You wouldn't have to worry about it anyway, there are so many people I don't think they have time to be obnoxious. I don't think you should feel any more comfortable/uncomfortable than any other place. It is great people watching for a non-creationist/secularist/educational HSer. :D I think I am going to wear a plunging neckline this year, BTW. Probably some crazy tights, too. I'm trying to push the envelope a bit. Hipster Homeschool squad.

And also those GHC conventions are so huge (and they do accept/welcome secular vendors) that here is a small convention within the convention. Really. You just need to wade through a lot of weird stuff to got to the good things. I have been trying to get them to group that stuff together, but I am only one person. I think that Greenville is the least diverse of the bunch. Each one should have it's own special flavor. Anyhoo... those ones are big, you don't need to go to anything you don't want to, and no one will judge you... unless you're making out with your partner all over the place, and I think if you weren't same sex people would get irritated and all rumpled about that anyway. I make it a point to re-dye my hair extra red, just because. :D Unfortunately, the secular HS market is still too small to make many waves yet. When we get there, my kids will be out of school! WAH!:tongue_smilie:

I don't know about this. It seemed to me like a natural stopping place. After Octavian become Augustus, it is pretty boring for several years (well, not actually), and 2 of the compelling characters would quickly become too old to bother with. Besided, this is where I, Claudius has things covered. :D I LOVED this series. However it is really smutty (that is the perfect word for it, IMHO) especially season 2. No kids, teens or easily offended adults. The language is also quite graphic.

Normally, these people (usually at exit ramps) are "professionals". They are dropped off by someone who has a car (as it is at an off ramp with a light right?) and even my kids will say thing like... "Hey, that guy is here every Wednesday." They can haul in several hundreds of dollars a day. My friend lives downtown and knows the difference between the "real" homesless vs. professional low amount grifters. If it makes you feel better, do something. If you don't like being scammed, don't. You can always tell who's in it for real if they accept anything with gratitude... however, I would think that if you're a really good grifter, you would do that anyway, as you don't want ANYONE to know your angle.

It sounds like has a serious math anxiety, and as LoF makes it fun and interesting, he is afraid that it isn't working right. He is second guessing himself as he thinks he is supposed to hate it and it is supposed to be too hard.

I refuse to read this article as it will make my brain bleed. ;) I think that anyone who would equate political affiliation to educational/homeschool style/philosophy is a flat out idiot. I am an individual, my family is a unique unit and my choices about all sorts of things are all over the map. Don't paint me into a little box, A-h*le.:glare:

Also, keep in mind that part of what I think Stan is trying to do is to take a certain amount of fear out of regular algebraic equations. Look, algebra is totally easy compared to this!!! This is something you will come across in the future, so here is a taste so that you won't be blind-sided by it. I had my kids try them as much as they could, sometimes were more successful than others, but I would move on. I thought it didn't really matter to me if my kids were able to do it as well as the math parts. Don't sweat it.;)

I AM THE DISHWASHER!!!! Really, I am sure it would be great, but our kitchen (1929 original) would not approve.

Yes, the Cincinnati Museum Center will have the Pompeii exhibit going on. They will have things across all 3 museums. Also, do not be paranoid! Downtown Cincinnati is harmless. They will also have tons of cops, 'cause they understand this is a heavy family event and that it brings lots o' $$ into the city. I am soooo happy it moved.

Look at gifted curriculum. It is usually better than the average curr, and does not have as much mind-numbing repetition. I think that any HSer can benefit from one on one instruction with a gifted curriculum. Try not to let your experience in a totally different enviroment effect you and your kids now. Use it as a tool, not a mallet.

LOL how could I forget the Pantheon! I also thought that jail was neat. The walk from our 'hotel" to the coliseum was through what is essentially a dog park.... but it is filled with ruins. It's pretty cool.

I hear Pompeii is excellent. Make the time for a side trip. If you want to go to the Galleria Borghese, you must buy tickets a few days in advance (we didn't know that, so couldn't go). Personally, I say skip the Vatican...the lines are soooo long! We ended up not going because of that. Do not miss Hadrian's Tomb (Castel Sant'Angelo) that was really neat. When you do the forum/palatine hill/coliseum go to the forum first and buy the combo ticket. There is always a short line there, whereas the one at the coliseum is longer. If you already have your ticket you enter a much shorter line. Do not be afraid to walk around with a good map and check out all sorts of things. Via Veneto was really neat to walk down. It is uber ritzy. As far as staying somewhere, it is a much smaller city than it seems like. We stayed near Termini (the train station) and Santa Maria Maggiore, which was slightly shady, but not much. 3-5 minute walk to the Coliseum. I found or place on the internet.There is a neat old monastery that rents out rooms further south of the Coliseum... they were booked when we went, but given our amazing stay at an old convent in Siena, I would say to go for it. We only had 3 days and walked around like crazy. We kept trying to find Bernini sculptures and a main mission was to find the tiny piazza named after my husband's family. It was great. We didn't get to do as much as I want, but hopefully one day we can return before my kids are too old. Have a great time! :D

