I just had the binding cut off a thick book of blank maps, so I can coordinate them for our world geography study. It cost $1.09 at Office Max. I was soooo scared when I handed over the book, as I had never had a binding cut off before. But -- I love it!!! Now I'm searching around for other books to have cut. :lol: (DS is left-handed and struggles with thick bound books.)

I'm in the same place - only one child, and a young one at that - so take this with a grain of salt. ;) Someone posted on the K-8 curriculum side last night about planning events around curriculum or curriculum around events. We do both. I utilize our breaks by visiting art museums or history museums. We read related books in advance, so DS is prepped and excited about the topic. I believe in the younger years it is very important to lay a solid foundation and "light the fire" so children are excited to learn. I also believe that young children learn best by doing and seeing, so we go on a number of field trips. We plan vacations around educational opportunities. We, the parents, make learning simply a part of our lives and DS picks up on that. Along those lines, DH and I read a great deal - and we read in front of our child, we read to our child, our child reads to us, we talk about what we are reading. When our neighbor boy was recently trying to talk my husband into buying a Blu-Ray and a big-screen TV, our son told the neighbor boy, "We read in the evenings, we don't watch television." The neighbor boy replied, "Why would you do that?" DS said, "Because books are great!" I really think one of the best ways to fold classical learning into your lives is to answer your child's questions. If you don't know, help them look it up. If you can't look it up right away, make a point to remember when you get home. This is a 'soapbox issue' of mine - I so hate to hear parents tell their children, "I don't know" and leave it at that. I believe in encouraging children to ask questions - and making a point to help them find the answer. We decided when our son was younger to forgo current movies and to support local art/theater instead. We go to a number of children's plays each year. (And always read the book first!) I think it is important for children to watch live theater, as it helps them with focus and observation skills. Along those lines, we have always asked our son, What was your favorite animal at the zoo today? What was your favorite character in the play? What was your favorite painting at the art gallery? We talk, talk, talk about what we see and do. We actually straddle the line between classical education and unschooling. ;) But along those lines - we have a number of fun, educational games. Right now, we have a "forever" game of Professor Noggin going -- DS mixed the Human Body game cards with the Solar System cards, so we end up bouncing back and forth between the sciences -- and it is taking forever to finish! We just play a dozen or so cards a night, as we end up stopping to talk about things as we play. DH and I both grew up in families that had a "Sunday Night - Movie Night," where we watched Mutual of Omaha or Disney and ate pizza. We decided to do that with our son. Sometimes we watch an old Herbie movie. Sometimes we watch a science or history video. Again, it is just making family time and learning go hand-in-hand. Have you read the book "And the Skylark Sings with Me" by Albert? He talks about homeschooling being a "community-based" form of education -- taking advantage of what your local community has to offer. I read that book when we first started homeschooling and it really made an impact on my education ideals and goals.

We are on our fourth year of homeschooling, but fairly relaxed. I plan our curriculum around events. And I plan events around our curriculum. For starters, I look over upcoming art exhibits, plays and concerts and incorporate those into our studies. Ex: If "The Secret Garden" is playing at a children's theater, then we will read the book before we see the play. Most of our bedtime reading is centered around plays we will be seeing in the near future. We will soon be reading about Georgia O'Keefe and Ansel Adams before we go to see art exhibits of their works. Likewise, if we are going on vacation and find ourselves near - say - The Pony Express Museum (St. Joseph) then we will read a book or two about The Pony Express. I don't find this disruptive to our schedule at all because I allow for this in our schedule. I don't get into the filing and major lesson planning because I want to allow time to explore other topics. I don't view learning as a linear process that must be done in a set order, so we meander through life, learning as we go. On the flip side, I do plan events around our curriculum. This fall, we will be reading Famous Men of Greece and I plan to hit a local art museum that has a large college of Greek art. This museum also happens to have a new exhibit opening on African art, so we will probably read a geography book or two on Africa either before or after going. See? It all just flows together.

I am making a world geography notebook for DS to use this fall and add on to over the next few years. (With plans on making a US geography notebook next year.) Currently I have sections for: General world geography (continents and oceans) Specific continents Vocabulary Animals I am debating adding sections for: Landmarks Habitats Geographical features: man-made and natural We will be doing current events, but I plan on DS adding those articles to the continent section. I think we might actually combine the animals with the habitat section. If you have made a geography notebook, what did you add? If you haven't made a notebook but are interested, what sections would you add? If it matters, this is for a child that loves geography and has been drawing detailed maps since he was able to hold a crayon. :tongue_smilie: Thanks in advance.

:lol: My mom bought a professional roll of Christmas wrapping paper when I was around 8-years-old. My mom wrapped everything in it - for four or five holiday seasons. :lol:

If you have a Hobby Lobby locally, you can use their 40% coupons for many science kits. Otherwise, I have found Home Science Tools to be priced fairly - not high for what they offer. The science kits are priced much the same anywhere else. They have awesome customer service and speedy shipping.

