I think it's an okay supplement if you have the lists already. I haven't used their lists if they have them, and I don't think the program runs all that well. I can't exactly put my finger on it...or maybe my dd is such a horrible speller, but spellingcity has done nothing for her. But, eh, it's free so why not try it.

It's funny you'd ask that as I was wondering the same thing. I do think the human story is important, but honestly to let it drive the whole show seems too much to me. But I might be feeling this way because I've been reading LCC!:D I'm sure some would wonder why you'd let Latin drive the car too. I agree that if you had a child more interested in science or math or literature you could certainly treat history as a regular ol' subject.

The Wind in the Willows All of a Kind Family is playing right now my son loves the reader for Hank the Cowdog I pretty much like any good classic on audio.

I agree! I have a friend that just recently filed successfully and they kept their house but it wiped out all other debt. They are still hanging on to their house by a thread but wanted it exempt from the filing. Her working was never, ever an issue. In our state they do require you to go through counseling, which is just an exercise in futility because their goals and yours are usually not so compatible. I think she even did it as an online thing. She mentioned they discuss options for finding more money in your budget, and extra jobs, but as far as the atty for the filing was concerned it was never ever brought up that they homeschool at all. Never mentioned that she should get a job. :grouphug: There are so many of us in a very similar boat!

Those sound very cool! My kids LOVE Survivorman. Not at my local library systems though.:glare:

:w00t: :hurray: :party: Thanks so much!!! This place is a lifeline!!!

I will second Baby Island. Right now my 9yo is reading and loving The Castle in the Attic and will read the sequel, Battle for the Castle. She also loves the Royal Diaries books but she's kind of a historical fiction buff. She also loved the Doll People books (there are 3 of those). You mentioned Kate DiCamillo, we love her here to. I don't know how you feel about abridged books, but I like them. My dd really loved the Great Illustrated Classics of Wizard of Oz, Anne of Greene Gables, Pollyanna, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Black Beauty, Heidi, etc. They were good quality reads for her that were at a slightly lower level and more accessible. Now she can read the "real" ones with some familiarity. Also try Rabbit Hill by Lawson, The Borrowers books, Emily's Runaway Imagination by Cleary, did you mention The Cricket in Times Square? Enright books like Then there were Five and The Four Story Mistake and Thimble Summer. HTH!!!

Yes! I have one of these and she's only 9.5!!! She hates to take showers, brush her hair, wear the right shoes, wear a bra, etc. I am dreading the period talks (haven't had those yet - will do this summer when she turns 10). I've labeled her in my mind as "highly sensitive" but I think that means mild sensory issues. I don't see it translate into food issues, but definitely anything that touches her body. She really doesn't like to be touched much - snuggled or cuddled - as she's gotten older. Her shoes have to be tied exactly right, no tags on her clothes, etc. But this is now manifesting itself in these other physical ways that are not really socially acceptible - like not wanting to wear deodorant, or a bra (not a big issue now but will be soon I can tell), I KNOW she won't shave when the time comes, hates to wash and brush her hair. I feel ya. I'm guessing like Tara said, the best antidote is the peer pressure. My dd is also quite shy and would D.I.E. if someone made fun of her or called her "Pokey". But I am guessing it would solve the problem quickly!!

You might want to go to Cathy Duffy's website and check out her reviews. Her book is even better because it can help you identify your children's learning styles and then point you to all kinds of math curricula. I started with Singapore and failed with it - dd hated it after being pulled from ps. It was too different. And I couldn't wrap my brain around it much either. Then we did CLE and I liked it until I realized for my child that she wasn't learning math conceptually at all. She was pretty much filling in blanks. Again, my fault for handing her a workbook and telling her "go do a lesson". I have switched to Math Mammoth and am very happy with it so far. You can find a lot of threads here about it. I really like how it's teaching concepts and mental math. And the writer of the program, Maria Miller, has quite a few youtube videos of teaching the concepts if you need help. I'm going to do Miquon with my K'er this fall and then for his first grade year the following year start him in MM in combo with Miquon. Might keep the rising 5th grader in CLE in combo with MM too, but it's a lot of work so I'm not sure. GL!!

:D

I recently read The Duma Key and thought it was excellent.

Well, that's from Jessie Wise in WTM. She did this with SWB when she was little. Non-fict: science, history, art, music, practical hobby or how-to, biography, then also a classic, a poetry selection or collection, and an imaginative story or fantasy. We've been trying to do this too. I can get some good stuff sometimes. Recently my dd has had a fascination with Cleopatra. In their Juvenile collections there was 1 (ONE!) biography, and 1 (JUST ONE!) historical fiction - and I have no idea if it's even appropriate. And that's it.:confused: I have looked way ahead to what I might even want for late middle school and high school - especially focused on the classics - and I look for them at Half Price Books, Goodwill, PBS, etc. I'm building a pretty good home library now of lots of classics and historical fiction that can go with many time periods. It's the non-fiction I don't have much of.

