When you go to Williamsburg, rather than going to the regular ticket sales at the visitor center, stop in at the group admission center. It's on the right by the 13 flags before you go down the stairs to the visitor center. There's a sign in front of the building. Let them know you are homeschoolers and they will give you a discounted rate. We were just there last week and got a single day pass ($30 for age 13 and up, $15 for kids under 13).

We bought our farm a year ago. It's not paying for itself yet. We hope that it will be self-sustaining someday. Dh's job is definintely providing the farming dream for us right now.

I vote for Julius Caesar or The Tempest.

We split work depending on who is available and what needs to be done. Dh does what he can before he leaves for work. I do things that need to be done mid-day or take longer than 20-30 minutes in the morning. We share the evening activities and things that need to be done on weekend. For the house we try to break that work down by day. Each day we all pitch in on a task. One day for laundry, dusting, mopping & vaccuming, straightening, bathrooms, groceries, etc. The kids also have regular chores; composting, recycling, garbage, loading dish washer, hand washing dishes, cleaning kitchen, picking up their own things, feeding dogs, cleaning up yard, mowing, etc. The degree of difficulty changes with the season and the number of animals on the property at a given time. Keeping farm shoes out of the house has been a life saver. We have a bench on the front porch where all the boots go. All other shoes have to be carried to bedroom closets every night.

My ds10 is routinely in charge of: cleaning his bedroom, including weekly dusting and vacuuming recycling cleaning up after dogs dusting through out the downstairs putting his own dishes into the dishwasher bringing his dirty clothes to laundry room putting his clean clothes away keeping his belonging in their proper places feeding and caring for his aquarium

What are you dining on today? Breakfast today was an omelet with ham, mushrooms and onions. Lunch is kiwi and french fries with cheddar cheese, bacon and sour cream. Dinner is still a mystery. What are you doing today? Recovering from a week and a half at my sister's house. We are taking the day off school to play with all the things we've missed while we've been gone. I spent the morning sitting on my couch and then working on some sewing projects. What are your doing for your health today? I think relaxing and resting is huge for my mental health today

How old are the nieces and nephews? How helpful/supportive is your mil? I think the stop sign is a great idea. A closed door should really be enough but since it's not I'd go for a specific visual reminder. I'd also have a talk with my mil about how important school is and how thankful you are that she's so supportive of your efforts. Then you can ask for her help in implementing the new system.

I have 4 children. I had the first at age 29. I had the last at age 38. I was more patient, more self-controlled, more tolerant and more tired with the last than with the first. Now, seven years later, I am a competent and enthusiastic parent to a dd15, dd13, ds10 and dd7. I am so pleased that I waited a bit to have children and I do not regret for a moment that I am 40+ and dealing with teenagers. I am certain that only maturity, tenacity and stamina give me an advantage.

I can only speak from my own experience: In my area we don't send anything to the school. We send our information to the superindendent of our district. In our case, our information goes to someone that is not associated with any of our public school administrations. Your first year of homeschooling you only need to send the "intent to homeschool". Each year following you will send the "intent to homeschool" along with your chosen evaluation (portfolio or testing) two weeks prior to the beginning of the year's start of school date. I have no idea what happens if you don't send the require information. I've always sent what was required.

DD13 Reading - SOTW IV recommendations: The Modern Age Writing - Analytical Grammer and Writing Strands 5 & 6 Arithmetic - The Great Courses Algebra DS10 Reading - SOTW IV recommendations: The Modern Age Writing - Rod & Staff 4 and Writing Strands 3 Arithmetic - Lial's Basic College Math DD7 Reading - SOTW IV recommendations: The Modern Age Writing - Rod and Staff 3 and Writing Strands 2 Arithmetic - Singapore Math 3A & B

I have dc ages 7, 10 and 13. We usually are reading a SOTW recommendation aloud. I assign books based on SOTW to be read by dd13 and ds10. DD7 and I read many of the SOTW recommendation together. Usually, ds10 joins us. When dd13 and ds10 finish an assigned book we talk about it together then, in their notebook, they write a summary of the book and then tell whether they would recommend the book and why or why not. Currently, for example: Our read-aloud is Robinson Crusoe. Dd13 is reading Jump Ship to Freedom. Ds10 is reading The Rifle. Dd7 is reading Ahoyka and the Talking Leaves.

The Rifle Sarah Bishop Midnight is a Place New Found Land The Witch of Blackbird Pond Mr. Revere and I

Is this anything like Diane Gabaldon and The Outlander Series?

Thanks! I don't have Netflix (country living) but I might be able to download something. I read some Wikipedia info on the Russian Revolution and Dr. Zhivago so I'm a little more informed. I wasn't really so far off with my guesses about the political and social climate but it's good to be better informed.

Margaret Atwood Barbara Kingsolver Diane Gabaldon Janet Evanovich Jane Austen Laura Hillenbrand Anna Quindlen Agatha Christie Amy Tan Anne Tyler Elizabeth Berg Toni Morrison Maya Angelou Alice Walker

My dd13 and I sit down on Monday morning with a list of her assignments for the week. I write the list in her notebook then we decide which day each assignment will be completed. Some subjects she works on daily. Others she prefers to complete all at once. At the end of each school day I check the assignments according to her schedule. If she completes the assignments according to schedule she has freedom to work where she chooses. If she fails to complete the assignments for the day, she spends the following day sitting at the table under my direct supervision. For my dd, checking in daily is a requirement. Otherwise, we get to the end of the week and only one or two things have been completed.

We've never lived near grandparents so I can only imagine how wonderful it would be to have them at special events for my children. I can also only imagine how disappointed I'd be if it wasn't a priority for them to be involved in our lives.

I've spent this week caring for my sister after surgery so reading has not been a priority. I did finish The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. I'm still reading Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak. I wish I had more of a background in Russian history. I think the story would be easier to understand with more background knowledge. We are also listening to 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson.

I love the travel suggestions and packing guidelines by Rick Steve's.

We went from SSL to Prima Latina. I don't know that SSL prepared her in an academic way for Prima but it gave her the mindset that she was good at Latin and that she liked it.

Check out Gary Paulsen (Hatchet) for your older son. We also enjoyed 100 Cupboards, if he likes fantasy fiction. My dd7 and I have really been enjoying Tumtum and Nutmeg. She reads a page. I read a page. Sometimes she even gets involved in the story and forgets it's my turn to read.

We've enjoyed Explorer's Bible studies.

In my parent's mini-van, we closed the sliding door and the rear window shattered. No apparent reason.

A different kind of week for us at my sister's house.

I totally missed last week because dh was out of town and I was struggling to take care of the basics. I did do some reading and some listening over the last two weeks. I read: 11/22/63 by Stephen King The Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon Book of Dreams by T. Davis Bunn I listened to: Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett Jack Plank Tells Tales by Natalie Babbitt I'm currently reading: Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick