it'd be great to have a list of your blogs. From time to time I buy stuff on amazon and I'd love to know a percentage of what I'm spending is going to a fellow home school mom.If there was a list I would take the time to get on amazon through your blog and do my intended shopping that way.

Thanks. Reading through these now.

Unfortunately, I can't afford to a specialist at this point. Thanks for the hug though. Super appreciate it. Last night I saw 120 views and no responses and I began to panic. It's very comforting to hear that you went down a similar path and it all turned out alright. How did you go about working on the social skills? PM me? Please. A few of these are spot on. He definitely has social, communication and sleep deficits. He'll wake up in the middle of the night and tell me he can't go back to sleep because he's bored of sleeping. I thought he was just quirky. He always gets up at the crack of dawn too. Socially his skills are non-existent. Communication wise he seems okay when all the settings are perfect. He speaks English and French, but has selective mutism. He absolutely will not talk to an adult regardless of how long we've known them. Kids he will to once he gets used to the idea -- 3 or more months of seeing them. I would have been offended but she said it so sweetly that I realized she wanted to help him. She really is an amazing teacher. And I know how illogical his reactions can be; it must be frustrating to have him all day along with 20+ other 3 year olds. I'd never manage. thanks

I know the whole idea of SOTW is for it to be a school curriculum read-aloud thingy, but is there anyway it might one day be turned into a book with colored pictures. My boys LOVE it and they go back to read it over and over. I think it'd really sell well as a "Story" book. I'm thinking of a Treasury of something like the Usborne Illustrated Stories for Bedtime style. Just a thought. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the text. I no longer home school full time and know other moms who don't home school are in the market for educational, fun reading material for their kids. If something like this ever materialized I'd buy it in a flash. Just a thought.

My almost four year old is smart academically. He's very good with his hands, builds amazing contraptions for his age -- learned to tie his shoes at two. Socially and emotionally though he is behind an average three year old. He is extremely shy. When anything happens that is out of the norm or not to his liking he just has a melt down. He isn't able to play with other kids because of this. He has told me numerous times that he "just doesn't like people". Ironically, when he does decide he likes someone he gets annoyingly clingy to that person. He goes to public school. We live in France and kids start school at three. After the first two weeks the teacher told me that because of his extreme social and emotional under-development she had thought he was partially retarded. Said she'd never seen anything like it and that his personality was very odd. She did a bunch of academic tests and he aced them all, but she said that his behavior is not normal. I feel he really needs help in this or he will get hurt in life. The last month he seemed happy at school. He was eager to go and told me he had two friends. I was happy for him. Then last week, when recounting his day to me he told me he always plays with his "friend" but that his friend always tries to get away from him and play with someone else, hide from him etc.. I've observed that this kid he is attached to is not too interested in him. How do I help him grow socially and emotionally. I know it's not an environment issue. His two brothers are social as can be -- tons of friends, talkative, outgoing. I'm hoping some mom here knows where I'm coming from. I recognize that he will grow with time. I want to help him. How do I provide scaffolding in these areas of development?

When I go places that require me to give my last name I spell it out for the receptionist as he/she types it and I have never yet had it spelled right!

Egg curry is pretty awesome. My mom is from Spain and when she makes chicken soup it has chopped boiled eggs and ham. It's actually pretty good. Deviled eggs Egg tacos Quiche When I was little we had this dish a lot in summer. Make an omelette slice it super thin. Slice cucumber super thin (think sushi). Slice ham and spring onions super thin. Make linguine rinse them so they are cold. Pile the sliced stuff over the pasta and serve drizzled with a sauce of soy sauce, rice wine and a bit of stock (supposed to be dashi but I've used beef or chicken broth just fine). It's so slurping good.

I've been faithfully siphoning from the grocery budget to get my husband a surprise Christmas gift. I don't feel it's special if I give him something then hand him the bill for it. Needless to say, I'm brimming over with excitement. He will be SO surprised. Glad I could finally tell someone or it might have leaked I'm so excited.

It really depends on the teacher. I'd ask him about it. My son's teacher doesn't like parent help with homework as that is how she assesses if her students understood the material. The homework does not score in the final grade whatsoever. Every class is different.

I wouldn't go back on your word because that would tell her that a tantrum gets results and is a good route to take when frustrated. That being said, I empathize with her. From what I understand she is newly entering the school system from a home school situation. I grew up in a very sheltered-from-the-world way and felt disadvantaged amongst my peers as a result. Because of this, I often tried to distance myself from my family to feel that I fit in better. The way I did this was by being unkind to my siblings. Now I regret it, but punishments never helped because they were aimed at the symptom not the problem. I'm not saying this is her reasoning, but maybe a listening ear would get better results that would make everyone happier. If she feels you understand her needs for friendship or belonging or whatever she will better accommodate your needs (concerns) as well. And you'll grow closer as a family supporting one another rather than it being ones concerns outweigh the others. My two cents.

I just read Conceptual Integrated Science and loved it. It's easy to understand, has down to earth explanations, the language is everyday style, it has great questions for discussion and thought, and the art work is terrific. Has anyone found something similar for grades 5-8? Please do tell. Or do you think this text could be appropriate at that level?

