We have a Breadman that has been serving us well for 15 years. The bread and pizza is always just right! Sometimes it pays to go higher end in this instance I don't think you need to. Enjoy! Kelly

It's been sitting on my bookshelf. I am now inspired to pull it down and read it. Thanks. :)

I'm curious about this as well. Dd just finished Christiana Latina II. It doesn't seem that Henle is a popular choice. After researching Wheelock's it looked too advanced for mom to teach without any formal latin training and too difficult for dd to do on her own. Has anyone used Henle past the first year? What was your experience with teaching it? Kelly

Follow your dreams, life is too short for what if's. Try it until the end of the year and reevaluate at that time. Perhaps carving out time in the morning before you dd is awake or for a couple of hours in the evening after her bedtime. The primary question I would ask the publisher is for a clear list of expectations and/or deliverables with timelines. IMO that is the best way to decide if you can manage the requirements. Kelly

We home school is my standard response. I simply move on unless they pursue it. Telling people I home school can be annoying because the next part is typically "oh, I could never do that because..." or the dreaded socialization questions. It's almost as though I'm supposed to offer some type of support or apology for the choice my family has made. I have gotten much better about not defending our choice and simply letting people talk. Kelly

I hear you loud and clear. I see my friends meeting for lunch, heading to the gym and going shopping without children. I wonder what it would be like. It might be fun for a little while, but ultimately I would miss spending that time with my kids. There would be the afterschool rush to get homework done so we could make it to our other activities. Then the rush to get ready for bed so they wouldn't be tired in the morning. The free time would be on the weekends, but then we would be rushing around trying to fit in "family" time that we didn't get during the week. Everytime I think of it from this perspective I know that I'm doing what is best for all of us. It is a season in my life that will pass much too soon. Here are some suggestions that may help lighten your load: give your children weekly chores (empty the dishwasher, clean bathrooms, fold laundry etc), make a dinner menu on Sunday for the week (sometimes the biggest challenge is deciding what to make, take an evening or a weekend afternoon without the children to do what you enjoy (your husband can handle the children for a few hours or hire a babysitter) and/or find a park day where your children can play and you can talk with other parents. Most of all remember the beauty of home schooling is that you can do what works for you. School four days a week or just in the mornings or a couple of hours in the morning and a couple in the late afternoon. Try different things until you find what meets your needs. Kelly dd 11 ds 6

Thank you for posting the links. We are currently reading Treasure Island. this will make it so much more fun. Kelly dd (11ys) ds (6 yrs)

We began using SOTW in 2nd grade and have loved it! History is not my favorite subject either, but this makes it more interesting. We read the book through the first time and did some of the activities along with narration. We have also listened to the audio version at least twice. It is done in a story type of format which makes it easier to listen. I need to find something new this year, because my dd says she can't do the ancients again. :001_smile: Kelly

EVERYONE participates in cleaning the bathroom. After brushing each person wipes out the sink and around the counter. I have found that charging a token amount (.25) gets the job done. Toilets are a little trickier, but if you leave a mess you need to clean it up. This has been done consistently since they were old enough to understand and we've got it pretty well in hand. I take care of the floors, because the hair just seems to morph. I sweep in the morning after I brush. A full out clean is done once a week and I always wipe down the baseboards, because it's such a small room it takes me less than 5 minutes. The key IMO is having everyone help out. Once they are invested it seems to be less messy. Kelly DD (8th grade) DS (2nd grade)

I would let the parents know that this is a great opportunity for them to have some me time while my husband and I take care of the boys. Assure them that you have enough eyes to keep the boys safe. If all else fails, I would make sure I had drinks on hand for parents, but I wouldn't go out of my way to feed them. This does not make you inhospitable. Kelly