Permission is NOT granted. Don't you know that laundry multiplies? It's in your best interests to do it now - otherwise you may never make it out of the laundry room again.

You've got great advantage with having a background in French. I would highly recommend reading the book, The Bilingual Edge. It's a very inspirational, but practical, read on how and why to teach second languages early. Reading it really confirmed my decision to use The Easy French with my kids. The methods described in The Bilingual Edge are used in The Easy French. TEF follows a Charlotte Mason approach to learning a second language. We've tried a bunch of different resources over the years, but TEF has been the only one to stick.

Right...but I look at my role as the facilitator. So, while she's still in my house and in my "school" she'll do certain things. What she does will look different than what my other kids do as all of them are unique, but there are certain basic requirements that I want to see filled during their school years at home. I'm not sure how having volunteer or paid work in an area of interest as a part of high school fits into your comment...??? Schools in our area require a certain amount of volunteer hours in order for students to graduate, I'm requiring the same thing except that I'm asking my kids to spend those hours (paid or unpaid) in an area that they feel could potentially be a career for them later.

I have thought about acceleration as well and I know it would be more than possible but I think that with a classical education we would miss a lot by accelerating - especially in regards to history, literature and science. The skill based subjects (grammar, spelling, math, writing, reading ability, etc.) can easily be accelerated without missing anything. The content subjects (IMHO) cannot. My dd is ahead in math and seems to have a real gift in that direction. She may end up doing college courses in math (and possibly second languages) while she's still at home. However, I couldn't imagine cutting our history cycles short or spending less time on literature. I'm really looking forward to the rhetoric stage and to all of the amazing things we're doing to read, discuss, and write about. I really want dd to have the opportunity to go out and apprentice somewhere or get a taste of real work in an area of interest before she begins a full slate of college courses. I think that I'm going to need all of those years to fully do justice to history and literature (among other things). I'm really inspired by what we have in store for us. I look at TWTM recs for rhetoric and I can't wait to tackle that with my kids - but I also know that I can wait and that the work we do in grammar and logic will really prepare them to be able to fully engage during the rhetoric stage.

If you're already doing TOG with an older child why not do the lower grammar selections very lightly with your K student? I've been doing TOG with my K student this year and it's been lovely. The literature selections have been engaging and imaginative, the history has inspired him. I just have him draw pictures or do oral narrations of what we've learned. We also do some of the hands-on projects. His K year has been very low-key and enjoyable by using TOG and the plus side is that he has exciting stuff to talk about with his older siblings because they're all studying the same thing. If I were you I would definitely start HWOT, some sort of math (if Saxon is where you're headed then go with that), and something to begin teaching reading. Other than that, I think instead of doing completely separate unit studies I would just do as much of the lower grammar selections in TOG as you feel he's up to. If you really feel like he needs something separate then look into Five in a Row. Many people lapbook through it and the book list is lovely.

I watched the TWSS DVDs and followed along with the syllabus. I really was not that impressed by the method or the examples of writing used. I detest the check-list and really don't want my kids using that as a guideline to good writing. I would rather teach them about different sentence openings by having them figure out the author's emphasis in the sentence, having them imitate it and then have them make different changes (grammar change, synonym substitution, compression, addition) and see what effect their change has on the author's emphasis. I want my kids to think about how their choice of words or sentence structure impacts the message being conveyed. I *don't* want them to be able to just stick in a bunch of different sentence openings without considering how that particular opening influences the emphasis they are trying to achieve. I guess when it boils down to it I wanted more analysis, more purpose, and more flexibility from a writing program. I chose Classical Writing.

SWB (of course) Adam Andrews is fantastic. Debra Bell is really worth hearing as well. Those are my top three. I would love to hear more from all of them and would travel in order to do so. They are all speakers that I could listen to all day long and still be just as excited at the end of the day. I am really hoping to hear Jessie Wise one of these days and I'm looking forward to hearing Jeannie Fulbright next year.

I always recommend Hold on To Your Kids as well. In fact, that's what I gave to a good friend when she had her first baby.

We just had a comment this weekend. We were camping and the boys each played a song for our friends while we sat around the campfire. Ds (8) had just finished playing Minuet 2 and was putting his helmet on to go for a bike ride when someone yelled from the next campsite over, "Will you stop that terrible noise?" Someone from our campsite asked what they were talking about and the angry person answered, "That awful fiddling noise - that's enough!" I appreciate that not everyone likes to hear young boys play the violin, but it was one song each. And there are so many better ways of asking. Instead she yelled mean things at an eight year old who had just proudly played his latest polished piece.

I think I'm a little anal, but the older kids are expected to have their room clean and neat looking (beds made, nothing on the floors, etc.) before they leave their rooms in the morning. If I didn't have this in place their rooms would get so chaotic that it would take an entire day and many tears to get them clean. This I know from experience. Having them keep things orderly every day saves them from an overwhelming mess later. Right now I'm trying to work on the 6 and 2 year old's room. We're definitely not working from a nice clean room there.

I'm using it lightly with my K, 2nd, and 6th. We're all enjoying it but I know my K ds is not retaining as much as the older two. I really like the way that it's written, the focus on prayer and looking outward, and the scope of information presented.

I'm watching the news this morning and they had an interview with the British actor who plays Prince Caspian. The interviewer says something along the lines of: "Now I'm going to bring up the "s" word". I'm thinking, "Socialization? Why is she worried about his socialization?" Turns out she was more concerned with discussing "sex appeal". Must get my head out of the homeschooling books once in a while.

