I like the discussion starters, demonstrations and hands-on nature of the curriculum. BJU is much more inquiry-based than other curriculums I have seen, including Prentice Hall or Apologia. For a sciency family, you'd be happy with BJU's rigor, excellent teacher's manual, and availability of science kits from Home Science Tools. I'd go with BJU 6. And yes, the Teacher's Manual is essential. BJU uses a variety of learning modalities, not just read and fill-in-the-blanks with an experiment thrown in as an afterthought. TOPS is also a very inquiry-based choice. I would use BJU as my spine, and possibly add in independent TOPS modules if your students want even more science! If you start a new thread about BJU science, you'll find many fans on the board. BJU is especially popular with science loving Christian families.

FIAR is an awesome resource to use when fancy strikes you. At other times, use your world as a classroom! I'm all for mixing and matching and continuing to surprise them! We used FIAR for the art and geography ideas, Instead of "rowing" a book, I added in other related titles. It's very flexible.

with Studying God's Word series by Christian Liberty Press. The series uses the Bible as a textbook, and has thinking/comprehension questions, review, timeline, and application. It is from a Reformed perspective, but very usable by many denominations. The book is only $8! I'd start there and if you falter spend the big bucks! : ) Tami

I don't read aloud at all. I limit the # of reading-related subjects, though. For example, we would read history *or* geography *or* science, not all in one day. If you want do do TruthQuest, I would just do that 3-4 days and geography 1-2 days. We don't do everything every day. If your son is a great reader, woo hoo! A literature-based program is The Thing. The Main Lesson. It is not meant to be squeezed into an already full schedule, KWIM? Hope you find answers, Tami

(nt)

As a Christian, I would say that although *you* may not need time out of the house, other people may need *you.* I see that the Biblical pattern is to practice hospitality and to devote ourselves to fellowship with the greater Christian community. Also, it is important to receive feedback, correction, and encouragement from other believers on a regular basis. I am very introverted, but have learned that others need what I have to offer. I make it a goal to practice hospitality by having someone over for dinner at least once a week. In the book of Acts, the believers had families, yet they met for fellowship, prayer, and devotion every day. In fact, the devoting myself to prayer, fellowship, and the breaking of bread with people in the greater community is one of my 2008 goals! I believe that catering too much to natural whims can be crippling to growth. Many times a week I say to myself, "God does not call us to be comfortable!" ;)

I started yesterday and can't believe how easy it is and how well it works! There is online motivation, support, and tracking all for free. Sparks will also give you a free daily diet menu and exercise routine based on your goals. Spark is where it's at, babe! :cool:

Let's take our American Constitution, for example. The amendments and articles can be interpreted different ways, but we are mandated to follow them one way or another. Free will is not an issue. Free will is not necessarily in line with God. Humans have possibilities for both good and evil. Same with the brain. One person's brain tells them to do one thing, while another gal's says the opposite. The issue for a Christian, is following our "Constitution," the Bible, and discerning what it's true meaning and intent is for our lives. Christians have an uncanny desire to discern Scripture, and then to try and obey it. I don't know if there is an analogy for the secular gal. WHen I was secular, I just did whatever I felt was right at the time. I went with my own "heart," actually whims, and popular ethics. THere was no real dilemma for me. For me as the Christian, God's Truth is unchanging. Our dilemma as Christians is to not only know what God's will is, but to actively embrace it. God's decrees do not always line up with our human wills, and we do not always "feel like" acting in love, truthfulness, meekness, forgiveness, and the like. Hope that explains a little from the Christian perspective. My head is stuffed up with a cold, so I hope this comes out and actually makes sense.

Yes - all the Christian publishers that I am aware of are 'Young Earthers.' One option would be to use a secular publisher that isn't "preachy" on the Evolution. Prentice Hall, Oak Meadow, and Plato all come to mind. Plato Science is an online, multi-media curriuclum available at the Homeschool Buyers Co-op. In face, I just signed my dd up for the Physical Science software. The discounted price is only available for a few more days, you may want to check it out! Then bring in your view of how our Creator is in the center of all things, and discuss. Discuss the odds of all of this coming into existence by pure chance. I always wonder where the matter and energy supposedly CAME FROM originally. Anyway, that's my plan at this point!

