I am using Ambleside but I chose our own artist - Waterhouse- after checking with my artistc dd14 which one she would like to study this term. She fell in love with Waterhouse (and it goes well with our Ancients year). I ordered a set of art print postcards through Amazon. We are doing oral narrations etc for them, but what I asked dd to do yesterday has really inspired her- i asked her to choose one of the prints and sketch it herself. She loves to sketch. So, I would go with that (since you already thought of it!). The composer study idea you have is similar to what we do, although I also use Classics for Kids and just make them sit and listen for the 6 minutes of each show. She can draw if she wants. We are listening to Chopin at the moment. Dd doesnt enjoy listening to classical music much, so I play it for ME when I am just hanging out (particularly if the kids are around somewhere :) ). The funny thing was, yesterday her piano teacher pulled out a book of Chopin pieces and started looking through it, and dd became all excited at playing Chopin, and told her teacher she was studying it at school with me. Lol, so something sticks, even if they dont want to admit they enjoy it! Just a few minutes of exposure a week is all thats relaly necessary. It all adds up.

In a way they are not really comparable. Does your student need lots of repetition? definitely go for Rod and Staff, but it will take up time, day after day, year after year. Its very thorough and its a very solid program. My kids pick up grammar pretty easily and Rod and Staff was going to kill them (apparently- we did a year of it and they never stopped complaining) so I went for the AG. It means I get to make up my own LA program from bits and pieces and emphasise different things at different times. I like to emphasise grammar and use AG for a while, then put grammar on the backburner and emphasise something else. That helps us fit everything in. Although, I do use AG differently from how it is set up- rather than use the revision books, we tend to do the program more slowly. It will also depend on the age of your child. My 12 is not quite ready for AG yet...literally due to the size of the print, not the actual work. He cant write that small yet, he has handwriting issues. So he will start the program later and move through it more quickly. It sounds like Rod and Staff may be more what you need though.

IEW's program is designed specifically with memorsation in mind - Harp And Laurel is for memorisation, copywork and dictation, and is a more general resource. I have it and never relayl clicked with it. But we use the IEW program every day. The first poems are really fun and a great way to break into poetry memorisation. Nowadays we skip some, but the kids just memorised Jaberwocky and it was a hoot and they are really proud of themselves. It can really be started at any age (we only started a year or so ago). BTW we don't use the CD, it's not necessary. He spoke too slowly for me, and I didn't want the kids learning to recite poetry with an American accent anyway, and it's so much easier for me to just read the poems aloud each day, and it makes it a much cheaper proposition.

Yep. That has definitely been a key for me. Although, I do play on the computer while the kids do schoolwork, in the same room as they work, when they don't need me, and I am sure if I cut that out too, I would get more marking done, the room might be tidier, and I might be more focused when they do ask for my help.

Usually curiosity and admiration. If there is any hint of negativity, I brush it off. The trick is not to give any hint of wanting approval. Just be confident.

Um, extremely. But it is the social life my kids crave, and I get it to cover some school stuff as well! Scouts for both. That's a lot just on its own, but inexpensive for what they do. Lots of camps and extra activities. Dd is passionate about Scouts, and a patrol leader. Gymnastics for both. Drama and Sport coop with other homeschoolers for both. Science class for both (highschool level, with other homeschoolers). Musical instrument lessons for both. Watercolour class and sewing class for dd only (walking distance).

With the wild yam cream, your body is supposed to translate it into progesterone, but I have never seen any good evidence that it actually does. Remember doctors are not actually taught this stuff, so they have to go out of their way to learn it, and so may actually be less informed than a member of the general public who chooses to do their research well. I did try the wild yam cream years ago because progesterone cream is prescritpion only here in Australia, but it did nothing. The progesterone cream makes SUCH a difference. It is still a processed product, made in a laboratory, but it is bioidentical to teh stuff in our bodies (unlike synthetic hormones). I agree with the others, take the cream. And play with the doseage that is right for you. The doseage on my bottle puts me to sleep. I use less. Others need more. And read the book by Dr Lee.

Hi Kim, I just want to empathise about your son...I have a challenging son who really wants me to sit with him a lot. He can also turn on a pity party at the drop of a hat and can even turn on tears and tantrums very easily (he is 12!)... Over the years I have learned to try and give him things he can do independently as much as possible, but we still do some subjects together. I keep lessons short. I have also had to stand really firm, even in the face of devastated tears, because if I back down too often, wow, I am then subject to twice the show next time! Hang in there. I think it is the most challenging things I do with homeschooling- teach my son, who pushes back, daily. But I am getting much better, and so is he. You are right...consistency is the key.

