Sonlight sells a few beginning readers called I Can Read It by John Holzmann. i just bought the first one and my son loves it! It starts out with all short vowel, mostly three letter words, then gradually adds a few sight words and blends. They are 9.99 on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Can-Read-It-Book/dp/1887840494/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341709353&sr=8-1&keywords=i+can+read+it+book+1 hth!

OP, I know where you are so I'll chime in with what I would do... I've also nursed my babies through toddlerhood. They weren't ready to stay overnight til 2 or even 3. DH and I are celebrating 15 yrs this year too, and I knew that we wanted to do something special, and I knew that my littlest would be 2 and old enough to be away for a day or two! So exciting! For me, it's not just about being away, or alone, that makes it refreshing, but knowing my kids are OK. I'm very fortunate that my kids stay at Grandma and Grandpa's, so if we leave them there, it's awesome to be able to sleep in a house of peace and quiet!! However, what makes my time peaceful is knowing they're in good hands- my kids LOVE their time with their grandparents- and I know they're enjoying themselves. So for me, I'd have to know that my baby would be safe and happy. Also, I wouldn't take a cruise or go somewhere that I couldn't get home quickly if there were an emergency. I'm not sure I'll ever be ready to be that far from my kids even if they weren't nursing! My 2yo is still nursing but only nurses twice a day, and we've only left him for 24 hrs. at a time. Again, I know he'd be fine if we had to leave him for 2, 3, maybe 4 days. but i'm not sure if I'm ready for anything beyond that. So only you know how he'd do. Like others said, you do risk him not wanting to nurse when you return, if that's okay with you. And yes, if you're nursing full-time, you will have to plan to make time to pump. Esp. if you want to resume nursing full-time, you'll need to pump as often as he would nurse. At the very least, enough to feel comfortable and not get a bout of mastitis. But I also understand the need to have time- not just a dinner- but uninterrupted time where you can really feel you're off the clock. But maybe it's just a matter of time. Maybe do a shorter one day trip and plan the big trip for later in the year. Like someone else said, you can make the first trip a shorter practice trip, and then when you go away longer you can be confident that it will go smoothly. HTH- and enjoy your anniversary however you celebrate it!!

My son is totally into tornadoes. I found a pretty nice lapbook online at homeschoolshare.com http://www.homeschoolshare.com/resourcesthreenames.php Rainbow Resource sells the little plastic ring to attach two soda bottles together for a tornado demo. They're only a couple dollars. HTH!

I agree that the SOTW activities are much better for the younger ages. The maps are also nicer in SOTW, I wish Vol. 1 had non-labeled maps! I usually used the tests orally as well. Seems like a waste of paper just to make a few circles. Or I'd do it more quiz-show style between the two kids. Overall, MOH 1 was a great way to supplement with more Biblical history, but it was hard to schedule because MOH flip flops all over the place. If I were to use MOH again I'd rearrange their lesson order to better match the flow of SOTW, then take a week here to there and just focus on the Biblical history. hth!

I agree that you really only need the student pages. I bought the TM and looked it over in the beginning, but have rarely looked at it since then. For lesson planning I just note what page we're on and what the story/scripture reference is. (I often read from the Children's Story Bible as a supplement.) I love the built in review work. I didn't buy the timeline- we're doing Ancient History this year and timelining that, so it seemed too redundant. But I do like that they review timeline on the worksheets. And I love the mapping exercises. I wish they had maps on the Beginner level. I know my younger guy would like to color them. My kids have enjoyed doing the pages and I love being able to all study the same topic. Although I have to share that the legal size sheets drive me insane. And with 3 kids times 3 sheets a week that's way too many loose papers around that won't fit in folders. I think next batch I buy I will bind them into workbooks ahead of time.

