I'd get her a schoolish math like Singapore. (As long as she can count, I think she can start in 1A.) Since she is creative and bright, maybe Moving Beyond the Page would be of interest for the other subjects.

If you knit or crochet in front of the TV, you can't eat at the same time. At restaurants, make sure you are drinking water instead of stuff with calories. Consider making a main dish out of sides (many places have steamed broccoli, for example). That's all I've got for you.

I'm relieved about the end of party season but really anxious about 2015. I like being able to nail down at least the likely main events in advance, and that's hard to do this year.

Some religion books. I read The First Paul (Marcus Borg) the other day and liked it very much. I finished James Tabor's Paul and Jesus today, and it was also interesting, but I thought the material at the end should have been at the beginning. Next I'm going to read No God But God (Reza Aslan)--I thought Zealot was fascinating.

I recommend that you read Project-Based Homeschooling by Lori Pickert, and/or look around at her website, and at "maker" or Maker Faire stuff (some of which is in schools). It doesn't have to be all or nothing, and in fact your DS would probably be bewildered--maybe even a bit angry--if you said to him on Monday, "School is whatever project you want to create today!" Maybe you can start with some probing questions about his interests and some brainstorming. I think you'll need to do a fair amount of scaffolding to get him into the mindset you're looking for instead of the "spoon-feed me" habits. It could be really valuable for him, though.

Yes, I get the shot every year, and DS and DH are vaccinated also (DS gets the mist). I have never, AFAIK, gotten the flu--but DH and DS have. (They got it in early September one year, before the vaccine was available). The were miserable. Imagine the bounciest, most sleep-averse toddler you've ever met refusing to get out of bed for an entire day. I get the shot every year in hopes of keeping them from getting the flu again.

We have just the book, not the AG. (DS hates coloring, drawing and crafts.) We supplement with some other library books and a wall timeline. I wouldn't consider the tests until 4th grade or so, if at all.

I wonder if you might find community via one resource (say, a weekly volunteer commitment that will bring you together with others working for a shared purpose) and get inspiration from another (e.g., Church of the Larger Fellowship/Quest for Meaning). Best wishes.

:scared: I bet your district has a lawyer, and I bet a word with him/her would be very helpful in setting the school staff straight, even though your DS is unenrolling. (Pulling a child from class to provide services that are not in the IEP might be a violation of IDEA.)

I'd go ahead and let her start cursive with something nice-looking (not HWOT), then. That way, 1) You have a clean slate and no bad habits to correct. 2) She is motivated, because she wants to make it look nice, and will probably progress faster. 3) She will have (eventually, one hopes) lovely penmanship. 4) If she does get frustrated with cursive, she will probably be more cooperative if you go back to printing. DS doesn't love HWOT, but he probably will not love anything.

I'd first get one large tote/bin for each kid, and pull out enough linens and dishes that each will have enough to set up housekeeping (assuming there are some the kids like well enough). Sell the rest, maybe in lots via Craigslist. I agree with PPs about finding local history enthusiasts for the journals and photos--pull one diary and one album for each of your kids first and unload the rest.

Oh, yes, we like to have a kitchen also. (Both the places I linked offer kitchens in at least some of the rooms/suites). Is there a certain area you want to get to (Outer Banks, etc.)? If you are flexible about where on the coast you go, you'll have more options to call, but you may have to drive longer to get to some of them.

It was meant to be used alone; you definitely can. Right now, I have DS complete a Miquon book and then do a Singapore book, and then back to Miquon. (I know somewhere there is a chart for lining things up, but I'm not.) You could do the same thing with MM if you feel like it--part or all of a Miquon book, then back to MM, etc.--but you don't need to.

I know you can make Excel do that. I'd be interested to hear what else works.

Do you need a big house (e.g., family reunion)? If not, look for someone smaller. For example, in Kure Beach (near Wilmington), we have been able to rent for just a couple of nights from the Hidden Treasure Inn and the Blue Marlin. They're still a short walk from the beach.

We sometimes do Mommy's Day Off on Saturdays, but not regularly.

Can you put the remote in your pocket or somewhere else where they can't move it to the next episode? Could you designate someone (rotate if you have more than one who could do it) as a group monitor? Do you have a phone or other device with a timer that could alert you when a show is about to end? We've had to detox a couple of times, with no TV at all for a month, and then it's easier to go back to our usual level (between 4PM and dinner, as long as we don't need to do something else).

Done: Started laundry Unloaded dishwasher Made vet appt. To do: Finish school Finish laundry Library Grocery store Make ped appt.

If she's able to buy something instead of finding it at the library, DS has found the Amish Pathways book Days Go By very amusing as a first chapter book. There are a few books in the series. (It's not religious, despite what the description says. The farm kids play with a kitten and a puppy and some friends. It does expressly value obedience.)

Books from my wishlist! :party: And some good silicone oven mitts and a couple of other nice little household things.

Most of the time, we use flannel handkerchiefs I've made. I've had DS carry one in a pocket every day since he was three or four. However, when we're sick and needing to use something frequently, we do use tissues. DH and I wear glasses, so we avoid aloe/lotion because of the smudging.

For the boy (in addition to Trucktown, which I agree is appealing), see if the library has any read-along books with a CD. (Amazon says there are ones for Clifford the Big Red Dog, Fairy Tales, The Little House, Rumplestiltskin, Stone Soup, etc.) He may be more willing to try to reread something he's heard than to struggle through books that are below his interest level but above his reading level. Also, David Shannon books are funny and not intimidating.

I was teaching at a private school, using mostly materials from Holt's Elements of Language.

I think I've saved a lot of money by staying out of stores this year. Now I need to figure out how to stay off Amazon. I'm going to consider the challenge, but I'm not ready to commit yet. :leaving:

If by any chance one of you is military, there's a very nice discount, but you have to buy the tickets off-site at Shades of Green. I recommend picking them up the day before.