Great ideas, thanks. I'll be checking those out. Keep 'em coming if you can.

Art is something we just never get to around here. Could I have your suggestions for an easy to implement and relatively inexpensive art program? I have students who'll be in 8th, 6th, and 2nd next year. TIA

No real advice, just ((hugs)). I'm SO there with you. Dh and I will have been married for 13 years this year, together for say 15. Every November somewhere around my b-day my MIL will call me to say, " Oh, I know your birthday is sometime this month... one of these years it'll make it onto my calendar." Please, just ignore me altogether then. Why would someone call each year and say that?!? Mind you this call may come on Halloween or after Thanksgiving and my b-day is the 19th. Every other family member and even the other spouses often get cards and gifts, BTW. So sorry you're dealing with this too!

Thanks for your thoughts, I appreciate it.

I agree that this seems to be a growing problem! My PCP's office doesn't do this but my OBGYN and my gallbladder surgeon do. My OBGYN saw me for my regular yearly, then scheduled me for bloodwork, then a f/u to discuss my bloodwork (no real issues found), then asked me to chart my cycle for 8 weeks and come back for another f/u, then wanted to repeat bloodwork, then a f/u 1 week later, now a 2 mth trial of some meds, then another f/u. All of this is because I complained of abnormally heavy menstrual bleeding. Oh, also a uterine u/s and then a f/u to discuss those results even though nothing truly abnormal was noted. Recently a surgeon wanted me to come in for a 2 week (probably necessary) then a 4 week, 8 week, and 12 week f/u for routine laproscopic gallbladder surgery. I finally said thanks, but I'll call you if I'm having any issues. I'd urge your friend to insist that paperwork and results are handled via mail or phone. Many docs, like my PCP have special secure email available as well.

My first grader has been struggling with reading and phonics. We used 100EZ lessons with MCP Plaid in K and used MCP Plaid level A this year in 1st grade. For reading we went through Bob Books last summer and at the beginning of this year and have now been just choosing easy readers from the Library. We're also using Sequential Spelling, but at a very slowed down pace. She just doesn't seem to like reading at all though she enjoys other subjects. We're also more than midway through FLL1/2 and like it. On a whim I purchased a huge lot of Abeka readers at the flea market a couple of weeks ago at $.20 a piece. I'd intended to gift them to a friend who uses all Abeka with her K'er. Lo and behold my dd picked up their "Handbook for Reading" and some of the early 1st grade readers and hasn't put them down since!!!! We're absolutely going to read through the rest of the 1st grade ones I bought in the remaining weeks of this year and over the summer, but I'm wondering if a program change isn't in order?!? I was planning to use MCP Plaid level B, finish up Sequential Spelling 1, finish FLL, and use more easy readers next year. As a matter of fact I was all set to place my RR order. Any thoughts or experiences with switching to Abeka? We use SOTW for History and living books with science so are literature is pretty intertwined currently. I'm also wondering if I would want to switch to their phonics, handwriting, etc. depending on how closely it is all related. Any Abeka users that could help me out? We've only homeschooled for a few years so my olders went through grade 5 in p/s. When we first brought them home we tried Abeka with them and they didn't care for it at all, then we read the WTM and have been happily heading in a more classical direction ever since. So WWYD?

That's super! Thanks for the reminder, I needed it today :-). I'll say a prayer for your open house.

I like the flexibiity of Biblioplan. Theare are lost of scheduled readings in several didrent spines. We use the UILE and SOTW primarily with the AG for my 1st grader. Vitor Journey we used as well. Then our 5th grader uses readings from MOH and the KHE as well. Bioplan gives you time line dates 9 we usually don't use figures and weekly map work that we do together. Their read aloud books have been hits and I'll usually have my girls working on another related title independantly. I purchase some books (ones I can't get easily locally through the library or ones that I think we'll use again and again.

I don't really have any answers either, but felt compelled to chime in as another mom who's in this place. We also have 4 dds, our eldest is 12 and we are so there! It's a frustrating, dramatic, and hormone-filled ride. I want to get it right this first go around because everything around here seems to trickle down to the others all too quickly. Our next youngest is just 17mths behind and just turned 11. Then we have some bigger gaps. Reading your original post it sounds similiar to our approach. I do need to try not to get drawn in. According to dh (who as a public hs teacher spends more time with teens than I do) I'm way too easily drawn in. He agrees that we need to hold dd to certain standards, but also feels that the her contrary nature and selfishness are somewhat par for the course. I do admit that when I look at many of her peers at church and from our local h/s group that much of her behavior that drives me wild is actually not that bad. Please do keep us posted. It makes me feel so much better to see how others are naviagating through this.

