Thank you, Crystal! This is very helpful. :001_smile: Blessings, Lucinda

This is what I'm hoping to hear about. If we keep hs'ing through high school, I am very interested in MFW. I have been reading through this thread to see comments regarding one student at rhetoric level using MFW. I'd love to learn about what others think of it. Anyone? :bigear: Blessings, Lucinda

It's actually in my siggy, but here are a few more details: For 8th grade, here's what it looks like so far... Math: We do math mostly year round now...dd will be in the middle of Saxon 8/7 with DIVE next fall, then she'll head right into Alg 1. (Dh is now working with her and she is suddenly soaring! We've decided that this is going to be a permanent arrangement. :)) Grammar: I'm settled on either AG or Hake. One way or another, it's going to be straight grammar. Writing: WWS 2 whenever it's ready, plus we'll continue with WTM style dictation, narrative essays, reports and outlining. Vocabulary: Vocabulary from Classical Roots, book B History: Straight U.S. history this year. We're going light with Notgrass America the Beautiful, plus supplemental American Heritage videos and some original source documents. (This is going to be sandwiched purposely between TOG we've been doing and the more intense rhetoric level history studies coming up next.) Bible: Words of Wisdom (Explorer's Bible Study series). Dd is also actively involved with a Bible Quiz team that memorizes tons of scripture. Geography: Mapping the World by Heart. Dd and I are going to do this together. Literature: ATB literature to accompany the history, but since it's pretty light we'll be adding numerous selections from TWTM list for 8th grade literature. We'll also be reading a bit of poetry by American poets. Science: Apologia Physical Science. I'm hoping to hook dd up with a group online, but so far no luck in finding one. Art: As always, from me, her mother the art teacher. This year she may also take part in a class that I teach to private students. Music: Dd will continue with guitar lessons and singing with the youth worship team at church. French: We'll continue with The Learnables, moving up to Level 2, but I'm hoping to add Rosetta Stone sometime this year if we can find it to borrow. If not, then we'll pick up more French with Live Mocha and other free Internet options. Logic: I'm looking seriously at Discovery of Deduction. We've been in the Bluedorn books for two years now, so we should be ready to move into more formal logic. Blessings, Lucinda

In my previous post I forgot to comment on these points. Hsing in Oregon is pretty easy. You file a letter of intent with the local ESD and you are required to test prior to August 15th after grades 3,5, 8 and 10. The results are to be filed by parents and ready to show if one is required. That's it. Portland vicinity is family friendly and as stated in other posts there are plenty of things to do here. The library system is fine, and the crown jewel is the downtown Portland library that was completely renovated a few years back. There are numerous branches throughout Multnomah County, and other neighboring counties have pretty good ones too. Blessings, Lucinda

:w00t: Yamhill????!!!!! Yamhill County, yes. Yamhill, the town - oh dear, NO!! Trust me, I know that place very well. The surrounding area is absolutely beautiful, but the town government and the school system are, well, let's just say not the best. In fact, our school district is really messed up. I was born and raised in the state of Oregon and have lived in the Willamette Valley on the west side of the state nearly all of my adult life. There are things about the Portland Metro area that I have loved a great deal: things like the cultural centers, events and activities. The city of Portland is clean and beautiful, and I love the downtown core area. You'll also find that recreational activities abound both in and around the city. But then there is the weather....mild most years, but cloudy and rainy a great deal of the time. Most of us in Oregon are on high doses of Vitamin D supplements if that tells you anything. The Portland School District is okay for ps, but like someone else said earlier, it varies from neighborhood to neighborhood. The quality of education as a whole here in Oregon is not as good as it is in other parts of the country though. (i.e. I recently heard about and read that ps in the state of MN is nearly of the same caliber as private schools here on the west coast.) The Portland area does have some really exceptional private schools, however, and if we did not hs we'd be looking that direction. I will not send my child to ps in this state. Period. Oregon is a very liberal state politically. So if you are a conservative, you would become quite frustrated with a lot of things. (At this point and time I am thinking more and more of the possibility of relocating because of this, combined with a personal desire for a fresh, new start.) There are good people here though, so don't take me wrong. But, as you may already know, Oregon has long been the most un-churched state in the nation and has one of the highest divorce rates as well. As you can see, I have mixed feelings about the state of my birth. My parents were both from the midwest and I've often wished I'd grown up there instead. I have always felt kind of displaced for some reason. Sorry to go on and on...I'm just in a mood today I guess. :lol: Blessings to you as you search out the right plan for your family. Lucinda

Hmmmm....thinking, thinking... How about: Ian Caleb Connor Tyler William (Will, not Bill for short) ????????? I have to say that I just love little boys! I had three of my own, but they are all grown men now. Enjoy those little guys while they are tots. So often I wish I could go back and visit them as they were back then because they were so darling and sweet. (Gosh, I hope God lets us do that in Heaven someday!) Blessings, Lucinda

