Thanks for the other ideas/books and the encouragement. Cat your sunflowers are beautiful. I'm seeing lots of leaves and branches around the yard and fence line, so maybe that would be a good start for a compost pile. I really do hope this works, I'm looking forward to trying. Angel

We are going with Video Text next year for my dd. I was able to get a sample of their program on dvd and had dd watch it. I also like that it is a shorter video lesson, they don't have to take notes while trying to watch the video (there's a Note's book included), and the solutions manual has the problems worked out step by step (not just the answer). After talking with a gentleman that works with Video Text, I also like how they encourage you to use only even's or odd's (we do this in Rod and Staff) and then go on if they have grasped the concept, if not, there are still more problems that can be gone over. This is all from the perspective of someone who hasn't used it yet, but we really like the looks here. I am at my limit teaching Rod and Staff 8th, so I understand how you feel about helping out. Ugh. I think you can see their sample dvd online at Video Text's site, if you haven't already. Angel

We are looking at the sunflower garden, too. I am thinking that I can't kill a sunflower, right? :001_smile: Will you be composting? There really is a lot in the book. I guess there is a whole lot more to gardening than "dig a hole and throw in a few seeds." :D Thanks for your input, good luck with your sunflowers! Angel

Have any of you used this with success? I have NOT the green thumb but my dd's are interested in beginning some gardening. I have the book from the library and it LOOKS so cool. Have any of you actually used any of these ideas? Did they work? Were you already a green thumb? We live in suburbia but have quite a few places around the house where we can plant. I guess I'm just wondering if a non-gardener can learn how to get a green thumb?:D I ordered some seed catalogs to look at, any other things I might need to do. Thanks a bunch! Angel

Do you have a library available to you with inter-library loan? I am using MFW Rome to Reformation this year and I could not afford the buy the whole package. I bought the TM then sat down and looked at how long each book would be used. Any book used over 12/13 weeks I bought. All the rest I found at the library (except Trial and Triumph, it must not be in any library in Ohio and we just didn't use it). My teacher's card allows me to check out books for 6 weeks and renew once for 6 more. I also agree with checking out Rainbow Resource and want to add Overstock to the list to check out. Both of these places had the books cheaper than MFW. Also, I agree with not buying the K curriculum. My younger dd, 1st, just came along for the ride. She has her own math and ETC books (she was already reading) but she joins right in for MFW and has really enjoyed it. We didn't need a separate curriculum for her at this age. Hope this helps a bit, I'm in kind of the same boat as next year my older dd moves on to high school but we haven't reached American History in the history cycle yet and we are just one year out from Ancients. We will have to move on to another program for her :( I am looking forward to doing MFW with my younger dd starting with Adventures in 3rd and going thru till 8th. Angel

We didn't begin homeschooling till my oldest dd was in 5th grade. I found CM at the end of 6th. Dd has AS and I was looking for a way of teaching her that would fit her needs and personality. I do not use CM exclusively, but I am definitely geared more that way. The two big draws for me, and those I incorporate most, were shortened lesson times (great for a girl who gets overwhelmed easily) and free time to pursue handicrafts and encourage "on your own" learning. I also wanted to add Shakespeare, composers and artists so my dd's would be exposed early, but I haven't quite succeeded there. We did do some composers and some Shakespeare last year but haven't added them back in this year. Here's how our day goes in 8th grade: math first and we spend no longer than 40 min (usually), that's about all she can take in, then English which we do orally for about 15-20 min, she then does vocabulary, writing, and Latin on her own (she's working through LfCA) for 10-20 min, history is longer, anywhere from 20-60 min depending on what we are reading aloud and mapping and notebooking, she does Apologia for science and that takes about 30-45 min depending on experiments and lab work, then LL for lit again working only 30 min. We are done around 1:30 usually and then I encourage handicraft work or reading. Dd has taken to beading, weaving, and knitting. She also uses this time to read, play the piano, do devotions and sometimes even clean her room.:glare: I am hoping to get myself motivated to begin more life skills work with her such as cooking, laundry, etc. The short time spans for work allow her to feel good about her schoolwork and allow her time to explore interests that will be useful to her later. Dd has expressed an interest in gardening and so we will use that for our nature study this summer, which I hope will then last through the fall and early winter. I plan on continuing this kind of plan next year in high school. I am not worried about hours, in fact what are lots of hours of cramming in material that is not going to be retained. I am more pleased with a lighter load (time wise) and more retention and a broader base of interest. So I guess I'm not "true" CM, but this is what I've been able to take from it and hope to take even more as I bring up my younger dd7 and expose her to many of these ideas. Angel

