Love the name! Love the pic! Great job, Aubrey (and dh)! He's delightful! Love, Tricia

[quote name=Jenny in Florida;445675 He will be using free' date=' online resources for: Math (University of California College Prep open access Algebra 1) Geography (Florida Virtual School) Art (Florida Virtual School) I spend another almost $300 per month on outside activities. Hi there, your free art from Florida Virtual School has left me intrigued -- can you tell me more? We use a free math curriculum! TIA, Tricia

Last year I spent much less. This year around $600 for all 3 kids. I can't imagine spending $1000's . . . per child, but maybe. Who know's.

I ordered a monstrous amount of curricula from Explorer's Bible, not knowing that each book would last for a year. I bought enough bible studies to last my oldest 4 years and my youngest 2. :tongue_smilie: I did ask for the discount simply because I ordered so much. This was their response. Check one for the good guys. Thanks for the encouragement, hive! Warmly, Tricia We will credit your account the 25% and send your credit receipt with the other two books. Please let us know the name the order was placed under and the sales receipt number if possible so that we can credit the correct account. Thank-you. Sincerely, Dee Murtha customersupport@explorerbiblestudy.org Customer Support - Explorer's Bible Study 800-657-2874

I ordered $150 of curriculum (not looking to tell you from where - that would be mean) and the very next day, I get an email from said company saying everything that I'd ordered the week before was now on sale, at a 25% discount. I wouldn't care so much if I'd ordered 2 workbooks, but I ordered $150 worth -- that discount would have translated to free shipping/duty (we're in Canada). Would you press the company for the discount, even though you did order a week before it went on sale??? This annoyed me . . . Tell me the truth: get over myself or press the company a bit? T

We're in the both camp as well . . . my boys love listening to SOTW @ bedtime. They've listened to Book 1 and 2 all the way through more times than I can count. I still love reading it out loud to my youngest son . . . his obvious enthusiasm for the stories makes it such fun. T

This is exactly what I've been pondering for next year . . . we love Bravewriter and everywhere I go, I hear about the miracles of IEW. Perhaps the birth of a successful writing partnership . . . my kiddies are young and I didn't want them to hate writing even before we got going on anything of substance. Another year of learning to enjoy finding words for experiences/ideas and then tie in the structure of IEW. Love it! Tricia

In the same genre as "Wordless Wednesdays" or "Weekly Reports", do you think it would be fun to do Fabulous Friday's Art Projects . . . to keep us all accountable to our homeschooling art class? We could show our kid's work as proof that: "yes we did do art this week." Just a thought . . . but I won't be the person to manage this idea. I'm not in the same league as the superstar headmistress of Trivium Academy! ;) Some of you here have uber talented children; I wonder if Atelier has a yahoo group where they show art work from program participants? Tricia

Absolutely -- they just figured out how it works this winter -- I thought maybe too much math and they decided to climb the door, as an escape. T

I started posting a few months after reading the book -- it took me awhile to figure out that people would really. speak. their. mind. Truthfully, it took me by surprise and the out-and-out cat fights just about scared me away for good. By and by, I saw glimmers of greatness here and came to realize that I really liked these Boardie Buddies even if their approach, opinion, tact or style of conversation didn't match mine. WTM's boardies are smart, opinionated, well-versed, will hold up the down-trodden, beat-down the smart-*sses and hold you accountable to what you really think. I especially love the WTM board during weeks of non-stop rain!

