Learn it or outsource it. A few of my kids have taught themselves things but it was in areas they lean towards. None of my kids have taken up higher level math or academic science on their own and felt successful at it, though admittedly we are more linguistically, versus symbolically oriented. Oldest dd learned several languages "on her own." (meaning she traveled extensively, lived abroad, studied grammar, hired a tutor).

fwiw: BJUP has Physical Science listed for 9th grade for everyone doing their pkg. Many BJUP kids do 3 yrs of science, counting Phys. as one. Also, many kids do 3-4 yrs of science with no lab. Lab is often counted as an extra 1/2 credit on the transcript. It's totally fine to do science out of sequence, or split the class between 2 yrs. For instance 1/2 credit of Bio 9th grade yr. 1/2 credit 10 gr, etc. Last year ds had the opportunity to do 1/2 cr Chem lab on-line even though he was taking Adv. Bio at that time. Health is considered an elective. I would try to get through Alg II, if only for ACT/SAT test, as it tests through Alg. II. If Math isn't your kids thing, I'd check out TT, LoF, MUS or ACE to get familiar with the math and do a test prep course so she has strategies in place. Test scores= scholarship money. For the transcript Alg I and Geo with Biz math is still counted as 3 math credits, so it would be considered an VoTech, possibly Academic versus an Honors transcript, which would show 4 yrs of academic math and 4 yrs of academic science.

We are doing ChA this year, too. We are loving it (mostly) but if we dropped out, and given what you have already decided on I would add in: LTW or WWS- I have used, taught and love them both. History-Have you done U.S. yet? Notgrass is really good. Or if they have a solid history background I would start with SWB's History of Series (maybe not Ancient- it's disgusting). RS -language of choice, or Latin- VL is fun, and I am personally loving Henle, or MP's First or Second Form Geography- we have used and LOVE MP's Geo series, or Drawing the World with Art- which is not as sequential as MP which drives ME nuts but it's fun. Art of Argument or Fallacy Detective Bible or faith based reading/ memory work For Lit I personally let my kids pick as they are all read broadly. I do guide them towards must reads (my and dh's ever growing list : ) electives- are they old enough for TeenPact this year? Lego League, Scouts, local drama or art camps? We've done science labs and other 1/2 credit classes (coding, writing, etc) through Bridgeway Academy -great stuff.

I have used MP extensively. There is a good MP FB page, too, including a place to buy and sell. I'd say the main difference between the Famous Men series and Dorothy Mills is that Mills is written for older students. My older, well steeped in history kid has read two, and finds them a bit dry but chock full of info. All of my kids went through the Famous Men series and loved them. As my kids have gotten older I've given away most of our younger curriculum, but Famous Men is one they all wanted to keep. My youngest two pulled out Greek Myths a few years ago (and Norse Myths) and basically memorized them. We've done MP's classical studies,too,but you can certainly start with FM. I don't think you need the study guide to have a great year, but we've used several of them and have enjoyed them. We have often done U.S. history in conjunction with other times periods.

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Ds 15 wants a stealth knife. Both he and the 21 year old are getting fedoras, a think geek t, a few books. Ds 15 still wants legos and cool pens. "Make" mag for ds 15 and a good mag for 21 (I just haven't found the one yet). We bought dd 25 and sil tickets to fly home for Xmas and that is part of everyone's gift. We're going to Star Wars together as part of the festivities, too

I use Bona, too but cheaper than that is a vinegar rinse with essential oils thrown in for a light scent. We re-did our floors 6 yrs ago after a house fire and I've basically spot mopped as needed since.

Rarely, if ever. No memories of it. I taught myself to read at 4 and never looked back. We were expected TO read. My dad, however, discovered that my younger sister was illiterate at the end of 8th grade when the school told my parents that she could not go on to high school until she learned to read. He spent that summer teaching her phonics and she went to high school in the fall.

I am tutoring a CC Challenge class this year and we are loving it. Henle Latin has proven to be do-able and FUN (after a couple years priming (vaguely listening while older ds did it) with First Form. Both kids have stepped up their game a bit due to positive peer pressure of the class/ not wanting to fall behind. We are also doing a co-op and focusing on entrepreneurialism and music/art timeline. We're dividing the kids into teams for the biz class and setting them loose. The goal is to have 2 viable businesses going by the end of the year. Art is my thing so super excited about it.

