I just placed an order with www.oliversmom.com for some of our books. We have decided to go with Well Trained Mind since we have already started the History that way - and it just really clicks with me. :-)

I got:
*Story of the World vol. 2 (along with the activity guide) - for Austin and Nate
*First Language Lessons for the WTM - for Nate
*Phonics Pathways - for Nate
*Pyramid - for Nate (may do some remediation for Austin if it looks like it would work)

Also... we took our first trip to the library this week. I had to BUY a membership at the public library becausewe live on base and don't qualify for the town's library. Anyways... they have a large children's section, and a MUCH better selection than the base library - so we decided to do it. It will take the kids some getting used to - Adam and Lauren don't understand the meaning of QUIET! I'm going to have to keep going and try to get them to be quieter. sigh... (we got shushed and admonished by the librarian).

Now I am working on figuring out what to do for Math. Still not sure if I want to just take a scope and follow it or if I want to get a 'program'. I knwo I am going to get the caluculus by and for young people... but not sure what else.

We're using the Usborne Earth and Space book as our science base text - then the library as supplements. We'll also be doing experiments, etc.

I need to get Austin his LA stuff... I'm thinking English for the Thoughtful Child. Still not sure, though. I think we are going to continue with Wordly Wise, too. And possibly Writing Strands.... and definitely Spelling Workout.

ok, so I still have a lot more to buy. lol But I got started!

Isn't it exciting to order the new stuff?

We're having alot of fun with SOTW2. We're doing Vikings right now.

Sometimes FLL gets a little dry, especially in the first "year". We combined lessons and did some Montessori stuff to punch it up, plus read some other books. I'll tell you what, though, right now we're in R&S3 English, doing helping verbs, and dd rattles them off from the chant you'll learn in FLL (and, oh, those mornings spent marching around the house chanting propositions in alphabetical order...). And I miss having all the dictation, copywork and poetry memorization (and review) all laid out for me. Why would you get EFTC *and* FLL? I thought they covered the same ground.

For math we tried Miquon, then Singapore, and finally settled on RightStart from www.alabacus.com which I could discuss ad nauseum. We have the Calculus book, but haven't used it that much (the workbook, not the text).

We did one year of Spelling Workout and dd declared it "enough". So now we're doing Spelling Power, and she's having alot of fun.

I was planning on doing FLL for my 1st grade son and using EFTTC for my 3rd grade son. Although... I have a neighbor who is getting PLL (which was also recommended to me) at the beginning on April, which I am going to look at also - for the 3rd grader.

I can't wait to get my FLL so I can see if it's something that could work for Austin AND Nate. I haven't had Austin memorize parts of speech, although he can tell me what they are. I am thinking of working on the memorization with him. Glad to hear that FLL has that! :-)

I also placed an order with Usborne this week.... I got:
*the entire First Encyclopedia Series (human body, atlas, animals, science, seas and oceans, space, our world and history)
*Book of Castles
*Book of Space and Astronomy
*Planet Earth
*Encyclopedia of World History
*Dinosaur Sticker Atlas
*Timelines in History
*Rocks and Fossils
*The Young Astronomer
*The Young Naturalist
*Tales of King Arthur

I am sooo anxious now!

We just started using FLL today. I love it.

I got my books today. :-) I am anxious about it. I think I will like the FLL - and I think we are going to start by using some of it with my oldest. He's already covered most of it, but I think a review and work on memorizing will only help him.

And Pyramid looks cool! :-)