Yes, I'm well aware of this, but I always like to hear what those hear have to say. I actually feel I get a better sense of what to expect when I get answers here than when I read in those places.

Thanks everyone! I am off to pick up samples and test them out :)

My 9-year-old is wrapping up the Percy Jackson series as I type. I thought I'd pick the Heroes of Olympus series for under the tree since he loved PJ so much and actually has no clue of this other series. Before I do, anything I should know about?

I'm painting my kitchen cabinets in January and I need to pick a color. There are TOO many choices available to me and it is making me crazy. I am looking for a crisp, but warm white. I will also be painting our kitchen island a teal color - any ideas??? Oh, and I'd like to paint my walls a warm gray. Something not to cement looking, but not too brown either. I'd like to keep them pretty light because I don't want to darken my house. Any and all ideas are so greatly appreciated :)

I've got a few Audible credits I need to spend - 5 to be exact. I'm trying to find some good books for my 5th grader but everything I think of or read in a previous post when searching he has either read or listened to already. So...does anyone have any ideas for me that I might not have heard of?

Yep! I don't think I'd survive without it. My older craves alone time just like me and loves 2-3 hours to just do his thing (read or listen to an audiobook while working on something). My toddler would be happy to go without of course, but he does stay on his bed for a nice long quiet time every afternoon. I let him have a stack of books, his guys, and usually the odd toy or two that finds his way in the room. He'll read to them and fall asleep after about 30-minutes 4 days out of 7. I love the days he sleeps because it is usually about 3-hours! When he doesn't sleep he'll last about 60-90 minutes on his bed just chillin' which is just great for a 2-year-old :) I don't see this going away anytime soon at all.

We are currently reading and really enjoying Nick of Time. Also, The Expeditioners was a fun read.

LOVED this one! Highly recommend.

Lovely lists! I'm searching my shelves tonight, then ordering up some others tonight :)

I could echo much of what has been said about why I don't do co-ops...

I agree, but those companies put in their offers that the deals are for first time customers. In this case Amazon should have included that the deal was for first time Kindle users, but they did not include this bit of information. If they had done that one little think I am sure they'd have a lot less cranky customers right now.

Just adding that I sent off an e-mail and got the $60 off. I wasn't going to, but it was kind of getting to me after the probably $1000s I've spent at Amazon over the years. Now to decide who to gift it to for Christmas...

I love this and agree 100%. My ds9 is in 1-2 classes at a time and gets together with a friend maybe once a month. My toddler has plenty of time to be a toddler and get the sleep he needs. But most importantly, my kids haven plenty of time to develop a relationship with one another and I wouldn't trade that for anything. I don't feel like the nine year old is lacking anything socially.

Well, we only do three... 1) math 2) Bravewriter (I've set it up so we have one piece to do each day, then a monthly writing project) 3) interest led studies We do have a great routine setup. We spend an hour going over math & our Bravewriter for the day, then he does his work for these two subjects. After that he spends 2-3 hours on interest led studies. Right now that includes Visual Latin, Medieval history, and a lit study of Minn of the Mississippi. He also does some kind of art every single day because he loves it. And has a variety of projects in the works. I work hard with him on time management and follow through, but what he chooses to study in depth is up to him. Oh, and a read aloud a TON. I've got a great routine in place for this too. I guess that could be my #4 :)

Less here too. We do math and language arts 4-days per week. I sprinkle in Charlotte Mason style lessons on all kinds of things when I have the time, we listen to 3-4 chapters of SOTW each week, and I read aloud a lot. This provides interest & curiosity for further study. Then...we have learning/project time for 2-3 hours those same days and pick and choose our focus based on interest & mood. Right now we are working through Project Passport Middle Ages with a side of Visual Latin. My son is also working on a personal book writing project during this time. Next it looks like it might be some kind of science. I've found really diving in and focusing on one thing works great for us. There is such a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction when you reach the end.

I've got a two-year-old. He prefers to be with us, but I do give him something to do when there if he hasn't brought his own things with him. We also take school outside whenever possible. He stays busy longest when I am engaged with him. So, if we are working on math with my older, I will play with him while the older works through problems. This is as simple as a couple minutes dumping and scooping rice. I also try to fill up his cup of mom time first, which is about 30-45 minuts of 1-on-1-time with just my toddler. Then I find he will play on his own quietly, right next to me of course, for longer stretches. I've got tons of ideas, here are some recent favorites. Rice or lentils in a big tub with a scoops, bowls, funnels, animals, dump trucks, etc. Puzzles, lacing cards, magnets, etc. Hammering golf tees into styrofoam Dot markers, regular markers, watercolors, finger paint, etc at the table with us Cups and bowls with water to dump from cup to cup Anything he can easily pick up with kid tweezers (cotton balls, pompoms, etc) and cups or something to it them in Play dough with something to use - scissors, plasti knife, rollers, cutters, plastic animals, gems, rocks, google eyes, anything! Pipe cleaners and a strainer to push them into I have a variety of building toys I rotate through

Thanks everyone! Lots of options to research. We are working through our list of dream vacations and this is one at the top right now!

