I'm sure I don't know the cure. Betweeen the time my youngest graduated (2001) and the time I started homeschooling fd (last September), I wanted to go to the curriculum fair every year. Never did cuz it was too expensive if I didn't need anything but I wanted to. I'm going this year; also, I already am acquainted with the UPS guy because of multiple deliveries.

As a person with chronic illness who is homeschooling a person with health issues (rising 11th), I concidered putting her in a chemistry co-op in the fall and decided against it. Chemisty, like math, is one of those subjects where things can get disasterous quickly if you miss out a class or even get sick home for a couple of days while the rest of the class is getting homework done In my situation, I decided that even though I am not a science person, I would tackle it at home so that it was more under my control. She wants a coop class so she's doing sign language. We are going to use The Spectrum Chemisty. I ordered early just in case I took one look and panicked. It got here a few days ago andI didin't panic! I loved the convenience (they furnish everything except a gallon of distilled water - I mean every thing including pencils, matches, and cards to make flash cards out of as well at 60 chemicals, and small, but effective, glassware. I have looked throug the teacher's manual, student text and lab books and believe I can do this. They really assume the parent doesn't know anything. What's nice, too, for anyone with an unpredictable schedule is that each week, you work on it only 3 days (like in uni). One day is lab. I plan to do that in the evening, perhaps a Sunday night, as someone on this site said she did and then on T&Th. It will be easy to make up by switching around if necessary. At first, I was worried about the tone of the student text - when he started saying "some folks" I thought I must be in Kentucky with him. But as I've read on, he is just very informal. And, low and behold, I am understanding it. My husband was a math and physics major who also took a lot of chemistry. He rolled his eyes at the chapter titles (they try to make them funny) but when he looked at the content, he thought it looked very good. Re: her not being mathy: I've discovered another advantage to The Scectrum. It is the Bridge Math. Laugh at me here - I ordered the Bridge Math for me, not her. She just finished up pre-calc. She did that by using Lial with no help from me and an occasional question for my husband. But I decided I wanted to do chemistry with her and I haven't done algebra since my last son graduated in 2002. The thing about me is, I always get A's in math -- but I don't like math so as soon as the class is over, I forget it instantly. This has happened through my own education, and both my sons. So I am now reading Bridge Math and wow, I like the way he does it although a lot is about what he expects in The Spectrum, so I don't know whether it would be helpful for your daughter in another currculum. Bottom line - go with the program she'll be abe to get through even if there is an interuption. Great teachere are nice if she's there to take advantage of it. If not, you could do it with Spectrum. I don't know about Apologia. I used their biology with my son the first year it came out (first edition). I knew something about biology, but I barely made it through. But unless they improved things greatly, I'd say the instructions for parents make The Spectrum much more manageable for a clueless parent. Also, you can go join the chemisty 2013-14 in the groups area. There are several of us in the same boat, several of us using various curriculums and planning to help each other out.

Empty nest? LOL

there is a place on FB where you can stop someone's posts from showing up without unfriending them. I use it during every election. Then, about a week after the election, I turn them back on because I really do like people involved (on the right and the left, btw), just not their strident over the top political comments.

My fd has never seen the show or read any of the books! I am seriousy considering them as family reading this summer - even though she is 16 and a bit old. I could just tell her I don't consider them too young for me.

