We lived 500 miles apart for a couple of years--I'd see him Friday night to Sunday night. At the time, we didn't feel like it was hard. He was in the city, which he liked. I was in the mountains, which I liked. Weekends were full of family activities, we had stuff to talk about, were excited to see each other, etc. Mid-week was routine. Nothing I couldn't handle. In the long-term, however, it wasn't a healthy arrangement for us. I first noticed it when just he and I went on a vacation and we were at TOTALLY different places. It took us the whole vacation for us to actually connect--something I thought we'd been doing on each of those weekends, but never had enough time to really connect deeply I guess. So, the kids and I ended up moving to the city. I sobbed. I was mad at God for almost a year. But it's been a great, healing, growing move for me. If I was going to live like that again, I think that I'd try to prearrange a way that dh and I could have regular time just to ourselves.

Hits: Getting Started With Latin SL Science 2&4 RS A MUS Primer, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon McRuffy LA K JAG AAS 3&4 Words are Wonderful (vocabulary) Just Write Wordsmith Apprentice Pianimals SL Readers 2 Intermediate Just OK: SpellWell (I like the word lists for my ds, but getting it done is a different matter) SL P4/5 MBTP 5-7 unit 1 MOH 1 (I like it, but it bored my kids so much that they don't remember anything) WP Chess programs (did the job, sometimes confusing/boring) Each and every handwriting program, next year it's copywork Fail: WP Rock Around the Earth WP LA 4 (not enough retention/instruction) Easy Grammar MFW K

We have had that problem in places where we have hard water. Switching from liquid to powdered detergent seemed to help.

There are 7 people in my book club, and generally people still go even if they didn't finish the book. We meet every 4 weeks or so on Monday nights--it's a night out I look forward to. We rotate who picks the books and hosts the meeting. Often we'll meet at a coffee shop, but occasionally at a restaurant or home. I like the rotation because it helps me to branch out and read things that I normally wouldn't.

War & Peace by Leo Tolstoy To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Song of the Lark & My Antonia by Willa Cather I read plenty of good books this year, but these were so fabulous I'll be reading them again.

I am using McRuffy K Phonics with my 5 year old and we're loving it. I agree that it is best if the child already knows most letters and their sounds, since the program doesn't spend a lot of time with that. I like how it progresses, it feels logical and thorough without getting boring or taking forever. I think the guide is easy to follow, and like how they intersperse games and readers...the pace is great. I tried SL K LA (which was mostly letter sounds and got boring) and WP Pre-K LA (which did not feel like it had the logical progression and thoroughness or cohesiveness McRuffy has) and about half of SSRW Pre-K (which actually got boring believe it or not--probably because my dd wasn't interested in the singing) and McRuffy has been so much better. A Great fit for us--if they went past 3rd grade I'd probably be using it with my other dc.

I got some from Amazon and found them useful and worthwhile.

Have you called them? Every time that I've called and talked to someone they were extremely helpful and accommodating. If they can't get those books to you by your starting time, I'd venture to guess that they'd give you a partial refund.

In the Lake Tahoe area (where I recently moved away from :()it is often 20-30% humidity, so 80% to me would feel like I'm drowning.

I begged for years to be hs'ed. My mom said no; she knew she wouldn't be able to do it. Finally in 11th grade I did independent study w/classes @ the cc and electives at the hs.

We are doing WP AS2 after doing SL Core 3, and AS2 has been great. I have used the Core 4 readers for my boys, and it's been a nice balance. I've even learned a ton this year, and it's been fun too.

Winterpromise has 2 chess courses. I haven't seen them yet so I can't comment on how they'd work for a co-op, but you might check them out.

I ordered EG 5/6 and returned it...the graphic layout was chaotic to me; I was getting headaches just trying to stop my eyes from jumping around. So, unfortunately, I can't compare how the explanations are because I couldn't even get through them w/EG. I'm a visual learner.:cool: We are using GWG 3, 4, and 5 this year w/my 8, 10, and 12yos. I very rarely have to help explain things to them, and when I do it's only a quick clarification. Each level seems to cover basically the same things, only in more depth each year...you could probably skip a level fairly easily.

Ditto what everyone else has said. CA is super easy to hs in, and there is tons of stuff to do. I haven't been persecuted at all for hs'ing, in SoCal or NorCal. Most people are impressed, actually, and agree that the academics in ps are generally very lacking.

I think it's worth it--you get some really wonderful books for your library! Of course, you have to realize that there are some things that you have to add in or schedule (like math or electives) even if you use SL LA and Science along with the Core (you may want to try to figure out if you want to use SL for all of them or not). As far as doing what it says it does, make sure that you read their Reasons NOT to Buy Sonlight. eta: we've used P3/4, 3, 4, half of 5, and parts of K