Okay, it was just a year and a half ago that I purged all the school stuff I'd kept from MY elementary and high school years. DD's? They're probably gonna have to clean it all out of my attic after I die. :tongue_smilie: h :grouphug:

For me, the things I've started tending to guide DD toward when studying animals (mostly informally at the zoo) are: Important physical traits Interesting behaviors What makes this animal like us/other animals? What makes them unique as a species? Often it's as simple as reinforcing that orangutans aren't monkeys, they're apes (like us) because they don't have tails. As she gets a little older and we get systematic, I'll likely use the notion of all things being related to build a sort of "family tree" with cladistics as my own frame of reference. I think it would be fun to build a sort of biological family tree, putting each animal studied on an appropriate branch in relation to the others.

We're doing science via library books on topics DD asks about, trips to the Arizona Science Center and Phoenix Zoo (where we have memberships), and gardening/nature study. Also we watch shows like How It's Made, Mythbusters, Bindi the Jungle Girl, and National Geographic Explorer. We recently bought a magnet set and we'll likely do more with those in the near future. When we're walking along and DD asks questions, I try to give her detailed answers (or we'll go look things up at the library or online). For me the important things about science DD need to know are about the process of the scientific method, and some understanding of major scientific theories. Grammar stage is for curiosity, exploration, and hands-on activities.

We're at the stage of learning to write various letters and stay in the lines when forming them. I'm not too finicky about her stroke order and direction unless it's affecting how the word turns out. Time enough for that with cursive (which we'll likely do in first grade) and calligraphy (third grade). Right now my focus is on building hand strength and using the writing to reinforce her mastery of the letter names and sounds.

Traditional, indigenous Inuit diets had very little (and very seasonal) fruit/veggies and even less carbohydrates. Things like flour for frybread donuts are modern imports to the area. Food crops pretty much don't grow that far north.

Luthien is 4, starting K. Our religious affiliation is Pagan/Heathen.

DD gets $4/week. It is not tied to chores or behavior. Even when things are tight I try to make sure she gets her share. It's enabled me to say "no" to a lot of impulsive requests, if she doesn't have the allowance money for them. Also I let her buy age appropriate things I wouldn't buy for her under much of any circumstances, such as licensed character toys and books. She also on occasion chooses to spend the money on me, which I don't mind at all. ;)

I like growing zuchinni. It's easy and freezes well shredded for making bread and muffins and throwing in pasta sauce later. Also you have to go out of your way not to grow it successfully. Keep in mind anything that normally sprawls on a vine can be grown vertically in a square foot garden, including various squashes and pumpkins even. It can save a lot of space.

Around here, places will often have free delivery on an order over a certain dollar amount, but otherwise there's a fee. The fee has nothing to do with the driver, who should still get a tip. Remember, the driver's probably getting close to minimum wage, plus a pittance for mileage (esp. given current gas prices). They need those tips.

I'd skip 8th, too. Oh, wait, I did. I wasn't hs'ed, but went from a CS to PS and took the placement test for a year ahead. If you keep a longer academic year than "standard", and keep things going at a solid pace, absorbing, say, 4 yrs. worth of material over 3 yrs. shouldn't be too tough. Don't hold back other subjects to match where he is in math; if need be as he approaches high school age you can give the rest a rest and get him some extra-intensive catching up for math to make sure he's ready for high school. Giving him whatever standardized testing they do in your state for 8th grade the year before you plan for him to start high school would also give you an idea of whether he's ready. Heck, giving him the test for whatever grade he's in now would give you an idea of where he really is. Unless he's no good at those tests, of course. I agree that being on the young side for college can be a disadvantage--I got into an early admissions program and having never been required to study before I got C's. I doubt this would have been a problem if I'd had a classical education in middle school and the first half of high school before I went into the program, with logic, more expectation of independent study skills, etc. Looking back on my writing at age 16 I needed more maturity or more training, or maybe a little of both. But being on the older side in high school can make for burnout. My sisters (twins, 2 1/2 years and 4 grades behind me upon start of high school) were supposed to be 19 at graduation. One dropped out two months shy of graduation to run off with her boyfriend, and went back after having a wedding, baby, and separation to get her diploma at 21. The other got school-jumped during my parents' divorce, failed her junior year almost completely, and upon learning she couldn't graduate until age 20, withdrew and got her GED instead mid-way through her not-so-senior year.

I agree that it's fun to share like this! Here's ours: Phonics: Tanglewood phonics and Starfall.com, BOB books, games Math: Funtastic Frogs math, number copywork, games, math-concept storybooks from the library Latin: Song School Latin Lit: The Complete Works of Winnie-the-Pooh Classical studies: Aesop's Fables Heathen Studies: Havamal verses tied to the morals of the fables. Geography: Me on the Map History: SCA participation Science: Zoo and Science Center trips, gardening Art: My First Sewing Book and Kit (DD's request to learn to sew) Music: a beginning recorder curric. I picked out of the RR catalogue P.E.: Swim lessons in summer, ballet lessons in fall, T-ball next Spring (DD's choices of what's available through the city) I'm also enrolling her in an enrichment program through the Mesa school district called Eagleridge. It's one day/week of fun kindergarten classroom type stuff (cut and paste, yard games, etc.). We've actually already begun our phonics, math, lit, classical, and heathen studies. We spend about an hour on it a day, including seatwork and read-alouds cozed up on the couch. I'm setting a precedent of working through the summer because we tend to be busier with non-academic stuff from late Nov (Thanksgiving)-mid February (Estrella War).