My husband I were born and raised in New England. We moved south to Georgia about three years ago. I had grown up visiting my cousins, my grandma used to spend several months per year here. I thought that I knew exactly what to expect. I enjoy the weather, way more than I ever thought I would. I enjoy the lower cost of living which has meant that I'm able to be home with our children. I enjoy living in a community which offers a wide range of Christian activities, media, and the like here. We have a wonderful new church family. I feel like our conservative faith is much more respected and appreciated here. We are often teased about our 'bluntness'. I think some folks honestly look for it, others are more teasing. The cultural differences are real and are apparent as we navigate our new lives. I had many close friends and a very active social life up north and I honestly find it difficult to relate with some folks here, we seem to have less in common. We've made many casual friends, but we just don't have the same level of comfort with most folks. I'm often told that our older children (9 and 10 when we moved, now 11 and almost 13) are easily spotted as northeners. Our younger girls mix more easily. At the same time our New England friends and relatives see us as becoming more southern. Go figure. Our decision to move was a prayerful one and the Lord has blessed us here, but it has not always been easy. My dh teaches in a public school about 45 minutes away that is a bit more than 50% African American. He has encountered some racism. All this to say that if the Lord calls you all to go I'm sure that He'll equip you for this ministry, but it may not be an easy path.

I'm a transplanted New Englander (born and raised there, moved south 3 years ago). I think it depends on your preferences, are you thinking lakes, mountains, beach, historical sites? New England has it all. Ocean destinations: Acadia in Maine or Old Orchard (but I'd definitely prefer Acadia). Then something further south, perhaps Salisbury Beach, the Cape, or Martha's Vineyard Lake Destinations: Worcester County Mass (Lake Dennison) or the Lake Region of NH (Meredith area). Mountain Destination: Stowe, VT hands down for me. There's great hiking, beautiful waterfalls, and farm land. Less touristy than the White Mountains IMO (this from a NH native) and much more to do on a budget: tour Cabot, Ben and Jerry's, Vermont Teddy, and visit the VonTrapp lodge (Sound of Music family). Oh, alpine slides are cool. Historical: Greater Boston and Plymouth (maybe a whale watch in Plymouth), Mystic CT Seaport/Aquarium, or Portsmouth, NH If you have specific questions or activities let me know. We were big campers before we moved so I could recommend a few specific c/g's if you're interested.

Just wanted to chime in and say that we are also staying with Saxon. When it works, it works. We use Singapore for two of our kids but our oldest loves Saxon with DIVE. She'll finish Algebra 1 this year and will take a year off next year to do Geometry, hopefully Jacobs. Then we'll head back to Saxon for Algebra 2. I'm afraid to have her tackle both courses at once though.

Yes, we are using BP this year to help schedule and combine MOH and SOTW with a 1st and 5th grader. We use SOTW with both and MOH with the 5th grader. BP does a great job with Biblical history that seems lacking in SOTW. It does study based on civilizations so it's not strictly chronological. I sometimes feel like we lose a little of the 'flow' of both programs using them the BP way. We have yet to find the 'perfect' solution for history, but this has worked well overall.

:grouphug: My dh has been out of the military for a good long while, but we live close to a large base and have many close friends who are military. Deployments are so very difficult, I honestly can't imagine. My heart goes out to you and others who make huge sacrifices for our nation and its people. The military moms and wives I know just take things one day at a time, but it's tough.

Are you going to be offering this class? I'm looking for an online Jacob's Geometry for my eldest next year.

We are using MOH Ancients this year with our 5th grader. For this volume I've found a Bible Atlas, we use this one... http://www.amazon.com/Student-Bible-Atlas-Tim-Dowley/dp/0806620382 helpful. Victor's Journey through the Bible was also used lots. I use Biblioplan to help with my schedule and provide lots of supplementary reading.

