We tried a long summer break once. Never again, lol! Can J handle simple worksheets of stuff he knows well on his own? Like math facts, handwriting, etc? We have always had 'folder work' for the kids to do on their own; I set up a binder with slash jackets for each day of the week, and even when little they could just pull out that day's work. If he can't actually DO review work on his own, can he watch educational videos? what about flash cards on the computer or itouch? We use Byki, I am sure there are plenty of others, and it has a "look and learn" type setting, where you are simply reviewing the cards (not attempting to answer). Maybe he can listen to math/other facts? Play simple learning games? This can all be done on a computer, but also on almost any smart phone. If it seems to help, I'd buy him his own itouch. I agree that short days with fewer breaks may be the way to go. It's what we have wound up doing, with older, neurotypical kids, and it works great. I don't miss the longer breaks, b/c we have time for fun, interesting things along the way. When we push, push, push and then take a break, I waste half of it b/c I'm sitting there recovering, kwim? Altho' we do break a full week for Disney! Well, not quite, they have stuff for the long car ride there and back :D

My kids like Equate, it's kind of a math version of Scrabble: http://www.amazon.com/Equate-The-Equation-Thinking-Game/dp/B00004U1RA/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1292421230&sr=1-1 and you also might try some of the math challenge, math project style books.

Ditto, I have never bothered trying to line my programs up.

I would likely get the textbook, rather than the HIG, for level 2. Cheaper, and the student gets used to the way they illustrate problems. There are extras/mental maths in the HIG, but I'd be fine waiting for level 3 on that, as you do have plenty of math resources!

If you netflix, they have a fair amount of history on instant watch, and more on dvd.

Ah, well, that's a huge help. In between their school day, and having an engaging option to include them in many afternoons, much of the time will be occupied! ((and you didn't sound like you were complaining))

:blush::blush: I don't teach it at all, :blush:. I kid you not when I say I will never be ahead of her again, lol. dd started it last year, 6th grade, after completing LC II. I didn't really teach it then, either, but I was rather more on top of reading over her translations and helping her correct her work. this year, I've pretty much been MIA; she knows where the teacher book is, lol. My main job has been to listen and say a genuine, wow, when she wants to show off her mad translating skillz. she uses the book, does some of the online exercises, and uses byki for memorization. she started french last year, so she rotates new material/review material for each weekly; she did Ecce 1a last year and should finish 1b this year. in january, I do plan to start recitation back up with her & lil sis (& me, *g*), I definitely think that helps.

Yes, she has an alarm, which is out of reach and loud enough for most humans. She may very well need a louder one. Yes, because she's not a human being, she's a teen being :D No, this wouldn't be some shocking and cruel turn of events. I have told her that this is coming. Then you're all set! I ended up going in to wake her when she would have been a solid 10 minutes late. She is running a fever! So there goes that. :tongue_smilie LMAO! Yeah, the one time you really get annoyed . . . hee. Oh, honey, I knew something had to be wrong when you didn't wake up promptly, I just knew it.

Oh. That's disappointing. I thought there was some whole new way I wasn't aware of :D

I honestly think that you are going to have to adjust your expectations if you expect to live happily with your sister. Do they home school also? If so, all the more difficult, y'know? You don't have to let your son play as much or as often as they do, but if you are all living in the same house, I think you need to face the fact that he's going to play more often than he would in your ideal world. You might want to plan on hs'ing out of the house on some days, at the library, starbucks, etc. and also plan lots of park days and so forth. You may get results by very actively encouraging all the boys to play outside and with other things: take them to the park, buy them nerf guns, oversee cool craft/hands-on activities. Never with any comment, of course, just offer fun alternatives.

