Your course of study for science looks good. What math level will your son be in during 9th grade? Chemistry usually requires at lease algebra II. You could do AP biology during 12th, or if your state allows dual enrollment, take a college level science course.

Oak Meadow's Study of Art Course uses The Study of Art by Gombrich is really good. Here's a link to the OM electives sample. Scroll down to the sample for The Study of Art. The syllabus lessons do include basic drawing & painting assignments, but you can skip those & only doe the written work. Oak Meadow's The Study of Art--scroll to the correct section.

We used Chalkdust DVDs with Foerster's Calculus & Osebee & Zorn's Calculus. For Calculus II & III, Taz took via dual enrollment during 11th grade. We also had several of the Larson texts if Taz needed to read a different approach or teaching method.

I also suffered with GD with my pregnancies & ended weighing less than my normal pregnancy weight, which was already bordering on the too slim side.

I have a bag of NOW Xylitol that claims to be 100% Pure, natural, and GMO free. It looks like course sugar granules, is heavy like sugar, and is derived from Non-GMO corn. The side of the bag states there is a form of Xylitol derived from birch used mostly in Finland. Xylitol is quite sweet when eaten alone, but is hard to disolve in cool/cold foods or beverages. We use 6 g in our morning & evening tea, as our dentist states Xylitol helps prevent cavities, and I had my first cavity & filling ever in my life last month at the age of 43. I don't plan to get any more.

Here are the Pajama Jeans: http://www.pajamajeans.com/Default.aspx?bhcp=1, that can only be purchased online or via phone. Many stores carry some type of Knit Jeans, which is a brand name. Just search Knit Jeans so you can compare them to Pajama Jeans.

I pretty much did what Christine posted above, plus copied the title page & TOC, as that was needed in MN, "upon request".

We purchased Taz's diploma, announcements, invitations, cap & gown from Homeschooldiploma.com . We purchased the Exclusive diploma with engraved seal that matches the diploma cover. Here are the announcements/invitations Taz chose:http://social.cornerstonegraduatesupply.com/deluxe-announcement-eleven.html The cap & gown we purchased matched the blue in the engraved seal of the diploma & the blue of the announcement/invitation.

Are you going to complete a logic course? If Lial's works, why change, as you can complete algebra II, geometry, & precalculus via Lial's mathematics series. I cannot recommend Lial's calculus, as it's for non-science majors, and I think biology majors can use the text, too. If majoring in physics, engineering, or chemistry is not your son's passion, then Lial's calculus text will work. For history you can choose from TWTM rhetoric section, Omnibus, TOG, HO, or from a myriad of online courses. Omnibus, TOG & HO include schedules for specific literature along with history and writing assignments. For Spanish, I've read great reviews about Switched On SOS Spanish I & II. The Secondary is like an intro without a lot of grammar instruction. So, you could do Switched On Secondary Spanish in 9th grade, Spanish I in 10th grade, and Spanish II in 11th grade.

Check your library for The Teaching Company DVDs & CDs that cover history & literature topics. In addition, why not use SWB's high school level history books as summer reading while throwing in a few literature selections? This way your dd may concentrate on her high school studies,and you'll know she's covered all of world history.

We have both in our hh--DS won a MAC & the other children and I each own Sony laptops.

It depended on the program. I purchased duplicates of SP Mathematics workbooks and Stewart English, but not of Rule's of the Game, VFCR, or Wordsmith. My eldest 2 children are almost 7 years a part in age.

As of today, I lost a total of 10.8 lbs., and and right on target for loosing 1.5 pounds per week. I bought 30-Day Shred, but must admit, I stopped exercising outside of the 30 minutes a day of walking. I'm walking further in the same amount of time; thus, I am making physical progress. I plan to set a goal of working out with a DVD 3x a week beginning today, and play the WII with the dc. If I decrease my caloric intake from 1900-2100 calories per day, I'd lose more weight, but I know, I will quit with a lower calorie range until I can come up with filling meals consisting of high density ingredients. So, I'm looking to add more Mediterranean meals to our weekly menu via the Omega Diet & Mediterranean Prescription books.

I agree with your recommendation of Pride & Prejudice, as the witty look at classism reads easily, and is assessable to even young teens. And, our favorite translation of War & Peace is the translation by David McDuff, although longer than the Garnett & Peaver editions, the Russian to English of McDuff's translation is cleaner and easier to read.

Our food/household/hygiene budget is around $300-400 per month. We eat whole foods, and organic as much as possible. HH consists of 2 adults & 3 teens. We use the Grocery Game, which cut our food bill by almost 75%. I have lists for 2 major grocery stores in my area, Whole Foods, and CVS. We don't eat boxed dinners, mac & cheese, or other white flour based carbs. We eat lots of frozen vegetables during winter, and fresh during warmer months. Whatever fruit is on sale for the week is what we eat--same for fresh salad fixings. We also make our own fast meals by freezing raw meal ingredients along with cooking directions so even my youngest can cook dinner. Our favorite cook book for this method is Fix, Freeze, Feast by Neville & Tkacsk. Our basic menu: M= vegetarian Tu= fish W= chicken Th= fish or vegetarian F= beef or chicken S= vegetarian Su= chicken

not important to me. My eldest faithfully makes his bed up everyday; the rest of us do not.

