Ok, I am in need of some serious help. We are in our second year of high school and I feel like I am failing my ds. We didn't accomplish everything last year to the degree I would have liked. With that in mind, we started this year with an on-line charter school. We didn't like it and ended up back hs'ing in Dec. This put us behind this year. So this is where we are at: 9th grade: Completed 2/3 Algebra 1. Completed World History, but slacked towards the end of the year. Completed Conceptual Physics, but not to a degree that I would have liked. Completed a basic English/Lit. course, but not to a degree I would have liked. Completed 2/3 of a very basic Spanish program. Completed enough computer programming/game desigining to give 1/2 credit in Computer Science. Completed a study on Ancient Greeks, but not sure if it is to a degree to award 1/2 credit or if it should be rolled into history. PE is fine. 10th grade: Finished Algebra 1 and have started Geometry, hoping to finish by June. Working on American History, but not getting as much out of it as I would like. Working on English/Lit. with a combination of writing, grammar and American Lit. study. I would like to award a separate credit for the American Lit., but not sure if enough will be done to do that so it may have to be rolled into a basic English credit. Working on Spanish and will probably consider this as Spanish 1. Working on Chemistry. This is probably the best subject this year as far as getting something out of it and completing it as I would like. Working on an elective. We are studying the origins of the English language. It is going ok, but again not sure it will be enough for its own credit or if I will have to roll it into his English credit. Again, PE is fine. I feel like we are just doing enough to get by. Writing is still a chore and so we aren't accomplishing as much as I would like and to a level I was hoping to be at. My ds does what is asked of him, but no more than that. I have made the mistake of not challenging him to strive higher because it takes so much longer to get anything done. I just feel like we have done the bare minimum to get by and I am disappointed with myself for having allowed this to happen. Anyway, what can/should I do to get him on track for graduating and college? We are planning on having him try some classes at the cc next year through the pseo program. He is looking into a career in environmental science. The local cc has a 2 year program for this with a transfer agreement with a couple universities nearby to complete a 4 year degree. I am feeling like I am failing my ds and I don't want to make the same mistakes with my dd (who starts high school this coming fall). Thanks for reading and any advice.

We are using the WTM suggested book (Chemistry: A Self-Teaching Guide) and have added in Homework Helpers Chemistry and Teaching Co. High School Chemistry lectures. We are adding in random experiments as well.

You don't have to be familiar with IEW to do Fix-It!, you would just have to leave out finding the dress-ups, openers and other things specific to IEW. There are other programs that are similar to this that don't have IEW components to them that might be better if you don't use IEW. This is not a learning grammar program, but a program designed to apply what you have already learned about grammar (reinforcement type stuff). We like it well enough.

Thanks! I was just talking today about finding some current events stuff. :)

This is why we supplement. We use MUS and LOF and I really am not sure which is our main and which is the supplement. :) I like them both for different reasons, yet I find they work together well. I am glad we have chosen this route as it is really working for my dc.

Federal deduction, no. State deduction, depends on the state. Here in MN we can deduct homeschool expenses on our state taxes. Check with your state.

We really enjoyed this core. There was lots to learn and it was very interesting. They changed the EHE the year after we did this core and it is now more notebooking in flavor from what I can tell. I would have liked to try the new EHE. Anyway, I would give it a go.

This is a great idea! The first quilt my dh made was from old jeans and flannel shirts. He did a raggy quilt like this one http://ramblingrosequiltshop.danemcoweb.com/shop/product/rag-time-quilt/ He modified it by making the squares all the same size. He backed it with flannel. It is still one of our favorite quilts.

For fabric that is precut I would go to a quilt shop and look for charm packs. They are packs of precut 5 inch squares. You can usually get them for $8 to $10 a pack. Three of my favorite kids quilting books are: Kids Easy Quilting Projects by Terri Thibault ~ This book has quick easy projects that are sewn by hand. It might be a good place to start as the investment in tools/materials would be minimal. Kids Start Quilting with Alex Anderson ~ I love Alex Anderson for her clear instructions. This is a great book for beginning quilting, but she does piece by machine not hand. Patchwork and Quilting with Kids by Maggie Ball ~ Again, lots of great projects (pillows, pillowcases, tote bags, wallhangings, quilts), but piecing is done by machine so there are no hand piecing instructions.

There is http://www.thehomeschoollibrary.com that has a high school board, but it is not as busy as here. I haven't been on it in a long time, but you could check that out.

We are using the Teaching Co. lectures titled History of the United States, 2nd edition. My ds is also reading America: A Narrative History (recommended in the lecture series). He is reading the brief edition (still over 1000 pages). I have the TM, but it is for the not brief edition so I can't use the tests and questions as is. There is a web-site that goes with the brief edition that has quizzes and study aids, etc. I have ds do these and he answers the questions in the book that came with the lectures. We discuss the lectures and the book and he does some other random history writing. I want to add map work, but we are behind on that. I don't know how this compares to other options, but it is working for us.

Yes, Shred could use more stretching at the end. I really don't think it is much of a cool-down so I usually do my own cool-down/stretching. I do yoga to help me stay flexible and balanced because that is important to me. Have fun with level 2!