I'm using RtoR with my 13dd and my 7dd. I would not call it light. I find it "just right" and am very pleased with the program. One of the books used is "Streams of Civilization Vol. 1" which is a high school book. I found "Augustus Caesar's World" challenging as well, even though I know that they are supposed to be for elementary. We have all enjoyed the read alouds. My 13yo uses Apologia General for science, not the science that was scheduled. We did not choose to use the math or English...we use R&S. Just for a point of reference, I follow a more Charlotte Mason approach then Classical, if that helps from where I'm coming from. If you have any specific questions, let me know. Angel

My dd7 has been watching Return of the Jedi every day after school:lurk5: with hair in braids on her head and my dh's old laser gun and a "hook & line" made with my knitting thread and a paperclip (I still haven't figured out what part of the movie that is supposed to represent). Oh, and did I mention the many "hats" she has come up with to match the helmets that Lea has on...a bucket for one:D In the car we have been listening to the instrumental of the scene in Star Wars I with Darth Mall. Fun! Angel

Dd was a couple months shy of 12 when she started. I was expecting it. All the signs were there. I also was 11. Had she shown physical signs of beginning puberty? My dd had signs the year before, right before turning 11. I guess because I started so early, I always look on the side that those who started later were not the norm :001_smile: Angel

We are using it this year. Dd has enjoyed the books and the poetry. I agree with Dayle in that it has opened my dd's eyes a little. I am very pleased with it. 1)The student book is consumable. 2)I would not consider the program "lite." 3)You can find it on ebay every once in awhile...but not easy. 4)It has been worth the cost. I also purchased directly from Hewitt. I did not purchase the books. A quick look at the library system let me know that all the books were available there. I have a teacher card so I can keep books out 6 weeks and renew for another 6 weeks. That worked fine for me. I think I paid around $60 for the TM and the SM (maybe a little more w/shipping). Angel

First :iagree: with Peela! Second, I have learned to take a more relaxed approach...I didn't always. My dd13 (8th) has AS, it took me awhile to figure out what would work best for her. This past year, and partly the year before, we have taken a more Charlotte Mason approach to our schooling. Shorter lesson times with more varied subjects, more free time to explore her interests. It works really well for her, and my younger dd7, I think, will reap the benefits of beginning this way. We begin sometime between 8:30 and 9:30am. I like to be done by 1-1:30pm. We break about 30-45 min for lunch. Dd does R&S math & English, WW3000, LfC A, Jump In Writing, MFW Rome to Ref. for History & Bible, Apologia General Science and LL7th. Math is no longer than 40 min as is science (though if interested she sometimes runs over). Literature is 30 min, vocab, Latin, and writing usually 15-20, English 20-25. History we usually do until it's done. If she finishes an assignment in 5 min, we move on to the next. She has the option to work ahead, but usually doesn't. We also have co-op 1 day a week, every other week and she has children's choir at church for 1.5 hours every week. I have found that since giving my dd more free time, she has found more interests. Knitting, weaving, beading, playing the piano (formal lessons to start soon...I hope), reading, drawing, and painting are just some of the things she fills her free time with. After 3:30, they are allowed computer time or tv time, but she is usually occupied elsewhere. I'm thrilled that she has had the time for these pursuits. Could she be ahead and doing more in her grade, I guess she could, she's pretty smart, but I don't feel the need to push (even if she didn't have AS). I would rather her enjoy her learning and retain it. But that's just my opinion:tongue_smilie: and I'm not saying that those who do so much more than us are not enjoying it or retaining it...just for the record:) Angel

