We often rent movies or check them out from the library and watch them. If not, we play games, snuggle up on the couch and talk, etc. My kids are much younger though...I am not sure how that would work in a home with a teen. My oldest son will often decide he doesn't like the movie we are watching and he will go to his room and watch a DVD on his computer, read a book, or play Nintendo DS.

I used Calvert the first 8 weeks of this year. I hated it. But the reason I bought it was NOT to have my kids work independently...it was because I was a new homeschooler and felt the need to have someone hold my hand so I didn't screw up my kids totally. After 8 weeks, I got over that and realized I could do a much better job of accomodating their individual needs than that box could. :) You do what you have to do for your family. :)

As for a balance, we have one, but my youngest just "got it" with weight and we never even used it.

With my youngest, we use some blocks for counting. By blocks, I mean, some wooden BLOCKS. We got them for $4.99 at walmart and he builds stuff with them when he is finished. LOL We also use straws for the number bonds and rubber band them together. :) I have a set of base 10 blocks I got off e-bay for $5.00 which included what I paid for shipping. We have yet to use them.

Well, when you get some answers, I will surely listen. LOL I have the same issue with my two boys. They are 5 and 9 and the bickering NEVER stops. Well, okay, it does when they are in seperate rooms. Right now, ds5 is upstairs with me watching Pokemon while ds9 is downstairs on his computer watching a Narnia movie. :)

Once or twice a month as a family. Sometimes less than that. Dh and I get quite a bit of "fun money" each paycheck, though, so I am always grabbing something here or there if we are out and about. If this is what you are referring to, then ...errr...2-3 times a week.

My vote is for Singapore. We love it!

Singapore scared me at first too...for the same reasons that it scared you. However, after trying and failing with other curriculums, I decided to try it. It has been a GODSEND to our family. Both of my kids are thriving with it. My oldest son is doing better in math than I ever did and my youngest is about to start 1A and just turned 5 in Sept. I would recommend, if starting with a younger child, to start with Singapore Earlybird. It helped me and my ds BOTH grasp the number bonds and the way that Singapore works (concrete, pictoral, abstract). I would never even consider another math program after trying Singapore. Oh and no, it is NOT cheap...not after you buy both levels for the year - and with the HIG, CWP, IP for both A and B, EP, and so on. Nope. Not cheap at all. ETA: We are using the standards Ed. of Singapore Earlybird B.

I love LA and we are using a combo or LLATL orange, Writing Tales II, and Growing with Grammar 4 (I do spelling by itself too). I pick and pull what I want from each, but I have found that they actually work quite well together. We are rarely doing the same thing (or intensive things) in each on the same day. GWG 4, I use as an extra practice type thing and it works so very well.

We use Explode the Code books (almost to book 3 now), Explode the code online, Come Read with Me from Calvert (for fun...he likes the videos), and he is also going through LLATL blue with says 1st grade but totally is NOT...at least not for my ds who just turned 5 in Sept. That said, some kids just are slower to learn to read. Many kids will struggle till they are 7 or 8 and then take off and be reading on a 9th grade level by age 9 or 10. Each child is different. If the program you have is boring for you and for her, then change it...but don't rush her to read. She will get it one of these days and it will click just like magic. :)

Does he read much? I ask because this sounds like something my 4th grader would have written before he started reading like books were going to be destroyed tomorrow. With reading, IMO, comes a better comprehension of writing and spelling. For spelling, we use a combo. My son stays "on level" with the Calvert Spelling program. We do the CD AND the book (which I buy seperately and used). Then, we picked up spelling power and started at level A. By doing this, we went back and picked up all the words that he just wasn't getting on his 4th grade level. He was good at memorizing stuff and regurgitating it for a test, but lacked the skills to actually use the words correctly or spell them correctly in his writing. We are working through Writing Tales II as well as doing summaries for Science, and working through LLATL Orange. I have a BA in English, so it is VERY important to me that he starts to "get" English...and slowly but surely, he is! I guess my advice may be to drop back and punt...i.e. go back to something more basic and get a good foundation before moving on to something more challenging. And if he is not a reader, get him reading.

My gut says to go get her and get help for her. Tell her that you can give your blessing for her to go to CA if she will promise to do counseling for 4 weeks first and start on meds for depression.

I think I have posted here before...but still in Eastern TN. :) We are about an hour Northeast of Johnson City. :) My mom lives in Knoxville and so does my best friend. I go there often. How I wish we had a homeschool group like they have up there.

I am doing a darn good job homeschooling my kids in spite of what I am going through mentally right now. I am keeping my head above water and doing all I know to do to help myself fight this. I pray to God I will come out on top and be a better person and a better Christian for it!

With a good writer/natural *English-y* student who enjoys composition, I would say you could get through both in one year. I would NEVER try that with my son who is a struggling writer. We will be lucky to get through WTII this year before starting Homer. I think it all depends on the child and also on how much of it you require them to do. I do not cut anything from the plan. Some people do seperate grammar and cut those portions. I guess it just really depends on lots of factors.

It gets boring and lonely. There is only so much house to clean and so many games you can play with the kids before you want to scream. I was a SAHM for 4 years before homeschooling. Trust me...homeschooling makes our days much more full and happy.

We are doing Writing Tales II and we just do it the way it is laid out day by day. Are you, perhaps talking about Writing Trails?

Oh, that breaks my heart! My God...are they training them for pro ball? NO! What a terrible thing to do to a special needs kid! *hugs to him AND you!*

1K (at least that is where I start to think of high numbers in terms of dollars ;)) I am 29.5 LOL

Oh absolutely. I don't blame you for quitting. Once my son was being bullied. The child hit him for no reason in the hallway and I saw it. I took my son's hand and told the boy not to hit him again or we would be talking with the principal. Immediately, the boy knew he would be in trouble and made up a lie about me. He said I called him names when I did not and there was a hallway full of adults and other kids to side with me. HOWEVER, even though this child had told my son things like, "You will die tomorrow.." and so on, when I went to talk with the principal about this (we are talking 3rd grade here, BTW!), she spent half her time telling me that I should have never spoken to the child, that it was HER JOB and I should have come to HER. Honestly. Did she care about the threats? No. She told my son it was half his fault because he, "had a smart mouth sometimes." You are 100% correct that you should have been informed. What your husband does is not your fault and coming to you about him is like something a child would do. The parents, students, and everyone working with those kids should have been told what happened. I.hate.public.school. Sorry...just LOTS of bad blood there.

Are you taking any medications? Some medications can cause a metallic taste.

Take some Aleve and get to a chiropractor tomorrow. :)

My K'er will be included when he is in 1st grade for History with my 5th grader (next year)...but I am still not sure I will ever combine Science. My older is doing NOEO physics I this year and it is over my K'ers head completely.

I have looked at all the suggestions. I think we are leaning toward Latin for Children for now. Not buying for another few months, so I will do lots more exploring before then. Thanks for all of your input!

Gosh, I am so sorry this has happened. I have no blood advice to offer, but I sure will offer you some prayers. This can't be easy overall and you sure didn't need this to make it more confounded. :(