Oh they look beautiful. I sure wish we had something like that around here. My dd woudl love it!

Suburban. Love the room, the style, the hight of the vehicle, etc. Don't like the cost of gas.... Just spent $140 to fill it up last time (38.5 gallons into a 40 gal. tank). No advice... other than purchasing a smaller car for non family trips.

DH is considering getting an economic car to drive for those "quick" trips and to drive to work. We both own gas guzzlers (his is a Chevy truck)... My suburban was close to empty the last time I filled up. It has a 40 gallon tank. I filled it up with 38 1/2 gallons of gas. It cost me $140 to fill up the burb! 1 fill up... a $140 bucks! I thought for sure someone crawled under my car and poked a hole in the tank to get some gas. :) This is getting crazy... We are also getting locking caps on the gas tanks. Thanks for passing on the link. :) I signed. I sure hope it helps. :)

I remember you too! Welcome back! :)

Jessica, I am praying for you! If I lived close to you, I'd be there to help you! Do you have any friends you can ask for help? I know if a friend asked me to help, I'd be there in a heart beat. Can anyone take the kids for a day, or for a couple days in a row, so you can have some quite time to relax and then get going on some of these things. Praying for you!

Praying for all of you!

From HWOT site it looks like they are republishing the books. Wonder if that is the reason why? Try finding it used, either here or at Vegsource, or ebay. I just sold a few at a local used curr. sale. :)

I agree on the formal writing program. Copy work is good enough at this level. We do a combo of FLL and GWG 1/2. I don't do all of FLL, just the parts I choose to do with my son.

Lee, What about Barb's Harmony Fine Arts program? Is there a reason you didn't want to go this route. Barb's DD at Hearts and Trees, has but together some nice notebooking pages on artist appreciation. I have purchased both of them and am currently doing the clouds study. We haven't got to it much lately (too much on my plate right now), but I plan to start back up soon. I (and the kids) really enjoy it. She also provides activities to extend on the artist style of work. Here is a site I like to use for artist appreciation: Garden of Praise and this one Looking at Art. HTH's a little. :) ~Tina

Jessica, Are there examples of your narration pages & worksheets anywhere? I have to chuckle because when I looked at your products, one said your school name and the other said your name. I was thinking... Who is this Jessica person? LOL :) Thanks for sharing your hard work with others. :) ~Tina

We did something like this for our son one year. My Dh and one of the fathers of a boy that attended, took a group of boys up to the Olympic Mountains (in WA) for a day hike. They took a trail that our son enjoyed. I supplied them with all the necessary trail goods (water, trail mix, camera for lots of pictures), and when they got back we had pizza. Not many families go hiking out in the woods. This maybe one of the few experiences some of your sons friends will get in their youth. What a fun B-day party your son will have! ~Tina

13 wonderful years! It is amazing to think it has been that long. Boy have my views, thoughts, outlook, etc changed over the years. My youngest will be in 2nd in the fall... boy the time does fly by...

Ours is up... Happy WW!

Praise God! Praying for everyone in the family...

I would really encourage you to take some time and look around Barb's Harmony Art Mom blog. She has video's, listed of suggested materials, and so much more. There is a wealth of information there.

Alternative, try a community center. Though they may change something. How about a fire hall? Or Knights of Columbus (or something similar). In the past we have use a vacant parsonage of a church. This worked out nicely. I don't believe we paid for it. Also someone in our support group lived in an apartment complex that had a gym. We were able to reserve that from time to time to do activities there.

I agree with EVERYTHING everyone said. I LOVE THIS PROGRAM. Yes I am yelling... But I am pretending I am on a hill top yelling it. :) LOL Try to find it on the swap board or ebay. It will be cheaper that way. If you purchase it 2nd hand, make sure you ask if it includes the parent manual, art prints (not necessary, but nice to have), and what version of video (VHS or DVD). Have fun doing art! ~Tina

I used the red book along with Easy writing with my oldest. He did fine with it. I used EG & DG (elementary versions) with my 2nd child. She did fine with it. I tried using it with my 3rd child, he cried... I really think this program will work based upon the learning styles of your child. DG has no instruction to the book, it is a here's the problem, now correct it type of review book. EG has a some instruction, but I still don't feel it is enough of a child that struggles in reading, or comprehension. Even for me, I found the directions/instructions vague. I used GWG with my 3rd child and I LOVE it! This is what we will use from the rest of the young'ins. :) ~Tina

Oh I am so sadden... Praying for the family and the girl. And you too, especially since you know the family. You must be going through some emotions too. Praying...

I use both. But I don't use many of the Free ones that they offer. I make up my own. And your right, they (the free ones and lapbooks booklets) do overlap on the subject matter. I would check out both for the week(s) your are using them and decide what you want to use. If you use both, you will be doubling up on activities/recording the information. There is a wonderful yahoo notebooking group: Notebooking2Learn. In their file section, under science, there is a file for Botany. There isn't much in there right now, but I have read the owners posts and she is hard at work making notebook pages and lapbook pages to go along with this book. And they are FREE! I think if you're putting together a notebook, it is nice to have both notebooking pages (to explain deeper, record information, etc) as well as lapbook booklets (these can be place on card stock, 3 holed punched, and added to the notebook). But this is coming from a lapbook lover! :)

I have it too. In fact we were listening to it today. I like the way the stories are told on the cd. I would recommend purchasing it. :)

Head on over tho Notebooking2Learn, join the group, go to the file section, click on Science, and then click on Zoology 3. There is only the first 3 chapters done, but the rest on in the works. The gal that runs this yahoo group is AMAZING! ~Tina

I keep them out and available for the kids to use when ever they want to. They go through phases with them. They will use them all the time, then there will be weeks of them just sitting there. My dd also took a Draw Write Now co-op class and she LOVED it.

Currclick's freebie this week is a nature journal. Here is the link: Nature Journal. It probably is a little old for your 4 year old, but I am sure it could give you some idea's. :)

That was cute! LOL I chuckled! :) We have this project pack and want to get going on it, but it has been put to the side for now. Horses are our next subject to study, then chocolate, and then Geology. I will definitely look at your suggested resources too when the time comes for us to do ours. ~Tina