Oh, and at this point I have given up on handwriting on paper. We are using a chalkboard and sponge to work on letter/number formation. I can't deal with the drama! My older son has dysgraphia and I had NO IDEA. He never had these meltdowns. So I'm thinking little guy may have dysgraphia as well. I would appreciate any suggestions for dealing with this, too!

DS5 (almost 6) is the fourth child I have taught to read. He can consistently remember the basic sound of probably half of his letters. He can not seem to internalize letter names AT ALL. I've never had to teach letter sounds before so I'm not sure if this is normal at his age or if this is a red flag. We did no formal work before kindergarten. He played Starfall and watched the Leap Frog dvds just like his older siblings. We have been working consistently on letter sounds since August. He absolutely melts down with anything phonics/handwriting related (even interactive stuff like letter tiles and games) with the exception of ETC A. He is able to distinguish beginning sounds in ETC. Yes, he's still young. But this is just SO HARD. It just feels like we're moving at a snail's pace and two steps forward, one step back. I know all kids, even within the same family, are their own person. I don't want to compare him to his siblings. But at the same time, this is significantly harder for him compared to them, and it just makes me wonder if there is something else going on. KWIM? He loves "school". He adores math and blasts through it. He is bright and has a quick mind. He has no real interest in learning to read, so it might just be a personality issue. Maybe it is a maturity issue? But at almost-6, it shouldn't be this hard for a bright kid to internalize his letter sounds, right? He is on the waiting list for the neurodevelopmental pediatrician. We recently went through the process for one of our older children who has adhd, dysgraphia, and neurological issues (static). I spoke to the doctor quite a bit about ds5 and we're almost positive he has adhd. Doctor suggested he is likely highly gifted like his siblings, but I'm not sure how much testing they will do because of his age. So basically we're on the waiting list for a full eval across the board, but we're waiting for another 6-8 months. In the meantime, am I right to see red flags? Am I overreacting?

Independent Fundamental Baptist?

I had this happen with a copy I received from CBD. They sent me a new one as soon as I emailed them.

I think the DOJ lowered the bar around 2008-2010.

Was this just a group of poll workers standing around chatting because they weren't needed elsewhere? That wouldn't bother me at all.

Saxon. Incremental math drives me insane. I can't do it anymore. :)

I dealt with this for 9 miserable years. I moved and it changed my life .

You could do a master's degree in school counseling. :) I have a family member that was a guidance counselor before she became a principal and she made better money as a counselor. :)

We just use Hillbilly Housewife's bread machine pizza crust. My husband usually throws it in so I can have a night off. :) It makes two pizzas but tbh this isn't enough to feed my family anymore. We add a big salad/carrots/fruit or make another batch of dough in the kitchenaid.

Sometimes family gatherings with a large family can be a circus. If there is no other animosity or family drama, I wouldn't worry about it. But yeah, it is rude. :laugh:

Yep. Honestly, the guy comes across as a complete narcissist.

Saxon includes a master worksheet in the tm (recording forms b&c). I copied enough for each lesson before the school year started and now I just include them in our weekly folders. They're actually pretty awesome because they have little check boxes for everything: warm up, mental math, problem solving, homework check, error correction, lesson, lesson practice, and mixed practice. There are sections for mental math answers, problem-solving including a checklist of strategies and space to work it out, labeled work spaces for lesson practice, and graph paper divided into numbered boxes for mixed practice solutions. Changed.Our.Lives. :)

I think what it comes down to is that you know what you need: more time and less stress. I would focus my efforts on getting what you need rather than figuring out how to carry on without meeting your own needs. No one knows your kids like you do; you just need sleep and clarity to be able to tackle the problem. Take care of yourself, mama.

.

We had a couple view our house on Easter Sunday. They stayed for HOURS and we were driving around with our sick kids. Afterwards they told us that they loved the house but their lease wasn't up for another six months. It was so frustrating. We had renovated an older ranch and we think they just wanted to get ideas for when they were ready to purchase--a walk through pinterest. :) We were angry, but in the end, even with a good realtor, you have to put up with some crazy to sell your house. OP- I really think that is completely insane. It was irresponsible of the other realtor to allow them in the house; he may not have known that they would show up but that doesn't mean he had to let them in. It isn't your realtor's fault, but I would make sure to convey my displeasure and hope he does a better job screening potential showings.

Oh my. Crazy.

How did you file a grievance? Poor thing. :( Surgery and no PT? I have another child who needs ortho surgery, too, but we waited until we moved because I was concerned about continuity of care. And yes, as Targhee said, it is a wait list issue.

OhElizabeth: Wow. I'm going to make some calls.

.

.

.

.

Deleting because I have a lot of irl acquaintances who frequent these forums. Thank you SO MUCH for your kindness.

Not at all. It was such a relief to be able to read a 1-2 sentence explanation instead of a 1-2 page lesson. :) This is the only Abeka subject we use and it has taken the angst out of grammar.