One more thing to consider: Do you think that things in your area are going to remain stable for the next 10 years? With the rise in college costs & the use/abuse of adjuncts, I feel like something has to change but I don't know what and when it might be. Some local colleges are unionizing their adjuncts now and that can be kind of bad for those who really only want a few courses over an entire year -- if the union negotiates a guaranteed X number of courses and it's more than what they want but they still need to pay dues for instance. And of course there's the issue of whether a masters would be enough several years down the line. I know a couple of lawyers who can't reliably teach law classes now because it's not considered adequate qualification somehow.

Ugh, I don't think I could do it. All I could think of was pasta salad or polenta with eggs for a main dish. It could be a lot of work but if you just buy lime juice (not fresh limes), nonalcoholic watermelon granita might be cheap enough even though it would be a huge pain to make it for that many....

*hugs* The odd thing is I think I might agree with your daughter on many points but I get there is frustration. One thing I didn't see mentioned in the replies about the shower... for me, I had a terrible worry I might get a shower at any point. I seriously didn't want a fuss or gifts but people feel obligated. For my wedding, I worried because the MOH (I ONLY had a MOH because I kept things small) would feel obligated to make sure I had one, but I knew it would be almost impossible for her to do it financially. Same with the best man... We were pretty broke at the end of paying my husband's student loans, but still better off than our friends. We ended up telling them, please don't do it -- we don't need it... MOH didn't listen & did a shower, but she did enlist help. Best man listened, my husband didn't get a party. Both ended up being fine, just saying I hate the fuss over seemingly obligatory parties & think people talk about showers because they seem hard to avoid... someone will throw you one, so assuming you aren't involved... you just have to hope it's not going to be a huge thing in a rented room with people who aren't invited to the wedding invited (I've been to several of those, but if it were me -- who always wants to avoid attention --what a nightmare).

I didn't try to teach either before they could read CVC words on their own (seemingly spontaneously but they did watch that leapfrog video...) My older daughter didn't really need to be taught... but for what it's worth she read her first real chapter books (e.g., Catwings, My Father's Dragon) 1.5 years after I noticed her reading. My younger daughter read CVC words then asked for help learning more, she needed more help with syllables, etc. and 1.5 years after she read that first C-A-T she's finally reading stuff like Mercy Watson fluently. Edit: missed the age range thing... my older daughter learned at 3 and could read fluently at 4.5, but her comprehension probably stopped at about 3rd grade with the exception of fantasy-type stuff and (weirdly) science books (she didn't have the frame of reference for many others... ). My younger daughter was probably 3 years 3 months before she started reading to me, and asking to learn more -- and at 4.5 isn't as far as her sister was, but can read very early chapter books.

I seriously don't understand how this is even a thing. To me it's like disqualifying an athlete because they are too tall and it gives them "unfair advantage." Doesn't this describe most Olympic athletes? Compared to most people they are too tall, too short, too this, too that. Maybe I've naive but I keep thinking of my husband who got "too tall" for gymnastics... yes, there are people who defy the trend, but many sports favor a particular body type and the people who reach the top of the ranks often are several standard deviations from the "norm" in some way -- it's one, among the MANY, reasons they end up at the top.

Amazon is doing some of its own shipping now as well. I had one package delivered by them and it was the worst. It said it was out for delivery for 5 days, and then they sent a note saying "Let us know if you don't receive it by Saturday."

I typically spend more on the shower. Because the wedding gift is assumed to be a check, it I want to get something off the registry it is a shower gift. But it really differs,--when I got married about 10 years ago, my husband's family gave me gifts for the shower and typically just a card for the wedding. With weddings, whatever the technical etiquette may say, it really depends on the social circle. And when 2 people from different backgrounds marry (even slightly different backgrounds) there are going to be differences.

Agreed, maybe it's because we're using it ahead (read: slow writing and easily distractable) but my daughter takes 45 minutes on Saxon 5/4 except on test days which are very short (we don't do the investigation that day). Even if we didn't do the fact practice it would take 40 minutes at least generally.

