Required reading will go along with Brave Writer Arrow units. I'm planning: Because of Winn-Dixie Tale of Despereaux Farmer Boy Chitty Chitty Bang Bang How to Train Your Dragon Ginger Pye They'll also do a couple more Arrows from things that we will read aloud, so in those months, I'll have them choose from a few books for their independent reading. I don't have those choices planned--it'll be winging it at the library, I suspect. My Read Aloud list is very negotiable. I'll add and remove as I please thoughout the year. It's more of an idea list than anything else: Story of the World 2 Drop of Water, Book of Science and Wonder Pagoo Wind in the Willows Robin Hood Castle Diary Door in the Wall various Shakespeare stories various longish picture book biographies of people from the time period of SOTW 2 The above are the "during school" books. We also have an audiobook going in the car at all times, and read a novel at bedtime. Those are generally just for fun, middle grade novels that we're interested in reading, not connected to history or anything else at all. We choose those on the fly, usually. Recently we've been on a Narnia, Dahl, and Wizard of Oz kick. ;)

oh, yes, this! At one point my older son was fussing that the twins were further ahead in the same math curriculum than he was. But they were all working right where they needed to be. So I switched him to another (similar) curriculum! They were still working ahead of him, but the difference was that it was harder for him to TELL since the scopes and sequences varied some. Huge help!

Split them up! I have boy/girl twins plus a son who is only 12 months older than them. My twins are very much on the same level and have always been able to do math and LA together, but my other son is YEARS behind them, level wise, despite being a year older. I was never going to be able to combine all 3 of them, although technically, they're all 2nd graders. I do math and LA twice, once with twins, once with older DS, and then we can do read alouds, science, history, etc as a full group. I do have to spend a lot of time talking about how everyone learns every skill at different paces, that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, etc to discourage competition, but splitting them up has been a good solution overall. If my twins' skill levels ever diverge enough (one feeling pushed, or one feeling like I'm dragging them to slow down), I'd happily split them up as well. I don't think twins should be treated any differently than other siblings in that regard. We homeschool so that they can work at their level. ;)

My 2nd graders are reading fluently, so they don't have something like AAR, but we covering copywork, dictation, spelling, handwriting, composition, and grammar (mechanics) through Brave Writer (Quiver of Arrows units and Jot it Down!). They were begging for more, so we're also listening to Grammar Land and doing the little exercises at the end of each of those chapters, on the pace of about one chapter/week. Nice and gentle, and super fun!

In my experience, the easiest things to do with Kers are things that look like library story time. Read a book, do some songs or finger plays, do a craft related to that, done. FIAR works well for that. A friend and I did a 4-5yo co-op class with that basic outline using Dr Suess books. Another friend is doing one this year on "animal habitats" but it's the same idea. For "forest" week, she does a song about forest animals, reads a couple of picture books about forest animals, then does a craft. Straightforward and fun!

Oh, I may have voted wrong. I voted maternal, since our nana is my mother, but I think it's equally likely overall. In fact, my mom is maternal grandmother to my kids, but paternal grandmother to my brother's kids, so even odds in our little family. ;)

2nd graders here. Between science-based living lit, nature study, and a co-op class, we're doing science 2-3x a week.

Hey there! I live in Katy ISD, but homeschool, and my kids are younger than yours. Do you know what math they are using in the classroom? It might make it easier to recommend things that would complement that if you knew the name of the program they were using. If it were me, though, I don't think I would try to parallel what they were doing in class if I were afterschooling math. I would probably try to shore up basics with fact practice, etc, and then go deeper with something like Beast Academy. I'm planning to try Beast next year with my will-be 3rd graders. I think it looks awesome! We are currently using Singapore Primary Math.

Wood-look tile is my FAVORITE floor! Do it! Where I live, tile in all of the main areas is very, very common and not at all off-putting. My house has 18" travertine tile in the entry, formal dining (that we use for school), and living room, and wood-look tile in the kitchen, half bath, and laundry room. Those rooms make up the entire downstairs except for the master, which is carpeted, and the master bath, which has some other non-descript ivory colored 12" tile. The travertine is nice, but I wish they had carried the wood-look tile through the entire downstairs. I adore it. Also, in our previous house, we had water damage from a hot water heater leak that ruined the laminate floor in our den. I put down wood-look tile there. In both houses, I get more compliments on the floors with the wood-look tile than any other.

My 7yo daughter loves My Little Pony, the Friendship is Magic series on Netflix. Also popular with both her and her brothers (twin age 7 and big bro 8) are the Lego Chima and Ninjago series, the new Inspector Gadget, Odd Squad, and Magic School Bus.

