I second Psalm1139 mama - Belinda is one of my best friends here in Raleigh. Mine is here: The Oasis. We have 2 bio, 2 adopted from Ethiopia, and are currently in process for 2 children with dwarfism from China! I try to update frequently. http://roepnack.blogspot.com/2013/09/adopting-two-our-son-with-dwarfism.html

I will look into Weaver! TIBBY! I copied and pasted this to a file for me to remember. SUCH good advice and ideas here. I kind of had what you said floating around in my head but could never have put it all together into a "plan". Question about all these cycled programs like HOD, MFW, and Tapestry - I have trouble seeing the "success stories" on them. Sonlight gives these long testimonials about how educated the actual kids turn out who do the program - winning scholarships etc. I have trouble feeling confident that the cycled programs "work" - I need to hear from some families who have used it and had kids go through this cycle and learn WELL. I don't need scholarships or geniuses around here - we are missions minded and much of the kids education will come from travels and real life missions experience - but what I do need is confidence in the programs. Anyone push kids through these programs with good results? THANK YOU!!!!

Thanks - also anyone have thoughts on Tapestry for these ages? I keep hearing it is so dry.

Many of you have been kind enough to offer up suggestions as we added 2 children to our family by adoption from Ethiopia a few years ago, and then another we are currently in process for this Spring. We have added another child to bring home with that one - both with dwarfism - so 2 more from China for a total of 6 under 7 years old. That story is here: http://roepnack.blogspot.com/2013/09/adopting-two-our-son-with-dwarfism.html The ages of our children will be 6, 5, 4, 3, 3, and 2. I am going to need open and go with the ages and medical needs, and I am now officially tossing all "preferences" I had about currics out the window and am open to ANY Christian core that is good for combining. I hate switching around (don't we all!) but I cannot use the system we are using now (Sonlight, Abeka, & BJU combo) and would like to hear feedback on streamlined cycled combo cores like MFW or HOD or WHATEVER! I used to be a special needs and public/private school teacher, so I tend to overkill and recreate the wheel. I have to let that go now and take a boxed or ready-made set - and SONLIGHT is NOT it! I just do not like it - it's great but it is not for us. :) Large families with close age kids - tell me your favorites!!! THANK YOU!!!! Missy www.roepnack.blogspot.com

Thank you! We are working closely with LPA on a regional and national level, and will be attending the LPA conference next year if she is home and adjusted in time.

THank you to everyone. I am honestly a little overwhelmed in a good way over all this advice and am prayerfully considering all of it. I have decided to go with BetterChinese curriculum for preschool and use it in advance of her homecoming with my 5 year old with a wonderful woman from church who is a retired Mandarin professor from Beijing who taught in the US state college system who has agreed to tutor us once a week. We do have videos of Haven, and she does speak Mandarin, but with a thick providencial accent and not too many words. We will take it slow and see how she does. All I know is that the Lord has laid it on my heart that this child needs to maintain her mandarin if she is willing when she gets here. Her dwarfism leads me to believe there is a bigger picture to this leading from God. He is faithful to confirm or close doors, so I will just keep walking in faith that we are to learn this language. I will update you guys soon! http://roepnack.blogspot.com/2013/08/adopting-again-our-daughter-with.html

I had no plans to keep her fluent (hadn't thought about it) and reading these replies, I have never been more sure of a decision so quickly as I am that I will try to keep her fluent and provide her with classes to maintain. Thank you for this suggestion, it really feels right for our family. Also, I will teach my 5 year old to speak Mandarin. I know this is a VERY tough language.... Am I supposed to wait for a certain fluency in reading before I teach another language to my bio 5 year old? also wondering about my 3/almost 4 year old? Probably a better question for the bilingual board, but while I am here.....

Hi All. You guys were a big help during our last adoptions as I panicked over curriculum and shared cores/grade levels, etc. We are at it again. This time she is 6 and has dwarfism and other special needs, and she will obviously come home speaking Mandarin. Because of her dwarfism she has been denied going to school. (Her story is on my blog, below.) My questions are basically from an age/esl/grade level perspective as we play catch up here. Our other kids are 5, 3, 2, and 1. We use Sonlight and Abeka. 5 year old will go with me to China and is learning functional Mandrin (at a much better rate than I am!) Any of you out there have any suggestions on the following topics? -ESL -two in kindergarten, different paces -we are worksheet/book people - this will not work for new DD. audio or visual currics you love? -combining an OLDER child (new DD) with a younger in preschool to catch up without causing weird dynamics? -focus on language first, other areas second? and any other advice. Much appreciated! Missy www.roepnack.blogspot.com