When I started homeschooling ('79) there was Calvert (up til 8th grade) and any textbooks you could find. At least, that is all I knew of. As for Christian publishers, there were only ABeka, BJU and ACE and (maybe AlphaOmega) that I knew of at the time. ABeka refused outright to sell to homeschoolers and made schools sign papers saying they would not resell to us. It wasn't until it became obvious that they weren't going to win with their anti-homeschooling stance (and maybewhen they decided thre was money to be made) that they became homeschool friendly. ACE would sell stuff, but only the entire package. BJU was always homeschool friendly, although I, myself, have other issues with them. So, with my oldest son used an eclectic textbooks, great books, the library and lots of conversations. We did biology and physics but not chemistry, or at least not lab chemistry. My husband has a double degree in math and physics, so that was helpful. The chemistry thing was just too expensive. He was able to get into university by strength of a very good ACT score and homemade transcript. My children are 15 years apart. So, one graduated in '88 and the other was ready for "kindergarten" in 1989. By that time, there was much more. Lots of programs, though not by today's standards. KONOS, CLA, Rod & Staff, Weaver, BJU, ABecka, a few others. We actually did KONOS although in a very grammatical way -- many drills. He could already read (having learned at 4), so we used some graded readers but mostly the library. For math, we used secular texts (cheaper). I have to confess - I never taught either son spelling. For Jr. High, used Trisms, secular math, the library and throughout his schooling, we made good use of Kathryn Stouts Compostion book along with Warriner Grammer. High School - did our own thing, used a co-op for some science. Oh, yes, also used Nance's Logic (very frustrating so I switched to a secular one I can't recall name of), something called the Book (or Art) of Argument (I can't remember which), etc. Apologia came out when he was in high school. We tried using the first addition - it was horrible and I had to supplement a lot. I sent him to a co-op for chemistry. I don't think we did a very good job on it, though. I mean, we did our part at home as best we could but the co-op portion was pretty bad so all of it was. Classical Homeschooling began to become popular when DS2 was in high school though very few people I knew locally used it besides me -- only one family, actually. I was living in the Ozarks then, so maybe that helps explain it, lol. I went to the first National Classical Schooling Convention in 1997. Not being Reformed, I felt a bit like a Jew in Mecca. Now I am homeschooling foster. I see an amazing assortment of curriculum out there, but most of the people I have met locally in AZ just seem to find a system and insert their child into it. Kind of like public school only they are doing it at home. They don't seem to have an educational philosophy. They don't seem to spend a lot of time trying to find what is best for their teaching style or their child's learning style. They tend to depend on co-ops for things they don't feel comfortable with. To be honest, between park days (all winter long here) and co-ops, I don't see how they get things done. I guess it is good that the coops are there, but I haven't seen a situation where I thought the child was getting the equivelent to what s/he would get in regular school. I have seen it done well in the home or when parents "barter" skills with people they know. So, from my point of view, FWIW, the availabiity of lots of curriculum and of co-ops seems to make parents less involved in their children's education and less likely to learn along with their children I HAD to learn biology - better than I had before, which wasn't well, to teach it). I HAD to learn literature. I'd read some great literature, of course, but I'd never read Homer, Virgil, or Dante and I'd only ever made it through one of Shakespeare's plays - Hamlet. I think that I was actually learning along with them improved my children's educations. So, I think in many circles, home education has gone downhill, But I don't think easy curriculum is to blame in and of itself. It's just that people fall into not being as involved. In the end, it is parents and teachers that light the spark, not curricula. On the other hand, neither of my children had an AP course. They probably had honors history and literature if I'd thought about putting it on their transcripts. But how would I have proved that? Anyway, it means very little (except the weight). My foster was taking honors English before coming here and the class consisted of reading books about zombies and writing essays and stories about them. She was getting a good grade and believe me, she can't write all that well. I think what I'm doing will prepare her a bit more than zombie books.

A public school child graduating in Arizona in 2013 must have English 4 credits Math 4 credits Science 3 credits Social Studies 3 credits CTE/Fine Art 1 credit Electives 7 credits Total 22 credits Show your children this and the guidelines for these classes which can be found online. I know arguments can be made that teaching children how to learn and to love learning is more important than feeding them facts, but I suspect these children will have problems. The mother of a friend of my son's had him put 2 years of Spanish on his transcript because he'd worked on Power Glide for two years. I told her that wouldn't do but...the college believed her andput him in an advanced class which he, of course, had to drop. I cringed at that - wondering how that college would view the next homeschooling Spanish claim. The young man in question did graduate, but not without some very hard remedial work (not just in Spanish) and he got so-so grades in a not very difficult major. Was working at Walmart last I heard. /-: I'm not saying they won't make it in college -esp if they start in community college where they take anyone, have remedial courses and teachers who don't expect too much. And the CC experience might prepare them for regular college. But tell your children that you insist on more for them. I wonder - has this young lady taken the GED yet?

Thank you! All the answers given are very encouraging and informative. This is a wonderful forum because it is filled with such educated and freindly people!

Has anyone used the Windows to the World curriculum from IEW? Did you like it? How did your child(ren) like the annotation method? This is something I have automatically done in my mind as long as I can remember (without being taught) but I've discovered my student does not do it. She also has focus issues that have made progress slow so far. Last, do I need to buy the teachers guide if I am very familiar with literary devises?

