Thank you for sharing.

I saw them at Walmart two or three weeks ago when I was buying some binders for this year.

I usually start with whatever will take the longest each day and is the least favorite (after bible and a read out loud). I find they usually are more willing to do the work first thing in the morning than later on. We usually get easier as the day goes on.

Thanks for the Understood Betsy review. I removed it from our list and will add it back to the schedule.

I use a mix of Horizons and Singapore and love it. Well ... I did for Kinder and hope we do for 1st grade. This is after trying Saxon, MEP, MUS, and Right Start. None of those clicked with my oldest. The mixture of Singapore and Horizons clicked with her.

I have not opened it to read myself. I already file by the week all of our lesson plans and assume that is what it is about. If I get bored I MAY open it up but I am too busy wrapping up my own planning to do so.

Ours starts the 24th it looks like. Most of the school districts around us start on the 23rd though. I am starting on the 16th so that we can finish before Memorial Day.

I do about $2500 a year on homeschooling for three kids. That includes any classes they may take, trips we take, books, curriculum, library fee (yes we are charged since we are outside of the city limits), supplies and the Mothers day out program 2x a week for my youngest (Sept to May). Clothes I have a budget of $2000 - $3000 a year for the kids. I will admit that I LOVE to dress my kids in pretty clothes. In order to pay for all of the above I also resell my kids clothes (always covers what I spend) and I resell curriculum and books that I am done with. Out of pocket and on our budget is $120 month for MDO (Sept through May) $50 month for books, curriculum, trips and any classes (extra gets rolled over to the next month) $40 in August for Library for one year Everything else for school and the kids clothes gets paid out of my paypal account. I get this money selling the kids used clothes, toys and curriculum/books we are done with.

We are doing art projects around our Science and history this year. I have a bunch of art lesson books but just did not feel like adding another curriculum to the mix. When we study pyramids with our Ancients we will learn about sculpture and build a pyramid out of foam blocks. When we are learning about birds in Science we will build a bird house and paint it in art that week. I think next year I may focus more on the artists.

This is what we have and I LOVE it. I got it at a consignment sale for $8. I have seen them on ebay and goodwill cheap as well. We also have an inflatable one that we play some games with. http://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-40002-LeapFrog%C2%AE-Explorer-Smart/dp/B00005BYPA/ref=pd_sbs_t_5

I take them off and put them in the top of the closet. If I were to resell the book I would drag it out and sell it with the book.

here

I have the set and we love them. My daughter gets excited when she see's one of the books pulled out.

Bad- I was sick and we had no clue what with. I was tired all the time, gaining weight and could hardly move or think. A week before my wedding my doctor actually advised me to NOT get married. Since this wedding was 6 years coming (we met at 15 and got married at 21) there was no way I could not get married. We later figured out I had a severe thyroid issue that took me 2 years to level out. SO ... I was in no mood to get married or be in front of people or deal with people. My grandfather planned on video taping the wedding and the camera ran out of juice 10 minutes into it. My bio dad decided during our reception to talk to my husband about how to treat me on the wedding night ... in front of all of our friends that we had known since high school and middle school. NIGHTMARE Good- It was cheap. We paid for it and picked everything out. My dress was off the rack but beautiful. My grandmother did the flowers and decorations, my great grandmother did the cake, my dad did the photos ... we had a quick cake and punch reception. We got out of there quick and drove to the bed and breakfast place a couple hours away. Since my hubby and I are best friends there was no pressure and I got to rest before the real action happened. My husband and I are still married today 11 years later and can joke about it. We actually miss my grandfather, his mother and my great grandmother who are no longer with us.

I got mine today too and my daughter wanted to know why the phone book was in the mail box. :lol:

I have not read all the reply's but I started with the standing until I came into the bathroom to find POO on the floor. He just could not grasp the concept that he had to do something different to go #2. So we switched to sitting all the time until he was about 3 1/2. Then one day he realized the difference and started to stand.

I have very sensitive skin and switched to Bare Minerals a few years ago. It is a miracle worker. Before going to it I could only wear Makeup a day or two a week without having red skin. I first tried it at Ulta (they even have workers that will give you a makeover to show you how it works). I have never had issues with it looking odd in pictures. If you just use it lightly it is great and feels so light on the skin. I never even notice I am wearing it. It also lasts a long time for me.

nm... not getting into this

I just put homeschool as my child's school or "Private school" since in TX we are a private school.

My heart breaks for you. When I was 18 my grandmother got ill and was actually on Hospice for 9 months. She had a rare genetic disease and did not know it until too late. My grandmother was very important in a lot of our lives. We helped take care of her, sat with her, studied the bible with her and just loved on her for 9 months. It was the worse 9 months of my life. My poor brother was 16 and would stay up all night with her on the weekends just to help take care of her. My cousin was raised by my grandmother up to that point and was 6 years old. We all three had forms of PTSD after that. Seeing someone slowly die and KNOWING it is happening is almost too much for people so young (at least it was to us). I would advise you to spend a lot of time with your grandmother, encourage the kids to love on her and do special things but to not tell them until closer to time. Since my grandmother death I have been through my grandfather and great grandmother's death (through hospice). Though they were not quick deaths they were much easier on me mentally because they died quicker. One was only on Hospice a week and the other 2 months. For me the idea that someone has to know they are passing and just waiting is just too much. As far as your reactions ... tell your kids she is sick and you just worry. If death is brought up just explain that everyone dies at some point but don't "say" she is dieing out loud. Lots of love and prayer is being sent your way

My youngest has always been allergic to Pampers and I just figured they did not let her "breath" enough or something.

Just thought I would post this in case there was interest. My kids will be reading regardless but free books is always a good thing! Half Price books Starts June 1-July 31 and gives a $3 shopping card a WEEK for reading 15 minutes a day http://www.halfpricebooks.com/feed_your_brain.html Borders - free book for reading 10 books. Good until 8/26 http://www.borders.com/online/store/MediaView_doubledogdare?cmpid=SA_20100513_V2 Barnes and Noble - free book if you read 8 books- bring passport into store between 5/25 and 9/7 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/summerreading/index.asp As a side note- I LOVE Half Price books. I love having their discount card and clearance section. I got about 50 books yesterday for $50!!! They were FIAR, Sonlight, Reference and readers for the kids. It was so much fun.

Will this help? If you click on the overview under each list it give you a more detailed outline of what is learned per lesson. http://readingeggs.com/levels

It did this with mine so I just signed up my daughter under a different email addy and her own log in. It then gave her until 9/1.

Thanks I just signed up my son for the trial with a new email addy. My daughter loved it when we did the 3 month trial last summer.