I've quoted that one myself many a time over the past few years. Hang in there! Something good will come out of this yet. Blessings, Lucinda

Yeah, I've had them on my wishlist there for a while. The savings is VERY tempting, but when it comes down to it I just can't wait that long. Drat!!! Blessings, Lucinda

Thanks, Capt_U. I thought that was the case, but hadn't read the discussion you mentioned. Oh well. The timing is everything for us here, so we'll have to bite the bullet too. As to printing costs, I think I'll just print off the student sheets in sections as we need them, then punch and make a binder. At least cost will be gradual over the school year. Blessings, Lucinda

Why would you want to skip a level? Is it because you feel you have to be at a certain grade level? If so, I'd like to encourage you to let go of that need and consider working toward mastery. If it's not about grade level, then why the rush? The two series (WWE and WWS) are there for a purpose. They guide the student through exercises that are carefully planned out to build skill one step at a time. Building skill of any kind takes time. Blessings, Lucinda P.S. BTW, my dd is going into 7th grade, but I'm placing her at Level 1 of WWS even though I know she is beyond 5th grade level. In our case, I want to convert to SWB's program from R&S, and I feel it will be worth it to work with those methods even if she'll be at high school level when we complete the series. Like I said in another thread recently, the more we homeschool, the less grade level really matters. I think it's better instead to think about mastery and placing the student at the level and method of teaching that she is ready for. The beauty of hs'ing is that we can customize what our children need in order to advance and master each subject.

but are the PDF's resellable? Just thought of that since I usually buy hard copies that I then resell. No matter, I'll still buy the PDF's since I need them before December. :lol: Blessings, Lucinda

Thanks! That is the PDF pricing, right? Blessings, Lucinda

Not to highjack this thread, but a related question for the moderator: Can we get an estimated, ball park figure on pricing for this curriculum? Thanks! Lucinda

This would be my own inclination if I were in your place. Both SWB's methods in the Complete Writer series and R&S are solid programs that would provide everything your dd needs. Although in saying that, I think I'd take the recommendation to teach writing that is integrated with other subjects, such as science and history, or use WWE combine with just the grammar portion of R&S because their writing exercises aren't all that great. You can learn more about these ideas by listening to SWB's audio lectures on writing found here. I got a lot out of listening just recently and feel that I'm much better prepared to handle writing this year than ever before. Blessings, Lucinda

Thank you, Joanne. {{hugs back}} One other thing came to mind today after I wrote my other post, and I think it's important. There is always a waxing and waning of emotions during any long-term relationship. It's absolutely natural for feelings of love to go through seasons of intensity then wither down to what seems on the surface to be non-existent. These are our emotions that are constantly changing, and we cannot define love by the presence or the absence of those romantic feelings we had in the beginning. Many, many couples that don't understand this often just give up because they've "lost that lovin'" feeling. The drudgery of day-to-day life can get boring, especially when raising a family. Combine this with a dry spell emotionally, and it can spell disaster for some couples. This is where a big danger lies because there is a lack of understanding of what is really happening. It's important to learn that we cannot trust our emotions because they change so often. I discovered through counseling long ago that sometimes the definition of love in marriage is "commitment". When you hold on to commitment through the seasons of dry emotions, you are still there in the marriage when the fire starts to burn again. This is how couples who have stayed together over the years make it. I doubt that many marriages have a constant flow of romance over long periods of time. The reason I think this is important is because, like I said before, many divorces don't HAVE to happen. Children in these situations end up torn and hurt needlessly. Now I don't know if the op's situation is anything like what I'm saying here, but it's worth bringing up. I know that my own sister regrets to this day that she chose to leave her first husband. She beats herself up all of the time because she made that decision years and years ago. By the time she could finally admit that she was still in love with her ex, they had both remarried and could never go back. Most marriages aren't perfect, and many of them should never have happened in the first place. There are no easy, black and white answers. I think we should all be reminded to train our children to the best of our ability to make wise choices in who they choose to marry. I wish I'd had better guidance when I was young. It just may have saved a lot of heart ache for a lot of people. Blessings, Lucinda

I, myself, would only agree if there was an area of the house where there could be a definite separation between dh's work and our home life. That space would be off limits to the kids unless invited by dh, and likewise, the school room would be a place where dad only came in occaisionally during school hours -- that is unless he was involved with teaching the children. Within those perimeters, I think it would work for my family. Blessings, Lucinda