I personally feel that you are very sweet to seek the Lord's will on all things. It seems that you ARE welcoming children into your home. Having 6, 8, or 10 will not make you more or less acceptable to God. I would rest in his love and enjoy the children that you and your husband have now. The future will take care of itself. As an aside, do you REALLY feel that you, despite all your efforts, can prevent a child that God, the Sovereign King of all the Universe, would give you? Girl, I don't think so! I don't think barrier or rhythm methods are a sin in themselves. Abortion and methods that can cause it such as The Pill, IUD, and the like, are unacceptable to me, due to the fact that these take human life that has already begun. There are so many other areas of sin that I stumble in, that this is a non-issue to me. Remember that we are accepted in The Beloved, not on account of our own merit, family size, or organic cooking. :D : ) Tami

I started the journey toward better health a couple of years ago. So far, I have lost 40 pounds and counting. I don't worry about the weight, though. I really don't! I am focused on two things: 1) Feeding my body well and 2) exercising daily What worked for me was adding "rules" one at a time. Every small change you make for better health will make a HUGE difference over time. What I realized is that our bodies crave whatever we put into it. If you feed you and your children sugar, white flour, and salt -- that is what your bodies will crave! After a few months of eating whole grains fresh foods, my body started actually craving what I was putting into it! My tastes (former junk food junkie) really have changed. However, I think I will always be somewhat of an addict, because one bite always leads to more! LOL! Remember, taking care of your health and body will teach y our children to do the same. Here were rules I implemented and that worked for me. I started with easy ones and when I got comfortable with one rule, I added another. Baby steps, one at a time. My Health Rules: 1) Drink 6 glasses of water a day 2) Exercise to exhaustion daily (I like to run my stairs or dance to music) 3) No white flour 4) Eat 5 servings of veggies every day - 1/2 should be raw 5) Snack time = raw fruit time! Have a variety of tempting fresh fruit and ENJOY! 4) No processed foods (If I stuck at McDonalds with friends, I simply make the best choice avilable to me and move on. For me, salad and a yogurt) 5) No eating after 6pm. Have a cup of herbal tea instead 6) Looking down at lunch or dinner plate, at least 1/2 my plate should be veggies. 7) No sugar - sweeten with maple syrup or honey - purge the house of all sugary things! That's it! To help me plan meals, I use Saving Dinner Low Carb. It is wonderful for planning fresh, healthy meals! The author is a dietician, and any of her meal books would work, including the "Regular" one. Leanne taught me how to cook fresh, healthy meals, which is something I never learned. Her books are a great tool for mentoring healthy, fresh cooking methods. I also have a good lunch and breakfast menu at my blog. Feel free to check it out - in siggy line. You can do it. One step at a time. BTW, I don't do well with portion control of sugary things or white flour. I am apparently an addict. I do fine staying clear of them, though! After about 3 days, the cravings go away and healthy eating is so much easier without all the sugar cravings. I am convinced that the majority of adults and children I know are thoroughly addicted to white sugar! Kick the habit - you will feel INCREDIBLE!

and I never did any complicated crafts when we did KONOS. The ideas for "doing" history and science are really unique and most can be done spur-of-the-moment. When we did KONOS, I planned by the month, like Ellie. I STILL do this. I just highlighted the activities that looked good and skipped the ones that didn't appeal. It's really important that the older children be involved in implementing, gathering resources, and being creative THEMSELVES. It is not about Mom connecting all the dots for the children - it is about children learning by discovery. Jessica Hulcy has some free training videos at her site that are extremely helpful. THe only similiar curriculum I've ever seen is "CHristian Cottage Units." These are more structured than KONOS, and have fewer activity choices - your month is pre-planned for you. Unit studies that only focus on crafts don't really compare to KONOS. KONOS would be most similar, in my mine, to Multiple Intelligences and Project-Based learning models. Wonderful for many types of kids!

I can point you to the Answers in Creation website. Also, author Hugh Ross is one Christian who has written extensively on the Old Earth Creationist perspective.

