Found this website with lots of free downloads and bible lessons for kids.
http://gardenofpraise.com/bibleles.htm

Very true. Most parets don't take the time out of their day to even think about educating their child like you are. Whatever you do is extremely beneficial. Be proud of yourself. And I say go for the right brain training. Buy the wink videos if you haven't already. With the right side of your LO brain open he will master any new concept you try to teach him. GL

I don't really have a schedule set. And certainly don't have a set time I expect things to be learned by. But I have made up a list of things I would like to work on. Of course readng, with phonics and sight words, math were doing counting, number recognition, and addition and subtraction, geography, coninents and oceans right now. Later move on to states then countries. Musical instruments. Things like that. So at night when the girls are asleep I go online and figure out an activity to do the next day concerning one of those topics. And I don't stress if I don't have times to do that. I just make up a game, or review what we already know. I just make sure whatever were doing is fun for everyone. Schedules are hard to keep when your LO are so young and have a short attention span or don't always want to do what you have planned. GL

We both know there are two kinds of reading: by sight, and using phonics. It definatly sounds like he recognized the word. I think sight reading is indeed reading : )

Oh I feel ya!! My daughter is very obedient with me when we are home alone. But if someone is over and even when we go over to other peoples houses she is a terror. Mostly at our home though. I guess maybe it could be less attention from you, but maybe he just doesn't know how to socialize yet. I think that is my daughters problem. I know this will resolve itself soon though when my youngest starts crawling and wanting to play with sister more! Dakota is going to have to learn to share. I don't have any real advice except to keep being patient and lettin him know his attitude is not appropriate. That's all I try to do. Stay cool, and tell her what's what. GL

Good for you for homeschooling! I don't think I would be able to do it. I guess I am not organized enough. I often find myself not doing the things I planned to do with my girls at the days end. I guess I need to get into more of a schedule. The things we do are always fun and games when I have the materials prepared. Maybe I will change my mind later when the girls are older and it is easier to get into a schedule for the day : )

Testing def has to be done in a fun way, a game!! Dakota LOVES to show off. If someone new comes over she offers to show them what she knows. If I ask her to show me something and she doesn't want to I drop it right away. And sometimes she acts silly and points to or says the wrong answer, but I can tell she is being silly.
She knew her colors at around 18 mos. She hardly ever gets them wrong. And always offers to tell me what color something is. But she doesn't always seem to like math. Reading and any encyclopedic knowledge she loves. But math is not for her. I guess they are all different. I like the paint color strip idea. I will look into that for more complex colors.
And I have heard that a lot of LO end up not wanting to do anything but crawl and walk when they first learn how. So incorperating the testing into a game where they need to crawl or walk to the answer is awesome : )
and we loved doing sign language. I think it helped her to speak sooner. Dakota was putting sentences together at 18 mos. And can now hold a conversation with any adult and almost everyone can understand her.
Anyway, I think testing is fine as long as you both are having fun

That's a neat idea. I've never heard of anything like that. But my youngest is 7 mos, and depending on how expensive those are and how long she would fit in it, I might as well just wait til they are both old enough to be put into a class. I've never read the doman book, but I've heard great things about the toddler swimming classes. I will google it right now : ) thanks  Karma for you

I was recently told (by some confused adults) that Dakota, my 2 yo, is gifted. Lol. I always knew that Dakota was advanced because she was always way ahead of her peers and where the doc said she should be at her age. It wasn't until recently (and upon findin this forum) that I realized she is a normal kid and I just must be doing something right. Now that I know that every child has the potenial for genius I am working with my girls every day to bring that out. I think it is silly that we are stuck in a society where adults feel that children are more like pets. You feed them, bathe them, love them, and play with them. And when one happens to be above normal it was all up to fate, their gifted!!! Instead of giving them the stimulation that every child deserves and can benefit from. I just wish more people knew. And those people I try to talk to about it would believe me. My parents still think I'm crazy. Even though after only a few months Dakota can almost read on her own. She is so close! I'm so proud! But anyway, i just wanted to share. And express my thanx to all of you wonderful parents who make this forum what it is : )

I wish I could do more physical stuff with my oldest. It rains a lot here and because I also have a baby we are always on her schedule. I can't go to the pool or anything with 2 kids. I'm only 1 mommy, . So if anyone does find any sort of gymnastics fun to do around the house or in the yard I would love to know about it. Im about to go google some : )

I am doing the couplets that are in the YBCR videos. Arms up, roll over. And I do tape up a sentence using some of the words she already knows. With that she has learned to read each individual words and from left to right. So I think I will move on to a whole book. A short one of course. And she also loves leap frog letter factory. She will say all the letter sounds but won't quit blend them together herself yet.

I bought YBCR a few months ago. My 7 mo watches them and I do flash cards with her. My older daughter, she will be 3 in august, doesn't always watch the videos. I put words up on the wall with a pic next to it. Then after a while take the pic down. When she knows that word I retire it. I am using the words from the YBCR videos so when she does wath it she sees the same words. Should I move on to more couplets? She knows the phonetic sounds of all letters. I am going to choose a book and teach her all the words so she can read it. Is there anything else I should be doing differently?

I never hid candy and chips and things like that from my daughter. We have these foods in the house, but my husband and I only eat them in moderation. Dakota is given some as a treat. Definatly not all the time. But I never hid it from her. If she asks for chips I give her an option: offer a healthier food instead. Sometimes she chooses the other option. And when I do give her the chips it is a small amount. I have told her, in ways she understands, that chips and candy are bad for her body.  And healthy foods gives her energy, makes her grow strong and things like that. I let her make her own decision. I grew up that way. My mom was always baking goodies. But now as an adult I am health concious and choose the right foods on my own. I can eat all the candy I want, but most of the time a bowl of strawberries sounds better!! And I always make sure to have fresh fruit and veggies, and canned, for her to choose from as a snack.

I am reading about the Vedic system right now. Thanks, I had never heard about it. Very interesting.

Being around other kids always helps. I agree. But I think she isn't just lazy she is content. If she will not put a toy into her mouth maybe she doesn't want to explore it. Babies use their mouths as learning tools. Maybe buy her some new toys. Maybe buy her a sippy cup with handles she can hold herself. I can't tell you why she is doing this, only she can. And she can't talk right now so I guess you'll just have to play detective and figure it out. Lol. But if she seems fine in other areas I'm sure she is. I knew a girl the same age who's mother always held the bottle for her so she never had to or wanted to do it on her own. She is fine now.