I have used Minimus only briefly, but am very familiar with Cambridge, which Minimus leads onto. The way these programs are designed, although it helps to review and memorise some of the words, just using the program regularly gains familiarity with a lot of vocabulary. I think its up to you how much you choose to really memorise- my kids found it pretty easy to memorise at that age. We do not spend a lot of time memorsing with Cambridge, because the words come up so frequently in the translations that they are automatically memorised. because they are seen in context over and over again.

I personally feel that although a healthy work ethic is a great thing, and its great to teach kids to get in an do what needs to be done, to be of service, to not live selfish lives....however I cannot agree that more and more work, a workaholic mentality, is a healthy thing at all. In fact, I think it is a plague of western society, that people work too much, they value themselves by their careers, they don't know how to relax and just be and smell the roses, they worry to much about their personal future, and then they pass all this stress on to their kids. I honestly think we should be teaching our kids to work, and to play, and how to live balanced, heartful lives, not how to run around like crazy being busy busy busy for the sake of it. Most people can't stand just doing nothing for a minute, let alone having time to really be with themselves and nature and God (whatever that means to them) each day. I think a healthy society could easily run on each of us spending 4 hours a day doing paid work, contributing to the running of services and food production and basic needs, and then we could have time to really blossom as we found their passions and followed them- contributing in that way, too. I know, idealistic, but I still don't subscribe to the rat race mentality of spending as many hours a day as we possibly can working our butts off...for what? For whom? To prove what to whom? I have European friends who tell me when they go back to Europe for a visit, their friends are too busy to spend time with them, everyone is working so hard just to survive. I don't know if its like that in America, but it's not that bad here in Australia yet, or at least not for everyone. In Asia, kids are pushed very very hard too...and you can imagine why, there being so much competition. Still, its all futile if you are not happy, if you are living for other people's values and ideals, and not following your heart. I don't think that is a good way to live, personally.

:(Liquorice, my black dog. Licker for short. Maximus, my blue merle collie...he was the runt of the litter. Max for short of course.

Dog- India (Indi for short) Cat- Magic Rabbits- Gandalf, Galadriel and Honey Bunny.

I always buy the cheapest I can, taking postage into consideration, and 2nd hand if possible. However, I prefer books to downloads so sometimes will spend extra to get the book.(I am using Ambleside and dont like printing books).

Sea of Trolls Eragon and Eldest Ranger's Apprentice Series

I have 2 kids of similar age so take my situation in perspective. We have a really good routine going, and it kind of happens all by itself nowadays. The kids must be up by 7am though for everything to go ok. In order to be up by 7am they need to have lights out by 9pm, which means bed at 8pm (so they can read). I find that is foundational and dh is good about helping me ensure that we don't have late evenings too often. I also find it foundational for my peace to go to bed by 10pm at the latest. 9 is better. The kids do morning chores, I have my alone time and time to do chores, before school. I walk, do yoga, meditate, put on a load of washing and put away dishes, first thing. We do school from 8.30 till early afternoon, and I literally sit at my desk in the schoolroom while they work, apart from when I read aloud and we do couch time. I am available, and I don't leave the room much except to make a snack, lunch, hot chocolate, coffee for me, whatever. So, since my kids don't need me so much nowadays, I have a lot of time to check emails and visit message boards,and sometimes write on my blog,as well as pay bills online, plan ahead etc, just during school time- while still being available for questions and to help the kids. Then in the afternoon they usually can finish anything by themselves, and do their school reading, while I go to my room and rest and also have a couple of hours to read, if I want. Its still only 3 or 4 pm by this time, giving me plenty of time to do some more housework and prepare dinner, walk the dog, go to the supermarket, etc The kids entertain themselves. Ds has friends on the street, dd rides her bike to art and sewing classes, or chats to her friends online, or plays on Photoshop, or does some artwork. In the evenings, we eat together, the kids do their chores, and sometimes we watch a dvd together.One evening they do Scouts, another they go to gymnastics. Often, particularly as we are just coming out of long evenings here in Australia, its already time for showers and bed. Dh works evenings so that leaves me from 8pm onward to myself again. It's a great lifestyle for a computer addicted , readaholic, meditative introvert like myself! I am trying to go straight to bed at 8pm and getting to sleep by 9pm lately, because I just read a great book called Lights Out, amazon.com/Lights-Out-Sleep-Sugar-Survival/dp/0671038680/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212485614&sr=8-1 about us needing 9.5 hours sleep in winter, and I am experimenting with that. It feels very luxurious!

