My favorite station was SHAPE in Mons, Belgium. Other good places for homeschooling and life were Patrick AFB, FL, and Kirtland, NM which is in Albuquerque. I also liked LAAFB but I know most people don't like LA. (Can you guess we are a science family and don't get stationed at normal operational bases). The ones that we could have gone to but tried hard to avoid were Hanscom in MA and Rome in NY. Out of those two, I would choose Hanscom because at least it is in a loevely area with lots of interesting places nearby (it is between Lexington and Concord, MA). Rome on the other hand, is very far way from everything and in an awful homeschooling state and extremely cold and snowy. If dh gets assigned there, we will stay here or go somewhere else. I am not moving there. We are currently at the Pentagon. This is a good assignment for us but that is because dh is at a higher rank and we can now live fairly close in and in a great neighborhood with a great house. I know I wouldn't have been happy if we had been here with smaller kids and less money and he had a langer commute for a less great neighborhood. That said, the prices have fallen a lot here and it is easier to get decents rentals here. The base housing situation here depends on your rank. For us, there was an over thre year wait which is longer than we will be here.

Is there a specific problem why he can't be on a stimulant for the ADHD? They generally work much better for it and weight gain is not an issue. I have 2 with ADHD and for my older, at around 9 or so, his rages became horrible. WE worked with a pediatric development specialist and with a psychologist who had ADHD himself. The MD tweaked his medicines so we had the best affect (both stimulant and clonidine) and the psychologist could really communicate with him in a way to make him understand that acting out was simply not acceptable. But he needed the medication changes in order to be able to have some chance to control his impulses. My daughter has had severe rage reaction to a Migraine medication and also to an abrupt discontinuation of a SSNRI. Our more sensitive kids are more apt to have medication issues. I would not stay with any doctor who didn't believe us as the parents about our kids problems. Fortunately we didn't have those issues excepts once and I didn't go back to that doctor. If you can, have both of you go to the doctor with your son. I find that even a somewhat skeptical doctor is more likely to believe if Dad is there and backing Mom up.

We have a number for things from IKEA. The things that have worked well are a hanging thing for stuffed animals, an organizational drawer piece, and some lamps we have. Some chairs we got which were very cheap now don't have a way to attach the seat to the chair. But I paid about 15 or 20 for each and we are on year 6 so I consider it a good deal anyway.

We visited one during the summer before sophomore year. She then went to cc in the fall for one class. WE probably will visit somewhere this summer before Junior year. Your kids may be different but she really wasn't very interested in visiting before now. SHe is getting more interested as the time for college gets closer. My older only visitedc one college before he applied and went to another. That is because we moved to Europe right after his sophomore year and were still living there when he went to college. Looking back, I think I would have liked to visited the college he went to. I hope to visit more before the next two go.

FOr all those who think that VA, MD or other regulation states are so easy- they are not. I lived in very great places to homeschool- CA, NM, and overseas SOFA, and then I lived in more problamatic places- FL and VA. FL was easier and friendlier than VA. VA is not as easy state- buy a test, write a yearly statement with curricula plans - and no I am not writing a scope and sequence but I don't know that we will have settled on everything by early August, get approval. Florida was much better in that while you had to test, there was no approval, no yearly intent along with the test or portfolio, a ery easy way to get out of all that- umbrella school, and you got FLorida virtual school, high school classes and activities, and free cc from 10th grade up. I don't care how friendly it is supposed to be- I don't like asking for permission from school officials from which I have not decided to use their system.

I am having to go on vacation to Florida in August. Mid August since that is when my dd is turning 16 and she needs to pass her DL test. In our case, Jacksonville is the destination and most of the vacation will be spent somewhere a bit less hot on the way home (even if very circuitously).

:iagree: with the posters who said you need to get to the bottom of this with your husband. I don't see naything wrong with the trip. My daughters also do lots of mission work or other service for the church. But I think they should go on fun trips too. My middle just spent a very grueling week in the inner city with work projects, helping with homeless, dealing with very disruptive children, etc. Now she isn't going right now to any amusement park but if later thi summer they go, I would be sending her. When we lived in FL she went to the Disney Christian Concert night thing with her youth group. I know that as homeschoolers, I look for fun things in good company for my girls to do. Just like life is for me, it is a mixture of service, work and fun. Fun is important too.

