We have 3300 sq. ft for 6 people. We use all of our space and love having lots of it. That said, I could live in a much smaller house and still be very happy.

I bought their books hoping for some Biblical guidance on being a better disciplinarian. It still makes me sick to think that they would actually tell about hitting their five month old baby with a switch. It turned me off to anything they would ever have to say. I found the books recently while cleaning the attic and put them in the garbage bag. I would hate for for someone to read their materials and think it was good parenting.

but Saxon with the DIVE cd. We're going with this next year. Haven't used it yet so I don't have an opinion yet.

The "juiceman" has some good stuff but it's mostly sprouting. Carol Alt's book is decent too. She has some non-vegetarian suggestions.

Guitar Hero, baby! It wins by a landslide around here. We like Crash too.

I am not a pessimist by nature, but I am really scared about the economy. We've been feeling the dip for about a year now because of dh's job field and Friday the bomb fell. DH was "strategically" moved within his company and his salary was drastically cut to match the new position. It's going to get bad. There are so many of us who have no clue what it's like to really sacrifice. There is an overwhelming majority who have no concept of delayed gratification or doing without. What makes me sick is the number of people who expect the government to bail them out. The government did not force people to run up credit cards, buy brand new vehicles, or put their homes on adjustable rate mortgages. I guess we'll see though.

Maybe you can catch the weasels playing with it. I also agree with Colleen about asking it and their parents about it on a regular basis.

Just because I like or dislike a book doesn't mean they will. I will have dc read several books I don't care for. If the book's a hit then that's fine. If not, that's fine too.

Yup. Every time I change curriculum. :001_huh:

Why do I feel so compelled to find the perfect curriculum even though I know it's not out there? I am frustrated and SICK of looking at school stuff. I want to teach not research. It seems like I spend all my time trying to figure out what to do and never get around to actually doing it. Here's the really irrational part: I find something, buy it, try it for a few weeks, toss it because it's not perfect. Find something else, buy that, try it for a few weeks and toss that too. Then I give up and do nothing but feel guilty for doing nothing for a few weeks. Then the whole dumb cycle starts all over again. :banghead: How can I find something that I can be happy with? I do this with every subject for all three school aged children so it's an internal issue not an "I need help with history" problem. I'm beginning to think that for me the computer is more of a detriment than a help. Maybe if I'd get off of it and quit looking at what "everybody else is doing" I would just do my own thing and :chillpill:

This is my third trip through first grade. I was way too hard on my oldest because I didn't know to relax and take things at her pace. She wasn't ready for "English For the Thoughtful Child" but, by golly, the book said to use it. Most of the materials I chose were way too mature and not her learning style. Both of us cried often that first year. I even thought she had a learning disability for a while because she seemed so behind other kids. I know now that I had no concept of "learning curve". Nor would I let her be where she was academically. Chilld #2 is a workbook kid. We went with straight Rod and Staff 1. Overall it was a good fit. Luckily for her I was prepared for a rough year so every day was exciting because she understood the material. No tears. :) Child #3 begins first in a few more days. Here's the plan: Math/Logic: CLE Math 1 Developing the Early Learner Language: CLE Reading 1 CLE Language Arts 1 daily reading aloud to Mom daily reading aloud from Mom History: SOTW 1 read, maps. SOTW AG Lit./addt. reading suggestions Science: God's Design for Life (with 5th grade sister) Videos and library books as desired Art/Music: Harmony Fine Arts 5 (with older sisters) HTH.

I decided to make life easier for myself and combine the kids for history. What a nightmare! The oldest needs so much more than the youngest that they are both being short changed. The middle dd doesn't like history so she doesn't care one way or the other. I was banking on being able to combine them all for history and the older two for science. They are way too far apart in ability to combine at all. What do I do?

Your house, your rules. She can listen to that band when she moves out. She won't be scarred from life.

I debated for several weeks before posting because I didn't want to offend anyone. I am thankful that y'all can see I'm seriously trying to solve a problem, not cause a controversy. Thank you for your wise replies. i will be giving them some thought over the next few weeks.

ROFLMBO :D

I have been really searching spiritually for quite a while and have come to the conclusion that I won't find any easy answers. There are some things that we just can't know for sure. At least, I don't think I will ever know for sure. I am skeptical about the Bible and don't feel comfortable teaching it in depth or the "everything is God's plan" type history and science, but I haven't stepped completely away from a deist perspective either. I guess I am firmly on the fence. DH, on the other hand, is very firm in his Christian beliefs and wants to raise our dc as such. My dilemma is I don't know how to teach our dc. We are studying Ancients next year and I don't know how to reconcile the origins topic. We will read the Genesis account and a biography of Darwin. What do I do from there? Just have the older two write a compare and contrast paper and let each draw her own conclusion? Do I tell them of my own struggles with both creation and evolution? I have considered teaching as though I believe to see if it can make me "see" what others see. The strange thing in all of this is I want the Bible to be real. What do I do?

Anj, I am roflmbo!!! :lol:

As if! Whoa! (Remember the show "Blossom" with that Joey kid?)

Get Lady Katherine (Katherine B in TX) to tell about taking her son to pre-school on the tractor. It's was too funny.

I have fluff at the upper thigh and tummy areas no matter how much weight I gain or lose. The amount of fluff fluctuates but it never goes away. I don't have much boob no matter what I weigh. The strange thing is I like being on the flatter side for two reasons. First, I can wear any style top I want. Second, the "girls" are definitely out of shape after 4 pregnancies and a total of 3 years nursing. If they had been any bigger before children I'd have to roll them up like tube socks before putting on a bra.

We are in the Memphis area and it's been in the 90's for almost 2 weeks now. Our summers are long and hot and that's how I like 'um! I could not stand to live in a cold environment (which, in my book, is under 70) for more than a few months out of the year and anyplace that got more than a day or two under 30 would be out of the question! Now, I'm off to the pool!

My ds is starting first grade next week. He will be studying the Ancients along with his older sisters but in a much gentler way. We will read through the WTM Ancients reading list and SOTW activity guide lit. suggestions. I don't think that at 5/6/7/8 what topics a child is reading is nearly as important as making sure that they ARE reading, kwim? My oldest will go through only once, the second child twice, and the third and fourth children will go through three times. MNSHO is the older grades retain much more than the younger grades. It's not essential to do history in the younger years, but it is fun.

I could have thousands of dollars in no-show fees if we could charge $200 a pop! The yard guy alone would owe me $3000. :ack2: I am sick of being stood up by workman. Building the house was fun before we closed. Getting the punch list work down (after closing) has been a nightmare.

It's probably not a classic in the right that most classics are judged. Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable book.