I agree with the original 10 day suspension, but I don't think what he did warrants the additional suspension time. It doesn't fit the policy, as far as I can tell.

It may seem boring to you, but my dc love getting any food I send them. It is food that they don't have to buy themselves, and depending on what you send, it reminds them of home. Two of my dc don't have Trader Joe's where they are, so I send them their favorite food and treats from Trader Joe's. They love it. I send my ds food he likes, like packages of Pasta Alfredo that I buy when they go on sale for $1 each. My ds loves those, but won't buy them himself (which is good because while he likes them, they are not healthy at all). I have sent a recipe for a meal he likes along with all the non-perishable food needed to cook it and some money for the meat. He liked that, too. I have sent spaghetti and canned marinara sauce. He seldom eats sweets, so I don't send him cookies or candy, except for the Trader Joe's special cookies they sell only at Christmas time. My dc love when I send a gift card to Walmart (the one big store where two of my dc have to shop), or a Target gift card to my other son because that is where he shops, or iTunes, or just a Visa gift card so they can use it anywhere. Once I bought one ds meals in the cafeteria (added to his student card). He lives in an apartment off campus, so this allowed him to have some large, eat-all-he-wants meals without needing to cook. When mac and cheese is on sale, especially the microwave ones, I send those. All my dc love when I send them Starbucks coffee, both ground in bags and the Via instant packages. Only one ds has a Starbucks near the school, so I send him gift cards. The others like the coffee so they can make it themselves. I watch at Target for the $5 dvds and send those occasionally as a surprise along with microwave popcorn. I have also mailed cookies and pumpkin bread because he enjoys treats from home. My dd is different than my sons because she really appreciates treats (cookies, candy, whatever) and loves getting small surprises: earrings, a cute scarf or fuzzy softs, ear buds for her iPod, or anything, really. But she's a girl and girls are different. Two of my dc love when I send Barnes and Noble gift cards because they have Nooks and like being able to buy books. How about seasonal decorations? One Christmas my ds had to be at school until just before Christmas, so I sent him a 2 ft artificial Christmas tree, some packages of appropriate sized ornaments, battery operated tiny lights, a star for the top and a tiny tree skirt. I sent it with packages of apple cider mix, and A Christmas Story dvd. He loved it and he and one roommate who also had to stick around campus had a fun couple hours decorating the tree and watching the movie over and over. Dh thought I was a bit crazy for mailing that, but it fit into a post office flat rate mailing box, so I did it anyway. It is the wrong time of year now, but Easter is coming. Maybe you can find something decorative to send. I sent a birthday party in a box once, with birthday plates, napkins, cups, balloons, blowy things that make noise, party hats, and a gift card to a store to buy a cake and ice cream. That was a hit, too. I think our dc really just want to be reminded that we love them enough to send them a care package, or even just a card. I don't think they care as much about what is in it as they do that we are thinking about them and sent them a surprise.

We bought a converter and adaptor (came together) at Best Buy. It had a chart with which adaptor was needed in which countries, and which countries only needed the converter. It was not expensive. It is easier to leave the phone at home because international calls are very expensive. Stick to email and Skype instead of the phone.

Twaddle has its time. It's kind of like junk food or dessert. You can eat healthy foods all the time, but sometimes you really want or just need a hot fudge sundae or piece of cheesecake. It's okay to have it once in a while, it tastes good, and it hits the spot. A steady diet of it is bad, but its okay to indulge sometimes. Same with twaddle. Sometimes I just want an easy, no-brainer book to read, just for fun.

I assume DE is different from concurrent enrollment, which is what my dc did. They enrolled at the cc and took classes at the cc while in high school. They received credit for all the cc courses they took when when they entered universities, both public and private in state, and public universities out of state. But all universities set their own policies. My dd earned an AA at the cc, then transferred to a university. Because of her AA, all her general ed was considered complete by the university, and all her credits transferred. Yes, scholarships are available to transfer students, but it varies by university. My dd received a full tuition transfer scholarship to an out of state university, based on her cc grades. The university did not even want to see her high school transcript.

My dc and many of their friends used driversed.com Once your dc finishes the online course, they send you the certificate as proof of completion, and you take it to the DMV when you go to get the permit. You still have to enroll in a behind the wheel course before you go to the DMV for the permit because that is a different course than the driver's ed portion.

