Thanks :)

Another brother lover here :lol: If dh purchases item like that he always buys items like Canon & HP, and they all break. Brother's items are very well priced, reliable, and very sturdy. We had both a copier and printer at work that were yellowed with age, every other printer , fax etc was new & shiny....yep, the yellowed ones were Brother branded :) they last forever, and work well.

and also the Kinder Visuals I got a good reply about another health thread, and its made me re-interested in Abeka for Health Does anyone have a list of whats covered for Grade 1 Health, and also anymore info on the Kinder visuals? Does the teachers guide for health give more hands on ideas/projects? As my kids aren't very workbook-y Is there any other subjects you would recommend from Abeka for not much workbook-iness? Thanks :D

Theres good replies for both sides. I think it is a very fitting assignment. I do not believe the parents should of given a "choice" per say, but the child to give explanations of what is important to him about both the game & the class. Then perhaps him asking your DH if there is the possibility of being able to have a "make-up" assignment to cover the class. So it should of been upto the child to cover bth of his responsibilities faith & sports wise. I.e. if he had missed the game instead, he should talk to the coach about it beforehand and ask for some extra coaching/home ideas to make up for missing the game. This next bit is just my opinion - I think missing the class and going to the game, if the sport was important enough to him, is the ideal choice, if it were between soccer practice & the class, the class would be the better choice, if it were between the actual confirmation itself and the game, the confirmation is the better choice. But this is all from the mind of a logical adult. Obviously, faith should be put first, so the confirmation goes above all else. But classes can (at the discretion of the holder) be made up, games can't be re-played. Soccer Practice can be caught up by doing extra hours at home. xxxx :001_smile: And there are a few people whom have such passion for both the Lord and their sport, that they have done quite a few miraculous deeds because of this passion.

I tried online ones like HST and the others, and I didn't like them, if I was going that way, DH work google calendar looks the same. Whilst I like the idea of on computer/online planners, I haven't yet found one that doesn't make it more hassle than just typing and printing or pencilling in. I have purchased a number of planners (Aussie ones like downunder lit, Master Planner, The Old Schoolhouse, and plan to purchase the PDF of Well Planned Day. I will just whack all the pages I need from those together, and ProClick Them with a Pretty Laminated Cover. I love what Dawn does (From Filecrate system) with her planner and has the 3d trees etc on it, but I think that would make it lumpy, and when it comes to shedules and planners, I am not good at making my own like her, I just leech off of everyone elses planners, but at least I am keeping the economy in good order with all my planner purchases :D

hmmm, good question! I am a bible collector myself, as well as various bible related books, and some mre controversial books. Some of mine aren't in great condition either. I know some charity shops out here take old, tattered bibles. Ones they can fix (via tape etc) they give to the homeless and others. I am not sure what they do with the rest, maybe recycle them? I don't think I could ever do that to a bible either!

We're a bit below you academically lol, but hopefully I'll be of some help. We currently use: Sonlight LA K Language Lessons for little Ones by Sandi Queen Whilst the sonlight LA K is good, does everything it needs to, I am starting to be quite bored with it, its too repetitive. Thats good for children, but can drive the adults slightly bonky. I am going to look for an alternative for my younger ones for the future. We will keep with explode the Code workbooks though, we love them. LL4LO - We love this, we plan to continue using it. The lessons are short simple and fun. Next year our tentative line up (for grade 1) is: Writing with Ease Manual & Workbook 1 Writing Strands 1 (this is a pre-writing level, uses creative ideas, seems similar to Language & Thinking for Young Children that we are using this year) First Language Lessons - These are a bit more structured than Queens, a bit more academically minded, but still fun and not too long. Theres also other ones we are planning to use or have looked at: Wordly Wise 3000 Schoolhouse rock Grammar & Math Songs Grammar Songs by Audio Memory All about Spelling And of course we will continue with Queens Language Lessons and Explode the Code. HTH xxx

