We just started our new school year two weeks ago so take this for what it's worth, but I really like SpellWell. We are also using Trail Guide to Learning, Paths of Exploration this year which is a full curriculum except for math.

Our routine seems to change each year. We started our year the first week of June. We normally wait til the end of July/early August but It gets too hot in the summer to be outdoors in the middle of the day, so we do a lot of school work during the afternoons. We use the AM to do our errands outside of the house. We slow it down between Thanksgiving and Christmas and take most of Feb and March off. The winters are mild here and this is when we take our vacation time. We also play hookie as needed. Our state requires 180 days and we have yet to have a problem trying to get them all in.

I got an email saying my bands shipped today. I can't wait to get them.

I rely on frozen veggies when we go camping. They thaw out slowly in the cooler by the time I'm ready to use them. I also make foil dinner packs and throw them on top of the fire. Put some pre-seasoned cubed meat or chicken and veggies in a foil pouch with a bit of EVOO and it all cooks together. You can make them up at home and freeze them. I don't normally do salads because no one would eat them, at least not ones similar to what have been mentioned here. My family will eat a garden salad, but that is it.

dupe

We did too. We have issues with a stalker and my daughter. Police were no help and I was not going to chance something happening to my kid. So, when we drove 600 miles for a homeschool trip to visit battlefields I happened to look on Craigslist and found a home for sale. I went to look at it, made and offer and then called my DH to let him know lol.. My kids and I moved within a few months after doing a little touch-up work on the house, then my DH followed a year later, with no job, just a leap of faith. He was able to find a job in less than a month. Our cost of living is SO much cheaper, we wish we had done this years earlier. No regrets and I would never move back. We also escaped suburbia for the country and it was the best move we have ever made. The laws here are much better all around, and fit our lifestyle. And did I mention the cost of living is MUCH less???

Just because you choose not to answer the questions doesn't mean that you don't make your kid wear a seat belt or a helmet. If the doctor feels that XX needs to be brought up at a certain age, then do so to ALL parents that come into the office. But don't assume that because a parent values their privacy that it means they are guilty of exposing their child to risks. This harkens back to the "if you have nothing to hide" argument. Sorry, it's my right to NOT answer questions I feel are an invasion of my privacy and it most certainly does not mean I am "guilty" of anything. I absolutely will not answer any of those types of questions, written or verbal.

I didn't see anyone tell the OP to refuse help, just to have the assessment done somewhere other than in the home. There is a difference.

If you're tossing food and have things (that aren't long term storage) sitting on your shelves for 3 yrs then you are doing it wrong :) There is a big difference between hoarding and stocking up. Things sitting for years that should have been used and is wasted is hoarding. Rotating and eating what you store without waste is stocking up.

Very sad news. I just purchased her Paths of Exploration set to use with my daughter this year.

I taught my daughter cursive when she was 5. She wanted to learn, so I bought A Reason For Handwriting. She is 8 and has beautiful cursive. She prefers it to printing.

I keep bare essentials in the kitchen cabinets. What no one sees is my "pantry", an 8x10 bedroom that is wall to wall shelves and more than 1 yr of food and staples. I also have two freezers in a shed outside. So while my kitchen looks bare, we could last for quite a while without ever going to the store.

My older daughter developed very large b00ks at a young age and has always dressed modestly. She cannot buy a bathing suit off the rack (to fit her rack) and a two piece never worked because she will not show her midrif. While looking for a bathing suit online that fits a DD I came across http://www.modestlyyoursswimwear.com/swimwearstyles.html . The lady custom makes swimsuits according your measurements. I bought my daughter the Hawiian Paradise and she loves it. We modified it a bit so the neck is slightly lower, but not low enough for cleavage to show. Just low enough so as not to feel choked. We also shortened the leggings, so that they came mid cald. I saw a really cute one in the "ready made" suits for my younger daughter and bought it for her. Then I had the Tropical Paradise suit made for myself. We wore our suits on vacation and I will never go back to wearing a regular bathing suit again. There was no need for a cover up and no one batted an eyelash at our suits as being "Duggar" or old fashioned. (I have no stake in the company and don't know the person that makes the suits. I'm just a happy customer.)

Have you looked at Prepare and Pray? It's based on the Swiss Family Robinson. I have a copy of it for sale.

I sit out in my chicken coop and watch my chickens. lol.. it's very therapeutic.

I literally cried when my crib went out the door. I just can't convince DH that five really isn't too many kids.

I agree. She should get rid of the "Applying the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (3.0A, #4-7)" statement, that almost made me not want to buy them :) Anything with the words "Common Core" make me twitch.

I have been trying to find a way to get my 8 yr old daughter to memorize her times tables and these look like something she would love.

You are not marrying just your husband, but his family as well. Don't let anyone tell you any different. Inlaws are a package deal and they can have a BIG influence on your marriage. I was married for 16 yrs my first marriage, and nine years next month to my 2nd and final husband. I am 2-0 when it comes to good inlaws. My husband however, has struck gold with his inlaws :)

The OP doesn't have a medical emergency, a matter of life and death is a bit different.

Take HSLDA and anything homeschooling out of the equation and I still do not allow anyone that could cause problems to come into my house. This includes the police and officials of any kind. It's not paranoia, I've seen first hand how something innocent turned into a HUGE deal that all could have been avoided if the person was not invited into the house. It's one of those things where until it happens to you, or someone you know, you just can't comprehend it.

My older daughter played field hockey and my younger daughter takes karate 2x a week.

Exactly! I could not say it any better. No way is any official from a public school stepping foot in my house. Once they are invited into your home they can turn something innocent into a big legal problem. I'd rather be considered paranoid then foolish any day.

We are starting our 5th year, it doesn't get any easier!