I am so glad this worked w/your neighbor girl. And I see NO problem at all with your approach. I have tried a similar approach, on different occasions, w/our neighbor girl and it has had no impact. I have come to the conclusion that she must be the class bully, which is why I'm afraid I'm going to lose it w/her one day. She simply will not back down on her comments. One time after she made a terrible comment about homeschooling, I said, "Oh, did Mrs. Smith say that?" She said, "Yes. Hey, how did you know her name?" It was really an educated guess - the teacher's name I said is listed as the school's 'gifted and talented' teacher on their website and I thought that was most likely the source of this girl's comments. I have even gone so far as to telling her that it is not polite to talk to her teachers about someone they don't know. (Explaining it is gossip.) But - honestly - sometimes it worries me that CPS will show up at our door because of something she has said to her teacher and her teacher reported.

I posted earlier, but wanted to comment on this. We have an only child, so our child doesn't get gifts from siblings. And we live across the country from our family so don't have Christmas gatherings where DS receives gifts from cousins or aunts. Out of extended family, only MIL sends DS a gift for Christmas/birthday. We probably spend quite a bit more for our child simply because what we buy him is all he gets.

Ugh. I have been having a similar problem with a neighbor girl for the past two years. :glare: I finally did talk to the girl's mother, as she homeschooled her older children so I *thought* she would talk to her daughter and resolve the issue. Not so. Come to find out, the girl talks to her teachers about her "homeschooled friend" and the teachers are the ones telling her that my child is "stupid" and "won't be able to get into college," etc. We have finally had to distance ourselves from the child. If the children do play, I listen carefully to their conversations. Each and every time the children are together, she says something awful to DS. DS is good about standing his ground and I make sure to talk to him afterward about her comments. It is so hard, though. I have a hard time not jumping in and going "Momma Bear" on the girl. :tongue_smilie:

No clue. Our only child is a Christmas baby, so I just shop until I feel like I have bought him 'enough' w/o going overboard then I split everything up - some for Christmas, some for birthday. In the end, I always wish I had bought him just a tad bit more.

News story from our area earlier this year: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/education/stories/022510dnmetschoolchains.440c2a8.html 8 DISD high schools cited for keeping exit doors locked "Surprise inspections at 31 Dallas public high schools this week revealed that eight were locking exit doors that serve as escape routes during catastrophes, a serious fire code violation. " "Chaining school doors has become fairly common in Texas, as schools weigh security issues against fire safety concerns." ___ I don't know if our own school district chains/locks their doors. I do know that my neighbor says it is easier to visit an inmate in prison than to have lunch at school with her child. Our school doesn't allow running during recess. The kids walk, single file, along the inside of the fenced playground. If it wasn't so pathetically sad, it is comical to drive by during recess and see all the children walking the fence line in a single file. It really does look like a scene from a prison movie. :tongue_smilie:

I bought a pair of water shoes from REI - oh... 10 years ago?! They have had a good, long life but it is now time for them to go bye-bye. I would really like something with more support than standard water shoes. Several ladies at water aerobics wear Ryka and love them. I haven't been able to find them locally and hesitate to order them on-line w/o trying them on. I went to a local sports store today and they didn't have any water shoes, but recommended another store that carries the "Five Finger" shoes. I have a credit at REI and they do sell those shoes. REI is a bit of a drive, but I do love a good excuse to pay them a visit. :D REI also carries North Face water shoes. I don't know how they would be for water aerobics, though. If you do water aerobics - with shoes - what do you wear and recommend? Thanks!

You mentioned the boy has allergies. Do you know if he is on any meds? Our neighbor boy went through a period of saying he wanted to die when he was in 1st/2nd grade. The parents took him to a counselor who said that his comments were very real - the boy even went into great detail on 'how' he planned to do it. (Thankfully, he had overlooked one critical step.) The boy was in therapy for several months w/no improvement. Meanwhile, the mom was talking to the family doctor and the allergist about the possibility that the allergy meds were causing the suicidal thoughts. They said 'not at all a chance.' But the mom finally insisted on taking him off the allergy meds and his dark mood and comments stopped w/in a few weeks. The boy was on one of the big allergy meds that is in the news for suicidal thoughts. All the doctors insisted that the boy was too young to be affected this way. But - nearly a year later - the boy hasn't had a relapse into saying he wanted to die. As an aside. I was out with this boy and my own son during this time period. We were somewhere that the employees knew my son because we go there often. The neighbor boy got very upset that the employees didn't know him and started saying how he wanted to die and was going to kill himself. I felt so terrible! I had a dozen other mothers (that didn't know me) staring at me like I was an unfit mother. I really did not know what to do or say. I finally got it together and took the boy outside to talk with him, while the employees - thankfully - talked to the other mothers. Later, I called the boy's mother and just broke down in tears. I hated that I cried when I knew she was already overwhelmed, trying to figure out what to do. But it was just so surreal to have a young child say that.

