We started my daughter in grade 3 (the grade she normally would be in at school). She took the diagnostic tests and I followed their recommendations for placement. Even though she did not learn the dictionary markings before CLE, it is ok because there is a key with the dictionary pronunciations at the front of each light unit (workbook). She just refers to it if she is not sure about the markings. I don't think the spelling is so far advanced that it would be difficult for a child who is already reading well, even if she didn't spend a whole year on phonics. The light units are so inexpensive that you could order the first one of the grade in question and see how it goes. You could always go back without having ordered the whole years worth. I love the LA program. I like that I don't have to use multiple books for grammer, spelling, penmanship. There is a little bit of writing. My 3rd grader has had to do a couple of reports (book report, report on an animal, and a thank you note so far). It teaches first draft, editing, revision, final draft, etc. Because of the reviews stating that the writing is weak, I am going to order Meaningful Composition for 4th grade to supplement CLE. Based on reviews, it is supposed to be a good combination. From what I understand, MC is very similar to IEW but in workbook form (someone correct me if I am wrong). I also love that CLE LA is so independent. My 3rd grader can do her work independently while I work one on one with my 1st grader. Then once I grade the 3rd grader's workbook, I can go over it in more detail with her if she needs it. I haven't used any other LA program, but I did order R&S thinking I might like it better, but I just didn't care for it as much. CLE is so easy to implement!! ETA: As mentioned previously, the reading program is separate, and we use that too.

What are some good history curriculums that use living books that truly make history fun and interesting?? (Other than SOTW - looking for something that might be more living books based). I'm looking at Beautiful Feet. Any experience with it or any others. I am soooo not a history person so I really need something that brings it ALIVE! I hear Winter Promise is good too, but maybe has too many crafts. I am looking for something that is interesting and fun but doesn't require too much of a time commitment. That may be too much to ask, but throwing it out there anyway.

I need suggestions for keeping my older (3rd grader) occupied while I'm teaching my younger one (1st grader). My older daughter gets up early and finishes up her 3 Rs independently, sometimes before 8:30 am. We do science and history together (usually one or the other after lunch). I don't want to make her start later because she is an early bird and is most productive early in the morning. She does have a chore list that she usually completes after her schoolwork, and she practices piano, but this is not enough to keep her occupied. I feel like most of her day is unstructured. She will read sometimes, which is good, but usually she is grazing in the kitchen or generally getting into just whatever because she is bored. Right now, I have finished up with my younger one and the older one is in the car watching a movie. I need to give her more structure. Most advice I find is geared toward keeping preschoolers or toddlers occupied. I need advice for keeping the older kid occupied.

We use and love CLE LA! So far we have used 1st and 3rd grades. The 3rd grade level is totally independent. It includes grammer, spelling, and penmanship all in one. There is some writing but not much. Starting in 4th, I am going to supplement the CLE LA with Meaningful Composition. I understand that this is a great combination.

Roast Sticky Chicken! It is just a whole chicken rubbed with spices, cavity filled with onions, and put in the crock pot with no liquid. It makes its own liquid. I don't have time to type out the whole recipe, but it comes right up if you google it.

I can't say I get it all done all the time, but here are some things that help me: I keep myself motivated by reading blogs about homemaking I follow the flylady routines I have a cleaning lady that comes in for deep cleaning twice a month (this is for "insurance" in case I slack off of the flylady routines) I meal plan (print out a blank calendar for each month and write dinners on it). Lunch and Breakfast are quick and easy (oatmeal, cereal, cheese toast), Lunch is almost always leftovers or an Amys organic burrito, pbj, frozen chicken tenders, or frozen pizza - all with fruit. Suppers are usually easy - baked chicken or fish or a roast in the crock pot with steamed veggies and a grain or potato or spaghetti or tacos (or we go out to eat a couple of nights a week if I am tired and we're not wanting what I have planned). I have a curriculum (CLE) that is largely independent so I can do housekeeping while my girls are doing school work. Exercise is a work in progress (and something I posted about here asking for suggestions). I now have 2-3 days a week that I can go out for a run (same days every week). Otherwise I will go out for a bike ride with my kids. Laundry I am working on - just posted here recently looking for suggestions - but I think I have a routine now to keep on top of it. I can tell when I am getting burned out so we usually do 6 weeks on/1 week off (of school). I really recharge during that week off. I will take a day or so to just rest - lay around and do nothing and then I am ready to get going again and usually spend the rest of the week decluttering/organizing or doing something really productive. So I guess for me it boils down to reading motivational (homekeeping) blogs, keeping a set routine, and taking regular breaks to recharge. As mentioned, I don't think anyone has it perfect. I know for me, what really suffers is doing crafty things with my kids. Unfortunately, after school and lessons, I allow my kids to watch movies while I relax and get supper started. ETA: I also have chore lists for my girls - just simple things like making beds, cleaning up table after meals, and picking up.

