My almost 8yo dd is starting second grade this year. I haven't had her evaluated, but I do suspect she has some auditory processing issues. We've used Abeka since K5. She's had difficulty with rhyming, b's and d's, as well as some special sounds like TH (it still sounds like F). She doesn't understand that to change the word tent to sent you just change the first letter. It's almost like she's just so focused on the TE blend that she misses the "word family". I hope this is making sense. She also having difficulty with reading and Abeka's spelling for some of the above mentioned reasons. Her reading has improved a bit with lots of practice, but I can tell the spelling isn't clicking for her. She's also getting a bit overwhelmed with all the "special sounds". lol I've read that a phonics only approach, which I believe Abeka uses, isn't the correct approach for children with auditory issues. We are both getting aggrivated. lol. It's been a trying year, and I'm ready to look for something else. Is there anyone else that Abeka just didn't work for? My 5yo son is doing great with Abeka, but his learning style is MUCH different than my daughter's. Should I switch to something else, or give it another go? Any suggestions for a different phonics program? Thanks!!!

I was diagnosed with an anterior placenta around 20 weeks during my last pregnancy. I had already had three previous c-sections, so the need for a fourth was not a surprise. I was sent in for a level II ultrasound. In my case the placenta did not move, as I had previa and percreta. I was also anemic and had very low BP. I was put on bedrest for most of the pregnancy, and had a lengthy hospital stay prior to delivery. Not that this will be the situation in your case... :) I was told that in most cases when the anterior placenta diagnosis was made around 20 weeks, the placenta does indeed move... just not in my case. Feel free to send me a PM. HTH!

I am mostly a lurker here, but this subject is pretty close to my heart. I got pregnant in Jun 08 after three children. My first was a natural birth with severe shoulder dystocia. My second and third were c-sections due to the dystocia. When I got prego with #4 I had the doctors ok for a third c-section, and we were even considering having a 5th child at some point. Around 20 weeks I was diagnosed with placental previa and placental percreta. We were told the placenta had grow outside the scar tissue in the uterus and attached to my bladder. We were told of the risks of delivery, massive blood loss and possible hysterectomy. After 6 weeks of bedrest I had a HUGE bleed at home with all three of my small children while my husband was at work. The ambulances, blood, etc. scared my children (ages 7, 5 and 2) to death. I was then put in the hospital for the rest of the pregnancy. I will never forget the looks on their faces when they had to come visit me in the hospital. My 5yo fainted when he saw the IVs for the blood transfusions I received. My daughters just cried. After over three weeks in the hospital I delivered 9 weeks early with another large bleed. When they were preparing me for surgery my husband asked if I wanted to call the kids and tell them that I was on my way to have the baby. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I didn't want the last thing they heard from me to be sad or crying. I wanted the new baby so bad, but I was also praying for God to spare my life. I just wanted to be able to see my children grow up. During surgery I received around 12 units of blood/platelets. They did a hysterectomy to stop additional bleeding. I woke up two days later on a breathing tube in the SICU. The baby was 4lbs and stayed in the NICU for another month after I was discharged. Ok, so it's a LONG involved story. :) Sorry... I just wanted to say that I understand your desire for more children, but for me the thought of my children growing up without a mother would not let me consider having another baby... even if I could. Everyone's circumstances are different, but your children need you. Hugs, Geneva

