Thank you for the link. I just ordered one :001_smile:

I'm here :001_smile:

Thanks for sharing the link, I've been looking for more printables for my 2 year old :001_smile:

Nakia, this and your other thread are making me laugh because I've been researching the exact same things for American history this year! I was >thisclose< to buying those history pockets but after this thread I think I'll pass :001_smile:

I'm so excited with all of these ideas! We're doing early American Historly as well and though I've lined up quite a few little projects the ones linked here look amazingly fun! Especially that Jamestown replica! Thanks for the link!

Thanks for this thread, it comes at a good time for me... I was really needing some new blogs/books for inspiration. My son has gluten, dairy and soy allergies and it's gotten tiresome googling recipes and experimenting with alternate ingredients. I just want someone to tell me what to make and how to make it. lol!

I really love this idea, thanks!

My kids really loved when I made them a map of where we were going and they had to spot landmarks along the way and mark them off on their maps. I grabbed some pictures from online of things we'd pass (certain mountains, lakes, restaurants, cities, etc) and basically put them in order of when we'd pass them on a plain white background and printed it out. After it printed I drew a road going from place to place and then laminated the whole thing. I gave each daughter a sheet of stickers and when we'd pass a place on their map they'd mark it off with a sticker. Next time we go on a road trip I'll add check points for where we'll be stopping along the way for lunch or potty breaks. Having a visual of the next stop really helps my kids! We did lots of other things but that was by far their favorite and kept them occupied and happy through most of the trip (though this was only a one day trip). Another huge favorite for my kids (ages 2, 4 and 6) is sticker books. They'll play with sticker books for hours. Even my two year old son who doesn't have the best attention span holds his in his carseat and plays with them! I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but another favorite is draw erase markers and a small whiteboard or go to Target and they have all kinds of small activity books and cards that are draw and erase. Those are mostly really fun for my 4 year old but my 2 and 6 year olds love them, too. Well, I haven't given my 2 year old the draw erase markers in the car because he'll draw all over the place but for the 4 and 6 year olds they're perfect :D

I really couldn't agree more!

We don't do homeschool and clothes in one budget category but I can tell you the monthly amounts for each. For homeschool expenses I have $1,000 a year, so around $83 a month. This includes anything like the zoo, museum, arboretum, all office supplies, any furniture used for school, bookshelves, art supplies, ALL books for the kids- whether they're actual school books or just fun reading, any educational toys... I thought $1,000 a year would be plenty but with everything it has to cover it goes fast and I have to plan carefully! Clothes (and shoes) for 3 kids has been $50 a month. My son was a puke machine for the first year of his life so I spent most of that money on him! Also included in the $50 a month for clothes are baby blankets and cloth diapers. If I added homeschool and clothes together I have $133 a month to spend.

I'm posting before I read the thread just to say thanks for starting this thread! lol I was just going to start one even though I know I've read one just like this in the past. I searched for it but couldn't find it. I've tossed the bulk of our worksheets and crafts (after taking pictures) just because the piles were getting insane. But now I'm feeling guilty about that and wondering if I should keep more! Ok, off to read the responses now :D

I don't know why these threads interest me so much! It's fun to read about other homeschoolers' schedules for the year :) We school year round pretty much. There are a few weeks here and there where the actual school work is pushed to the side for major outside time but for the most part it's all year that we "do" school. That said, we do the bulk of our school lessons during the summer! We live in Arizona and are stuck inside most of the time thanks to the extremely hot weather. Perfect time for some intense learning :)

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What an interesting question. I don't know one single parent who sends their kids to public school but feels guilty about it. Everyone I know loves the school their child is in! How funny. If they did feel guilty about not homeschooling I'd most definitely not talk about my experience homeschooling my kids. It's not hard for me to avoid the subject, surprisingly.

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So I sat down with a bowl of cereal to browse the Well Trained Mind forums. After this thread and the fact that I showed my daughters that owl video (the live feed one) and it was eating a squirrel (or something) my bowl of cereal is so not going to be finished!! Oh my gosh I'm not eating rice for a while. :ack2:

I'm excited about the idea of a movie based on Pioneer Woman. I love the story of how she met and married Marlboro Man. When I first heard Reese Witherspoon I didn't know how I liked that but within five seconds realized she'd be perfect! lol

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My first grader: $300 My preschooler: $50 (handwriting without tears and babybug + ladybug magazine subscriptions)

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Of course I see this thread when my kids are watching TV! They SO rarely watch it but right now that's what they're doing! lol Before watching TV they had eaten breakfast and we'd read about Columbus :D