Sometimes when you post, you know what you WANT to hear. And then someone says it. :) Thanks everyone. Keep em coming. I was really hoping to see more blood drawn between the burbs vs the minis...but hey.

seriously. i cant get a minivan, there is not enough cargo space for what we do around here. we tried. we need the burb and its all we can afford and still get some safety on the road. ALSO, we literally have nothing to spend since we just did the double adoption, so a minivan for 3K is not going to get me ANY safety. i would be in a 1990 caravan or previa for that price. :) i would rather drive the clunker and have a little safety. so, for all you minivan people, pretend you are shopping for your new odyssey and deciding between a bench with flip up or captains for four britax boulevard seats. pretend you are not talking suburban.

I have the new ones home from Ethiopia, and we now have 4 full sized carseats. I have now been without a car for almost 8 weeks and we have all been at home... shopping for OLD suburbans, like in the 3k range...think 2001? bench in the middle or captains for 4 full sized carseats? none of them can buckle/unbuckle, so i was almost thinking bench with the flip up left up permanently near the door. i cringe thinking about having to climb in and around the captains to buckle. don't tell me to get an odyssey. i'll freak out.

Thanks to both of you. I had to quote this and say that even though I've heard it before, I think I just needed to hear it again. I think i will just clean out their craft cabinet a little, get organized in the school room, and focus on working with what I have for the time being. Hopefully this is just the "no-car, haven't left the house during the week for 7 WEEKS (seriously) and am going to feel better when i can get these kids out to the museums and parks etc. the new ones are very portable, love to go places, so i think i will set my sights on a summer full of field trips. :) but still, love to hear more advice on any easy guided learning.

Ok, thanks to all who helped me stay strong as I waited for my Mimi and Moses to come home from Ethiopia. So, for reference, I have Lilly, 4 Daisy, 2.5 Mimi, almost 2 we are guessing? Moses, about 10 months (first boy, no interest in anything but staring at my face and getting snuggled up!) The schoolroom we had set up for preschool is not working so great now as the craft table is low and Mimi tends to cause trouble. I have lost the time to organize our curriculum for the lessons for my two oldest. I am seriously considering ordering Sonlight preschool even though I think my oldest is ready for K, just to stall us a little longer. I HAVE to have open and go. We still do not have a vehicle that fits us all, so I can't get to the library or the craft store for lesson materials easily. I need easy. I literally own the Betty Lukens set and fall asleep cutting the felt out everynight, so we barely use it. I don't have the energy to organize anything right now! I know people keep saying "skip school, they are young", but me and my oldest have been schooling since 2.5 and she is much happier with a school morning under her belt. Is sonlight the easiest in terms of exhausted, no planning time, etc etc. We school when the new baby boy is sleeping, and our new Mimi stays up and schools with my 4 and 2 year old. She does not like anything but puzzles and reading right now...everything else frustrates her very easily that my other daughter enjoyed at early 2 (fingerpainting, etc) Mimi looks at me like ive lost my mind when I bring out paints, etc. books are good. i think my oldest is ready for sonlight K (or whatever its called now) but she is still a young 4 and i would rather be behind schedule than ahead. thoughts????

my daughter is four and is showing signs of wanting to read, i was planning on waiting but she is asking me contstantly "What's this say" and now sounds out words on her own like this: "cee ay tee" instead of c-ah-tuh for cat. i think its time for some mommy training. i have heard good things about Abeka's handbook for reading, even for 4 year olds. any other great reading ideas, or feeback on TOPGTR, abeka, etc.

Just wanted to give my fellow hivers the heads up that I am giving away 3 copies of "Kisses from Katie" this week on my blog http://roepnack.blogspot.com/2011/10/kisses-from-katie-giveaway.html For any of you fellow homeschooling mommies with daughters or sons with a missionary heart or mindset, this book is the modern day "Amy Carmichael" story. Katie was only 19 when she left for Africa, and is now the 22-year-old mother of 13 daughters. Honestly, it would be a great book for a tough teenager who may be having a hard time with being appreciative or struggling with their faith or direction. All around, it's a great read! Katie is such an inspiration to me, and after following her story on her blog and learning what God can do with a willing heart, we decided to adopt 2 infants from Africa, who will come home early next year. Thanks, Ladies!