Depends. Have you done the training for this, or did you just get tired of trying to wake her up? If you've woken her up in the past, I think it's unfair to suddenly allow her to sleep through homeroom. If you don't want to be her alarm clock, then figure our a new routine, with clear expectations on both sides. Be sure to check local laws before devising this new routine, as apparently being tardy is a big deal in some areas! "If you don't get up by 6.45, this is what will happen . . . " heh, I have to admit that I did not own an alarm clock until I went to college. I am a mostly functioning adult today, ;), so wake her up if it doesn't bother you, don't wake her up if it does. But come to an agreement, don't just suddenly refuse to wake her up (saying "I'm not your alarm clock" over and over again, while functioning as her alarm clock, does not count :D)

Plus I'm pretty sure any teen is going to go ahead and put clothes on, even if it makes them late ;)

Why would you pay less for a younger sitter? If it's a mother's helper situation, then sure. Or a teen watching a slightly younger child who's not quite ready to be on their own, sure, I might not not pay full rates for that. But these sitters, whatever their age, are going to have sole responsibility for six kids, including a toddler, a preschooler, and a kindy. They're going to be changing diapers, running meal time, refereeing fights, and seeing to their safety in case of an emergency. They either have the capability of keeping them safe and secure through the day and night, or they don't. This isn't a 'starter' job, imo!

Do you want them to rescue your kids from the house fire, or not? :D Seriously, this is what you pay an overnight babysitter for, the chance that someone will be sick, or the house will catch fire, or a burglar enters the home, along with the discomfort and annoyance of not sleeping in your own bed. I don't consider keeping my kids safe to be "not doing much," y'know?

How have you seen it taught? :confused: I don't know any other way to do it; enlighten me!

My 7th grader loves Ecce Romani; she is making excellent progress in spite of the fact that I am not any chapters ahead of her, and never will be again, lol.

I have a dd in 7th grade also. My first thought on your schedule is that it looks very tedious, and that, while each part might be manageable, it looks like a tough slog overall. Is your dd able to articulate particular complaints? A few random suggestions: *math - my dd doesn't like anything video-based; it takes too long and she prefers to figure it out on her own. does your dd like/need the video lessons? might math be shorter/more interesting without them? is she possibly bored b/c she's solid in pre-algebra and needs to move on? I know lots of people love CD, but we watched some of the pre-algebra lessons last year and were both about to jump off the nearest cliff. we didn't like the style, and it's not meant to skip around to just bits you have trouble with (it's rather pricey to use in that manner anyway!). *Latin - MP is very solid and dd used it through LC II, when she was more than ready for a change. she switched to Ecce Romani, and really likes it. she loves the nitty-gritty of reading and translating. Logic - she is doing some hard work here! MP again, so solid but very dry. can she work on just the MP and then move on to CT? with maybe a short break in between, lol. why both at once? fwiw, I would never have attempted MP logic with my 7th grader. History - we use and love SOTW, but if you are doing it the WTM way, the constant outlining, etc can be, again, rather dry and tedious (particularly in combination w/other stuff on your list). English - I don't think 2 hours is neccesarily a lot, as you've included reading. I'm not familiar with Lost Tools or some other things, but R&S is another tally in the tedious column, lol. And yes, it's overlapping to some extent with your writing program. I'd agree that a roots vocab might make sense to drop, as she's studying Latin, but I don't see it as saving much time or effort. Extras: looks like all of her engagin stuff is via co-op; I'd try to avoid that situation if possible. Again, there may be nothing wrong with each program taken on its own, but this combination does look like a tough slog for a 7th grader, imo. "Tedious" and "tough" do not have to go hand-in-hand, kwim? I definitely think you should consider shaking things up. Have some discussions with your dd: what would she change and why? what are your goals for latin/math/whatever, and are there different programs that might help meet those goals?

Eh, I wouldn't mess with a GP at this point, he is not likely to tell you anything different. If it's bad enough for her to see someone before beginning the shots, take her to an ENT, and he'll be able to check for sinus and lots of other things. They are very familiar with most of your possibilities: allergy, sinus, bronchitis, etc. etc. They can also advise you better on which meds to mix and match for good results.

Sounds like she's getting better, so I wouldn't take her to urgent care. I would make a regular doc appt. and cancel if it's not needed. I'm usually pretty cautious, but if she's eating, the fever is calming down, no serious cough? I'd likely wait.

Oh, it's not from you and dh or Santa? I change my answer to let her open it, lol. I do let the kids open gifts that get mailed, IF they are not going to see the giver in person to open it anyway. I'd say, if you write the thank you note today, you can open it today!

