I don't know how congress voted, but if I dig deep in the gray matter...isn't there a congressional record somewhere...and something else for the house? You could probably google it but it's lots of wading thru stuff...have to be a good google person. My dh found this link that was interesting..I'm for no bailout myself here..in the minority I'm sure. And it probably will happen. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/29/miron.bailout/index.html

I'm taking a scripture study class and they recommended The New American Bible. I'm homeschooling my 2nd grader and they're allowing me to homeschool religion with her...even gave me the books! good luck with it .

We're in second grade here and we're using SOTW...volume one. We're going through it quickly so we can get caught up to the second grade volume. I'm not doing enough with the extra stuff...but I'm exposing her to it. My 11th grader freaked when we discussed the code of hamarubi. But hey...that's history and why not read about it when you're young. It's almost the same as what I read about Afghanistan & the Taliban in Kite Runner & A Thousand Suns.

I had this concern as well. I called Rainbow Resource and they suggested The Blumenfield Oral Reading Assessment Test. I gave it to her and it had her reading at the beginning of 3rd grade level. She's entering second grade...so I bought the book Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading and we're going through that. We basically skipped the first half of the book, but there are some things in there that she somehow missed in private school first grade. Note: this is my first year of homeschooling her. There were some other tests out there and probably better ones...this is the one I tried...

Thanks for the translation mommy22alyns. I guess I'll be placing...yet another...(sigh) order. But it's important...and we want to succeed here!

I've wondered if I should have gone back to singapore 1A like this. My dd seems to be getting everything so I'm hesitant to go back. Hmmm...food for thought.

I think we'll be okay if we do one lesson a couple days a week. In 2a, there are 80 lessons. They don't take that long to do, but we're dealing with a kid that still has to think about how much 20-x is. I'm trying to teach her that she can use other methods of coming to the answer besides memorization...God gave you fingers...what is 10-x then add 10....Dr. Ma's book stresses that the Chinese teachers she interviewed discussed different methods of how to arrive at answers. One way may not work for every student...use what works for your particular child. I'm just beginning and still trying to figure it out. And I guess I was just saying I don't set the timer and work on math for 60mi, then say STOP! I say...let's try to get through this and tomorrow we'll have an easy day. (with the Harcourt workbook or something else). Again, I'm struggling here as well. But the kid is learning and being challenged...which was not occuring at the private first grade school. Singapore starts multiplication soon. I'm taking the time to make sure we have the addition and subtraction completely down before we get too heavy into those concepts. SWB in one of her cd's referred to math as a subject where you have to master the first level before you proceed to the next levels. My kid is mastering everything I give her...and darned quickly. But she's still kind of wavering/balking at 30 problems of adding/subtracting 2 and 3 digit numbers. She can do it but is intimidated and sometimes needs help. I don't want to push her too hard. I want to make math fun. I WANT her to master it and enjoy it. Forgive the naivete of the question...but what are CWP and IP? Paula

Thanks for adding the recipe. I'm going to can today. I've always purchased the packages with the stuff to make it in there...but I'd rather use fresh ingredients! Paula

We just started with home schooling this year. I was advised to try saxon 2...it was waaaay too easy for 2nd grade 7 yr old dd. I ordered horizons, saxon 3, and rod and staff 3. All that looked waaay too easy...and repetitive. DD still says she doesn't like math, but with singapore, she's getting everything at level 3a in 2nd grade. She doesn't like that she has to *think* and that it's not *easy*, but she really didn't enjoy doing stuff that was too easy. So...I'm supplementing with math drills, and I'll just find additional math problems for her on alternate days. We have the harcourt homeschool workbooks, which she enjoys doing. I'm trying to keep her on task/equivelant to the regular schools in case the economy flops and I'm forced to return to work on a full time basis. good luck with it...it's tough! edit. we spend a lot of time on math. singapore has mental math which dd hates to do. we don't do a lesson a day...we're still beginning so it's all relative...we're not seasoned pros at all...but for example...yesterday I think we spend 2.5 hrs on math getting caught up...but there was a lot of my saying "get back to your work". (just a little bit of daydreaming going on & "it's too hard...hurting my brain"...things I'd have said about math at that age and older.

