Nothing big. We finished MindUP and are moving into Lollipop Logic starting today, and his PE class starts in January.

The concept behind it is fine for an adult furthering his/her education. I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole for a K-8 student.

We went Christmas caroling, wearing glow bracelets and jingling bells and just alternating between the two songs we all knew (not that it sounded so great on every note...). Then we had cocoa. It was nice.

GIngerbread cookies are not too sweet. Also, eggnog is less sweet if you put a little ginger ale in. (Can't help with rum, sorry.)

We're alternating books--right now, one Miquon followed by one Singapore. When we run out of Miquon, I will probably replace it with Beast Academy. I like that the curricula have different approaches; I think flexible thinking is important in math. Also, we do about 230 days a year of school, but DS is not advanced enough to just barrel through more levels. (We've just started SM 2B, and he's finding some of it challenging.)

No, I was more concerned with making sure it was an unabridged version and didn't really consider illustrations. (I bought all the books online.) I went with the Oxford Children's Classics version.

I'm not giving books for Christmas, but for his 7th birthday, DS is being re-enrolled in Mommy and Daddy's Book of the Month Club. His 2015 books will be Waiting is Not Easy (Mo Willems) Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake Geronimo Stilton: Mouse in Space Flap Your Wings Chitty Chitty Bang Bang I Can't Believe You Said That Wolf Story The Princess Boy The Name Jar The Wind in the Willows The Giant Hug Wilma Unlimited.

Yes, I would find someone else who could use it, since it's less than 4 years old and has never been in an accident.

I compile my own list in my weekly plans. Feel free to use any of it that suits you.

I don't think it's quite apt to compare riding unbelted in a country where there are no seatbelts available to riding unbelted where it is illegal and there is an alternative at hand (i.e., have mom drive her own child). Wherever it is law or custom to ride with seatbelts, then the driver has a duty to see that kids are buckled up when driving in that location, or at the least, to speak with a parent about the problem. OP, I'm glad you got your DD out of that carpool. A driver who thinks it's okay to seat kids in the cargo area may, for all you know, also be texting, running lights, or otherwise exhibiting a cavalier attitude.

So we're the only Chipmunk fans?? DS also likes the Sandbox Band's Snow Day. I've never found a Christmas album I love every single song on, actually.

DH would love a live lobster. I have some stuff for his stocking but not an actual gift! ETA: That's why the Hive is BRILLIANT! I will get him a certificate for a lobster dinner. Thank you!

This company makes several good kids' magazines: http://www.cricketmag.com/ProductList.aspx?type=M We like Ask.

Do you mean something else from LOE, or in general?

We don't have enough affordable housing even for those who can get through the red tape for benefits. Most of the help for people without homes typically comes from charities (Urban Ministries, Catholic Parish Outreach, domestic violence shelter [45 beds in a population of nearly half a million people], etc.), not the government. There's never enough. Instead of tax money, it just comes from individuals, families and faith-based groups who take note of the problems and pitch in as they see fit. That means instability.

I don't think there is One Short List of Essentials for Third Grade. In your shoes, I'd keep up with math; do five minutes a day of spelling (which can just be made up) and maybe five minutes of cursive; get her a journal with prompts, such as this one, to try each day (even if she only writes one sentence and needs to dictate it to you and recopy it); and give her a new pile of library books every week--some that will be easy for her for fluency practice, at least one an audiobook, a biography and a science book. I don't see why you'd need to teach grammar right this minute; that can be done just as well in fourth grade, and that's enough time to get ready for a foreign language in middle school (says a former middle school language arts teacher). That said, try to have as many school days as possible, even if the "day" is an hour. I think lots of short days will be more effective than occasional long days. Best wishes! You have a lot going on.

http://icanhas.cheezburger.com/

Yeah, if I (skinny all my life) wrote a diet book, it would be about a page long and would cost maybe a dime. At the bottom, I think I'd write that anyone who tries to make it more complicated than this is scamming you.

I'm sorry. :grouphug: I would tell DH who's left on the list and have him take care of it.

Let's see. Her Fuzzy Majesty will sit on the bath mat waiting for me or DH to get out of the shower. She will not eat treats, bits of fish, etc., even if they are in her food bowl. Only dry food, and she only likes one kind. She prefers to be petted while eating. She does not permit picking up (and that's okay: how often do we want to pick up a 15-pound cat?). Her previous owner apparently trained her not to get on beds. Rather than on my lap, she sits on a blanket beside me on the couch. Her favorite toys are pompoms, but she will sometimes steal one of DS's smaller stuffed animals. When she has a toy, she meows incessantly until we come and take it from her. She will race me up or down stairs. (I've had another cat who would do this, too.)

I love Dickens' sense of humor, but the writing style is not easy for young readers and listeners. Try watching the Muppet version and then reading the book for comparison?

Nearly every first-year teacher, homeschooling or private or public, has some of these kinds of struggles. Expecting to be awesome when you're a beginner sets you up to feel like a failure when you're doing fine. Keep doing the things that are working. Look for ways to give your kids what they miss from school (recess? time with friends?). Remember that working on relationships also improves their eagerness to learn from you. Playing games and doing other enjoyable activities together is not a waste of time, but an investment in your success together. And yes, sleep is good for you. :grouphug:

This article is three weeks old, but I just saw it this morning: http://michigancitizen.com/court-rules-michigan-has-no-responsibility-to-provide-quality-public-education/ I can't believe that a state would make school attendance compulsory and at the same time disclaim responsibility for instruction in a district it has taken over. :(

:iagree: I think Trouble with Trolls is her best. It's set on a snowy day.