[six yr old reads better upside down-what to do!!]

I'm so sorry I can't help you, but wow. That one is definitely making me wonder!! Kids are so funny sometimes.

[s/o Well-child visits (father taking sons to doctor)]

That's a lot of questions. Our peds don't ask nearly that many! They do have a list of check boxes for well visits but they're stuff like "does she eat well?" "does she sleep 8-10 hours at a time?" "is she doing developmentally appropriate things?" "is there anything you think we should know?" They definitely don't ask so many and they're not nearly as specific!

 

My husband does actually remember the big stuff like no penicillin (in our case it's NSAIDs-ibuprofen/Motrin, Aleve/naproxen sodium, etc) due to the one time let's blow up like a balloon incident, though. I usually write down what's been going on if they've been sick and I'm the one who has been watching fevers and doling out meds and he takes that with him.

 

I think doctor's visits are one of the areas where my dh is pretty reliable...just don't ask him what the kids ate for breakfast or who likes mayo and who doesn't. :D

[If you use more than one math curriculum...]

Singapore Standards Edition as our main curriculum, but do Miquon once or twice a week. The IP and CWP are in use, too. We've added in MEP occasionally. We also do lots of math fact practice and memorization with CC.

[anyone familiar with the foster care system?]

Maybe it's just a formality? That since her daughter has been in the foster system for X amount of time, they have to at least try for child support? Once she shows that she really doesn't have it, maybe they'll move on.

[Catholic Mommas :o)]

We use Faith & Life as well, but supplement with the Baltimore Catechism, liturgical year study and saint study.

 

I second going to the 4Real Forums. You'll find lots of options there.

[sellers, do you leave when your house is being shown]

Our house is on the market and although we've already left town so it's not an issue, our realtor had told us to always give ourselves 15 extra minutes on top of the 15 that the appointment center tacks on and if for some reason we do actually run into the people coming to see the house to never, ever say anything to them. Just smile and leave. That there was lawsuit potential if we did actually say anything to them. I suppose I should ask her why that is.

 

Unless it's a FSBO, I can't imagine the owners being there when you go see a house for sale.

[WTM badge program.]

"My one year old has a library card." That pesky 25 items per card limit gets blown through regularly, necessitating back-up borrowers!

[Secular version of Classical Conversations? Does it exist? Shall I create it?]

Classical Conversations and the other programs out there that I know of like it all started out as "kitchen table" groups. Like-minded homeschoolers got together regularly and did something that worked for them.

 

I don't know what kind of market there is for a secular CC, but the only way to find out is to create something that works for your family and make it available to others. Good luck. :001_smile:

[Homeschooling in Colorado]

We just moved to Colorado. We registered with an independent school (Home Life Academy) and while we do report grades twice a year, we are exempt from all testing, portfolios, etc. Very easy!

 

A lot of people here send letters of intent (or maybe they are "letters of notice" I can't remember) to the local school district (and you can send it to any district you want, which I find odd). I haven't heard of any problems. I think most people do it that way so their children can participate in a program that's remarkably popular, called "Options." It's a once a week "enrichment" program run by the public schools for homeschoolers. Each one offers different classes, which I'm sure someone else can tell you more about.

 

There are a lot of things to do in our area (Denver) and we have found it to be very homeschool friendly.

[S/O Who here has several cats?? And how many do you have?]

4 entirely indoor cats. Once upon a time we had 10. 10 indoor cats in a two bedroom apartment. It was a bit much. :D We're down to 4 now and it's much more manageable.

[What kind of learners love....]

I'm sorry, I double posted this. My computer froze up and when I got back online I couldn't find this post. Now I see it, after I posted another one! I'm amused by the differences in the two posts, asking the same question. :lol:

[What kind of learning style...]

What kind of learning style might my girls have if they love Rod & Staff English and Spelling Plus? These two programs are new to us this year and huge hits. Not only are there no tantrums, fits or sudden disappearances at school time, but they're actually retaining the information and it's working!

 

My girls are very different: one runs on the clock, schedules, lists and routines, the other thinks that "time" is some artificial imposition that's crimping her non-existent plans. What I really want is to know what unites them so I can capitalize upon it since they're so close academically. I'm completely stumped by this! Help me, all-knowing Hive!

[What kind of learners love....]

What kind of learners might my girls be if they love and are doing really well with Rod & Staff English and Spelling Plus? Okay, maybe "love" is taking it a little too far. They don't complain about doing it, throw fits or suddenly have to go to the bathroom or, well, you get the idea! I know they are very different: my older one runs on a clock, routine and schedules while my younger one clearly defines "time" as something of an imposition. I'm just trying to figure out what is uniting them! I know that being with them all the time I'm the one who should be able to figure out what their learning and processing styles are, but in this case I think I'm just too close. Can the all-knowing Hive help me out here?

