Thank you for clarifying this for me... I will try to be more thankful that we are not having to insist on practice as we used to. Maybe I just am a "need to know" kind of person... I need to know what exactly I'm paying for!

We use a file folder system to conserve space. 2 plastic folder bins for 2 dc. File folders for each subject with velcro'd numbers to attach and remove when work completed.

I have had trouble being entirely pleased with the price of our piano lessons and I think it is just me... Our piano teacher has a great rapport with our ds, which is what I must slightly resent, because she is expensive, imo. Actually, I'm not even sure about that... she charges per semester with a few of the 12 weeks as "group lessons" where ds plays 1 song for that lesson and listens to others, and there is 1 recital per semester. My best guess is $25/ half hr. So, we switched to cheaper teacher last year, which was not successful. Ds needed much encouragement to practice and "just didn't like her". I humbly returned to first teacher, and now feel obligated to stay. Ds is back to being self-motivated and is progressing nicely. What am I complaining about??? Just venting that things cost so much. So... am I paying for piano lessons or for the rapport the teacher has built up with ds? And does it really matter? probably not, just sayin'....

I may have an opportunity to hire a private Spanish tutor to teach my dc Spanish from a native speaker. She is our ED Spanish translator and offered to teach Spanish to my 6th and 3rd grader in our home. This lady just happened to be an elementary English teacher in Mexico before coming to the US, yeah!! I had been asking around for a native teacher. I emailed local colleges for students willing to practice teaching, but received no replies. Rosetta Stone is too expensive and, frankly, it would probably crash my computer with the software bundle involved. My goals are early fluency with the correct accent and I may have found the first step toward this. Now, how much should I offer to pay? Where do I even start? Do I compare this to the piano lessons, which I think are too expensive, but, well, that is for another day... Am I ridiculous to even be able to do this less than the RS price?

Anyone do WP QMA with LA?

If your dc likes to lapbook, or create mini-books you could peruse the website at http://www.homeschoolshare.com/Trellis_Seed.php . We did the linked lapbook and enjoyed it, but there are others.

We use a little of this and a little of that... Wordly Wise - vocab IEW - writing Rod and Staff English - grammar SpellWell - spelling HTH,

If you have used WP QMA in the past, would someone please tell me who the author is for the Jr High lit book: The Life of Paul ? I am gathering books needed for next year...

This is why we do Winter Promise. One theme that would include Science + History would be "Sea & Sky", although we have not tried that one yet. We've done American History, and now are doing Ancient History with Chemistry. We are planning to do Quest for the Middle Ages with Human Body & Forensics for science next year.

We used the K'Nex for a simple machines unit, and that was very successful for elementary (3rd grade?) understanding. Maybe there is more of a Physics-tuned K'Nex buildng set, ie: more mobile parts. Imo, the simple machines kits might be too simple.

I don't do Bookmooch anymore. At one time I had at least 15 book credits, and suddenly the site went down. When it returned after some time, I had no credits.

Yes, dh and I were discussing that very possibility before I ordered. Dh remembered that a certain pear tree seemed to attract yellow jackets. So, I didn't order any pears! How's that for fine-tuned logic? We will just need to see how it all works out, and hope for the best!

I just ordered 2 apple trees, 1 peach tree and 3 grape vines from Stark Bros. I also received advice to buy dwarf trees, since semi-dwarf is still quite tall.

usedhomeschoolbooks.com yahoo groups paperbackswap.com homeschoolreviews.com/forum The Swap Meet

I apologize if this has been asked already, but doesn't Amazon have to purchase the books from the publisher in the first place? For example, wouldn't PHP have to supply Amazon with the books to sell? I understand that it would be at a wholesale, negotiated price, but I assume that a publisher negotiates a price to receive some profit at least.

Thank you for the helpful advice. I never knew there was such a thing as organic spray. I do have an old Stark Bros. catalogue, and will look thru that. I think I wiill buy bigger trees locally.

This is what I have heard also... that it is rather difficult to get good fruit without spraying. I am not totally against spraying since we eat and can fruit from nearby orchards that spray their fruit. It may be a necessary evil. Now, the squirrels I had not considered. We are currently dealing with a bunch of garter snakes. I don't want to start a catch and release program for ALL the critters.

Yes! I did this exact dinner a few years back and the kids still talk about it! I am planning to explore this again since it has been at least 3 years... It was chocolate rice krispy meatloaf, ice cream mashed potatoes and green fruit rollups shaped into balls for green peas. Thank you for the reminder!

We would like to plant an apple tree in our back yard. Any experienced small orchard gowers here? I'm thinking we would want a semi-dwarf apple tree for zone 6 (Northern VA)? What do I need to know for maintaining an apple tree or 2? Are apples self-pollinating? Is there really any way to avoid spraying and have a good harvest? Wanting to take another step toward self-sufficiency... However, if this is not cost-effective, we will continue to buy from local growers. I will also get books from the library ( any recommendations?) I'm mostly asking if others have been successful with a backyard orchard.

Croquet?

Update: We expected to capture many snakes on such a lovely weekend, but I think the word got out... we were able to catch and release 5 snakes who are now enjoying their new forest home. I'm glad I recommended that the ds wear gloves, since these snakes DO resist this process. I have one reptile curious son and one... not so much.

OK, another warm day and this family has invited all their FRIENDS! Today there was a writhing mass of snakes!!! Ughh!!! I can take 1-2 or even 5 snakes, but when they are all squirming on top of each other.... and that video, for heaven's sakes!! Our only option is to lure them into a bucket and walk them out to a field. I can't see that our yard can support close to 20 snakes! I hope it will be far enough away that they don't return... Anybody know if they return to where they were born? Actually dh thinks he will put them in a bucket and do an environmental recycling project and drive to a forest.

Thank you, I did a half-size folder mini-office... It's not tall enough. Need I say more? I like the posterboard idea.

Wow, that video is frightening! We have a birdbath, no standing water, so I hope that an infestation wouldn't happen. I've never seen any snakes close to our house in the past 3-4yrs since we discovered these yard guests. I think we will keep them, unless these yard guests start to be more troublesome than beneficial.