Let’s take a moment of silence and hold Staci up in prayer.  Because she has TWO 4 year old boys.  In my book, that would be the equivalent of TWO Jensens.

And incidentally, one of her boys is the same one that I inadvertently grabbed and hung onto by the scruff of the shirt, thinking he was mine on a field trip.  While I continued the conversation I was having with another harried mom.  When I eventually looked down and realized that he wasn’t Jensen I was horrified.  So was he.  But his mother has assured me that there were no lasting damaging side effects. This remains to be seen.

Well, this particular boy and Jensen were knee deep in conversation, and we mothers were privy to what interests 4 year old boys because we were sitting just 2 feet away.

The subject that they were enamored with was food.  And I’d like to share the recipe that they concocted together.  I took copious notes, in-between their thigh slapping and squeals of uproarious laughter.

Flaming Poop

• Poop – Fried (it is important that it be FRIED and not baked)
• Topped With Whipped Cream (low fat, I imagine)
• Sprinkled on top with MARSHMALLOWS (COLORED ONES)

They went on to declare how GOOD their recipe would be!  FLAMING POOP.

What is it with boys?  A joke just isn’t a good joke unless it contains poop.  Hilarious.  And just so we’re clear, Jensen often enters a room announcing in his best outside voice, “MOM! I HAD A GOOD SOLID POOP!” Always a proud parenting moment.

Anyhoo.  After the mothers were sufficiently grossed out, we shooed them off to play.  Because if the truth be known, our Friday afternoon homeschool play group was not formed to aid in the socialization of our children.

IT IS FOR THE WEARY PARENTS.  So that we can have adult sized conversation, and assure one another that we’re not alone in our insanity.  Mostly.

And we also trade notes on inexpensive boarding schools.  Located in a harsh climate.  Just in case…

What does this have to do with Saturday Stirrings?  Nothing.  Except that I’ve not been able to get Flaming Poop out of my head.

And frankly, I don’t think I’ll be serving anything with whipped cream and marshmallows on top anytime soon.

As always, if you have a recipe to share, please leave it in the comments.  And if it’s on your blog, you can leave the URL to the post in the comments as well.

But if the main ingredient is poop, then please refrain.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

And btw, BC (before children) I envisioned trips to the park with my children in tow to be relaxing moments of respite.  While I sat on a park bench, surrounded by trees and flowers, and my children explored the wonders of the playground equipment.

I’ve since learned that sitting at the park only happens when I have wrestled Jensen to the dirt, after giving chase when has taken off in the general direction of the freeway.

Thankfully this didn’t happen yesterday, only because he is now enamored with the joys of the swing.  Which he managed to fall out of.  Twice.  And both times he simply looked dazed, dusted himself off, and got back in the saddle.

There is nothing like the sense of joy and freedom spread across a 4 year olds face as he swings into the air, with the greatest of ease.  Until he falls off onto his head.

But whatever.

Where was I?  Oh yes, the park.

The moms (many of which homeschool) were deep in conversation about math curriculum.  Math is a hot topic around our house lately since multiplication has entered the fray.  Wherein a certain 4th grader would spit on the ground in disgust if her mother would allow her.

And by happy coincidence, Mom’s Homeroom just launched a new episode on building Math skills.

So, here’s my question to you all.  Homeschoolers and parents with kids in school.

Do you all have any creative ideas to help with the learning of the multiplication tables? A few years ago, I wrote about how I used tossing a ball to aid in skip counting.  But clearly I need some fresh ideas!

I get my best ideas when I’m feverish.  And uncaffeinated.

I’ve been comfortably seated behind the scenes of Mom’s Homeroom moderating the message boards.  A job I love.  And not just because I can do it in my camo pjs, without makeup, when my hair is doing its best Rosanne Rosannadanna impression.

I’m more than a little nervous to step in front of the cameras again.  Since we’re filming at my SIL, Trish’s house, I have considered hiring her as my body double.

No one will know.  Except that she’s a good foot taller than I am.  And younger.  And skinnier.  And she doesn’t cut her own hair.  But other than that, we could be twins.

They’ve asked me to do the video as a homeschool mom to discuss creative ways to help kids stay organized.  And we’ll be discussing the workbox system, I’m sure.

And my use of bribery and threats of boarding school in a really harsh climate.

Oh, just kidding.  Sort of.

To prepare I’m going to go to the beauty parlor tomorrow morning.  To see if anyone can fix my bangs and cut off some of the unfortunate layering that has plagued me since my last visit to a different beauty parlor.

