I agree with the pps. You may also consider Start Here. It's their next book. Gives many more concrete examples - still Christian, but more useful for anyone I think. For example one boy mentioned raised money to build a well in Sudan. They detail the steps to take to start any action and encourage kids to get involved.

Plastic fitted tablecloth works for us. Not the prettiest, but a good surface that cleans up well too.

Hmm, with triplets and another baby, I'm betting y'all are already modeling hard work. :) This is a subject that we focus on a LOT! Modeling is absolutely key. I think you also need to couple that with narrating what you're doing. "I'm cleaning the floor b/c it is easier to clean it if we get the spills up right away and then our house it so nice and clean." Or something much more fun than that, but you get the idea. Draw your kids attention to it, 'cause otherwise, they may miss it. Schedule chores and work for them to do. Make it a natural part of their day. If they are used to doing chores then adding on as they get older is not big deal. Plus they realize that most jobs don't take nearly as long as they dread it might. dltk.com has some great customizable, character chore charts that my kids liked. We also read Created For Work. Very short chapters that emphasize different aspects of work. We read one chapter then try to focus on that one character trait each week. More fun note - let them start planning and implementing projects around the house. At 5, they could plan and help with making a meal. If they can write, they can peruse a kid cookbook, make a shopping list, help with bargain shopping, help with safe parts on meal prep, set table, wipe counters, etc. My kids enjoy this and really take ownership of their projects. Now that mine are older, I'm allowing them to take more control of their school schedules. They are picking longer term projects and breaking them down into manageable parts. Fingers crossed some of this will work for them. Looking forward to reading other responses.

Skyline drive - pack a picnic and enjoy the scenery if you're not in a huge hurry. Endless Cavern - right on 81 after you get off 66. Lexington, VA - great for history buffs. Can take a horse and buggy ride though historic downtown (very small, cute, quick and cheap.) You can also grab a quick ice cream cone and walk along either VMI or W&L campus -give the kids a chance to run around, parents can see a bit of history. Natural bridge - beautiful and good for kids, plus it has a zoo and a toy museum. Check out this site for tons of museums, attractions, etc. http://www.shenandoahvalleyweb.com/attrac/attrac.htm

Go to the curriculum board and there is a long thread about this - plus copies of responses to hsers letters to MathCounts. Get you all fired up for your day. :)

We use a 3 ring binder with tabs. If you go to the apologia yahoo group, there are tons of great forms that you can print out to fill your notebook. There may even be some lapbook suggestions. Great resource if you haven't checked it out already.

I teach pilates and taught both yoga and pilates for years. They have a fair bit of crossover. Pilates works all the muscles but focuses on the core. Correctly done, pilates also includes a lot of flexibility work. If you are uncomfotable with yoga, by all means, go for pilates. There are lots of good pilates videos - I like Stott pilates. If you have a good pilates studio in your area, it is worth it to take one beginner mat class. Correct form can transform a move from being ho hum to amazing and help you see results faster. If you can't do that, pay special attention to the set up and positioning. You do not need any equipment. A mat class can work your whole body very well. After you've done it for a while, if you want you can invest in a pilates circle, band and/or roller, but they are not necessary.

:lol::lol::lol: Teehee!! That is fantastic. I'm so there with you! (though swap chocolate for diet coke and I'd been doing so well at it giving up.) No advice, since you've already gotten great advice, just hugs and a thank you for the laugh. :grouphug:

DH and I have an ongoing debate and I'm interested to hear the views of the hive. The question - given that the US has a tremendous debt, should it still be giving billions in foreign aid? Two lines of thought that we debated - No - It is irresponsible for the US to keep spending money it doesn't have. Yes - foreign aid is necessary to help those less fortunate and it creates goodwill toward the US.

Apologia - slur it and say it real fast. That's how I get through all foreign languages. Usborne - used to sell these books - us not yous. Now, ask 9 more people and let's see the answers we get.

We took longer but still fit in the 4 year cycle. We just went almost 52 weeks a year - and my kids loved it. I couldn't figure out how to do it exactly as written. I understand that it's Story of the WORLD - a lot tp cover, but there were just some topics that needed way more time than one week (or half a week). I don't think I'd "Plan" two weeks per chapter" though it certainly lends itself to that. Some chapters just didn't interest my kids all the much - we called them touch and go chapters. Good to touch on, but not dwell on. Others we could spend 4 weeks on or more still want more. The beauty of SOTW is that it doesn't feel like school. It's an interesting story that my kids ask me to read to them each day.

Oh thank you for bumping this one. I have tried Drawing with Children two times...... and failed. Will try again now! Thank you for taking the time and sharing.

My kids are younger than yours - UG/D, so I don't know how much use this will be for you. I assign on Monday. Graphic Org. are due Wed. Outline due Thurs. First draft due Fri. Final draft due beginning of Monday of next week.

