I specify in my ad's that I cover only media mail shipping with delivery confirmation and insurance is added at the buyers request for an additional fee. I just can't afford to be out $$ and the curric. I sell. I do, however, include insurance in the price of larger purchases regardless.

Thank you all so much for your help and advice. I'm off to check out the links and samples you have shared...I can't believe I missed the sticky thread at the top of this forum...I guess there's just too much going on here right now (starting school Monday/sell our house/buying new house/moving/and trying to fit in a little bit of summer fun, too...). Thanks so much!!

Dd is beginning her senior year on Monday, July 1st and this momma is a little freaked out. She is our oldest, so this is a new experience for us, and this whole transcript thing is stressing me out. Long story short, life has been very stressful the last couple years, so I've been doing good just to keep a list of classes she has taken. Now, I need to put all of those classes into transcript form and I'm not sure how to do it. I'm sure I'm probably making it harder than it is, but I would really love it if some of you would share with me what your transcript's look like. Dd is planning on going off to college next year, so other than the classes she has taken, what do colleges like to see on a transcript? Thanks so much, in advance, for any advice you can offer.

I'm so sorry for your loss! I can't even begin to imagine how hard this is on both of you. I agree with the above post, though. I would only try to focus on the couple subjects that are really important (math, reading & writing in my opinion) and give yourselves some time to process everything that has just happened. This is a big change, and big changes take time to adjust to. May God surround you with His love, peace, grace and mercy, and give you the strength you need to make it through this difficult time.

We are one year away from having college down to toddler. This year we have: dd17, 12th grade dd16, 11th grade ds13, 8th grade dd10, 5th grade dd6, 2nd grade ds3, pre-K ds6months, absorbing all he can! This will be our craziest school year yet...plus we plan to move as soon as our house sells! Whew!!

Thank you for your thoughts and advice. I guess I have just really been missing the days when we were all studying the same era in history so there was much more disscussion & interaction going on between my olders & youngers about what they had been learning. Maybe I just need to come to grips with the fact that those days are gone and it's going to be too difficult to get everyone back on the same page again (wishing I never would have split them up...).

Due to a very stressfull couple of years, we have a need to simplify our school and bring everyone back together as much as possible. So, I need your help in figuring out what to use in teaching my kiddo's together. I will have grades 12, 11, 8, 5, 2, a 4yo & 1yo this next year. My 12th grader has already studied Ancient, World & American history during her highschool years, but still needs government & ecconomics. My 11th grader has studied Ancient & World history, and needs to still cover American, Go'vt & Ecconomics. The younger kids have spent the last 2 years covering most of American history (we made it up to World War 1). I had planned (and bought) SOTW 1 to begin with the youngers, but now since I need to combine them all back together, I am having second thoughts. I'm just soo confused and my mind is spinning, so I am asking for some advice. What would you do? Is this even possible without buying something expensive like TOG (this is just WAY out of our budget)?

New babies always throw a kink into school schedules, but it's totally doable! Just take it one day at a time. I am pretty much a few months ahead of where you are (so to speak...baby #7 was born 4 months ago) and while we've had to readjust some things, and even blow off a few days when it was just too much to handle, we are making it through. I focused on my oldest dd's (highschoolers), making sure they had a time block specified for their work (usually at different time so one was working while the other was helping with housework or the little kids). I found that if they knew they would have time to get their studies done, then they were much more willing to help w ith other things. As for my younger ones...it was day to day...sometimes we got it done, sometimes not. I tried to focus on math and LA and let history & science slide a bit (but we usually got some of each done each week because it is so relaxing to veg out and read!). Things started smoothing out, and everyone pretty much adjusted to the "newborn" school schedule after the first couple months. It's not easy, but you know that, but it is doable. Hang in there momma...there's a lot of great support, encouragement & advice on this board!!! These people have gotten me through some pretty rough times! Oh, and congratulations on your new lil one!!!

Wow! Looks great!! We will be starting STOW 1 this summer, so I'm working on gathering all kinds of links/supplement books/info that I can. Thanks so much for sharing...can't wait to see it all!!

The Rod & Staff English books have excellent diagramming!

You guys are great! Thank you all so much for your opinions. I think I will go ahead and look for a first edition copy. Anyone happen to have one they want to sell?

Great, you guys have given me hope (and made my day)!! I think I will go ahead and try the Ancient History writing lessons and see how it goes. Thanks so much!!

So, if I already have my curriculum choices made, and I'm really just looking to learn/add more classical concepts to our learning an older edition would give me the same thing the current one would?

I require my kids to sit at the table or desk for handwriting, but it's their choice for everything else (couch, floor, etc.) as long as it is done neatly/readable and with a good attitude. Then the attitudes go south, I send them to the table for everything! Usually a day or two of "table" school and their back in line and can be "comfortable" again. :thumbup:

I want to start using IEW with my kids this year, but my budget doesn't allow for TWSS and I haven't been able to find anyone in my are that I can borrow it from. So...my question is, if I start using SWI C with my highschool girls, do you think I would be familiar enough with it to begin the themed Ancient writing book with my 8th & 5th graders in the fall? I know, I could use SWI B for them, but I really like what I see in the Ancient history book. Another thing drawing me to it is that we will be studying Ancient history next year, and my 8th grade ds is pretty excited about it. He is also my reluctant writer, so I was thinking that if his writing lessons were based on a topic that really interested him, he might be a little bit more cooperative when it comes to writing. We did use SWI B for a couple months a couple years ago, so I have already had some exposure to the IEW technique...so, what do you think? Is it doable?