Oh yeah, and I’ll get myself nice and organized so that I can intelligently discuss organization.

And pray that I don’t get an eyebrow pimple.

I ain’t skeert.  Really…

Which always made for some fun blog fodder during the weekly grocery shopping trip.

I’m so relieved to tell you that the situation has improved dramatically since he turned 4.  We occasionally still deal with impromptu public nudity, but other than that, we generally can venture out into the open without too much incident.

Generally.

He’s still a handful, mind you.  I have to keep him on a short leash (figuratively).  And just so you know, yes, I have considered one of those child harnessy things.  But we all know that he could easily catch me off guard and use it to tie me to a street light.

He also still has the pesky habit of TALKING IN ALL CAPS.  And you never really know what’s going to come out of him.  Which is always an exciting prospect at church and such.

Today we piled into the van for a homeschool field trip to Chick Fil-A.  The plan was to have playtime on the indoor play equipment, tour the facility, and then eat lunch with other homeschooling friends.

This all sounded harmless enough.

What could happen?

The playtime was quite fun.  Jensen even had time to fall head over heals for a little tiny girl.  When she exited the playground, he made his intentions public by yelling after her, “HEY, DON’T LEAVE, I LOVE YOU!”

I need to have that little talk with him about playing hard to get.  Or hard to keep.  Or whatever.

He turned to me after she left and stated, “MOMMY, WHEN I’M A GROWN-UP, I’M GOING TO GO TO THE PET STORE AND THE BABY STORE AND GET ME A DOG AND A BABY.”

Right on, baby boy.

Then it was time for our group to take the tour of the kitchen.  I was particularly excited about this prospect.  Because I’ve heard that Chick Fil-A runs a first rate kitchen, and frankly I could use some pointers.  Like where is the best place to store the fire extinguishers and other useful information.

I gave Jensen the little talk about staying right with me and exhibiting his most polite behavior by not interrupting our tour guide.

About 35 seconds into the tour, Jensen announced to everyone within a 1 mile radius of the building, “I’M BORED!”  And the shooshing I aimed at him only served to make him louder, MOMMY, I’M BOOOORRRRDDD.”

And so I whisked him away.  Back to the playground.  And let my girls continue on the tour.

Lunch with Jensen was hectic, and then keeping track of him afterward with the lunch crowd and all the kids took a herculean effort.  Translated, I just held onto his arm.  With all the strength I could muster.

At one point, I was engaged in conversation with a fellow harried mom.  I was hanging onto Jensen with my left hand.  He managed to wriggle away from me for a moment, yet without losing my train of conversational thought, I saw him in my peripheral vision, and reached out and caught him up in the death grip.  While continuing the discussion with my friend.

I noticed that he was really straining against me, so I turned to give him the stink eye.

I found myself looking into the very confused face of a little boy that was not Jensen.  Horrified, I released him and apologized profusely.  He stood rubbing his wrist, still looking up at me puzzled.

In my defense, he is the same size as Jensen, and was wearing the same color shirt. Fortunately, it was his mother I was talking to and when she realized what had happened she laughed it off saying, “oh, he’s use to it.”

SHOUT OUT TO STACEY!  It’s so comforting to have friends that sail around in the same sinking boat with you.

I turned to see Jensen across the restaurant, frolicking with his boy cousins.

Our next planned field trip is the Kennedy Space Center.

I look forward to it with some trepidation.

The entire future of the space program could be in jeopardy.

Along with some anti-twitching medication and muscle relaxants.

I’ve had a number of e-mails inquiring how our homeschool year is shaping up since I changed curriculum.  And by “a number”, I mean more than one and less than five.

I am overall very pleased with Accelerated Christian Education (A.C.E.). Mainly, I love that I’m not juggling a bunch of different teacher’s manuals.  BECAUSE THEY ARE HEAVY, Y’ALL.  All of the girl’s work is explained in one easy workbook.  And there are 12 workbooks, per 6 core subjects, spread throughout the year.  Each workbook takes about 3 weeks to complete.  And at the end, there is a test to determine if the information is sticking, or draining out of every orifice.

Along with the 6 core subjects, I also purchased the Bible study and additional computer software CD (to enhance their subjects).  Next year, I need not do this.

The 6 core subjects are already infused with wonderful Bible stories.  And our church provides an excellent take-home Bible study for the kids to work on throughout the week.  And along with Awana (which starts on Wednesday…and yes, I’m stocked with plenty of Excedrin) they are covered.