Ask for and expect the refund. You paid for an item that was never delivered. They owe you the refund. It doesn't matter that it only cost $10. They took your money and did not deliver. If they did it to you, they may have done it to others. They may have a lot of money that they own to people, but if no one presses them to either deliver the product or give a refund, their incompetence or lack of organization or whatever the problem is, will continue. After you get the refund, you can decide if you want to get involved in the ordering and delivering process for next year.

I am a firm believer in learning as much as I can about educational philosophies, including CM and classical, then adopting those parts that fit best into our life and goals and meets our needs. You can do this, too. You can have a goal of your dc being well educated in math and science, but use the methods you find most successful for your family. Dh is an engineer, and very much a math and science person. I am not. I prefer literature and history and fine arts. I was determined to teach it all to my dc so they would have the academic skills to follow whatever path they chose in the future. I don't believe that hsing means students need to be weak in math and science and writing skills, as is often stated. If you purpose to teach your dc math and science skills, they will learn them. So math can be taught by finding a curriculum that works for your and your dc and using it. Teach math skills, expect mastery of the basics before moving on to abstract math like Algebra and Geometry. You can do it. For science, I didn't use a set curriculum in elementary school. Mostly, I read books aloud. Lots of books. Lots. I wanted to expose my dc to lots of science topics, not just the few topics mainline curriculum providers thought elementary dc should learn through a boring, shallow chapter. I knew what I wanted my dc to learn. I picked a topic, went to the library, and checked out as many books as I could on that subject. We learned about seasons and weather, and plants and animals and habitats, astronomy, spiders, sharks and oceans, plus whatever my dc were interested in at the time. We discussed. I asked questions and my dc had to think and use what they knew to answer. They learned to think and wonder and figure out how to use the info they learned. I suggest you find books by Gail Gibbons and Franklyn Branley, as a start. These two authors were our favorites for science topics at preschool and young elementary grades. They are meaty books, often with some hands on ideas to illustrate the topic. We read Dorling Kindersley and Usborne books. We read and read. If it was possible to go on a field trip somewhere related, we did. During my dc's 'insect' infatuation, we spent a lot of time at the Natural History Museum in the insect room. The Ass't Curator knew my dc by name because they asked so many questions. We also read biographies and watched documentaries. We explored science. My dc did sketch nature when we were learning about plants and habitats. Incorporate whatever works for you and what you are studying. Sometimes we stuck with the same science topic for six or eight weeks because there was so much to cover and my dc wanted to learn more. Sometimes two weeks was plenty at that time, which was okay because I knew we would return to that content in a few years, at a higher level. Sometimes I insisted we move on to another topic, but let my dc continue to explore their interest area on their own. They did. I wanted my dc to have a broad base of science knowledge so that when they were in middle and high school, they would be able to go more in depth. People couldn't believe that my dc learned so much just because we read a lot, but they really were sponges about learning. We did do activities, either experiments or narration or making notebooks or lapbooks about some of our science topics. But my dc gained a strong base of science knowledge during elementary years because we read and discussed. In middle school, we switched to using a textbook because I wanted to be sure my dc learned how to use a textbook (which we didn't use except for math), and because the content was becoming more focused at those grade levels. My dc found General Science and Physical Science to be almost complete review of what they already knew from our years of reading books, and we had already done most the experiments as well. That reassured me that my dc already had a very firm foundation of science knowledge. My dc went on to complete the usual high school courses of Biology and Chemistry, plus other courses of their choice. One ds completed Physics and Physics II. Another took Biology II, and my dc also took cc science courses. One ds could hold his own (and still does) on Theoretical Physics topics because he is very interested. He studies it on his own because he finds it interesting. He is not a STEM major in college, but he has recounted several interesting conversations he has had with science majors and professors (one where a professor asked him to consider changing his major to Physics). My dd has a major heavy in Biological sciences, and has five Anatomy courses to complete, as well as Biology and some physical science courses. She has three Anatomy courses left, and is still going strong. She was prepared well enough in science to be successful in all the college science courses she has taken. All that resulted from no formal textbook science curriculum in elementary school. We just read books by authors who cared about science, discussed the topics, and explored our world. I let my dc ask questions, and when I didn't know the answer, I admitted it, and we found the answer. Sometimes we needed more books, or we needed someone we could ask. But we found the answers. Remember, I am the one who is not very interested in science, but I still succeeded in teaching science to my dc. All that to say, go ahead and read real books on science topics to your ds. He can learn that way. It felt very casual to me, almost too easy, but it was effective and met my goal of dc who have strong science knowledge.