We went thru this with dd when she was 14. What they want to see is smooth, smooth, smooth. We got a lazy susan to place the cake on, then you want a VERY HOT KNIFE...I think we placed the knife in scalding (almost) water, but you don't want too much water on the knife...or it will get messy...look shiny, etc. It was A PAIN! But she got a blue ribbon on the cake. Now..the decorating...that was another story...I farmed that out to some neighbors! Good luck with it! (our 4H fair is quite strict and they'd probably have disqualified us if we'd used spackle). Paula

Thanks for posting this. It looks pretty interesting! Paula

I love the Ed Emberly books. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=ed+emberly&x=0&y=0 I think I've had more fun with them than the kids sometimes! We also have the Draw Write Now books ( a couple ) and dd enjoys them as well.

We're using Singapore and Harcourt workbooks if you can believe that. Dd went to pvt school for 1st grade and wanted workbooks like she had last year. So, after Saxon, Horizon, and even Rod & Staff (too repititious)...we've settled for the above two. I like the idea of singapore because of the mental math component. We also do some speed drills...only they're currently not so speedy...need to work on that. Paula edit: we also have workbook 2 of horizons 3, we'll supplement with pages there for other "standardized test things", we also have a homework at home for 2nd grade which introduces other concepts as well. We're kind of going through them as they pertain to the given lesson

I think you never quit missing your Dad. My dad's 40'th anniversary (of his death) is this Nov. 1. I was 7, turning 8, when he died. I tell my kids he's looking down on them from heaven. I miss my father-in-law as well. We lost him almost 4 yrs ago. He was a dad to me longer than my own Father.

We only just started Singapore about 2 wks ago, but it seems to make sense. I'm reading Dr. Ma's book (thanks for the recommendation) and it's like...how simple is it to use the commutative property? Dd was struggling to memorize the subtraction facts and within a couple of days of working with her, I'm getting her to see 8 + 5 is the same as 3 + 5 + 5. She know what 5 + 5 is...then add 3. I'm supplementing with other stuff, subtraction drills, etc. We're first time home schoolers. Hopefully I won't wreck her.

We moved from metro Detroit 3 yrs ago. I miss the Free Press! That said, we have the cheapest satellite package. Last Thursday, I had to take the big kids to high school in the big city around here...Fort Wayne...anyway, we left early, didn't turn on the tv or computer...and I'm driving around Fort Fun and asking the 7 yr old...why are the flags at half mast!? Then I hear on the radio at about 2:00PM something about "ground zero" and then it hits me...duh...it's 9/11. So the 7 yr old says..."What's 9/11?"...so I say it happened when you were a baby--some airplanes flew into some buildings in New York and a lot of people died. She accepted that with zero questions. But I'm in a news blackout 99% of the time it seems despite the satellite. Paula

When I was in college ... ages ago... I took Field Biology... where we were required to keep a field journal. We met at 7:30 AM each day and traipsed through the campus Natural Area & listened to the professor as he pointed out species of trees, birds, wildflowers, grasses, insects, etc. We took notes in a tiny notebook about the things he mentioned, then homework was to make a field journal page of each species that we saw that day. I'm oversimplifying so you'll have to excuse that. I found a link to something similar: http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/youngnaturalistawards/journal.html Basically, we drew a sketch...then listed the family and species, etc. We used A Field Book of Natural History..huge book, and lots of different Peterson's Guides. We listed distinguishing characteristics and other stuff...including the date, time, and location where sighted. I wish I could find my old one...I lost it --but it was so much work in there! Everything was filed by family as in the Field Book of Natural History book. family...class..genus, etc. Here is a link to a seller with the pic of the book: http://www.daveshootsbookseller.com/si/004008.html Note: I just googled the book title and the above link came up. I have no experience with this seller, it was just an AWESOME BOOK! Anyway, there it is. What I remember from the stone ages about field notebooks/journals. HTH, Paula