I'd say only if she asks. Might be a good time to talk about the process of getting a book from imagination to print--the next step after writing is editing, after all. As someone with a 40 gal. tote filled with notebooks of creative writing (mostly drivel for my own amusement), dating back to 2nd grade, I'd say be honored she let you read it, and unless she wants to publish it in some way (blog, maybe?), don't worry about editing it.

DD has been enjoying: www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/ http://us.penguingroup.com/static/packages/us/yreaders/aesop/index.html http://www.jspuzzles.com/ http://www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/home_2.htm

DD is less than 30 lbs. and only 37 inches tall at 4 1/2. She's still in a 5-point harness, and will be until she hits 40 lbs. or the height limit for the straps. Then she'll be in her same seat as a booster until she's can pass the 5-point test. She started forward facing before 20 lb. (well after age 1) because the seat we had after our car w/ the marathon in it was stolen didn't secure well rear-facing. I figured forward-facing with a good installation was better than rear-facing with a loose installation.

My mom in stepdad are in the process of adopting their foster son. They plan on changing his middle name and of course his last name. They call him by his first name so that will be kept the same--by coincidence it's a family name. For his middle they'll likely name him after stepdad's father. Another thing you could consider, if you currently call them by their middle names, is to change their middle names to their first names and give them new middles.

Everyone else has put in good tips. Ask to see examples of the artist's work. If he wants a piece of flash, it's pretty straightforward, but if he wants the artist to draw something out it's going to cost more, and a custom piece made based on his own drawing may or may not be compatible with the artist's style. Get someone experienced. They should have been tattooing or piercing for several years. My best looking tats after years of wear are the ones I got on Saipan, where the artist had been in business for, oh, twenty-odd years. An experienced hand is also going to be a gentler hand. As far as cleanliness...is the shop clean? Ink in new sealed packages? Autoclave clean and clearly used regularly (a layer of dust or using it for storage is a bad sign)? With the routine procedures for cleanliness used in most tat parlors these days, your risk of something like a Hepatitis infection are slim. Oh, and someone mentioned military service. I got all 7 of my tattoos while in the Navy. The general rule is don't get anything that will show in a short-sleeved uniform shirt and pants. So no neck, forearms, etc.\ For his first I strongly recommend not getting one too large, and going for a meaty spot, not close to a bone because it'll hurt less. Calf, upper arm, thigh, chest, etc.

A friend of mine had SOTW 1 and I took a look at it. I was in school at the time for my now-completed bachelor's in anthropology, and the first chapter struck me as horridly inaccurate and not at all in line with the worldview I'd like to teach my daughter within. Also the treatment of the Bible as accurate rather than mythologized history bothers me.

Classical Composition, if I remember correctly from when I researched the options outlined in The Latin-Centered Curriculum, is rather more directly and heavily Christian in its content than CW, and looked more complicated to use, especially for someone with no prior experience with the protogymnasmata. Given the dearth of Pagan/Heathen Classical curriculum options out there, we prefer to use secular materials.

Hi, cool to see so many classical homeschoolers in the East Valley (and in other parts of the state, too!) We're in Tempe. There's a chance we might be moving out to Queen Creek some time this year. Are any of you part of any homeschool groups? I'm about decided on enrolling DD at Eagleridge in the fall, but I'd like to get involved with a regular HS group, too. Right now we only know one other homeschool family IRL. They're unschoolers. Fun to be around, but limited common ground for HS'ing discussions.

Here's a notion: adultery (defined as extramarital affairs which betray the trust of the marriage and vows of sexual fidelity) is to the relationship as smoking is to one's health: maybe feels good in the short term, but destructive. To have an extramarital relationship be a "supplement", it would have to be a polyamorous one. That is, entered into with the willing consent and/or participation of one's marriage partner. Lying, cheating, and betrayal of trust are NOT right or healthy in a marriage. This said by a woman who currently lives in a 3-cornered relationship. Our arrangement IS healthy for us, because it's what we ALL want.

DD is going into K in the fall. In coming years I plan to HS full-swing through summer, because it's so hot and not much else is going on with us and we always seem to be traveling and gearing up for holidays and events from Oct-Feb. We're getting started this week with phonics--a review of letter sounds with Starfall and some miscellaneous workbooks followed by starting in on Tanglewood School's phonics program. We're also going to get strict about having a read-aloud time and resume our memory work (that DD enjoyed last year when we were more organized about preschool activities), and DD has several preschool math workbooks I want to finish working through with her. We'll also do the summer reading program at the library this summer, something we've been doing since she was just a year old.

I was going to suggest the Petrified Forest. The Painted Desert has some pretty cool geology, too, and of course there's the Grand Canyon rim. And Death Valley, if your A/C works.

Just to make your life interesting, have you looked at the Tanglewood School's phonics curriculum? It has the bonus of being free.

The only time my DD has ever put something in her mouth it was a berry, and at the lead of her less than sensible 7yo. cousin. The berries burned their lips, and they didn't swallow them. We have a bunch of oleander in our yard. Grows like a weed, hard to kill, very low maintenance and therefore popular out here (Arizona). I keep trying to cut it out because DH is allergic to it, more than because I'm worried about DD eating the leaves. Also, it doesn't poison the ground around it or transmit its poison to plants growing around it, so your mint should be just fine. Nor is it poisonous to the touch. If you like how it looks, keep it. Removing it requires digging it out by the roots or cutting it back to the roots and pasting it with herbicide on the exposed cut bits.

We got a colorful but inexpensive desk calendar from Wal-Mart and a bunch of stickers. We use stickers and sticky notes to mark appointments, events, classes, etc., and I mounted it down where DD could see it well and help mark things. It's really helped her awareness of how time passes and how long a week is, etc.