Well it has taken me almost a week to get caught up on all of our laundry and I wanted to come back and say thanks to everyone who gave me laundry tips! I have to say that I thought my way of doing one family member's laundry per day was a great plan, but what was happening was that I might miss their day one week and the mountain would continue to grow. I've had a parent in the hospital so I've been out of town a lot and the laundry got out of control. In my craziness I thought uniforms might be the answer. Once I caught up, I counted my younger daughters dresses and counted 44 of them!! When you get behind on laundry, then having too many clothes can get out of hand! For the last several days I have used many of the tips you all have given me. For instance, I am doing everyone's laundry together, every day. I have built it into my routine. First thing in the morning after I unload the dishwasher, I gather everyone's clothes from their baskets and sort a light and dark pile (yes - I'm still too scared to wash black with white) and go ahead and wash/dry 2 loads for the day. Then I'm sticking by my girls as I teach them to hang/fold/put away their clothes. I'm going to make sure it is done right. I can already tell that it is going to be so much easier, because there are less items to put away. Another tip I have been using is washing a questionable color with a white towel to make sure it does not run. Thank you to everyone for all the advice and for helping me revamp my laundry routine!!!!!

I did show them how to do it once and now I try to get them to do it by themselves. Maybe you're right, I need to work with them a little more on it. If I can get my girls to finally do it, I will not be so overwhelmed with it, I don't think.

I did have an idea. Obviously I have put some thought into how to simplify our laundry situation. I wanted to see if anyone else had experience with using homeschool uniforms to simplify laundry and how it worked out for them or if there was an easier way. Truthfully, I wasn't looking for advice on how to do laundry, but I have definitely gotten some great tips on how to make it easier without resorting to uniforms - some things I had not thought of before - which is why I posted here looking for advice, and I appreciate every bit of it.

Yes! This is what I'm thinking. So did it make things easier for you? I love the idea for the underwear! We are always getting them mixed up. This is why I do everyones clothes separately. Makes it easier after the load dries!

Love it, Gil! I need to get stricter!!

Great idea! I love the idea of making part of the bedtime routine. This may really help.

oops posted twice

I have tried this, thinking that if she wants to pull clothes out of a basket then that is ok. What happens, though, is that she pulls the clothes out of the basket when she is looking for something in particular and her clean clothes get mixed up with dirty clothes that she hasn't put in her dirty clothes basket. Then she ends up throwing everything, clean clothes and all into the dirty clothes basket when she finally cleans up her room.

I actually used to do laundry like many of you, putting everyone's clothes together and just washing separate loads of lights, darks, colors, towels. I even have a sorter with 3 separate compartments in the laundry room that everyone sorted their clothes into and when one was full, I would wash it. I got tired of sorting clothes out for the separate family members after the load came out of the dryer. This is when I decided to give everyone a separate day. Yes, it created a few more loads, but I knew that when one person's clothing went in, it would go straight to their room when it came out, without sorting. Then they could (should) put it away. Unfortunately, my 6 year old won't get around to putting it away (even though she can). I really feel like if there is less variety in the clothing items, then my 6 year old would have an easier time - even if she just grabbed a handful of the same item (multiple khaki skirts, for example) and threw them in a drawer without folding. Its when there are different items - leggings, tights, pjs, gowns, double outfits like a matching shirt and skirt that go together, skorts, skirts, pants, short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, and dresses to have to evaluate that I think could be simplified. I suppose a better question would've been how do you go about simplifying your child's wardrobe. I have gotten some good tips here, though! I love the idea of washing everyones clothes at night and drying them in the morning, having everyone help sort. This could make things a whole lot easier. As far as washing everything together - I have had so many instances where a navy or black item or blue jeans bleeds onto a hot pink item and ruins it (and I wash everything in cold water) that I am hesitant to put it all together. This is why my husband is not allowed to do our laundry for us anymore! I think it is a fabulous idea to wash something questionable with a white towel first though. I will have to try that.