One criticism I have about the A.C.E. Bible Study is that the study is directly from scripture.  Which is awesome.  But.  They use the old King James translation.  Which I think is awfully hard for little ones to grasp.  The girls have Bibles that are N.I.V. and N.L.T.  In other words, they totally get what they are reading.

Disclaimer: this is just my personal opinion and what works best for our family.

As far as the Computer Software CD goes.  It only plays on Windows.  We went round and round with this one.  Finally, because the kids needed a school computer, we got them an inexpensive Toshiba with Windows.

Which just made me appreciate my Mac all the more.  ‘Nuff said about that.

I’m not crazy about the software.  It’s a bit stale, not that easy to navigate, and doesn’t really hold the kid’s attention.

Which is why I RAN BACK TO BIG IQ KIDS (see ad in left sidebar, and yes, I proudly state that they are an affiliate).  This is my 4th year using them to reinforce what they are learning from their curriculum.

I’ll talk a good deal more about that soon, BECAUSE I GET TO DO ANOTHER BIG IQ KIDS GIVEAWAY THIS YEAR.

One reason I think that the kids are enjoying A.C.E. so much this year is because we’ve been implementing the Workbox System.  The official website is here, and  I explain how we’re using it in this post.  We had a little Workbox discussion going on at Mom’s Homeroom, and Keeslermom turned me on to a terrific site which will give you extra ideas about what to put in the workboxes.  I could spend HOURS there.

Since A.C.E. has everything laid out for me, I have a good deal more time to add fun activities to reinforce what they are learning.  And they love finding “surprises” in their drawers.

Because I’m 7, that last sentence just made me giggle.

Another positive about A.C.E. is that the girls are seeing progress as they, well, progress.  They get a star for their Progress Chart when they complete each test, and keeping track of grades is a breeze for me.

Oh.  And since I’m all about Parenting by Bribery, I reward the girls with an extra quarter whenever they get a 100% on a test.

And because of the diagnostic testing that I was able to do before we began, I knew what needed to be covered.  (Particularly in the area of Math.)

So far, so good.  No one is in therapy, and the teacher  still stays one day smarter than her students.

In other words, I haven’t had to threaten boarding school.  In a harsh climate.

The year is still young.

How are you homeschool moms holding up?

The Back to School Edition!

We’re right smack dab in the middle of our third week of homeschool.  The kids don’t mind going back to school in the middle of July since it’s 135 degrees outside.

And they know that they are going to get the entire month of December off!

I wanted to talk about something I brought up last month during the Curriculum Roundup.  I was just getting my Workbox System all set up, and hadn’t actually put it to use yet.

I’m back to tell you that I DON’T KNOW HOW I FUNCTIONED WITHOUT IT!  The Workbox system was developed by a gal named Sue Patrick.  (I understand that she’s speaking at the Heart of the Matter Online Home Education Conference.)  You can customize it to fit any type curriculum, and can use bins, drawers, or envelopes.

I found these 7 drawer (12×12) carts on wheels and got one for each of my girls.  I use each of the drawers for their 6 school subjects plus one for Bible Study.  I include in each drawer everything that they will need for that subject.  So no more running around the house searching for a ruler, a dictionary, or the duct tape to keep one small younger brother in one place.

Oh, I kid about the duct tape.  Sort of.

I also got the girls light weight 4′ adjustable folding tables (from Sam’s Club for about $30), so they can set up their work area in different areas of the house.  And that frees up the kitchen table FOR ME!  (Insert maniacal laughter.)  Emme has taken to doing her work underneath her table.

They are moving through each “workbox” at their own pace, and are enjoying a good deal more independence.  I’ve noticed Cailey’s work ethic has improved HUGELY with this new system.  She now sees what work she has accomplished, and what she has left to do.  And she keeps her workspace VERY TIDY.

Color me surprised.

I think we’re off to a wonderful start.  And I still have LOTS of Extra Strength Excedrin left in the bottle.

For more Works For Me Wednesday Back to School Edition tips, head over here!

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, we will be starting back to school next month.  We began homeschooling year round a couple of years ago, because I discovered that too much down time for my children = a nervous breakdown by September for me.

Plus I found that everything I was teaching them had a way of draining out of their head if too much time lapsed.  Therefore, we will have 4 quarters with 9 weeks per quarter.  We’ll work for 9 weeks and take 2 weeks off.  And we take all of December and June off.