I read your original comment (It's a history rotation and not a blood sport) and chuckled. I thought it was funny, even worthy of being my homeschool mantra. You know - for those times when I think we "must" get "x" done before we go on to "y." :tongue_smilie:

:iagree: I have one foot firmly in the "classical camp," but the other foot is totally planted in the "child-led/unschooling camp." I just totally redid our schedule because my son is terribly interested in physics right now and couldn't wait another moment to study it deeper. "It's the lighting of a fire, not the filling of a bucket," you know. Light the fire. Go with it. It's not a race to get everything you want into their heads. I generally either plan to spend one entire day a week for a few months on my child's interest or we set aside our regular studies for a few weeks and devote that time to a passion.

Well, I only have one student and I *just* started that type of schedule last week, so I obviously don't have a lot of experience. ;) But - my DS wanted to add in a second science program and I knew he was ready for it *now* - and I didn't know how else to get every scheduled in. One day a week is now devoted to geography, science and Latin. I did the test run last week and it worked very well. DS is excited to be able to devote so much time to geography and science, as those are his two passions. I feel like we get so much reading and math worked into those two subjects that I'm not losing anything by not "teaching" reading and math on those days.

I got mine in the mail today. I have absolutely no memory of ordering it. :tongue_smilie:

Double punctuation - the question mark inside the quote and the comma on the outside - is incorrect.I was a copy editor in my former life and just pulled out my old AP Style Manual, but couldn't find a clear example to cite. I would be inclined to have the writer redo the entire sentence. I personally don't think it is correct to mix tenses -- "dashed" with "collecting" and "asking." Or you could get by with the mixed tenses if you offset "dashed around the store." Ex: Conner, dashing around the store, collected them and asked: How many? What kind? How big?

No, it is the exact same in Texas.You can look at our scope and sequence on-line and it sounds wonderful. But our state posts the previous year's state standardized tests on-line and they are downright pathetic. I gave our son the third grade math and LA TAKS exam at the end of Kindergarten, as well as the 5th grade science test. I would love to say that my son passed all three with flying colors because he is a genius. But - the sad reality is - he passed them with flying colors because they are so awful! Ex: 5th grade physics question -- What does a bike need to coast down a hill? A basket? Handlebar streamers, pedals, a front tire. In case the 5th grader wasn't able to figure that out, there was even a handy picture with arrows pointed to the different options. I just gave our son the latest released tests last month. In PS, he would be going into 3rd grade. He got 100% on 3rd grade math and LA and only missed one question on 5th grade science. (5th grade is the first year they test on science.) My honest opinion is -- the PS system makes their standards sound wonderful, but they miss the mark. You can find studies on-line of the TAKS exam compared to the NAEP. Our "affluent" district's state test scores drop 30 percent or more when compared to the national exams! ___ On a related note with red-shirting, the term used for holding back a year. I only know one boy that started public school kindergarten on time. Every other boy I know has been held back a year. Their mothers complain endlessly about their boys being "bored" in school. They don't seem to realize that their boys were academically ready for school well before they were mature enough to sit still and do the work. That was exactly what lead us to homeschooling. Our son was reading on his own at age 4. We made an appointment with the school to talk to them about early enrollment. We didn't have a clue then about what all that would have meant, but we were alarmed that our school was telling us that we actually needed to hold our boy back a year! Their exact words: boys are not mature enough to sit still and do the school work until they are at least six years old. :glare: When we questioned them, they said that children that enter K already reading are sat in a corner and they complete worksheets while the teacher works with the other students. Sorry. I don't know any five- or six-year-old boy that is ready to sit and work quietly! We have homeschooled now for four years and teach each and every subject at his level. I don't worry about grade levels.

:iagree:We had a fabulous first week back to school! Second week? Not so much. But we ended today on such a high note! As DH says, they can't all be picture-perfect homeschool days. I try to keep that in mind when we have a bad day or two. Also, I try hard to remember that sometimes things are just 'off.' We had strange weather this week w/the hurricane, the windows in DS's bedroom leaked and we had to move out his toys and books to keep them dry, DS is growing like a weed and complaining of growing pains, etc. All this has a direct impact on our school days. Some days are just meant to be spent on the couch, reading a good book together.