If you just want games, recipes, crafts, maps and the like to go with your current studies, Hands On Heritage books ($7.99) by Edupress are wonderful. I always use them as a supplement to our living books-driven curriculum. I have about 10 of them I have collected over the years, and every one is fantastic. Rainbow has (some) of these at a discount. THey are the least expensive, and the most mom-friendly!

Weeks of Grammar alternated with weeks of Writing - 4x Weeks of History alternated with week of Science (reading 4x, notebook or experiments 1x) We also do informal science, I teach a co-op science class, and we do Summer Science Geography 1x Bible/Religion 4x We do all the table work 4 days and save 1 day a week for "Hands-on" We do notebooking, science experiments, geography, art, music, and the like on that day - no "book work."

I just wanted to mention that Jessica Hulcy teaches the moms to let the children come up with their own simple materials for costumes and simple projects. She says it is an IMPORTANT part of KONOS. Gathering the resources and getting creative is a good use of child labor. For example, a simple "Esther" costume could be a bathrobe and a tin foil crown, or whatever your kids come up with. This is wonderful for kids who enjoy inventing, thinking outside the box, and not being stuck in a pre-conceived lesson plan. The key is to keep it simple, and let the kids figure out the details. It's good for their minds, and saves us some brain power.

and we started with KONOS. I never had much trouble using the Classic version, the yellow lesson plans were pretty straight forward. Since then, I am able to turn SOTW, Sonlight, TruthQuest, or any other curriculum into a unit study. I *think* unit studies work for me because: *I like to streamline and combine subject where I can. Writing and Vocabulary "across the curriculum" make sense in terms of time and on subject reinforcing the other *Love, love, love the library. Give me a topic, and I love to find a pile of books *Real-life learning is more important to me than a paper trail and filling in blanks *I love having a "theme" to go by month to month. It is really fun to play up! Also, with several children, you can combine your afternoons into a family study easily with a unit study. KONOS has online co-ops and mentoring now. I think the site is called Homeschool Mentor, or something. I think Volume I would be a great way to jump in and see if you like it. Older volumes are readily available used. I would try a used volume first and get my feet wet before making a large investment. KONOS is great for the ages you have! IF you don't mind gathering resources and making library trips once a week or so, KONOS is a great memory maker. You can also use it as a "break" from more traditional curriculum. Christian Cottage Units is activity-rich like KONOS, but with daily plans, age-level objectives, and less decisions to make. You can try a Christian Cottage unit from HomeschoolEstore.com for around $14. Have fun!!!

I would HIGHLY recommend United Streaming's Spanish. The videos are engaging, and the whole family can work together. Songs, games, activity sheets, and systematic review are included. Homeschool Buyer's Co-op has a subscription for a really good price. If you have Dish Network, is is also on there (no extra charge).

I understand! We deal with attitude issues, and I agree that best thing is consistency. Routine, routine, routine. After a while, the kiddos figure out that there is no getting out of it. *evil grin* Then they settle in, but it is UGLY for the first couple of weeks when they test your resolve. (Why do kids always need to test those boundaries!) Is there no way I can talk you into cutting back even a *little*? I want you to be successful! You can always add in more. :)

LULNCH MENU MONDAY Mexican Wrap – whole wheat tortilla wrap or other flat bread, fill with heated, vegetarian refried beans or chilli beans (a can is fine but dry the beans well), crispy lettuce and some cherry tomatoes. Put a spoonful of guacamole on top (or natural yogurt for a low fat version). Wrap tightly. TUESDAY Wild & Brown Rice Salad – Toss together 2 1/2 cups of cooked and cooled Wild/Brown Rice Blend (I buy the pre-blended type so I can cook it altogether), 3-6 chopped green onions, 1/3 cup craisins, raisins, or dried cherries, 2 T chopped fresh cilantro, 1 T chopped fresh parsley with Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing (I love Paul Newman's). Just before serving, top with pecans or cashews. WEDNESDAY Soup and Sandwich - Egg salad with Cucumber on Whole Wheat paired with Tomato, Italian Wedding, or favorite low sodium soup THURSDAY California Wrap – Start with whole wheat tortilla, wrap or other flat bread. Top with turkey, ham, and a slice of tomato. In a small bowl, combine an avocado slice and 1 tsp lime juice, and then spoon onto the tomato (or use prepared guacamole). Top with the watercress or arugula and Ranch dressing. Wrap tightly in cling film and chill until required. FRIDAY Lunch Time Salad – Toss Spring Mix or other greens with pecans or almonds, chopped deli chicken, cherry tomatoes, seedless grapes, strawberries, sliced cucumber, cottage cheese, Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing (I love Paul Newman's). For dinner, we use Saving Dinner. (Have you ruled out this resource? It's awesome and available at savingdinner.com) Next week's menu is: Mexican Chicken Skillet Bistro Salmon Oven-Roasted Marinated Flank Steak Italian Wedding Soup Turkey Picadillo Crock Pot Pork Jambalaya Mmmmm! And enlisting child labor to prep lunches ahead of time, so they are a grab and go.

