We red-shirted 3 of ours born in July and August so at the tail-end age-wise of others in their grade. I haven't regretted it at all. The oldest is a 4th year med student and went straight into an early medical honors program at one of our state universities. The was accepted into a competitive nursing program at our state university and graduated in 3 years. The next is a rising 7th grader. You teach to their level no matter what grade level they're in. BUT, I found that red-shirting means they spend their 18th year at home rather turning 18 and heading out in the next weeks to college. That was huge for my oldest who matured in a great leap between his junior and senior year of high school. Made a difference for his leadership and the whole college application process. Also, if your kids will dual enroll at all, consider that they will be that much younger mixed with adults if you don't red shirt. I've known kids that didn't redshirt and did fine.

I'm excited about NOT having a high schooler! This will be the first time in 11 years that I don't have a high schooler. My 12-year-old will be doing two local classes but I hope that we won't have the press that schooling high schoolers often brings. I'm looking forward to focusing on my youngest two.

We used EE for two years -- once with my middle boys and then again with my younger two. We/I loved every single thing about science that year. Hands-down one of our best years of science (outside of some classes I put together for my olders). Enjoy!! He's great about answering questions if you have any.

This sounds great! My dd would love that. I used AG books for a book club with my oldest daughter when she was in 3rd grade I think? We loved it and went on to do a middle school book club 6th - 8th.

I'm just getting back to this thread! Thank you for weighing in. Yes, part of what I want for this coming up year is margin in our days to get outside and walk to the little country store or run/bike through the park because those kinds of moments just aren't there for us in high school. Travel is definitely going at the top of the list.

My mom had a lumpectomy last month and will start radiation in the next few weeks. She's been told she'll be tired. Besides helping with driving (over an hour each way/each day) and help with meals, is there anything in particular someone going through radiation needs? Any particular comfort? Thank you hive. Y'all are always the best resource.

Jann, I'm so sorry. Oh I am grieving for you and for your sister and her children. I cannot imagine the pain that they are going through as they wait to find him. I'll be praying. (My dh passed away suddenly 6 years ago so I've been a widow and single mom to 7; I get that part but the not knowing has to be excruciating.) :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

I like to multi-task as well and the subtitles hinder it. Well, makes me slow down and really relax. Plus, there were a few words in the later episodes that would have raised my neck hair to hear them in English; hearing it in Turkish meant nothing. And, you got the book?!? The book is different from the series from what I've been able to tell. I'd LOVE you to weigh in once you've read the book. I wonder if it gives more of the backstory to the main conflict that happens rather abruptly in the last few episodes. :crying:

That first scene sets up on the conflict between Seyit and Petro. I'm rewatching and somewhere in the second season, there are flash forward dialogue between the author and Baroness Tina (played by actors.) Don't skip forward but that breakaway to the conversation in which Tina is relaying the story to the author gives some insight into WHY Petro does what he does. In that first scene, Petro disobeys Seyit's command and makes a rash action. He finds his entire reputation at the mercy of Seyit and that, the agreement they reach underlies the rest of the conflict. PM if you want to talk more b/c I don't want to give spoilers!

Yes! This is much lighter but will help if you're having a Russian hangover after closing War & Peace. And while I actually love hearing them speak in the original Turkish (Pretty sure I know a few phrases now), I missed being able to open another screen and multi-task. Come back and chime in when you've moved further into the series. Especially given the background of War and Peace.

I can't disclose. But keep going....it gets twistier. :crying: I actually missed the significance of the very first scene in the movie and only caught it when I started the series over. But sometimes, I just want to take a couple characters by the shoulders and shake some sense into them!

Yeah, she was great.If looks could kill! And the underwear. :lol: I think that was part of the pull for me was a peek into a much different culture and of course, time period.

Kristen, it definitely has that drama feel to it. But I loved all the subplots and character development...it was pretty easy to love some characters and seriously hate a couple of others. And it was so well cast! The main characters were fabulous. Did you research any of the backstory? The real Sure and Seyit? I found that just as fascinating (and endlessly sad :( ). Thanks for chiming in! :lurk5:

Crickets! I can't believe no one has watched this yet. Oh rats. Consider yourselves introduced. It's a great series. But you'll be hooked. Your family will eat cereal for dinner and you'll give up hours of good sleep to keep going. :closedeyes: But then you can message me and we can talk. Without spoilers.

Editing my post title b/c it's not a Netflix original. Just found it on Netflix.

We don't have cable so most of my viewing comes from Hulu or Netflix. I'm super picky but I love historically based dramas. LOVED Victoria as well as The Queen, but the next season of both of those doesn't start back until the fall. So, as I researched, I found this historical tv series called Kurt Seyit & Sura. It's a Turkish drama based on a couple of Turkish bestsellers. It's loosely based on a real story about two star-crossed lovers -- a Russian noblewoman and a Crimean Turk who was in the Czar's elite guard. When the Bolzhevik revolution started, they escaped to Turkey. I'm not giving away any spoilers, but I'm on my second round of watching! :001_tt1: I was so intrigued by the plot the first time, that I rushed through and missed some of the details. This one will probably go near Pride and Prejudice for me. The story pulled me in and the scenery, costumes, customs, food and characters have been superb. SO, if you've watched it and want to talk, let's do! And if you haven't and you enjoy historically based dramas, there are 40+ episodes waiting for you. I've found lots of online information and even a forum surrounding this series, but I seem to be the only one IRL who's watched it. P.S. There are English subtitles but it's not distracting in the least and listening to the Turkish adds to the drama IMO. Wondering if Hollywood will pick up this regional hit.