I am a divorced and remarried woman who had three children by a first marriage. My former husband was mentally ill and our life together progressed over time to become a nightmare. I had no choice but to leave him because he was extremely cruel, abusive and unfaithful. We had three sons, and I was doomed with either choice, but I chose to end the marriage to protect the boys and I from an environment of constant abuse. Our sons are now men, and I can tell you how it was for our family as they grew up. Although we had a horrible situation where divorce was justified, it did have an impact on my sons emotionally. They loved and needed their dad, and they loved me desperately as well. What they needed the most -- a loving family -- we were never able to give them. I want to encourage you by this to never consider divorce without taking it all into consideration. The best thing for children is for the parents to come together and make the commitment to do whatever it takes to save the marriage. If that is not possible, and sometimes it isn't, then you have to take another road. Life after divorce with children for us was very hard. Without anyone meaning to or intentionally planning to do so, my children always felt pulled between their parents. They were always perplexed over loyalties to both of us, and they suffered from grief and sorrow over the loss of our family. Even though we had wonderful counseling over a period of years, these hurts were the product of the divorce. In saying all this, I also realize that if their dad and I had stayed together, they would have had other hurts and issues as well. But I would have given anything for them to not have to carry the sorrow of a broken family! Another issue to consider in all of this is finances. The majority of single parent moms end up living in poverty, even if they have child support. Some are fortunate to have good paying careers or an ex-husband who is wealthy and continues to provide well for the mom and kids, but that is not typical. This, and many other issues involving being a single mom, are not fully comprehended until one is actually out there living it. Trust me, being a single parent is the hardest job in the universe. I was a single mom for seven long years and I do know what I'm talking about. Not only do I know from experience, but over the years I was close to a number of other single parents. None of us had an easy life...none of us. So as you consider your options, think about how the children will be provided for. That is crucial to their well being, just as much as the emotional factors. Over the years my former husband and I learned to have what I called a good, working relationship. Forgiveness gradually came, and it became the best that it could be under the circumstances -- yet even so, the scars left from the breakup of our family were very, very deep for our whole family. What I didn't realize at the time of the divorce was that there is a bond between husband, wife and children that lasts a lifetime. When my former dh died just recently, I was amazed at how it affected me. Most of my grief over the loss of our marriage and life together had been worked through many years ago -- and he was a terrible husband -- yet I still grieved over his death. (I still am actually.) We had been divorced for over twenty years, but we had children together and that tie did not go away with the divorce. So considering this, can you imagine how it is for the children? The ties of marriage and family run deep. My divorce attorney was a wise, older man who was a tremendous help. I will never forget something that he said at the start of the proceedings. He said that it takes the exact same skills and commitment to share custody of the kids as it does to stay married. If a couple thinks that they can't parent together in marriage, they should know that it will still be as hard or even harder after divorce. Looking back on my life I know that I'd do it again if faced with the same situation, but I also believe that a couple should do everything humanly possible to stay married. Divorce should be an absolute last option. There are many broken families in our culture that are the result of parents giving up too soon and too easily. I'm not sure if I've truly answered your questions, but I hope that my sharing gives you things to think about. The main points are these: 1. When you marry someone and have children, you will never be rid of that person until death do you part. 2. It's no longer just about you and him because, yes, it does affect the children. Blessings, Lucinda

Here's yet another vote for TT. We love it! I am not a good math teacher, and time is precious here as well. When we moved over to TT I was thrilled that dd was getting solid instruction without me having to be involved. Her test scores are always high even though she isn't a mathy kid, and we are both happy. Congratulations on your career advancement. I love it that we can flex hs'ing and other life responsibilities this way! Blessings, Lucinda

Of the two, my vote would be to stay with R&S. We have used both R&S and EG, and I have to say that my dd learned and retained more with R&S. We wasted a lot of time and money on EG to be honest. We also used Shurley English, but it was way too teacher intensive for me. I love the R&S TM and think it is very easy to teach because of the way it is set up. Then again, often times my dd just opened the lesson and did it herself because R&S is very straight forward. Let's face it, most kids don't enjoy grammar as much as other subjects. No matter what program you choose, grammar is still grammar. Kids don't like vaccinations and taking medicine either, but we give them what they need because we love them. I would rather go with R&S and know that they are gaining a thorough program than try to find curriculum that is more fun and entertaining. I would tell my dc that they may not appreciate it now, but in the long run they will be thankful for the excellent teaching they received in language arts. This year we will be moving over to ALL as soon as it is available. If it weren't for a desire to use SWB's curriculum, I'd be staying with R&S - but leave out the writing lessons. These are my top two choices for grammar. Blessings, Lucinda