Just for another perspective, I am currently using MFW Rome to Reformation with my 8th grader (and 1st grader). I find it plenty. There are some lighter days (15-20min history) and then there are heavier days (45-60 min history). My dd is not using the science, though. She is working through Apologia's General Science. It really does depend on what you are looking for. I was looking for something that wouldn't overwhelm my aspie dd, that I could bring together both the younger and older for history and was completely planned out for me. MFW really incorporates a Charlotte Mason style with shorter lessons (I think). That fit in with my own school "philosophy" so it worked out fine. Though Tapestry is planned, I don't feel it's "completely" planned because you, the parent, still has to decide what to pick and choose to do from parts of the curriculum. Plus Tapestry would overwhelm my dd. All of my homeschool friends are currently using it and like it (some love it), but most agree that there is still much to do. MFW is really pick up and go, other than the book basket. We do not use the book basket as it is written. Like someone else mentioned, my kids just can't seem to get the hang of "browsing" through books for 20min or so. I usually have them around, but if there is something that I really think is important (like "Anna of Byzantium") then we use it as a read aloud. Dd will be in 9th next year and as we haven't completed the history cycle (didn't start homeschool till 5th and didn't find the history rotation till 6th and then spent way too much time in ancients:)) I will be going with something else for high school because I don't want to go back to the ancients yet. I am seriously considering putting my younger in Adventures in 3rd (a year from now) and then having her go through the MFW cycle till 8th, because I have enjoyed MFW. Angel

and I haven't used GWG. However, my dd could not go from Bob Jones 5th to Rod and Staff 6th. We made it 13 lessons into the R&S 6th book and had to order the 5th grade book. I'm so glad I did. R&S 5 really sets the stage for 6, imo. My dd is a good grammar student (though she doesn't like it:glare:). Gotta run, but just wanted to throw that in there. Angel

My dd's have been visiting their grandparents for a week. Tomorrow they come home. Back to reality :D Seriously, I have missed them, but they DO have so much fun at Granny & Papa's :) I always plan to get more done than I actually do while they are gone, but did manage to rearrange and declutter our bedroom and hang up curtains and get the laundry caught up. I also read "Pride and Prejudice" and started the A&E version of the movie (which I will finish today before March Madness begins again). I think I can count those equal with rearranging the bedroom in importance :lol: Thanks for letting me share!

And fist off, after a night of rest, I want to apologize if I came across harsh yesterday, it was not my intention. "The two with sensory issues would probably sit down and thank you for the food you served... and simply NOT eat. They're not complainers, just non-eaters." This would be my dd. Even more so now that she is older and feels bad that she CAN'T eat what she feels is "normal." I do appreciate being able to get this out somewhere, which is why I may have overreacted last night. We are surrounded by close friends whose kids eat anything and though it is not spoken that we indulge, sometimes it is perceived (of course that may be MY being sensitive). Angel

Doran, I have no idea how to do the quote thing:tongue_smilie: so I'll just say that I did say in my post that I DO let my dd's friends know that she will eat very little and possibly might not eat at all. I think I also wrote that I tell them not to worry about it. Yes, I know that there ARE kids out there who are bratty and would not eat just to spite someone else or kids who think a veggie is one who is named Larry the cucumber on TV :lol: I just worry about mom's who "think" the child is a brat (boy did I have these feelings with dd before I figured it out...it didn't matter to her in the least, she wasn't going to touch certain food and if forced on something that she didn't like, usually part of it came back up) and may really be dealing with other issues. And since the OP's dd's friends DID have issues, I felt that pickiness was a given. I have seen the kind of diet's for celiac's ... makes me have heart palipitations. I think I over-reacted a bit because, like Whisperlily, I do see people who see no outward signs of a problem and then nod like they understand but still say...well MY child will eat what is put in front of them, it's not an option. Yeah, that kind of pushes my buttons:blush: Thanks for being understanding. Angel

