I voted 50/50. I agree about Always Infinity and prefer Tampax Pearl. Most of my friends use cups, but I've never had the urge to try. I was on birth control pills for most of my life, so had no idea what periods (or cramps) were actually like. When I went off the pill, it was like, "Holy Hemorrhage, Batman!" True embarrassing story. I never told my mother when I started my period. I just used to sneak her supplies. It took me forever to figure out why tampons kept sliding out of me. I thought there was really something wrong with me. Pro Tip: You aren't supposed to keep the plastic part inside of you. Suffice to say, I am not mechanical.

I just searched by the individual title + Bayard, and I bought them in bulk for a fraction of the cost of a new subscription. For example: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=l%27art+de+lire+bayard&_from=R40%7CR40&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xj%27aime+lire+bayard.TRS0&_nkw=j%27aime+lire+bayard&_sacat=0 You kinda have to watch the listings awhile to find the titles/price you want.

We haven't used Nallenart yet, but I bought all 6 levels during the sale. Our plan is to use Galore Park after. Giving you a bump...

You might think about subscribing to some of the Bayard magazines: http://www.frenchmagforkids.com/collection_mag.html They are pricey, but you can buy them used on eBay for much less.

Thanks for the link. This part especially resonated with me: The most compelling research evidence that Boaler presents is about how time pressure provokes math anxiety in many students. More than a third of students, according to one study cited by Boaler, experience extreme stress around timed tests. A 2013 University of Chicago study found that that the working memory portion of the brain becomes blocked in stressed students and they cannot access the math facts that they know. Over time, the anxiety builds and their confidence erodes. Boaler admits not everyone is harmed by timed math quizzes, but doesn’t see anyone benefitting from them either. “Some students are fine with them,†she said. “But when we combine those who are stressed with those who are turned away from math because of them, we have a large section of the U.S. population that goes across all achievement levels.†My son's brain shuts down immediately whenever a timer is involved. Times Attack, etc. are totally out for him, but he loves games like Prodigy.

I am preparing by taking from Memorial Day to Labor Day off from school to rest, rejuvenate, and get in better shape. I'll clean out our homeschooling stuff to make way for next year's books/supplies, and watch all the WTM conference lectures that I purchased. I'm also preparing for next year by getting my youngest potty-trained and swim-safe for preschool.

Thank you for this advice. My library has all the ones I was going to buy (along with the course manuals). Great tip!

In case you were feeling guilty that your kids haven't memorized their times tables yet: http://hechingerreport.org/memorizers-are-the-lowest-achievers-and-other-common-core-math-surprises/

I'm not exactly sure what a septic system is, but after reading this thread, I'm totally convinced that I should never move to the country.

Yes. David Palmer is the cheapest option in Southern California that I've found.

Despite being reluctant to homeschool, I've learned that: 1) I can do it (and may even be good at it). 2) My son enjoys it (and has learned a ton). 3) I like it more than I thought I would. 4) We made the right decision to do this.

I believe that if you do some searching for CPO on this board, you can find some links to the books and lab sheets online for free. If you want a hardcopy book for an accelerated late elementary kid, you might look at some of the non-AP resources on the high school board. Aside from Ellen McHenry, we also like the Holt Science & Technology series, which can be bought inexpensively used on Amazon.

We are about to hit this in SM 3A, so I appreciate the OP giving a head's up. After looking through SM 3A more closely, I can see that this issue will likely cause trouble for my son (he has been breezing along fine to date, but multi-digit multiplication and long division seem like a really big jump). For those that also use BA, at which point in BA did you circle back to SM 3A? We have done the first chapter in BA 3A concurrent with SM 3A, but I am not sure at which point we should go back and finish SM 3A if we take a BA detour for awhile.

The most inexpensive testing option for us is Dr. David Palmer in Laguna Beach, but I can think of a million other things I'd prefer to do with that $600 in my pocket. So, our current plan is to take the COGAT and ITBS next year in 1st grade. If the scores are high enough, we will apply for Mensa youth membership (since another poster mentioned that the annual convention will be in San Diego in 2016 -- thanks for that tip). We will do the SCAT in 2nd for CTY, and the Explore/Aspire + portfolio in 3rd for DYS. I don't really see 2E issues with my son that would make expensive psych testing seem worthwhile.

I hear what you are saying, and I don't mean to derail this thread. But, I have just heard so many excellent reasons for Latin that I think I'd feel remiss if I didn't pursue it. On the other hand, I speak Russian, my husband (and his family) are native French speakers, and my son is already learning Spanish (virtually via osmosis in Southern California) and Hebrew (we are Jewish). As there are only so many hours in the day, I ask myself whether he would be better off studying Russian vs. Latin, especially in light of programs like this: http://www.nsliforyouth.org/. Plus, so many of the Latin roots found in English are reinforced by study of French and Spanish -- two languages he is already learning. I can understand that people are put off by the Cyrillic alphabet, but that doesn't stop many from attempting Greek -- the merits of which can also be debated. Anyway, my oldest is still very young, so it's not like I have to decide this question tonight. But, as I've read through old threads by 8, Ester Maria, and other veteran homeschoolers on this board, I have been mulling this question over in my mind.

I have been moved by the arguments for Latin, but, playing devil's advocate, why would Latin be preferred to another extremely grammar-intensive, inflected language like Russian? This is a question that I have posed to 8 before, but I am curious if others have thoughts as well. Russian has even more the same number of cases as Latin and, as a modern language in high demand (and with an incredible literary heritage to boot), what advantage does Latin have? (Bonus points because I actually have a degree in Russian.) ETA: Wiki links comparing Russian vs. Latin grammar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_grammar http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_grammar

My sister got all of the right brain, so I could never pull off project-y, but I will join you in the margaritas. Make mine a mango. :cheers2:

I've not heard of any homeschool groups here that make a distinction. All are welcome.

Only a few more hours on this one. It looks pretty cool: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/80789521/jamstik-the-smartguitar

Mine is finishing up Kindy this year with a public homeschooling charter school. He went to private immersion preschools in French and Spanish, and we afterschooled him when he was 3 and 4. I had planned to send him to public Kindy (private school was out of reach for us after we had a second child), but he kept getting further and further ahead. Gifted classes don't begin in our district until 3rd grade, and I just couldn't see him being content in a regular classroom for 3 years. He's extremely extroverted and active, so we compromised by enrolling him in the homeschool charter. He does his core classes with me and goes 3 days per week for fun, enrichment classes at the charter. It's been a great solution for us, especially as he has continued to accelerate further ahead. I don't know if you have anything like that in your state, but I thought that I would share our experience.

I meant for me, as my oldest is only 6. But, who knows, maybe he will listen as well someday. :)

What are everyone's favorites from the list?

You can download and save for later.

The National French Contest: http://www.frenchteachers.org/concours/