K'Nex has some different kits and books that are used to teach physics. I haven't tried any of them, but they are on my wishlist for the future. I think that I have also seen this book recommended in a past thread: http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Physics-With-Toys-Hands/dp/1883822408/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

We use the trifold presentation boards from Walmart. They are made of cardboard and are pretty sturdy. It is nice since we can use them to display posters or as a "word wall", and then fold them up and put them away. They come in different sizes too. We use the smaller ones on the table top and the larger ones when we are sitting on the floor. I tried to upload a photo for you, but it was too large. I need to figure out how to add pictures! You can purchase them at other stores, like Staples, but Walmart is the cheapest that we have found.

I voted for suburb, 0-5. We live on a small cul-de-sac with only 17 houses. It is quiet and does not have any through traffic, which is nice when my dc are out on bikes or scooters. However, we are minutes away from a large mall, the public school, town park, etc.

Sorry to hijack this thread, but we are in a similar situation with ds10. How do your drop everything to focus on certain areas or areas of interest if you live in a state that requires you to cover and report on all subjects? I would love to take this year to just focus on math, reading, spelling, and writing. but that is not possible here. Do other state not have the same requirements? BTW, we are in NY.

Is it this? http://www.marieswords.com I have seen this set also available at timberdoodle and on ebay.

:seeya: Hello!!

:grouphug: :grouphug: What state does your sister live? Here in NY, you would get a tutor paid for by the school district because it is a medical issue. My dd had a tutor visit our home last year when she had a modified schedule at ps due to health issues. Is that a possibility?

We use her books (and Brian Cleary's) to discuss parts of speech. I have never purchased one though. We can borrow the series from our public library.

We have never had gnats, but I know that guinea pigs can get mites and fleas. I would change the bedding and give the cage a thorough cleaning if it is just gnats flying around. However, if it is some other parasite on them, they may need some sort of treatment. I have yet to find the perfect water bottle. We ended up buying a rabbit litter box that has a high back and sides but low front and put this in the cage. We put the water bottle through the cage so when it drips, it is dripping into the litter box. That way, we can just change the bedding in the litter box more frequently instead of having to clean the whole cage. We built our own c&c cage, so it is pretty big and easier to clean.

LinguiSystems is having a members only sale for 20% off from 11/4-11/10. Membership is free; just sign up on their website. Many families use items from LinguiSystems to address executive functioning, speech & language delays, pragmatics, etc. http://LinguiSystems.com

I don't have any tv show recommendations. I just wanted to see your baby. Adorable!! :001_smile:

Yes, we watched it! Ds10 didn't really care for it, but dd13 enjoyed it. I have to admit, I probably said, "Hello. I am Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!" at least a hundred times over the weekend. I need to work on the accent. :laugh:

I've only seen the "Rainbow Loom" around here. We purchased ours at Michaels. I definitely recommend the full kit (the loom, hook, and a variety of rubber bands) instead of a smaller starter package. I have seen rubber band knock-offs at the local Five Below store. There are lots different colors!! Dd13 has learned to make many different styles of bracelets by watching you tube videos.

It makes me happy to read everyone else's happy news. I might use up my quota of "likes" today! I'm happy because it is a sunny, crisp autumn day. The leaves are such gorgeous colors right now. And, thankfully, we don't have too many trees, so raking isn't an overwhelming task. Just enough leaves for the kids to make a leaf pile to play in with their puppy. It's Friday, so dh gets out of work a little earlier. We always have "Friday night pizza" as a family. Dh works long hours, so I cherish the nights when we all get to be together. Ds10 has a baseball game tomorrow and he has made so much progress. His grandparents are coming into town to watch him play. After that, we are hitting the farms to search for the best pumpkins and go on some hay rides. We are all looking forward to it! Oh, and after reading the Princess Bride thread, I borrowed the DVD from the library and will be watching it this weekend with dc. Life is good!

I watched this movie so many years ago that I don't remember much. After reading this thread, I borrowed the DVD from the library to watch over the weekend with dc. Hope it doesn't turn out like my Sixteen Candles nightmare. I remember enjoying the movie when I was young, so I thought my kids might enjoy it. It is rated PG. Within the first 15 minutes, we heard the f-bomb and my kids saw b00ks. I turned it off and returned it to the library the next day. My kids still tease me about my movie choices.

I cannot begin to imagine how terrrifying this must have been for you. Thank God you didn't have anyone in the back seat. Praying for a speedy recovery for you. :grouphug: :grouphug:

We had a dog that scratched non-stop. After extensive allergy testing, we found out that she was allergic to a variety of grasses and sumac trees. She also was allergic to lamb and beef, so we had to switch foods. Our dog ended up needing allergy shots.

:iagree: with getting legal advice. :grouphug: :grouphug:

My oldest ds has flat feet. Whenever we go somewhere that requires walking long distances, he complains of pain in the soles of his feet and he limps. I was wondering if anyone with flat feet could recommend a shoe insert to help him be more comfortable. We have one of those Dr. Scholl machines that you stand on and it tells you what insert you should buy at our local Walmart, but I don't know anyone who has personally used those. I think we will need some sort of professional orthotics at some point, but they can be expensive and he is still growing. Any recommendations? We are going on a trip to NYC, and I don't want him to suffer. Thanks!! Michelle

Ugh. Just saw this thread today and was excited until I got to the last post. :(

:iagree: Teaching Literary Elements was one of the books I recommended.

I would definitely recommend a full evaluation to determine strengths and needs. This will help you figure out where he needs more help. If he is going to enter ps, the test results could also be used to determine if he would benefit from support services or if he may qualify for some accommodations, such as extended time on tests. BTW, the school district would want copies of test results and reports, but may do additional testing before your ds would get an IEP (at least that is how it works here in my district). Since the previous testing was so long ago, you most likely need to go through the whole referral process again. I'm not sure how the changes in the AS diagnosis will affect your ds. Don't beat yourself up over records and paperwork from the past. You had your son evaluated and then worked with him at home. Homeschooling can be difficult, but when you add learning difficulties to the mix, it can be overwhelming. I am only homeschooling one child and I see that you have quite a few, so I am impressed!!! Start with getting an appointment for a new evaluation and take it one day at a time from there. :grouphug:

I know that you are looking for ways to encourage your dd to read more difficult books, but I thought I would offer you some other alternatives. I recently purchased a few resources that use picture books to teach literary devices. 1) Using Picture Books to Teach 8 Essential Literary Elements (Susan Van Zile, Mary Napoli, and Emily Ritholz) 2) Teaching Literary Elements With Picture Books (Van Zile & Napoli) 3) Using Picture Storybooks to Teach Literary Devices Vol. 2 (Susan Hall) The first two books are from Scholastic and focus on the basics (setting, plot, point of view, theme, foreshadowing, figurative language, etc.) The third book is a general resource that lists books and authors that can be used to teach a specific literary device (alliteration, personification, etc.). Lori D. gave some great suggestions. Good luck!

What an awesome opportunity!! Prayers and positive thoughts for you and your dd. Hope that all goes well! Please keep us posted.

Wow! Glad you are happy with the results. Congrats to your dh on his first cut.