I've been around for, I think 14 years, cause the 12 I've lived here and a few in NM. Refugee from when VegSource went all wonky. LOVE reading through this thread. Has anyone heard from Drew Campbell latley? (Living Memory).

I'm really curious where y'all are finding the "quality writing" you keep talking about. The quality writing we've found has been from specialized (often homeschool) suppliers and re-prints. Again, Henty is content rich, despite simplistic, formulaic writing. Show me good historical fiction today that does that? - dates, people, places. Where are these quality books and what are their titles?

My kids are confronted with racism and many other -isms, regularly. Basically, like if they ever listen to network news. Again, I've looked for well written historical fiction that (pre-fire) contained hundreds of books- but most were not found in libraries or your local box book store. I didn't say I couldn't find anything else, but I'm not willing to throw Henty out because he is being judged by standards 100 years out from his perspective. One of the things I love about Hillyer's A Child's History of the World is his non-Christian perspective, written during a time of Christian culture. There is more to be studied in some of these books than merely the actual words on the page. I would contend that my kids have a grasp of history that extends well beyond most people, including most homeschoolers. I wouldn't put myself in that same category, honestly, but my kids know history and time periods and people,places, events and circumstances as well as how it affects and informs the global happenings of today. Part of that is because we have not avoided studying what we don't agree with and aren't comfortable with.

We have read, literally, hundreds of historical fiction books over the course of our 25 years of homeschooling. I haven't found the "hundreds" of good book alluded to in public libraries; ever- and we have lived coast to coast and in -between. I have had to search out, pay out and be on the look out for good books, regardless of where we have lived. The illusive "better books" - where are they and what are they? Often historical fiction gives a "feeling" of a time. Henty includes people, places, dates- iow- facts; one of the important things missing in modern education, both public, private and homeschool. The "feel" of his book- sure, it's from his perspective. If you use solely Henty for history study- you will be missing out on a well rounded history education- which is true if you limit yourself to any one author or curriculum. We have used, and appreciated Henty as part of a comprehensive history program.

I'll offer a non-pc perspective. Henty was a man of his times. Henty gives a historical feel from a specific perspective on what life was like during his time, as a privileged aristocrat. To say it's not worth reading because of that is to miss out on all that his writing does offer. To criticize him from today's perspective is cheap intellectualism and one of the problems with how people view history these days - which is often solely from their perspective. His writing is formulaic. He also packs in historical people, places, times, facts. We have learned a TON of great history from Henty. I recommend him highly.

We "de-cluttered" massively almost 6 yrs ago when we had a house fire. 90% of our stuff was fire/smoke/ water damaged and had to be destroyed. This was a pretty hard core way to de-clutter, especially as we lost 80% of our books and 95% of 20 years of homeschooling curriculum, all of our family pictures and most things sentimental. That being said, if simplified our lives immensely. We have been very, very selective about what we bring back in. Less is more- more time, space, less time devoted to cleaning and managing things. The kids and i did a major de-clutter this summer and took 2 car loads of stuff to goodwill, gave several pieces of furniture away and gave 2 boxes of curriculum to families that needed it. I am pretty ruthless now- I am not saving much for grandkids, or for sentimentality. If someone needs something I have that I don't love, I give it to away.

We are totally draconian and completely relaxed - we work hard and play hard.

dd12 is going to be in Challenge A this fall- so World Geo, Saxon 8/7, Lost Tools of Writing, Henle Latin, Fallacy Det, Bio. We'll also do a weekly co-op - overview of music and art by time periods, Logic, spanish, a & p labs at a local hospital. violin.

We buy organic, fresh eggs from our local organic chicken farmer for $2 a doz. If we can't get there before we run out our neighbor sells us fresh, organic eggs for $3 doz. We go through about 6 doz a week.

Yes, Carolyn and Martin Forte, who owned the Excellence in Ed bookstore in Sierra Madre, CA. I interviewed them a quarter of a century ago when we were first looking into homeschooling and I was writing my Master's Thesis on "Why Parent's Homeschool Their Children." They used games, nature, experiences, projects, academics, music, field trips, books, to create a wonderful, individualized program for both of their girls (one of who was profoundly dyslexic). They highly influenced our homeschool and ideas about all that it could be- her kids were amazing, dynamic young people that really embraced life.