If she doesn't mind (or even likes) something with a little Native American spirituality mixed in, the Tony Hillerman series with the two Navajo detectives, is really good. AND there are a lot of books in the series (though sadly, Mr. Hillerman died a few years ago and there won't be more). The mysteries don't revolve around any kind of spirituality, one of the detectives just believes and practices it so you read a lot about Navajo legends and beliefs. Mysteries are my way to really relax and wind down. I prefer those that don't involve the tough guy detective but rather, have a detective with a soft spot (male or female) whose character and life develops over time.Hillerman, plus the others I mentioned, meet that criteria.

The "Her Royal Spyness" series by Rhys Bowen is great. I am always waiting for a new installment. They take place mainly in the '30s. Th main character is a relative of the King and Queen but she is a very feisty (and broke) young person. If you have a subscription to Audible.com, the narrator is just wonderful. Though not exactly a mystery in the proper sense, "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" by A. McCall Smith are absolutely wonderful. Some people like Cadfael but I don't, really. These aren't cozies, but the early books in the "Joanna Brady" series by J.A Jance are good. The later ones might have some stuff you might not want a younger person to read (I'm not sure). The series features a fictional sheriff is Cochise County, AZ. She was working in insurance when her deputy husband is killed on the job and she ends up running for Sheriff. She has a daughter of about 9 in the first book who grows older over time.There are some somewhat negative references to conservative Christianity in one of them that someone might object to, but, sadly, I found them to be fairly accurate. I am myself a Christian. I got started reading them when I found the first book in the series in a furnished condo we lived in when first moving to Arizona. I must say, I got to know and love my (then) new state by following Joanna around. Please note that I do not recommend Jance's other series (Beaumont or Alli).

I think it is better to pull off somewhere besides a roadstop although a well lighted one with businesses would be better. You should check -- in some states, either is illegal. In other states, mine included, it is specifically legal. And I do know that in the past, Walmart lots were open for RVs & vans for overnight parking and sleeping. I don't know if it is still true. You could call.

Is "the edge of the unknown" anywhere near the Sonoran Desert? If so, come on over!

As a Christian, I am sorry your people have been misjudged by so many! I remember going to a restaurant the day after 9-11 and the server was a young Saudi man we'd met before. I asked him how it was going - if anyone had treated him badly - he said no one had at that point but that he and other local Saudis (mostly students at the university) were frightened and some were considering going back home because of fear. He then brought up the interment of Japanese Americans during WWII. I guess I was naive because I told him, "Oh, no! You don't have to worry about that. We learned our lesson on that." Well, of course, they aren't putting just anyone in interment camps but I am not happy about the treatment of American citizens under the so-call Patriot Act (oops..is that hot button?) and I have been shocked and saddened at the comments many of my fellow-religionists have made. It seems every religion has its share of ignorant and hateful people. In fact, ignorant and hateful people seem to use religion as their excuse. Grace and Peace to you.

FB is considered lame partly because it has been so invaded by the older generation. KIds text instead. Texting is life for a teenage girl. To not be able to text very much puts them in a somewhat isolated position. I have to admit, I don't get it but... We do put limits when and where our dfd can text...only certain times in the evening during the week and a little more time on the weekends. For us texting time is the same as computer time so texting counts against her free computer time. I haven't read the book another poster referred to but I do worry about how being so connected all the time without break is going to affect people. I have the same concerns about FB. It's like drive-by relationships. . But I figure it is something we can only keep under control, not extinguish. Also, you did say her phone was new. Even I was fascinated when I first got an iPhone and that was after complaining about my youngest DS and his father texting for 10 years. One things for sure - this generation is going to get osteoarthritis in their thumbs at a fairly young age. :ohmy:

Depending on the school, teachers may not realize it, either. I've known this to happen many times. That article on 2E kids is enlightening.

OH, my! This sounds so much like how my son was. His was caused by his Asperger's, I think, but I think neuro-tipical people are sometimes that way, too.

You can take a ferry to New Brunswick from Bar Harbor. I don't know about getting anywhere else. Also, there is whale watching. To be honest, though, I thought Bar Harbor and Acadia were really blah and not worth being a National Park (sorry, Mainers!). If you are into lighthouses, you can find several near Portland. I had always wanted to visit Maine and finally went to see friends in Portland. I flew to Boston and drove up. I've heard that the trees in Vermont are most beautiful but I didn't go during the fall, so I don't know. I know they ARE beautiful in Maine. I wished I had had more time to go further up and maybe I would have liked it more. The people were really nice -- the shore line just wasn't as awesome as I expected and neither was the rest of the scenery; Maybe it is nicer than I remember but just wasn't what I was expecting. Getting lost in an old and rough part of Boston on my way out was lots more interesting -- and scary, lol. BTW, Mt. Washington is beautiful, even from a distance. The Manchester option sounds nice to me, too.