I had a period with my two oldest when I was worried about their speech. My oldest was going on 5 before words "clicked" and her speech became more clear/fluent. My 3 year old still babbles, has his own sentences that noone can understand and only uses point nouns. We use a lit based curriculum, read lots of stories, I try to enunciate clearly each of the words, and he is slowly improving. It doesn't help that my 2 year old is quite a genius conversation wise, as it just shows the enormous difference between them. Kids grow at their own rate, my son is rather gifted logically, so the speech part has obviously fallen to the wayside. Each child has their own unique talents, and if they show it early this can slow down other areas of their learning. A program I am aware of is speechercise, which is a couple of CDs that use silly fun techniques to help children. Heres a blurb from them: "The excercises and songs on the CD are designed to help in a variety of speech and language problems including: mispronouncing a sound in certain words, yet pronouncing it clearly in other words; leaving or entire syllables from longer words; leaving off the beginning or ending sounds of words; making the /T/ or /K/ sounds incorrectly; pronouncing words differently from situation to situation; having difficulty combining sounds into words and struggling to move the tongue, lips, and jaw consistently. " Hope that helps hun xxxx

I was actually looking around not long ago for this. I wanted something that would do Grades K/1, most health curriculums don't start until 2/3rd grade, and even then its just nutrition, where as I wanted the whole she--bang, mostly concentrated on hygiene, and others as opposed to just "the food pyramid" I found this: www.healthteacher.com Unfortunately I have had to have budget cutbacks, so can't do this next year :( I will be doing unit studies with lapbooks instead, but plan to signup for Grade 2. It seems to do from K-12. Its a little expensive but they seem to cover EVERYTHING from A-Z. Drugs, Hygiene, Safety, Nutrition, and I haven't seen a better ore thorough curriculum elsewhere. I hope that helps xxxx

They are usually called for lack of a better term "compact houses" The micro-compacts are the just fit your feet in shacks There was a wonderful book about it, but I can't remember the name of it. Anyhoo, heres a link to one book, if you look at the "also purchased" list, that should give you some other nice ideas. http://www.amazon.com/New-Compact-House-Designs-Metz/dp/0882666665 Heres another site that also links to amazon books, but also has some great pics for inspiration http://www.prefabcompacthome.com/

Everything gets tossed together :lol: I wash all the time during the week for clothes, I only keep out major delicates, woollens, and handwash items. The rest get plonked in together, otherwise it never gets done. DH is in charge of his trousers (because 1 pair of his jeans could be a whole load), towels & large bedding, basically anything big. He does those items on weekends. I sort items that can go in the dryer (since its rainy season now) and put those in, I hang up more delicate/non-dryer items on the various airers we have. DH is in charge of bringing all the dry stuff from the dryer and airers, and leaving them in baskets in the family room. He also hangs up and/or dries the larger items. I, whenever I get the time, put away the basketed items left in the lounge. It sounds higledy-piggledy, but for the moment, it works for us. :D

Other than free online ones, I can recommend: * Happy phonics (phonics games and readers, also has about making your own) *sonlight Readers - get the appropriate list, and loan from library * Dr Suess books, there especially is a 4-in-1 volume called "reading is fun" it has - I can read with my eyes shut, hop on pop, and 2 others. * Bob Books * Not sure if available in US but Fitzroy Readers. *Starfall online readers * Click n Phonics or Smarty Ants can be an online program to work alongside it, these also have "readers" in their games. Good Luck xxx

Where do I keep it...or where does DH keep it? :lol: I have laundry hampers, and a bizillion washing baskets (I think at last count there was 12) I have a hamper in each room, but they always disappear with just the lids left behind on the floor LOL. The kids use them as a toy and hubby is forever disappearing off with one for one reason or another. Both the kids and DH just drop their clothes everywhere, Im the poor darl that collects them. I gave up cajoling and yelling years ago and am resigned to the fact that I have to commando crawl under the kids beds to retrieve DHs socks, where they somehow end up rolling after he reads them their bedtime story. With the laundry hunting I do, I think I am ready for seals training lol. Our dirty laundry are kept in extra baskets in the bathtub at this house, as the bathroom & laundry are a combined small room. When we purchase the house, I am planning to figure out a new arrangement lol.