What a visionary. She's left a great legacy.

We were in a great co-op for many years that had a top-notch literature tutorial, AP Government, art history tied in with world philosophy, apologetics, speech and performed one Shakespeare play every year and offered a variety of other classes. We only did 2/3 classes depending on the wants and needs of the families, which I liked because we could do math and some of the core on our own. Debate was hard to do in a co-op setting because competitive speech and debate take their own day. There just wasn't time to fit it into a one-hour co-op class and do it justice. But IF you can find like-minded families and IF you can get commitment from all of them, and find a facility and agree on the classes that are needed and you can hire out or use the parents' skills & training, then you can create a great co-op. Lots of things have to coalesce IME to make it work really well. Short of that and easier is to just pull families together for a one-year class: biology or chemistry, speech, etc.

What is it you really like in the Challenge program? Is it the curriculum, the classical approach? Is it rigorous academics? Lots of that existed before CC and speech and debate is alive and well in the homeschooling community. There are several different homeschool specific leagues. What you'll probably trade out is your time for the cost of the program. If you want community, you could pull together a few families. Look for co-ops or form one yourself. That's what we did for years and had ah-mazing teachers and experiences like a yearly Shakespeare study & production. And this was a small co-op. You could hire out tutors and put together classes a la carte -- science classes with labs or literature studies. You could create your own book club for literature. You can participate in or establish geography bees, math competitions, science fairs, history fairs and the like for your children and other homeschoolers. See how much of this can be done with your local schools. In my county, we can participate in a yearly speech contest. ETA: Research what else is available in your area. Our county has an active teen court program with real-life misdemeanor cases, where teens can fill many court positions from bailiff to prosecutor. There are legislative programs like TeenPact, legislative page programs, all kinds of internships and volunteer opportunities and so much more. It's a big world out there, usually with more good stuff for our kids than they could ever do.

I wholeheartedly love your first sentence. I'm definitely a math every day girl but I would like to just b r e a t h e a little this year and enjoy the freedom and delight-directed learning homeschooling allows. It's a balance, I need for them to have some structure so I can get my work done but I also want them to explore/create/discover while they've still got a bit of kid in them and college apps aren't looming. Thanks, Julie.

Great reminder, Aurelia, to look at Ellen McHenry. I've bounced on and off her site for a while. This might even be good for summer science! I love how you put it, OhElizabeth! Yes, it feels good to feel good. They would both actually LOVE the cooking theme and if we're ever going to really get to some of the neat parts of our state, this is the year. I think that might go to the top of the heap. Thanks for dreaming with me!

Well, their mom wants to travel. ;) But yes, I'll be focusing more on them now that we don't have the heavier academics and tied-down schedule of high school. Wondering if there are any awesome hands-on studies or projects or curricula that would be great for late elementary/middle school.

This month, I graduate our 5th child who's homeschooled all the way through high school. And I couldn't be more excited about focusing on my two youngers. On NOT having the deadlines and testing and locked-in schedules of a high schooler. Next year, I'll have a 5th grader (who needs lots of elbow-to-elbow schooling but likes being a student) and a 7th grader (who loves all things outdoors & science, who's curious, intuitive with math and needs some challenge). I feel like this might be our one free year. What would you do? What have you done? Put together a science club? Travel your state? Set up lots of free reading and exploration? We're not in a co-op. We'll probably outsource math & science for my 7th grader b/c he needs the challenge. But I'm still pondering. I don't have TONS of time b/c I write and work at home. It's flexible however, so I can shift when I work or take whole days off. P.S. Just have to add this...nearly 6 years ago, my husband died suddenly and our life collapsed. One of the side effects of grief is losing your interests and I lost all interest in homeschooling -- for a long time it was just get r done. Didn't even know if we'd be able to keep homeschooling. It feels so good to plan and dream and research like the old days. Just had to share. <3

Yes and yes. And your parents. And your friends. I'm sorry, OP. :grouphug: Linda in Tx, my heart is broken for you. No words but I'm praying for your family now. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

It's almost the nature of the beast to at least initially gear home education to the olders. For one, the parent is learning along with them - researching what curriculum is out there, how to implement it, how to best teach. You have a steep learning curve with the LD's you're teaching to. But, the youngers also benefit from an education rich environment. When my oldest was 5 and 6, I had a houseful of littles and the day oriented to that. When my youngers were 5 and 6, we had a houseful of olders and our conversations, activities, reading oriented to that. My youngers will also benefit on the back end. With just the two youngest in the house next year, they'll have my full attention all through middle and high school where I was engulfed in babies and toddlers and busy when my olders were those ages and grades. There are trade-offs. I no longer have the time to read aloud like I used to and while I miss those sweet evenings, we listen to soooo many books on audio. Way more than I ever read aloud. Trade off. I do what I can as best as I can. And somehow, they all graduate and do well. (hallelujah and mercy!)