always works for me. I'm in and out on the boards, but tensions are certainly running a bit high at home. I'm willing to give it a try! :001_smile:

I think I need to check my library....

"Why are there only 3 meals a day?" (Uttered plaintively while staring at the refrigerator) He needs to be a Hobbit. Thank goodness for peanut butter.

That is encouraging. I had a conversation with my SIL a few weeks ago and she was telling me about how her son was cramming for his AP World History exam. Apparently the teacher had told the kids that their lives were "hers" until the test, and my nephew had been wandering around the house muttering the names and dates of Chinese dynasties. SIL said he actually used to like history. I didn't say anything to her, but I thought that it really is sad, because there's a kid who just lost a love of something. I don't want to seem like I'm totally discounting AP tests. I hope to be able to make use of a couple where it suits. But they do strike me as a form of teaching to the test, at least the way SIL described it, and it's refreshing to hear that they're not the end all I have heard some parents make them out to be.

My ds loves the Rick Riordan series, and he's now reading The Ranger's Apprentice series. Sorry, I don't have the author. It's fantasy, and reminds me a little of The Lord of the Rings.

The Discovery Book is excellent. That's what we got ds. He had been building a lot, but wanted to do more programming.

According to ds (my resident expert on such things), there are several differences in the parts between the NXT and the NXT 2.0. You get different Technics pieces in the 2.0 set, so if you are following a book that shows you how to build up a project, you may not have the pieces you need if you are using a book written for a different kit. This link explains the difference in the pieces. (scroll to the bottom of the page) He says the programming is "pretty much" the same. He had used the 1.0 in FSS, but got a 2.0 set when they came out. There were very few 2.0 books out at the time, and he found it frustrating to try to use a book written for the 1.0 with his 2.0 set. He might be able to do it better now that he has been doing it a while, but for learning I think it would be best to get a book written for the set you have. Hope that helps. I am quoting ds - my own knowledge in this area is woefully limited.

I read it last fall for the first time, and it was tough going. Not just the reading level, but the larger themes. I haven't looked at the young people's versions, but I wouldn't choose it for my own kids until high school.

One of my twins has a lot of nosebleeds in the spring and fall when her allergies kick in. We also have her use saline nasal spray once or twice a day in the winter when the house is really dry. It seemed to help this past winter.

That's the biggest thing for me. And lately, on top of everything else, I'm worried that they won't. :001_huh:

Just commiseration here. My strong-willed boy is now 13 and also has an occasional injection of that "testosterone induced rocket fuel :). I remember the days when he'd rather take the consequence of losing something he wanted rather than giving in. I honestly don't remember a lot about how we got through it. Maybe I have selective amnesia too. I do remember deciding that I had to carefully pick the hills I was willing to die on. He has developed into a respectful, well-mannered young man with a very long fuse. But when he hits the end of it, look out! There's still a stubborn streak a mile wide lying beneath the surface. Now when he gets in one of his stubborn, defiant moods the best remedy is lots of hard, physical work. Yesterday I sent him out to work on clearing more buckthorn from the back of our lot. He came in a new kid.

I think Logic is often classified as a math credit. What about statistics? Either could be done concurrently with the Alg. II.

My list is pathetic. This was at a small-medium sized high school (just under 200 in my graduating class) in central Iowa in the early '80's. There were no AP or Honors classes available. The only "advanced" track available was taking Algebra in 8th grade (9th was standard), which allowed you to take one more year of math. It was a farming/railroad town. English Lit (elective senior year) - Romeo and Juliet (I think we just read sections) - Beowulf (again just sections) - Canterbury Tales (once again, just selections) - Pride and Prejudice - Sense and Sensibility (both my choice because we all had to research an author, and I chose Jane Austen. The really pitiful thing is that I reread both a couple years ago and had absolutely NO recollection of even the basic plot. I got an A on the paper though.) American History (sophomore year, I think) - The Jungle (yuck! Almost quit drinking milk as a result) - The Grapes of Wrath American Lit (sophomore or junior year) - Of Mice and Men - Flowers for Algernon - The Scarlet Letter - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - The Tell-Tale Heart - The Raven I ended up with a definite opinion that American literature is dark and depressing. As a result, when I think of classics I tend to not put American authors on my list. Overall, I think the school did a much better job at math and science than English and Literature. I didn't even hear of Homer or Virgil until much later, but I had some great math and science teachers and had no trouble with college calculus, chemistry, or physics. It's disappointing reading other posts and realizing how lacking my own education was. I am grateful to have found the Well-Trained Mind, and this list, and am determined to do better by my own kids.