Ahhhhhhhhh, I don't think you're looking for a pity party . . . maybe some validation that those women are beyond unkind. I agree! I too can speak to the single mom, *very* limited income, Goodwill everything and I can sincerely say that as a child, I was very happy and like Aubrey, I feel like a Queen in her castle based on the life I'm blessed to live. Certainly, my life isn't flamboyantly and outrageously prosperous, but I'm happy and a big part of it is understanding that my identity doesn't depend on stuff. This is a gift from my childhood. You are a tenacious, unstoppable woman and I hope you can wipe off the slime, put your chin up and find those friends who can love and respect you for you. You deserve nothing less than mutually respectful relationships. Press on. T

Peela, I really liked your answer. You see, I'm a WTM-Fraud or at least a WTM-Thief. I love the Scope & Sequence that SWB offers in her book. What a fabulous academic plan but (hanging my head in shame and begging SWB to forgive me), I find the WTM recs to be the dryest way to skin the cat. So, when people ask me what kind of hs'er I am, I generally say I'm using a "pseudo-WTM approach." Love the S&S - just can't use the recs. (Going to suck my thumb under the table and hope I'm not forever banished from the WTM community.) :) Tricia

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We've been "Staycationers" since our second summer in Nova Scotia. The first year we lived in Halifax, we did our normal PEI/Fundy National Park/Quebec City/Boston vacations but we quickly realized that beaching/camping/playing in Nova Scotia beat all of our other trips combined, and it was so much cheaper. We love living here so much -- "stay and play" has been our family motto for 4 years now!

Yes. All summer. Guilt-free. Now don't get me wrong . . . I used to get stressied reading all the posts about full-year schooling. Now those threads run off my back with barely a second glance. Summer is summer . . . if/when my kids are working on a PhD dissertation, than I would expect they'd be researching, writing, working, editting all summer long but since not even one of them has celebrated a double-digit birthday, I think we're ok. :D

Throwing this out there very gently . . . I have a few homeschooling friends, but we never, ever talk homeschooling. It just seems like such a waste of time . . . especially when I can come here and get reasonable, educated, experienced answers to my questions. Even more truthfully, I don't really press in with other homeschoolers . . . and I certainly don't enjoy "homeschool groups." We connect with 2 other hs'ing families and that's it -- the rest of our life is very mainstream. The advice other's gave about finding some common ground apart from your hs'ing experience is, imho, very wise. I honestly don't believe that a shared homeschooling experience is a good connecting point for starting a friendship . . . it's as random as saying all the brunettes should be friends because, well, we're brunettes. T

Surfing in Nova Scotia means a full wet suit . . . and only for 4 months of the year. Oh, but winter life is wonderful here -- sledding, skating, winter hiking . . . East Coast National Parks are beyond wonderful . . . lobster, smoked salmon, mussells . . . Be blessed! Tricia ps: Come visit, Colleen -- you'll love East Coast life!

Oh Friend, come to life in Nova Scotia, Canada! Surfin' and preachin' by the ocean . . . not nearly as expensive as the West Coast, safe, great quality of life! Editted to say that it's not always warm here . . . Good luck with your life change! Warmly, Tricia

Sweet Doran, I feel so sad for the pain you feel . . . and I'm hoping for an easy transition for your Daddy into his new surroundings. This boardie buddy is sending you her best love, peace and goodness . . . I'm hoping you find this road just a bit easier knowing that we love you. xoxoxoxoxo Tricia

I'd love to join your group; I'm just not sure how to join your group. T

Keep us posted -- being asked to step onto the national stage is an exceptional reflection of their natural talent, teachable spirit, great attitudes . . . and your fantastic parenting. Good luck with the tryouts. Tricia

bumping, because I really want to know how you decide upon frames when buying online. Help me save $600 . . . T

Perhaps I'm a nay-sayer, but how do you make sure these frames will suit you? I went frame shopping just yesterday and I must have tried on every frame in the store. Finally, a pair that looked ok . . . How do you make sure??? T

Last year, we paid "out the wazoo" for art classes - all three of my children participated. I found it was waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much money for what we got -- it became more crafty than art. My children loved it - the whole thing, but I had a hard time stomaching close to $35 a class for 12 weeks. I bought Atelier Art for this year . . . and I'll continue to research dvd art programs for subsequent years. I've also invited a few hs friends to join us as we work through AA, hoping that the comraderie will make the art classes feel more like last year. Hope this helps, T

This is lovely -- my #2 boy loves all things ocean and animals. Thank you!