My kids personally loved MFW ECC...it was alot of fun learning about all the countries and cultures. We made passports and every time we started a new country, I would "stamp" their passports. I also love that the lesson planning is done for you so that saves alot of time and energy.

No matter how many ideas I find to keep my son's legos organized, they always end up on the floor!!! He always prefers the floor, for some reason - oh well!

Anne of Green Gables always perks me up!

I have an iBook G4 and I love being able to take it anywhere in the house - I don't think I could go back to a regular computer now!

For me, staying away from stores, catalogs keeps discontentment from escalating. Also, just having to consciously remind myself daily of the many blessings I have - it's easier to dwell on what we don't have rather than what we do have. Amazingly, lately I've been going on walks with my dog and my family at night, and that has helped to clear my mind. Exercise does help my moods to improve. And having a friend to talk to does wonders.

If your kids are auditory learners, there are some CD's from Amazon that tell the stories of various composers: The Story of Bach In Words and Music, The Story of Handel In Words and Music, etc. They are only $2.98 each, which is a great deal!

http://www.notebookingpages.com/ This website has alot of copywork, notebooking pages (mostly to buy/download, but some are free).

I think it definitely helps the visual learners. My son's writing has improved alot. Here's a great website for diagramming: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/diagrams2/diagrams_frames.htm

I used Saxon math through 4th grade, but my kids were bored with it, so I switched to Singapore Math and they enjoy math now.

Definitely Amazon - free shipping, fast shipping, and the buy 4 books for the price of 3 (books under $10).

My kids loved Marianne Saccardi's Art in Story also - the stories catch their attention and are written at their level of understanding. We've also used Barry Stebbings God and the History of Art - this is a 4 year study, in chronological order.

Something you might look into is The Language Mechanic by Critical Thinking Co. Even though it is recommended for 5th-7th grade, it gives a humorous bent on grammar by showing examples of incorrect usage and the logic behind the basic rules of language. http://www.criticalthinking.com

I just bought Writing Tales for my kids for the coming school year. It helps kids study and re-write classic tales and fables, along with some simple grammar lessons. There are 2 levels, starting at 3rd grade level. Here is the website to check it out: http://www.writing-tales.com Ann Marie

From the lovely city of FRESNO!! :eek:

Thank you everyone for your advice! I found the sample pages for CW and I think I will be going with Writing Tales 2 for both my kids instead. It does seem much more user friendly than CW. :)