That he's busy and/or turned his ringer off. He will get back later.

I guess that would be me. I was laughing at the relative dearth of "well-seasoned" homeschoolers posting in the other thread. I am very much overwhelmed when I think about the upcoming year. I am excited about the possibilities, but then I deflate when I think about all of the work/planning that has to be done. Not to mention the cost of everything. Oy! This is my first year with 5 school-aged kids, so that plays into it. I will have 2 high-schoolers this year and my oldest desires an appointment to the Naval Academy, which I find daunting as the teacher/guidance counselor. I would really rather just have a glass of wine :lol:

DS (15): German II at OSU Latin II with Lukeion Geography with Derek Owens DD (soon to be 14): German I at OSU Chalkdust Algebra DVD's (I know this isn't completely outsourced, but it is pretty hands-off for me) Both will be taking the Constitution 101 course through Hillsdale College for a .5 government credit.

Every curriculum will have it's naysayers, and history must be interpreted by the writer, so you may not agree with every jot and tittle. I have used SOTW for 8 years. I find that there is absolutely no better history curriculum for the grammar stage. Period.

Some of our favorites: Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie Best Breakfast Cookies Granola (I will sometimes make parfaits the night before - granola and Greek yogurt layered in a glass) Otherwise, we just have a big bowl of granola with milk. Morning Glory Muffins Pressed Breakfast Burritos I usually triple this recipe and freeze them individually. Then heat them up as desired. Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Muffins

Are you doing any review for SOTW? I find that a little review goes a long way. Do the newer editions have the review cards in the back? (I have the first ed.) We colored those in and spent 10-20 minutes reviewing each week. I personally have abandoned TOG at the lower levels after 2 years of using it. After using SOTW for 8 years, I thought I wanted a change, but I find that, for us at least, nothing compares to SOTW for the younger set. TOG felt chaotic and choppy for me. I like having a spine, reading one overarching story, and then adding in additional books, maps, and activities. Easy peasy. It gets done, and with a bit f review all of my children have retained enough info. to satisfy me. Remember, at this age you are simply establishing the pegs to hand future info. on.

I'm not a huge fan, but my husband ADORES them. He calls them "God's perfect candy."

My oldest two completed all of the poems in the book about 2 months ago. It is one of my happiest homeschooling purchases. I am thrilled I get to begin it again with my younger set this year. I love having the CD, as it ensures that it gets done regardless of our schedule. We always had recitations on Fridays, where we would pull a strip of paper out of our "recitation box" and the student has to stand and recite the piece. That is a very enjoyable part of the program for us.

Praying for you all. May the arms of Christ wrap around you tightly right now.

I'm Nancy: mother to 5. I have been coming to these boards since 2001 when I was Nancy in CT. We homeschool for academic excellence and to bring our children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

When my kids were smaller they each had a large Rubbermaid tote with a handle that contained all of their workbooks, textbooks, etc. they could move them around the house and work where they wished. They were responsible to clean them up at the end of the school day - we kept them on a bottom shelf, but they could be placed anywhere: a closet, bedroom, etc. I only keep this year's work on our shelved. Anything that is not being used this year gets put away in boxes in my closet. This significantly lessens the clutter. Finally, I keep virtually none of my children's work year to year. I have a small box of things worth keeping (mostly for sentimental reasons), the rest goes. I have heard of people taking pictures or scanning work into the computer and keeping files for each child. Good luck. I moved into a much bigger home a few years back and have been able to spread out a bit more, but I remember the challenge of homeschooling in a tiny space.

My 10th grader will be doing the following: Math:Geometry w/ Derek Owens & begin Chalkdust Alg. II Science:Miller/Levine Biology w/ Kolbe syllabus & Illus. Guide to Home Biology Exp. English II:Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student History:History of the Medieval World Foreign Language:Latin II w/ Lukeion & German II w/ OSU Piano The Annotated Mona Lisa Training for a 5K and a half-marathon He is still undecided on his last elective.

Yes, I have always had that approach at the young stages and it has always worked great...

My rising 4th grader's list: Math: Singapore 4A/B w/ Khan Academy History: SOTW 2 w/ Activity Guide Language Arts: FLL4, daily copy work/dictation, Killgallon sentences Science: BFSU (finish up 1 and begin 2) Foreign Language: Rosetta Stone German, Getting Started with Latin Typing: Typing Instructor Deluxe Music: piano lessons, hymn studies, Kodaly sight singing Art: The Annotated Mona Lisa

10th, 9th, 7th, 4th, and K here this coming year!

Jane Eyre

:iagree:

We have only cells here. When our kids became old enough to stay home alone, we added a third phone to the plan for $10 a month. It just stays in the drawer shut off until we need it.

We have all of his books and I have read them numerous times. I can't think of a single, solitary thing that I would consider "adult."

I am doing exactly the same thing this summer with my 11 and 8 year olds. Then we will begin BFSU 2 in September.

I really LOVE the fact that I can import recipes that I find on the web directly to my recipe list...it cuts down on all the copies of recipes I wish to try one day. If I don't like them I can just delete them. I also really enjoy using my iPad and not having to worry about paper. I hate paper clutter! The grocery list is great. I have Costco, my local farmer's market, and my local grocery listed in my grocery list and I can drag the differ items from my list to the appropriate store by category (produce, dairy, etc.) I also have a couple friends on Plan to Eat and we are able to share all of our recipes with one another. Awesome. Definitely worth the $35 a year.

:iagree: it's been life-changing!

5th grade.

We are FLL lovers, as well. We just speed up and double or triple lessons as necessary. I am about to begin the series for the 5th time. It is certainly effective - my 15 year old was just dazzling his 8 year old brother by reciting all the definitions and lists from FLL 1 and 2 perfectly...8 years after completing it!!! :lol:

One word: LEGO's