Ha ha. Well, I love my jeans, and it will be unbearable to wear them very soon, so I hang on as long as I can. Plus, low 70s does feel a bit chilly to me these days. But I remember living in Virginia, and putting on shorts when it got into the fifties after a blizzardy winter, so it's all relative.

We liked Usborne First Encyclopedia of History for a kind of overview. I would think that any year-long world history book would also work as a nice overview. I'm not sure the ages of your kids. Oh, and with SOTW 2, our eyes glazed over too, more from all the jumping around. We moved to unit studies for that portion of history, using books like History Dudes: Vikings and some Usborne stuff on Knights and Castles. We LOVE Horrible Histories videos.

LL Bean has Freeport Knit Pants. They're very soft and comfortable. http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/84228?feat=freeport%20knit%20pants-SR0&page=infants-and-toddlers-freeport-knit-pants-boot-cut&attrValue_0=Bright%20Navy&productId=1159868

I wear capris almost exclusively. It is very HOT in south Texas, so lightweight cotton is a must. I love these capris from LL Bean and have them in several colors: http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/53604?feat=sunwashed-SR0&page=original-sunwashed-canvas-pants-cropped I wear t-shirts with them. I also match my flip flops to my clothes. I have several pairs of Maine Isle flip flops from LL Bean: http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/82403?feat=503423-GN2&page=maine-isle-flip-flops-woven-print http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/58442?feat=503423-GN2&page=maine-isle-flip-flops-print I will admit, though, that I'm not the most stylish. But I'm a mom, I'm comfortable, and it's hot. (Well, 70s right now so it's jeans weather, but give it another month and I'll be back in capris).

Does she text and have instagram and snapchat? These can help a lot. Where we used to talk on the phone (us old fogeys), the kids these days use those.

I don't know costs, but what about Bed and Breakfasts or the local Holiday Inn? I've been to receptions at such places. It's nice and less work, too.

And since your 9th grader is not super sciencey, but it would be nice to combine the kids at least for labs, maybe he could do a Physical Science course or Conceptual Physics course or Integrated Chem/Science (I am thinking either Apologia Physical Science, Hewitt Conceptual Physics, or Pacworks Integrated Physics and Chemistry). That way your 9th grader wouldn't feel the need to "keep up" with the 11th grader, but you could still combine them for labs.

I'm just throwing this idea out there because I'm doing it: Yes, Government is only a half credit course. However, and particularly for the 9th grader, it might be nice to spread it out time-wise for the whole year. That gives some flexibility and easiness to take it slow. Then do a similar thing with Economics the following year. Still award just .5 credit for each, but take a whole school year to get through the material. YMMV

Where does one get catalogs for summer camps?

I like Handwriting without Tears. Very lefty-friendly.

Will they pay for dvds relating to your studies? We love the Horrible Histories set. I'm also planning on getting a bunch of Shakespeare movies for next year's literature. My dd loves her Prismacolor markers set and her Prismacolor Portrait Markers set. Lots of sketchbooks. Sculpey clay? Sports lessons or team fees?

You might ask if you can still do two days for a prorated price. Sometimes private schools are amenable to these kinds of arrangements. For instance, my dd attended a latchkey program that was intended for public school kids 5 days a week after school. I just wanted to take my homeschooled dd for 3 days a week for social reasons. I was able to do that, and they prorated my payment.

How about First Initial Middle Initial Maiden Name I'm thinking how J.K. Rowling is so popular. I like that kind of pattern for a pen name.

Honestly, for us, money trumps all. And getting another car with insurance is expensive. So based on the info provided, I like school 2. That said, however, I would also investigate if there are other potential majors that your student might be drawn to, since kids often do change majors. If there's a decent variety of stuff he would probably like, then I'd be comfortable there. FWIW, though, my dd is right now in 9th grade, and we have a local community college and 4 year university. She likes Early Childhood Education and maybe might be interested in Dental Assisting instead. Both of which are offered by the CC. And she can get her Associate's degree for the cost of one year the 4 year school. Which has good transfer agreements with the cc. So, ymmv, but, again, money trumps all.