32 and 34.

Just from my perspective, the complaint I often hear from public school parents is that just learning math doesn't always help their children directly in math class. It helps indirectly, and many parents do something else like the Russian school in parallel to public school. But on the public school test children are asked to do things specific to a curriculum, such as demonstrate 3-5 methods for arriving at the same answer (traditional multiplication algorithm, via expansion, lattice, etc.) -- and typically if the student needs help, they can't articulate to the tutor what they are missing. So if you have a clear idea of the curriculum and expectations of the public school it could help reassure parents, it could be as simple as that they use a Singapore related curriculum and are expected to draw bar diagrams, it might be something more complicated like figuring out what is expected (e.g., which 3-5 methods in the example above) in courses where the teacher has cobbled together various resources.

Agreed...The common core standards aren't really as bad as people make them out to be -- overall I kind of like them. But switching kids to a new approach just as they start prealgebra (or another critical point) is a recipe for disaster. Not to mention those kids in the transition have to prep for and take both the old and new testing systems in the same years, where we are. I'm hoping that by the time my daughter needs to take the tests, they'll only have to take 1 set per year. I feel badly for those 3rd graders taking both sets of tests week after week.

To me, the usborne young readers series is great for this -- there's pictures but the text goes up in complexity. Young Reading Series 2 is about Ivy & Bean level but level 3 has a bunch of biographies that might be about 5th-6th grade level. http://www.usborne.com/catalogue/subcategory/young-reading-series-page-3.aspx?cat=1&area=YR&subcat=YRS3 Some others she would probably enjoy in the 5th-6th grade reading level range -- I wouldn't call them picture books but the pictures are important to them: Wonderstruck, The Marvels, Hugo Cabret Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Love isn't what I feel but I agree with so many others: Saxon Math and Shurley English I actually STILL don't like them for myself... I mean, how can ANYONE like these? Part of me is so resistant to believing these can work. But they are absolutely working for my daughter.

My daughters loved: *Books in the series, a Child's Introduction to... like this: https://www.amazon.com/Childs-Introduction-Poetry-Mountains-Battles/dp/1579122825 They often come with a CD so they can listen as well on their own. *Usborne lift the flap books, like See Inside Your body / Look Inside your body. e.g., http://www.usborne.com/catalogue/book/1~S~SSI~1927/see-inside-your-body.aspx *Children's classics that are beautiful, like: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Prince-Deluxe-Pop-Up-audio/dp/0544656490/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466517330&sr=1-1&keywords=pop+up and https://www.amazon.com/Alices-Adventures-Wonderland-Lewis-Carroll/dp/0147515874/ref=pd_sim_229_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=61Iud03Ah4L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR121%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=ACRFY3W73PBHR7NS4HGJ

I do the microwave thing, but really, they don't last long!

Nope, my parents are almost at 50 years. Time to plan that party!

Short answer: Yes, I moved on. Long answer: Both my daughters needed something additional to move forward in reading, even though on the surface they read well. Older daughter: I still work on comprehension. She could "read" anything but her actual comprehension only really went to 6th-8th grade -- because she didn't have the knowledge base or vocabulary to read beyond that. *All about spelling for phonics; Shurley English for grammar, Evan moore comprehension books *later on: combination of IEW and bravewriter for composition, wordly wise online for vocab Younger daughter: She actually had problems with unfamiliar multisyllable words, even though it "looked like" her word recognition was topped out. She seemed like she had more knowledge of the world though... her comprehension has been better than her sister's at the same age. So for her I have done all about spelling AND all about reading. When I'm done with AAR I'll move on to grammar, etc.

So true.My friends who are lawyers seldom seem to pick other lawyers for friends... although I think part of it is schedule. Their schedules aren't conducive to getting together with other people with similarly busy schedules, so they tend to form friendships with people who have less highly-powered jobs (like me!). Strangely, the doctors I know do seem to be friends with other doctors... maybe the schedule is different. I have a PhD myself and I have a load of insecurities... mostly that once I had kids I didn't "use" my degree the way I thought I would. I used to say I should have just gotten a PhD in diaper changing.

