I have heard that BJU does go slow in the beginning and them ramps up too. However, I am shocked that he found BJU English hard after using Rod and Staff!! WOW!! I have considered Abeka too. I really do like Rod and Staff, but the more I think about it, I really would like to stay with one publisher for English all the way through High School. I am one of those moms who wants to drill thier kiddo's in english all the way through. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions.

Melissa, Oh... well, I was going to use it as pick up and go. oops. Does the teacher's manual really have that much more information for the English? Hmmm.... Please explain more. Sigh... it seems as if I may be stuck with Rod and Staff:glare:

Thanks Tammie! Yes, that does help.

While at Mardel, my children started looking at the BJU workbooks and fell in love with them. They looked nice and colorful through grade 6, and looked pretty good in the upper grades as well. We will be adding a few activities and will be in the car/waiting quite a bit this year, so being able to grab the workbook just "seems" easier. We have been using Rod and Staff, which has been ok, but they and I would honestly perfer a workbook format. Rod and Staff also just seems so advanced, and I feel like my kids are not ready for it mentally. Yes, they have done great with the program and produce the correct answers, but sometimes I wonder if the are really getting it. BJU does move much slower. For example, there are concepts that are covered in the 7th grade Rod and Staff text that is not covered in BJU until 9th or 10th grade. This personally does not bother me, as I am not in a big race... I just want to make sure they understang proper grammar. So.... I would love your opinions, good, bad and ugly about BJU grammar. This will be for grades 4, 6 and 7. THANKS!!!!!!!!

Yes, we are having to cut down too. My daughter is the one being hit the most. She takes voice, piano, guitar, ballet and art lessons. Well, just that alone is $300! Then my son takes guitar, and my other daughter takes violin, art lessons and ballet. I have my 4yo coming up and wanting to take voice and dance. We added all this up and it was well up to $1000. I think I am having the hardest time though, because this is my social time. SIGH... But, it has become stressful getting everyone in and out of the car. It has also affected our school work. AND.... I am filling up our suburban about every 10 days and it is costing us $110!! There are days that I dream of living in the country that is tooooo far to do any stinking activities and the children don't want to because they are happily playing in the yard and exploring their surroundings. And we would have a garden, chickens for eggs and a cow for milk....:lol::lol: Oh.... the simple life, well I don't know how simple it would be!! ;)

Too cool, but geeze if I had an Iphone I would absolutely be on the computer ALL THE TIME!! My hubby is waiting for me to have a margarita on the back porch with him right now... but nooooooooooo I am hangin' out with you guys!

I am the 2nd born.. But I am amazed at the number of 1st borns! wow

We were in the living room one night when my son was 6 and he started walked right past us and into the kitchen and tried to pee in the trash can. We were laushing so hard. We tried to tell him that he wsnot at the toilet, and he got very mad at us saying that YES HE WAS!!!!!!!!!!!! On another note.... when he was 3 and 4 he had to take ALL his clothes off to go #2!! We were at a homegroup for church one evening and he came walking out of the bathroom butt naked because he had to go poop! We still tease him about this. Too funny!

I am so, so sorry. Blessings

One doggy and one kitty.

:lol::boxing_smiley:

I really feel like I am the same way. I have the nice reputation for being the curriculum junkie and I have actually received calls from people I don't know to ask my opinion about a curriculum!!:001_huh: Heck, I can't give out many opinions because I have rarely stuck to one thing long enough to do so:lol: HOWEVER, I am starting to lose that reputation. I mean, I am going on my 3rd year of Rod and Staff English, 4th year of Saxon math and, and, and, I am on week 5 of TOG... and I have not even quit!!!!:w00t::hurray::lol::lol:

I agree, just go with #1. Look at it this way... if you get two parties from your catalogs and cards being on the counter, it will more than pay for the difference!! Good luck in your new business.

Well, I have not really tried to subsitute COM with another CO_. He hates mushrooms, first of all, and he says that the COM gives everything a wang to it. LOL... I hope you understand our slang:lol: I was going to make Chicken Spaghetti and it calls for COM. It seems like EVERY casserole dish calls for COM!! I may try and substitute another CO_ and see how it goes. My other thought was just make a cream type sauce with butter, flour and milk until it thickens. I wonder how that would be. By the way, in case you have not figured it out yet, I am not the greatest in the kitchen. My mom never taught me these things:confused: Thanks for the suggestions!

Why is it that everything easy and simple to make has to involve cream of mushroom soup?? My hubby HATES Cream of Mushroon Soup and has forbidden me to use it:glare: I have even tried to trick him, and it does not work!! My question is..... what can I use in place of it? Any idears out there?? Help me please!!

This is really tough. I loved all those alternative bands like The Cure, Depeche Mode, Erasure, Yaz, ect... But, I really loved Midnight by Yaz and Forest by the Cure. When I pull out the ole' tapes, my kids definately think I was weird!!:lol: Well, I think I was!!!!:tongue_smilie:

How fun. WE love Chick fil a. I have been in a very grouchy mood all day. Maybe dressing up like a cow will lighten the mood around here. MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I love Spirit... that horse movie. It is pretty old, but I LOVE the music in it from Brian Adams and just love the story line. It makes me cry every time!

Very interesting. I will keep checking your blog to see how your progress is going!! Enjoy the experience!

I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo JEALOUS!!!!!!! Look at me with my itty bitty green square!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

Just wanted to say thanks for the replies. This really gives me something to think about!

Congrats!! I did not know there was a runners thread going. I love to run and am trying to get back into it. At this point I can only run about 7 minutes at a time... I am a treadmill runner right now. I have to be able to put the littles in child care to get my workout in! I have been running 3-4 miles a day, but it is more of a run 3-7 minutes, walk 1-2 minutes and do on. I also use workouts from Cardiocoach.com which are AWESOME!!! Anyway, just wanted to say keep up the good work. I hope to post that I ran a full mile without stopping soon too. I remember when running 3-4 miles without stopping was easy..... 5 children and 40 pounds later.... well... you get the picture!! Working on getting that poundage off... Let's hit the road(treadmill that is):lol:

Yes, I am curious too why you are leaving Apologia. I have 3 children going into science related fields and want to make sure that Apologia will prepare them since that is what were are planning on using?? THANKS!!

Yes, I would be very upset. You should have the option to at least get a quote to know what you may be paying. I am a little in shock about this. I hope that you get everything worked out though. Try to stay calm. What's done is done and getting extremely upset at them may make things worse. Blessings

Oh yes, I have experienced burnout many, many times. I don't know if you can prevent it either. It just happens. Homeschooling is tough work, but very rewarding. I LOVE going to homeschool conferences!! Listening to encouraging speakers and looking at all the cool books and materials really pumps me up for another year!! Also, just getting out of the house alone to read a good homeschooling book or magazine helps too. Also a nice LOOOOOOOOONG break can help. Hang in there;) Blessings