Party Pieces are an old fashioned idea of bringing something to a party to share. Custom comes from the times we created entertainment rather than consumed it. I'm having my kids memorize the Night Before Christmas because when you are grown , it's cool to really KNOW a few poems to share. I let my kids pick some of what they will memorize. Cottleston Pie ( Winnie the Pooh) is a favorite. They are kind of perking up for Jabberwocky too. Hilary Belac ( spelling?) is fun oh and Ogdon Nash Oh Oh,,, Look at the list from IEW for some poem titles. Google Institue for Excellence in Writing. ~Christine in AL

I ask this because he is the employee, not because he is the husband. ( OH,,, crud, I get it, it's supposed to be a surprise... hmm) If the bosses wife . ( BOSSES wife) gives you something, without asking.... then that kinda shows where her head is. And would such a person REALLY get it when you refused her gift. She might take it as an insult. Will your husband continue to work for this company after your return to Britain? Is the place Y'all choose about the holiday Christmas, or might it work at another time? can you figure out how to do both? go on the holiday they are giving you, AND a month later take time off and go where you want? OR if this is at all possible, consider how to ask the bosses wife for help with this delima. She sounds like she might be a generous person who likes to help people by managing things. I'm from Alabama and I can so see this happening here, it's sounds like it might be bulldozer hospitality. wow, this is a doozie, good luck. ~christine in al.

along with Cursive First. promoted to Evan Moor daily cursive practice ( dd chose traditional , ds choose modern cursive) will be done with cursive after this year.. now use AAS (starting at beginning) but have added back only the spelling lists of SWR. I left SWR because political bent of dictation just got on my nerves but mostly I disagree with a few of her phonograms: example: I think the letters i and y can have an /E/ sound as in baby, or candy , and SWR thinks it's /bAb.i/ ( short vowel sound.) So I guess I'm now using a combo of AAS and SWR . I DO think Sensari is a pretty smart cookie. It's an effective program. my two dc tested just fine.. just fine. on SATs last spring. So I do think SWR works. they're smart young'uns, but it's the program that was being tested and it did fine for them. I'm glad to hear others using combos. ~Christine in al

Cursive First has reproduceable ( great,, I can't spell that, Right, trust me on spelling) sheets on which the student practices writing a specific phonogram while saying it aloud . ~Christine ( who can't spell so wants her children to be able to) in al.

All it is is learning the SOUNDS of letters and letter combinations rather than the names. It moves spoken language ( one you already know) and written language closer together. Most of us learn the letter names ( really bloody useless for spelling) rather than the sounds. Example: When we see a feline we dont' say " Pet the /SEE-AA-TEE/ " We say" Pet the /k..a..t/ We SAY the phonograms, not the letter names. You already know the most common phonograms. study of them will give structure to what you already know and open up lots of new cool things. AND Learning WHY words are spelled in certain ways is fun and helpful. Isn't it slightly interesting to think there may be a REASON the number two is spelled with that silent w ? * You may find the cd of phonograms most helpful. * comes from the Old English word " twa" meaning 2.... and now you know why twelve is spelled the way it is too. fun huh? Not every single word spelling has a good reason. but most do. ~Both ASS and Apples and Pears seem popular on the boards.. breathe, look at them both, even try them out and keep the one that works best for your family, sell the other. ~christine in al

maybe Evan Moor. We used Evan Moor early on and were pleased, but we really like WWE, We were bogging WAY down with the dictations, and I watched the YouTube presentations about dictation from SWB and that helped immensely. I've slowed down and I'll just read the bits again and again. ( we are just now in level 3 though and ds in in 5th) But I hear you saying " enough!" still the lectures might help for future projects. ~christine in al

letter, right? So I looked up the derivation: but so far, I've only found this from Online Etymology Dictionary: engine c.1300, "mechanical device," also "skill, craft," from O.Fr. engin "skill, cleverness," also "trick, deceit, stratagem; war machine" (12c.), from L. ingenium "inborn qualities, talent" (see ingenious). Apparently the old French thought it didn't need the " e" either. I'm still looking, ~christine in al

I'm looking , and I can't tell if Chalkdust Geometry includes proofs. Does anyone know? TIA Christine in al

Our room doesn't look like this AT ALL. Your closet is cleaner than our whole room. Very nice. Thanks for sharing. I'm off to get a big trashcan and a give-away box. thanks. Christine in al

~christine in al

And I'd take a look at Elemental Science. The reason I say i WOULD , is that I gave up and foudn a science tutor as Science was never happening here. AAS is a phonics program. ANd it covers syllabication ( I hope I spelled that correctly) ( you may throw in Song School Latin for fun ... ( and as a selling point at your 6 month eval. your young'un ain't gonna be getting no LATIN in school) Song School works great in the car. ( don't bother withthe TM) ( Geography Songs are a hit here too, for the car... oh and the Story of the World CDs for the car.) okay,, and... try not to do too much. ( yeah right) ~christine in al

cheers. ~c.

first, stuff didn't come,, for months. no really,,, months. logged several emails and several calls to UK. finally came, a marked up in-house copy that they had used to change wording from school to home school. more calls to UK because emails got nowhere. finally got what I needed. NOT IMPRESSED .. I don't care how good the product is. If they won't SEND me the bloody thing it does me no good. We are loving L'art de Lire. not buying anything from Manic Monkey ever again. my 2 cent info and for-free rant. :angry: ~Christine in al