[Anyone doing CC Plus? Thoughts and impressions so far?]

I must be confused. I thought that the dual enrollment with Bryan College was designed with 11th and 12th graders in mind. Are you saying you enrolled your 7th grader in it?

[Can you guess where we're going?]

Washington State.

 

(I'd be excited, too!)

[S/O wills: if you change your guardianship plan, do you notify the person now?]

In our former state, the place in our wills where we specified guardians for our children was, in the words of the lawyer, just a suggestion. Our wills would go to a judge who would actually make the decision. As long as there were no objections from family members and the couple we chose accepted it, the judge would most likely rule for the terms we set in our will.

 

We chose non-related dear friends to raise our children and therefore felt it necessary to inform our family now so we had time to deal with potential objections, for our childrens' sake later. There were a few very uncomfortable conversations, but it's water under the bridge now.

 

I'm sorry, OP, that the original guardian is likely to make this into a great big deal. Sounds like it might be best to not say anything, unless your state is like our former and he might have input with a judge. If many of your other family members back him up, your kids might not go where you want them to.

[What are your must haves?]

A way to copy and scan things at home (we have an all-in-one but I know many who prefer a laser printer and a separate copier) as well a a good laminator. Expensive, but worth the investment around here!

[For those following "The Core" geography chapter????]

I have not heard of "The Core" before, but it sounds interesting. Could anyone tell me where I could read more about it?

thanks!

 

Just search for "Leigh Bortins Core" on this forum and I'm sure you'll find many threads that will tell you more. FWIW, The Core is a book by a woman named Leigh Bortins, who founded Classical Conversations.

[what kind of book has this?]

Would the Critical Thinking Company have things like that?

[First Day was a SUCCESS!]

From a fellow first day survivor, congrats. :D Ours was pretty rough, I hope yours was a breeze!

[Battery of iphone suddenly won't hold charge, can you help?]

It probably is time for a new one since this iphone is two years old. I haven't had good experiences with my dh and his "free upgrades." They haven't ever cost me less than a couple hundred dollars and an increase in monthly bill. I'm trying to hold out just a little longer here. :D

[Battery of iphone suddenly won't hold charge, can you help?]

Dh took it to the Apple store last night and they just told him to do the things mentioned before. They assumed it was your normal battery drain. The phone is out of warranty and a new battery will cost $80. Ugh. I sent him your suggestion, Denise, and he'll get it when he gets back into his office later (now that he doesn't have a smartphone with him, he doesn't get my messages immediately!:glare:). Thanks for the help, we need it!

[Battery of iphone suddenly won't hold charge, can you help?]

My husband's iphone suddenly won't hold a charge for more than 3 hours. He's turned off all the apps, he's stopped the pushed emails, he dimmed the screen. He unplugged it from the charger at 7:00 AM, has made no calls and received no texts today. By 10 AM it was done for and actually turned itself off from lack of battery! This isn't a slow decline, this just started two days ago. I can only assume that something is draining that battery. Has this happened to anyone else? Is it some kind of iphone virus? Please help!!

[WWYD??? Need advice- Babysitting issue]

I'll admit to being a mom who didn't know the sippy cups with straws came apart and therefore didn't thoroughly clean them for about 6 months (yes, all while using them). I was at a friend's house one day and saw the pieces of a similar cup come out of the dishwasher and asked if the dishwasher had broken it. She set me straight. :001_smile: I went home and threw ours out after taking them apart...couldn't fathom how to get the mold out. Now I know about bleach and the wonders it can do!

 

All that to say, having it pieces on the counter after being cleaned and having her wait while you put them back together and toss them into the bag might be all the hint she needs. I like that suggestion very much!

[non-Catholic kids going to Catholic school]

Being Catholic, I wish the Catholic schools where we just moved from would accept the Catholic kids first and then non-Catholics. But then, that would require the schools to actually be Catholic. With the way the parochial schools are where we just left, a startlingly high percentage (in some cases, more than 90% are non-Catholic) of most of them are non-Catholic students because honestly, the schools just aren't that faithful to the Magisterium. They're a business. It's first come, first enrolled, regardless of their family's faith. Not really any different than the other private schools, just more affordable. Therefore, many non-Catholics send their kids there because they know that no real catechizing is going on and it's better than public school and cheaper than the other private schools. Sad, but true.

 

On the other hand, there was an Episcopal school in the area that had top notch, fantastic academics and if we could have afforded it, I would have seriously considered sending our girls there (back before I went crazy and started homeschooling :D), even as a Catholic. So I can see how great academics and a welcoming environment might outweigh doctrinal differences.