Explode the code as per OP Or there is plenty of other choices (although most aren't workbook type) Happy phonics Alphaphonics 100 east lessons SmartyAnts Click N Read Ordinary Parents guide (WTM) Weaver Read 123 (is this phonics?) etc etc There are soo many phonics programs out there, it just depends whether you do want to keep it workbook style. I have found, in some cases, that workbook style is a lot slower going than others (oral, interactive etc) where they can move at a quicker pace.

:D hehe Thats funny! FWIW I love Crystal sticks, theres plenty of "brands" out there that do them, here one: http://www.thecrystal.com/ If one of my kids ever want deod, I will offer that lol. Could probably double as a science lesson as well :lol: Both my father AND my grandfather wear Old Spice LOL. Luckily DH wears Lynx lol. I think its cute! :001_smile:

For the moment, we just have labeled shelves, and a basket thats like a library cart..everyone just plonks there books in the basket and I put them back. Sonlight uses coloured stickers for there books, so I got the appropriate colour sticker dots from our office supply store. Next year we will have more shelves and copious amounts of books, so I will probably use the labeled shelves plus the sticker dots idea, AND librarything and the Cat Scanner, so I don't re-purchase books I already have, and can have a list of need to gets ready. There will be a coloured dot on the labeled shelf, so that everyone can put there own books back next year. I am thinking since I will have many resources that I will also tag them in librarything according to what I am using them for, so that I dont sell/donate books I need for a certain curriculum. It would be nice to have a scan out option too, with a scanner and server or something in the library room, so that I know whats officially "missing" from the room, but I think thats taking extravegence a bit too far lol.. I hope I have helped somewhat xxxx

I hope it doesn't count as advertising either. You have intrigued me enough to actually go on a hunt through your site. I am still scared of the schedule I will have to make for next year (thanks to SL and my pencil, this year isn't bad) I love scheduling and resoucing and curriculum hunting. I am a flashy organising junkie nfortunately I am useless at making my own schedules, it bores me to tears, I just really wish sonlight had a blank schedule you could download lol. I have so many d/l-able planners (TOS, Master Planner, blog homemade ones) and none of them hit the spot for me schedule wise) I will probably get to the point where I make a planner myself and get someone to actually custom make a schedule template for me...I could use DH for that, but he would probably make the most dry planner lol. *bounces* off to look at your fantabulousness :)

We used our first monies from living inheritence. From here on in, we will purchase the bulk lot at tax-back time. We will be using mine and DHs refunds, plus the education refund and other bits we receive in our tax, to buy the next years lot. We will probably (hopefully earlier) have our tax back in September. By then, I should have a full list of every single thing I need for the next 14 months, and purchase it all as soon as the monies hit our account. So in ultra reality, the government pays for our homeschooling :D lol. I won't need the items till Jan 2012 (approx) but then I have to wait upto 6 wks for items, maybe more for backordered, not in print stuff, then once I receive it all I have to make up a shedule, I will be cutting it kind of fine this year. I want to look at ordering/purchasing iems 6 months in advance for the 12 months after that, just so even if there is a major delay (like I have right now, where I have been waiting for some items I ordered in feb) then I still don't have a problem, and still have plenty of time to organise and schedule the items in question before the new lot starts. But I don't have a lot of free time to schedule, or follow up delayed parcels, we use a whole bunch of different items that I have to make cohesively (sp?) work together, and we h/s all the time. So my household is a lot more different than most..A lot fo people seem to get by with just 6 weeks before school starts for ordering. Sorry I am not that much help xxxx

:iagree: Thats the basics of what we are planning to use next year. This year (k) We are using Sonlight LA K, ETC Primers, and Language Lessons for little Ones Vol 1, plus ETC wallchart, Rock N Learn, and all sorts of other bits & programs. Next year we will be using the above, plus Explode the Code books & Online program, and possibly still queens LL, and as I said many many other bits & pieces lol. The ones OP quoted as the basics though, they are all fantastic programs. I am just one of those nuts that has to add every possible extra on top of them lol.

ROFL :lol: DH fixed that problem. He got a Post Office box for us, so now all the mail goes there or if courier etc, to his work, I think he was getting jealous of our postman lol, so now I jump him when he gets home, bouncing up and down asking if there was anything for me.. Much better for our marriage lol. :D

I am not sure how much help I am going to be, but I would like to try. I am a major munchies person. I like to nibble, eating an actual main meal, ends p making me feel quite sick a lot of the time. I am also one of those people whom if I wam watching anything tv show, movie, I have to sit there munching even if I am full. I am in love with David Wolfes ideals, and the whole prehistoric nut & berry diet, but I can't give up wheat lol, even though I have been told to, but if wheat is not a problem for you, maybe you could look into that kind of thing. When we were in school, years and years ago, the fad that caught on from me, was chewing on raw vermicelli noodles. The amount you consume is usually miniscule, but if your a munch person like me, it satifys that craving without adding too much of anythiing. Teachers used to think we were chewing on plastic (brain dead teens lol) so we even got away with chewing it in class rofl. Other things I have is Pistachios (am not sure of the calorie count of that) the whole cracking of the pistachios keeps my fingers busy, and if you have kids around, you don't end p with that many that your able to eat, as the kids sneak them all off you as your cracking them. Cucumber, berry salads, and honeydew melon are 3 more of my snacking yums that I believe are calorie free. Hope I have helped in some way darl xxxx

We use sonlight as what DH calls "bible lite" lol. If looking for online plans/lessons, I would google, and if you want it kept fluffy, I would look for ones that aren't mainly religious sites. Two that stood out for me are: DLTK http://www.dltk-bible.com/genesis/index.htm Teacher Help http://www.teacherhelp.org/lesson.htm Hope that helps hun xxx

We do it informally, we're starting formal studies next year in year 1 We use Kinder as the gentle introduction to the subjects. Since we use Sonlight (p4/5), we have Berenstein Bears big book of Science. We go with extra activities listed in the Instructors Guide, and also use the P4/5 Science Supplement from Handle on the Arts. As far as I am aware, it does not include history. We don't do anything really for History. We have a Social Studies book, that starts off with "About Me" and ends with "My world" for this year. We also have lots of chapter and picture books reagarding dinosaurs, and the history of Australia, and have informal/casual chats about history. Once we get to next year we'll start Story of the World - Vol1 and associated stuff, and we are also going to do Australian Book Traveler very slowly (hopefully over 3 years), plus galloping the globe over 3 years as well, so theres a lot of history compacted into those 3 things. This year we are concentrating on reading, phonics, maths & crafts. To me, in the Preschool years & Kinder, the most important thing is 1. Getting them to love books & 2. Getting them to read. So we use Sonlight which is a lit based approach, Singapore Maths Prek( 2 yr program), Happy Phonics Games, and the Supplements for our Sonlight yr from Handle on the Arts. The preschool years are about motor control, coordination, and fun, and the kinder year is to gently introduce the rest of school. I hope that helps in some way xxxx

A good book to get is one of those Frugal Eco books, they have stuff like building solar cookers, cob ovens, planting round your house, and a whole bunch of other interesting stuff. If it doesn't conflict with your current program, just grabbing the activity guide that go with the sotw would be a great idea, also classical kids book, that a lot of people purchase. My favourite thing from when I was a kid (and actually still is) is Dioramas. On any subject lol. I also sed to (I don't have time anymore) do the re-borning of dolls, doll re-borning is a heap of fun, you can learn all sorts of things. Art, being the main one, hand eye coordination, fine motor control (drawing veins is especially fun) crafts, even maths when you learn to weight the baby properly according to how mch it "should wiegh" Another thing I used to do as a hobby business is/was 3d felt sculpture. I used to make little caricatures of peoples kids. Be aware that both the re-borning and the Felt Sculpture use some ultra sharp equipment so are better for older kids, the previous things are better for smaller kids. xxx

I haven't used it, I hope somebody can answer who will. When I was originally looking, I got it confused with another workbook type curriculum, so didn't other looking at it. I only looked at it properly 2 days ago, to me, it looks brill. Unfortunately we already have a main curriculum, and we are outside of the US, so I couldn't be bothered purchasing, and having to wait ages to receive it, plus shipping rates. I love the look of Mother Goose Time and Bright Beginnings preschool programs, if I lived in the US, I would purchase both in a heartbeat LOL. I hope you get some info on it, I would love to hear more about it too.