The hair thing... it's real. I have learned to speed french braid... I once didn't think that was possible for me, but if I don't braid my daughters' hair, after 3 hours they look like they've never met a comb. Slightly off topic: Has anyone who did this had their kids make lasting friendships through preschool/K? My daughters have some GREAT friends they made in preschool/K who are homeschooled (starting in 1rst) and I have to say... I feel like our public school-driven schedule is completely at odds with their schedules. I am trying to keep those friendships going but it doesn't seem easy, schedule-wise.

One thing on the organization issue... I actually photocopied the needed pages and then cut them up, then reattached them, again and again. e.g., if I needed reference 32 and practice 3 for lesson 2, I attached them with tape. I know some might argue that having the references separate from the practice helps children to learn to "look things up," but it was just too frustrating for mine.

*hugs* to everyone whom this tragedy has touched, whether directly or through fear and sadness. Even within the past few years-- someone I knew committed suicide because the wrong people "found out." I hope the next generation will be better than ours and I do think it's possible for people to make a conscious decision not to pass on irrational prejudices. Someone near and dear to me hated and feared LGBT.. but when he had kids, he changed. He raised them differently because he consciously said, "I don't want them to be like me. It's not a good way to be." And his kids AREN'T like him, they don't have that fear and hate.

EDIT: OK I fail at quoting (also I can't type) so... I think the structure of the poem gives information in itself, or it CAN... kind of like music gives information that the words of a song alone don't. from SEA FEVER (Masefield) I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied... This poem sounds like being on a boat riding the waves. Then a commonly cited one for rhyme scheme: From LOVE SONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK (Elliott) Let us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky Like a patient etherized upon a table... One of these things does not rhyme with the others. The rhyme scheme goes from heroic couplet (is that the term?) to just not rhyming in places (table?) -- tells you something about what the speaker wants to be but isn't.

We have used Shurley levels 1 through 3. I think you could use it but (I think I mentioned this in another recent thread, can't remember) once you get up to level 3 the writing output expected on day 5 is extensive. A few other general thoughts... (1) If you try it for 2-3 weeks, perhaps don't start with level 1 OR skip the beginning of level 1-- I don't think level 1 was representative of the later books until month 2 or 3. (2) Shurley has a lot of stuff in it that seems designed for a classroom so you might be able to combine the entire thing, not just the jingles. (3) So much of the activity time seems like busy work to me that I skip it but if your kids like to work together on activities, it might work. (4) My older daughter uses SE at a lower level than most of her curricula. She just finds it hard relative to other work of that level, but I'm not sure why.... maybe it gets to a high a level of abstraction for young kids around level 3? Perhaps others can chime in, it may be challenging to most on level or it may just be my experience...

It's a work in progress for us. This past year, my 6 year old was in school from about 9-3:30 each day (although to two different schools), my 4 year old was in school from 12:30-3:30. If the weather is good, we'd go outside/play with friends until 5:30. Mondays and (depending on the season) Tuesdays were difficult due to activities/family events/playdates. Sundays we also took off. So basically for the 6 year old we worked Tuesday or Wednesday through Friday or Saturday, but what I found over the course of the year is that it was seasonal. Summer we got a lot done because they were off school, Winter we did as well because it was freezing cold so there were times they didn't want to go outside. Fall and Spring were the bare minimum because the kids were either in school, outside, or sleeping. That's a long winded way of saying that it changes by season, but I think it would be tough to do something every single day.

Our house is about that size (1650 with the tiniest closets). The one thing that wasn't mentioned is that I'd reserve 3 rather small bins appropriate for kids younger than yours (or of things your children will soon grow out of). We keep: A few dress up outfits in sizes smaller than my younger daughter, stored along with my daughters' favorite dress-up things; one box of duplos; and magnatiles (really my kids still use these...). My kids are only 4 and 6 so what happens is that when their friends bring along siblings -- there's often under 3s in that crowd. it's convenient to have something for those kids too.