Bwahaha. Mobile, so I can't do the fancy laughing emoticons.

Omg, yes!! Eta: NSFW language http://gawker.com/5586004/the-giving-tree-gets-a-sassy-gay-friend

Ruth, I've adopted your topic-subtopic method for science, and always appreciate your posts. Would you mind sharing some of the spines you use for the subtopics?

I've loved my name as an adult, but could never find anything personalized as a kid. Monica, yes. Monique, no. I still really hate it when people call me Monica by mistake. It's a ridiculous pet peeve of mine.

We switched from AAS to RLtL for spelling and are very happy with it.

I don't think anyone said that we don't provide discipline, guidance, or teach appropriate boundaries to our children. Conflating those things with punishment is the issue for me.

Hope, I'm thinking of Spelling Workout for next year (still undecided about B or C). What do you like about R&S vs. SW? Apologies for butting in. I'm still weighing both programs.

I still wipe for my DS5, but since he will be in summer camp, I guess we should practice (they did it for him in preschool). Thank you for the reminder. It wasn't even on my radar!

I don't have any experience with testing children, and I hope that you find some guidance, but I was diagnosed with ADD as an adult by two very competent shrinks (no H here either -- I'm the least hyperactive person you will ever meet; my ADHD husband and sister on the other hand....). I will agree with you that I still have no idea if it is really a character flaw in me vs. a disability, but ADD meds really do help me to focus. On the other hand, my understanding is that ADD meds (like Adderall, Dexedrine, etc.) will pretty much help anyone to focus, which is why they are so often abused. I'm not sure what your thoughts are on medication, but I thought I would share my experience.

We finished The Good Dog by Avi, which led to interesting discussions because the dog was the narrator. Starting Because of Winn-Dixie tonight. We're on a bit of an animal kick at the moment.

I guess that I'm just not seeing the difficulty in listening to an age appropriate read-aloud, narrating a bit about the story or a picture, and doing a sentence of copywork a couple times per week. I realize that not all kids are there yet at 6-7, but it doesn't seem particularly advanced either.

There's a Godtube? Every day, I realize that there is truly a whole other world out there... That vid should be called "stuff that is totally legal to do to your kids (but will cost you a boatload in therapy)."

Not much better in life than a carne asada burrito and a Jamaica. Fish or shrimp tacos are a close second. But, I feel you on the chile mangoes. I currently live in Bucerias, Nayarit, and am a sucker for street food.

My DS5 will technically be in K next year and we will be doing LLtL1 and RLtL2. I know that he could do LLtL1 now, but our focus is on finishing up Progressive Phonics first (which has worked wonderfully). We did half of AAS1 this year for PK4, but switched to RLtL1 (we started at lesson 14) and have been MUCH happier. LLtL1, AAS, and McGuffey/Treadwell readers may be too much for 1st for many kids, but I think it really depends on how many days/weeks you school. We plan to only do LLtL1 twice per week. As I recall, there are 108 lessons, so I expect it will take us about a year and a half to finish, which is why we are beginning it over the summer. If you plan to do LLtL 3 days per week and AAS twice per week, along with the readers, it could be feasible. I just prefer to leave Fridays for other activities. You could also just switch to RLtL, which uses the Elson readers and teaches spelling, and be done with it.

I'm curious how you distinguished math anxiety from attention/behavior issues? It sounds like you sought professional help, but I am wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing the details.

Memorial Church, Hoover Tower, Cantor Arts Center, Stanford Museum of Art, Stanford Shopping Center. I love to drive over to the beautiful mountains and valleys in quaint Saratoga. For restaurants, I would check Trip Advisor for Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Atherton. I'm sure much has changed since I was last on campus (12 years ago -- eeek!)

My friends are seconded to Beijing (the hub works for Amazon). You can see for yourself: http://hernameisdragon.blogspot.mx/2012/02/black-and-blue.html http://hernameisdragon.blogspot.mx/2011/10/500-is-when-canary-dies.html

How about this? Or the more scholarly? http://www.economist.com/blogs/johnson/2011/11/swearing-quebec

I'm right there with you. I read it with my older son last month and was a blubbering mess. Again.

Alien should be required viewing for all pregnant women. :)

My husband's French Canadian swear words are pretty adorable IMO. They're all based on Catholicism -- tabernacle, chalice, Calvary, host -- all swear words in Quebecois. If you're really on a roll, you stack them.

All of this. I never had to work until I got to law school. When I received my first semester grades and saw letters I'd never seen before, I honestly handed my grades back to the Registrar and told her that she must have confused me with someone else. I drowned my sorrows in a ton of booze and antidepressants. You *really* don't want to be in your mid-20s the first time you struggle with something that has basically defined you to that point. It's ugly.

Please forgive my ignorance, but what is the advantage in testing into multiple talent search programs? For some reason, I thought geographic location was the main driver for why people pick program x, y, or z? I also thought most of the classes were overpriced and not really worth it. What's the advantage to testing into these programs, if not for the courses?

Exactly this. We use MM, but skip many problems and supplement heavily. If BA2 was ready, I'd use that next year. But, for now, we're using CWP, LOF, Zacarro, living math books and TV, and will likely add Borac and Mathletics to the mix.

You might look at Reading Lessons Through Literature.