I get that, but we live 15-minutes from the beach already!

I'd love to know some!

So next year we'd like to rent a cabin on a lake somewhere for about a month. This lake would be great for exploring along the shore, taking a swim, maybe even pushing a canoe out. There would be nearby trails to explore, maybe even a great creek to play in. This lake would be not too remote, but near a quaint town with at least a great place for ice cream and a decent grocery store. I'm not too particular about where this lake is, just that it will provide that magical 'summer spent at the lake' feel. Any ideas on where I could look for such a place?

I am trying to get together a list for reading aloud & things for my son to read on his own. In going through the activity guide I am finding much of the suggestions we have already read. Ugh! I'll re-read favorites, but I'd love to add some fresh titles to the list. So, I am wondering if you can offer up some titles for me to research that are NOT found in the SOTW activity guide for volume 2. TIA :)

What is working for me...six weeks on, one week off. This doesn't just apply to school, but to everything. For school...I plan for six weeks, shop for six weeks (projects, because my son loves them), library holds we need for six weeks, books i need to buy for six weeks. only six weeks. If something looks great it will be around later if it really was great. if it wasnt great i wont be able to find it because, well, it probably wasnt that great! I've already got the basics - math and language arts - they work excellent for us so stopped shopping and just buy what I need next when I need it. My plans include art projects, any history or science we want to study, things to do just for with my toddler, field trips I'd like to take, etc. For household...I stock up at Target for six weeks, scrub the house really good, shop for any needs like clothing or shoes or whatever, shop for any random stuff I've been adding to my list the past six weeks, catch up on blogs and Internet sites I enjoy without guilt. Then I tune out the noise (read - I stop going on the computer) for six weeks. I focus on my kids, schooling my kids, enjoying my kids, books I want to read, projects I want to do, tv/movies I want to watch, field trips I planned, etc. But, most importantly, I put myself on a spending freeze for all things that aren't emergencies. Do I get on the computer - of course, I just limit it to my personal time in the evenings.

What is working for me...six weeks on, one week off. This doesn't just apply to school, but to everything. For school...I plan for six weeks, shop for six weeks (projects, because my son loves them), library holds we need for six weeks, books i need to buy for six weeks. only six weeks. If something looks great it will be around later if it really was great. if it wasnt great i wont be able to find it because, well, it probably wasnt that great! I've already got the basics - math and language arts - they work excellent for us so stopped shopping and just buy what I need next when I need it. My plans include art projects, any history or science we want to study, things to do just for with my toddler, field trips I'd like to take, etc. For household...I stock up at Target for six weeks, scrub the house really good, shop for any needs like clothing or shoes or whatever, shop for any random stuff I've been adding to my list the past six weeks, catch up on blogs and Internet sites I enjoy without guilt. Then I tune out the noise (read - I stop going on the computer) for six weeks. I focus on my kids, schooling my kids, enjoying my kids, books I want to read, projects I want to do, tv/movies I want to watch, field trips I planned, etc. But, most importantly, I put myself on a spending freeze for all things that aren't emergencies. Do I get on the computer - of course, I just limit it to my personal time in the evenings.

What is working for me...six weeks on, one week off. This doesn't just apply to school, but to everything. For school...I plan for six weeks, shop for six weeks (projects, because my son loves them), library holds we need for six weeks, books i need to buy for six weeks. only six weeks. If something looks great it will be around later if it really was great. if it wasnt great i wont be able to find it because, well, it probably wasnt that great! I've already got the basics - math and language arts - they work excellent for us so stopped shopping and just buy what I need next when I need it. My plans include art projects, any history or science we want to study, things to do just for with my toddler, field trips I'd like to take, etc. For household...I stock up at Target for six weeks, scrub the house really good, shop for any needs like clothing or shoes or whatever, shop for any random stuff I've been adding to my list the past six weeks, catch up on blogs and Internet sites I enjoy without guilt. Then I tune out the noise (read - I stop going on the computer) for six weeks. I focus on my kids, schooling my kids, enjoying my kids, books I want to read, projects I want to do, tv/movies I want to watch, field trips I planned, etc. But, most importantly, I put myself on a spending freeze for all things that aren't emergencies. Do I get on the computer - of course, I just limit it to my personal time in the evenings.

I just did some shopping using Timberdoodle ideas. There really are some great ideas there, and many will grow with your child which is always nice.