here's one more

maybe this worked...

I did a fairy party for my daughter a few years ago--we made flower crowns (out of green pipe cleaners with little flowers wired on, ribbon woven around it), fairies out of flowers (take a bigger silk flower, turn it upside down to be the dress, add a little wooden sphere as head, put a tiny flower cup on top as hat, glue on two leaves on back as wings), and wings (I just bought cheap netting at Walmart, gathered it together with a tiny wired flower & pinned them on the girls). We decorated with lots of white lights on trees/big plants. We danced to girly music (I think it was Disney princesses), played musical chairs, played drop the fairy into the jar (stand on chair with mason jar on floor, drop 3 little flower fairies one at a time to see if they make it in), and painted magic wands with glitter glue. (these were just from little dowels, with wooden stars at the top). If I could figure out how to add a few pictures here, you could see what some of the stuff was like...but I can't seem to figure it out. If you're really interested, pm me and I'll email the photos to you. :-) Have fun!

My understanding is that they are basically the same thing--but approach things differently. Mine have gone from 7/6 to Algebra 1/2...if your son is strong in math, I'd suggest the same sequence. Hopefully others will chime in here, too...but I had been told that 8/7 would be good if my ds was struggling, but if not, to move on to Algebra 1/2. I think you can find the scope & sequence on the website and compare both courses. good luck!

Excedrin totally makes me nauseated, but if I take two extra-strength advil and drink about a cup of Mountain Dew right when I start to feel the headache coming on, then lay down & close my eyes for 10-15 minutes, I'm able to keep it away. Once it's hit me full-blown, however, it's a lot harder to get rid of. It can last for days. I need to do a little research on this--thanks for all the info in this thread. I only discovered the mountain dew/advil thing within the past year or two, but I'm afraid of getting addicted to caffiene! (I never drink it other than this little headache remedy...but my mom was seriously addicted for years). Someone's comment about caffiene causing a rebound headache makes me question my remedy...maybe all I'm doing is making it go away for a little while only to have it come back the next day.

So when you 'de-friend' someone, what kind of a message does the other person receive? I'm just curious. I found a bunch of people from elementary/jr. high--it's cool to see what they are up to/how they turned out, but for most of them, I'm done. It's not like I want to chat with them every day or anything. I'd love to 'de-friend' somehow, but just wonder how to do that or how the message is sent. Anybody know? tia

I watched it and agree that she was probably just nervous. I watched it because I wanted to see how she responded and what kind of a statement she was going to make--basically I wanted to know what she would say to other teens in high school. And although I agree that you have to make the best of what happens and didn't want her to call her baby a 'mistake,' I was also waiting to hear her say--"Dude, this is so hard. And if I had it to do it over again, I wouldn't have s*x until I was older. Be careful--don't do what I did." That's what *I* wanted to hear, so I was a little disappointed. Of course, I know--she's a cute girl, she's got a sweet baby, she's got a great family who is helping her, it's not the end of the world, good can come out of it. But somehow I still wanted the message to come across as--don't do what I did.

Our favorite thing is to play games & have dessert. We usually go to one house after kids are in bed, so only one couple has to get a babysitter. Sometimes we don't even get to the game--just get busy talking and laughing and getting to know each other...and then the night is over!

I'm using Jump In with my ds11 right now...we've only been at it for a few weeks, but amazingly enough ds who previously hated writing, now likes it! We are new to homeschooling, so I don't have other programs to compare it to, but I am impressed with it. I just wanted to mention that I wish I hadn't spent the extra few dollars on the teacher's manual...it's not worth it, imo. Really all that it adds are writing prompts (which are kind of silly ones, again imo).

My ds6 started when he was 5 and it's amazing how far he has progressed in a year and a half. I was a little worried about starting with Suzuki and not having him learn to read music--but I think it has really helped his confidence for him to be able to play songs already. And his teacher is teaching him to read music, too--although his songs are still by memory, he's working on theory & notes in a different workbook--so eventually I can see the two abilities meeting together. He's a bright boy who picks up on academic concepts quickly and violin was just the enrichment we needed to add for him. We decided to go with the violin because at that time he was too small for the piano, but he was so eager to start & we wanted to take advantage of his enthusiasm. It wanes a little bit occasionally--when he'd rather be playing with friends than practicing--but he loves playing for family & friends. Good luck with your decision!