Sorry Tina! This is a tough spot to be in!!! I will be praying for you.:grouphug: Does your church have any kind of ministry that can help you out? Maybe with free repairs by someone knowledgeable, or someone who has an extra vehicle you can borrow for a short time? A small group of us have been helping a single mom who fled abuse and when she needed a car we put out all kind of feelers. I was amazed that someone stepped up to donate one to her and we were able to get some help from a local garage to get it fixed up. Don't be too private about asking for help!

I'm more likely to worry about the future. We just buried my FIL last week, so this is on my mind a lot. Especially the financial worries, which were created by past mistakes...so I guess, yeah, I do think about it!

:iagree::iagree: Question: Why ever dress up if all that matters is whats on the inside? Should one go to a job interview for a executive position wearing jeans because "it's what's inside that counts?" That would be absolutely inappropriate. You also wouldn't wear a parka to the pool. We do dress to fit the occasion. As stated above, when I go to church, I go to worship and honor and bring glory to God. I think "wearing my best" is the idea. Even if my best is something that might be more casual, I can see that. I don't ever have the feeling in my congregation that anyone is looked down on for anything they wear. I always feel like everyone just shows up looking pretty good - and for most of us that's more than just the same ol' jeans you'd wear to a movie.

I acutally had an audible *gasp*! :willy_nilly::svengo:

Hi Sharon...welcome! Do I know you? :D j/k!! I'm in Austin too!

I got some cute ones at Hobby Lobby in a funky font for dd and a cowboy font for ds. Very affordable at maybe $2 each letter.

Our old church was a MEGA non-denom church so people were mostly casual-hip (including the pastor) and I kinda liked it. I could wear my nice jeans (with my Birkenstocks for comfort) and fit right in. The kids were even more casual with often seeing teens in stuff they wouldn't show up for a date in. Our new church is smaller and more formal. We are actually enjoying dressing up more. I didn't feel pressure from the church per se, but seeing that more of a majority was dressier helped us see that this was a congregation that values putting your best forward (even if your best is a pair of jeans). And DH really wanted to dress more formally, so I am following his lead. I'm enjoying it a lot now. Once at the old church one of the music leaders was dressed very casual-hip with the holes in the jeans and no tucked in shirt, etc, and my husband leaned over and said "Even the plumber that came over last week was dressed nicer than this guy". It's not about "playing dress up" to impress anyone, it's about putting your best self forward for worship. If I'd dress nicer with clothes/makeup/hair for a dinner party at a friends house or a wedding, why wouldn't I extend that same respect at church? That said, I think a church needs to extend a welcome greeting to anyone who enters regardless of what they are wearing. We have a pretty multi-cultural congregation and just this last week there were guys in jeans, Aftican American older ladies in the dressy dresses with the big hats, and a gorgeous Indian family with the ladies in the most beautiful saris. I think if you have strong feelings about being very casual so you don't offend a homeless person then there are congregations that would accomodate that and I'm glad that you can find one. My feeling is that for our family we are able and choose to show our respect for worship by dressing nice and would hope that we do not appear to anyone to be doing it for show to anyone other than God.

I think that's an awesome idea! Do you think he'd like an iTouch instead? The refurished ones don't cost all that much more and still can be loaded with tons of great music. But then on top of that some movies, books, and tons of apps he might like. Just a thought! I think the best gifts are the ones that you know are their hearts desire but they just can't spend the money on themselves to buy. I was that way with my iPod and it was a great surprise from DH last year!

:ack2:

We went to Mexico. With the kids in tow! That part wasn't supposed to happen but my mom's plans to babysit for us fell through and there wasn't anyone else. It turned out to be a very different kind of trip than I had planned originally (*ahem*) but it was SO GREAT in a different way. We had such a blast and it was a big deal trip for us to take - great memories!

Okay...off to keep reading WTM and relisten to the lectures I have on my iPod!:leaving: I need all the inspiration I can get today!:banghead:

That made me LOL. I remember having NO CLUE about what homescoolers did all day. How would they have any exposure to anything? Duh. I don't know why it had never dawned on me that they read and explore and go out to museums while my kid was stuck in a school building. People are just clueless. It always goes back to a sort of defensive stance. The reporters think - along with a lot of the public - that my choice to hs is an indictment on their choice not to (or lack of thought about it either way), and it's not about them at all. I agree with whoever said that this was not as much about unschooling as it was un-parenting. What does allowing WHATEVER THEY WANT TO EAT or NOT BRUSHING THEIR TEETH have to do with school? Maybe to the unschooling community they will look like champs, but I seriously doubt it. I thought they looked like idiots.

:grouphug: Scary stuff. I'll keep you in my prayers!