First child Genevieve Gwendolyn was kind of named after Guinevere of King Arthur fame. We were tossing around Guinevere, Genevieve, Gwendolyn, a couple of other similar names. Dh's grandmother was Gwendolyn. We wanted to use Guinevere but we coulnd't make it work, and Genevieve is close enough, and we all still love it. 2nd child was destined to be named after his father and grandfather- Vincent- and I said, absolutely no way. Jared means "descendent of", so jared Vincent works well. Jared is also the name of a child we knew who died the year before our son was born, and although it seems like a sad thing to do, to name him after a dead child (he was 12 and died in a motorbike accident with his brother), it felt like a beautiful thing to do, too...because we loved the other Jared, and it was just a way of remembering him, too. And, we just liked the name.

I love to plan. Much of the time in the past, much of the planning has gone unimplemented. I however have learned a lot about planning in the process. Nowadays I try and keep things simple, do the next thing as much as possible, and keep planning to minimum. But thats only because I got a bit sick of planning and the time I wasted. You will learn what works for you, and in a way, nothing anyone can say will help...you kind of have to live through those first years and see what works. You kids will always throw your greatest plans aside. Its ok. Life is more important than plans. But a certain structure to the day can certainly help.

My artistic dd13 has always used an A3 sketch book for history, one a year. She prints out and sticks in all her assignments, and sometimes does art and fancy headings, borders, and maps. I don't "make" her do arty stuff in it because it kind of destroys her creativity when its enforced, but sometimes I have skipped the writing assignment and assigned an arty assignment instead. We are doing Ancient History, and for 10 weeks both kids are writing a Greek Myth each week, in their own words. Dd has done some beautiful artwork to go with her myths, which she has really enjoyed doing. The sketch book works well- plenty of pages, but nobody else's structure, so it doesn't matter how much or how little she is feeling creative that week, she just puts her normal writing in, or more. This way both kids do history together, according to the structure I choose..but dd's work goes in her sketch book (and I save her assignments in a older on my computer too), and ds's just get put in plastic sheets in a notebook- he couldn't care less to ever look at them again!

Boring.

Yes, I was fired from dishwashing at a fancy restaurant. I didnt have the right subservient attitude in the hierarchy of the kitchen, especially towards the head chef. I am sorry, I am just enjoying these smileys too much.

I "mostly" just do the next thing too so it's easy enough to just list subjects and check them off. However some subjects, it's important that we stay caught up... I have several books for them to read divided up over our term, so that they read 1/10 of each book each week (10 weeks terms here). So, I just made up a Word document with the weeks across the top and the books/subjects down the side, and filled in how much they had to do each week, what chapters or how many pages, showing where we should be up to each week. This keeps ME accountable, and when the kids ask what page or how many chapters for each book, I tell them. I have the master sheet on my desk....they just have their normal timetables and/or checklists on their desks. I still try not to plan too far ahead...10 weeks at a time works well for me. I have actually left the last week free this time, because I want to do some exams, CM style with the kids. This way I can use the last week to either catch up, or have an exam, in each subject.

I have a very independent dd too, age almost 14, and I have tried to implement a planner for her but it feels contrived because she doesn't really need one. She has a calendar on her desk with big blank spaces, and she is learning to write in upcoming Scout camps and things like that on it, but not her schoolwork. She has a timetable /schedule on her desk that I made out for her, but she can do her work in any order she chooses. That seems to be enough.

My absolute favourite is The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart, but its definitely an interpretation, and its modern..from Merlin's perspective. Great book though. I am going to try Sword in the Stone soon with my oldest, but I think I will probably have my younger read The Crystal Cave instead - I think it will appeal to him. I had to read it in highschool, and I loved it with a passion. Sounds like the Pyle version might be what you are looking for, though. I read it aloud to my two 3 years ago- they were ages about 10 and 11 or so, and it was just right for them while being challenging.

The way I see it, if you expose kids to at least some older style books, they can read anything, and their vocabulary is deeply enriched. I have been amazed at the words my ds12 uses in day to day speech, lately. Wheras if you only expose them to the modern stuff, a whole world of well written classics is out of range, because it is challenging. Kids were after all brought up on what are now classics years ago...it's not like it is actually beyond kids, it's just that we have become lazy. Having said that, if I was changing a child over from twaddle to CM, I might do more reading aloud and make it a gradual process, or choose a lower year, so that they can go through an adjustment. I have been surprised that books like the Swiss Family Robinson and Treasure Island have gripped my kids and totally enthralled them. They can read the modern stuff too, and they do.