My 7yo dd seems to have recently developed some sort of anxiety issues. It started a few weeks ago when she was complaining of her eyes itching. She seemed really scared about it, and was crying each afternoon about 5pm. I took her to the doctor, and they confirmed she had seasonal allergies. We have her Zyrtec... I thought the problem was over. A couple days later she asked me if you could die from seasonal allergies. I talked to her, we discussed things and I thought her fears were addressed. A couple days later she went out with her dad to a party. She rode home with a balloon in the car bopping her in the head. She was crying when she got home because she was worried that getting bopped in the head with a balloon could cause permanent damage. Saturday we went swimming and her little sister swallowed lake water (yuck). She came home worried that something would happen to her sister because of the lake water. Again, we discussed things and she calmed down. Finally last night about 4am she came into my room crying because she went to get a drink of water, and was still swallowing when she got back to bed. I explained to her that swallowing was normal, and it happens all the time. I told her that she swallows all day long, and probably doesn't even notice. She had a hard time going back to sleep. I'm starting to worry a bit about her anxiety. Is it normal for this age, or should I take her to the doctor? I'd hate to scare her further with a trip to the doctor, but I don't want her to suffer needlessly. I had a baby in late Jan after a 6 week hospital stay with placenta percreta. I thought some of the fears may have stemmed from seeing me in the hospital... I just thought it was odd timing, since I have been home from the hospital for several months at this point. Anyone have any advice? Thanks!!!

I'm not sure if you live in VA, but they have a Fun Pass for VA residents. I think we paid about $56/piece for them. We went several times last year. It doesn't include Water Country though.

I found my chalkboard on craigslist. It is 6'x4' and it cost me $30. It was from a school that was converting all the boards to whiteboards. It was basically brand new. My whiteboard is also from Craigslist. It's 8'x4' and it cost me $40. This one was from a local company that was going out of business. It was actually still in the box. Geneva

My son turned 5 on Sunday, and he received a Discovery Kids Scanopeda from my mother. My son, his 2yo sister and his 7yo sister have been playing with that toy non-stop. lol. It's a scanner that you use to scan plastic animals. It then tells you facts about the animals (what they eat, where they live, etc.). It also gives you a true or false quiz at the end. Super-cute. It's almost like an animal encyclopedia. It's certainly been a hit here, but my kids are a little animal crazy. lol.

My 7yo daughter and I have just finished the book Just Mom and Me Having Tea. We both really enjoyed it. Now I'm looking for something similiar for my son and I do together. Anyone know of a devotional or something similiar for mothers and sons in the 5-7yo age group? Thanks!!

A little background. This was my first official year homeschooling. It was a rough one. I was due with baby #4 in April, and ended up delivering 9 weeks early as well as needing to be hospitalized for the last 6 weeks of the pregnancy. Needless to say, most of the subjects I had planned got pushed to the side. We kept up with Math, Phonics, Reading, etc., however, History and Science fell by the wayside. My plan was WP Hideaways in History for my dd's 1st grade and ds's Pre-K, and WP American Story 1 for her 2nd grade and his K. We started HIH, and they loved the first few hideaways... then I'm not sure if it was as the pregnancy or we just got burned out on the program... maybe the SOTW readings were too much for them. Now I have HIH up for sale, but now I am starting to second guess my decision. Would you try it again, maybe with the audio books, for DD (7) and DS (5)? We live in VA, and the kids are surrounded by American History, and excited to study it. However, I'm bummed that I spent so much money on the Winterpromise Hideaways. Do the audio books for SOTW make it "more fun"? lol. Or, should I just scrap HIH at this point and start American History as I had planned. Thanks!!

I sent you a PM. Thanks!!

I hope it's ok to post this here. :) I have a bunch of Heartshaper Sunday School material by Standard Publishing. It includes the teacher's manuals, make-n-share craft materials, Heart Tugs, etc. Some of the sets have felt board figures, etc. Basically it's everything you would need to teach. I used it during the week with my daycare children, so there are between 5-10 copies of the make-n-share books. Most of them are unused. I am no longer doing daycare, and I need space on my shelves. lol. I really don't want to just throw it away. Any takers? :) I'm not selling it, just looking to pass it on to someone else who may need it. Thanks!

My daughter used Abeka Bible and the Flash-a-cards when she was in K5 at a private school. This year we used BJU Bible Truths, and it seems like she really misses the Abeka Bible curriculum. She's only mentioned those crazy cards about a million times. lol. Anyway, the cost of Abeka's Bible curriculum seems pretty expensive to me. What's included besides the story cards? Is the program worth the cost? Thanks!! Geneva