We use Artistic Pursuits http://www.artisticpursuits.com/ I am not "artistic" but my daughter is. It's self guided and easy to teach. They read lessons, study artwork, and do a project each week. Sorry, can't help you with guitar:001_smile:

We are doing Ambleside Online year 2. We LOVE the books they recommend for read alouds. http://www.amblesideonline.com We also do Jeannie Fulbright's Exploring Creation Through Botany. My kids are LOVING it. We do nature walks, come home and draw a picture of what we saw. The Botany book is a perfect go along. We're talking about Non-Vascular plants right now, and my kids were ecstatic when they found moss on a rock the other day. It's a very laid back, Charlotte Mason type curriculum. HTH!

Five in a Row (I'm on my 2nd go round with dd #2) Bob Books Galloping the Globe Horizons Math A Beka's K4 program A Beka's A Handbook for Reading Artistic Pursuits

I seem to be making it up as I go along. We're using A Beka Language 3 and they have writing incorporated in there. Plus, I do narration and have her write about what we've read in a paragraph form. I've looked at Writing Strands, but I'm afraid it may be overkill right now.:confused:

I agree, Singapore or Math U See might be what you're looking for because they are more "out of the box" sort of curriculum. SIDE NOTE - they still didn't work for us because my daughter actually struggled in math. Singapore and Math U See did not help her grasp the concepts she so desperately needed to learn. Plus, it was very hard for ME to teach those curriculums because I don't "think outside the box" when it comes to Math. Our saving grace was "Touch Math." However, since your daughter is good at math and she just seems to be bored, I would give them a try! She may just need more of a challenge, and Rod and Staff can be boring.:sleep: If you don't function well in an "out of the box" sort of curriculum, you could just switch to Horizons or A Beka. They are more interesting than Rod and Staff because they are in color, and they spiral. I really like Horizons. We do just enough of each type of problem each day so she doesn't get run down, and we build and review every day. They also include timed drill sheets and extra worksheets if you still like that sort of thing. We rarely use them, but I do see the benefit to doing them once in a while. Those are the curriculums I know about. There are so many others, and each program has something to commend it. The trick is finding what works for you AND your children. Many of us have been there, don't get discouraged!:D Blessings!

I think HOAs are one of the biggest scams on homeowners around. :rant: Ours started out at $20 per month, by the time we moved, it was up to $32 per month and they were doing LESS and LESS for the community! They were supposed to take care of our front yards and the boulevards, but they rarely came by. I trimmed my own bushes and watered my own plants. We now live in a neighborhood that doesn't have an HOA and the yards are MUCH nicer because the homeowner is responsible. Plus, they are allowed to do what they want, whereas at our other house, we weren't allowed to alter our front yards. This didn't help property values one bit! AND after 15 years, the builder is STILL in charge of the HOA! There is a clause in the coven that says they are in charge until "x" number of houses are built. After 15 years, those houses still have not been built! We didn't understand all that when we moved in. Plus we still believed the lie that HOAs help homeowners. Anyway, check your paperwork and see when you have the right to get on the board. That's the only way you'll get any change. Also, Carrie1234 is right, they put a lien on the property owner's homes that don't pay. However, that costs money and, in our neighborhood, there were so many rentals that the "owners" didn't care! That's another thought, we had to pay extra homeowner's insurance to cover us in case of legal fees that the HOA might try and levy - ugh! Sorry your HOA stinks too. Thanks for letting me share in your rant:D

ps For those who are wondering - I still wouldn't take the flu shot:001_smile:

Everyone is so nice and sympathetic! Thanks Guys!:grouphug: No, I don't feel better today. UGH! I have a sore throat, my congestion in my sinuses moves. I have to sleep propped up because I can't breath right if I don't. I have been doing the salt water gargle as well as cleaning my sinuses out with salt water. A friend of mine recommended garlic steeped in hot water. First to inhale it, and then to drink it. I'll admit, I'm afraid to drink it at this point. With all the drugs I've been taking, my stomach is precarious at best. And, I was wrong, the body aches have not gone away. I didn't take any meds right before bed last night and they wore off in the middle of the night. So, anyway. I'm going to send hubby to the store for the Oscillococcinum - even if it's too late, it's worth a try. And more Chicken noodle soup, and Vit C. I'm also going to try the Apple Cider vinegar in the ears, cause they hurt and I can't imagine it will do any harm. :bigear: AND I'm going to try and add some garlic in there somewhere. I LOVE garlic so you think it wouldn't be a big deal. But I just couldn't bring myself to drink it. Tammyla - I have Acidophilus pills. I just end up not taking anything once I get sick. I'm not sure why. I think I'll give it a try. :lol:Ok, now I'm rhyming, so I better go get more rest. Keep the suggestions coming! I'm sure someone else on the boards is benefiting from this also. Thanks Guys!

