IIRC I think you can do that and the segmenting step at the same time.

We're just going through the Usborne Art Treasury book for now. I'm not sure if it's enough for what you're looking for, but it's open & go, inexpensive, and actually gets done around here.

I'd consider debt anything you owe to anyone, mortgage and car note included. We're far from debt free, and I'm fine with that at this point. Considering where we came from (nothing), the student loans we had to take out to get to somewhere, the cost of living where we've lived, the fact that I no longer work, that my husband choose his career based on factors other than a paycheck, and the 4 (soon to be 5) awesome kids we have, I'm completely comfortable with our indebted lives. I don't mean to imply that we're irresponsible with money, (We're not!) just that debt isn't necessarily a bad or embarrassing thing. It's a financial tool that you can use responsibly to get ahead in life.

Good question! I wish I'd thought to ask it before I bought the AiA curriculum and some books to go with it. Are you doing all or just some of the chapter books + some picture books. We did the first week of the curriculum and then I decided to go a different direction for my kinder for this year (planning on doing AiA next year instead now), so I'm not sure how helpful I can be. Everything is packed away now but what I did to choose some additional picture books was to look at the book choices for other American history curricula. I'm new to HSing, but I figured if the book had been chosen for more than 1 curricula than it was probably pretty good. Like I said everything is packed away now, but I know I bought: North American Indians, If you were there in colonial times, a valley forge book, wagon wheels, and I can't remember what else, but hopefully that gives you some ideas. I did also purchase one of the Maestro, and it's a lovely book, but I'm not sure if it would have captured my son's attention the way the historical fiction & if you were there books will. I guess I'll find out next year.

Fruit of the loom still makes underoos for kids, or at least they did a couple of years ago. My boys have several sets that their grandma bought them. The boys sets came with boxer briefs. My oldest son loves his superman set. I grew up really poor, and was totally unaware of them, and lots of other pop culture things, but I guess my mother remembered the marketing for them.

I know who he is but my kids don't

I've never used contact paper, but I do use that foam mesh gripper stuff in drawers and some cabinets. I don't like things sliding around when I open a drawer and I put it in cabinets with glassware, not plates because I want to be able to slide those on the shelf.

Maybe put a piece of tape over your small freezer now and see if you'd miss having it close. Could you get by with only accessing it once a day? We have some friends with a large family and a freezerless fridge and the setup works great for them, but their stand alone freezer isn't far away. Not sure how they'd feel about it if it was. I access my small freezer for ice, frozen fruit, staples that I notice we're running low on (we freeze bread, sandwich meat, etc.) Homemade snacks and breakfasts that I freeze in bulk and periodically transfer from the chest freezer to the small one, and then about a week's worth of meat that I'll pull out as needed to thaw. Personally I couldn't handle having my freezer far away because I access it several times a day, but I'm sure for others it wouldn't be as big of a deal. I think it'd just depend on what you eat and how you manage meal planning.

I'm so sorry! *Hugs*

Only if they need them. My oldest son needed more shirts, so I took advantage of some of the online back to school sales and had them delivered right to our door. That's my kind of shopping these days! I used to shop ahead at thrift stores, but with a growing number of children and a DH who travels for work, that just isn't happening right now.

Or here's the link to the hardback version on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Usborne-Internet-Linked-Childrens-Encyclopedia-Encyclopedias/dp/0794503683/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377303410&sr=1-3&keywords=usborne+children%27s+encyclopedia This is the one we have, but the table of contents is exactly the same as shown on RR.

The Usborne Internet-Linked Children's Encyclopedia is a great resource. Based on the table of contents, it looks like it has many of the same pages as The First Encyclopedia of Our World, and a whole lot more. We've used the children's encyclopedia extensively and my boys really like it. Amazon doesn't have it new, but it looks like RR does http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/028433/3bd54f908525382480c977e5 You can compare the table of contents of the our world encyclopedia on amazon to the children's encyclopedia on RR and see what you think.

I second the nautilus recommendation. It's a combination 5-point harness, belt positioning high back booster & backless booster, and overall just a great long-lasting seat.

OP- Is your DS still in a bucket seat? (The kind with a handle that you can carry them around in.) You may already know this, but "convertible" car seats are made to be used either rear facing or forward facing. (So can be used rear facing now, forward facing later) I mention it because I just want to make sure you know that you can still keep him rearfacing now and buy a seat that you'll be able to use for a few years. My 3.5 yr old is now ff in the same evenflo convertible seat he rode in rf. We did have a Scenera, but like a previous poster I also found it difficult to get a good install, and to get it tight enough. We try to leave the kids rear-facing as long as they're comfortable and within the seat limitations.

Yes, agreeing with the 2 previous posts. I didn't see you mention having the HIG. I know some HSers skip it, but I wouldn't. Maybe that's what the teacher was referring to, that you'd need training to do it without a teachers guide? Maybe she's had others try and be confused?

What about Greek yogurt?

Sounds like an awesome deal to me! Having it prepared and packaged as a freezer meal for you basically makes it equal to convenience food as far as effort on your part and you certainly can't buy decent quality connivence food that cheaply anywhere else (that I'm aware of). I hope it all works out as expected!

Love this idea!

Ring pops, candy jewelry, pop rocks, glow bracelets, the little airplanes you assemble, jumpropes, punch balloons (always a hit!)

I've bought them at Walmart, Target, and several different office supply stores. I've never had any trouble finding them. I'm guessing the clerk you talked to just didn't know what you were talking about.

Yep, and it's still got some of the original dirt on the bottom because I never has it cleaned.

Well since you can't say or even give a hint as to what she did, I can't really say how I'd handle it.

We have the Kyoto leaves pattern.

Corelle here too. I like that it's cheap, durable and doesn't take up much space. We have 16 place settings and everything except for 1/2 the mugs are kept in our average to small sized kitchen.

I've used goo gone too.