So I heard a burrowing sound coming from my dishwasher yesterday morning and I ardently denied it. Maybe it was the cat stuck in a cupboard (no), maybe it was the dishwasher cooling down (yeah, right), or maybe the sound was coming from outside (wishful thinking). Anyway, I ignored it. Until I opened up the cutlery drawer this morning and realized that a mouse had definitely been in there - more than once. Please help. Do I call the exterminator? Is there another way to get rid of them for good? Should I pull the dishwasher out and see what's behind it (eek!)?

My picture is up.

My initial reaction was that I would wear her clothes. My mom and I are nearly the same size and she has some beautiful things. But, as I was reading the thread I started to cry just thinking about not having my mom. I'm so very sorry for your loss. If your mom's clothes will make you happy rather than sad then go for it.

I'm really looking forward to next year. For LA: handwriting for a reason FLL 3 Poetry memorization Possibly (just possibly) CW Aesop, otherwise we'll continue with narration, dictation and copywork. I have an older child who will start Diogenes in Sept so I know there's no point in rushing CW. Reading good books and discussing using TTC techniques All About Spelling 3 History: Taking a year off TOG (we're Canadian) to do the years 1600 to 1850 on our own. I'm working out the book list. It will be literarture rich with lots of hands-on activities. Right now I have grand plans to integrate music, art, and geography as well. Science: Probably astronomy using Exploring Creation with Astronomy and Signs and Seasons. We'll do a unit on structures using Arty Facts: Structures. It teaches science through art projects. Math: Singapore 3B/4A with Math Express (math fact strategies and speed development) and i-Excel (problem solving). Languages: Continue with weekly Italian lessons. French with Easy French Junior and supplements. Music: Suzuki violin PE: Taekwon-do, homeschool gym class, swimming (not all at the same time)

This is my second year with TOG and I've got a 6th grader, 2nd grader and Ker. I love the lower grammar selections! I used SOTW and the activity guide for the first history cycle with my eldest. I think SOTW is fantastic (we still use it with TOG) but *I* had a problem limiting myself. Every week I'd be at the library taking out 40 books that went along with our SOTW chapters. I tried to do way too much and I had no idea how to cut things down. With TOG there is a limited reading list that is actually do-able each week. Every week I actually feel like I completed something (instead of feeling guilty about the stack of unread books). The books are fantastic, I really like the lit worksheets they have for the LG level. I pick and choose which hands-on activities to do and I put the things I've chosen on my own planning sheet. My little guys love TOG : )

I know, weird question but I figured if anyone could help with this it would be the Hive Mind.

I tried to implement SWR for the last two years. I use programs like CW and TOG - usually I have no problem getting my head around something. For whatever reason, I could never actually get into SWR. I waffled a lot because I do feel it's one of the better programs out there. But, then all three levels of All About Spelling fell into my lap and now I'm going to release my SWR. AAS is *way* easier to use than SWR and yet I don't think anything is being sacrificed, either. I'm using it with both of my boys (kindergarten and grade 2); right now we're just about done level 1. I can just pull out the materials and go. Plus, the letter tiles have been great for my K student. He spells all of the words with them and my other ds uses a spelling notebook. The best part is that it's already transferring into written work. Ds(8) was working on writing yesterday and he wrote the word "pick" and then ran over to show me that he knew to write "ck" after the short vowel. This spelling thing is new to me. I was a natural speller and my first child is a natural speller - neither of us know any of the rules. My ds definitely needs spelling instruction and this is giving the tools he needs to spell confidently. Sarah

I don't make a big deal out of things like Mother's Day, but my kids do. And, for the record, I think your 11 year old dd helping the younger boys make you cards is a lovely Mother's Day gift and clearly shows that your family values giving to others and making other people feel special. Two of my kids made me cards. My 12 year old dd had the boys (ages 8, 6, and 2) in the kitchen with her and they "helped" her make a cake for me. They also organized a concert for after dinner with music playing and dancing. Dh took us all out for dinner (that's not normally a part of Mother's Day). I like seeing what they come up with. They all enjoy doing little things for people and not just on Mother's Day. I think it's just as importnt to train our children to show their love and appreciation for their family members as it is to give to others. I do not think that money has to play into it at all, though. Home made gifts or cards, artwork, playing a song for someone, or even playing a game with someone are all ways that my kids express their love and appreciation for others. I imagine that those kinds of things happen at your home, too. The little things speak volumes.

No co-op today so we did Fine Arts Friday instead. We spent an hour drinking tea, eating cookies, reading poems, reading about the orchestra and doing picture study. I really enjoyed myself and the kids are off playing a song together after being inspired during tea time. I'm glad we took the time out to smell the tulips : ) I've got a picture and the resources we used on my blog.

After a long break from weekly reports (and blogging in general) mine is up.

Maybe the negative rep giver didn't have enough posts for their rep to count? I had the same thing happen : ) Sarah

If I do go with LL, what will I need to go with it? There seem to be a lot of books and CDs to choose from.

I've been looking at Lingua Latina and at Cambridge Latin and I'm wondering what the differences are in the level 1 books? Does LL cover more in one book? CL has a fantastic website with lots of web-based activities. If they're basically the same in terms of coverage then I'd probably go with CL - though I guess then we'll be dealing with British declensions which (as far as I understand) are in a different order than what she has already learned. Any thoughts?