Yes to both questions.

We skip review lessons unless it's a concept my kids struggled with mastering.

Thanks. I plan to order Field Guide to the Familiar. It looks great.

I am sorry. I hope you get answers soon.

Thanks for this!

I'm normally a cream cheese kind of gal, but I think buttercream would be best for a strawberry cake. Hmmmm...now I'm hungry. ;)

I am struggling with this, too. I am following this thread. I need some ideas.

I haven't read through all the posts, but we do a "Waldorfy" style preschool here. I use Oak Meadow's preschool package, along with Wynstone's Kindergarten Series and A Child's Seasonal Treasury. I hope to add in Waldorf Essentials A Journey Through Waldorf Homeschooling Kindergarten next year with my special needs 5yo daughter. I have read and continuously refer to the books Seven Times the Sun, Natural Childhood, and Beyond the Rainbow Bridge. With my little one, we have a daily circle time, a time for writing practice on her dry erase board, some fine motor skills activities, and lots of music and singing. We also have lots of outside time. Sometimes I'll read a short book to her as well. It's all very relaxed. It works well for us.

((Hugs)) to you. Of course it's okay. Last year was our first year to do homeschool co-op. I chose not to do it before that because that is what was best for my family. My little one was undiagnosed until last year, and we were in crisis mode around here...trying to figure out if her self-hitting and meltdowns and extreme anxiety were physical or behavioral. It was all I could do to get up and breathe and function every day, plus homeschool and take care of all the things a mom has to handle. Don't let anyone, not even parents, put pressure on you. By the way, my little one is autistic, visually impaired, developmentally delayed, and mentally insufficient. Hearing the diagnosis was painful, but it was so much better than not knowing. :grouphug:

Here's ours: http://freeindeed-redkitchen.blogspot.com/2013/09/homeschooling-and-life-sept-9-14-2013.html

For first grade, we enjoyed Sonlight Science. Here's a link: http://www.sonlight.com/science-b.html The package contains the books, a schedule, and supplies.

I've read TWTM completely through twice. I have read certain parts of it for reference purposes on numerous occasions. I voted for a "little bit" for each question. I come here to chat with other homeschoolers about homeschooling and life in general. We started out strictly classical, but over the years, I have found a mix of classical, CM, and Waldorf suits my family, with varying degrees of each for each child.

Without a doubt the downside is smog in the cities, no personal space, and in Beijing, every time you cross the street, it's a life threatening experience. Then there is the fact that you can't drink the water. I even kept my mouth closed every time I showered and had a towel handy to wipe any water off my lips. Hubby and I also brushed our teeth with bottled water. There are some places you visit that will have only "squatty" potties, so be prepared. Also, keep some toilet paper or Kleenex in your purse b/c it's not always available when you're out & about-every hotel in which we stayed had Western toilets and plenty of toilet paper, but we stayed at the high end luxury hotels. At The Great Wall, there was no toilet paper in the restrooms and only "squatty" potties. When I typed my first post, I guess I was wearing my rose-colored glassed b/c I only remembered the awesome parts of our experience in China. It is definitely different from the United States, but that's what makes it unique. It was a completely new and exciting experience for us. Overall we loved it and hope to go back one day.

My husband and I spent almost three weeks in China in December 2009 when we traveled to adopt our daughter. We went to Beijing and toured The Great Wall and The Forbidden City. We also rode a rickshaw through parts of the city and visited a couple of traditional homes. Wonderful and amazing experiences! We then traveled to Nanjing to receive our daughter. While there, we went to an art gallery and walked along the Yangtze River. We toured several historical sites there as well. We wrapped up our trip in Guangzhou. It was very pretty and modern. There we stayed at The White Swan hotel-a fabulous experience! We really enjoyed our time in China and would love to go back one day.

Welcome! :)

I have some nature study things in my current blog post: http://freeindeed-redkitchen.blogspot.com/2013/09/homeschooling-and-life-weeks-of-aug-26.html We usually take nature walks or just hang out in our front or back yard. We use ideas from http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/ and this book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Nature-Connection-Workbook-Classrooms/dp/1603425314

We mummified a chicken when dd12 was using Story of the World Volume 1 in our first year of homeschooling. My ds10 is currently studying Egypt, so it might be time to do it again. :)

Ours is up. It's a two week recap: http://freeindeed-redkitchen.blogspot.com/2013/09/homeschooling-and-life-weeks-of-aug-26.html

I don't and I never have. I also don't have any friends or family members who use it, either...unless they're keeping it a secret.

Yes, and we answer most of the questions orally.

I like Nectresse. It's a natural sweetener made by the company that makes Splenda. It's made from monk fruit. Also, there's erithrytol, which is also natural.

No, my mood actually improved.

This is one of my favorites, too, along with http://www.atkins.com/Home.aspx

Congrats! I hope you have a great year.

Answered: we are all big football fans around here. My kids love SpongeBob-I detest him. ;) And we all enjoy comedies. Fun poll!