I'd be ok with an email like that from family members. Kinda weird that you only know her casually, though.

All of these ideas and links are so awesome. Makes me feel much better, and I'll probably just go with the original weekly plan-plan. :P Keep them coming, I'm learning so much! That TOC idea is definitely an a-ha! moment, hehe.

Ok, first timer here. :):blush: I've been seeing some posts that lead me to believe that maybe I should consider doing a whole year's worth of lesson plans, instead of what I had previously considered - only doing a week at a time. I actually would feel much better about having the entire year done ahead of time, but I'm sure that like most things, a good system comes with experience/practice and I just don't have that yet. Can you guys give me some tutorials or tips to help me along? How do you break everything up, how specific do you get, etc.?:confused1: I started trying to make an excel document last night and couldn't even figure out how I wanted to label everything, lol. I think I'm just overwhelmed and need a little guidance to get the ball rolling...How do you start? What does your 'chart' look like? Help?!? I can make a month of menus in my sleep, but this is tripping me up! I went to sleep last night thinking that I was 'overthinking' it but one thought leads to another and another and...:willy_nilly: Thanks in advance for any insight. I've been clicking blog links from signatures like a crazy person, trying to find more info...lol. ETA: My son is 6, going into 1st and this is what I have lined up: History - SOTW 1 - we have the blackline maps to go with it, a map skills workbook, and also a family geography book to reference Grammar - FLL Handwriting - Copywork from various sources Spelling - SWO A Math - A Beka Arithmetic 1 Science - leaving this one to DH, b/c he is really into it, but got a Harcourt Science 1 and 2 textbook, the Usborne First Encyclopedia of Science, and a list of the 'standards' here to give him direction/something to go by... Reading - trying to follow the recs in WTM, tweaking as we go, got some bible stories to read w/ a coloring book that goes with it, Classics for kids, that sort of thing Art/Music/Character Ed/PE - this is not an area I'm doing a formal "program/curriculum" but we plan to do a special lesson each (day?week? not sure yet - he was in PS kinder and they had a special class each day, so he likes the idea of doing that...) and will rotate these using the various things I've picked up or bookmarked...he's also usually on a community sports team, and/or swimming lessons, etc.

Here's a handy little tool. :) Contraction Master ((click on "start timing contractions" at the top/right)) Good luck!

Well, it's about to become bigger by one...I'd never heard of it before this thread. But now I MUST investigate. (like I need ANOTHER board to visit.):D

That is AWESOME! Go You!

Thanks for asking this! I'll be watching this thread closely! I'm starting Arithmetic 1 this coming year (my first to homeschool) - I have the homeschool lessons/planner thing, the drills/games book, and the tests, I think? I still need to buy the workbook, but found a deal on ebay with the other stuff, so got that while I could. I was just going to buy the homeschool lesson/planner and the workbook.

I also HIGHLY recommend the website TourGuideMike It's a pay-to-use site, but you can get just what you're looking for, what to do, in what order, etc. at every park. Which day is best to go to which park, why you should time a certain thing at a certain time, etc. He's an MVP tourguide - ppl pay him big bucks to personally escort them around WDW. He knows his stuff. Lots of inside tips, too, since he used to work there. "secret" entrances, best places to sit for parades, when to eat and avoid the crowds, all that. The website is a little confusing to navigate at first, but once you get the hang of it, you can read the ride/show/event descriptions and decide what you want to do, and he'll put them in order for you. Or you can just use his pre-made tour plans. He has plans for families with little kids, teens/adults wanting thrills, adults who like it mild, lol - whatever. I can't say enough about his site. I've read lots of the planning books, and still find him to be the best resource. They have a forum like this over there, too. You can get lots of expert advice from Disney freaks, uh I mean fans, galore. :D You can post your 'plan' and they will critique it for you like you wouldn't believe...down to telling you shortcuts to take, from one place to another, lol.

I haven't read the whole thread yet, but wanted to comment on this... The first time we went to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, we were sitting down watching the late parade (it was soooo UNcrowded!) and there was one part where they had gravediggers walking through with their shovels. That part was fine, but then they did this move where they drag them on the ground and then SLAP! the road - think loud, sparks, loud... My son was 4 I think, and he didn't like that part AT ALL, but everything else was fine. He had a thing about fireworks then and we took some ear muffs like they use on the shooting range - worked wonders! You can get 'em cheap at walmart, and they hang right on the stroller. He used them all over the place - fireworks, Indiana Jones show, etc. He's 6 and over that, now, but those muffs saved us lots of heartache back then.

Not sure. We live in South FL, so it's only 3.5 hrs for us to drive there...but DH is USCG, so we'll have to see if/when he can get leave, or if he has to deploy, etc. Plus, I like to wait until closer to planning time in Sept. Never know when a hurricane might show up and we 'have to evacuate' - we evacuate to Disney whenever possible, lol... Sept/Oct is a great time of the year to go. I can't think of many times that AREN'T great though. (except for Christmas week. Did that once. Once.) :)

I'm "one of those Honda people," lol. I'd definitely recommend the CR-V, we just traded ours for the Odyssey last fall. The civic is great, too, though, especially for commuting! We have one of those from 1996, and it's still going strong, even though we bought it used in 2000. Prior to that, I'd owned a Prelude and a CR-X (which is the first Honda I ever had, and it totally won me over.) We sold them both with close to 200k miles on them! BUT - if I couldn't buy a Honda, I'd buy a Toyota. They both have great reputations for quality, and longevity! IMO, the new CR-V's are beautiful. Especially the black ones, lol. (my Prelude and the van were both black. Love it!) They look a lot like the Acura MDX.

