Thanks for the replies!!! Appreciate it.

CTC Math has a good sale going on right now. Does anyone have experience using this online program? Right now, we have 2 using Aleks (Grade 7 & Grade 9), and 3 using Singapore (Grades 6, 4 & 2). I am thinking of supplementing some of them with CTC Math for the rest of this year and then using CTC for everyone next year. Is CTC Math enough? Is it a thorough program? Thanks!!!

Thanks Twigs!

Does anyone know if and when Susan Wise Bauer is planning to write a History of the World book beyond "The History of the Renaissance World"?

This response it a little late, but I just found Deutsch im Blick http://coerll.utexas.edu/dib/ (Hopefully that link works - if not go to http://coerll.utexas.edu/dib/ ) We haven't used it yet, but I did just order the book today.

I haven't read the other replies, but we've had good experience with Great Pyranees. They are very large but quite gentle yet protective.

Most of my kids have late fall/winter birthdays. I've told them that they can graduate when they turn 18 and until then they can say they are in whatever grade they want to say. :D We just keep moving through the books and don't worry too much about what level they are in. They are mostly a level ahead in where they would be if they were in public school, but in some subjects they are where they should be or behind. One of my daughters is repeating a year of math because she just wasn't getting it. As long as they are learning and are working through the levels, I'm happy. I wouldn't see any problem with "holding a child back" for testing purposes, though. I just wouldn't make a big deal of his grade level. If there is a situation where he needs to have a grade level, I would just have him join in with the kids who are his maturity level.

Is there an Amish community near you? The Amish community near us has a place that repairs Bibles. It might be a possibility.

We've had chicken pox here for the past several weeks - it was about day 3 with the first one when I was "sure" it was chicken pox. FWIW, 2 of our 7 didn't have the vaccine - they both got chicken pox as well as one of our dd who did have the vaccine. Our 11 year old dd, who also had the vaccine, ended up with shingles. The first dd who got them had what looked like bug bites, but then they ended up scabbing over. She only had a few pox that had the clear liquid in the center. The dd who had the vaccine had pox that looked more like bug bites, also. The ds who got them had the classic case - low grade fever for a day before and then broke out starting in the scalp, face, trunk, then extremities. Almost all of his had the clear fluid in the center before they crusted over. It was the 2nd day of having the spots that they started getting the fluid in them.

http://hslda.org/laws/analysis/Illinois.pdf Illinois is a good state (at this point, anyway), to homeschool. It is the parents' responsibility to make sure they are following the laws, and the state doesn't seem to interfere. There was recently an attempt to pass a law requiring homeschoolers to register, but there was a huge turnout against it at the capitol building on the day of the hearing, so that bill was tabled and hopefully they won't try again. We've been homeschooling in Illinois for about 10 years, and have never had any contact with anyone from the school district or government about it.

Thanks!

I'm looking for white socks, for my boys, that are thin like http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=13130&vid=1&pid=581575&scid=581575052 but in a boy size. They don't need to be the fold over, but I would like them to be at least ankle or crew. Sport socks are fine if they are relatively thin. The socks I have found for them lately have been so thick that it makes their shoes too tight. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!

Our oldest talked early (first word at 6 months) and read early (first Bob books at 2 years old) and read fluently before she turned 3. She knew her letters and numbers early. Our second came along and barely said mommy by the time she was 2 1/2 - between the 7 of them, they've been all over the place as far as what they can do when. Although our oldest has continued to be very verbal and has a very high reading level, they have mostly all evened out by the time they were 5 or 6 in their abilities.

Could you or one of the older children rock her to sleep or lay with her? Or could you put her on the couch to take a nap with the rest of you right there doing some quiet school? It would probably take several days of consistently putting her back on the couch when she got down or reminding her to be quiet. Or you could just have her have quiet time on the couch or blanket with a pile of books or quiet toys - again, there would be several days of teaching her to stay there and be quiet, but it would be worth it if she learned to stay put and be quiet. It sounds like she is one of those kids who needs constant supervision.

My 6 yo has a life size doll from Walmart. (I personally don't care for the face of the doll, but she doesn't mind it - it was $10) It can wear newborn/size 1 diapers and 3-9 month clothes and can fit in all of the baby equipment we have in the basement (swing, car seat, etc.) She and our 8 yo and 10 yo play with them a lot. She also likes Loving Family, sticker books, painting, dot to dot, early reading books... She plays a little bit with her Target brand "American Girl" 18" doll, but really prefers her "real" baby.