I borrowed Shred from Netflix to see if I would like it. I tried all 3 levels so I would know what I was getting into before purchasing my own copy. I have done each level twice and I did them every other day. I did it that way so my muscles would have a rest day. Yoga was done on my "off" days. I am glad I checked out levels 2 & 3 because level 1 is my least favorite and I would not buy my own copy based on that routine. :)

Thanks for the feedback. I think we will give it a try and see what they are like. Thanks, Dayle. I will pass the congrats along. :)

I looked at their web-site and see that we now have a pick-up location in our city. I am wondering about their products. Has anyone experienced outdated food items from Angel Food Ministries? There is another food ministry close to our house run by another group (don't remember the name) that we tried and all the boxed/canned items and the frozen chicken that we got were all outdated. I am not going to spend my money on outdated food which is why we don't participate with this other program any more. Do you find the quality to be good/consistent with Angel Food Ministries? Also, do you find it to be a savings over the grocery store? I need to watch our food budget. We don't have any grocery stores that double coupons and we don't have anything like Aldi close by. Sometimes I can get some good deals, but it is sporadic. Anyway, just wondering, first, about quality and, second, about value. Thank you!

As far as I know this is not available as a free pattern. I would try a local quilt shop first. If you don't have one near you, then do a search on-line and purchase it from an on-line retailer. HTH

Love this web-site/company!! I am using some of her designs on my ds skull quilt. I am embroidering some designs from the Gothic Grandeur and Tattoo Your Towels on the black squares in the quilt I made. I am not crazy about all her designs, but she does have some fun ones. There is also http://www.urbanthreads.com for some interesting designs. :)

Thank you for the replies. You all have given me some things to consider. He has taken notes from video lectures, but he needs much more practice. :) He tries to write too much and pauses the lecture to write it all down and then starts again. We do have TC lecture How to Become a Super Star Student or whatever it is called. He has watched about half of it. I have seen those pen/notebook things though I haven't really looked at them. They sound like they would be a good investment for him. I will look into those and maybe we could try them out at home a bit so he gets used to using them and how they work. Boy, I didn't realize the services colleges offer to students. I had no help at all when I was going through the choose and go to college years and didn't know anything. I still don't so I really appreciate the advice I get here. Thank you! We will look into the pseo and talk to the cc and go from there. Maybe I am worrying too much over something that will turn out not to be as big of an issue as I think.

Thanks for the responses. They have given me something to think about. I didn't realize that some traditional college classes have changed. I still think about them as lectures with reading/assignments. :) He is able to take classes at the local cc next year and this is why I am thinking about this now. We are trying to decide how to approach this as far as having him try just a class or two to see how it goes or what. I am also trying to decide if we should have him take classes that he is interested in, not look at ones that will cover the basics. I do think we should probably visit the local cc soon and find out what they offer and in what formats and maybe go from there. Sometimes I wish he was still in elementary. It seemed so easy then. :)

traditional college might not be in their best interest? We have learned over the years that our ds is not at all auditory. I have to repeat things for him to take it all in. When we use video lectures, he has to watch them 2 times to get anything out of them. Things like this. If he was to go to a traditional college and sit in lectures he would have to tape record the lectures and listen to them again at a later time in order to get anything out of them otherwise he will be lost. I would think this is doable, but having to relisten to lectures for 4 or 5 classes in addition to doing the reading and other assignments seems like it would become overwhelming. He is fine if he can read the material, so I am thinking that looking at on-line college options might suit his learning style better and make college more accessible to him. Have any of you used an on-line college option? I know that I have to be careful about this, but I am just wondering if anyone has btdt? Would you encourage him to try a traditional college setting first and see how it goes?

We have varied opinions in our house. :) My dd uses the wheel, but my dh, ds and I don't like it. Dh and ds like the wireless Game Cube controllers (we had these so didn't have to buy them) and I like the classic controller made for the wii (it is not the one that comes with the wii, it is a different style). They sell for $20. If you are buying the game that comes with a wheel, I would go with that one and see what everyone likes. If they both like the wheel, then get another one. JMHO

Part of the problem is that we adults have the answer keys. This makes the answers obvious to us and it is hard to get past why our dc don't "get it". I wouldn't worry if she doesn't get the abstract adjectives. Give her the answers, tell her which ones they are after she finds the "easy" ones. She will get it eventually and it will save both of you lots of tears and frustration.

From what I remember of these books, I would go with God King. I think it would be a little easier for a 9 & 10yo to read independently and it was easier to get into the story. We read Cat of Bubastes aloud and it was slow going most of the time. The story was interesting, but just didn't grab us to where we wanted to keep reading. YMMV

We have done this for 6 or 7 years now. We buy a side of beef and for our family of 4 (2 big meat eaters though) it lasts a year. We usually also get a whole pig, too. I am still looking for a good source for chicken. We get a variety of steaks, roasts and ground beef. We don't have a preference, but if you want to stretch your meat for a larger family roasts and ground beef would probably be better. Oh, the past few years we have also had them grind the liver in with the ground beef. We don't eat plain liver and would end up giving it away. This way it stretches the ground beef a little bit and adds some extra nutrition. We don't notice a difference with the liver added in either. HTH

Momof7, thank you for the suggestions. I really appreciate them!