You're in my thoughts and prayers too. :grouphug:

Winter Promise was a bust. I finally gave up trying to make it work. So glad I only invested in the IG and not the whole program.

And finally bought the IG for the AC program in August. It was everything I thought it would be and more...Unfortunately, it was not a good fit. The IG schedule drove me nuts and I was constantly feeling behind. I tried hard to make this work, but recently threw in the towel. I wound up tweaking myself right out of the program. I LOVE the Time Traveler's CD-Roms, though and they are now the core of our History program for the year!

It's excellent, but very teacher intensive. Most of BJ stuff is teacher intensive. You MUST buy the TM in order to make their science program successful. The meat of the course is in the TM not the student book. HTH!

It just looks too darn complicated for my liking, but as they say...Different strokes for different folks! ;)

we love it!! I don't mind the workbook lessons b/c they are very thorough and with the spiral approach, the ongoing review helps concepts to stick, IMO. I understand your desire to do something gentler, but if CLE is working out why jump ship? It's so easy to be enticed by other programs. If you dc are not thriving with CLE or if this curric is an ongoing struggle, then go ahead and try the other program, but if not why not stick with it? I say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" ;)

Did you know you can Blurb your blog into a book? Someone here on these boards (A.J. from J.A.) gave us a heads up about this several months ago. I have not done this, but think it would be much easier than trying to print blog pages. HTH!

It made the newspaper yesterday. They plan to close ALL Mervyns stores after Christmas. Mervyns and Target used to be owned by the same company, but if I remember correctly, this is no longer the case.

I could have written a lot of what you wrote a couple of years ago. We put ds in ps for 3rd and 4th grade when dd was an infant/toddler. Glad we tried it, but so glad we brought him home again. I cannot even begin to go into all of the issues. You covered a lot of it in your post. The fact that ds was cooped up in school for over 6 hours per day and then had to come home and do homework was INSANE!! Plus he has ADHD. Imagine that scenario. And let's not go into all of the goofy peer pressure stuff and all of the substitute teachers and wasted time and poorly supervised school yard........ Puuuhhleeeaasssee don't get me started. That said, I do threaten to send him back when he's acting up at home. LOL!! ;) If we could afford the nearby Christian school, I would probably give that a try in the near future, though, but right now homeschooling is the best fit for us. Wishing you all the best!

Just curious about why you don't like the Hakim books. That's what I'm using for my 6th grader's Am history spine and we love it. Just curious.

No suggestions, just a hug. :grouphug: I've BTDT with Calvert's 1st grade program and I sooooo know how frustrating Calvert was. Best wishes!

I did a curriculum report this week. Come take a look if you'd like. My blog link is below.

It's excellent! I've reviewed it on my blog. Click "Curriculum Reviews" to find it.

:iagree: I left you a comment on your blog. BTW, I like all kinds of different blogs. The ones Jennefer mentioned are also on my blogroll. There are so many different styles and voices out there in the blogosphere. Don't worry you'll find yours too!

I'd say you're going to have to budget at least $3000 for a family of six. Have you ever been to Disneyland?? EVERYTHING is EXPENSIVE. You're not just going to want tix to DL, you're going to want to go to California Adventure right across the way and that means you're going to want Park Hopper tickets which are NOT CHEAP!! Do you have AAA road service? I hope so, b/c they sell DL and Park Hopper tickets for DL and CA at a good discount for members. They also offer discounts for hotels in the area. Speaking of hotels, they are very expensive too. Be sure to do your research on hotels in the area b/c some are just so-so. Go toTripAdvisor.com and put in Anaheim, CA and read reviews for hotels in the area within your budget. Now, I'm thinking the family RV is actually a good idea. It may cost $500 for gas, but there is a campground which right near DL and RV parking is allowed. There is a fee, of course, and I don't know what it is, but trust me, it'll be a whole lot cheaper than a hotel AND you get to sleep in your own clean space. KWIM? Check TripAdvisor b/c they may have feedback on the campground near DL. I say plan on spending at least $1000 for lodging in a hotel if you're staying for a week...Especially during peak season. Speaking of peak seasons, avoid them!! I repeat, avoid them!! One more time, avoid them!! Why, for crying out loud, does everyone want to go to DL during Holiday seasons and during the summer months. EVERY OTHER PERSON in the world is at DL during peak season...Including the Anaheim locals. Forget it!! Trust me, we've gone to DL many times in the summer (including this past July...I know, I know, we're absolutely crazy...but we were in the area for a family reunion and just had to go). :driving::banghead::hat::001_rolleyes: But we STILL had a good time...afterall it IS the Happiest Place on Earth ;) Seriously, I LOVE Disneyland, but we always have more fun when we go off season. Think after Labor Day in Septerber or October (before Halloween). We've even gone the first weekend in December before school kids are on Christmas break and it was magical...Dickens carolers...Christmas lights...Christmas trees...Magical...Other tips: Main Street is a great spot to catch the parades. If you visit during peak season get to the parks very early or stay late for the popular rides. Get Fast Passes to reserve time for popular rides and to avoid having to wait in long lines. Check the wait times for rides on the board near the end of main street. Try not to buy too many souvenirs. They are very very expensive. If you have a Disney store in your mall, start popping in there every now and then and stock up on clearance Disney stuff. Bring these things with you to DL without the kids knowing and let them have one of the souvenirs you already bought at the end of each day or so. It should still be a nice surprise and you won't break the bank. If you have toddlers or preschoolers remember that some of the rides in FantasyLand (like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride) go into dark tunnels. They're really cute and neat, but some little ones are terrified. Mine was and screamed like a mad person. She handled the Peter Pan ride well. The Winnie the Pooh Ride (can't remember which area it's in) goes in a dark tunnel, but she LOVED it! Neat!! We rode that one a half dozen times. If you have daughters, don't miss the Princess autograph and picture taking area near It's a Small World. Food is EXPENSIVE in DL. VERY EXPENSIVE. VERY VERY EXPENSIVE. Plan on that or go outside of DL to eat. Take time to rest by riding the choo-choo train around the park. Blisters are very very common. Get a locker in the locker area on Main Street. This will cost up to $10, I think, but it beats carrying around so much stuff. If you have toddlers or babies with you there is an immaculate diaper changing, potty training, nursing, bottle heating building in Main Street. Okay. I'll stop there. Clearly, you can tell that I LOVE Disneyland!! LOL!! I know it's a commercialism trap, but I simply turn a blind eye b/c I absolutely LOVE Mickey Mouse and his peeps! Have fun!

I've always wondered about WS. We're using Bob Jones English (just the writing portions) and so far so good, but if I ever jump ship I'll probably give WS a try.

I had a feeling today would be the day! Congrats OhElizabeth and family!! Wishing all of you lots of wonderful snuggle time as you get to know your newest addition to the family. :hurray: and :grouphug:

:iagree: We love love love CLE math and lang arts. I tried R&S math and lang arts before CLE and love CLE so much better. Actually, CLE is like a cross btwn R&S and Evan-Moor. Much gentler, fewer tears, easy peasy to teach. Can't say enough great things about it. If you go to my blog and click "Curriculum Reviews" you'll find my comparisons of CLE and R&S Lang arts and math. You'll also find detailed reviews of CLE lang arts and math. You can call and order samples to see if you like it. The first sample is free. Other samples are very inexpensive. Approx $3 each. HTH!