When my ds6 first started his love of math, he would make worksheets for me to do--he loved it! And then he'd correct them. Kind of a different way to keep his mind busy, but he felt so grown up writing out math problems (and so proud that he knew the answers).

I mean, aside from video games...which seems to be all that most of them want to play. Ds11 isn't addicted to them, but I'd just like to find some new things he can do when friends are over that are not centered around an electronic device, but are perhaps a little more 'grown-up' than legos (although he's still very much into legos, the neighbor kids seem to be past that). Any ideas? :bigear:

First of all, :grouphug:! That might be what you need the most! I just wanted to say that I totally understand how sometimes it feels like you have to do all of those 'good' things for your kids--you just want the best for them, and you see how each one can bring something positive and be worthwhile. And I really think that in our society today there is a kind of pressure to have kids start too early and try to excel at everything. I've often gotten myself a little caught up into this thinking sometimes, too. Take a deep breath, really look at what your priorities are and then figure out which of the outside activities can go. (I suggest reading "Good, Better, Best" by Dallin H. Oaks, I think it was--fairly recent LDS Conference address, you can find it at lds.org). On the homefront...I know it's hard when dh is gone so long, you are tired, and you still have to make dinner. My suggestion is to make a list of easy healthy meals that go together with little energy. Then be sure to stock up on the ingredients for these. Don't think gourmet--think easy and healthy...even if it is canned soup, grilled cheese & broccoli. My best days are those when I have dinner figured out in the morning--not necessarily made (although crockpot or frozen-ahead meals are truly my favorite), but at least planned. You can also simplify by baking a whole bunch of chicken & shredding it to freeze or cooking up a bunch of ground beef to freeze in smaller portions--throwing meals together is a lot easier when the meat is already cooked. The other comment I have is about Saxon. It sounds like maybe you need to go with level 2--if 1 is too easy & too repetitive. On the Saxon website, you can compare the scope & sequence of each grade level--it might be worth looking at closely. All three of my dc have skipped Saxon levels in order to be at an appropriately challenged instructional level. Good luck!

Figuratively Speaking with my ds11. It is not a literature program, but it teaches hyperbole, idiom, characterization, conflict, setting, etc. using excerpts from classic literature. I also have a strong reader and didn't necessarily need comprehension questions, but wanted to make sure we were covering some of these literary concepts. You can cover them in any order & tie them into a book you are reading already. If you check it out on the Rainbow Resource website, you can see the table of contents and a sample page. I think it was around $12-14 and says it's for grades 5-8. HTH!

My ds11 is very similar to your son! Quite capable, but can get so distracted by anything that is more exciting than his math. The other day, I pulled out two whiteboards and we had a race--I did the math problems at the same time he did. He loved it! And it helped me to see that he does indeed know how to do the work. I've also tried a reward if work is done by a certain time--sometimes that helps to motivate him. A few times I've even given him half of the assignment--let's say odds--and if he doesn't have it done by a certain time he has earned the evens to do as well. I'll be watching to see other ideas! Hang in there!

the Pearson Learning Core Knowledge History & Geography books? I'm not sure if there are other Pearson textbooks. But I am using this one with my son (it is checked out from our charter school, I'd like to purchase my own, but it is $50 and I'm not willing to spend it!). If this is what you're talking about, let me know and I'll tell you more of my opinion and/or about what the book is like.

that if they have two websites it would be a concern. I live ten minutes away from their store--they do have a lot of conservative Christian products, a lot of secular products, and a smaller selection of products that would be mostly interesting to LDS homeschoolers. If they have a website without the LDS products that would show me they are being sensitive to the fact that some of their customers aren't LDS--and might not be as interested in some of the resources (such as Book of Mormon related scripture study aids) or perhaps not as familiar with LDS 'culture' and 'terminology' (such as Family Home Evening or Primary or the Proclamation on the Family). I really don't see that it would be considered 'slimy.' Different families are looking for different resources. As for the OP, I haven't read the book, but have been happy with other products I've purchased there.