Yup! I had a version of this conversation once. I was told that I was not qualified to teach my children because I can't possibly know enough. I reminded her that my dc were early elementary grades. She nodded and said there is too much information to learn in those grades and I don't know enough. She firmly believed that ps teachers know enough to teach, though. I reminded her that I graduated from a ps, taught by teachers who, according to her, "knew enough to teach". So if the ps teachers are so smart and teach well, why wouldn't I know enough to teach second grade and K? Doesn't she trust that the ps gave me a good education to have at least second grade skills? I pointed out that either the ps taught me academic skills, as she repeatedly stated only the ps could do, or the ps failed me. If the ps taught me as well as she believed it did, then I have the academic skills to pass on to my dc. If the ps did not educate me to an early elementary level, then why would I want my dc to spend 13 years in such a failed educational system? She stammered for a bit and didn't know what to say. She tried to save face by saying that I was an exception and of course she knew I was educated, but other hsers are not. I pointed out that most other hsers also graduated from the ps system, so if other hsers are not educated enough to teach their dc, she was admitting that the ps system has failed. I hate to admit it, but I enjoyed that conversation because I had her in a corner (figuratively speaking) and she couldn't get out. I made my point.

I have a friend who managed her dc's education by hiring tutors. She taught very little herself. It varied depending on the year, but she would have one person teach writing, another teach math, another teach history and science, and so on. She wanted what she considered the best education for her dc, so she found people who met her expectations as instructors, and had them teach her dc.

Call your city offices and check to see if the property has a building permit for a two story building and a business license for the location. They can answer those questions without violating privacy rules. If there is no record of these, then ask them to please investigate the situation.

I know a few students using College Plus. One got a degree last spring, then started her Master's last fall at a well known university (physically at the school, not online), so obviously her Bachelor's degree was accepted by the university. The other students are still in progress, so I don't know a final result for them yet.

There can be value in a project. Some are time wasters, but others are valuable. I have seen many school assigned projects that are time wasters with very little educational value. But some are good. I weigh the projects I assign. I want educational value. This may be more than just research. I want to make sure that the learning involved outweighs the time investment. I think the school is looking at presentations as learning to be comfortable speaking in front of a group, which is an important skill. But, I have not yet heard of a teacher actually teaching public speaking skills alongside the project and presentation (apart from a Speech course in high school). So while students in ps may have opportunity to speak and present before the class, they are not necessarily learning necessary public speaking skills. You can teach public speaking skills to your dc, and your dc may already have opportunities to become comfortable being in front of a group. When they are older, in middle school and high school, they can have more opportunities to hone these skills with speech or debate, 4H, or through other venues.

Central vacuum system - bagless, and super easy to handle. Unattach the holder, empty it into the trash, attach it again. Simple.

I am sporatic with it, but I certainly feel better and notice inch loss and firming when I do it regularly.

Breakfast burritos are the easiest to make. Cook up a huge batch of scrambled eggs, have some bacon or sausage cooked and hot, some shredded cheese, some salsa in a bowl, and tortillas. You can either let the girls make their own, or you can make them to order. Quick to make and easy to eat in a car. You can make these ahead and freeze them, then thaw and heat them in the microwave before you leave the house. Egg McMuffins - Toast English muffins or plain bagels. Mix eggs like you would for scrambled eggs, but pour them into a greased baking dish and bake at about 350 until cooked. Cut into squares the size to fit onto the English muffins or bagels. To assemble, take the bottom of the bagel or English muffin, butter it if you like, add slice of egg, slice of cheese, and piece of bacon or sausage (to make it easier, you can even add cooked bacon or sausage to the egg mixture before you bake it so the meat is already in the eggs), top with the top of the English muffin or bagel. You can make these ahead and freeze them, then pop them into the microwave to thaw and heat before they head out the door since your time in the morning will be tight. Fruit and yogurt parfaits: in plastic throw-away glasses, layer fruit and yogurt (berries work well). Top with a layer of granola. To make it fast, buy a bag of frozen berries, then thaw them before you layer them. You can make these the night before, then add the granola in the morning before they leave the house so the granola won't get soggy overnight. Insert a plastic spoon and you will be ready to go. You can also have hard boiled eggs ready to take if you want to increase the protein with the yogurt parfaits. Bagel and cream cheese with hard boiled eggs is also quick to make and easy to eat in a car.

