I read it before coming here. I am actually a believer in most of the ideas but am currently homeschooling a child who was in P.S. from K-9. I got her so late, plus she has some challenges so I am limited on what I can do. For example, her ability to understand literature is way behind. We are working on it, but because of limitations, we usually read classical books out loud as a family and often use less difficult books or short stories for school - though not always. She is very uneven in her reasoning abilities - not like my sons, who both closely followed the Trivium in their development. I believe her past, which included neglect, abuse and attachment issues, has caused this. She's coming along but at a different pace and uneven manner. I am trying to use what works with the idea that she might reach the level I'd hope for her to be now sometime during her college years.

We were talking at dinner last night about how I had almost died about 15 years ago from a bout with avery serious disease and had been for 6 weeks on a ventilator. "If you'd died, I'd probably be dead," said my foster daughter, age 16. She had been cutting and had several suicide attempts before coming to us. Yay!

We had an old one that only did that in hot weather...I think the seal was not in good shape and the heat exacerbated it.

It isn't light. The only question is whether it is honors.

I would recommend the Bridge math, too, if for no other reason than that different math programs sometimes use different terms. Having said that, although we bought it, we didn't use it. But my student is very strong in math and will be taking calculus at CC spring semester (we are not doing math this semester).

Sometimes nice and compassionate people like you find it easier to say "no" to a request once removed. She acts like a child so treat her like one. Don't make the sign - she will think that is for other people, not her. Instead, do what I did with neighborhood kids. Buy small flags for the doors (I had 3 but 2 will do for you). One red and one green. Explain that you have not been able to get homeschooling, housework and family time done because of interruptions in your life (you don't have to tell her SHE and her kids are the only interruptions - you are too soft hearted to do that! (-: Or you can blame the busy social life, whatever. Tell her if the flag is red, you will no longer respond because you just can't. You haven't been able to get your work done. Explain this to the child, too. If possible, don't put the flag right on the door, put it on the porch if you have one, so that it can be seen and there is no excuse for little heads leaning into your screen. Tell her you also won't respond to people talking to you through screens or windows -- you can't because weak person that you are (lol), you cannot seem to get your work done and this must change. I know she doesn't have phone or email, but tell her you'll be curtailing those, too. If she or kid(s) still knock or you-who you, ignore them and when you do talk to them (maybe once a week), tell them why - you couldn't because you are keeping up your schedule. Very quickly, she'll stop coming. People like this are very controlling (they don't always realize this themselves, but they are). Once she senses she can no longer control you, she will lose interest in you. Or -- if you have a male significant other, sic him on her. I have found that some women will take no from a man better than from a woman. I hate that because i'm quite the egalitarian, but it is a fact of life.

I think the AP suggestion is a good one, but I have a question for everyone: IF a person were to take a truly high school level course during middle school, why couldn't it pass toward a high school credit? My foster daughter had skipped in math and started Algebra in 8th grade. Actually, I did algebra in 8th, too. She also had Year 1 Spanish in 8th grade. I have the transcript from her high school which counts them as high school credits. I suppose the only difference i can see is that geometry and Spanish II in 9th both had prerequisites. But it isn't just the fact that she had already taken them -- the grades count on her GPA and credit calculation.

Your DH could also quit the job, which doesn't pay much, and homeschool them although, to be honest, I don't see the need with a supportive mother like yours. So, she doesn't homeschool as rigorously as you'd like. Your children are young - they have lots of time to catch up.