Handle on the Arts. (This is the year to actually use it, instead of just drool over it!)

Do you have educational CDs the other children can listen to in the car? Or on an iPod? DVD player for history or science videos? Do you have P.E. opportunities in the area, like walking or biking at a park? (Weather permitting, obviously.) It's so early in the morning, but what about local field trip options? Just thinking of a few 'out-of-the-box' suggestions to break up the week. Some grocery stores have a little deli area and may not notice/care if you are schooling there.

Do you have a community rec center? Or nature center or public garden space that is open? (And shaded?) We often school out of the house - and the hangup is often... Bathrooms! None of the parks in our town have bathrooms. :glare:

:grouphug: My DS was diagnosed with a mild peanut allergy when he was less than 2 years old. We always carried an epi-pen, as he was severely allergic to eggs. (And mildly allergic to sunflower and dairy.) He outgrew his egg and dairy allergies around age 5. Fast forward to present. We had assumed he had outgrown the mild peanut allergy because he had never, ever had a reaction all this time. And we quit carrying an epi-pen when DS was cleared on the egg allergy. DS had a severe allergic reaction this summer. To what??? I had been eating peanuts and had handed him a napkin right before he broke out. Our allergist said his initial peanut allergies were so mild it couldn't have been that... But she tested him anyway. Yeah. DS is now classified as severely allergic to peanuts - anaphylactic by contact. :001_huh: Allergist said the only reason he hasn't had a reaction sooner is that I am border-line paranoid and wipe everything down. :tongue_smilie: So - I feel your pain. I haven't taken DS to the grocery store since we found out, nor have I allowed him to go over to friends' houses. I know I need to get a grip on this, but it's still too fresh in my mind. (And - obviously - I quit eating peanuts!!)

We nursed until DS was 2.5 years old. He was diagnosed with egg and dairy allergies when he was ~1 year of age and those certainly did pass through the milk and cause discomfort. (And major spewing.) But DS still was having problems after I eliminated those items from my diet. They were testing for additional allergies, including gluten. He was finally diagnosed with a sunflower allergy. :glare: Most 'alternative' foods w/o eggs and dairy have sunflower in them. I am celiac, but diagnosed long after bf'ing, so I don't know first hand. But do know my doctors were testing my son that at the time.

I remember your last post. :lol: In all honesty, though, have you thought about having an electrician out to check your wiring? We used to live in an apartment and the smoke alarm went off at odd times. Fire department came out many, many times and never could find anything wrong. We finally moved out. One week later, our (burning!) apartment was on the evening news. It was surreal to see the building we just moved out of, on fire, on the television. They tracked the cause of the fire to faulty wiring in our apartment! :001_huh:

Yes. --- I love old books! A few from my collection - some we use for school, others I just drool over. ;) Natural Wonders Every Child Should Know by Edwin Brewster Nature Study: Primary Grades by Horrace Cummings Nature's Wonderland by David Sellars Nature's Byways by Nellie Ford (like a McGuffey's reader, but nature based; we also have/use McGuffey) Work and Play with Numbers by George Wentworth (use to drill math facts; DS loves the pictures) Builders of the Old World by Gertrude Hartman

http://www.coramdeoacademy.org/content/2009-2010-summer-reading-booklist Private Christian Classical school in North Texas

Get thee to Hobby Lobby and just stand and gaze at all their glorious fall decorations. That is how I am surviving. I think all their fall and Christmas crafts are on sale this week, too. Seriously. The record for most 100+ degree days was set in 1980 -- 42 days in a row. If we break that record, I will honestly look into moving to Alaska. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_United_States_heat_wave I'm dying in the heat, too. We are at the tipping point where it is *suppose* to start cooling down. Alas, I think we don't start cooling down much until the week after Labor Day. :001_huh: I don't know if I'm going to make it this year.

DS went through a period where he wanted to test everything to see how long it would take it to decompose. I was so glad when he outgrew that stage. :lol: He is still into dissecting anything and everything.

After several years of feeling terrible (severe mood swings, exhausted constantly, itchy/crawly skin, panic attacks out of the blue, skin thinning out) I went to a doctor that specializes in female hormone issues. My progesterone level was something like .5, when it should have been over 25. (Or 50. I don't have the paperwork in front of me, whatever the number should have been - the doctor said I had the progesterone levels of a 70-year-old. :001_huh:) Anyway, I went on progesterone supplements and within five weeks felt like a new woman! I also went on vitamin D supplement, per test results. In hindsight, I wish I had gone to the doctor much, much sooner! (So does my DH. :lol:)

Do you have a nature center near you that offers classes or guided hikes? My first instinct would be to outsource. :D Really, then you can both learn together, if you sit in on the classes. Does a local garden club offer any outings for young children? Does your county have a Jr. Master Gardener program? Do you have a friend that loves nature and/or gardening? Maybe you can ask her to take you and your children out on hikes or ask to visit her garden? Do you have a local garden center that specializes in native plants? If so, they would probably love to show you and your son around and "talk plants" with you. I teach nature classes for the 3-6 year old set and the parents have commented on learning just as much as the kids. If you don't have a love for it, you might be best to latch onto someone that does -- and there is nothing at all wrong with that! I see it often and - as an avid nature lover - think it is fine to admit that you just don't share the passion.