Whisperlily, It's nice not to be alone :001_smile: My dd is now 13, and as we didn't understand fully and completely her sensory issues till she was 9 (almost 10), we did the best we could. She is much better about eating now, and I am much smarter about working around her special needs. I thank you for the offer of help, though. It is nice that you've caught it early in her. My dd will still not touch pasta, except Kraft mac & cheese (and that only rarely and usually the character kind only). I chuckled at the person who mentioned trying to fix homemade mac & cheese and then buying mac & cheese and it not being craft. My dd is not a brat but it is totally about the texture. There are many other things she will not eat and some she still (after working with her) that she can't stand the smell of (eggs and waffles being some). The only known allergy she has is red dye #40 in liquid...she throws up for hours or till it's out of her system. I suspect others but we've done no testing for it. And just so everyone knows. Dd never says "Eeww yuck" or is disrespectful in any way. She never has been that way because we have taught her not to. In fact, now that she is older, she is embarrassed about her food sensitivities because other people notice and make mention of it or about her being a picky eater...even when it is much more than that. And dd would not eventually eat something that makes or gag or almost throw up. She would go hungry if nothing else was available. Gagging on your food really does put a damper on your appetite.:ack2: Good luck with your kids Whisperlily. I certainly can understand the struggles. I remember those days when she was younger and I had no idea what I was dealing with. Angel

Wow! Your responses amaze me. I usually do not reply to the kind of threads that hit a note with me but...well, I guess that I'm making an exception. My dd has sensory issues...real issues that interfere with her eating habits. When she was much younger (she's now 13) it was much worse. She is not being whiny, picky, ungrateful, etc. She simply can not tolerate certain kinds of foods. Mix that with certain kinds of smells that sometimes arise while cooking, and sometimes she can not even finish what she started. I think it was great of you to prepare something special for your kid's friends. I bet that was very much appreciated by the little one's mom. I know that I let my friends know ahead of time that my dd doesn't eat very much, and not to be alarmed if she doesn't eat at all. I don't expect them to make a special meal for her, and she doesn't either, she just won't eat till she gets home. If they ask me, I'll tell them what she does like. Many of my friends certainly don't understand why I cater to my dd's sensitivities. They are much like you in that "kids should eat what is put on their plate." Well, hurray for those kiddos who can do so. Not all are blessed with this. Sometimes God has different paths for others of us to take and we are not less of a parent because we cater to a child who is in need of a different food plan. If you would rather not "waste" your food, then by all means ask the other mom to pack something for them and then please say a prayer of thanks that your darling kiddos don't have to worry about this. I really don't want to come across as rude. I usually skip posts about "little Johnny won't eat, what should I do" because I get upset at all the mom's going on about kids cleaning their plate and how they won't be short order cooks for no one and all I can think about is what if little Johnny is like my dd, what torture that would be for him. I'm now climbing off my soapbox and I'm going to go :chillpill: Angel

Dd attended horse camp last year and will attend again this year. I didn't count the whole day, but I did count the intensive 3/4 hours in the morning as P.E. If she took riding lessons, I would count that as P.E., so I see no difference in counting the camp hours. Angel

I know that you are genuine in your question, but may I gently point out that she is your first born and she IS 5. I say this as a mom who had a first born (giggle...if we have more than one we all do) and know how we can stress them out over the littlest things that we wouldn't dream of bringing up with the next child in line. I'm glad you can have a little laugh over it. My kids are very creative, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they are artistically inclined. My oldest, now 13, is showing an interest in learning more in this area and we will pursue that next year. My 7yo creates ALL day. I'm not joking. I encourage and watch and "ooh & aah" but let her enjoy creating. At her age it is not about "are they doing it right" but about encouraging the process. Don't squelch the fun out of the creative process. If your dd is interested, I would get some age appropriate drawing books from the library and leave them lying about. If she thinks they are cool...great. If not, then you really know to back off a little. My oldest loved to draw but has fine motor skill problems and so is easily put off by the smallest error or mistake. She was more frustrated by the "how to" books than helped. Dd7 could care less and takes what she needs and leaves what she doesn't. Ah, the differences in our kids are really amazing! Let her enjoy creating and enjoy being 5!:001_smile: Don't worry about the rest. Angel

