Forgive me. My comment was not intended as a slight to others. As has been mentioned, I generally come to this board first and, given that so many here have children who show mathematical giftedness and/or are interested in math competitions, I felt that this board was most appropriate.

We are using Progressive Phonics + Nora Gaydos books.

Our solution for my extremely extroverted child was to send him to foreign language immersion preschool. He would have been bored out of his mind in English, but put things in another language and life became more challenging for him. Is that an option?

I was just coming to post this here. So exciting and inspiring!

I have the worst variant -- heterozygous to 677T and 1298C. The methylated vitamins do make me sick to my stomach, but I believe that is a common side effect.

I had the same experience the first time I took an antidepressant. I was in law school and was convinced that I had chronic fatigue syndrome, as I could not get out of bed. I would describe the feeling from the AD (the first one was Celexa) as euphoria, and it hit me very quickly. The SSRI use without a mood stabilizer eventually led to manic behaviors -- not that anyone recognized them as such until many many years later.

I am a big fan of Cymbalta. I think that my shrink prefers Pristiq, if your insurance will cover it. I forget why -- I think because it is more weight neutral. I am currently taking generic Effexor because it is cheap, but it does give me hot flashes,

Have you tried anything like Wellbutrin or any of the SNRIs I mentioned? I think that SSRIs are a great first-line treatment for a first onset of depression, but the side effects are intolerable for me (and they tend to poop out on me).

Also, re alternative treatments, I have found St. John's Wort effective for mild depression. SAM-e can also be helpful, but may trigger mania in some people. Fish/Krill Oil would be another really good supplement -- I take around 3-4 grams per day. I also suggest that anyone dealing with a mood disorder should be screened for MTHFR mutations. I was positive for two mutations and now take a prescription supplement (Enlyte) to help with folate deficiency. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-integrationist/201310/depression-wont-go-away-folate-could-be-the-answer

Antidepressants are a standard treatment of bipolar. You should just generally not take them without a mood stabilizer, as they commonly trigger mania when used without. I have found SNRIs to be most effective for me (Cymbalta, Effexor, Pristiq, etc.). SSRIs just make me fat and frigid.

With all due respect, you have no idea what you are talking about and need to just stop. This stuff is triggering enough without having to read through this kind of drivel on a homeschooling board. I didn't choose to leave a successful career as a litigator, friends, family, and two children who love me, $1.3 million in condos and a Porsche because attempting suicide sounded like a better option. I tried to kill myself because my mind was a raging inferno of hopelessness and despair -- because the tornado swirling inside my head could not comprehend that there were sunny days just around the corner. I felt that, despite all evidence to the contrary, the world would be a better place without me in it. I pray that you never know that kind of agony. The worst part is, I know that I will feel this way again, likely many more times in my life. Because I have a chronic illness that will never go away. It can only be managed, and sometimes not very well. Statistically, I have somewhere between a 25-50% chance of killing myself -- likely on the higher end since I have already tried before. Those are not comforting odds, and they are certainly not something anyone would choose to face.

We opted for ELTL in lieu of FLL and WWE. I prefer reading entire literature selections vs. excerpts. ETA: We also dropped AAS and use RLTL for spelling.

The average person with bipolar disorder goes 10 years being misdiagnosed and improperly treated. And that's just the stat for people seeking help. I was misdiagnosed for a decade, getting treatment for depression and anxiety while the doctors missed the manic behaviors. Antidepressants, without a mood stabilizer, generally lead to mania, then the crash, and the subsequent conclusion that the medication must not be working. I loathe my meds for bipolar -- I've lost all creativity and they'll probably give me diabetes -- but I'm alive because of my family, friends, doctors, and proper treatment. Most people don't begin to understand mental illness until it happens to them, or a loved one, and even then the stigma can be powerful.

Great. Thank you so much!

Congrats on your new program , 8! I didn't want to derail the other thread, but I wondered how the program might work for an accelerated child. DS5 is starting K in the fall, but is working at a 2nd grade level or higher in most subjects. We are doing ELTL1 this year, which I was hoping to continue with MCT Island (either in the spring or fall of next year). I think that many accelerated kids have started Island at 6. Would this be similarly appropriate at that time -- meaning, would an accelerated 6-7 year old be able to do TC? How would you compare the program to MCT? Thanks so much!

To another year of wisdom gained. Thank you for all you have given to my family.

It's not low COL, but I cannot complain at all about life in San Diego. It beats the pants off of both LA and SF. If only I could find a low COL area with 300+ days of sunshine, no humidity, and no bugs. Apparently, this is a pipe dream.

I have two intact boys that had non-cutting, britot ha shalom to welcome them into the covenant. I agonized about it terribly throughout my first pregnancy -- every fiber of my being was screaming at me not to circ, but I felt that I had no choice as a Jew. I booked a mohel/urologist for the bris, but cancelled after my oldest was born. I knew then that I just couldn't do it to him. I decided that he could make the choice to take on the mitzvah for himself after receiving a Jewish education. I made the same decision with my second. I feel that I owe my children informed consent about their religious lives, especially where religion requires making a permanent physical alteration to their genitalia -- something that I do not believe is possible in an 8 day old infant. After they have their bnei mitzvah, and are of an age when they can understand the commandments, I will support them in whatever decision they make for themselves re circumcision. The Jewish life they lead is a personal decision, IMHO. To date, my oldest has been to Jewish preschool and summer camps, and no one has ever made a comment about his intact penis.

I bought Elements, Cells, and Botany. Thank you!

Yes, please keep us updated!

They have two Thames & Kosmos sets too.

We are not starting school until the day after Labor Day, but as the summer is nearing its end, I find myself experiencing homeschooling jitters. My oldest will be starting K in the fall with a homeschooling charter program -- 3 days of homeschooling and 3 days of fun enrichment classes. I know that I am being ridiculous -- I pulled him from his preschool program in Mexico last year and successfully homeschooled him for the rest of the year -- but, for some reason (presumably because he would be starting elementary school vs. preschool), I feel like it is different this time. More real. And I worry that I am going to mess this/him up. Did you experience homeschooling jitters when you started? How did you deal with them? Any tips for the newbies on this journey?