We use chocolate chips. Whatever works!

In her senior year, my daughter wrote a 15-page history paper and an 18-page law and society paper. She's a first-year history major and so far has written one 8-10 page and one 15-20 page papers in college. She felt well-prepared. So far, my sophomore hasn't written more than 5-6 pages.

We'll finish on December 14th and start up again on January 29th, except for my high schooler, who'll only have two weeks off.

I consider our new school year to start in January, starting the winter that they're five. Depending on the situation, I'll either say the grade that I consider them, the grade they would be in public school, or just their age. I never go by the level they're working at.

My daughter is older, but she and her friends tend to wear black, colored or patterned pantyhose.

Singapore sounds like it would be a good fit. We've had a lot of success transitioning from Miquon to Singapore - one of my boys started SM 2A alongside Miquon Green, and another finished Miquon first, then moved on to SM 3B.

I've bought ties for my boys at both Gap and Nordstrom.

We do it because it works for us. :) We started out this way because my two oldest kids have fall birthdays and were completely ready to start kindergarten the January they were five. We switch over to a September-June schedule for high school, taking either one semester or three for 8th grade, which gives us some flexibility and lets us decide when they're ready to start high school.

I know it's not what you were looking to hear, but I would not drop handwriting completely at this point. Shorten the amount per day, mix it up with other fine motor exercises, set up a sticker chart for getting it done, bribe him with chocolate, but don't take a year off. He's obviously a very bright boy, and I would be doing everything I could to make sure that his handwriting wasn't holding him back. Even though it might not seem worth the effort right now, working on handwriting this year will make the next few a lot easier on both of you.

My 9-year-old has read The Hunger Games, but I haven't, so I can't comment on its content. Mukmuk had some great suggestions, and some of my son's other favorites are: Fablehaven - Brandon Mull Inheritance - Christopher Paolini Anything by Rick Riordan The Underland Chronicles - Suzanne Collins Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan(all of these are fantasy/adventure) The Shadow Children - Margaret Peterson Haddix (dark and weird) The Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger, Son - Lois Lowry (dark and weirder) He's getting his "very own" set of LOTR for Christmas, and I think he'll love them too.

I make sure to get at least one item off their wish lists, but most of their gifts are things that I think they'll enjoy and get a lot of use out of. In your situation, I'd order one initialed item for each child, along with the gifts you choose.

Dd6 has asked for make-up and books. She'll also be getting clothes, dress-up clothes, doll clothes, doll furniture and art supplies. I'm still trying to pick out a "wow" gift.

New here, but this thread is for us! My high schooler is on a typical September-June schedule, but the younger kids will start 5th, 3rd and 1st grade this January. We'll take six weeks off in December/January and start back on January 29th. We also take six weeks off in June/July and have two 19-week semesters. I don't have everything settled for January, but my rough plan is: 5th Grade Language Arts: Writing With Skill Stewart English 1 or Barron's Painless Grammar Poetry for Beginners Reading: assigned books (some correspond with history), free reading History/Geography: The Middle Ages/ Renaissance and Reformation Times (Mills), Famous Men of Rome/ Renaissance and Reformation, Our Island Story etc. Maps Charts Graphs G Math: Rethinking this completely! Maybe AoPS? Science: Semester 1: Human Biology (The Way We Work, History of Medicine, Boys Body Book, selected chapters of CPO Life Science & Behold and See 4 etc.) Semester 2: Chemistry (maybe The Elements?) Religion: Saint Joseph Concise Bible History New Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism 2 Faith and Life 5: Credo: I Believe Other: Latin Alive! Book 1 Mind Benders Scratch, Python and possibly Java (with Dad) 3rd Grade Language Arts: Writing With Ease 2 (finish) Handwriting Without Tears 2 Zaner Bloser Spelling 3 (or AAS?) Reading: Reading Detective Beginning, assigned books, free reading History/Geography: Story of the World 2 Great Saints in World History & a study of each country Math: Math-U-See Beta Mathematical Reasoning/Math Analogies Science: Semester 1: Behold and See 4/First Encyclopedia of the Human Body Semester 2: Real Science 4 Kids Chemistry Religion: Faith and Life 3: Our Life With Jesus Other: Song School Latin Mind Benders Analogies for Beginners 1st Grade Language Arts: Writing With Ease 1 First Language Lessons 1 Zaner Bloser Handwriting 2M Zaner Bloser Spelling 1 (or AAS?) Explode the Code 7, 8 Reading: This is Our Town/This is Our Valley/The Story Tree, Devotional Stories for Little Folks, assigned books, free reading History/Geography: Story of the World 2 Great Saints in World History & a study of each country Math: Miquon Red, Blue Science: Semester 1: Science 1 for Young Catholics/First Encyclopedia of the Human Body Semester 2: Real Science for Kids Chemistry Religion: New Catholic Picture Bible Faith and Life 1: Our Heavenly Father Other: Song School Latin Storybook Art Cooking Art