Apparently my ds thought okra was fish. :confused: I can't stand okra, but dh likes it so I buy the frozen breaded kind once or twice a year and fry it for him. The last time we had it, I had written "Breaded okra" (among other things, of course) on the menu board for the day. At dinner time, ds says: "Mom, I just really don't like this fish. I only like tilapia." I looked at him, dumbfounded, and replied, "What fish? That's grilled chicken breast!" He said, "No, THIS. The Breaded Kora fish. I don't like it." I think I will forever think of okra as "Breaded Kora Fish." :lol:

Go for the Kindle! My Ds is younger than yours and loves to borrow mine. They are surprisingly durable (regarding drops on carpeting. I doubt it would survive a flat-out stepping-on.) I haven't purchased anything yet, but I'm making a list and will probably start this week. I learned my lesson last year that any Lego minifigure purchases I want to make HAVE TO be made in October, since everywhere will be sold out by November!

I wish I would have gone with the WWE workbook instead of the Complete Writer. I was hoping to move through Lv. 2 quickly and onto Lv. 3 but it looks like we will be on Lv. 2 all year. Also, I wish I would have gone with a different math program. I am actually starting to like MiF, it's just too expensive to keep up with. I should have just started with SM or Horizons. Really, anything would have been more affordable than MiF. I also finally ordered the HIG for SM 1A to use w/my afterschooler. I should NOT have attempted to teach math without a guide, even if it is "just first grade math!"

Well, I know a teacher's perspective. I have a good friend who is a public school teacher. Her district started using enVision at every grade level this year, and the district is now full of failing kids and very confused teachers. Her training consisted of being handed a TM and being told to "go online" in her free time to find out more about enVision. She is a very smart person but this program has her at her wits' end. She says she can tell enVision has potential, she just has no idea how to teach it. :confused:

Hello! We are also "ramping up" a first grader (dd6) in preparation for hs (in another year or two.) Math afterschooling is essential. Our district doesn't have a math "program" until 3rd grade; they just do worksheets printed out from wherever online. It's ridiculous. We also afterschool science because she loves science and they seem to only do it a few times a year in first grade. Other than that, I'm not too worried about her. I can definitely see the benefit of afterschooling WWE. My ds (8, in his first year of hs-ing) had to start WWE a year behind and even working through Level 2 at grade 3 is challenging for him. I'm not familiar w/the first 2 levels of FLL, but I would think you could drop that if you felt that one or both of you were heading toward a burnout. FLL 3 seems to go over everything, and my ds was able to go right into it (and has not struggled at all.) I've also never used OPGTR so I can't comment on that. Are you planning on continuing on with ZB when you begin hs-ing? Many homeschoolers use GDI (Italic) or HWOT so you could drop ZB and begin a primer in one of those other handwriting programs if you wanted to. Other than that, it seems like you are doing more than enough to prepare your ds for hs. I definitely wouldn't add anything else, but that's just my own opinion. I'm also very new at this (hs-ing and afterschooling) so I'm :bigear:!!

No, but my grade school had a smoking lounge for the teachers, even though we didn't have "real" walls (it was a bizarre 1970's "open classroom" school.) By the time I got to high school, the teachers couldn't smoke on school property anymore. (We also had walls in high school, so that was another huge improvement:001_smile:)

I'm an ENTJ. Everything annoys me. ;)

:iagree: Exactly this.

If you are looking for an exact assessment of IQ, you will probably have to spend about that much and go to a private testing center. However, I suggested a university because a few offer the basic WISC IV for under $200 (we used Bradley University in Peoria, IL.) This basic test will probably not provide the additional subtests if your dc decide to hit the ceiling on a couple of sections :). Additionally, without the subtests, the WISC IV maxes out at 160. However, if you're just looking for a basic 120/130/140+ score to get you in the door of many programs, the WISC IV without subtests is sufficient (in our experience, anyway!) Best wishes to you & your family! It sounds like things are kind of uncertain for you right now. :grouphug: Hang in there!