Born 10/1966, graduated HS 5/1984, married 7/1987, graduated college 5/1989, children born 1990, 1991(passed in '93), 1996 & adopted 2007

I'd concentrate on quality literature, history, science, and mathematics in a fun way. You could also begin journal writing & free write Fridays. SOTW & TWTM reading lists--start with grammar stage Ancients Amblesideonline.com literature lists for 1st & 2nd grades--now don't let numerical grade level deceive you, as Ambleside's lists tend to be advanced by at least 2 grade levels. Sonlight book lists without reading schedule. 1000 Good Books reading list http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/celoop/1000.html Science kits can be purchased from stores like Lake Shore. You also may wish to look into nature study along with visits to science museums, and arboriums. Also look into livingmath.net, as it offers a curriculum that looks at the history of math, and as an extension, science, through living books. The site also provides an awesome listing of living books that explore various math concepts. When I afterschooled my eldest, we supplemented math with Singapore Primary Mathematics, read through history via TWTM, unschooled science, read through Ambleside's & 1000 Good Book lists, attended plays, art galories, museums, and concerts. As I type this, my eldest & DD--middle child, are getting ready to go see Macbeth at the Guthrie Theater with $55.00 tickets the eldest scored for $2.00 each through a program at his university. Instill the love of culture, theater, great literature, history & science within your child, and you'll raise a lover of the classics, fine art, theater, and music for a lifetime.

I followed the instructions in SWB's article in 4 parts, How to Write the Research Paper. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/writing-the-research-paper-part-i-preparation/ . At the end of each section, you can click to read the next part, excepting part IV, which I liked below. part IV is located here: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/writing-the-reasearch-paper-part-iv-matters-of-style/ SWB recommends writing on slips of torn paper & placing in books as the student reads, and after the student formulates his thesis, he writes an outline, then uses a sheet of paper for each point from the outline to organize the notes taken on the slips of paper.

This looks good, but can it be used by secular hs'er/afterschoolers? Rainbow Resource states the program is ultra conservative Christian POV.

I'm trying to decide between Excellence in Literature and LLATL Gold as our literature guides for 3 trimester of this school year & beyond. I'm also eyeing Teaching the Classics & Windows to the World since several parents used the programs secularly. Excellence in Literature currently offers four programs: Introduction to Literature I http://tinyurl.com/yauxc4w American Literature III http://tinyurl.com/y8zw78f British Literature IV http://tinyurl.com/y9geye2 World Literature V http://tinyurl.com/ydwa3yt A new program, Literature and Composition II, is due sometime this year. Sample of Intro to Lit I : Learning Language Arts Through Literature offers an American or a British literature course: LLATL Gold American http://www.commonsensepress.com/gold.htm LLATL Gold British http://www.commonsensepress.com/gold-uk.htm Since Storm's school follows TWTM for history, I'm using the guides year-round, as dd's school recommends parents readin & discuss assigned literature selections with their children.

Thanks, Lori D, as several LLATL Gold titles appear on Storm's existing literature list for the remaining school year, in addition to her summer reading list. From your explanation of the units, we may make it through a majority of the LLATL Gold British, while picking & choosing authors & poets from the LLATL American program as needed. Then the following summer, we can pick up where we left off in LLATL Gold American, then move on to Excellence in Literature.

I purchased a used copy to use with my eldest as a gentle intro to hs'ing & he thought it was too babyish for a then 6th grader. IIRC, the program was written for the author's son. Ask on the Vegsouce boards, as Learning Adventure used to be popular over there back in the day.

Unless serious revisions occured in the past 7 years, the program barely meets requirements for lower middleschool. Most families use the programs with 3rd-6th graders. http://www.learning-adventures.org/ "Each of the books in the Learning Adventures series will cover skills and concepts for grades 4 through 8, and each will include a year (180 days) of lesson plans for all subjects except math. . ." Have you looked at My Father's World or TOG or History at Our House or Winter promise?

Also, can someone, if not LoriD, post the order in which the LLATL GOLD British covers the following texts: Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus - Mary Shelley. Bantam-Random House (or any edition of the 1818 publication).ISBN: 9780553212471. Emma - Jane Austen. Bantam-Random House. ISBN: 9780553212730. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens. Penguin Group. ISBN: 9780141439600. The Time Machine - H.G. Wells. (Any unabridged publication). Animal Farm - George Orwell. (Any unabridged publication).