My dd's name is Julianna. We call her Juli for short and spell it without the e. In our case,I figured, why add a letter that wasn't there. People that know her by hearing her name as "Juli" often spell it with the e and she or I correct them, however, when people see it spelled before hearing it, there has never been a problem with pronunciation. Good luck deciding!

Thank you all so much for your responses. It has been very helpful to hear so many thoughts from people that are in TX. The main thing I seem to understand is that it is HOT! Lol! I'm not really sure why TX beat the other states in our discussions, we have been going back and forth for awhile and it is a hard choice to make when you can literally go anywhere. We aren't moving for anything specific, mostly a change. I prefer mild to hotter weather over cold and MD weather (IMO) stinks! We have lived in MD all our lives and I don't particularly find the state very friendly. May be the parts we have been in, but we just don't feel like we fit in here and that's kind of odd being that this is all we know! Again, all of your help is greatly appreciated and has given us a few things to ponder!

Hello, We are considering a move to Texas within the next year. My DH will obviously have to find a job first as his company (and type of business, auto sales) doesn't typically transfer. However, we have been contemplating moving to a different state for many years now and it seems that the timing is finally beginning to line up. Through some limited research (internet only) we believe we want this move to be to Texas. We are currently in Maryland. So what's it actually like to live in Texas? What areas are best to live in? Does Texas accept "transplants" well or will we have a hard time "fitting in" just bc of being from MD? What would you tell someone looking to move to TX? What should we know? What should we look out for being new to the area? Anything and everything you would like to share about living in Texas is welcome. We originally had a few other states on our list, such as, South and North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee, but like I said we are pretty sure we have decided TX is the winner. Thanks!

Thanks for the congratulations! Thanks so much for all the fun ideas! Now, it's going to be hard to pick one!

So we just found out that we are expecting our fourth child! I know some people don't announce right away, but we always have, so intend to do so again (I can't keep a secret). We thought since all of our family will be gathered together at once, it was the perfect opportunity to announce our news. In the past, we have never been creative, just told, so we are thinking we might make this more special. I know you ladies here (since i am a long time lurker) always have awesome, creative ideas, so I thought maybe you all would have some suggestions! TIA!

Hello, I am trying to find a good fit for my DD who just started K this fall. She knows her letters but not all the sounds, just a few and not consistently. She is very interested in workbooks. We started 100 Easy Lessons, but she and I both did not enjoy it and she lost interest in learning to read very quickly. She is currently doing BJU Math K and loves it! She constantly asks if she can do her "farmer math book" (the character is a farmer). So I was looking for something a little more workbook style to teach her phonics, reading and all that goes with it. I showed her some samples of BJU, Horizons and Mcruffy. She seems to like the looks of Mcruffy, however, I just can't put my finger on which one I think is best and will work. So I am wondering if you all can share any pros/cons, likes/dislikes about any of these programs for me? Would either of the 3 be a better fit for her with her very basic skills, would any be too difficult for the same reason? I think I have looked at most other programs and have it narrowed down to one of these, but if you have another suggestion, I am open to that as well. Thanks in advance!

Wow, 30 seconds after posting this, I found it! I saw the hints part and didn't look through it and the solutions were right there! Sorry and thanks!

Ok, we just started Beast Academy. My son is loving it, but I was wondering if I am missing something. Is there an answer key? Sometimes I like to look at the answers in the key (of other programs) before helping him to make sure I am right. Math is not my strong subject and I don't want to help him and be wrong, especially because some of the practice questions require some thinking and if he asks before my coffee kicks in, who knows if I will be right!! Thanks!

Thank you all for the suggestions! I have quickly looked at them all and now I have so many more thoughts and ideas to consider! Thanks so much for all the detailed suggestions! I agree that community workers is pretty much fill stuff and kids get that in everyday life. I do think it is important to remember to teach address, phone # and safety as you suggested. I probably would have forgotten the address and phone part! ;) Thanks again!

Hello all! This will be my first time home schooling kindergarten and I am beginning to plan for the fall. As far as social studies goes, I am wondering what topics you include for this grade level? I am thinking of Beginning Geography, and neighborhood/community workers. Otherwise I am at a loss. I know there are more topics out there I should include so any suggestions of topic or resources would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Thank you all for the suggestions. They all look promising. I have put "How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines" on hold at my library. They didn't have the other one, so I will start here. Reading Roadmaps also looks interesting and I will look into it further. Thanks again!

Very good points! I totally agree with this (bolded), thank you for reminding me to add that as one of our high school goals.

Thank you for your apology. It means a lot. Very good point to not let my experience cloud my judgement. Thank you! Yes, you understood what I was trying to say! Thank you for your input as well. Thank you all for helping me to see this issue from a different perspective (which is exactly what I was looking for). I am sorry that I didn't realize sooner that just like with everything else in the home school world, I don't have to do literature like I was taught. I can tweak it to be our own. Any suggestions on programs/guides, etc. that we can use as we begin this journey together would be appreciated!

First, just because it is my first post does not make me a troll! Secondly, I guess my thoughts didn't come across through my words properly. I was by no means saying that we should not read good literature. I was asking the purpose of an in depth study of literature. I was looking for the reasons to pull apart the literature and analyze it, rather than just read and discuss it. After things have been pointed out, I imagine that the skills I have used from this coursework are now natural to me and I may not even realize where I learned them. I did not enjoy literature study in public high school. I often took things in the literature different from what my teacher was telling me. I did not always see where someone (besides the author) was able to tell me what the story meant. I felt that I should be able to draw my own conclusions. I assume this is why I am wrestling with this dilemma. It look me many years after that to be able to enjoy a good classic book because I did not have to worry about "getting it wrong". I could read it, enjoy it and get my own message from it. This was my question. What is the benefit to analyzing literature as opposed to just reading and discussing? I apologize for my odd question. I hope that I have clarified myself. I was in no way trying to offend anyone.

My DD is heading into high school this year. This will be my first experience home schooling high school. She was not home schooled until November of 2011 and I had not really thought ahead to high school much at this point because my other dc are only 8 and 5. In my planning/researching, I see that most English curricula for high school focus on literature. My questions is, what is the purpose of studying literature in this way? I personally am not seeing the "life" benefit in this skill and am curious as to what I am missing. I am also curious, what the goal is at the end of the study so that I can choose a curriculum that will help us best meet that goal. I know I did this coursework in high school, however, I am struggling to find the purpose. I can't seem to think of how I have utilized this skill in my daily life. I am hoping that someone can point out to me the reasons why this study is important so that I can "get it" and feel the need to teach it with enthusiasm rather than looking at it as "busy work". I know I must be missing something, so please enlighten me!! Thanks!