Our credit was less than stellar. Did I say LESS than stellar? We were/are currently working on rebuilding it. A year ago we were able to purchase a home. We have a high interest mortgage that we can't refinance for 3 years (1 down now) but it was so worth it to own our own home and begin that credit rebuilding phase. I would definitely check it out if the home you're living in is the right one for you. Angel

Oh my! I was laughing out loud! Actually, I was laughing so hard my dh wandered in and read it, too. Then laughed out loud. I can see him doing this kind of stuff :D Thanks, I needed that today! Angel

Dd13 is making her way through it slowly. We are also doing Hewitt's LL7th so we work out of Jump In about 2/3x a week. What I like: Dd rarely needs my help in doing the work, the book explains everything they are teaching VERY clearly. The lessons are short "chunks" working up to the whole...this means dd does not get frustrated by working on a whole paper at once. The step by step process really guides dd into building the paper and getting her ready to write it. What dd likes: It's short. :001_smile: I have seen an improvement in her other writing assignments, so I am pleased. Yes, I will use this again with younger dd. I am just thrilled to have found something that doesn't make dd burst into tears or groan when it's time for writing. Angel

Sue, I just wanted to share that though school is an option, it may not be any easier. My dd was in a Christian school from K-4th. She was a great student, never a problem, etc. We didn't find out about dd's AS until right before 5th. We were sure there was somthing, but we didn't know what. Anyway, dd has mild anxiety and Sensory Integration with her AS and school was hours of "keeping it together." When she got home to her "safe" place, it would all come out. Usually the meltdowns (crying) would start as soon as she got in the car. I share this because of what you said about wanting to cultivate a positive relationship with him. I felt this way almost daily with dd when she was in school (Ok, I still sometimes feel this way). The evenings were filled with meltdowns (on her part) and frustration and anger (on mine). Though we still have issues during our homeschooling days, we have longer times where there are none because I can "control" her environment to some degree and help her when I see the overload coming. I also tailor her school (short lesson times, shorter days) so that she doesn't get overloaded. It is still a struggle some days, but it's not daily like when she had to decompress from school. I'm sharing this to be negative, but I did want you to have another perspective about sending him off to school and what you may encounter there. Making these decisions are so difficult. Dh and I often are trying to figure out what's best or not. Good luck in figuring out you little ds. Angel

My aspie is my oldest dd (now 13). Though she has always held it together in public, at home the meltdowns can be rough...however, she doesn't get the angry, physical side. When I considered medication for dd, it would have been for her anxiety. She came out of that "phase" and I didn't go through with it, but one more month and I would have sought the doc. It was agonizing for me and her. I agree with Janet that I don't think there are meds for AS, but if he has other issues going on then I would certainly look into it if it was a continual disruption. I know the emotional exhaustion it takes to deal some days. Have you looked into no dyes/preservatives or gluten/cassein free diets (I'll admit looking at this diet made me hyperventilate :eek:). We do no dyes/preservatives as often as possible (our busy schedule doesn't permit this as much as I would like). What we have found that helps is vitamins. A good B-complex has really helped my dd, as well as probiotics. I have been wanting to try omega 3's but haven't got around to getting any yet. Depending on what he might be dealing with along with AS, vitamins/diet may help as much or more than meds. One other thing, I just thought of, is sensory issues. Do those push him over the edge? Maybe a sensory "diet" type thing at home might help. I don't know if this helps much. It's so hard when they are going through difficult times. I sure do understand your frustration. Take care. Angel