I'm with Colleen and Peek on this one... We currently live in the Mississippi Delta...flat, flat lands, no shopping areas besides Wal-Mart, allergies, few trees, even fewer opportunities for fun...I could go on. The blues were birthed here for a reason, and the legacy of that lives on. However, we love our church and church family, and it would be hard to say good-bye to them. We'd love to return to the West...but I think you can find bright spots in almost any place.

:iagree: Thanks, LoveBaby, for the reminder. It is hard as a first time homeschooler, particularly with an academically advanced child, not to push. You worry about failing your children academically--which is a big fear of being in charge of their education. It takes time, practice, experience and wisdom to learn to pace yourself and not push too hard. I'm not there yet myself, and so I appreciate the reminders to slow down. There is a balance...I hope to find it. :001_smile:

This is wise advice... If your dd is not writing well it will be difficult to start with 1st. I have heard great things about K and the fun people had using it, so dd and ds could probably have a wonderful time working through it together. You could add in anything you might think dd is lacking or needs challenging in.

My vote would be to go for MFW 1st for dd. I think she would be way too bored in K. Does ds really need a full curriculum? Maybe he could join in for some of the fun--dd could read the Bible reader aloud to him--but you could focus on reading and writing with him using other materials. I used the MFW 1st Bible materials--stories from the teacher's guide, Bible reader and student Bible notebook--when my dd was five. I had purchased it way early--I'm getting better about that--and then changed my mind about using it. I had pieced together a course of study for her--BJU Math 1, WTM science plans for 1st grade, Primary Phonics, copywork, etc. I could never find a Bible program that I liked, so I pulled MFW off the shelf and looked at it. I added it in and it was the highlight of our year. I would consider adding a math, though, if your dd is doing any simple math already. I wasn't impressed with the math portion, which is what deterred me from using it in the first place. It really would have been fine for us to just use it with the addition of a math, but I had already gotten us into another routine, so we just added in the Bible/history parts. The Bible history is a great pre-cursor to Ancients. Here is a blog post I wrote about using the parts we did. The author does a fantastic job with the Bible stories--not dumbing them down or leaving out important points. The process, as I say in the post, of hearing, reading, drawing, writing is fantastic.

It is even better than you expect it to be...and I had high expectations! I LOVE IT!!! I was just reading through it and picking out our first pieces to start on. It truly is a treasure.

:grouphug: Aubrey :grouphug: I'm so sorry for all the uncertainty. Being in the midst of all that is no fun whatsoever. I think it unfortunate that your dh felt he had to make a quick decision for the church job. They apparently weren't as together as they assumed they were. It seems to me that your dh is in a desperate situation lacking the time to really pray over the next step fully and wait for an answer. That is an awful place to be. As for your place, I have been there as well. It's very hard not to let the fear bubble up and out and say things you wish you could take back. I am still working on walking the fine line between encouraging Dh to pursue opportunities and nagging him to do what I want him to do. :001_smile: I agree with Laughing Lioness about taking the time to hear God's leading in this. Of course, I know you guys are seeking Him...but take more time to bathe each decision in prayer since dh's seminary goals are on the line. Look back to when He led you guys in this direction and how He made a way for it to happen. He will make a way again.

Shasta Mom, thanks so much for the great help. I'm curious about your first statement. Was there a problem with shipping or with the cds?

I am planning to purchase this for next year and am at a loss regarding which way to purchase: download, cd or printed book. I definitely don't like the cost of the book form, but don't know if the printing and cost of doing so would cancel out the savings. We would be starting out with Book 1. Any advice or thoughts appreciated. Thanks so much... Dawn

As Daisy said, it's all about discipline and priority. As long as I committed to reading my plan first as soon as I opened the computer, and did not move on to another post in my reader or email or a forum or...you get the idea. Unfortunately, I am not very disciplined. But, discipline breeds discipline...forging good habits is a difficult task for me. I am grateful for His grace as I struggle along. Maybe 2009 will be my year. :001_smile:

BTW--for those interested in a daily plan with an RSS feed for your reader, there is a great list of ESV (English Standard Version) plans here. There are chronological, literary and other plans.

I was going pretty strong with a year-plan on my reader...for a while, and then I floundered. My goal is not to read the Bible through, but to read the Bible daily. I do want variety in my reading, not just sticking with the comfortable passages. However, the yearly plan was just too much for me some days. This next year I am going to start off with a Bible study called Seeking Him. I am going to be doing it as a blog study with a few blog friends...setting a day that we all post about what we learned/feel God saying/etc. I need accountability to follow through. After the study is over, I'll find some other way to plan out a daily reading time.

What a beautiful story...I couldn't hold back the tears. Thanks so very much for sharing!

Here's the other thread with more info... My dd is 6, and I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of my very own copy. :001_smile:

This is a K-12 resource, so you will be getting it right in time. :001_smile: As far as how to use it, there is another thread that gives more info about the book...I will try to find it and link it for you.

Mine's up, too. Happy Holidays to you all and a very merry WW! :)

We had a hard time figuring out what to buy our 6 yo this year. She also didn't ask for anything specific. I don't know if this will work for you, but the idea that finally came to me was to get her a puppet theater and a set of puppets. She loves imaginative play and writing stories and plays. I think she will love it, but know that it will mean lots of puppet shows in our future. :001_smile: We are also adopting a cat. That was a last minute decision...she's wanted a cat forever. I'm hoping our new feline family member will provide her with companionship. I think just having a pet in her room will help her with independent play there. She does not like to be alone for any length of time.

Here's one I saw at a blog I visit: Cinnamon ornaments and another recipe with applesauce instead of glue.

Tis the season. :001_smile: Link below. Happy WW!

What about purchasing just the workbook from the Piper site? I have a workbook here from the "How Majestic Is Your Name" series. It is a study of the names of God. The lessons are broken up into two pages. The first page has scripture references, a memory verse, key themes and instructions and helps to illustrating the name. The second page has a verse and space to draw the illustration. I think you could definitely use it alone filling in with your own insight as needed.

She'll be 7 in March, and she loves it. I purchased it after hearing so many people rave about it here, and I have not been disappointed.

I'm not familiar with that book, but we are using Our Young Folks' Josephus available here free in PDF form. I have the paperback book from Paidea Press. We are really enjoying it. Dd always says, "I like that story" when I finish the reading. :001_smile: