My ds is 11. Some of his favorite books: Harry Potter The Hobbit and LOTR All the Roald Dahl books Lloyd Alexander (especially Time Cat) My Side of the Mountain Series of Unfortunate Events Augustus Caesar's World (he's been piece meal reading on this, his choice, for some time) Rats of NIMH (he's read two in this series...not sure how many there are)

I'm not familiar with Time Travelers or Project Passports, but my 5th grader studied from the Joy Hakim books this year and we loved them. We aren't too perfect with chronological either. I just stuck with US history this year. I plan on doing Ancients/Middle Ages next year. This will be his 2nd time with those time periods, but he had very little interest the first time. I don't think my ds would have liked switching about from Middle Ages to US to Renaissance back to US. But you seem to have it planned out.

I've been a bit clueless as well OP. I'm switching my 6 year old to SM. I went with the Standards edition. I'm going to try to get by with just the textbooks, workbooks, and the HIG. I'm going to continue with Miquon. Continue playing the RS games. And continue with extra math activities (Living Math books, Family Math games, Pinterest ideas), so I feel as though I wouldn't need to buy a ton of extra SM workbooks. As far as manipulatives, I have a ton of them for math. Too many to list. I tend to make them as well. C-rods are golden. I'm dropping MM for tactical reasons. I'm tired of printing it all out and then organizing all the loose math papers. And I like the idea of having the texts to use with my dd. It will save me a bit of money in future to not have to buy (or continue to print out) the entire math program for her all over again.

My kiddos learn more playing with their siblings than non-family children. Mainly because they are better with non-family members in regard to manners, sharing etc. There's way more bickering, teasing, goofiness, manipulation, tattling, frustration, and so on with each other, because they are related. They let the guard down and get more real with their siblings. Which gives me a lot of moments to try to teach them things about interacting with each other. Unfortunately. ;)

The addition of excerpts from literature is a hard one. But for roots there's; Vocab From Classical Roots, English From the Roots Up, Rummy Roots.

Goonies!!! And now I realize my kid has never seen it. I think he would like it. Need to work on that! :)

Absolutely!!! This seems to be a totally different scenario. TBH I wouldn't mind another parent or adult correcting my child, BUT physical corrections is an automatic out, also tone of voice is important. If someone were being rude, belittling, or sarcastic, snarky, or passive aggressive etc. I would not be cool with it. I've had this happen on more than one occasion, and believe me, that person knows how displeased I am with them. But say my kid started climbing on someone's couch, and that parent asked them to get down, I'm okay with that. My kid would likely get a look from me to reinforce it. Again tone of voice is important. But as I read the OP's post closer, I may not be okay with a mini lecture, but again I would have to hear tone of voice. I have an example from just the other night. A friend was over. My dd was pushing against our fence and it was wobbling a bit. There are repairs needed. Our friend was closer to her than us and he (gently) asked her not to push on the fence. She looked at him, and he went on that she could get hurt if it fell, and cost us some money in damage. Not *exactly* how I would have handled it (I try not to lecture or explain in so many words to young children usually---keep it short and sweet!), but he was quicker than we were and she accepted his small gentle lecture and went on her way. Now if he had yelled or reacted loudly and negatively, I would have to step in. There's another person who I have had words with because he has raised his voice about things that were not important at all. This goes back to the socialization thing I think. My children know that it is important to listen to other adults. BUT, and this is a really big but, they also know that adults need to be cool too!!! I have told them over and over that no adult has the right to make them feel less than, or scared, and so on. I try to surround my children with adults that I trust to correct them if they need that guidance. On the flip side of that is the parent who undermines....if I ask my kid not to climb, or jump on, or whatever, I don't really want another parent saying "oh they're fine." <shudder>

I can't say because I didn't bother to try it after researching. I did not like the scripting, or the expensive kits. However, I do feel the RightStart Math Games book with all the extras for that was definitely worth it. It has a bit of a learning curve to figure out how to get around in the book and play the games, but we enjoy them.

And I absolutely agree with you! :)