In years past, I’ve pulled together curriculum that matched my children’s learning styles and interests.  Which I think is an awesome way to go.  We homeschooling moms have a lot of wonderful curriculum choices and teaching styles at our fingertips.

But for me, especially knowing that I would be adding an entity known as Jensen into the mix, the planning was killing me.

This year I’m going with a curriculum that is all put together for me.  My girlfriend Diana turned me on to Accelerated Christian Education.  (It has worked wonderfully with her 2 children, as they are both bright and articulate and especially well mannered.  I’m just shooting for “articulate”, but a mom can dream.)

Anyhoo.  Accelerated Christian Education (A.C.E.) provides all the core curriculum needed, plus testing as a way to keep track of what the kids are actually retaining.

And the wonderful thing is, we will proceed at our own pace.  We don’t move on until a concept is mastered.  I could have joined Lighthouse Christian Academy as a way to help with record keeping, testing, and advising.  But since I’m good at organizing and keeping records, grades, and portfolios, I’m going to wait until Emme gets closer to middle or high school.

We’ll have our core subjects: Math, English, Creative Writing & Literature, Word Building, Science, Social Studies plus some extra Bible thrown in for good measure.  I also got the CD-Rom so they can do some of their work on the computer, such as Typing, Math Drills, and Word Building.

Now.  How am I going to upsell them on all of this?

My SIL sent me a link to a website that uses a Workbox System. Go check out the link.  I think this is brilliant.  There are many ways to implement this, and we’re using a set of drawers.  I can include their work in each drawer (one for every subject) plus a fun hands-on project when it applies to what they are studying.

I’m still setting the system up, but I found my drawers at Target.  They are 12 x 12 and have 7 drawers each.  (I got a 3 drawer organizer for Jensen, who will be an official preschooler.  Oh Lord help me.)

(These are the 12 x 12 drawers I found at Target.  One for Emme and one for Cailey.)

(Implementing the Workbox System Workstrip.  I will insert extra activities where the blanks are each day.)

(I’m using crates from Wal•Mart to keep my curriculum organized.  My crate (with answer keys) is the hot pink one.  Because I’m sassy.  Emme’s is black because she’s 9 going on 74.  Guess who has the fairy pink?)

(I print up my own journal pages using free downloads from Donna Young’s site.  LOVE HER.)

(I made up my own Daily Planning Pages using iWorks on my Mac.  Makes me look like I know what I’m doing.)

Also, I found a great website that offers a download file of folder games for Preschool through 4th grade.  I think I got the deluxe set for around $30.00.  That will provide some fun hands on learning and games.

Because my curriculum is already set up, I’ll have time to pull together fun learning activities to help keep their attention.  The premise of the Workbox system is to encourage them to accomplish goals and work more independently.  I really think it will help motivate them.  And keep me organized.

Okay, your turn.  I love hearing about what everyone else is using!  If you’re posting your own curriculum roundup, please feel free to post the link on Mr. Linky and then link back here.  I’ll leave it open for a week or thereabouts so you can join in.

Or of course you can leave your curriculum roundup in the comments section.

Just remember, if you have the heart and desire to homeschool your children, you only have to stay one day smarter than they are. 

As our school year drew to a close, my Cailey still had not fully mastered reading.  And she most certainly had not developed a love of the written word.

She steadfastly stated that she couldn’t read.  But I knew that she could indeed read a lot more words than she was giving herself credit for.

And we kept plugging away.  I, by reading books aloud to her, and she, by diligently working through each lesson of “Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading.”

About 3 weeks ago, she announced that she wanted to read her “The Little Mermaid” book aloud to us.  This was the same bedraggled book that I bought at a garage sale nearly 20 years ago, when I was portraying Ariel at children’s parties in Los Angeles.  (And btw, long red luxurious hair only served to make me look more pasty.)

I was floored.  She never wanted to read aloud.  She plopped herself down on the couch, and began with page 1.  And continued, reading aloud as though she had been reading forever.  Even the big 4 dollar words.

Since I’m not really one to get emotional…(right…have you met me?) I kept my tears to myself until later.  For the next few nights, she continued reading “The Little Mermaid” until she finished.  I even caught her sitting quietly during the day reading through it.  I was so proud of her.

It baffles me how a child learns to read.  And I’m even more baffled now that I’ve successfully taught two of my children.  I don’t remember ever not being able to read.  It just seemed like one day, somewhere between spit balls and eating the finger paint, it just clicked with me.  And I’ve had a deep and abiding love of books ever since.