My children are in a Core Knowledge charter school in Utah, too. And I just brought my 6th grader home two weeks ago because a lot of his academic needs weren't being met. Surprisingly enough, the charter school is working well with us and letting him go to school only on Fridays (which is a half day) so he can see his friends, go to orchestra, and be there for lunch/recess. (Those are the four things he was so sad to miss when we decided to homeschool). They'll also let him join the class on field trips and for assemblies. Meanwhile, I'm teaching him M-Th using my own curriculum/some school materials. I was sort of expecting an us against them type of situation when we approached the school, so I have been pleasantly surprised at the willingness to accommodate. Especially as he is only going for social reasons at this point! I felt a little crazy saying, Well, I don't want you to teach him anything, I just want him to get to come for the fun stuff! Hope your plan continues to work well for your daughter! (I've heard great things about the Spanish immersion programs...).

Thank you for such a helpful reply, Lori D. It helps me feel like I'm on the right track here. As I mentioned, I am just starting homeschooling my ds11, so I've been trying to figure out what my goals are & find ways to accomplish them. For the first little while, I think we are just going to have fun reading classics--letting him choose from a list of ones I think he's ready for/think he needs to read. Someone here recently posted a link with various online sources for literature guides, so my plan was to use those to help in our discussions of the books...to help me find points to bring out and discover more than just reading comprehension. I did order Figuratively Speaking and another book, Teaching Literary Elements, hoping they would provide me with some direction to take this from here. As I haven't yet seen Figuratively Speaking I was glad to hear you recommend it! (Waiting for all of these books to arrive is driving me crazy! I just can't wait to dig into them & get going!) I'm going to look into some of your suggestions for how to read/discuss-- Thanks for the advice!

I would love to hear what others have to say about this. I also have an advanced reader. I am actually just bringing him home to homeschool starting this coming week! Over the past few months as I've been trying to decide on curriculum & such, I've thought a lot about exactly what you posted about. Once they are fluent readers, what objectives do you focus on?

I have a bunch of quick little chores that can be done anytime and I call them my Five-Minute Fixers...I wrote them on little circles (the ones that are attached to keychains sometimes, with the silver around them--kwim?). I listed things like: dust the piano, sweep under the table, wipe baseboards in LR w/clorox wipe, wash door handles, wash back door window, gather empty hangers & take to laundry room, wipe window blinds with clorox wipes, wipe down kitchen chairs, dust stair banister, etc. Basically anything that is just a quick little job and pretty much always needs to be done around here. Every little bit helps! When I announce it's time for a Five-Minute Fixer, everyone reaches into the bag and grabs one. Can't say they don't grumble... I like the idea of tying it to screen time--thanks! I'm going to have to do something like that. I really like having a fun little name, for some reason that makes things go over a bit better here. We also have Ten-Minute Tidy...that we usually do before dinner time or if someone is on their way over or I've just gotten tired of the mess. :001_smile:

bump

No advice here, but I would really like to know what people think of Jump In.

And I am not an expert either! I use Piano Adventures by Faber and have found their program easy to follow. I've found a lot of ideas on their website for teachers: pianoteaching.com/forum. Of course, they are all experts there, and some of them think you need to be an expert to teach piano...but I did learn a lot by lurking on the forum. (As I do here!) I do think it is good to emphasize theory--if only to lay a good foundation for when they move ahead of where you are! It will be interesting to hear what others have to add.

If you are looking for supplemental ideas, I'd suggest you check out Challenge Math by Ed Zaccaro. I don't yet have my copy (it's coming!), but have heard Ed Zaccaro speak at a gifted conference and I was very impressed. There are sample pages on his website. Google Ed Zaccaro and his site will come up. It's worth looking at, although it is not a math curriculum...but if you wanted to continue with what you are doing and add some higher-level thinking exercises, it might be a good fit.