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I see you live in AZ in a city - would that be Phoenix or the Phoenix area? Admittedly, most of Phoenix is ugly and without character, not to mention hot and sometimes dusty. But if you don't like city desert life are stuck there because of your husband's job, there are a few options to make it more palatable. I assume since you are talking of land, you are at least a little interested in self-sufficiency? If you can't move, perhaps you can move to a house with a yard? Most yards in Phoenix aren't large, but it is surprising what you can do even with a small one. Have you ever seen this site or gone to a workshop/tour? http://www.urbanfarm.org It is amazing how "green" you can make your home, especially easy (and cheaper) if you live in an where flood irrigation is provided by the Salt River Project*. You can do it elsewhere, too - watering is just harder and a bit more expensive. In Phoenix, many people garden (2 seasons per year although the tomatoes never seem to turn out good). People also keep chickens, rabbits, etc. There is a family in Tempe that bought a 60's home with a pool that was out of order and according to the sellers and real estate agents, needed "filled in." Instead of filling it in, they use it for a combination greenhouse/chicken pen plus raise talapia in it! I don't think they offer tours, but Greg, the owner of the urbanfarm site does at certain times of year. He lives in central Phoenix (maybe it is Glendale) and his place is amazing. Fruit trees, garden, chickens, and multiple ideas on how to accomplish this. I actually love the desert, but I realize deserts are things people either hate or love and I hope you get to move to Colorado sooner or later. But if you must "bloom where you are planted," there are ways to bloom. There is, I admit, no way I know of to get rid of city noise, though, which is why I prefer rural areas. My current interest is learning about how to use the more desert-y plants for food and meds - cacti, native grasses, mesquite pods, etc as well as trying out some the seeds that have been used to tribes like the Tohona O'odham for centuries. There is a seed shop in Tucson where they are sold. It's easy to grow dates, figs, various fruits, and just about any kind of vegetable and melon. You do need to bring in soil - the caliche soil here is just no usable due the mineral content (not to mention the hardness). Areas like south of the city and west, like where Sun City West and Surprise are, used to be cotton fields. They have less caliche but I think the cotton drains the soil so it often needs built up. Tepary beans are a desert-friendly bean the Tohona O'odham used that will help build it up again. * Info on flood irrigation and a map of Phoenix areas where flood irrigation is provided: http://phoenix.about.com/od/desertplantsandflowers/qt/floodirrigation.htm If you don't mind a terrible drive, you can also sometimes get land south or west or east (east is more expensive unless you go way out, and south is getting that way as Tucson and Phoenix get closer to merging). North is very pretty but I don't recommend it because the water table has too much arsenic. Also, note, wells aren't terribly reliable anywhere. There are just too many people drawing on too little supply. So, if you move to the country around here, it is best to have a well supply AND a storage tank with delivery or pickup.

I have not specific advice. I will only say that I think (especially reading here) that most peoples' lives are way too busy. I didn't want my child out socializing (or taking classes or working) every night of the week because I think we live in a society that has no use for quiet time and that is a bad thing. In fact, it is one reason (only one, but an important one) why I homeschool. Yes, at a certain age they need more independence. But imho, a night for family, a night for vegging out and a night for personal projects are all important. That's at least three at home. But if she is dependent upon transportation and/or if you have other children, I'd say no to 4 nights on the grounds that 1)I can't transport every child everywhere he/she wants to go and 2)besides that, it's disruptive to the family. Order and calmness are not very evident in today's families and think it is to all of our disadvantage. Call me mean (-:. I could sometimes go to a friend's house or out somewhere else on a weekday evening when I was young, but never late (by late, I mean home before 8:30.

I think after a while they will learn to appreciate country activities. They might complain until they get used to it. Many people would envy you for being in the country with so much nature at your fingertips. <<end the kids OUTSIDE. Can't really do that here in the low desert in the summer. >> I did not live in the desert when my sons were young but am homeschooling dfd now. Since she was in public school until she came here at age 15, and since she is taking a couple of courses of the CC, I kept the public school schedule. But I've always thought that if I were beginning again with middle schoolers or younger and I lived here, I would schedule homeschool during the summer and either take winter off, or in my case, more likely, I'd take spring or fall off, since those are the nicest times of the year in the desert. Plus, none of the support groups meet during summer and my schedule wouldn't be interrupted with park day every week. Of course, one couldn't go to co-ops either, but at younger ages, I don't consider them very important except for social times anyway. Just a thought. I mean, most people want the summer off because it's nicer. It isn't nicer here (although I'll take a 118 F dry heat any day over having to clean snow off one more windshield or sidewalk).

My experiences have been all good the RR. True, I don't get them 2nd day, as I do from Amazon but I never order in the late summer/early fall. I usually order in spring. I like Amazon Prime, too, and I use it for some things but I would rather support Rainbow Resources than Amazon.

My experiences have been all good the RR. True, I don't get them 2nd day, as I do from Amazon but I never order in the late summer/early fall. I usually order in spring. I like Amazon Prime, too, and I use it for some things but I would rather support Rainbow Resources than Amazon.