Ok, so after going and looking at the pile that I need to deal with, I'm thinking the idea of less clothing is good. Maybe a weeks worth. The problem seems to be if I miss a day of laundry for whatever reason, the pile becomes overwhelming because there are too many clothes and the pile just grows bigger. Maybe instead of school like uniforms I could do khaki skorts with a variety of short/long sleeve shirts that can all be washed together. This would still simplify but give a little more variety to the outfits.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, this is an issue. My kids are very diligent with completing their schoolwork and most of their chore list. However, they do like to play as children should, and along with playing comes messes, so I am constantly reminding them to pick up this, pick up that. Admittedly, I do have to constantly stay after them, which is why I feel if I can simplify one aspect of daily life such as laundry, then that is one less burden. After a day of schoolwork, lessons, and chores, they don't feel like dealing with laundry any more than I do. Our lives are far from perfect. This is our first year of homeschooling and I feel that I have a good structure but there is room for improvement. Before this year, I sent them to school (in uniforms), came back home and did the housekeeping. The house stayed clean and the laundry was simple because of the uniforms. They are at home now making messes all day and frankly, I'm exhausted after doing schoolwork and childcare and not enough self-care. I'd like to concentrate my efforts on things more important than laundry. A basket full of clothes that don't match and have to be dealt with is an eyesore for me on top of all the other things I have to deal with. Now if you have advice on how to get the kids to do whatever you tell them to do the first time I would gladly accept that advice as this is an issue we are dealing with, especially with laundry!

Paper plates are your friend!

They are 6 and 8. They are old enough to do it all themselves, but they just don't, which leads to me telling them 100 times, offering rewards, threatening discipline. I've tried it all. I will put their clean clothes in a basket in their room and it ends up all over the floor, mixed up with toys, as they plow through it to find what they want.

So for those of you who don't sort, do your darks not make your lights dingy?

Yes, I know, it seems crazy. I was washing all of our darks, lights, etc together but I was so tired of sorting each person's items and it became easier to just wash clothes for one person and take it straight back to their room for them to fold and put away. Honestly, I havent noticed a huge jump in our bills. I do like the idea of the kids sorting the clothes, but it would require me to tell them 100 times to get it done, which is tiring in itself, and is probably another issue altogether.

No, actually, I have been doing one person's clothing per day, so Monday is the day for my clothing, Tuesday is my older daughter, Wednesday is my younger daughter. My husband does his own. This cuts down on having to look at labels and trying to figure out whose room each item goes to. However, it does not cut down on the sorting. I am still doing 2-3 loads per day.

Right now I am sorting multiple colors into multiple piles and washing multiple loads - lights, darks, pinks that might bleed onto whites but not dark enough for darks. Then having to fold certain pieces, hang certain pieces - different hangers for different items, etc. I would have just a few minimal play clothes for occasions and would not be allowing for multiple outfits a day. This is why I think it would be simpler. This is our first year homeschooling after they went to private school. We did have uniforms for private school and when they came home, they stayed in their uniforms until bedtime. It really was much easier having less to sort through. At the beginning of our homeschool year, they would sometimes wear their old uniform because they missed it. I was looking forward to no uniforms but the mish mosh of clothing variety in the dirty clothes basket to have to contend with on top of other stressors right now is causing me to evaluate anything that could be done more simply.

I am overwhelmed with laundry (and I only have 2 kids). It's not that there is too much, but it is just another obligation on top of many others. My girls know how to do their own and put it away, but it is just a struggle to get them to actually do it. So, I am seriously considering homeschool uniforms. Maybe just short sleeve navy blue dresses to be worn with sandals during the warm seasons and with tights and sweaters when it is cold. Of course, I would have a couple of extra play outfits and a few dresses for church, but I feel like this would really lighten my load, especially as far as sorting and putting clothes away. I just think - one load of navy blue dresses (plus a load of white tights during the winter) - aah, the simplicity! Anyone else tried this?

I struggle with this too, but these are some of the things I make on a regular basis: Breakfast - cereal with milk, oatmeal made in the microwave, or cheese toast (toast bread in toaster then top with slice of cheese and microwave for 15 sec.) Lunch - frozen breaded chicken breast tenders (I get them from Fresh Market or Whole Foods - they are relatively healthy) that I can just put in a dish and bake 25 minutes, Amy's frozen burritos (microwave 1.5 minutes), frozen pizza, soup and bread, or leftovers - all served with fruit Dinner - this is the hardest for me, but one of the easiest meals we make all the time are roasted chicken drumsticks. Coat them with olive oil and a good rub or with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and roast at 425 for 40 minutes. Serve with steamed veggies (I have a pot with a steamer basket that makes it easy) - either broccoli or green beans usually, and a grain (cous cous takes 5 minutes to make) or roasted potatoes. I find dinner is easier when I take meat out to thaw at breakfast time.