My favorite is Thermos Hydration Bottle, comes in pretty designs. http://www.thermos.com/products/vacuum-insulated-purple-flower-hydration-bottle.aspx You can find them at Target and on Amazon too. It fits in cup holder, wide mouth for ice, and keeps water amazingly, chillingly cold. The straw pops up and down but is kept clean under the snap-lid. Never leaks- I carry it in my purse, never sweats. It only holds 18 oz, though, so if I'm going out for a while I'll pack it full of ice, and when the water's out I'll pour more in from a standard water bottle or whatever, and it'll chill up right away. Also, the top can get damaged if thrown on the floor- but you can order new tops and straws right from Thermos for only a few bucks. I do that every few months for hygienic reasons. Yeah, I'm a big fan. They're especially nice to have on your nightstand- in the middle of the night I can just lean over, pop the lid and take a sip. And it's easy for little ones to help themselves to a drink without any mess.

... you consider "window shopping" to be opening up sample pdf's of curriculum online .... you have more than 100 books checked out from the library at any one time ...after the kids play a game of chess you check off "Logic" in your planbook

Wow! Thank you! That guest hollow thread will give me a lot to chew on... And since science is the subject I feel weakest teaching-wise, the more that's done for me the better! (which is why Rs4K was appealing) I'm not starting Chem til September, so I have some time to figure this all out decide. Thank you for all the ideas and links, just what I was looking for.

:grouphug: I think we've all been there in one form or another. I've struggled with this the past few weeks... but I knew throwing in the towel was not the solution. It was more household management that was the issue, like the PP referred to. And I'm talking to myself here, but make a list of the bare minimum that you want you and your kids to accomplish each day. I've never officially done Managers of Their Homes, but like she suggests, I found it helpful to look at all I need to do in a day, look at my commitments, and see if I what I was trying to do was even realistic with 24 hours. Hang in there!!!

Thanks HeidiKC- that link is incredible, what a great free resource! That's my concern with RS4K- not as much there, esp. for the $$$. Although the early level may work for my 1st grader....hmmmm. Thanks for your input, I appreciate it!

I'm planning for next year and thinking of going with Real Science 4 Kids for my then 6th (12yo) daughter. I looked through their Chem book and think it would be a good match for her. It also looks like it could be compatible with my ds 4th grader to use as well. However, the 10 week/one semester study is throwing me off a bit. We haven't officially done a chem program yet, so I feel like there's a lot she has to learn, so it's hard to believe we can study it all in a semester. What have others of you done with RS4K? Option 1 is to try to stretch the program to a year by supplementing with other resources. But not even sure how to start that. Option 2 is to do Physics the second half, because we also haven't studied that either. Option 3 is to start my Chem curriculum search again :( Anyone have ideas for me? I also liked the format of Real Science Odyssey Chemistry, but that's up to 4th grade, so it would be perfect for my son but probably not enough for my daughter. Thanks!

I'm with the PPs about not requiring schoolwork of a four year old, however that doesn't mean you can't encourage it. Usually at this age they need an incentive to exit their playworld. So if you really want him to be working on something, try rewarding him with something special for spending a few minutes with you. Or maybe make a chart where he checks the box every time he says his memory work, or writes his name, sits for a story, does a page of opgtr. As the years go by, you'll know when it's time to be more of a stickler about things. Also "school" doesn't need to be in the morning. It might be easier to do stories, reading, and memorywork in the evening, when they'll take any excuse to stay up later :) Sometimes it's about picking the right time.

Big Downhere fan too! Love all their old stuff, and all their new stuff. The Afters, Remedy Drive. Building 429's newest Cd is good too. The new band that I love is called For King and Country. Love their sound & lyrics.

Josh Wilson. I love his new album, See You

I learned diagramming in 5th/6th grade in the 80's, but it was in the gifted class and we had an incredibly talented and gifted teacher. Just today as we were doing our diagrams my dd said that her ps girlfriend next door "doesn't know what diagrams are". So I guess our public schools aren't doing them... and it's funny that I guess that came up in conversation somehow. :)