Have you tried xtramath.org?

I would highly recommend the WISC. It may not let you into every door, but at least the door will open wide enough for you to stick in your foot. Many places won't consider a WISC GAI, so make sure the testing center will provide you with a FSIQ. Check local universities to see if they provide private testing.

Ugh... Kidz Bop. Not my finest moment as a (former indie-music-snob) parent. I also said I would never answer one of my children with: "Because I said so." Well, it took 5 or 6 years, but eventually "because I said so" became a fairly standard answer around here.

I was on Sulfatrim for years when I was a teenager. Nothing topical or natural worked. I do remember having to have my blood tested often, though, so I assume the Sulfa wasn't very good for me.

My dh and I have always been DIY'ers due to our love of ooak and customized items. (He was born w/out radii and w/ malformed ulnae, so customization has been a necessary part of his life since day one!) I think the desire to custom tailor our kids' education grew out of that "hey, we can make this item better for our personal use if we just tweak it a little" mindset. There were obviously other factors involved, but I don't think we could have made the decision to hs if we weren't DIY'ers at heart.

Okay, you have inspired me to do my first ever weekly wrap-up! Mine is kind of boring, though, since it isn't a narrative like most I've seen. Oh, well. Next week I'll try to make a fancier one! http://riversidehomeschool.blogspot.com/2011/09/weekly-wrap-up-wk-5.html

:iagree: I live in Peoria ("Caterpillar Central") and thousands of people in our area work in these conditions for years. I've heard countless stories that end in, "Yeah, ____ was in bad shape when they took him out. Luckily I'm used to it (the heat) so I just threw up and went back to work." Everyone knows the working conditions are far less than desirable but, year after year, Cat is the place where everyone wants to work.

I have always spent (um, charged) about $400-500 on Christmas (w/about $125 being spent on each kid.) My dh spends another $100 on me. However, this will be my first ever "cash only" Christmas, so I will have to cut those amounts in half (at least.) Hey, at least I don't have to buy my son's teacher a gift this year! :tongue_smilie:

Arithmetic History Latin (Almost) Everything Else aaaand... Handwriting

:iagree:

Thank you for this thread! I am a serious newbie, just 4 weeks into our homeschooling adventure. I started lurking here in April when we made the decision to not send ds back to ps this fall. At some point, I got an account but I still rarely post since I don't really feel I have anything to offer anyone yet (although I think my lurking is up to an hour or so a day-- there's just so much to learn!) I can't imagine trying to do this without the support network the WTM forums have provided. Thank you for this thread and thank you for everyone who posts here.

No one in my immediate family has ever had a flu shot. Until last year, none of us had ever had the flu (that we knew of.) However, last year my ds had a confirmed case of Type A flu. The doctor prescribed Tamiflu for both of my dc, which was very expensive. Based on last year's unexpected expense, this year I'm definitely considering the flu shot for both of my kids. I'm :bigear: on this thread right now!

I used to use the pHisoderm bar soap, but I can't find it anywhere anymore so I've switched to Basis (bar soap.) Recently, I tried a more expensive foaming cleanser and I had to give it away because it didn't do as good of a job as my cheap bar soap does. When I wear waterproof eye makeup, I use the Lancome eye makeup remover that comes in the "free with purchase" bag every season.

Yikes! I did not know this! My son says "What the..." all the time. I will definitely have a talk with him tomorrow and request that he stop saying that phrase. I always say, "What the heck?" so I assume he just got it from me. I had no idea that everyone thought the F word was implied. I would still be bothered if someone said that word to one of my kids though. Luckily, your daughter talked to you about it. That's the most important thing.

:iagree:

Khan Academy videos, maybe? That website is the only recommendation I have for you, but I am definitely :bigear: on this post since I am in a similar boat with my daughter right now.