We bought our house 15 years ago, when DH and I both had professional jobs. We bought a house way, way below our means, though as we knew I wouldn't always be working. Thankfully, we found a real estate agent that didn't try to pressure us into buying more house than we wanted or needed, or could comfortably afford. We have paid extra on our mortgage all along. Our house is the smallest in this neighborhood, which is fine with us. When our neighbors/friends have "moved up" and tried to talk us into moving, we just shake our heads. We are happy here in our little house. Sure, it would be nice to have more room... But we are on the brink of paying off our house. (Planning to this summer, until DH was laid off. We have the money in the bank and DH has a new job lined up, but we don't want to do anything too quickly right now.) We don't budget. At all. But I can tell you within a $50/month what we spend on clothing and food. I keep a running list in my head of expenses, as well as a running list of prices on our staples. We don't eat processed foods, so I don't cut coupons or bargain shop for the cheapest cereal. But we try to buy local, in season, produce as much as possible. We are not shoppers, nor are we into 'things.' A neighbor boy was over this weekend and he was trying to tell my husband why we "need" a Blue-Ray because "it is just so much better." Lovely marketing by an 8-year-old. But we have old cell phones. Two average TVs that we seldom watch. I have heard this phrase tossed around lately -- we would rather spend money on experiences than on things. We would rather buy theater/play tickets than buy a new DVD player. Every so often, I look over our receipts for the month and compare them to what "the experts" say you should spend. We always spend a smaller percentage on the basics (food, clothing, entertainment, house, car) than what they say, so I feel comfortable NOT budgeting. We do own two newer vehicles because DH is not into car repair and we live in a large city and don't want to get stranded. Both vehicles are pretty basic, though. Nothing fancy.

We used GtG in preK and K and loved it. Like others have said, Bible is a separate subject and can easily be left off. We didn't use their science recommendation, Considering God's Creation, as that is one of my least favorite books ever. (As a former graphic designer, I think the layout and printing is terrible. Page layout is too crowded. Academically, I think it would be good for young elementary, but all that tiny cutting and pasting and small font would kill most elementary age children.) I easily added in science books from the library to fill in those spots. I love making up unit studies and probably could have pulled together something on my own, but I loved how this book pulled everything together - native animals, famous artist/writers/composer, food, landmarks, etc. My son still talks fondly about our GtG studies and pulls out the little notebooks we made for each country.

What programs are you using? Can you change to a different curriculum? Cut out unneeded activities and 'fluff' stuff? I know my DS does not tolerate coloring pages, cut-and-paste activities or other 'fluff' type stuff. We follow The Latin-Centered Curriculum for history for this very reason! It is the best of the best - I know DS is getting a great history education w/o all the 'stuff' that turns him off. What does your son say? Fifth grade is certainly old enough to have a say in his education. Have you listened to the audio "Teaching boys and other children that would rather be building forts" by Andrew Pudewa? It is great!

DS is 8.5 years old. We have always done history and science w/a structured schedule, though we are plenty open for student-led exploration and impromptu history or science field trips. (Ex: we decided to study Lewis and Clark at the last minute, after we found out we would be traveling and within miles of a L&C museum.) I don't do worksheets, per se, but we certainly do lab sheets in science and test on these subjects. DS has taken the ITBS, which has science and 'social studies,' and our state standardized tests, which includes testing for science. DS has a great joy for both science and history, so I personally can't imagine not studying them in depth at this point.

My mother is that way. She cannot stand people to eat salad or drink water around her. :glare:DH has lost 45 pounds this year and has gone off his blood pressure meds. My mom's response? DH looks like a bobble head doll - his head looks too big for his body. Yeah. Nice, Mom. (Okay. There may be a bit of truth there. Still. I wouldn't tell the man that. :tongue_smilie:)

I was reading the initial post and telling my son and his friend that today is 8/9/10... Then I read your post and my computer said 11:13. Drat! We missed that by a minute! :tongue_smilie: Story of my life... But the boys still got a kick out of it being 8/9/10 11:13.

We have a stereo microscope, so a bit different... But we tend to save things, then once every few weeks will pull out the microscope to look at items and perhaps read a related book. Last week we looked at some bug-eaten leaves, flower pollen, a dead spider and a live tick. We also dissect (animals from Home Science Tools) and use the microscope to look at smaller bits and pieces. Owl pellets are fascinating to look at under the scope. :tongue_smilie: I am planning on doing a microscope study next year and will be using the following books: Adventures with a microscope by Headstrom A world in a drop of water by Silverstein The world of the microscope - Usborne