You don't want to turn all your bulldogs loose right off. I WOULD add what exactly you would like him to do in order to make you happy. Same sweet tone, but with a very clear request for him to do ______ . Was it take back teh updates with full refund including shipping both ways. super politeness is effective if you add EXACTLY what you want him to do. good luck. ~christine in AL ( As in Alabama, )

~Christine in AL

I'd start with 100 EZ,( skip writing exercises) and math games, then add on Bob Books and then around lesson 70 the easiest shelf of the library. ( I made some of my own Bob-like books from the words in 100 EZ. ) After 100, is complete, ( or you have left it because your kids can read library books, I'd start with All About Spelling ( I did SWR for 3 years, and much prefer AAS) After a few weeks of AAS, I'd add Cursive First. but only if my kid had the motor skills , my oldest suffered through many many unneccessary (spelling?) tears because he was not developmentally ready for the fine motorskills required for hand writing. and a key boarding program like Dance Mat Typing. ( BBC, free) I think I maybe should have waited until 2nd grade to rquire my ds to write much. my dd , the artist had the skill sand interest to do cursive in K. jsut her personality and skill set. ( and she finds typing a chore, but loves to write) my 2 cents ~christine in al

gleefully:smash: ( sorry, I couldn't resist) ~Christine in al

That may inform your decision. Are you wanting them to read the New Testament Greek, or classical writers. I HAVE heard that one can move from Classical to Kione more easily than the other way. So Classical may eventually give you more breadth of material, But I have no first-hand experience. Greek,,, cool. good for y'all. ~Christine in AL

So, do I google skedtrack, or is there a link I'm missing in this post? ahh, maybe it's my inability to use this computer thingy that's the problem. Oh I did buy the hard copy of the worksheets, that was worth it. Anyway, if someone has a link, or an addy or a clue for the clueless, I'd love to know how to use this program more effectively, ( we are using 3/4 until he's done with this workbook, then bumping to 5/6) ~christine in al.

and it's okay to enjoy it . Thanks Blueridge, wow,,, organic timeline.... hmm. We used to call that ( with envy and repect and longing ) " Indian Time" And sahamamamamamamma I love your signature. ( and your thoughts) ~c.

I don't know... In the past I have hated not being done in Spring, and getting our days in gets hard as we take off one here and one there and then they add up. And we'll still be in the stinking Middle Ages. We live in Alabama so our state laws are very lax.. But the local system requires 180 so I try to match that ( self inflicted) Starting next week is my deadline so I'll be ahead of ps.. This sounds so silly when I write it. I'd be stressed more if I took off three more weeks, ( I think) But I am trying on the idea of one more ... and that feels pretty luxurious. thanks so much for the permission ( sounds pitiful I know, but having someone else say it just changes things. ) ~Christine

I think one of the things that stops me is that I'll still have to do homework that I didn't assign and might not even understand or agree with. ~c.

I love the idea of clean house, nice meals. adore the lottery ticket metaphor. And our school district isn't even lousy. ( did I just spell that it doesn't have lice?) I'd feel guilty too. not if I got sick, or had an external need to put them in. I think eveyr situation is diffferent and I'm not judgemental AT ALL about those who do " opt in" My fantasy even went.... " what about for just one year,,, or, heck even til Chrstmas break.... ooohhh" I'll not do that to them, They'd make friends and then want to stay ( I think) I'm so glad I'm not the only one who has thought this way. ~c.

A Fall Garden would be lovely. and ... uhm.... maybe ( sheepish) I've overdone our schedule... ds 5th Latin Prep ( just starting ) Right STart Math and Evan Moor Daily word problems and Key to... WWE FLL 4 Discovery Education Spanish ( mostly on his own) History Odessy ( will we EVER get out of the Middle Ages?!?!) Cursive ( last year, when he's done with this workbook that's good) AAS ( going back to get some foundation) Literature reading list, (we'll talk about every few books) Memory work Science tutor every Friday piano TaeKwonDo Chess Club Writing club Soccer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ dd nearly 8 (3rd grade) Getting Starting with Latin (both finished Minimus and Song School) Right STart Math and Evan Moor Daily word problems WWE FLL L'Art de Lire and Petit Pont French SoTW ( AGAIN will we EVER get out of the Middle Ages?!?!) Cursive ( last year for her too probably, ) AAS Literature reading list, (we'll talk about every few books) Memory work Science tutor every Friday piano TaeKwonDo Horseback Riding Writing club uhm, no wonder I'm tired, huh? ~christine in al

I am starting our school next week and the house is a mess, I'm not ready with all the subjects and I'm tired. So, yesterday all three of us were driving to Lowes and as we drove past the local elementary school. I thought, " I COULD just buy the school clothes and supplies and get them here every morning on time. That and help with homework and I'd be DONE ! Wow, that would be SOOOOO easy." I could,,, I really could. It's not like it's illegal" Does anyone else ever have these thoughts. I don't mean, life has thrown you a curve in illness, or unexpected baby... etc, just " durn, I'm tired" ~Christine in al