The group is based in South Carolina.

Thanks for the replies. I'm in the midwest, so am not familiar with the group other than seeing the travel information pop up a couple times in the last few years. I didn't pay much attention though, because it hasn't been an option up till now. I figured it was legitimate, otherwise it wouldn't have come up more than once. Still, these days it pays to check it out.

:hurray:Way to go!

Oh yeah, here in MN it's the land without spring. When it was rainy and mid-40's a month ago we said "Oh well, it's only April." Tues it was 90 and humid. It was great. Yesterday it was drizzling and 44. Stupid weather is right.

Thanks! I will PM later this afternoon. Helping dd get ready for a play.

Or are you otherwise familiar with them? I received a post on another homeschooling loop talking about their annual Disney trip. We're interested, but it's almost in that "too good to be true" category. I've done quite a bit of internet searching and can't find anything negative, but would love to hear from an actual person that's done one of their trips or has personal experience with the group just to put my mind at ease before we proceed. Thanks!

I haven't read all the post, but in looking at carrot cake recipes w/ dd, it seems that there are two definite viewpoints. Carrots only, and throw it all in. I personally am in the all in camp when I make it - raisins, pecans, coconut, and pineapple with cream cheese frosting. It I buy it I at least expect raisins and pecans.

Exactly! My oldest is finishing her 10th grade year and beginning to look at colleges. I'm working on her transcript and keep feeling that she's so BEHIND. She'd love to go to Hillsdale, but in the back of my mind I'm not sure I've helped her to get ready to go there, or anywhere similar. It's still great with the twins, except that I don't feel like I have enough time with them, but younger ds throws a fit everytime I pull out his math book and starts going on about how much he hates school and whoever said he had to be educated anyway. Older ds is far more interested in programming his NXT than writing anything, but at least he's developed the maturity to understand the need to so it. Most days. Until the hormones kick in. Who said boys were easier? I was just thinking this the other day. Between dh being laid off earlier in the year (thankfully he's working now) and his dad passing away in Feb, and all the running with the various kids to classes, etc, there's no breathing room. I'd say I'm looking forward to summer, but my oldest will have to keep working right on through. And I'm trying to squeeze in a class for myself. Still, warm weather and sunshine will help my mood and energy level I'm sure. :)

I think some of it's personal preference. I used the Ciardi translation when I took a class last fall. There were probably 4 different translations being used, which was interesting when someone read aloud. I personally thought the Longfellow was painful. Ciardi was pretty well footnoted. When I do it again with my dd we will get the Anthony Esolen translation.

My dd took a personal health & fitness class for homeschoolers at the local Y last year. It was 12 weeks, so I counted the hours for that plus additional physical activity (rollerblading outings and biking, mostly) as a half credit. She's generally active, but I don't count regular walking, running, etc as part of PE every year. I'm planning to list athletic teams under extracurriculars. I decided to give 1/2 credit for the Y course because it included other general fitness topics, and honestly because I paid for it and it took a 2 hour chunk out of the day. I do have a friend who's dd logs her activity and every time she hits 60 hours (I think) she earns a half credit. She's not really an active kid though.

Is that because they are college level? Would you still give 1 year of HS credit for the equivalent 1 semester college course?

I had been wondering the same thing. I found what looked like some trig (sine, cosine, tangent ratios) in dd's Geometry. I expect the rest will be in Alg II. When I was in school, advanced math included 1 semester of Trig and 1 semester of something called Analytical Geometry. I don't remember what that included (maybe that was the sine ratios instead of trig?)