I want to buy the McGuffey Speller as my main speller, but I'm not sure how to use it exactly. Does anyone have experience with it or ideas or know how it was designed to use?

I plan all the meals and snacks around here a week in advance. I shop once a week and then it's done. Some how though I never make the meals in the order I planned them, but by the end of the week we've used all the ideas and I do it again. I actually LOVE meal planning. Breakfasts are always the same -- crushed raw oats, with almonds, raisins, coconut and milk. Kids serve themselves. Once a week, usually Saturday, I'll make eggs or banana bread or french toast, etc. Lunches are always the same too -- sandwiches. There are so many different kinds of sandwiches. Winter I might make a pureed type of vegetable soup to accompany them, in summer a salad. I don't plan these. I just pick up whatever deli meats and cheeses are reasonably priced and look tasty. I also have eggs, canned fish and avocados on hand. I buy a little stock of vegetable and keep the salads fun. Identical salads are a pet peeve of mine. Snack is always fruit and yogurt. I love fruit and keep a variety on hand. Once a week I'll make or buy a sweeter treat like ice-cream or cookies. So dinner is really the only meal I have to think too hard about or cook for. The others are just thrown together in a whirl a few minutes before the meal. For dinners I've been trying to tie myself to 2 bean based meals, 1 fish, 1 chicken, 1 beef or lamb, and 2 egg. I also try to rotate my starches. This gives me parameters, making my choices easier. Also using beans and eggs as proteins has cut down on my food expenses. For example this week. Cordon bleu/mashed potatoes/peas with carrots Quiche/salad Spaghetti/tomato and pepper salad Breaded Cod/fries/salad Bean and feta salad/corn/green beans Navy bean stew/salad/bread Asian rice egg dinner It goes without saying that there is always milk in the fridge and peanut butter in the closet along with fruit and more fruit.

Thanks. I'm gonna buy AAS and take it from there.

Thanks a lot everyone. I'm gonna go with it. I'm not looking for speed. Ds goes to school here in France and it takes up most of his day. They'll be getting out at 4:30. I just want to after school him in reading, spelling and grammar to be sure he is bilingual. I lost two languages as a child and I don't want him to have that frustration. I want something that I can do a little each day for a short time, and this sounds like a good program.

I'm thinking of purchasing this program for my ds(6). If you've used it... 1. Is one level worth a year's amount of work less/more? 2. Is it really necessary to buy the interactive kit, or can I just use the letter tiles? 3. How much time does it take to do a lesson? 4. Is level 1 first grade? 5. Any other insight pros/ cons It's gonna cost a bundle in shipping overseas so I want to be sure it's a winner.

The cannelloni bean dip looks awesome. I think I've had it before. Unfortunately I do not have a food processor! Maybe I could try just mashing it with the potato masher.

I was potty trained night and day at 9 months, but I was already walking. My second ds potty trained at 18 months night and day. He was kind of like yours and I just took off his pants and showed him where the potty was (had to be in whichever room he was in). When we went out or had company the pants went back on and the diaper too. It only took two weeks. I think kids that age can be taught to use the potty. It's the pulling up and down of pants and letting mommy know part that is more difficult for them. For all my kids I am really into poop in the potty. The pee part takes a bit longer to master. At least that's how it works for my family. 13 month ds never poops in his pants, but is not potty trained. I'm trained to run and grab the potty when I see him make "that" face. :)

What is a strong spelling program? I think this with a good book list to work through might be what he needs.

Thanks everyone. This has been so helpful. I feel like I could sit down and plan menus for months with all this input.

Wonderful this was just what I needed. Now I can serve eggs for dinner once a week for 35 weeks without repeating a single dish. Loving it. Spinach Frittata is on for tomorrow. There is one thing awesome about Europe. The farmers markets are way cheaper than the grocery stores, they are huge, and they are fresh. But there's nothing like the States for cheap meat.

You sound so much like me in your shopping habits. I don't do pop, juice (at least not regularly), snack foods, individually wrapped just about anything, breakfast cereal, etc.. Snack is fresh fruit and yogurt from a tub. I do make a dessert once a week -- it was a strawberry tart today. At the same time I'm not the kind of person that can pick 7 meals and rotate through them. I have to have variety that's why I'm picking the Hive's cooking brain here. Boys eat like horses. My ds6 eats more than I do. I'm dreading the teenage appetites. I have all boys.

Oh, please do tell me about the potatoes. Dh hates potatoes but for 1.75 for 5 kg he will just have to eat them.

So happy to know someone else survived Paris :) Or maybe that's why you aren't there anymore? Seriously, it is great here. And the bread is cheap and wonderful. I'd love to have any recipes you may have for fritatta, quiche, shepherd's pie and the homemade hamburger helper. Regarding your dinner last night. It sounds delicious to me, but I feel guilty when I don't serve protein at each meal to the kids. Is it fine to skip here and there?

He reads fine in English. I just want to make sure he is progressing at an age appropriate pace and not plateauing where he is. He read at a fourth grade or U level when they tested him at the end of the school year in the States.