What about the Legends of Ga'Hoole series??

Our county has free compost available. We hired a dump truck driver to bring us two HUGE loads for $90. Do you have something like this? We'll do some amending, but it's far less than buying it all.

The buy-out idea was a great one! We always need office supplies, and she was *very* happy. :) THANK YOU!

DD8 just won a $25 gift certificate for Best Buy. We don't do any tech stuff at all (and I really dislike even walking in the store - it's just so... overwhelming.). What could she get there that might be useful or fun???? I thought of a cheap digital camera, but the only ones in that price range don't include a memory card. Then a clock or boom box, but she really has those already. The music we listen to would not be available there at all... I'm a bit stumped. Thanks for any creative ideas!!!

I much prefer easygoing learning days + after "school" playdates. The less complicated, the better! :)

Since we only have one "testament", I guess my favorite would have to be the older one. :)

With DD8, we tried several different programs before settling on MM. She still doesn't love math, but she is doing far better with this than any other program. 1-1/2 pages per day will get you through the year, so it really doesn't take too long. I find the explanations to the student to be excellent and concise. I go over it with her first (much to her chagrin) then set her loose on the day's assignment. It's been a good 6 months (relatively speaking!!). :tongue_smilie:

:iagree: I would do the same. Even SWB says that history and science are optional at this age. Just call this your survival year, with lots of good family time.

With the right storage container/lid and a good source, bugs are just not a problem. I've been buying bulk grains for 10+ years, the last 2 being in a very buggy area, and I've not once had a bug issue.

:iagree: I use plain old sugar in moderation. The cost of "healthy" substitutes is astronomical by comparison, and I think the advantages (when you're eating sugar in moderation anyway) are negligible.

Two things come to mind... Definitely make sure your veggies come from a good source. Where I live there's a big difference among the various run-of-the-mill grocery stores. One is definitely far superior to the others! I also find that wrapping the more perishable veggies in a damp paper towel before placing in the fridge extends their life quite a bit.

Since the intention is to do a lesson a day, I would assume that "halfway" meant you had completed half the lessons...

Explode the Code might be a good match for her. Lots of writing, with all the phonics.

It would still set up, even if you used skim milk.

If the other options don't work, I would also think about dying it. After the initial sadness, it might be fun to pick out a new color for it! Mabye? :confused:

Here too! That salad is REALLY good on tacos. :) My version has cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, oil and salt.

We like to all get up and march around the coffee table and chant, "We're mad! We're mad! We're really, really mad!" while making goofy mad faces and gestures. Puts everyone right again. :)

You can just toss a whole head in the freezer. Then you can defrost it and it's great for making cabbage rolls (very easy to roll!). You can also do any other cooked recipe with it.

Another person just confirming that that sounds normal to me! :)

One of my favorites. I sang/sing all kinds of Ladino songs to my kids. Yum. I wouldn't hold back. :)

At the top of my list is anything that is either too expensive at the grocery store (esp. $2.00+/lb; we don't live in an area w/cheap produce!), or is not readily (or at all) available. Fresh herbs, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, shallots are at the top of the list. Fruits too, which for us include berries, pomegranates, paw paws, figs, quince, lemons, oranges, persimmon, guava, kiwi, and I forget what all else... Then there are the things that are FUN to grow, like melons, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, garlic, onions, peas, beans... The list could go on and on. I would definitely have detailed conversations with your local extension office. We moved from the Pacific NW to coastal Georgia and were quite flummoxed by the very different gardening rhythms. It's taken us a while to get the hang of it, and the extension office knows us well now. :)

In Georgia, we just register with the local district, turn in attendance sheets and do testing every few years. Pretty easy.

:iagree:

Yep! Sunday - pizza (homemade) Monday - beans (no meat/dairy) Tuesday - chicken Wednesday - dairy Thursday - breakfast night Friday - 10-dish meal for shabbos/sabbath Saturday - ditto Once a month I go through my card file and pick four of each kind of dish. Friday/Saturday meals I plan before I go shopping. Makes it pretty easy. :)

We're in Savannah, and LOVE the fan we installed in the dining room. (Ceilings are 8 feet tall.) On the high setting, it does make candles zoom down to their bottom, but that's the only "side effect." A fan in every room has really lowered our electrical bills and made it pretty comfortable even if it's really hot out.