Rod and Staff is mainly drill and memorization. My daughter doesn't "do" math like that. Is that's what you're experiencing? Tell us what you do and don't like about it. What does and doesn't work for your daughter. Then, I might have an answer (we've used 5 different programs):lol::lol:

Yes, I have the flu. I'm in day 3. The body aches are getting better and I didn't sleep all day today (don't ask me what my house looked like this morning after being asleep for 2 days straight). However, my sinuses are not getting better and I wrenched my neck last night sleeping all propped up on pillows. What are your favorite "home remedies" for getting over the flu faster. And, what do you do when you mess up your neck? BTW I can't go to the Dr because we are without health ins this month (job change). So far, I'm downing Vit C and Chicken noodle soup, as well as taking Day Quil. It's starting to upset my stomach though.:ack2: HELP!

If you're just looking for "fun" soap, go to Michael's or Hobby Lobby and buy the glycerin and whatever scents and molds etc you want. We did this last year and it was such a hit, we're making soap for Christmas presents this year.

I second the soups. I have a recipe for "Unstuffed Pepper Soup" that might fit the bill. I use all organic stuff and low sodium stuff so keep that in mind when reading the ingredients :) 1 1/2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey (we are ground turkey fans around here) 3 large green peppers, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 1 box beef broth 2 cans tomato sauce 2 cans diced tomatoes dash Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 cups cooked rice (we prefer wild rice) Salt and pepper to taste Cook meat, green peppers and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Stir in broth, sauce, tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 30 min, stirring occasionally. Add rice and heat through. Serve with crackers and Parmesan cheese. We added some curry last time and it was REALLY good. The problem is, I don't remember how much:D I do this all the time. Anyway, it freezes fabulously. I just put in Tupperware, and freeze. Then, to defrost I put it in a sink of warm water to loosen it from the Tupperware, and then I put it back in a pot and heat through.

I never get the flu shot. I get the flu every other year. I have the flu right now (day 3). I don't mind the actual flu, it's the horrible stomach viruses that go around. :ack2: If they ever develop a shot for the stomach viruses, I'd be the first in line. Gotta go take more drugs.

YEAH! I love group hugs!:grouphug::grouphug:

We dropped Konos within the first month and decided Ambleside would be a better fit. It is, and we're happy. The funny thing is, last week, i had to drop Primary Language lessons because I was doing that AND Ambleside AND Abeka language 3. Plus, since I was doing FIAR with my youngest, I was including my oldest on some of the language lessons. Talk about OVERKILL!!! :banghead: Otherwise, we haven't dropped anything else. It's funny to see what works for some that doesn't work for others. We love "Exploring Creation through Botany," and Spelling Power. but we don't functions well with R & S English.

Yes, but not in the morning. I love him, but if he kisses me while I'm still sleeping, I'm not responsible for my actions. :001_wub: We've had flailing incidents to the point where he's decided it's not worth it to kiss me as he leaves for work:blush:

Here's our condensed version: Pushing Daisies season 1 Allo Allo season 9 Between the Lions Eddie Izzard Fawlty towers Juno Spider Man 3 Get Smart Northanger Abby Pursuasion Love comes Softly The Brak show The Smurfs Kit Kitteredge and Ghost Rider Yes, we're eclectic:lurk5:

I learned about it at a seminar. This was what finally broke us through the barrier of learning to add and subtract. The great thing about it, is you can use it for multiplication too. You just skip count!

