Whelp....off to rethink my long-term science plans. :p :p

Time 4 Learning?

Next year I will be using Elemental's Intro with a 5 yo and 7 yo (K and 2nd). I chose this simply because it fit better with my overall plan with science. :p We'll be doing Biology the following year. My oldest does not like to write at all, so I felt it would be best to do a gentle, hands-on year with them together (it'll be the first "official" year of them doing "real" subjects together.) Intro. looked like it would fit that the best. :)

I got one of those wobble discs a few weeks ago. I don't know that there's any rhyme or reason to using it. I just let her sit on it when we do school work at the kitchen table. I'm thinking of also buying her a few hand-fidgets to use when we are listening to a read-aloud....

We currently piece together our whole curriculum, but occasionally I get really tempted by box programs. Memoria Press always catches my eye, as well as MFW. Um, and Winter's Promise, but luckily they get pretty poor reviews here, LOL. But their catalog is so lovely...

Yes, I do this all the time. It's probably the reason why we've hopped through about 10 different phonics programs in 2 years. I, also, am swearing off pdfs. They won't get done. I just acquired a new writing program this week, but I'm still researching others...

This is about where my DD is (though I don't know if she could decode "sack.") Anyway, we spend about 15 min. on phonics (Phonics Pathways - usually just a page). Maybe 5 min. longer if I can get her to play a phonics game afterwards. Then later in the day she reads me either a whole or half Primary Phonics Reader (probably 5-15 min., depends on how much she struggles that day). This is it. On a rare occasion, we may do a ETC-type worksheet (Primary Phonics), 5-10 min. Oh, and she'll play 20-30 minutes of Reading Eggs most days, but we don't really count that as school time.

Oooh, I like those number bond bracelets! I feel a project coming on! For our 10 bonds, we did the 10-facts rainbow, just for fun, and drew a unicorn on top (because everything needs a unicorn). Looks like this: http://freemathworksheets.classroomprofessor.com/addition-rainbow-facts/ Then DD used it as a reference when needed. We also did a lot of the games in the HIG. Those were really helpful and most use number cards or manipulatives to reinforce number bonds/facts under 10.

Alright, then. Maybe it is too much for her to read & point at the same time. Maybe I'll start pointing for her and see if that helps. Thanks all!

When I taught in public school, it was pretty standard to have students point -- or follow along with their finger -- when they read out loud. DD(6.5) and I have been plodding along with reading. She has not picked it up quickly or easily. We've been stuck in CVC-land for months and each reading is laborious (with many breaks and pauses and copious amounts of sighing and distraction). I've been trying to get her to use her pointing finger to follow along while she reads (she loses her place or guesses after sounding out the first 1-2 letters of a word, ie. saying "big" for "bug") but she fights it. If I didn't stay on her, she'd want to read with both hands beside her, book flopping and sliding around on her lap... So I was wondering, do you have your kiddos point to the words they read (as new readers)? Am I asking too much by this? Or making too big a deal of it when she doesn't...? (I'm not losing my temper or anything, but having to constantly remind her...)

We've just started with LOE's cursive with my 6 yr. old and I think it's really good! DD likes it.

This thread is so timely for me! I've been guilty of loose spending (little things, like $1 McD's coffee, several time a week). Target and Walmart are dangerous places for me, too. I used to go to Target 1x a week, but I've cut it back to about 1x a month. I was surprised at how much I was spending there....EACH WEEK! :scared: We've done the Dave Ramsey thing/FPU but didn't stick with it. I also *hate* cooking & buying groceries, so we eat out A LOT. Big money drain. And homeschooling purchases has been....embarrassingly high this year. Definitely got my eyes on this thread! :)

I stopped wearing my engagement ring when my oldest was an infant; the stone always seemed to somehow scratch her lil' bum when I changed diapers. She's now 6. I tried it on recently but my fingers are now too big for it. I stopped wearing my wedding ring this past fall, when my fingers got to big. Trying to lose weight so I can fit them both.

We're currently using the readers from Primary Phonics. We plan to move on to: Maurice Sendak (Little Bear) Arnold Lobel (Frog & Toad, etc) James Marshall (Fox at School, Two in a Tree)

Great! Glad to hear that others do this! Now to convince DH that I need to spend the money on 2 programs, LOL. (That HSBC deal will help!)

We started this year with Singapore Math for DD, and nearly made it to the end of 1A before hitting a wall. At a loss for what to do, I purchased the Light Blue Math Mammoth books and we've been working through 1A, solidifying her addition & subtraction facts. Today DD indicated a desire to do SM again (and honestly, I don't blame her -- it is more *fun*, it has cute pictures, & less problems per page). So we did SM and it was fine, but I'm hesitant to completely drop MM (for one...I bought, I want to use it! and two...I think it has some merit!) I'm considering continuing with SM as our core math program, but perhaps using specific pages from MM when we need more practice or maybe doing one MM day a week. Anyone do this or something like this? With the HSBC Math mammoth group-buy, I could just purchase the download for MM and print it out when we want extra practice or need a break from SM....

My DH & I slept apart for the last 10 years, off and on, but the last 6 absolutely. He snored terrible and I'm the light sleeper. We did notice that DH stopped breathing in his sleep and he had a sleep study done about a year ago. Insurance covered MOST of it (we still had to pay a bit for his Cpap machine). Anyway, they make those things much smaller, more comfy and quieter than they used to be! Since he's been using it, we sleep together again and -- for the most part -- I sleep okay. (Right now DH has congestion from a cold and he's making snoring type noises and that wakes me...but that can't really be helped.) Anyway, I didn't mind sleeping separate, but DH didn't like sleeping on the couch for our kids to see him there each morning.

Well heck. Where the Red Fern Grows makes ME bawl my eyes out. :p

Lowes workshops are free, too. And --at least at our location-- they give you a pair of goggles and a work apron to keep, no charge. And each week you get a patch that you can sew on your work apron (a la Girl Scouts badges); you also get a certificate but those go straight to the recycling at our house. :)

My oldest wants a hammer and nail set so badly. Right now she mainly "builds" things with string and sticks...

Son came out in Oct. 2012, I think. I didn't realize she was still writing the series, but happened to stumble upon it on our library's New Release shelf when it first came out.

The Giver Gathering Blue Messenger Son I never knew there was a series either, until about 2 months ago. :) I believe Son was just recently released.

I'm not familiar with Radio Flyer, but what about the ending didn't you like? (They don't die, btw, it's not even open for interpretation now that the 4th book in the series is out...)

I recently read all 4 books. I really enjoyed them. I remember reading The Giver in high school, too.

I had this for Grade 1 and thought it was well done...