I am using Super Charged Science and it links to an open source physics text called Light and Matter. The creators of Super Charged Science are able to plan out labs for any physics text I choose though. I had just planned to use the free linked text, but I thought I ought to check in here and get some input on physics options. Any thoughts on this text? Any other brilliant physics texts I should consider?

I haven't posted in ages but I wanted to share a giveaway that I am hosting on my blog for 2 schoolhouse planners (1 teacher planner and 1 student planner of your choice.) There is one day left to enter: http://www.simblissitycottage.com/2013/07/giveaway-for-schoolhouse-planner.html I apologize if I'm doing this in the wrong place; It's been a while since I've visited here and things look a bit different now. :)

And honestly, you don't have to show those logged hours until you're in court, so they don't have to be ready to grab and show proof at a moment's notice. I kept track for yeeeears and finally realized I have tons of finished work to prove the amount of time we've spent working. I can create an hour log if i need to, from my lesson plans and finished work. But if you are logging hours, there is a lot that you can do that counts as school. Lots of learning goes on outside of the school room. Also, a completed lesson can count as an "hour". So, if a full lesson has been taught and learned and completed in half an hour of math, this still counts.

I just found this and thought some more Missouri families might be interested. It is a bill introduced to allow public school participation in extra-curricular activities and more for non-public school students. My family makes use of our local school's excellent band program, but my sons aren't allowed to participate in any contests. This bill could change all that! http://www.house.mo.gov/billsummary.aspx?bill=HB1834&year=2012&code=R

Thanks, guys! It's been a lot of fun to create, but more fun to do!

I hope it's okay to share this here: My family stops regular schoolwork and does "Christmas School" throughout Advent and I've organized our lesson plans to share online here, in case anyone else was looking for activities.

Youch, that's a tough one. It really can bring in some good money. The average is $20 per day, per child in my small town, so I imagine it's better elsewhere. If you could truly organize it so that your homeschool day wasn't interrupted and continued to run smoothly, it could work. Sadly, my homeschool day doesn't run smoothly without added distractions. I would feel like a chicken with it's head cut off and by dinner time, I would NOT feel like cooking a from-scratch meal. My babysitting money would probably go to convenience foods in the end and not really gain me anything. Of course, if you told me you were considering having more beautiful babies, I'd encourage you 100%, so I know it doesn't have to be an interruption or a distraction; it can just be part of your new routine. It just couldn't be part of mine. lol.

Thanks, Kate! I'd never even heard of Lobelia before, but I will definitely look into it. Both of the girls have asthma.

Thanks, all! Kate, I'm mostly interested in basic immune support, but two of mine are very prone to croup/breathing issues in the winter. Last winter was great though and I'm hoping it was the extra care we took in supplements and diet. The only thing that got us down last winter was the sinus junk. I've added a couple things to the cart this year for sinuses and I'm hoping we'll avoid the nasties. It never occurred to me to make my own elderberry syrup! One poster asked for a source of elderberries and the two places I would look would be http://www.frontiercoop.com/ or http://www.bulkherbstore.com

Bumping for more ideas before I place my Vitacost order tomorrow.

Kathy Jo has a program that looks wonderful and I'm trying to decide between it and WWE. Anyone have experience with it?

Is this a regional thing? I would be interested in seeing stats for this. It is not the case for my area at all. Trade experience gets the job in my neck of the woods.

I haven't heard anything resembling anti-intellectualism, but I have heard discussions and read several articles that questioned the current value of college. It became increasingly common and the graduate to job-opening ratio has inverted. This: And since it is no longer a sure thing (in fact, quite the opposite,) it is only natural that people start questioning whether the cost is a risk worth taking. This is especially true because the quality of the college experience is also decreasing.

Thanks for these! Bumping for more ideas.

We've used Canon Powershots for ages, but have to replace them about every two or three years. I'm in the market (again) and thought I'd ask here to see if anyone has better luck getting good-quality pictures out of an inexpensive camera that lasts longer than 2 years. I'd like to stay under $200. Is it possible?