*JUST KIDDING!* I am not a big tv person. My husband reads to us each night for about an hour - and it is usually a "fun" book. I would suggest getting out a bunch of new or old pictures and working on a family scrapbook album together! Or, do some new hobby together like crocheting or sewing. Kids love that type of thing. I am clueless in many of those areas, and that's what Michael's classes and the Library are for! ;) We not huge board game people, but we all love cards. It's fun to play Poker with real money. :cool: Rummy is a hit as well. Use this as an opportunity to learn a new hobby, pick up an old one, and fold your kids into it.

ProjectPlaylist.com This also works to collect musical pieces for the term's Composer Study. Just last night I added some African music to our Weekly Update.

for the record, I feel like I'm in a straight jacket locked in a closet when I see schedules like that. :eek: I suggest a weekly routine, based on your goals. Remember, you can skip portions of SOTW that aren't as important to you, you can delete portions of math that your child has mastered. It is good to assess where you are every few weeks (6 or so?) and stay in tune to where your family is at, rather than stressing over a yearly schedule. At the end of the year, simply end in the content areas (history, literature, science) wherever you land. It is not necessary to finish your content areas 100%, nor to do each chapter or lesson. Keep doing math and English a little bit through the summer if you aren't quite done with their books. At my house, doing a couple of summer lessons per week keeps skills sharp anyway. You asked for advice - so here's mine. Scrap the detailed yearly plans, and focus on your main goals for the next 6 weeks. See how it goes. Set yourself free! Here's my general schedule (for details and checklist, see "CM Scheduling" at my blog). This works for me with any curriculum, since I modify the curriculum to suit my preferences. We have a definite amount of work for the week, and I usually finish our curriculums early. Consistency is the key. Do less, but do it well. Cut back to the point where you can do your school week consistently, and with joy. If consistency and joy are missing, you are likely over-scheduling yourself and your children. This schedule is what WE can handle - it may be more than some and less than many - but that is of no concern to me. We are not other people! Monday Book Basket Reading---(30-60 min) Memory Work & Poem-a-Day---(10 min) Bible---(20 min) Composition---(30 min) Music & 15 min play---(30 min) Spanish---(20 min) Reading---(30 min) Math---(40 min) Copywork---(10min) Tueday Book Basket Reading---(30-60 min) Memory Work & Poem-a-Day---(10 min) Bible---(20 min) English Grammar---(30 min) Phy-Ed & 10 min play---(30 min) Reading---(30 min) Math---(40 min) Dictation---(10min) Spelling---(20 min) Wednesday Book Basket Reading---(30-60 min) Memory Work & Poem-a-Day---(10 min) Bible---(20 min) Composition---(30 min) Music & 15 min play---(30 min) Math---(40 min) Reading---(30 min) Spanish---(20 min) Copywork---(10min) Thursday -- Hands-on Day Notebook Time---(60 min+) Reading---(30-60 min) Geography---(30 min) Hymn/Folk Song---(10 min) Art and Projects---(60 min+) Friday Book Basket Reading---(30-60 min) Memory Work & Poem-A-Day---(10 min) Bible---(20 min) English Grammar---(30 min) Phy-Ed & 10 min play---(30 min) Math---(40 min) Dictation or Spelling---(10 min) Spanish---(20 min) Reading---(30 min) In freedom and joy!