It's hard for me to get a clear idea of what happened in your situation. But my oldest ds is on the spectrum (Asperger's) and I can tell you that at times it can be extremely difficult to not helicopter. Especially when they are younger. (How old was the child? About 6 or so like yours?) Already, a parent with an ASD kiddo is intensely aware of how difficult it is and likely will continue to be for their child to make friends. Already, an ASD parent is intensely aware of how little NT kiddos are actually taught about hanging out with an ASD kiddo. It sounds as though the mom in question was simply helicoptering a bit (which is really understandable to some degrees with ASD). And it sounds as though your dd may not have been experienced (possibly) with a helicopter Mom. It also sounds that the Mom is concerned with *her* child's social skills. As all ASD parents are to a lot of degrees. About the kids being mean situation. Honestly, I have personally witnessed kids acting in a way that could be perceived as insensitive to a child with autism, and yet it's obvious they don't really know they are, they're simply confused and inexperienced. I've witnessed parents doing nothing about it (possibly because they are inexperienced and feeling awkward as well?) It isn't being mean. But it is a frustrating place to be in as a parent to see other children not understanding your child's behavior. Things no one else might think of, we do. "If that child moves those cars out of line, he could have a tantrum, it could escalate, it can be hard to get balanced again. BUT he needs to learn to play with and share, BUT he's going to freak out! And this child has no clue, and then the parent might judge me and my child for the not sharing, or for the tantrum" and so on and so on goes the never ending thought wheel of the ASD parent. I would just try to keep in mind that being a parent with a child on the spectrum (or any other SN) can be a really sad place for the parents to be at times. Keep in mind that they know their children won't just play, NT children won't just be sensitive, NT parents won't just understand what they are going through. It's not easy. So I'd be a bit mor egracious to the other mother. I have no idea if any of this applies to your situation. As far as the backtalking. I would say that *if* your dd spoke to an adult in a way that you were uncomfortable with, then you need to address that. It does no good to analyze the situation and such. If my child behaves in a way that I'm not okay with, regardless of whatever else was going on, then I'll address that. I also try to teach my children that there are different rules at different houses, and to respect that. The amount of time we hang out with non-family members, adults or other children, varies from week to week, and from season to season. I'm sort of freaking out right now because this weekend a babysitter will sit with my children and her little sister (12 years old) will be over as well. I'm beyond a nervous wreck about the social interactions, positive or negative, or lack thereof, that could happen between my own Aspie and this NT child. And I won't be here to help him navigate. ETA: I hope you don't think about limiting contact with the family. What a sad thought for a parent and the ASD child to feel that there's one more possible social contact gone. Trust me, I know from experience. It's a hard place to be when people don't understand your child and situation, so they limit contact. The "lying" thing is a bit off. That's odd. I've certainly corrected other children, even with parents right there. Maybe she was worried your dd wasn't interested in playing with the child any longer? I've learned a long time ago that I can't force other children to like or want to hang out with my child. I've also learned a long time ago that parents tend to gravitate towards children their children like to be around. Hard spot for an ASD child to be in.

Too many "ands" without a comma to make it less clunky. I would write- I plan on serving gin and tonics, beer, and wine. Gin and tonics is a clunky phrase, so putting it at the beginning makes that sentence flow better IMHO. Even while saying that list out loud, I have a natural pause between the items. Saying "wine, beer and gin and tonics" without a natural pause where a comma would be seems a bit rushed.

I don't spend a lot on games because we don't play a lot of board games here. Picture books, chapter books etc are bought used at library book sales, garage sales, consignment shops, or we just use the library. I don't budget or keep up with how much we spend on books. I try to only buy quality stories. I don't spend money on twaddle such as character books about Dora or whatever. I spend maybe 50 or so printing, laminating, making my own Montessori inspired hands on activities. That's not a huge deal either. I buy explode the code workbooks, handwriting without tears, maybe a plaid phonics or kumon activity book at various times. 20-30 dollars? Most things I would use as homeschooling reference books for prek, I already own from my older children. Peak with Books, Mudpies, OPGTR, arts and crafts etc. Most picture books we still have from when my oldest was little. So most of the price of prek I find goes to supplies for hands on activities.

Hits Joy Hakim History of US RSO Biology Bravewriter Miss All things math related!!!!!!! Key To, Saxon, MIF. I'm so worried we've hit a wall. My oldest has Asperger's and math is something he has ups and downs with...we were cruising along last year, doing well....but this year he just shut down. We're having a hard time moving forward. Logic...finding a good program that keeps our interest or is usable for us. WWE4.....just no. And trying to do more lit studies and projects with our read alouds.