I'll be watching this thread too. I'm currently having my thyroid tested. In April, my TSH was 0.03. In May, it was 5.53 :001_huh: In June, it was 6.23 I'm STILL not on any medicine but I'm getting to the point where I want to change endocrinologists, too. He wants "one more" blood test b/c he thinks I'm trying to level out? I have another test next month, and if he doesn't put me on something, I'm going elsewhere...and I'm not gung-ho for pills but it stinks to know something is wrong, and have to keep on testing for it. Natural remedies would be so great. I have a 10 month old and I'm GAINING weight instead of losing. :( I've also had an ultrasound and uptake scan. The u/s showed (probably) benign nodules on the left side (they were hot?) and the uptake scan showed that I absorb lots, fast. *shrug*

Ok, so what if it *is* something you've experienced most of your life? With me - I cry in the weirdest situations...in school, it was if I had to talk to a teacher, school counselor, principal, even the librarian, alone. Not b/c I was in trouble though...like even if I had to talk about an essay contest THAT I WON - to try and get the info right for the announcement in the paper, I couldn't help but cry about it. (I'm not talking happy tears, though...) I can't go to the doctor w/o crying no matter what it's - for from an eye exam (lol) to a regular pg check up where all they do is listen for the heartbeat and measure your belly - I cry at the dentist too. I've even been known to cry when my son goes to the dentist. What's that about? I've cried trying to get my cable hooked up - on the phone with a CSR. It almost seems like it's an authority thing...but the cable guy? Really? And yes, very annoying. As a kid, I'd cry when I was mad, and I still do that, too. If DH ticks me off, I cry and then I can't think straight enough to argue my point, lol. So we've learned to email fight, and I make much more sense. That's weird, right?

I second this! If you don't want to go to the Poly (it's worth it! or even Boma at AKL!) and *must* stay in the park for the table service, I'd vote for Crystal Palace. We're thinkin' of going in Sept, too! (and Dec)

another vote for BODY FOR LIFE...especially if you are already used to the exercising/strength training.

I can make beaded/wire jewelry, and every once in a while, I make something that I think is really nice. :D

Love cow tunes! Isn't that the song that teaches multiplication/skip counting, too?

Also try Spelling City. :001_smile:

I hope this sort of thing is allowed for posting - Some are free, some are cheap.

I can't really recommend anything b/c we are just starting our first year of homeschool this coming fall...but - If you want something else to "research" and see if you like it, we're using what they recommend in the Well-Trained Mind book: The Story of the World

We haven't told our families yet, but I have mentioned it to a few other people who live around us. (We're military, and don't live near the family.) The most common SO FAR seems to be one of 'why on earth would you want to do THAT?' - This is mainly from the moms of kids who my son goes to school with now. He's in ps kindergarten. His teacher, even, made an 'aww' sound, like she was sad that he would be home schooled next year. I took that to mean she wanted to have him in her class again b/c he is such a good student, of course, hehe. The moms seem to think that it's either a) too much trouble or b) just weird. Most of these moms have housekeepers, nannies, and other 'help' (which is soooo hard to find, ya know, lol). They usually seem to think that you simply cannot teach a kid without being a certified teacher. It's a wonder their kids can dress themselves, I guess. :P We are so out of our element in this town, but I have to say my neighbor homeschools and she has been such a great example to me. I've always liked the 'idea' of it, but to see it in action for the past 4 years, really helped me solidify that I *can* do this. Now, I'm actually EXCITED to get started! What a stranger thinks, though, doesn't really bother me. Plus, it gives me an opportunity to practice what I'll say when the family finds out, lol. I'm not the greatest at expressing what I believe in, no matter how firmly I believe it. I tend to not to want to rock the boat, I suppose. My PT actually replied by curiously asking what made us decide to home school. The first thing I said was that since we are military, it would provide at least ONE thing that was constant and stable. She thought that was a great reason, and went on and on about how kids learn so much that doesn't come from a text book. Makes me want to hurt my foot again, so I can go back, lol. I'll be taking notes on this thread. I've come thisclose to telling my mother a couple of times, but still haven't. It's going to come up soon, b/c we are moving in two weeks (local move) and they know we'll be leaving the school district we are currently attending - which I really like. They'll want to know about the 'new school' any day now, I'm sure.:D

Care to share your frap recipe?:D I love my magic bullet, but it's not the name brand one. We got a name brand one, but it broke the first time we used it. So, when I returned it, we decided on the (cheaper) Sunbeam version, and I love it.

doh! found it! thank you! lol

I just wish I could figure out how to read my rep, lol.

We make one VERY similar to this one... Makes: 9x13 pan Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 45 mins Ready In: 55 mins Servings: 10 Ingredients 20 OUNCE CAN CRUSHED PINEAPPLE - DO NOT DRAIN 3 CUPS BLUEBERRIES 3/4 CUP SUGAR 1 YELLOW CAKE MIX 1 STICK BUTTER 1/4 CUP SUGAR 1 CUP PECANS, CHOPPED Directions PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 BUTTER A 9X13 BAKING DISH COAT BLUEBERRIES WITH 3/4 SUGAR, SET ASIDE POUR PINEAPPLE INTO DISH, THEN BLUEBERRIES SPRINKLE DRY CAKE MIX OVER FRUIT MELT BUTTER AND DRIZZLE OVER MIX SPRINKLE 1/4 CUP SUGAR AND CHOPPED PECANS ON TOP DO NOT STIR BAKE 45 MINUTES