My 7th grader is using WWS1 this year and we will go through the series each year until she is a sophomore and completes it. I know we aren't the only ones in this age bracket on the boards here that is doing the same. The goal is to improve writing skills for rhetoric stage and college. Blessings, Lucinda

I'm so glad to know that I'm not the only one in the hive that leans this way with theology!! We are definitely Arminian/Wesleyan when it comes to Bible interpretation and I've wondered about this very thing with curriculum. I mean really, our branch of Christianity certainly is a scholarly group, so I just don't get it. Then again, a lot of Armenian based churches are very socially minded and there seem to be a lot of families in the ps system. Not sure about this, but those are my thoughts at this moment. What I have been doing is choosing curriculum that is strongly Christian, but I adapt the Biblical teaching as needed. So far this has not been that hard. In fact we have been very happy with TOG, which was written from a Reformed point of view. I honestly haven't had a lot of problems with it though. When we do hit a spot that differs in belief, I have used it as a discussion point. Dd is a very mature 12 yo, and we have had some really great talks about the different interpretations of scripture. I think Christians in our camp just have to be willing to customize as needed until someone comes up with an Arminian/Wesleyan homeschool curriculum publishing company! Blessings, Lucinda

:bigear:

It varies, but 12 yo dd usually: ...does her math at the dining room table with her dad (the math teacher). ...does her writing assignments, plus any lesson related discussions at the table in our school room. ...does her reading (as well as listening to read alouds) all wrapped up in her comforter lying on the day bed in the school room, on her parents' bed, or on the floor cuddled up with her dog. ...does her foreign language lessons anywhere we want to park ourselves with the laptop...even outside or in the car. ...does her science experiments and activities in the kitchen and/or dining room. ...does her art lessons in my studio. ...does her music practice in her bedroom. We love it!! Blessings, Lucinda

We did the Remedia Publications one last year for 6th grade and it worked quite well. Dd has no problem outlining this year. Blessings, Lucinda

I did see that Apologia offers an online course for 8th grade Physical Science, but the cost is way out of reach for us right now at $450. Is there any other type of live interaction dd could hook up with to go along with her physical science next school year? I would love to find a virtual co-op with a science teacher and other students involved, if there is such a thing. I realize there are a number of resources out there to supplement Apologia courses, but I'd love to find a weekly online group with people that dd could connect with in real time. We will not be able to leave home and physically go to a science co-op next year due to shortage of time (I work AND homeschool). Thanks in advance for any suggestions or resources you may have. Blessings, Lucinda

:iagree: Me too! I voted 5 and forgot Sweden as well. I've been to Canada, S. Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands and France. I would so love to travel again! Blessings, Lucinda

Some families choose to go at a slower rate. After a couple of units were under my belt, I made that choice too. We sometimes take two weeks to cover one week's worth of lesson plans - especially if it's a heavier week of reading or we're interested in staying longer. You are in charge and have that option. It won't ruin anything really -- especially if you don't take three months off in the summer. We've ended up doing two year plans in three years, an average of three units per school year. Really, it's fine. You just move on when you're ready. Blessings, Lucinda

Actually, I have purchased the full year program in hard copy, including MapAids. Then I have worked on purchasing the core books that will be used all through the year. Then I keep a running list of the resource books and buy them unit by unit. I hope this helps. Blessings, Lucinda

:bigear: Blessings, Lucinda

Here is a comment I left on Marcia's blog last year in response to an article about homeschooling through hard times. It explains my method of buying books in a way that I have been able to afford. This is our second year of using TOG, and I have to say that it has been life changing for both my daughter and I. I am so thankful that the Lord led us to this wonderful way of learning! My family is not at all wealthy, but educating our daughter is a top priority. It is necessary for me to stay within budget every year, and I’ve developed a method to be able to do that very successfully.We are in a rural area and the only libraries require us to pay fees to use them, and not all books on the TOG lists are available anyway. For this reason I prefer to obtain our own books. I look for bargains and have my eyes open all during the year. I buy used copies, new ones, nearly free from paperback swap sites, etc. all year long. As I gather them up for future use, I just keep my Year Plan and Unit lists updated. I watch for sales at Bookshelf Central and other sites, using standard shipping methods that are usually quite reasonable. Whatever I don’t have when we are about to start a new unit, I will finally buy from Amazon with my Prime membership and have them within two days of ordering.Please note that in order to save the most money I spread it out over a period of months rather than all at once. Then after we are finished with our books I keep what we want for the family library, then resell the ones we no longer need. All money from the sale of books goes back into the homeschool curriculum budget to buy more books.I feel that TOG is worth the cost because it is an excellent education for my child, and for that reason I am willing to sacrifice. All in all, the cost of the books are far less expensive than private school... Please note that families with more children than I'm schooling have the up front expense of buying the books, but the good news is that you build a good library that will be used by all of the students. When you consider this over a period of time, it makes the cost of TOG very reasonable. Blessings, Lucinda