We love Fit Deck cards: http://www.fitdeck.com/ The speed ladder one is so fun! We don't actually have a speed ladder, but draw several patterns on the driveway, along with the foot marks. I just bought the cone set, but haven't had a chance to do it yet. We have a Dick's Sporting Good in our area that we love! http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/home/index.jsp I think they have a good selection of recreational/home gym equipment for a decent price. That is where we bought our Speedminton set: http://www.speedmintonusa.com/Home.6.0.html Another fun home p.e. option! We are much the same way.We bike, hike, swim, etc. We go to the park at least once a week when the weather is good. But DS is so active! He just needs 'more' when it comes to physical activity, which is why I totally 'get' your post! DS also loves obstacle courses. I am planning on doing the FitDeck cards and alternate a run around the block. (Run around the block, do a few speed ladder sets, run a block, do the cone patterns.) Here is a website I found recently and liked: http://www.kidsrunning.com/index.html

DH and I attended the same school district. He graduated in '82 and I graduated in '86. Typing was required for all students. DH is a software engineer. He can type around 150 words per minute. It is truly amazing to watch him type.

I have always heard Mike Mulligan referred to as an example of personification. From "Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory," personification is "the impersonation or embodiment of some quality or abstraction, the attribution of human qualities to inanimate objects.

I just wanted to say that not all guys are 'just' fine with soap. I was on my DH for years to wash his face with something nicer, gentler. He ended up with awful acne around age 42. His family doctor kept prescribing round after round of meds. He finally went to a dermatologist that told DH to use a quality facial cleanser. And moisturizer! Now at 46, his skin looks lovely! :001_smile:

Speaking of narrations.In the past, we have 'just' talked about the field trip after. Late last year, I decided to scrapbook our school year - sort of like a school yearbook. This year, I am planning on having DS do narrations re: our field trips so I can add those to the scrapbook.

:iagree:We go on a number of field trips. I am always sad to see public or private school children on field trips w/clipboards in hands, heads down, focusing on whatever worksheet is attached. I would rather my child focus on whatever interests him, as I know he will learn more that way. Now, if we are going to a historical museum or a theater production, I try to read a related book before we go and maybe follow it up with another book after. We *always* talk about what we see/do on field trips. "What was your favorite animal at the zoo today?" "What did you think about..."

Oh, my goodness. My DS does that, too. Drives me nuts. But I'm sure it isn't much different than me watching the news while reading a book and being able to recall both. Ex: The other day I was reading a poem about geography to DS. He was bouncing around and had his back to me 1/2 the time. I was so frustrated that I put up the book and said, "That's it. I'm not reading to the back of your head anymore!" He said, "But I'm paying attention," then he recited the entire poem back perfectly even though it was the first time he had ever heard it. I asked him some questions, to see if he had actually comprehended what I read and not just spouting back the words. Nope. He got the meaning. That night, I was telling the story to DH in a low whisper while DS was a room away. DS came into the room we were in and said, "Dad. I was paying attention," then he went into great detail to explain the picture that was on the page. :glare: And he nailed every little detail. DS and I both have strong audio (and visual) memories. I didn't realize it until I was in college, then tried to 'teach' myself how to use it to my advantage. I am trying to show DS *now* how to use that skill to his benefit. I do really need to add more audio books/stories in our schooling. I have been debating getting DS an iPod so he can listen while we walk on our gym's indoor track. We did put DS into music lessons early, as he seemed to have a strong talent in this area. I am thankful every single day that he is taking formal music lessons. I stressed over how to include music in our school when I am not musical and DS is quite musical.

Thank you so much for the responses. I have been toying with the idea of adding another hour of school but didn't know if I was being unrealistic. We *need* the other hour to do an additional science that DS requested. He knows we need more time and seems fine with it on the surface. But I have been afraid that a few weeks in, we will both be burned out. Right now we have been doing 'formal' school for 3-3.5 hours a day. But that isn't counting outsourced classes (art, music, physical education) or self-directed learning (reading 1-3 hours, music practice, nature studies, etc.) He has always been so good at keeping himself occupied doing semi-educational things that I hate to rock the boat.

We are using and loving Elemental Science's chemistry program right now. Love it! We normally do science 3 times a week, but we can usually do 2-3 days lessons at one time. Probably depends on child, but for my budding scientist it hasn't been too much to do multiple days.

If you have a Hobby Lobby by you, they often have great sales on their model rocket kits. They also have a great selection of fun science things, like the Snap Circuits mentioned. Do you belong to a homeschool group? Our group often has e-mails re: things for sale. Someone just posted a few days ago about selling a new, unopened toy that they had been given last year that the kids weren't interested in. I am always sending out e-mails for things my DS has outgrown. Since he is an only, most of his younger toys were gently used. You might send out an e-mail to your homeschool group, if a member of one, asking if anyone has any nice, gently used toys they are interested in selling.

DS has two: Minotaurus and Hogwarts. He loves them. DH and I? Not so much. The pieces are very tiny and hard for our old, big fingers to hold. They are typical Lego - perfect size for little boy hands. I will say that DS normally plays with them by himself. He loves imaginary play and creating mazes and such. I don't know how other children might play with them. DS had just bought the second one when a neighbor boy came over. That boy didn't have the patience to put the board together and was quickly bored with it. (But he's into video games more than Legos.)