Hmm. Math -- my degree is in math so I just have to glance at the day's work and generally know it so that's not a problem. Plus we use Mathusee (because my dd is a big picture thinker and I am not and Mathusee Mr. Demme is) so I don't even have that much to do. History -- We just read the next thing. My prep for this is my coordinating outlining assignments or Horrible Histories videos. Science -- My husband does this. He reads ahead and makes sure he understands. English -- I pick out materials and coordinate books ahead of time, but I don't usually read them until I'm with my dd. I generally read them aloud to her, so we both get the material at the same time. French -- I do look at what we'll be learning and refresh myself. I guess mostly I'm not teaching stuff that's new to me.

Could you give the 9 year old his own room for now? Then put the 7 and 5 year old boys together, but somehow make really separate spaces in their room? Like with a large bookshelf, some curtains, etc.? That way they each have their own space? So it feels like two little rooms almost.

That's interesting. Does he skew heavily towards auditory in his learning style? I was thinking that my dd is the opposite. If I had verbally told her a long list, she wouldn't get a lot of it. But if I had created a written list (one with pictures would be even better!), she would do all of it. She's a completely visual learner.

Parents are always welcome at our pediatric dentist, and always go back with the kids. It would be weird not to go back, as frequently the adults there need to tell you stuff. I would not go to a dentist that didn't let me back there with my kid.

Minecraft Youtube Stuff on her phone -- there is an app that let's you lipsync to a song and video yourself doing it. She likes this. Instagram, snapchat. Drawing in her sketch book, drawing on her wacom pad (computer thing) She is currently fixated on getting flexible enough to do the splits She is also fixated on teaching herself to do handstands. Texting friends. Sometimes she will go out and talk to the neighbor kids, although not often (they are much younger) She is also active in Sunday School, as a Children's Church volunteer, Youth Group, and as a Kinder Teacher for our Wed. night Bible program. Lap swimming with Dad once a week. Hanging out with her friends. Reading Rick Riordan and Harry Potter books, over and over. There's another app that makes your face look funny, like those crazy mirrors at carnivals, except it's an app on your phone and you can also add cat ears to yourself and stuff.

Horrible Histories videos. Schoolhouse Rock. Teddy bear counters. Feet by the foot. Centimeter cubes. Beethoven's Wig CD.

Well, hopefully someone will chime in with more been there done that, but here's my two cents. You can't correct in a year what 7 years of inadequate education has done. Why are you considering not homeschooling for high school also, when regular school has already let you down for seven years? Please take that comment in the kind tone in which it is meant. Honestly, why send the kids back when school has failed at its job thus far? If you chose to homeschool for the remainder of the kids' school, then you don't really have to worry about how the children in the class react. You meet your kids where they are and work on getting them where you want them to be. Best wishes with your decision.

Yeah, I'm getting there. Recently, I decided that it is time to really start wrapping things up for the school year (I'm hoping to call it done in April), and so I made brutal cuts. We dropped Vocabulary. We dropped the hated health book and started reading The Body Book for Girls 2. We are using a more fun history book and it's going to be done in another 3 weeks or so. We watch a lot of Horrible Histories videos. I told my husband he can stop science any time he feels like it at this point. We dropped a couple others things that now escape me. You know what really helped me? Somebody posted a transcript that was sorted by Subject rather than school year and had almost no dates on it. It was so freeing to realize that I can school how I've always schooled even though it's high school. I just got to get things done in 4 years. I can do that. I don't have to freak out that we're a bit behind in Algebra or French because we switched textbooks. We'll get it done.

I'm pretty sure that's not true. I believe the nineties were just a few (like 5) years ago. Definitely.

I keep forgetting that I love these kinds of threads. And now Friday is nearly over. However, here's the list for the remainder of the day: Make dh eat something before we run errands after work Go to Dollar Tree and buy enough things to scrape through until April starts and our grocery budget resets Go to Sam's for bottled water only. Only. Only. Eat crockpot beef roast for dinner. Go to Good Friday services. Ah, sleep, glorious sleep.

Canned air.