I would do it but then we have been doing something like that for 22 years. Anybody can look up anyone's federal salary or military pay. I have never had anyone tell me that they have done it but it is really easy to do. I know approximately how much others in the military make but I never use it as any kind of hold or comment on it. All it has ever helped me with is being able to price things accordingly (like making sure we never had going away parties at expensive places because the enlisted make a lot less and who wants to burden them). Dh files financial disclosure papers but I don't think anybody really looks at those nor are they published. He has to do that for clearances. That has never bothered us and while moving can be difficult, living in a different area is very educational. I also can say that if the choice is between less financial security and more, I would choose more. I think more marriages have problems due to financial issues than any other. Having a comfortable salary really helps with those kinds of issues.

It was a flop for my daughter. THe DVD had lot waiting times and my ADHD daughter just couldn't get into it.

THe Apples Spelling drills helped my daughter too.

We need to have our older daughter go to college in a state where the state university charges a lot. That is because she will get scholarship money based on the highest state tuition plus housing allowance plus book allowance. She is rather conservative and would not like to go to a party school nor to a liberal haven. She would like to go to a school where people like to learn. I am not familiar with schools in either state so if anyone here has recommendations, please tell me.

Both dh and I are graduates and I really liked the essay choices I had way long time ago (27 or is it 28 years ago). None of my children will be going, though. Ds wanted a small school, although now he is at a large one but living at home. DD #1 will need to go to a school in a state like OR, CO, WI, TX, MI or a few others that we will get enough money to send her there. DD#2 is wanting to go to an engineering school.

Yes, a book like that counts as a course if he actually learns it and can demonstrate it. I agree with the other poster about lots of math. That is essential.

I consider myself to bve able to agree to a literal interpretation but by that I mean they way is was meant to be read or heard. So there is much figurative language, and lots of Middle Eastern traditional story telling where they way they told stories was not chronological but rather patterned with the most important point in the middle and supporting points surrounding. ABCBA type of writing where C is the main point. There are many different types of literary language in the Bible and I find it fascinating. I recently attending a Sunday School class about the Parables from a Middle Eastern perspective. I learned so much and gained such a deeper understanding since some of the points Jesus made are lost to us without knowing how certain actions would be viewed in their culture. It isn't that the Bible is a secret document at all but by learning more you gain greater understanding.

He is a narcissist and can't stand to be off the stage. This winter, we saw a shameful performance by another one from another party- Rod Blagojevic (sp). I am sick and tired of all such people. Enough.

Hi all, I am trying to decide what my dd should take in CC and what I want to have her do at home. THe CC is very close to our house (a little over 1 mile away) so it will take her less than 1/2 hour to walk there. I am still waiting for co-op choices so all I know she will be doing right now is ALg 2 with CD, Government and Econ with the co-op class I am teaching (though she has enough government time already that she will only need to read the text and prepare for class to get her half credit in that, econ will be new), US History part 2, and Spanish. SHe needs English, Biology, and a half credit of some other science. SHe would like to take another psych class. I don't like teaching biology. I like teaching chemistry but standard bio bores me. I was enthused about teaching it until she decided she may want to be a medical doctor. THat means she needs heavy duty bio and that bores me. SO now I am thinking about having her do it in CC. Understanding that CCs are different in degree of difficulty, has anyone had their child take bio at the CC instead of high school bio? How did that work out?

JUst to say, I post things and read things on this board because I consider my medical needs children to be special needs. They don't have learning disabilities but medical issues regardless of whether they are psychiatric or some other kinds, can be very draining on the parents. As it is, the burden falls on me almost exclusively. Dh asks questions sometimes and maybe once took one of them to something. But with all of mines conditions, and the lack of answers or progress at times, it really can be overwhelming. I will pray that you get some better assistance from this doctor and that your daughter starts feeling better.

