If price isn't an issue, these are gorgeous. I've never actually shelled out money for one, but I keep looking. Regarding the need for a break: yes, I pick it up and take it with me. I leave my coat or something to save my table. Or I just hold it. :D If you are really lucky, there will be someone nearby that you feel you can trust to watch it for you. I haven't never tried that, but I've thought about it.

I grew up attending two churches. One was our "home" church where we went each Sunday morning. The other was closer to our house and we went to that one for children's programs and sometimes on Sunday nights. Everyone knew that is what we did, and we welcome at any events. I think that you should go to the programs that meet your needs, but be willing to volunteer as needed. Be up front about what you are doing, so that people aren't surprised.

I drink tea all day long. I don't know if my way is an option, but I'll throw it out there. I have a hot (almost boiling) tap on my kitchen sink. I use loose leaf tea with a brewing cup from Teavana. Most of the teas can be brewed more than once, so I keep the leaves for my next cup. Alternatively, I would use your coffee maker to keep hot water all day and brew your tea each time you drink it. My green and white teas only brew for 1-2 minutes, so that isn't much of a wait. Tea can get bitter if it sits too long.

Does he like reading? We just add in LOTS of books for each subject using SOTW as a guide. SOTW has good projects, but you could find other project books if you want them. Lapbooks are another idea--Hands of a Child has some that fit with history topics. There are also lots of great history websites. The BBC website is fantastic. I don't think that history needs to have a lot of busywork; we've never done tests or worksheets.

Thank you! The reviews were glowing, so I bought this set.

oooh! I remember those! They were so fun! I have no idea if you can find them anymore though.

Same here. I can never remember the "correct" way either, so I use both.

I can't make a comparison to MCT, but we have used CW Poetry. This was one of my daughter's all-time favorite classes. Each week includes analysis of a poem (including meter, stanzas, figures, etc.) as well has grammar analysis, and poem imitation. I think that by imitating the poem, the student gets a really solid understanding of meter.

We just watched the one with Marlon Brando. We loved it, but it does leave out some of the original script. The oration by Marc Antony is wonderful.

I've used leeks in other kinds of soup like split-pea and butternut squash.

My best advice is to go to the Classical Writing Forum and ask your questions there. You will get an answer straight from the authors. IMO, by Homer your son should be using the noun copia and other skills in retelling the story. He should not be spewing back the story word-for-word.

:iagree:This sounds a lot like the Eat-Clean Diet. I'm just starting it, so I can't give you a success story. I'm loving it though, because I can eat better and more often and not feel hungry. Too often, we diet by starving ourselves and then we binge to get rid of that feeling. With this plan, you don't feel hungry, so you don't binge.

· 3000BC Migration to India, cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-dar · 2500BC Aryans invade and destroy cities

I am. I started last year and love it, but I haven't done much lately. I was going to make a book for my father for Christmas and I need to get moving!

It really depends on your future goals--do you want to get through all of the CW levels? Although I'm not familiar with the Older Beginner's Book, I think that it would be appealing to finish Homer in one year. I think Homer A and B would provide plenty of challenge for a sixth/seventh grader, but with that scenario, you won't get to Maxim until 8th.

My dd is doing LOF completely independently. If she has a question, I will walk through it with her, but that happens rarely. Once, I had to read a chapter with her.

We are having a great year. Hits for dd (11): First Form Latin: I like this so much better than LCI and dd really gets it. At her request, I did not get the DVDs. Plus we are getting great overlap with our grammar program. CW Maxim: It was worth slogging through CW Homer to get to this point. Maxim is fun. We're doing all of the optional reading. Life of Fred: DD is actually doing algebra independently. I keep thinking that she'll need my help, but the Home Companion has been all she needs. Patty Paper Geometry: I threw this in at the last minute because of the threads that I saw on this board. DD loves it. History is always a hit, but I use a mix of many different things. Independent Schedule: I gave dd more independence this year and we are less regimented on times. She has a checklist of things to get done between 8-10:30. Then she asks for the lessons in Latin and Maxim that she needs between 10:30 and 12. I have given her incentives like Editor in Chief or logic games if she gets her work done early in the week. It's mostly working! Too soon to tell, but look promising: Progeny Press Guides, Calculadders, Lingua Angelica Duds: Art and Music Appreciation. DD has zero interest in it this year. It's been a struggle to get her to do any of it, plus it is currently our last priority. I might have to make this a formal course in a future year.

I meant to use Life of Fred as a supplement too. :laugh: I tried to schedule the same topics together, but in the end LOF just took over. At first, it worked great with Singapore, but dd preferred LOF so much more, that it has now become our primary program. I think that one chapter a week would be too slow. The LOF chapters can take very differing amounts of time, so instead of assigning a chapter, I would suggest assigning something like 45 minutes of math.

The brand that I love for my curvy body is Christopher Blue. They are pricey, but I buy mine at Nordstrom Rack or on E-Bay. They have been worth every penny! They have lasted far longer than my "cheap" jeans--they keep their shape.

We just finished Abraham Lincoln's World as a read-aloud. We both loved it. We do take our time going through the Foster books, though, so perhaps that helps with the choppiness. This book made me so appreciate Abraham Lincoln that I cried at the part where he died. :tongue_smilie:(Really, it's not like I didn't know what was going to happen!)

Here are some materials that we used--most of them are for the period directly before the Civil War. Websites: National Geographic Underground RR Underground RR Map NPS Underground RR Map NASA Follow the Drinking Gourd Harriett Tubman Web Hunt Pathways to Freedom Frederick Douglass Scholastic: Underground RR Also, PBS' History of US; especially · Webisode 4, Segments 5-7 · Webisode 5, Segment 1 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/index.html DVDs: America's Journey Through Slavery Africans in America “Brotherly Loveâ€â€”PBS Africans in America: “ The Terrible Tranformationâ€â€”PBS Books The Underground Railroad for Kids—Carson,Mary Kay · African Americans in the Colonies—Jean Kinney Williams · Strength of These Arms: Life in the Slave Quarters—Raymond Bial · In Time of the Drums—Kim Sieglson · Hard Labor: The First African Americans—Patricia McKissack · On My Journey Now: Looking at African-American History Through the Spirituals—Nikki Giovanni

Thanks for the info. I've had a difficult time with baking since we moved here. I keep trying to adjust my recipes, but I think that I need to start from scratch.

Okay, I'm really tempted to give this a try. Would you buy the first book or the later "Healthy" Breads book? Does anyone know if the recipes will work at high altitudes? (I'm at about 6,000 ft.)

:iagree:My dd is in LOF Algebra, but still sometimes has problems with the facts memorization/speed. I'm using Calculadders to cement the facts, but she needs the mental challenge of Algebra. Calculadders takes only five minutes a day and you move on as soon as you have something mastered.

Dh has always done bed-time. DD is 11 and still loves her bed-time story. I envision having a family read-aloud time when she gets older.