Emme learned with ABeka in Kindergarten, and caught on very quickly.  Today she devours books by the armload.  After plowing through all of the American Girl books, she has started on a new series, “Magic Attic Club”.

And NO, it’s not that kind of magic.

Cailey, like most things in life, preferred to take the long winding road to reading.  And I’ve been around enough homeschooled children and their moms to know that each child learns at their own pace.  Some are reading at 4.  Others at 10.  I have a very strongly held belief that it is important not to pressure or push a child into reading.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Just read aloud to them, and present them with books that will spark their interest.  With Cailey, I have been picking up all sorts of books about mermaids, make-believe fairies, and of course the requisite princesses.

Coincidentally, Mom’s Homeroom launched a new episode on the topic of Reading this week.  Go check it out here.

And I’ve had a few of you ask me how to get to the message boards (where I lurk as moderator and sandbox monitor) to share questions or parenting concerns.

I want to give you step by step instructions.  If you are new to message boards, it all looks very foreign the first time you visit.  It certainly did with me.

The first thing you see when you visit the site is the episode.  Then, at the top click on “Community.”  That takes you to a list of topics.  At the bottom of the screen click on “View All Discussions.”  That takes you right to the boards.  You can sign in at the bottom.  All you need is your e-mail address (which is never shaders don’t even get to see it) and a “handle.”  Or what you want to be called.

Off topic.  Did y’all ever have a CB radio in the 70’s and 80’s?  I had one in my truck.  My handle was Sugarfoot.  Good buddy.

Anyhoo.  Focus.

You can start a new discussion, or jump in on one that’s already established.  We have a really great one on children’s book lists.  You can see it here.

I love reading.  And I’m especially fond of the library.  I’d go more often if I could just keep Jensen from disrobing at the circulation desk.  I’m sure the other library patrons would appreciate it as well.

Now a quiz. For you homeschooling moms, what curriculum have you found to be most effective for teaching reading? I’m still happy with “Ordinary Parents Guide” and will probably use it with Jensen next year.  I also use the magnetic board and letters.  Plus lots and lots of reading aloud.

And now, because I’m 7, here is a short list of book titles, not to be missed.

Adding Up by Juan & Juan
The Chocolate Bar by Ken I Havesum
Telephone Problems by Ron Number
Aching Joints by Arthur Itis
I’m Not a Mutant by Abner Mallety
The Bedpan Patrol by B.M. Nightly
Drink this Before the X-Ray by Barry Um
and finally,
I Read You Like a Book by Claire Voyant

Happy reading!

While I intended to blog my way through it, I became very much aware that my focus was skewed, and I needed to concentrate on why I was there.

This happens to me in every day life as well.  I start to think more about the fodder, than living in the moment.  And this, my friends, is a hard lesson for me.  And why I haven’t been as “present” in the blogosphere.

I’m learning how to balance.  Because the juggling act I’ve been doing has left me exhausted.

Anyhoo.

We arrived at the hotel on Thursday, and Trish left me with all of our considerable luggage on the sidewalk while she parked somewhere out of state.

As I sat on the bench waiting, I began my customary yearly practice of People Watching at the Homeschool Convention.  There were a couple of moms who had been dropped off by a husband and a van full of kids.  I noticed that these moms were having a hard time tearing themselves away from the van.

“Suckers.  Must be newbies,” I smugly thought to myself.  When they finally pried themselves loose from the children and shut the van door, they stood back and waved to the back of the van as it disappeared around a corner.

Then they started whooping and hollering.  “YEAH!  FREEDOM!  I JUST NEEDED TO GET AWAY!” And they skipped merrily into the swank hotel lobby.

One thing you notice upon checking in to a homeschool convention, is that it most certainly doesn’t look like your average convention.

Moms, clad in various blue jean jumpers and comfy stretchy clothes, fill the lobby.  And with them are all manner of children, strollers, luggage, and of course, food coolers.

Food coolers.  In the lobby of a hoopty ploopty hotel.  Awesome.

And btw, I had my own food cooler.  I was just savvy enough to have it hidden in a rolling cart, and covered with bags.

It will be our secret.

I stayed with my partner in crime, and sister-in-law, Trish.  In the adjoining room was my other SIL, Cathy.  No one can make me laugh like those two women.  And it didn’t hurt that both of them smuggled in drinks that were wine in nature.

In fact, Trish not only brought wine coolers, but the decorative umbrellas that also make the drink look so much more expensive.

I posted a picture of my beverage over the weekend (and sadly, this was the only picture I took the entire weekend), and then took it down for fear that you all would think I’m a lush.