Me too!! I have big b**bs and have always weighed more than the charts, more than others with my same size and measurements. I gave up long ago trying to fit into the mold the charts set. When I was my absolute fittest and healthiest, I weighed 140 lbs. and wore size 12-14 (at 5'4"). I looked great, and felt good in every way. That is where I would love to be again, so I am working toward that goal. Blessings, Lucinda

I agree! There are so many factors that contribute to weight distribution, it isn't right or fair to put women in a box like this. And yes, it is more important to be active and eat healthy than to focus on size. A number of years ago when I visited the Louvre in Paris, I found myself in the Rubens Gallery standing in awe of life-sized paintings of full-figured women. In Rubens' era, a size 14 woman would be considered beautiful and healthy, and that is why I danced gleefully with open arms around the gallery that day. My dear mother was with me, and all I could say to her was, "Mom, we're HOME!!" You see, Mom and I are both full-figured women by heredity. I just wish we'd been alive in the day of Peter Paul Rubens! All the struggling with body image and size that we've endured all of our lives would have never existed. It's all relevant to the culture and times in which you live, wouldn't you say? Blessings, Lucinda

This is yet another year for us without a vacation. We just can't afford to travel on our limited budget. I'm looking for another part-time job to do at night or a flex hours work-from-home position to help dh more, but it still may be awhile before we can justify the luxury of going very far from home. I'd appreciate a few ideas for relaxation as well. Thanks for the thread! Blessings, Lucinda

:hurray::hurray: HURRAY FOR YOU!! :hurray::hurray: I don't want to spark up another Mac/PC debate, but I was hoping you'd convert to the other side. I use both platforms, but have been a Mac fan since the early days. I've learned over the years that a Mac most often outlives a PC, and that is based on both personal and professional use over a span of 20 years. Enjoy your new machine! I'm happy for you. Blessings, Lucinda

:lurk5: So did you buy it? Don't leave us hanging! Blessings, Lucinda

Have you considered doing TT, maybe 7? This would give her solid review and she'd be completely independent. TT7 is the level just before PreAlgebra. It is very interactive, fun and has a lot of auditory built in. This is our third year with TT and my non-mathy dd is doing really well with it. Blessings, Lucinda

Hi Heather, I will pray with an understanding heart, as we have faced a long time of hardship and discouragement ourselves. Please know that you are not alone, although I also understand that being aware of that isn't always enough. But one thing I do know, and that is the fact that God loves us no matter what. And when we are dealing with tough things like this we need to -- more than ever -- pray for others who are also in need. "You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3 Blessings, Lucinda

No, I have to disagree with this. I have met many people over the years, some as adult students in my art classes, that were trying to recover something that was snuffed out in their childhood. Artists are very often sensitive people that can unfortunately be hurt and intimidated in the early years. I, myself, have been a 'true artist' all my life, and I know for a fact that my creative side is not a "raging fire that cannot be put out." That may be true of some select people with a driving personality, but not so with all "true artists". There have been times that my creative side has been squelched by outside influences or circumstances, and hidden away in a dormant state for periods of time. The result has been depression and great unhappiness, that is unless I choose to fight my way back to a healthier place. I've also met many artists that have had periods like this as well. The outcome really and truly depends on personality, balanced out by great support and encouragement during the early years -- especially from parents and teachers. As an artist and an art teacher that lives this every day of her life, I can't stress this enough to parents of budding artists. Celebrate the gifts your child possesses, nurture it and let them bloom. Blessings, Lucinda

Oh yes, I completely agree!!! God made us each unique and we all have abilities, talents and skills that make us who we are. It would be wrong to deny that for someone else - or even ourselves. I am an artist and art teacher, majored in Fine Arts in college and use my degree every single day! There are many possibilities for creative people in the world. I had to push aside negative comments I encountered and do what I knew was right for me. Actually, I bet the teacher that said that very thoughtless, stupid thing had her own dreams squelched by someone when she was a girl. Please explain to your dd that not all people's opinions are correct. Teach her to follow her heart, and to have fun with making art! Blessings, Lucinda

And let's not forget Shurley English. Sheesh! Blessings, Lucinda

No worries!! Just contact the publisher and they will help you. That's what I did and I had no problems at all. They are very, very nice people and want to support the users of their curriculum. Blessings, Lucinda