We are in a very large house and no school room. We have an office where I am typing right now and have files, my youngest's school box with her books, and shelves with school books. We don't do school in here since they aren't allowed on the parents only computer and it is a small room with only one office chair to sit on. Occasionally I read to the younger or go over questions in the living room. The older mostly does her work in her bedroom. Sometimes she decides to watch a video in the family room instead of on her computer. She does her work with me (chemistry, discussions, in the kitchen or in the sun room). The younger one mostly does her work with me in the kitchen but sometimes in the sunroom and very occasionally my bedroom if I am feeling poorly. Sometimes the younger does reading in her room or her work by herself in the living room. Experiments tend to be in my husband's engineering room. Testing and crafts are in the craft room, Why should we do it in one room?

You are right. I must have Daddy Campbell because it is very complex and difficult. I don't want to read it and I had both high school bio and a year of non bio major biology (focusing on genetics, physical anthropology and evolution, and photosynthesis- U of C had quarter system). I am still very undecided as to what to do with my dd who will be 11th and have done chemistry but no biology except some with marine science - basically the ecosystem part.

Actually there is nothing incompatible with being a geologist, physicist or many other kinds of scientist and not be an evolutionary supporter. WHy would there be? They don't take biiology past high school except for maybe an intro course in college. Just like I don't expect the biologists to be well informed about various theories in physics, neither do I expect physicists to be spending much time on biological theories. My husband is a working PhD physicist and I can tell you since I was attending college with him, he never took any class in evolutionary biology. I did and was a deep skeptic because of the improbabilty of so many positive mutations in a short amount of time. Neither my husband nor I are young earth creationists. And actually, our religious beliefs are not dependent on our view of creation. Rather, since we are Christians, they are dependent on the Gospels. We have known quite a number of PhD scientists who were not evolutionists but you are right, they weren't eveolutionary biologists either or in fact, any kind of biologist. The main way that scientific thinking affects our view of the world is that there is only a tuny bofdy of knowledge that humans have discovered and a tremendous amount we haven't. Furthermore, there will always be more to learn and discover as long as there are humans.

I have to take pro-biotics with antibiotics. That is since I took an antibiotic for 6 days and ended up with a very serious anaerobic stomach infection.

This year my youngest did Calvert 6 and it included the Text A Message of Ancient Days. It is published by Houghton Mifflin Social Studies division and my daughter liked it so much, that I am buying a used copy of the next text in the series to continue with it even though we aren't using Calvert 7. I bought TOG year 1 and got through the first quarter and a bit. It really was too much work for me and to disjointed. I think it works well maybe if you have a less hectic life. Our lives are very hectic what with midyear moves and both of my daughters I schooll with medical problems along with myself. I am not a Catholic but the Houghton Mifflin series should not be objectionable since it isn't written from any religious view point. It is very respectful, though, in discussing religions. THis year, my daughter learned about Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism and others. (She didn't need to learn the Christianity).

My daughter is not dyslexic but had very bad spelling problems. I decided to have her do Spanish since it is a easier language to spell than English. SHe did one year in a homeschool academy class. THen this year, we had to do it alone and what we used didn't work. I am going to have her do Rosetta Stone with the textbook I still have for grammar and then have her do SPanish for a year at CC.

I have the Campbell book and it definitely does not seem to be a book for a non-science kid. It is a college biology textbook. It is very heavy on microbiology and biological processses and hardly any coverage of animals or plants. I am currently debating what I will use next year with my 11th grader who did chemistry first and with whom I would normally use a more appropriate high school text. Since she has suddenly decided that she may want to be a psychiatrist or neurologist, I have to now consider this. I know I wouldn't with a child not contemplating something scientific or health related in nature.

For Apologia or most books specifically made for homeschoolers, we complete it all unless there is something that I substitute for part. (I cut out a chapter on young earth ideas in one of the texts and added in more information about botany). A textbook meant to be used in a classroom usually has more chapters than can reasonably completed in a 180 day school year. However, there is nothing that says you need to test on those last chapters or complete them the same school year. We are often finishing up another course when late August comes around, depending on our previous year's schedule, illnesses, moves, etc.