Yes, but with the caveat that we live on the FLAT gulf coast and my hill driving has not been tested. I can handle parking garages, though! LOL I learned when my kids were toddlers. My DH had a manual and I couldn't drive it. He started taking the kids out for a couple of hours on Saturday morning so that I could have a SAHM break, which was AWESOME! But then I was housebound because he had to take the van with the carseats in it. I wanted to be able to run around town in his car. I started fussing and he said we could replace his car the following spring when he got his bonus check. Well, I had that bonus check earmarked for new floors in my living room. LOL So I learned to drive his car. Now I love it! It's quite an old car now, and he says he's going to replace it in the next year, probably with an automatic. I'm going to miss it!

:iagree:

Studied dictation through Brave Writer

I love DIY play kitchens! Well done!

You got it!

We moved into our current house in late January and I had done nothing with my kids' rooms. Nothing on the walls, etc. All of my decor focus had been downstairs where I actually spend time. LOL So while they were at day camp a couple of weeks ago I pulled off surprise HGTV-ish room re-dos. It was SO fun!! I'll edit with links to pics tomorrow. I can't figure out an easy way to do that on my phone. Pics! DD7's room: https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11694881_10206983289364450_8211645182014549202_n.jpg?oh=65090350b4c8e50678701ee72e6bf93a&oe=563AE3C2 https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/10502295_10206983289524454_8873234842879683402_n.jpg?oh=ec2522d08e2365f651ab98da72ea9916&oe=5656E544 We have an antique white rocking chair that is having its seat reupholstered that will go in the corner under her hanging light. The spare school room chair is just a place holder. ;) DS7's room: https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/11700934_10206985749665956_5182201366435370313_n.jpg?oh=0d3c86141251ff80f9f5199094fcaa74&oe=564D4FDF https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/11745512_10206985749985964_3507299454274319013_n.jpg?oh=41f168ad9b3921a72a6d8417cbe11c91&oe=5638BE48 I had some issues constructing his robot. The red pencil cups sitting on top of his head were supposed to be ears. They're much cuter when held up to the sides of his head instead. But the magnets I had glued to them weren't strong enough to hold them there. So I need to try another method of attachment. I think I'll have DH drill a small hole on the side of each and cable tie them on. DS8's room: https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10981202_10206985416697632_7881731811295258005_n.jpg?oh=47168e280267897f4750e020d5787da0&oe=5643689B https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/11781761_10206985416417625_4560740743073641522_n.jpg?oh=83ef49d05b0f9f11b7d571f19b00e805&oe=5648CFEA https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/11745504_10206985416377624_3352385618806681858_n.jpg?oh=fe1c6abce13b94015cc511886ed54490&oe=5635718B He's my busy one, can you tell? ;)

8yo DS (struggles): AAS 7yo twins: voted other, using copywork and dictation through Brave Writer Arrow units

We used Singapore Essential Math K and really liked it. I found this blog post informative when I was deciding between it and Early Bird. http://www.blueskiesacademy.com/2011/03/singapore-earlybird-versus-essential-math/

ditto this :iagree: LOVE Brave Writer, but not because of TWJ. Julie Bogart is the most inspirational speaker on homeschooling that I listen to. I try to catch her anywhere she's speaking (her own podcasts, her WTM conference sessions, she was on the Read Aloud Revival podcast recently, etc). I think her methods and products are brilliant, but she needs a total overhaul of her website and TWJ to help her communicate what she has to offer.

Funny story about hills in Kansas. We live in Houston. Coastal plains. FLAT. DH's uncle farms somewhere ~45min NW of Salina, and when we go see him, we fly into KC and take I70 west. It's quite hilly through parts of that drive. When my oldest was a toddler, a big hill loomed up beside us and he shouted, "Oh, wow! What is THAT?!" Kansas was hilly enough to startle my kid. LOL

For us, adderall caused raging anger outbursts and weeping as it wore off. It was HORRIBLE

My son loves his: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/ya/ref=yo_ii_bia_view?ie=UTF8&ac=bia&reorder_params=B00IHQKT3W%2C112-9125341-0238624 He also lives with gum in his mouth.

If I were cloth diapering again, I'd use the Bum Genius or GroVia AIO with the organic cotton shakers. I could never diaper successfully with stay dry fabrics without build up or stink.

The Circe institute Quiddity podcast can be very good.

I really want to do Mt Vernon. That's one I haven't done either! I think this trip might be too booked. Next time for sure! I've done Monticello, and it was wonderful.