Master's level therapists diag all the time and have to for insurance but that's not what they go to school for. One class in DSM training isn't exactly expertise - which is all that most Master's programs provide- and certain Master's programs are NOT about diagnosing at all- clinical psych might be the exception. "Therapy" is a broad term that umbrellas a lot of different camps and training that is often lumped together and includes widely different training and areas of expertise. Psychologists have far more training and more specific training at that. I AM a therapist, dh is a psychologist and I was raised by a counselor and a psychologist so yeah, I understand what you are saying. But the reality is that Master's level therapists just don't have the level of training a Ph.D does in the field of diagnosis- by definition= which was my point. Dh just did CE's on DSM-V- he can tell you the differences between the II,III, IV and V and why they make sense and what he appreciates about each edition (and doesn't) -it's a different level of training and education. Re: interviewing a therapist- you could do this over the phone and save everyone time- do you have a specific faith tradition? I would check to see how the therapist view that and what their "world view" is (Christian, athiest, etc)- their view on drugs/medication, homeschooling, where they received their training, what are their areas of specialty and interest are, how long they have been married/ how many kids they have.

My 20 yo has ADD and I'm sure one of my older girls has it- ds tried meds once and hated them. We have worked with his add by TONS of green therapy, coffee, sleep hygiene (insomnia is a constant, painful issue for him) and large doses of physical activity. He is getting through college and loves the intellectual part of it but hates the sitting, sitting, sitting part of it. All that to say- I'm not pushing for any kind of dx that would suggest drugs. I'm saying a dx could help explain some of his behaviors- but, like Diana mentioned, it could be teenager boy behavior, too. Dh is a psychologist and I'm a trained therapist and we both believe in better living through chemistry (it saves lives) but also firmly believes in crunchy solutions as much as possible- there are providers "out there" that consider both, but you need to find them. We always encourage people to interview their mental health provider- you don't want to be working at cross purposes with them.

I would see a psychologist initially- they are trained to diagnose, while a master's level therapist is not. S/he can refer you to a specialist or psychiatrist if warranted. I would suspect some ADHD given your description.

You could list it as English, History, Theater studies, extra-curric. How did you evaluate the course? I would come up with an objective measurement and grade her on that. 1/2 credit or full? 60 hours or 120? My kids participate in Shakespeare Camp every summer and we do a GC Shakespeare program. I list the GC and Lit (they graduate with more than enough) and Shakespeare Camp as an extra curricular with the parts- esp if they've had leading roles). They also do drama and One ACt so they have too many theater credits, too.

I have moved cross country more times than I wish to count, as well as having moved locally 3 times in one year due to a house fire. Get rid of everything that is too expensive to replace or family heirlooms. With the plethora of on-line sale site (there are 6 FB pages in our small city) where you can buy ANYTHING for practically nothing) I would save myself the aggravation and expense of moving anything you didn't absolutely have to. If I were to move today, I would take MY bed, a few pieces of furniture that go way back family wise, some books and that's it. I would sell, donate or give away the rest. Then, go room by room. When we moved from NM to SD, I started with obvious stuff- china, packed it, labeled in on all sides, neatly stored it in the garage. I would also limit what the kids can take- 5 stuffed animals- not 500. Get them a tall packing box and once it's full, they are done. That way they can decide, but there's a limit. Anything you can get online- dvd's, or at the libary- books- sell or donate. The tax write-off from donations can add up. Declutter ruthlessly first. Then, start packing, labeling, storing. Moving is so expensive- time and $ wise. The less bulk you move, the better off you are- AND the less sore you'll be!!

The drama that our kids have been in has all be started by fellow homeschooling moms. We just had our 15th annual drama camp- started in someone's back yard. It's grown up to include 7 directors and plays, 3 of which are performed at the local college theater, an annual One Act Play Festival and a Shakespeare Camp spin-off. Start something and encourage MIL to be an integral part of it. You'll bless far more people than just your mil and dd!