Which I’m not.  Really.  At most I drank the equivalent of one entire wine cooler over the entire weekend.

Because I’m a cheap date.

But I do have to share a story. On Friday night the 3 of us went to eat outside at the little deli-style cafe at the hotel.  Yes, we purchased food.  However, one of my SILs brought a bottle of wine discreetly hidden in a paper bag.  And some styrofoam cups.

I married into a very classy family.

Well.  We were giggling and telling raucous stories.  With the styrofoam cups filled.  I was in the middle of a story that a friend told me recently involving her lively boys and a set of testicles.

I don’t normally talk about testicles at dinner, but the mood was jovial, and well, the conversation warranted it.

Mid-story, a group of 3 women sat down across from us at our large table.  They were obviously of the same gene pool.  There was a young girl, a middle aged mom, and her elderly mother.  The young girl wore a “Got Jesus?” t-shirt.  They were 3 very dour women who spent the entire meal bickering and sniping at one another.  Never did they crack a smile.

I considered telling them the testicle story.  It’s one of those stories that every mother can appreciate.  But I thought better of it.  Then I considered offering the older of the two a little something from the brown paper bag.  They looked like they could use it.  Thankfully, clearer heads prevailed.  Instead, we 3 flashed our winningest smiles at them.

They ate quickly and left.

This cafe was quite the place to people watch.  The day prior we spotted a family with ELEVEN children in tow.  All dressed alike.  The girls all had matching white bows.  They were very well mannered.  I know this because we sat and studied them carefully.  Not one child pushed, kicked, hit,or bit another.

Trish and I looked at each other, “That’s just not right.”

I vowed to throw myself in front of their little entourage at some point during the convention so that I could interview them.

But alas, security was tight.  And I didn’t want to end up in the pokey because of stalking issues.

So I did what any good Christian would do.  I stared.

I attended many seminars that were delightful.  Among my favorites were speakers Linda Werner (Circle Christian School), Mark Hamby (Cornerstone Family Ministries), and Steve & Annette Economides (America’s Cheapest Family).

I was also able to hug the necks of many dear homeschooling friends!  Shout out to Karen, Carla, Michelle, Maridel, Sonia, Trish S., Carrie, and Joanna B., and new friend Joanna.

I came away rested and refreshed.  Mostly due to the sad fact that we climbed into our pj’s by 8:00 both nights and were fast asleep before 10.  Be sure to invite us to your next party.

Now I’m marking off the days until the next convention.  I did leave our FPEA a little feedback on their review form.  THROW THE BLOGGERS A BONE!  There are many many homeschooling bloggers here in Florida, and I think a homeschool convention warrants a seminar geared to us!

Can I hear an AMEN?

This is our last week of school and no one is more excited about that than the teacher.  I’ll be doing a curriculum roundup in the next month or so, and adding Mr. Linky (if he’s all fixed).

Today is the backwards edition of Works For Me Wednesday.  The WFMW participants can pose a dilemma, or question, and then hope and pray for guidance.

Or in my case, pray that a girl scout will show up on my doorstep and give me a box of Thin mInts.

But, guidance would probably be a wiser choice.

I pose a question to all my homeschooling com padres.

Do you have any experience with “virtual homeschooling” in your area, and would you recommend it?

I’ve been putting together and planning our curriculum for the last few years.  I piecemeal a number of different curriculums for all of our subjects.

And this has worked fine.  Until this year.  I have a 3rd grader and a first grader, and in another year, I’ll be adding a Kindergartner to the mix.

The thought of that just caused me to age 10 years right here in my desk chair.

The planning is killing me.  I need something put together for me.  I know there are some wonderful curriculum (like Sonlight and Bob Jones) that offer DVDs and pre-planned lessons.  But they are rather cost prohibitive.

I had never really considered virtual homeschooling until I had a commenter post a thread about it over at the Mom’s Homeroom site, on the message boards.  And then more and more moms jumped into the conversation extolling the wonders of virtual homeschooling, and frankly, I’m thinking seriously about it.  (And to read the thread, go here.)

For now (pending more educational budget cuts, which really, don’t get me started on that one for fear I’ll owe my cuss jar some serious change) our state (Florida) does offer virtual homeschooling at no charge to homeschoolers.  That includes text books, web site use, and on-line help.

There is so much more that I need to learn about it, but I wanted to go to the homeschool moms and get the real information.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.

If you have an opinion, please spill your guts.

I’ll be virtually and completely appreciative.