LOL We totally need a "group."

Girl, you and I really think alike! LOL Our line up is in my siggy. And...if HOD doesn't work for us, we are going with CLE across the board. I just can't believe how much I love CLE and how well it works with BOTH my boys!

I am so glad he is healing well. You dh sounds like a wonderful father and husband - and protector. :) And don't feel like a child...I did the same with a cat before. I told my fil I couldn't bear to do anything to it and he took the cat, crate and all and it just vanished. I never saw the crate sitting around his house, so I can only ASSUME that he took the cat out into the wilderness and set it free and left the crate there. Yeah...that is what I chose to believe anyway...

We are doing school through the summer and choosing to focus on 2-3 subjects a day (all the basics). Obviously, older ds will do school only on the weeks he is HERE (LOL), so when he is at camp all day or with his dad, there will be no school. Here is a sample week schedule: Ds5 Mon: LLATL Blue (we have 4 weeks left of this and I am determined to finish this summer), Math, Cursive Tues: LLATL Blue, CLE LA, ETC Book Wed: LLATL Blue, Phonics Pathways, Math Thurs: LLATL Blue, CLE LA, Cursive Fri: Phonics, ETC Online, Math 1-2 days a week, he is allowed to do art. I leave it up to him on which day he is interested and usually he wants to do it at least once a week. :)

Okay, now...you must just live in the wrong part of TN. LOL I live in the Mountains and it is just wonderful (FWIW, I am not a beach, damp air, need gills to breathe type person, so this may be some of the issue). Now...to your original question: Are the mom and dad married? If not, I am not sure what the "rights" are, but I know that when 2 people get a divorce, dad/mom can definitely FIGHT and make the other parent stay in "h*ll"...or move without the kids...

Well...I called ex-h and left a message for him telling him that I did not feel comfortable about ds staying alone. He called back about 2 hours later and said, "Did you call this morning? What did you need?" I started to mention ds and staying alone and he said...and I quote here, "Oh, is that all you called about? I thought it was something IMPORTANT. I have to go." And he hung up. Wow...what a responsible, grown-up type fella he is. :angry:

True...but then the later programs (Creation to Christ and the ones yet to be written) take you through the 4 year cycle much slower. Preparing is just an overview before starting the 4 year cycle.

I see your point, and if ex-h had ds any time in the year...or if we split custody, then sure. However, I raise ds 335 days a year. You would think ex-h could handle alone time with the dear girlfriend during those 335 days when he is kid free living as if he had no responsibility in the world to a child...at all. It just angers me to no end. Ds cries to see his dad, but dad could care less and barely gives him the 3 weeks a year. What I would be getting is 15% $2500 a month. Trust me...I know the numbers. LOL However, the money is not worth near as much to me as the leverage. That is sad to say, but it is true. I really believe that, without the "ace in the hole" being the threat on ex-h's precious money, I could not homeschool ds9. I don't need the money...

I can't speak to MFW, but with HOD, I would not combine all three kids in the same manual at any point. I would start 2nd grader (probably in Beyond) and then keep her on her own schedule. Your two kids that are only 1 grade apart can likely do the same level....so I would start in Little Hearts or even Little Hands with them when the oldest (of your two younger) starts K and the youngest is Pre-K age. That will put you using 2 manuals at a time, but that is what we are doing (along with MANY others) and it is not difficult at all.

As far as I know, the law does not state a time limit he can be left alone. Just an age limit. If CPS were called, there is nothing they could do. It is not against the law. I kinda wish it WERE. Then I would have that to make a case with for ex-h to consider. At this point, all I have is "I think it is a terrible idea and I don't want you to do it."

I could definitely try this. The issue with ex-h is that he is LAZY. Unless live in gf found the daycamp, registered ds9, and took him there each day, it wouldn't happen. An example...my ex was urinating blood shortly after we divorced. He called me and asked me (in another STATE) to find him a dr and make him an appointment. :001_huh: We have a decent relationship and I write my own child support checks. He gives me a book of checks and I write them when I need them (this was a very good divorce...can you tell?). Well, when I run out of checks, I have to call the girlfriend to send me more. I can tell ex-h 500 times and he just.can't.seem.to.get.it.done.