I'm using first language lessons with my second grader. I think we're not doing it completely enough, but it's a process. I also just purchased gumdrops for 3rd grade from rainbow resource, but that seems pretty advanced. I'll introduce it and if needed, we'll work on it together at first. Funny thing is dd went to catholic school for first grade and told me she wanted a workbook like she had last year. She's getting used to first language lessons now that I've heeded advice and just skipped to second grade. I'll check out those books at the bookstore as well...maybe that's what she'd enjoy for a supplement.

Not a lot of help except that I just started with my 7 yr old dd and she hates writing as well. I chalk some of it up to we did just start and she's young. As for school book reports and research papers in the lower grades, I remember many a night with my now 14 yr old son where I was "helping him" with his book reports (at the second, third, fourth grade levels)..at the last minute to get them done. That was at the old parochial school in Michigan though...we moved to Indiana and the book reports just stopped. I'm not talking all Indiana schools...just the one we found that was the closest Catholic school. It's good to hear all the different responses and to continue at it with the copy works...that it works, etc. I'm looking forward to SWB's new writing program...which I just ordered. Hopefully that will help. Paula

We live in the boonies as well and it's either satellite or dial-up. Satellite's a thousand times better than dial-up, but it's weather dependent. Yeah...like I live in Northern Indiana and my isp won't work if there are storms in Southern Indiana! That's life in the *not* big city. Can't complain...most of the time.

I've only just begun homeschooling with my second grader and we're using fll. I've never looked at rod and staff so I don't know what i'm missing. I've heard that r&s for grades 3 & 4 is excellent (and tough). We'll see how it goes. I've got to stop buying for a bit as I've been/have purchased thru quite a few math texts/curriculums. Paula *just lazy with the caps*

I was frustrated with it as well. I had dd (7 also) take the placement test at saxonhomeschool.com (I think) and she tested into level 3. I ordered saxon 3, horizons 2 and the placement test and singapore 2a and b to try to decide. ...then someone suggested another program. My dd was in Catholic school first grade last year and they really didn't do a bad job...just not fast enough for me compared to my first two kids...ages 14 and 16. I wish we could just go back to the old school in Michigan...but you can never go back. I just hope to find something that works for us...but upshot...I'm with you...I did NOT care for SAXON 2 at all. (hmmm...not sure I should have ordered 3 now). Paula edit: the sales consultant at rainbow resource center said that horizon is not as much review of topics as compared to saxon. I'm afraid we may need the review as new concepts are introduced though? I need to see it though I guess.

Thanks for sharing this. I'm dreading the memorization of the times tables. (I'm dreading the memorization of subtraction!--but we'll get there quick). I'm bookmarking this site! Paula

We had the FP dollhouse for my 16 yr old dd. She really didn't play with it...I guess it depends on the child. I sold it before my 7 yr old was born because we were in a tiny house and it took up a lot of space. For the 7 yr old, I bought a kit from Hobby Lobby and made one myself. Took a while and we purchased furniture with 40% off coupons. I had a lot of fun making it, although I'd upgrade from the cheapest Hobby Lobby kit as it was a pain cutting all the little pieces out of the luan. It would crack if you didn't cut them apart. I think my 7 yr old plays with the house more than the the older dd ever did with the f.p.house because it's more authentic. It depends on the age of the child as well though because the real furniture is fragile and you have to be careful with it. Note: I built the doll house when dd was in school --not when I was homeschooling. ALthough I'm a newbie at this homeschool stuff so it'll probably settle down. Note: the 16 yr old dd is in Catholic High School...I'm not brave enough to try to home school high school! ...yet! sorry for the tmi~

I don't have one but I believe they'll do that for you at the office max/depot stores for a couple of dollars. I'm a former/sometimes current scrapbooker who is NOT going to succumb to these fancy contraptions. Yeah...keep telling myself that, eh? Paula