I like The Voice toooooooo! I burned out on American Idol a couple of years ago and find this show to be like a breath of fresh air. Can't wait to see it tonight! Blessings, Lucinda

I've never used the classical version, but I'd assume that if help isn't found on the website that customer service would have what you need. I'd recommend that you buy the updated version instead. Even with that, be sure to double check the book choices because once in awhile the lists online have some variance with what an earlier printed version has in the lessons due to books going out of print. I haven't had any serious problems with it as long as I double check my list with the online list before buying the books needed. (I have been buying mostly by the unit to save money.) Blessings, Lucinda

If you purchase the hardcopy version of TOG, it is highly resalable and so you wouldn't want to write in it. In addition to the SAPs, there are also literature worksheets for students in most week plans that you will need to print out or make copies of. I've been using only the hardcopy versions of TOG for the past three years because I like to have pages to turn, etc. If I were to go back and purchase again, I think I would do the same, but purchase the packets of Student Activity Pages (SAPs) for the convenience rather than printing out and making copies as I have been doing. Be sure to purchase MapAids. You won't regret it! Also, my dd loved the lapbooks when she was in UG level. If your dc like hands-on activities that tie to the lessons, they would like them. I have bought the preprinted kits and appreciated them a lot. The paper is pretty, bright colors and dd even used the scraps to decorate her lapbook beyond the basics. Another comment related to writing (mostly dialectic level): I have found that TOG and TWTM way of teaching can easily be combined. I always keep my eye on the TOG writing assignments even though we use WWS as our main writing instruction. I often use TOG's ideas for additional writing assignments that will tie into our history studies, very much like TWTM way of writing. A person could also incorporate outlining history reading with TOG. You could also use the SAP questions to dovetail into writing for the week. And as someone else said, WA is a very nice reference manual for any writing projects. Although it works in combination with the TOG curriculum, it can also stand alone as a very good resource. I highly recommend TOG for any size family. I even used it with my only! I love learning along with her, and TOG is great for that. For families with more than one child, obtaining the books and using them for all the children over time may be an expense initially, but in the long run is a very reasonably priced curriculum when you consider the family library that you build. Some people prefer using the local library for books that are used less than a couple of weeks, but that would be a personal choice. Blessings, Lucinda

1. -- Explorer's Bible Study Answer Key that goes with the Discovery version of "God's Perfect Plan". I also have the Discovery version of the "Early History of Israel" Answer Key from the same series. Both are in great shape and would save a few bucks for anyone that uses this really great Bible study curriculum. 2. -- Here is a bit of joyful inspiration to pass on to someone who needs it. The book is brand new and suitable for gift giving. The tile is Laughter and Latté and it is published by Women of Faith. 3. -- I would like to share a PDF file (with only one person) that is useful for creating an Apologia General Science notebook and mini notebook section for module summaries. --Claimed-- Blessings, Lucinda

Every day I live with the pain of being completely cut out of my sister's life. There is no logical reason for her rejection other than her being resentful that I was born (I am the youngest child of three and she is in the middle). I believe my sis has deep, deep issues and that her rejection really isn't about me. Although she's cut herself off from the whole family, I seem to be the main target of all her bitterness. This has been very painful for all of us, especially our mother. My sister has come around minimally toward Mom, but she refuses to engage in anything more than an occasional card in the mail. She did come to see Mom once in the past 9 years, but it had to be when I wasn't going to be home. (Mom lives with dh and I due to health issues.) How do I deal with the pain of rejection? I let sis know that my door is always open if she wants to reconnect. I told her I apologize for anything I have said or done that hurt her, and I was sure to add that I've never had a malicious thought in my mind toward her. I made a commitment to pray for her whenever I feel hurt creeping back into my heart and mind. When we pray blessings over those that hurt us, it becomes quite liberating. Jesus taught this for a reason! I try to send her a birthday card each year, but I keep it light. Through counseling, I determined that there isn't anything I can say or do to change my sister's behavior. This is her issue, and hers to resolve. Through a period of time I've come to accept this and live with it, but it didn't happen overnight. I reach out to friends that I know love me as much as I love them. I try to listen and be there for our mother whenever the hurts resurface. I go on with my life, choosing to focus on the good things. Blessings, Lucinda

:iagree: Life does happen, and there should be rare exceptions when it comes to this. :iagree: Again....rare exception, especially if it's dh and there is a time issue. :iagree::iagree::iagree: That's exactly how I feel too. Manners were created to help us be considerate of others. It's really about treating others the way we want to be treated. Maybe it's time to start talking about this with people when it happens, rather than just putting up with it. Blessings, Lucinda

So far I've been able to give away three items from my list. It's so fun to give things away!!! Everyone should join in and share the joy. Blessings, Lucinda P.S. I'm still very interested in a desk lamp and a wall map of the U.S. for 8th grade U.S. History next year if you have either one available not being used.

This is so fun!!! I love giving things away! Blessings, Lucinda