Thank you for your reply!

I have a copy of FLL. It's the first edition that contains levels 1 and 2. I'm planning on using it with my first grader. Do I need to upgrade to the second edition if I'm planning on using WWE also?

My younger sons had the same reaction when we would swim in pools. I have found that sunscreen lotion with a high SPF seems to act like an insulator against the water. I re-apply often and shower them as soon as we come home. By way of encouragement, my older son grew out of this. Strangely, my dd's never had an issue...:001_huh:

Amanda Bennett has several month long unit studies that cover all ages and 1 week long unit studies for 1st-4th graders. We love them! www.unitstudy.com

:iagree: I loved the book so much that I bought the updated one. Now I have one to lend out and one for myself.

I lost both of my brothers exactly one year apart. My oldest (the first to die) did visit me after his death to reassure me that everything would be okay and not to cry anymore. Hard to do for a girl of 18. As my sons grow older I see a lot of mannerisms that are spot on the same as this brother.

Hmmm...convert here :D What is a happy drink?

No problem as long as you return the favor! ;)

That's the first thing I thought, too!

Where is the "crying my eyes out while smiling" smilie? I think that reading what classical education "should" look like, coupled with my own feelings of just bobbing here and there really put me in a crazy frame of mind. I often refer to is as my homeschool schizophrenia; the desire to be structured and orderly vs. learning what delights my children.:willy_nilly: Does anyone else suffer from this? :001_smile: I may actually get some sleep tonight. Thank you ladies. :grouphug:

Thank you! I'll look into it tonight!

Please, please, please tell me that you meant what you wrote! (what I highlighted above) I have spent the past few weeks beating myself up for not wanting to stop FIAR. I have also spent HOURS trying to figure out what to do next year with my 4th and 1st grader and where to fit them into the "rotation", etc...and feeling like a substandard homeschooler (especially after I read so many posts like "FIAR is great for K, but not really after that") So if you really meant 5th, I will be so happy.:hurray:

I have used SP with both natural spellers and one struggling reader. So far it fits the bill for us. For my naturals, it's a 10 minute exercise and it's done. For my struggling reader, it's a great review of phonics, takes about 15 minutes, and then we move on. The best part is that SP doesn't frustrate my children. For a short time we tried SWO and then Sequential Spelling and both were frustrating. SP is the one thing I don't have to worry about what to use. If only everything else was so cemented! :lol:

My dd will be going into 8th grade next year. She can write small reports fairly well and speaks with good grammar. I haven't done a formal program of writing or grammar with her. After a small panic attack (the reality of the closeness of high school looming), I'm wanting to choose something I can use for the remainder of her schooling. Any suggestions? TIA!

Couldn't help but chime in here. I am another enthusiastic lover of FIAR!! I've used it from the beginning and have no plans to stop any time soon. I would encourage you to get all the volumes if you're able and collect the books over time. I own almost all of them and when I find the OOP ones at the library I check them out any way so that the library won't sell them in their sale they have every year. I want them to be available for other FIAR's to come. ;) You will not be disappointed in choosing FIAR!:D

:iagree: Just what I needed to hear. Logical and simple. :001_smile: "I see you've been homeschooling a long time. I feel like a novice giving you advice!" Believe me, you never stop needing advice. :D I just told a friend this morning that I'll probably figure out this homeschooling thing just in time to tell my dc how they should be doing it! :lol: Thank you all sooo much!

I'm a Latter-Day Saint. :001_smile: What do you perceive the soul to be? My soul is who I am at my very core. It separates me from all other forms of creation. How did the soul come into being? My soul was formed in a pre-mortal existance by my Heavenly father. At conception, it was "bonded" with my body, never to be separated until after death. How do you believe the soul functions?My soul allows me to commune with the Holy Spirit thereby helping me to become more like Jesus Christ. It gives me life and continues to exist after I die. After death, it is re-united with Heavenly Father to exist for eternity.

Thank you ladies! I'm not proficient in multi-quoting so I'll try to address the comments as best as I can. My 8th dd is a string reader. She's had very little grammar yet writes fairly well. I plan to make this a focus this year. My 4th dd is just now getting the hang of reading. She started her first chapter book this week! I would have no problem just letting her "float" with whatever this year as she continues to develop her reading and writing. I plan on using WWE2 and FLL2 with her. My 1st ds is doing very well with reading! He is a sponge and soaks up anything placed before him. Right now the younger 2 are interested in Egypt/Mummies. We've read a few books on them and watched some NatGeo shows as well. I suppose that I could continue the 4th and 1st in FIAR and do geography with the oldest... or do FIAR with the 4th and 1st and do Modern with just the oldest... Any more suggestions?

Next year I'll have an 8th, 4th, 1st, and terror..er...toddler. We have used FIAR, BYFIAR, and unit studies thus far. After many attempts to figure out everyones rotations through 2028 (the year the youngest graduates:D) I'm still trying to come up with the best choice. If I start with modern history then the 2 oldest will be right on target, yet the youngers will be off. Conversely, if I start in Ancients, then the older 2 will be off...:confused:

Excellent blog! Thank you for sharing the link. :001_smile:

Could you elaborate on this filing system?

There have been days in my homeschool career wher I felt like I wasn't doing my job unless everyone was crying over some assignment or another. It was usually math. :glare: Thankfully, those days are few and far between. Hope your day got better!

This is a wonderful thread! I have been agonizing over decisions reagarding the use of PLL, ILL, and Simply Grammar for our use. I own them all but always get drawn into the "are these enough" battle. Thanks to the OP for starting this discussion!!!

He he he...wasn't aware that my perfectionism was showing. :D Actually more of a frustrated perfectionist. I get paralyzed and won't do ANYTHING unless I think I can do it perfectly (or pretty close to perfect...) Sigh... Do you all think that I could do Ancients with my dc during the week (this is their interest right now) and treat the modern study as a supplemental class? Would that be too confusing? I'm not sure of the ages of the other dc...just know it is vast...like 3rd to HS....

:iagree: You're making your homeschool so fun and memorable! Good job!