennedy+poems+for+children Poems to Learn by Heart http://www.amazon.com/Poems-Learn-Heart-Caroline-Kennedy/dp/1423108051/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y Then we moved on to: Classic Poetry: An Illustrated Collection http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1564028909/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i03?ie=UTF8&psc=1

double post

We use Kirk's and love it as a hand and body soap. I don't like Dr. Bronner's label, it disturbs me. I want to like it so I can buy a natural liquid soap by the gallon for cleaning, but I just can't get past the label...

There are often hidden gems. When I was leading a family hiking club, we'd meet at one trail or another and parents would tell me that they'd been driving past the place for years and years with no idea that it was open to the public or how beautiful it was. Many didn't even know the Appalachian Trail went through their town! Congratulations on finding a special place nearby!

I agree completely. Bad models! Maybe everyone should be made to do daily copywork...

Dandelions are a vital early spring nectar source for honeybees! That's why they were originally brought over from Europe and intentionally planted. With honeybees in danger, we encourage dandelions in our lawn and the honeybees we've seen nectaring there seem thankful. I am also a big fan of violets in the yard as they are the host plant for the caterpillars of the beautiful frittilary butterflies. Clover provides ongoing nectar for the bees as well.

You have gotten a lot of very good advice above. I did want to mention that to begin to turn around the financial train (so to speak) you might borrow The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Decyzyn from the library or buy a used copy. It is the black belt money saving manual and has helped many people escape financial disaster. It is also funny and positive in tone. The numbers in the book are dated as it was written in the 1990s, but the advice is timeless, and I think it is the only book that expresses a true understanding of finding money when there is none. I have read about twenty other books on the topic and this is the one that is the most practical and the most encouraging with the broadest range of advice and a no-holds barred approach to wringing money out of thin air. http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Tightwad-Gazette-Dacyczyn/dp/0375752250/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392796872&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Complete+Tightwad+Gazette

We will be in exactly the same situation as you when we return to the US in two weeks. All our stuff is in storage. We will be living with relatives. We are moving to a northern, cold, wintery area and most people took their unsold houses off the market in November because they know there are no buyers there in winter. What is left are the fixer-uppers that have been on the market for three years and are stubbornly overpriced. However, just this week three new listings came up and two that disappeared last November were relisted. My realtor says April is the time. He also knows the town so well, he knows who is planning to put their houses on the market and reassures us that waiting will be the better choice. Of course, dh is super impatient to find a house right away, but I would sure hate to pick a compromise house in March when a good house is in the pipeline for April! Last time we moved, we were under such time pressure that we overbought, paying far too much for a house that wasn't right and which lost value quickly. As hard as it is to be living in limbo, it is harder to live forever in a house that isn't right. In your case, renting month to month and watching the market like a hawk ready to strike might be the best option. Good luck!

Gallbladder out over a year and a half ago and no digestive issues! Now, if I eat certain fats together I will get a little "phantom gallbladder pain" as I call it that passes in an hour or so, nothing I can't control with diet, and NOTHING like the constant pain you've been suffering. You owe it to yourself and your family to find a doctor who takes your pain seriously and helps you do something about it.

My oldest went to school for three (miserable) years before being pulled out to homeschool and my youngest as never been to school. The eldest definitely appreciates homeschooling much more than the youngest who has created a whole fantasy dreamworld created about how great school must be. We all react to our experiences and imagine alternatives that we have no experience with. A child who regrets being homeschooled may have had a bad time of it they may be idealizing the road not taken. I am pretty confident that my understanding of the quality and atmosphere of the public schools where we lived is far superior to the understanding of my youngest who believes them to be a happy place full of fun and friends and easy schoolwork, so if she complains I just have her brother explain the reality he experienced.

Oh, I thought Spycar had been replaced in the role of token homeschooling male by That Homeschool Dad. (Miss you, Spycar!)

In our old location (we are in India now and there are too many things to list!), we were close to the "Fluorescent Mineral Capital of the World," the Franklin Mineral Museum and Mine in Franklin, NJ where you can go through mine tailings at the Buckwheat Dump and keep the florescent minerals you find for a per pound price. We found some great specimens. http://www.franklinmineralmuseum.com/aboutus.htm

Julie Bogart has Bravewriter Arrows for a heap of books. I know Wind in the Willows is one of them. http://www.bravewriter.com/program/language-arts-programs/the-arrow/already-published-issues

1812: The War Nobody Won http://www.amazon.com/1812-The-War-Nobody-Won/dp/0689310757/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392636060&sr=8-1&keywords=1812+the+war+nobody+won

I love the idea of trying out different schedules on different days to see which one worked best and identifying the things that derail the day. You have great practical problem solving skills. I will try it myself when we return home from traveling. I am expecting some major problems getting back on schedule with the time change, living with the grandparents, and general exhaustion. Thanks for the tip.

I think that a lot of it would have to do with how the space is laid out and how much storage there is. Does the house have a basement, garage, and/or attic? Is there a pantry or pantry closet? Does the house have 7 rooms or 8? Are there closets in each room? These things can mean the difference between tight living and nicely together.

My children are also fast, above-average readers and fair to poor spellers. They had memorized all their phonograms and spelling rules and knew how do do the markings from SWR. They were still bad spellers. What helped them encode was the LOE method of breaking down the word into phonograms aloud and using one finger to represent each phonogram before writing it down. My kids HATE this. Hate it. They hate it because it forces them to slow down and actually articulate all the sounds in the word before they write it. They tend to blur all the sounds together toward the end of the word and need to slow.way.down in order to break it apart. But slowing down and going step-by-excruciating-step has been the only thing that has helped improve their spelling. You can see Denise Eide breaking down words in this way in the videos on her YouTube channel.

Thanks for posting the link to the Little Free Libraries. I had never heard of them and love the idea. Made me smile at the little things people can do to make other's days happier. Just looking at the little libraries makes me smile.

David Attenborough's Life Series Many of the National Geographic documentaries

Punctuation and usage (they're, there, their). (Though if you understand the purpose of the words in the sentence it can help you with punctuation and usage...

We will be house hunting in the spring in an area that is cold and gets lots of snow but has very old housing stock, many of the houses are 200 years old. We will be happy to find one with a garage at all! Most people park their cars in the attached barn. I think the preferences are regional and not something you can do anything about so why worry. When the time comes to sell, someone will come along who will love it.

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle The Neverending Story by Michael Ende The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White

I'll admit loving flowery language over spare; Strunk and White be darned! I especially love the way nature books used to be written in a conversational tone with plenty of anthropomorphism. Sue me. My favorite contemporary author is Sherman Alexie (particularly Reservation Blues and The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven). His language is not flowery per se, but his use of pacing, literary devices, and poetics in his sentences is masterful. His work is a little inconsistant, but when he's on, he's impressive. Be aware that some of his books (especially his short stories) contain disturbing and mature themes. He writes about the struggles of life.