I'm just quoting the person on the phone. To their credit, by "real lab" I did not get the impression that they meant it had to be a fully equipped lab - they were talking to me, a homeschooler, and they were trying to be helpful; I did not feel they were being obstructionist. I got the impression they just meant it wouldn't do to do a few experiments with measuring cups and spoons and call it the equivalent to being able to identify a beaker or Erlenmyer flask and that we should use some chemicals besides those easily available in the kitchen. Is that fair? Well, if you have a really well designed kitchen chemistry program, maybe not. And maybe they will accept it if you explain it well enough. My impression was just that they wanted students to be comfortable about what lab equipment consisted of, how to measure, how to be safe and how to record before they allowed them in the lab there. As for whether every school in AZ has a fully equipped lab -- I don't know. I doubt it. The high schools in Tucson and Phoenix and their suburbs that I've seen have good ones. Whether every little district out in the desert or school on all Native Lands do, I very much doubt it.

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If you want to hear some sci-fi with really corny and dated acting, go to http://archive.org/details/XMinus1_A These are old radio plays of a show called X-1. Some of the stories were originally good ones, written by people like Asimov, Bradbury, maybe Heinlein, etc. On the same site, I believe there is another series called Dimension X. Actually, it is the same series, renamed. Audible also sells them for about $1 but why pay.

Personally, I would never leave Asimov off of a sci fi reading list, short or not. (-: Although -- I would not introduce someone to Asimov via the Foundation series. I've read every sci-fi story Asimov has written, and most of his other stuff, too. I have been a fan since my nerdy brother read sci fi when I was growing up and I borrowed some of his magazines and books. But most, if not all, of the Foundation books get rather long toward the middle (he doesn't keep a good pace). And the series itself is so long that I would not use it as an intro (although i did like the premise and story). I would start with a book of his short stories (there are several collections from stories he published in magazines in the 30s-50s). Then I'd go to something like Pebble in the Sky or The Stars Like Dust. Then Caves of Steel or the robot series. Only after the robot series and if my child wanted, would I go to Foundation. If you are a Christian, the wonderful thing about Asimov is that although he was not a Christian, I can only think of one sci-fi story of his that had anything sexually suggestive (It's calledWith Hilda in Marsport, and it is more amusing than suggestive since the main character ishoping for sex in a different gravity and it doesn't happen). I also love Heinlein and his youth stuff is okay but his adult stuff often has odd sexual arrangements. I do love The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, though. (-; BTW, if anyone has a copy of Asimov's short stories of Professor Urth, please, I will buy it and pay well. The condition doesn't matter. I lost mine in a move.

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Hits: IEW-c (after a rocky start - she thought the first lessons were below her but now she is seeing value and likes Mr. Padewa) Spectrum Chemistry - so far a hit. We've done 2 weeks of book and labs. Child Development from a college book by Cook and Cook - BIG hit. It is the most trouble for me because there is not TG and I have to pick and choose to some degree. No misses, as of yet; she is not sure about Windows to the World. But I expected a little balk at the annotation at first. I think it is great. The rest is adequate. Whoever suggested learning to take notes by listening to the nightly news, thank you! Her note taking has improved enormously in just 2 weeks, along with her knowledge of current events.

Okay, I confess I had to look it up but I have read it - just didn't remember the name.

It's going well. We are in middle of second week. We are enjoying our curriculum choices so far. We did have an empty vile when we went to do our first Spectrum science experiment. They said it evaporated and offered to fast ship one. DD is taking a music class at the CC and that is going well, too. We decided to wait for spring semester for her to take calculus there because the class we wanted was filled. So...no math! Well, except that chemistry is full of it but it's easy peasy.

I don't like Fallacy Detective. I think some of their conclusions are based on religious opinion and not logic. Please note that I am a Christian and I agree with most of their conclusions -- I just don't think they rigorously arrive at them by logic. That is okay, too -- if you are not writing a logic book. But I tend to be easily suspicious of such things. AoA is fun, as Tammi said, but does expect things of you.

I don't like Fallacy Detective. I think some of their conclusions are based on religious opinion and not logic. Please note that I am a Christian and I agree with most of their conclusions -- I just don't think they rigorously arrive at them by logic. That is okay, too -- if you are not writing a logic book. But I tend to be easily suspicious of such things. AoA is fun, as Tammi said, but does expect things of you.