I would like to use both eventually, so I'll get both of them and have a look to decide which one to first. Colleen

My ds will be in 7th next year and I'm trying to decide which of those two books to use with him next year. Right now, he is using Logic Lift-off by Dandelion Logic. Thanks. Colleen

Their teacher also uses other books such as Violin Playtime, so they do learn how to read notes right from the beginning. My oldest (11.5) has just started Suzuki book 3. He has been playing for almost 4 years now. My 2nd ds (9yo) has been playing for more than 2 years now and is Suzuki book 2, and my 3rd (6yos) just started violin in October and is using book 1. I like that they learn how to read notes right from the start. My older two have also each done some Royal Conservatory of Music exams (we're in Canada) for violin (oldest ds grade 3, and 2nd ds grade 1). Colleen

Michelle, What's the difference between CD and audible? I haven't heard of audible before. Thanks. Colleen

also only wears out his pants on the left knee. I always found that strange too. Colleen

Glad to hear that the surgery went well. My dh has his gallbladder removed 1.5 years ago too. Colleen

covers more metric at earlier levels than the U.S version.

There's a lot to think about, although I already pretty much agree with everything that everyone has said. I do think that my mom speaks a lot of wisdom to me, but I also think that her values are not exactly the same as mine. Thanks for giving me validation that I'm not wasting money with these activities for my dc. I think that we should probably cut down a bit for now though. Thank you :) Colleen

We have our two oldest dss in piano and violin, and our 3rd ds just started violin in September. Our boys also take skating lessons, swimming lessons and some multi-sport classes through parks and rec. I was talking with my mom last night about activities for my kids, and she said that with our finances the way they are, we shouldn't be putting our kids into all those programs (although, right now with the parks and rec stuff, we have a 75% discount because of our income). When we were kids, my parents put us in gymnastics, tap dancing, piano lessons, and she said that looking back on those now, she feels it was a waste of money since nothing really came out of any of it (we weren't "prodigies" in those things and haven't used them to make a living). She also mentioned my cousins who were supposedly really talented in violin, and their parents poured lots of money into lessons, and now nothing has come of it either. My mom basically thinks that we should limit our kids to one instrument and not force them to do everything (my kids have said that they don't like violin, but like piano). I've always felt that music is very important, but I also took piano up to grade 8, and now can't really play anything, so am wondering if it's really a waste of money in the long run. I do think that we need to cut back on our expenses and am trying to figure out if this is one of the areas where we need to cut back. I haven't discussed this with dh yet since I am out of town visiting my family, but I will once I get back home. We all agree (me, dh, and my mom) that swimming is something the kids have to learn, but everything else is optional. I'd appreciate any insights/opinions. Thanks. Colleen

and it is almost like you have described my ds. A lot of times, my ds will respond to us or his brothers with a disrespectful, rude attitude or tone of voice, and I think a lot of times, he doesn't even realize it. It is something that I have been thinking about how to deal with, and I have not been very successful so far. No advice, just know that we're going through the same thing here. ((())) Colleen

I hadn't thought of typing out the final draft for him. Sometimes, he will type it out himself, but I think I will do it for him to get it done more quickly. I didn't realize how important the initital imitation is, so I will definitely make sure he does that part. Colleen

Is the free DVD still available? Where can I find out about this? Thanks. Colleen

I spent 4 months there when I was 22, and when my nailclipper broke, I had no choice but to let my host mom cut my fingernails for me with a razor blade. I couldn't watch, I was so scared, but then I was thinking that she did this all the time with her own nails and her children's nails, so what was I afraid of? Eventually, I learned to cut my own nails with a razor blade This post brought back fond memories for me, LOL. Colleen

It does. For now, I'll just require my ds to write the first rough draft. Then he can do the second one if he feels up to it. Colleen

for my ds who will be in 7th in September. It's for grades 6-8. I've heard lots of good things about them. There are about 16 books in the series, and I let my ds choose which ones he would like to use next year. Colleen

I'll have my ds look at both to see which one he likes better. We have until September to decide so I'm not in a hurry. Colleen

to skip the first rough draft and just go straight to the second draft. Is there a reason for doing the first draft? I'm just wondering if being able to do the first draft is more important than the second draft, if it's a necessary skill to be able to imitate the story without making any changes first. If the first draft is the important one, then I'm sure my ds will have no problem just writing the first draft. He just doesn't like having to write two of them for each story. Colleen

He just doesn't like to have to write two drafts before getting to add his personal touch, so I'll just let him write his first draft and add his creative touches right away, instead of waiting until the second rough draft. Thanks for all the replies. Colleen

My 9yos is enjoying Writing Tales overall, but he doesn't like having to write two drafts for each story. I was wondering if it would be okay to just let him skip to the second draft where he can personalize his story. He does complain and groan when I tell him it's time to write his first draft, so I don't want him to start disliking writing. He can write fairly well, and is doing quite well with his stories. Colleen

and SnowWhite for the info on Math 4. Colleen

the 3rd edition of Math 4? I have decided to go with Math 3 for my ds now, but after looking at the samples online, I think that he will fly through most of it like OhE's dd. Hopefully he will enjoy BJU math and get over his dislike of math. Elizabeth, could you go over the differences between the Spread your Wings, the Stretch your Mind, and Spring into Action activity books? Thanks so much :)! Colleen

I really like LCC, by the way, and am looking forward to LCC2. Colleen

My ds is interested in the Far East one, so I will probably get that for him to supplement whatever history program we eventually decide on. Thanks, everyone! Colleen

Since I have all the manipulatives from RS, would I still need the teacher and student packets for BJU? I'm hoping to be able to just use the RS manipulatives. Unfortunately, my 9yos needs to get a math book now, so I can't wait until the fall. I've looked at the TOC for 2nd and 3rd, and it looks like I'll be getting the 3rd grade book for him. At least my youngest two dss will be able to use the 3rd editions when it's their time. I feel more confident after reading your replies. Thanks, again! Colleen

My 9yos just finished RS C. He didn't like it even though I thought it was a good program. I was going to continue with RS D, but there is no enthusiasm for it, and ds complains and groans about hating math. After reading the posts about switching to BJU, I am thinking of going that route with him. I also like all the supplements I've read about. Since he has finished RS C, would he go into BJU grade 3 math? Does BJU have placement tests? Thanks. Colleen