My DD11 likes it ok, and we'll keep going with it as an extra, but I don't want to use it as a stand alone program. I want to make sure she can do more challenging problems as well, so we'll be also using Singapore, Art of Problem Solving, Life of Fred, or whatever else intrigues me at the moment. We don't do Alex every day but are plodding through it little by little. It goes faster when I sit with her because she doesn't like reading the explanations on her own and would rather I just tell her how solve a new type of problem. It's nice for those days when we can't find her books or a pencil. Yes we have those days. Valerie

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Geneticly modified corn, potatoes, and soy, is bad enough, but sugar is WAY bad! I don't think there is any science behind the above statement. Genetic engineering doesn't scare me a bit.

by not working in it every day so my daughter didn't finish it until the end of her 4th grade year. This was just the first book designed for 1st and 2nd grade. I then jumped her to Hake Grammar and Writing 6th grade (for her 5th grade year) and she's doing just fine in it. So it did give her a great start.

DS12 refuses to sell it though because he has a sentimental attachment to it's origin (gift from CBS). We'll get around to trying it out eventually. Valerie

See a urologist that specializes in female incontinence. There are some simple surgeries that can be done that help a lot. One involves threading a mesh band under the pubic bone to support the urethra. Even still, jumping and sit-ups are risky propositions. They won't want to do surgery until you're done having kids.

...we are disappointed that he didn't get to go on any choir tours. He was moved to the concert choir mid-year so he doesn't even get to go on the spring resident choir tour either. He found the busy schedule and lack of freedom to do things such as read, go to the library, or web surf, very frustrating after years of a fairly relaxed homeschool. So now he doesn't want to go back next year. I really want him to have a taste of the touring choir experience though, so I'm hoping he changes his mind over the summer. I need to keep him busy this summer so he sees that life here is just as "bad". We've moved since he's been gone so he hasn't experienced life here yet.

My 13 year will be coming home from his first (and perhaps last) year of boarding school to join my 11 year old here and it's back to kids bickering and a lot more work for me. Valerie in MI

I have personally seen home prices decline in IL and MI. Valerie

We've got this crazy sewing lady who drives up our driveway and honks the horn until somebody comes out, usually on a cold day so I have to go get my coat on. When she saw that I saw her through the window she honked all the louder when I didn't come out right away. She asked if I have any sewing or mending to be done and hands me a business card covered in food stains with mildew spots on the back. She's been by twice now. I wasn't very friendly so I hope she doesn't come back...I'll let her honk an hour next time. Valerie

2005 sounds pretty recent to me. I'm sure they'll be fine. I use Piedmont too. When my son started at a private school last fall they didn't ask for test results but I sent his IOWA scores anyway.

We routinely leave our cats alone for 4 days at a time. Sometimes longer. No need to have anyone in to feed them. Just pour out more than enough dry food and a bowl of water too big to evaporate (or leave a toilet open). They'll be fine.

Where are you living now?

Strider or Jean, Can you describe some of the exercises you've learned about from the therapists so we can start using them at home now? I'm worried about my daughter's poor posture but haven't been to a doctor yet to get a PT referral (except an orthopedist who has us watching and waiting for it to get worse). Valerie

My daughter has had four surgeries for lazy eyes (sometimes both eyes, sometimes just one) and her doctor has been recommending a 5th which we've decide to put off for awhile. I would recommend surgery because patching doesn't do much, but there is no certainty that it will fix the eye perfectly so your son may be in for several surgeries. They just move a muscle and hope for the best. It's kind of an blind art. Make sure that your doctor has done a lot of surgeries. I prefer using an eye doc. that specializes in lazy eye and not a jack of all trades ophthalmologist. My daughters first surgery was at 18 months or so and she's now 11 and still has one eye that turns out a bit. We're kind of used to it now and question whether its worth the expense and bother of yet another surgery. It's purely a cosmetic issue (it won't help your son's eyesight) so it's a question of how important a better appearance is too you.

We're just finishing up our free trial month and think we will continue with it. My 5th grader has finished Singapore 5B so we placed her in Aleks 6th and found with the pretest she has only about 1/3 of 6th to go:). We both like watching her progress on the pie chart. There has been a couple of times where she didn't get the explanation and I stepped in to explain it. One of those was bisecting an angle with a compass. I think that should be done by hand anyway rather than on a computer.

CLP intentionally uses the 1970 version because it is more rigorous and they don't like today's dumbed down standards. I know this because I attended a talk for homeschoolers by the Christian Liberty head honcho a few years back and I recall him saying that.