Thanks guys! I really appreciate your help. We're going to get one, the question is how to handle it. I agree with everyone who said the "adult machine" was the best buy. The more I look into it, the more I think the machine should go to ALL the girls (me included:001_smile:), and we can learn to sew together. So, now, what's your favorite "learn to sew" book for little girls and adults?

Hey Dianne! I PMed you:D

I want to be just like you when I grow up! You have wisdom beyond my dreams:D Congrats!

Thanks guys! The only problem with an "adult" machine at this point is price. I think Walmart has two that are under $80 so I'll probably look there. However, I never thought of Tuesday Morning! Thanks SWM! Blessedfamily - Thanks! I had no idea that was one of the differences. I knew the pedal is sometimes an issue, as is size. Do you think it should be "full sized?" Starr - That's a good idea! I'll have to look into that. She's so creative, I know she'll love it, the problem is, she'll also want to take it apart to figure out how it works. It's moments like that that I look at her and think, "I love it that you're inquisitive. You may be driving me crazy, but I know this will pay off some day:lol:" Thanks again. If anyone else has any suggestions, feel free! I'm kind of excited to learn myself. Quilting, here I come!

HAHAHA! For some reason seeing my name in a title scared me! We've had a weird year because we moved (in town - but it was still insane), so we took a month "off." So, in that time, I looked into Ambleside onlinehttp://www.amblesideonline.com. We've been doing it for a month and we LOVE it! We've always been a little laid back about school. Even when I want to "buckle down" life seems to happen. So, this year, I decided I'm not going to stress so much and it's working well. The girls and I get up around 7:30-8:00. We eat breakfast together, we get dressed/cleaned up all together. I stress the "all together" approach because I used to try and get up before them and I am just not that Mom:D. Mondays have been our Nature Walk day, but I'd like to go twice a week. Partly because they like it so much and partly because our new house doesn't have a big backyard. They do play outside most mornings, they just play soccer (it's hilarious). Then, sometimes we start school by 10:00, but if they're having a lot of fun, or if I'm working on something else, we'll start later in the day. I do like to get an hour or two in before lunch because of the day getting away, but I'm not as rigid about our schedule anymore. I also don't stress about getting things done in a certain order (anymore:lol:). Ambleside is really good for that. Because you're doing things the Charlotte Mason way you can take the list of books for the week and work at your own pace. If you've never heard of it, it's kind of like Sonlight, but free (no teacher's guide:001_smile:). Also, history is still Chronological - a big thing for me. I kind of include my little one, but we do Five in a Row together while big sis is working on something independantly. I used it with my oldest and should have known she'd enjoy something similar when she got older. So there you have it! We use other stuff (Horizons and Exploring Creation Through Botany), but Ambleside has been such a blessing. It just doesn't FEEL like school. And, I discovered how creative my kids are when left to their own devices, and I want to encourage that more. When I'm less stressed about the schedule, more gets done. Isn't that funny? Thanks for asking! What are you doing so far? I love learning about other people's experiences and methods. I always walk away with new ideas and "food for thought." By the way, I'm a firm believer in doing what works for you this year. So, this is all subject to change next year:lol: Blessings! Dorinda

Oh but she's not too old! My friend's DD will be 11 in January and she's got two and has asked for a 3rd for her birthday! That's why the books and accessories are cool too. They grow with the girl. My sister got hers when she was 10 (I think that's when they came out) and she still has it. As a matter of fact, I asked if I could have it for my girls (my sis doesn't have any kids) and she wouldn't give it to me. It's the ONLY thing she's ever denyed her nieces!:001_rolleyes: I say get her one, she'll love it and it will be an heirloom. HTH!

The media doesn't CALL the election anymore, but they "project" who will win. I know, it's a silly difference, isn't it? Also, every state is different. In the past, absentee and provisional ballots in most states were not really "counted" unless the race was close. Each County Clerk knows how many and to whom the absentee ballots were sent out. So, let's say 1000 were sent out, unless the vote is that close, why wait for them to be counted? At least, that's the way it was before 2000. Now, all that has changed. Our state started counting them last week (as stated in my earlier post) to expedite the results as quickly as possible. Anyone from Oregon? I think they have the right idea. They mail everyone a ballot, don't they? Do you even have to register? I LOVE politics!