I am the custodial parent unless ex-h moves close enough to have split custody (hasn't happened in 7 years...). I make all decisions except schooling, to which ex-h has a say. However, I pull my "are you paying the correct amount of child support card" and voila...we are homeschooling. :tongue_smilie: For vacations, he has a set time he is to get ds, but we have never gone by those. He calls me at the first of the year and tells me all of the days he wants ds. I put them on the calendar and then fill in my plans. This has worked rather seemlessly for the last 7 years. We usually agree on most things...mostly because I have ds and ex-h really doesn't play much of a role in our lives at all save those few weeks a year when he sees ds. However, ds is getting older and really starting to miss his dad. The only thing I hate is that ds goes to see dad so rarely that when he comes back, real life "sucks." It is like Disney World or a vacation every time he visits dad. :glare:

Pepsi did it too. They call it Pepsi "throwback." I can't tell the difference taste-wise...and it is much better for you than the cornsyrup!

Wow! And I thought I was tired.

Oh...and ds9 is absolutely thrilled at the opportunity to stay alone. At this stage in the game, he has no fear at all. Let the day come, though and it may be very different.

I am not sure I understand this statement. The court did not issue any limitations on his visitation at all. When I looked up the law in Maryland, it states than any child under the age of 8 should not be left alone. Ds is almost 10. So...my take on it is that, legally, I have no leg to stand on. It IS legal in Maryland to leave ds alone. The options I have are to let it happen...let dad use his parental rights and take him for the extra week and do what HE feels best as the other parent. Option 2: Stomp, scream, b*tch and get him to agree not to take ds for the extra week. I know you all think option 2 would be possibly silly and not work, but trust me...ex h does NOT argue with me when it comes to my decisions with ds9. (He knows I could go to court over the child support if he made me angry enough...and this is a man who may not see his son regularly...but who would NEVER be parted from his almighty dollar).:glare:

Yes, that is an offensive question. I am not overweight, but my best friend from the time I can remember has always struggled with her weight. She is now 30 years old and has been losing weight. However, even when she was heavier (and at her heaviest she was 350 pounds), she was still very intelligent. She is a nurse who is studying to be a Nurse Practitioner. I would delete your question if I were you. I can't imagine why one would even ask such a thing. I can't imagine any good coming from the question itself and obviously you know that thinking someone is less intelligent because they are overweight is just ridiculous.

Split the costs? Oh absolutely not. This man makes over $200K a year and I see $600 a month in child support without taking him back to court and making an issue of it. I dont' work. I can't imagine asking my dh, who basically supports ds9 completely other than that measley $600 a month, to pay for child care while ds is with his dad. :001_huh:

You hit the nail on the head here. This is my fear. His dad has no other kids and has lived his life, basically, as a single man for the last 7 years. As a matter of fact...he sees ds 30 days a year, but lives with his girlfriend. So, when he gets his 4 weeks of vacation, he spends 3 of them (at different times of year) with ds...but 1 week is reserved for him and live in girlfriend. :glare: ds is NOT invited. They need alone time, you know...since they don't see each other EVERY SINGLE DAY and live alone with no kids. No, they need to exclude ds and run off to the beach for some rest. His dad is not a *bad* person persay, but his dad never really had a dad who was around (until he was grown...now his dad is all over it!), so he didn't learn how to be a dad - at all. There are some days we don't hear from him for a week, maybe 2. Getting hold of him when you need him is hit or miss. He often calls ds on his drive home. If we aren't home at that time, oh well. The phone is NOT answered after that drive is completed. Ds is heartbroken about it. I do want to know the legalities. We don't even entertain the thought of leaving ds alone here. I mean, why? I am a SAHM and I wouldn't leave him alone even if I wasn't. He is a tempermental kid with ADHD who really often acts before he thinks. We are in TN. Ex-h is in Maryland. And...here is the law in Maryland: Unfortunately, it IS legal. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20060108/ai_n15993595/ Under Maryland law, for instance, children must be supervised at all times until the age of 8, and youngsters must be at least 13 to babysit for other children, including siblings. The law doesn't say how long children age 8 and older can be left by themselves.

I have primary custody of ds9 because ex-h lives in another state. I have had ds full time (other than about 30 days a YEAR when his dad gets him) since our divorce when ds was barely 3. Ds will be 10 in August. At the first of July, he is going to visit ex-h during ex-h's vacation. That is all fine and good, but now ex-h wants to keep ds an extra week. Great...BUT The catch - ex-h and ex-h's live-in gf both have full time jobs. During the 2nd week, they want ds (who is still only 9 years old and has ADHD) to stay ALONE while they are at work from 8-5 or so. I feel like it is a HORRIBLE idea. It terrifies me. At the same time, I know ds needs time with his dad (more time that dad gives him!) and he really wants to see his dad for this extra week. I definitely have the right to stomp and scream and yell and I KNOW that my ex-h will not push beyond that. He may be mad, but he will not do it if I say no. I just hate to always be saying "no." When I was a kid, I stayed alone after school and on days that the school was closed but my mom went to work when I was 10. I was alone more than I was with my mom (she was a single parent). However, this was in the late 80's and the world was a bit of a different place then. Also, I lived in a small neighborhood with good neighbors that everyone knew. My best friend was less than a block away and her mom was a SAHM who kept an eye out for me and was always there if I needed to call. Ex-dh says he will be no more than a 5 minute drive away (which I know is probably BULL) and that gf will try to take a couple of half days to shorten the time he is alone. Keep in mind that, without these extras, ds sees his dad about 3 weeks a year total. He is miserable and misses his dad something terrible. If this was your child, what would you do? ETA: I looked up the legality. Age 8 is the legal age in his state. I am in TN and there is no "legal" age, but the suggested age is 10.

More CLE here. :) I also really like what I am starting with Heart of Dakota. And we have been ETC users since ds5 started homeschooling. We love it!

From looking, it seems you have the basics covered. However, I too have no idea what GUM is. If it is an English/Grammar program, good. That was missing from the list. You covered spelling and writing, obviously. I 3rd the Usborne Internet Linked Encyclopedia of World History. I also like the Kingfisher Illustrated Encyclopedit of World History (white cover). If you want to do science, then you definitely want to add that in. You may want to try something like NOEO which is an all in one, but could be used with both kids at the same time. There are also about a million other curriculums in Science that could fit your needs. :) I am not sure about English from the Roots up. Sounds like you are just using flash cards and not the whole program? I would not start writing strands with a 2nd grader...and I would definitely get it and let your older use it and see what you think of it first...we used it and really hated it. That is not to say that you will feel the same, just saying. Handwriting is really up to you. I did handwriting when my older needed the practice. I also do it up until they are writing in cursive well. After that, and when they are doing a lot of writing in other subjects, I take away the extra handwriting stuff. My best advice on "extras" is to start with the basics and add in slowly. I bought all of this wonderful art and music stuff last year and never touched it because my kids did art and music in co-op instead! This year, I am going to try to use some of it...but it will be contingent on schedule and where it "fits." :) Best of luck and enjoy your first year homeschooling!

Oh my! :( I am so sorry to hear this. Prayers for his family and for you as well as this seems to have hit you really hard. Sometimes this freak incidents really remind us of our own (and our loved ones') mortality.

Seriously, I think you just described my ds9. I can't really help (though I will be reading this thread closely for advice), but I can tell you that you are not alone. I always thought it was due to the divorce, (he was barely 3 when it happened) but I know lots of parents who have never been divorced who had kids that are also this way. I am sorry and I definitely feel ya! My ds tore up a card to my MOTHER once for her birthday AFTER he gave it to her because he was mad at the word. He crumpled my younger son's artwork because ds5 didn't give him a piece of gum. He is just an ANGRY child. We are seeking counseling... :grouphug:

I used Singapore and Miquon together. I also used Calvert and Horizons together (not ever going to recommend that combo LOL). Now, we use CLE math and absolutely LOVE it. :)