I would have laughed about it. Really, if you always wear or do anything specific, and then don't.... its absence could be shocking. Especially if someone can't remember your name and refers to you as "the one who wears floral dresses.":D He was trying to be funny, don't take it personally. Who cares... he didn't say "Wow, i'm so glad you didn't wear another floral pattern 'cause you look horrible in them"... he was pointing out how odd it was that you weren't wearing something that he thinks defines you in some way. Maybe a "Whoops! Funny how it works out that way!" would've been in order. If you get upset about it, you have a problem. It wasn't mean, maybe a bit rude... but not REALLY rude, just silly, dumb, oblivious rude. Totally innocent. I didn't read any responses though.... if he is a nutjob, then there is even more of a reason to ignore it and not take it seriously. Some people are absolutely clueless.

No. Having people in charge of education putting the actual education of kids first, and spending the money they have wisely is more important. In my neck of the woods (and I am sure this is common) school districts routinely cut the things that will make parents vote for levies first: Transportation, electives, sports, art, music....with the idea that if you take away the things that are either helpful for the parents, and that the kids love/need you will vote them more $$. Ugh. They need to re-organize their priorities. Does the school really need a state of the art programmable LED announcement board outside the school? If I had even a fraction of what these districts pay per child, I could do wonders. Anyway, the school choice vouchers already has been going on in my state for a few years. You can only use them if your local public is a low performing school. You can use it to go to any private/parochial school. I have heard that they still don't use all the vouchers allotted. Every parent iin one of these schools is given the opportunity to use them.....and they don't. That's sad.

Just to add this.... My brother failed a class in his freshman year that there was never a chance to make up (long story) anyway... other than that he had a stellar HS career, including being student body president, etc. However, he would never have the right amount of credits, as that was a required year long class. So the school said, we'll issue you your HS diploma after you complete 2 years of college. :confused: My brother only wanted to go to one school, so he got his stuff together when on a college visit/interviews and explained the whole situation to the college. They decided that they wanted him there, and that it was more or less a formality. SO, he got to go to the college he wanted, with a generous scholarship, for 2 years w/o a HS diploma...and eventually he was issued one. This is a bit off topic, but I thought it was an interesting story in context of this thread. I have another point ot make, but I have to go....;)

I assume that I did not take Chemistry as I don't remember it at all. I did all the advanced Biology/ life sciences. Math, I said pre-calc... but that is because we did math all 4 years, but didn't have them designated like that, and I was not in the fast-track math... just the regular. So I will assume we did not get to calc. I really don't remember! But I can tell you everything about my biology/english & history classes!;)

My son was diagnosed with this when he was 5 or 6, but he failed the ice cube test. It sort of bothered me, as I didn't see how he could have this allergy, yet not have a reaction to that test. The allergist said, well, his must be mild...:confused: Anyway, he would get welts when we would go to the pool and he would wear the floatie belt.. basically wherever the cold water would be held next to his skin. Dr. said, give him benedryl when it flared up. He did grow out of it, for the most part. Every so often, he will get a mild case... but not like before.

OMG, what a horrifying thought you've given me! If I did my math right (which I doubt) I will be 47 when my youngest would graduate from high school. Barring any surprises, that should be it.

I only saw the end when she dropped into a hole in a black mu-mu. I keep trying to figure out what in the world they can do next...really, who is left? There are no mega bands/performers who can appeal across such a large demographic (I think the Black Eyed Peas was such a dumb choice, BTW, even if it wasn't a disaster). I want to see a full onslaught DEVO show, Sonic Youth, The Buzzcocks, or heck, a mixed cassette tape from 1991 played through a boombox and one dude breakdancing to it. :D Blue man group could probably do a pretty interesting show, too.

Don't you dare do it until I have a chance to see what it is really all about. ;)

No particular reason. They are short, not insanely expensive and are not going to be too filled with an intense of content or work so they can get their feet wet. I have no grand illusions about it. Just a tool. :D

I was thinking the same thing. I will still put it in my hopper for next year, or "things to consider". BTW, E.... i have done everything I can do right now. I need to just do one of these and see how it goes. It either succeeds, fails or does nothing. I need someone else to do this for a while, KWIM? I know that I can come up with a million better things than this, but it doesn't matter if my kids and I are on different wave lengths right now. Lots of side issues. None of which are relevant. So, I am going with the paragraph one, as they will either be insulted by the first one, or it will be way too easy. Thanks everyone!

This is so horrible.

:smilielol5: I looked at the poll and it is 50/50! :banghead::rolleyes:

THANKS! ;) but, you could read the descriptions and give me an opinion, LOL. I am not asking for anyone who has taken these classes to chime in. I just want an opinion of which I should take based on supposed content. Husband and I have made our decision, yet I still need to seek advice of the hive. Luckily, they both have a 2 week change class/refund thing-a-ma-doodle.