It's called the "Manosphere." It is ugly. I don't know of any giant network of sites where women do the same. Yes, there are some legitimate grievances (custody cases). But mainly, it's a bunch of men who can't stand it that their place of dominance has ended. It's hateful.Extremely misogynist.

double posted

A good head hunter from a good firm can be looking for other possible jobs even now. This is not unusual. People apply and interview for jobs in other cities all the time. I've moved like this more than once. I have two other pieces of advice. 1)If at all possible, rent when you first arrive. If it is a tax burden to rent for a year, pay a bit more and rent for 6 months. No one but you knows which area of town you will like. Especially as homeschoolers, you will want to be near good support and it can really vary. 2)If you plan to hire movers, don't let them carry anything of nostalgic value and be sure you are FULLY insured for FULL cost. The last time we moved(about 1700 hundred miles), we hired a well respected moving company to take most of our things. They ended up "losing" a matching coffee table and sofa table, a futon with expensive mattress, some book cases, and the doll I played with growing up. Later, I made friends with a woman who worked in the claims department of the same major moving company. She said this happened ALL THE TIME! I hope you love your new home!

I've never heard of that game! I'll have to buy it --- for my fd and dh. They can play and I'll go take another bath....

Where did you read that it was a 3 semester book? I didn't find any "plans' online (teacher/student websites) where they were doing that. I am not disbelieving you, I am just curioius.

I use a schedule from a high school site I found on line. There are several if you just google. Some of the days get fewer questions -- like around chapters 5 & 6. I saw several schedules where this was the case. A community college takes a semester to finish the book. Our local high school takes about 7 or 8 months and then spends the final 2 months on something else, but I have no idea what it is. We are just doing the book all year. We are behind, but only because dd was in the hospital for 3 weeks. We will finish this summer.

I remember borrowing Diary of Anne Frank from the school library when I was in 7th grade. That must have been 1964, lol, so it was the old version. It really, really had a impact on my life. This was before there was such a thing as Holocaust Observance month. I don't ever remember studying the Holocaust in school, although surely we must have. Perhaps it was all too familiar -- my father was in the Bataan Death March, so naturally, our family was very in-tune to any of the WWII atrocities, Japanese or German)- so I didn't notice. But I sure remember reading Anne Frank. As far as shocking, I only remember being surprised that girls in Germany in the 30's had boyfriends so early (11 or so) but the relationships were innocent. I do remember Anne talking about her period (shocking in an age when you couldn't advertise anything having to do with feminine hygiene) but I took it for granted. It might be a little uncomfortable for an 8th grade boy to read, but hey, surely he knows about girls' periods by now and I think it is better to be matter of fact (as she is in the book) rather than oh-let's-keep-it-quiet-because-it-pertains-to-sexuality-and-only-speak-of-it-when-referring-to-women's-emotions. I do believe Anne thought of it in terms of womanhood and what womanhood would mean. Yes, she spoke a little about sexuality later, sometimes regarding Peter, a boy hidden away with her (although they didn't do anything - it wasn't really lustful thoughts, just wondering) and yes, she got irritated with her mother. But this was her diary. Are we going to say our kids should deny any thoughts they have (are bound to have!) or should we teach them there are appropriate responses and appropriate places (like diaries) to express them? It just wasn't that risque. I mean, I was as innocent as can be in 7th grade (not at all like a 7th grader today) and the only thing remotely sexual that shocked me was the fact that German girls in that era walked to the candy store and movies with boys. And the good much outweighed any bad (if there was bad). Reading about the holocaust is one thing; reading about a girl;s actual thoughts while growing up as it is happening to her is quite another. She is so human --- so "every person." Yet, this happened to her. Perhaps I also liked it because it did make what happened to my father more real -- or, rather made him more real in the midst of death, starvation and torture he suffered through (Read the book, Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March to learn about that - well, not him specifically but some of those with him), but whatever, it is a lesson we all need to understand very personally.Not just factually. But personally. And Anne Frank's Diary is very personal.