They said it would be published soon I thought. I’m not sure if I’ve seen a publish date or not. I plan to use the next book (red book, I think). It will cover the same topics with new examples. My daughter needs to run through it again as she hasn’t mastered all the concepts. So I’m Looking forward to trying the next book with her.

I’ ve done this some years. We usually do a few very light things over the summer and a lot of reading. But I’ve been trying to schedule more of a break - especially for me. I take time in the summer to read books for me and to do some self-education. I give the kids craft projects or let them play outside and I take some time off while the littlest one is napping. My kids know that for a little while in the afternoon they are not to bother Mom so I can have some relaxation time. I’ve enjoyed my summers where I focused on myself and on my self-education. I was so refreshed and ready to start another year. That being said, I still had a simple routine for our summer days and my kids did different educational things and a few independent workbooks so their brains didn’t totally fall out. Lol! But I have found that taking a few months to focus on other things was a great thing for us. We also tried to do more art and science demonstrations, listen to different styles of music, practice math facts, and follow interest led learning in our book choices. I tried to fit in some things hat sometimes got pushed aside during the school year. But having things already planned and ready to go for the next year was amazing. I’m currently working on next year’s stuff right now so that by the end of May I don’t have to think about it until August.

We’re near the end of F. It’s been largely independent. I read through the lesson and get her started and then she’s on her own. I spend about 10 minutes on math. We tried G but it was so challenging. It’s independent but my daughter really got bogged down in the lessons. They are redoing it and breaking it in to two books. I’m wondering if that will be better. We found G to be overwhelming!

www.lextineclectic.com is my homeschool blog. I’ve taken a break recently due to being pregnant and exhausted.

Thanks for the help. A couple rounds of the drops I bought helped clear up the stuffiness. My ear finally popped. I’m feeling much better. I think the combination of being very pregnant and uncomfortable with horrible heartburn made it where the clogged ear was more than I could handle on top of everything else. And I was paranoid to take a decongestant while being pregnant. So I’m very glad the drops eventually worked But I can hear today so I’m going to survive. Lol!

Thanks! My hubby is going to go try to find some.

I need your help! My ears felt a little blocked up today. I put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in each ear to break up the wax. I let them drain. One side is significantly worse. My ear is completely blocked now. My whole head feels stuffy and I’m miserable. I’ve tried a mix of white vinegar and alcohol to help dry it. Nothing. I tried some warm olive oil to encourage the wax to break up and drain out. Nope. What can I do? I am so miserable.

What level of FLL did you complete? There are 4 levels. If it’s working I would stick with that for grammar. I add WWE in 2nd grade starting with Level 1. We’ve liked that program We use All About Spelling. I like how it teaches rules. Then we do copy work for handwriting.

I’m super confused. I thought Apologia Exploring Creation were the elementary/middle school texts. I was going to comment that we’re using the chemistry/physics one this year. But are you talking about high high school or the younger books?

I thought I’d chime in as I use some of the same curriculum. Dont stress about next year. Your plan could change as you determine a certain curriculum isn’t a good fit. There is no perfect curriculum. The perfect curriculum is the one that gets done (and that is mostly enjoyable). For K I use AAR (either PreLevel or Level 1 depending on my kiddos). I use RS A. We do Lollipop Logic from Prufrock Press and a few logic books from Critical Thinking Company. We read a bunch of simple science books from the Lets Read and Find Out Series. And then my K kiddos listen is as I read history books from Master Books. We’re doing America’s Story this year. I don’t do any writing (other than practice handwriting on a small whiteboard). And I don’t even think about grammar or spelling. We focus on reading and math and lots of read alouds. I keep it simple as a mamma to 6 (soon to be 7). So I think your plan sounds great but don’t be afraid to scale back especially in writing. Don’t worry too much about science or history (other than reading books determined by your child’s interests). Add in some art and some fun sensory play and I think you’ll have a great year.

I’m making final decisions for next school year and I’m trying to plan my course for Latin for my dd who will be 7th/8th grade. She has done Song School latin 1 and 2 and then Latin for Children A and B. I was thinking of switching to a Memoria Press because they are redoing LfC but it’s a level behind where she is working. So I’ll have to rebuy the new edition for my other kids. No thanks. I was thinking we would start in MP First Form just so we’re not overwhelmed by jumping into a new program. But it then I saw Latin Alive which looks interesting too. Would she be be able to use the first level of that program or would it be too much? I like the streamlined and straightforward look of MP it just looks easy to use with less busy work than LfC. But I’ve heard many great things about Latin Alive. Which programs have you used and enjoyed? Help me sort through the best option for us.

I’m doing BJU streaming. My kids really enjoy the BJU science and I enjoy facilitating rather than teaching. I just have not felt inspired with science.

Well my vote is to paint all the rooms that neutral color. That way the buyers can easily add a color here or there to go with their decor. We looked at homes where bedrooms were painted different colors but they rarely went with what bedspreads and items we already had for those rooms. So I had to think about repainting them to not clash with our stuff. But I’m super boring and prefer neutral walls so I can hang art or other things on the wall to add color that way. But if you’re going to paint the rooms then I would find very neutral light colors that coordinate with the main color.

DP. Sorry!

What have been the elective classes that your children have enjoyed the most? What creative electives have you designed? Or have your kids helped design? I’d love to hear what electives your kids found most interesting and memorable.

Thanks for the ideas! I don’t think this kiddo would love an online version. She much prefers books. I’m going to look at Abeka and Total Health. And I didn’t know Oak Meadow had one too! I’m going to check that one out. I thought this would be the perfect thing to just get done one summer. It seems really silly. And I have a feeling I will probably disagree with many of the options if they follow the regular food pyramid. We eat differently and we also have food allergies so I get really tired of some of that stuff. Oh well! I didn’t want to cobble something together on my own because I just don’t want to spend that kind of time on health. I’d rather put my effort into other subjects!

So I have to know your least favorite car color now! Curious minds want to know! Do tell! I won’t drive a red or yellow car and I really really don’t like white cars. I prefer silver or gray because they look the least dirty with the snow and rain we get.

I need a car to seat a minimum of 9 people. So passenger vans are really our only option. We’re looking at 12 passenger models. This will give us a seat for each of us and room for family or friends. We’ve already outgrown our 8 passenger mini van. So I’m pretty much stuck with a passenger van. Or maybe a small school bus! Lol

So much amazing info. Thank you all for responding! It’s really helping me clarify my plan for next year.

I do worry about the sliding door. My kids found it hard to open from the inside and from the outside. But I also worry about them flinging open the doors. Ugh! We’ll be keeping his car for a very long time (hopefully) so I want to like it. 😬

We have to upgrade to a passenger van now that we are expecting a new baby. I’ve driven several different vans and like the ford transit the best. There are two vans currently available in my area: Both are 12 passenger vans and have similar features with just s few differences. One is white and has the sliding door. The other is silver and has the double doors that open instead of a sliding door. I really would prefer anycolor except white because it looks so commercial. Yuck! However, I thought I would prefer the sliding door. My concern is that this door is huge and very heavy. It is hard to shut on an incline. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the two door van. We’re going to test drive it tomorrow. I’m wondering if these doors would be easier for us. Plus I love that the van is not white. Will my kids be banging every car next to us when we park and open the door? Or will two smaller doors be better? So, what does the hive think? Will I be sad I don’t have a sliding door on my van? Or will I hate how heavy the sliding door is? Help me think this through! We have to decide within a week because our old van has sold and is being picked up soon.

My state requires one semester of Health for high school graduation. What does everyone use for that? I thought we could get that out of the way in the summer. I tried searching the forums but I couldn't find anything helpful.

I have looked at Saxon. I’m not sure my dd would enjoy it. I think she would prefer the color that’s in BJU or something similar. BJU seemed a little more engaging.

I’m feeling a little worried that very few people use BJU math.... Ugh! Decisions! I wish more people with experience would chime in.

All of these thoughts have been really helpful. I think we will try some Memoria stuff next year. I need something new and something that is no frills and straightforward. I think this will get done.