heartofdakota.com

Hello everyone! I have a few questions for you.

This is our first year to homeschool. Our son will be 5 in September (he was 3 months early so that accounts for the age difference you will see in a moment) and our daughter turned 5 in late Decemeber. Both can read the Dick and Jane books, can count to 100 and are generally pretty bright but very stubborn (got that from dad).

I was thinking about trying the Little Hearts for His Glory for them both. Does that sound about right?

Also the item from this page http://www.heartofdakota.com/little-hearts.php ...... what do I need to add to this to have what I need? It doesn't say what is included or my lack of sleep is just making me miss it!

And totally off topic but I need some help ..... mosquitos. The night before last I had to do some fence work to keep the hens in and the mosquitos got me. The hens were in the coop or they probably would have eaten some of the bugs. Is there a natural rememdy for the itching? I couldn't sleep much last night because of the itching. I'll try anything! Thank you for any help!

And thank you for helping with our homeschooling and for having this forum!

Their age falls within either LHTH or LHFHG so if you could just look at the chart and tell us where you think they fall in the other categories reading, writing, and math. I know you said they could read dick and jane books, how are they at listening to short chapter books without pictures? Have you already done some phonics with them since they can read some?
Did you print out the placement chart and see where both children placed on there? It will really help with whether LHFHG is a good fit and what you would need to get to go with it for them. http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php. If you click on LIttle Hearts Packages at the top of the link from your post, you can see the different choices to get to go with LHFHG.
Looking forward to hearing more about your dc.
Val

I'd love to hear your thoughts on where your kiddos place on the first page of the placement chart too! For now, just look at each child independently on the chart. Then, we can advise you so much better.

Blessings,
Carrie

Hi Starchicken, and welcome to the HOD Boards! My oldest ds was born 2 months early, so I'm rejoicing especially with you that your son is reading already - what a blessing to have a healthy, thriving 5 yo after such an early start. We will all chime in with our thoughts if you could please just check out the placement chart and tell us a bit about each of your dc - especially in regard to their reading, writing, and math, which is the first part of the placement chart. The chart is easy to use and very accurate. So, we'll all check back for some more information from you and then figure it out together. I'm glad you are here!

In Christ,
Julie

P.S. I have no answers for the mosquitoes. We have them here as well. Maybe bug spray? Spraying the lawn? Sorry, no novel ideas here. Benadryl cream works well on the skin once you have a bite.

As far as mosquitoes....

Avon's brand of SkinSoSoft/repellant works well, for bites themselves... Aveeno's hydrocortisone cream and oatmeal baths...

Nature's enemies of mosquitoes... encourage more birds to live in your yard (I know you have chickens but entice other varieties to frequent your yard), if you have a pond, stock it with some frogs, if you have banana spiders in your yard, try to avoid killing too many of them as they love to eat annoying biting insects.

I understand your problem, my yard backs up to a ditch that the county cannot get to spray for mosquitoes. We have been working to encourage purple martins to live in our back yard. They are tenacious little birds that like to live in large groups and will defend their home against predatory birds such as hawks. Something to consider, especially having chickens.

Good luck!

I have to chime in about the mosquitos....this stuff is awesome:
http://www.bulkherbstore.com/The-Vinega ... d=sPk9j2cg

We live near a swamp and the bugs are awful , I made a batch of this and spray it liberally on me and the kids when we are outside and for the first summer since we have lived here we are not getting bit! Hope that helps

Hi there! Have you survived the mosquitoes? I hope so - just checking back in to see if you'd gotten the chance to check out the placement chart yet.

In Christ,
Julie