It could easily be the dryer sheets, especially if they are scented. In fact, if this started in the last four months, I'd lay money that this is exactly what it is. You are not using them on her batch of clothes, but just using the dryer sheets means there are scent, irritants, etc left in the dryer, just waiting to pounce like the little hive ninjas that they are. Also, if she's particularly sensitive to something in them, just hugging dad, leaning on him, etc can be enough. Laundry products are the absolute worst! fyi, hives on the back often flare at night because you have a constant pressure/rubbing on the back that you don't have during the day. I don't know that I would take her to the doctor if Benadryl does the trick. He's very likely to say, When it flares up, give her Benadryl, *g*. It is VERY hard to pin down what causes hives, and it is often a combination of things. You could do an allergy panel and still have little to no idea. With recurring hives, you often need to do the Benadryl 24/7 for several days, EVEN WHEN SYMPTOMS ARE NOT PRESENT. This decreases the chance of them recurring; when we don't do this, it's like the sensitivity level goes down just enough for the hives to go away, but they are lurking just below the surface, waiting for any minor irritant to bring them back to life. So, don't just dose her until they go away; continue giving it for about three days, around the clock. If you time it so that she gets a dose right at bedtime, you don't need to wake her up for one (unless she has active hives). So, no dryer sheets, or different ones. Wipe down the dryer with a damp cloth if you do use them, and leave the door open. Air dry her pj's, try different ones, or let her go without (less rubbing). Reduce as many potential irritants as you can: no scented soap, preferably no scented ANYTHING, limit food dyes and processed foods, reduce baths and showers to the bare minimum needed for non-stinkiness. She should limit what touches her back, particularly what rubs her back: don't wear a backpack or carry a purse, don't give piggyback rides, don't lean on the nubby sofa to watch a movie.

Eh, make her wait. Let her discover the joys of reading books multiple times. Besides, if you let her open it, won't she just read it immediately and be in the exact same situation a couple of days from now?

At 13, he should be making these decisions, imo. I think it shows maturity that he approached the scout master on his own; that is a GOOD skill to have! Much, much better than asking mama to intervene on his behalf. As long as he is choosing from a set of 'approved' activities, I would take a big step back. He sounds like he is doing a pretty good job of balancing HIS priorities (not necessarily yours, lol). This is actually a great time for him to have the chance to make poor decisions; if he does, he will learn some great lessons at a very low price.

Probably this, yes. When your dd goes over there to ask if she wants to play, does she simply get "no" over and over again? If it's been 6 months, I'm going to guess that the other girl simply isn't that interested in playing with her, for whatever reason. If it was more than this, like the other girl suddenly being mean to her, then I might ask the other mom about it (but this would have been much easier to do when it first started; kind of awkward now). But if she's just politely declining to play with dd, I'm not sure there's much you can do. The older girls still get together, so it doesn't seem to be a 'family' issue.

Then, yes, I'd try the Saturday thing, if she doesn't care about her school days dragging on. I'd probably give her a set amount of time for each subject; all subjects to be done by 2 pm, with another hour for corrections. I wouldn't refuse to let her do corrections, they simply have to be done in the time allocated for that subject. When that hour (or whatever) is over, move to the next subject. The corrections pile up for that last hour; any not done get moved to the Saturday pile. I still think a daily motivator is important, and I would use that last hour of corrections for it: if she doesn't need that hour, b/c she got everything done during subject time, then she gets to do a special activity for that hour. Exercise on the Wii, drag out messy craft items, bake cookies - make a list of whatever might float her boat. It should be stuff she doesn't often get to do otherwise. That way, you have both a daily and a weekly motivator. Oh, and I would also give her the freedom to do corrections as homework BY HERSELF. It's fine for your school day to end before hers. Just leave notes on the work (you didn't give the examples here; you didn't correct everything marked in red pen, review; and so on). I used to write on index cards and clip it to the page, or you could use post-its. Actually, that last hour of corrections should be on her own also, and your day is done at 2 pm.