I'm probably no help because I love HoD. Love it, love it. It's what I was lead to first after looking at Sonlight and some other things, so I am done looking. However, it almost seems like around here fewer people use an all-in-one (then again I'm new here), so you should get plenty of advice. What about Mystery of History? I've heard very good things. Or can't you just do history and science like a unit study? Find what's interesting to you both and dig out some good books for those from the library or something? Do you want an all in one and are looking for recommendations, or more like validation that you should keep on piecing things together? To me, whatever works for the teacher is the best program!!

My dd has a stutter/stammer and I am unsure what to do about it. She's 8.5 and it's starting to become embarrassing for her. This is something that oddly has developed since she was 6 or so, so it's kind of new and one of those things that has kind of snuck up on me. I can't even really pinpont when it started. When she entered 3rd grade I attempted to discuss it with her teacher but by 9 weeks in she told me she had never noticed it. Which meant to me that this woman had not had a meaningful conversation or read aloud time with my kid in all that time. By then we had decided to pull her out and hs so I didn't pursue it. I have my doubts that my insurance will pay for any therapy. Do I go through my pediatrician 1st? Do I go back to the school to have her evaluated? Are there any books you can recommend to help me help her at home?

Hi Scarlett, I have been reading this whole thread and following along. I just wanted to say I am SO happy that he is willing to take more time to talk about it. :party:I thought your last email to him was very well written. I attended a marriage conference called "Love and Respect" (which I'm sure many of you have heard of). Anyways the "tricks" to communication between the sexes were so helpful. I had never seen my dh as a man who needs a lot of respect talk as he is more of an easy-going, back-down kind of person and I tend to steam roll over him sometimes. But since that conference it has really shown me his need to feel respected by me. So sometime even when I plan to get my way on something, if I just go about it with a tone of respect and consideration for his opinion, it goes a long way. Even if I just say things like "you have a valid point" or "you're right about that". Just like it makes me feel so much better when I feel loved and appreciated for what I do for my family. I bet when you told him you felt disrespected it hit a nerve with him and he realized he needed to examine the issue more. I hope it continues to go your way and that he will give the issue more time. :grouphug:

:iagree: 11 years is a long time with a pediatrician and it's not so easy to start over. He's a person and a mistake was made. I, too, go to a small office sole practitioner and while that has many, many benefits, sometimes these kinds of things can fall through the cracks. You voicing your concerns may bring this more to the forefront as a problem with his office and he will likely put some systems in place so it doesn't happen again.

This California girl living in TX makes Crystal Light Peach Iced Tea and everyone loves it. Just a thought! :tongue_smilie:

We're using Singapore and frustrated with the math facts issue too. My dd gets so bored and frustrated with drill, drill, drill, and it's not helping her memorize. I was clicking around - ya know how that goes - and stumbled on Paula's Archives, which I'm sure you all know about (but I'm new to all this!). Anyways, there was a link to Michelle's Math and those tips for learning math facts look pretty cool. Making connections with the patterns. I'm going to take some of those tips and try them out this week to see if it helps.

So sorry! I think it's just that people don't realize or think it through. I know times when we've been invited out I don't always stop to think about who else I could invite. Can you not reach out to any of your friends to share that you are lonely? I know that I have felt those pangs of jealousy when I find out that 2 of my friends have gotten together for coffee one morning and I can't be invited because I've got kids tagging along all the time now. One of my good friends is in a sort-of similar situation in that her husband accepted a promotion that took him away from home M-F. It was really, really hard on her to be a single mom (and even then she got him home on the weekend and you don't!) During the summer we tried to have her over at least once a week during the week so the kids could play and she and I could hang out. DH often went off and did his own thing, but he also enjoyed her company. But she had to make it clear she wanted this to happen and she did this by calling me up and saying "I'M LONELY, please come over!!" After that it was more often over at my house, but at least I was aware. I don't think your friends will think it's weird at all for you to let them know you'd like more company and to invite their families over. BTW, what area of TX are you in? Are you plugged in to a homeschooling group? That would help too, but it takes time for those friendships to cement too. If you were near me I'd say come on over!!! (I'm in Cedar Park, TX, north of Austin)

Sweet potatoes are one of my family's favorites and SO good for them! Our favorite way is to peel them, cut 'em into 1" or so chunks, toss them in olive oil and salt and pepper (and I like cumin too - can your Dh have cumin) and roast them at 400 for about 40 minutes. Crispy outside and creamy inside. OH! So. Good.:tongue_smilie:

Hi Alicia! Hey, I'm in TX but my folks are close to you in Clear Lake. I love Sacto! I know what you mean. Most of my friends are kind of quiet about my choice. Like "OH! Really! Wow. I could never do that!" I get that all the time. One of my best friends is an ex-ps teacher and she claims she's not smart enough to hs. Huh? You were smart enough to teach my kid, but not yours?:001_huh::confused: Then again I remember when I used to think homeschoolers were weird too. They just don't know. They don't know about the rich curriculum, the resources, the support groups and co-ops. And they have no idea just how many of us there are...lurking around every corner. Muahhhaaaahhhaaaa!

It looks so good! DH is taking dd on a "date" tomorrow afternoon to a theater we have here that serves dinner while you watch a movie. She's been wanting to go to this theater so bad but there haven't been any appropriate movies there in a long time. We're going to try to have him take each kid out and do something special with him alone a couple of times a month. DS is easy, he'll tag along with Daddy for anything, but he has to get creative with dd! She won't just help him wash the cars and think it's quality "daddy-time"!

This is good news for me! I didn't start until just before my freshman year in high school, I was 14. I have an 8.5 yo dd and I am getting ready to have some discussions with her. She seems to me more on the immature side to have to know these things, but when I look at her I am already seeing some changes in skin and breasts, etc. She is one of those EXTREMELY modest kids so I have to make sure she knows she can be open with me about all this stuff. i got the American Girl book "Care and Keeping of You" to help with it.

Scarlett, I'm brand new here but have been lurking for a while and have been reading this whole thread. I too have a "sensitive" child (although she's a girl so somehow that's okay :confused:). I think your son sounds fabulous. Aren't boys supposed to be especially attached to their momma's? Is there some kind of detatchment with your DH's mom that makes him jealous when he sees his own son so attached to you? My husband is still a momma's boy, so he likes it when he see's that my son and I are close (but then again, he's only 4!) I certainly agree with someone (sorry) who suggested that you try harder to pull out his exact concerns and then reflect those back to him. Classic sales technique! "So, it sounds like what you are concerned about is ..." and he goes "no, actually it's..." and you really get to the bottom of it. I can tell you (not that this will help) but the reason we are homeschooling initially is BECAUSE my sensitive child was traumatized by the ps system. Children who are quiet, obey the rules and don't cause trouble, and are academically above average SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS. My dd has developed a stutter from a traumatic public speaking thing in 1st grade. By 8 weeks into her 3rd grade year I approached her teacher to say - gee, I think this is really getting bad, what do I do? And she said "huh, I never noticed it..." This means this woman has not had a meaningful conversation - nor read-aloud time - with my child in 8 WEEKS! We pulled her out by Christmas break. I just want to encourage you. Sensitive boys can be a threat to a certain kind of man, but as a woman married to one for 20 years, they are a blessing to their wife. I hope he does not squash that personality!