Would he be interested in an FLL (first lego league) robotics team? We participate in this and my kids love it. They use a Mindstorm NXT robot - the kit is approx. 300 bucks, but registration on a team is usually less than 40 - and lots of times they have fundraisers instead of registration fees. The kit has bionicle type lego pieces for building the robot and a computer "brick" that controls the robot. Programming is easy, flow chart style. He would get to work with a team building different robots and solving robotics challenges. I know that doesn't exactly answer your question, but thought I'd pass it along.

Ok, rule for me, before rushing out to make a yummy sounding recipe - read it all the way thru. That said, dang, that's a good pasta even if you toss the pasta with the spinach, tomatoes and onion. Ummm, then you're on your own for a side. Thanks, Daisy. My kids and I loved this for lunch. Another 5 dollar dinner - atichoke risotto - only non-meat meal my dh will eat happily. 2 C. rice (plain medium grain or brown rice if you prefer) 1 onion diced 3 c. garlic minced Saute 2 minutes. Slowly add 3 1/2 to 4c. chicken or veg. broth stirring often. Stir in 1 t. of tumeric for color to the first cup of broth that you stir in. When all liquid is absorbed, toss in 1 can artichoke quarters and/or sauteed mushrooms (We get huge bags of dried mushrooms from the Asian grocery. Very economical and tasty). Salt and pepper to taste. Top with grated parmesan if desired. I also throw in any leftover veg that we need to use up - spinach, peas, etc.

Have you looked at Spelling Power? It goes through grade 12. My kids hated spelling workbooks, but like this program - very efficient (less than 10 min. 2 times a week for us). If you feel like they are fine w/o formal spelling, you can just make your own spelling lists from misspellings on their writing. Otherwise, I agree, you can move on to word study.

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/brainboosters/ Lots of free printables.

They are very different so I think you really need to look at what you're wanting. I like IEW because it focuses on incorporating writing into other subjects, so I use the techniques and system in history, science, etc. You can use the theme based books without having seen TWSS. It is pretty easy to figure out. Plus, IEW books sell fast on the used market, so if you decide it's not for you, you won't have lost much. If you can find SWI used, I recommend it. My kids think Mr. Pudewa is a riot and don't mind doing writing nearly as much as they did with mean ol' mom. WWE is great because you know you're doing it "right." It's spelled out very clearly. It also sells fast on the used market. I did it w/o the workbook, so I can't comment on that part of it. Felt like we got a lot out of it just using the textbook. Good luck with your first year schooling. Don't panic. :) There is no right way to homeschool. You'll try a few things, realize some work and some need adjusting. I'm starting my fifth year and I'm still adjusting the heck out of it. You can do a great job. Take a breath and enjoy learning and being with your kids.

I enjoyed doing a Daniel fast last year for the first time. Hmmm, advice - plan ahead. Make sure you have everything on hand so that you don't have to go to the store. Drink lots of water - helps keep away headaches. Here is a link that has good answers and tips. http://blogs.nwoods.org/fast/family-practice/ Good luck with it.

dltk_teach.com I love dltk. Tons of sheets to print off, craft ideas, etc. Dry erase tablet and washable markers and/or chalkboard and chalk colored paperclips - mine likes to loop them together, border a sheet of paper with them, etc. legos

http://www.livemocha.com/ http://fsi-language-courses.org/Content.php Both offer free lessons. Our library also has pimsleur that we have checked out and used occasionally.

It's been a couple of years, but these are ones that we enjoyed. I know there are more that we loved that I can't think of right now. Will go back over my notes and post more later. King George, What's His Problem? - Fantastic Usborne Shakespeare Stories for kids - Excellent Bios of explorers - We printed off lots of maps and had the kids trace the diff. route. Wonderful way to do geo and hist. Paul Revere's Ride Lewis and Clark for kids Colonial activities for kids - not a chapter book, I know, but my kids liked it so much I had to throw it in Bios of founding fathers

I gather a bunch of my squash, put it in a bag and give it to my neighbors. AHHH, it's everywhere. Scratch that, it's everywhere that the watermelon, pumpkin and cantaloupe are not. Other than that, I stirfry it with tomatoes, onions and basil. Yum. Or you can cook it my family's way - sliced in circles, add onions and cook it in a ridiculous amount of butter.

HomeLife will let you register midyear. We moved to Knoxville in January and registered with them. Every other umbrella school that I looked into would not let you register then. (Not that I did an exhaustive search, but the 5 I tried were no longer accepting famillies) Ditto on how easy HomeLife is. We had a crazy double move and had all sorts of questions and they were very helpful. One more plug, this area is amazing for hsing. So many co-ops and opportunities. You'll love it here.

I use a barely damp paper towel to wipe down the appliances once a day. Works like a dream for fingerprints and you can't beat the price. Anything more gunky than fingerprints, I use any one of the other cleaners mentioned already.