I could give you a list my kids would put together: Pretend to be dogs for the afternoon, complete with whimpers and attempts to lick your parents face and drink out of your glass like a dog. Bury yourself in the sandbox, be sure to change out of play clothes and put on your nicest dress up dress first, because it's fun to play in the sandbox dressed like a princess. Drag all of your play kitchen toys and the kitchen outside with the cupcake liners and make sand cakes for the birds. Give the puppy tattoos with Crayola markers. Build a fort with the couch...literally. Bonus points if you can get it tipped up on it's side. Collect food scraps and start a left over food garden. (some of that stuff will sprout in water!!) Get a shoebox and fill it with dirt and collect snails and pillbugs...bonus points for bringing in the house and giving it a place of honor in the front room. Play with the water hose. Bonus points for sneaking up and spraying Mom while she is weeding. Climb a tree, get stuck and have your Mom get a ladder to help you down. Act terrified but be completely happy and want to do it again once you get down. Have you parents get a bunch of tree stumps and arrange them in the yard for you to climb on, turn over, hammer nails in...whatever. Get all the stuffed animals in the house together and create an imaginary world. Build a structure with Legos---rules are that it has to have every Lego you own on it. Take pictures. Have a never ending Easter egg hunt with the plastic eggs. Sidewalk chalk Bubbles Have a dress up party. Throw tennis balls over the house...run back and forth from front to back until you're tired. Draw...endlessly draw, until an entire forest of paper has been consumed. Make paper airplanes Crawl under the bed and stay there, pretend you're in another world, or a miner in a cave, whatever. Make an obstacle course with every single piece of furniture in the house. Take a bath...not because you need to,but because a group of dolls are about to be attacked by alligators.

We haven't explored the math videos much, but my oldest ds loved the biology videos this year.

I remember that WWE lesson, and other dictations that were similar. The thing that bothers me about dictation is the stylistic preferences of the author. It's been frustrating for my ds at times to be taught one thing in grammar books, and yet be presented with something else in dictation. There have been times he's written a passage using completely different punctuation than the original, and yet his was technically correct as well. I prefer the Oxford comma in a series. But when using literature as copywork and dictation, these ambiguities need to be discussed.

No everything doesn't need to be fun..all of the time. It is nice to do projects, activities, and games at times. I think learning should be interesting though. I tend to focus on the basics first, but everything else can be fun. Art is just fun because it is. BWL stuff is fun. Reading good books is fun. History and science activities can be fun or drudgery depending on how you present it. Spelling and math etc aren't typically fun, but they need to be done. I just try not to bore them, or bore myself. And even with the basics a game or hands on activity can be injected into the week every now and then.

I wouldn't be too sure the DH said anything. I know a lot of husbands who say nothing to their wives and wives who don't share info with husbands. My own DH can have a long conversation on the phone and I can ask how so and so are doing..."oh they're okay." Really---you had a half hour conversation to just learn they are okay? I've also known of husbands who didn't have a clue what I was talking about when I mentioned something their wife said to me. I chatter on to my own DH about everything under the sun!!! :) Do you know her phone number or if she's on facebook? You can mention the kids and invite them over to the backyard for a get together? Or invite them for a meet up at the park? Sometimes we moms have to put ourselves out there to facilitate get togethers for children. . If she acts as though she has no interest or desire for her kids to play with yours...well, then you know. I personally would be excited to have a homeschool family that wanted to be friends on my own street.

Read both of them in middle school. Love Dracula!!! Have read it a few times. Frankenstein I didn't get into that much. Both are on my oldest ds's shelf. He hasn't read them yet however. But they are in my personal need to know lit category.

What survey? For what purpose?

I tend to gravitate towards a CM/classical a la WTM mix. Simply Charlotte mason has some good stuff. http://simplycharlottemason.com/

I feel the same way about Spalding and Sequential Spelling. I have just never agreed with the idea that there are people who will be poor spellers no matter what. Spelling is a skill, like any other, that can be practiced and perfected. Knowing how to read/write/spell ones natural language is a necessity. And there's a way to get everybody there.

http://www.barefootmeandering.com/bookstore.html Scroll down to American Geography and Lit. I have the 50 States books.

Some people are better socially in environments other than home. I have friends who love to have people over, I don't tend to be an entertainer. I prefer home to be my personal refuge. If I get together with friends I like to do it in restaurants, coffee shops, parks and so on. I was also thinking about this and realized that even though I'm a bit more social to be considered an introvert, I would be frustrated with being stopped while out on a walk with my dog. I was thinking what I would do if I was walking and a neighbor I didn't know well stopped me to ask me over for tea and cookies. I'd probably mumble "oh okay...thanks" and just want to keep on going. I'm in a zone when I'm out with my puppy. I also am also not the type to just go up to people's houses and start initiating contact. Because if someone did that to me, I would feel really awkward. Most friends I meet through mutual friends or acquaintances. And even my closest friends still call or text rather than pop in. Some people have open door policies on their home and maybe their time. Other people are more private and reserved or do better with a core group of friends. I think the homeschooling factor is a bit what makes it confusing. You would think we would stick together, but I know from IRL that sharing homeschooling does not mean that there would be anything else in common to facilitate friendship.

Then you tuck those moments...no matter how small or big, into your mind as a victory. I was under assumption that your DH hadn't spend much time with the kiddos alone at all. But first time alone with a newborn and all the kids , i can understand that nervousness. We were going to stop at two children, then we had our third. We used to joke that there was no reason to let them out number us!!! Yeah ...big families have their own challenges.