My fifth grade dd enjoys it and doesn't find it dry at all. We're using it as scheduled in BP. She also listens in the SOTW I'm reading with her youngest sister in 1st. I had the same concerns when it first arrived last summer and thought about returning it. If we weren't adding some activities, BP read-aloud and lit. suggestions, etc. It may be less engaging.

I haven't been there done that yet, my girls are in middle and elementary school, but I try to keep abreast. See HSLDA's site here http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/ga/200901290.asp for information on Georgia's dual enrollment policy. They've gone back and forth about requiring that students be enrolled in an accredited school to qualify for dual enrollment, but it looks like they corrected that last month. Also my dh teaches public high school here and is hearing that GA will be considering allowing participation rights in sports, clubs, and other extra-curric. activities to homeschoolers as early as the 09-10 school year. Still heresay at this point though. Locally our private Christian schools are good to homeschoolers also. For relatively small fees they allow h/s students to participate in art classes, music, chorus, and PE. Auditions or try-outs are sometimes required depending on the activity. I don't think they can actually play a team sport and understand that this is likely due to athletic district restrictions.

So sorry. I received a notice from my bank on Saturday that one of the merchants used on my card in the last 20 days had a security breach. The bank suggested we watch closely and consider cancelling the account. I was ignoring it as it seemed to be a real pain. The bank said I would have to call to cancel the account and then wait 7-10 days for a new one to be issued. I have to travel this coming weekend and didn't want to be w/o the card. Reconsidering this now. I hope your funds are replaced quickly and fully by your bank!

Our youngest student (1st grade) is using a mini index card sign binder with the large index cards (4x6 maybe). We have a few basic dates on them but are emphasizing more the sequence of events rather than the dates themselves. She really wanted to participate as her two older sisters have more traditional and detailed timeline binders. We've added a few others in addition to the SOTW cards as we use BP as our base. On those she's enjoyed drawing her own picture.

We're pretty traditional here, our youngest has a more unique name, Zoe, but we gave her a simple middle name, Kate, as well. We call her Zoe-Kate now on purpose so that she will be able to choose which one she prefers as she ages (she is almost two now). Other other three have very mainstream names. We also have a really common last name that honestly blends with everything. But even the best laid plans go awry, with four daughters there could likely be one who marries someone with an odd last name that doesn't blend well. The children I really worry for are the ones a name that is actually silly sounding. I knew a "Marcia Mello" in hs and a "Bonnie-lou Berry" in college. I kid you not!

My oldest dd used Abeka's Earth and Space science last year in 6th because it matched up most closely with the p/s syllabus she was working on when we pulled her. She found it dull, dull, dull and we switched over to BJU's life science text this year. It's a challenging course and dd is getting lots out of it. It is a bit more teacher intensive than I'd prefer, but dh (a p/s science teacher) picks ups some of the load here. I have the Answers in Genesis stuff here already as I'm using it for life science for my younger two. I'm hoping to sync the last 12 weeks or so of the year to work on the human body section of that course all together. Tentatively we've planned to use Apologia's Physcial (9th gr text) with our dd next year for 8th. I think I know that I want either BJU or Apologia for the rest of her sciences, so we'll use this 8th grade year to evaluate both and come to a solid path for high school. We thought of using Apologia's 8th, but dd is very math and science oriented and we'd really like her taking Bio as a freshman. My plan at this point is to

ENFJ here. That was neat.

This may be a reality for my dh next year as a public school teacher. They are talking about cutting 2 weeks out of their contract and out of their salary. Right now they are paid for 190 days, but the students report 180. They have a couple of workshops and have mandatory days at the beginning and end of the year. It would be unfair in the sense that the job responsiblilities would be the same so he'd actually get to *not* work maybe 2-3 of those days. And of course, the rise in the costs of health benefits in 2008 actually more than negated his raise and resulted in a small pay cut in take home.

I'm thinking you might be in GA too based on your username. I'm using Hakim's series right now with my 7th grader. The GA pines state-wide system has a couple of the guides available so I ordered them inter-library loan. That way you can peak yourself for free. I understand that they are all laid out similiarly no matter what the volume. FWIW, after I peaked I decided to pass. We are having discussions on 2 chapters a day. I read ahead of dd. We are outlining important events and adding to our big, multi-year timeline. I'm doing some map work that I come up with on our own. We throw in a few living books and call it done :-).