Three dc have taken foreign language at a cc while they were in high school. They had no background in the languages before taking the courses. It was a lot of memorization, which took time, but they were glad they completed their foreign language requirement that way. My dd took four semesters of foreign language at the cc, which more than covered the requirements for her major. Plus, she was able to complete two year's of high school foreign language credit in one year, which appealed to her. My other dc met their high school and university foreign language reqs this way, too. It is a good use of time (high school and college credit at the same time), if your dc are prepared for the cc environment and the work required.

Look at Junk Box Wars. We did this with my sons and some friends and they really enjoyed it. It was creative and fun, and they had to design machines that really worked to accomplish the task. http://sciencespot.net/Pages/junkboxprojects.html

He may be a remarkable young man with a call of God to minister to youth, but he still needs to be trained and mentored instead of being set in this position where he is about the same age as the youth in the youth group. He needs to be working under the mentorship of an adult youth pastor. He should not be alone with female students. This is for his own safety so he is not accused of anything improper even if nothing wrong happens. It is just wise. He needs a female youth leader with him. We do have student interns in my church, and I have loved each one. The big difference is we have an adult youth pastor (he has two college aged kids) who is in charge, and he truly mentors, instructs and guides the interns. They are under his supervision, even though he allows them the opportunity to teach, lead worship, plan events, etc. An 18 yo in my church would probably not be interning, but if he was, he would only be working with the middle school students, not with the high school students because he is the same age as many of the students. This is the policy for our own church youth group students who graduate from high school, but want to help with the youth group. They only serve with the middle school students for a few years, until they are older. I doubt your situation will work well for anyone involved. The intern won't have the respect of the students because he is too close to their own age. I doubt he has the experience or maturity to handle many situations that arise in youth groups. The high school girls will get all goo-goo over him, and that's not necessarily his fault, but is he mature enough to handle it appropriately? Will he be their leader or their friend? Is he still going through the same things the high school students are (I assume he is by virtue of his age). Please understand, I am not criticizing him. I am the one who advocates for youth to be released to do whatever they are able to do. I know they can accomplish great things when they are allowed to. But I have been involved in youth ministry since I was out of high school. I have seen a lot. I know 18 yo young adults are enthusiastic and energetic and can do a lot of good when they are allowed to, but I also know they need direction and instruction while doing it.

My ds told me that the worst part of being away at school is being sick without anyone to take care of you. There isn't the right food (what Mom makes when the child is sick is the 'right' food because it is what he is used to eating), and he has to get dressed and go to the cafeteria to get food when he just wanted to stay in bed. Part of me still thinks it is harder on Mom when the child is sick while away at school. I still want to take care of my dc when they are sick. I hope you ds feels better soon, and I am sure he will like receiving your care package filled with love.

What is your dc interested in? I require 1 credit each in World History and U.S. History, and .5 credit in Economics and .5 credit in Civics/Gov't. Then my dc can choose what they want for their fourth credit in Social Studies. One did 20th Century History, one did Psychology, one did a full credit in Government in addition to the .5 credit course. Sociology could be another option. I would let your dc choose if there is no requirement except to earn another credit.

For myself, I would choose the Getty, but your dc are probably too young to enjoy it. Tar pits are okay, but I recommend the California Science Center and the Natural History Museum, both at Exposition Park in LA. I know those were not on your list, but you also may not know they exist, so consider yourself informed. Have fun! For the beach, I suggest Huntington Beach or Redondo Beach. Rent bikes and go for a fun ride on the bike paths. The pier is fun, too. You can have a wonderful day there!

Growing up, I assumed that the emotional/verbal abuse I experienced from my alcoholic father was normal, and that all fathers behaved that way. I was in middle school before I realized that not all fathers drank alcohol every waking moment at home, and I was in high school before I realized that what I endured daily was emotional and verbal abuse. When you grow up a certain way, you have no other standard by which to determine normal and appropriate. My mother accepted my father's behavior and didn't stop it. I think it was because she didn't want to admit it was happening. By ignoring it, she didn't have to admit it was happening or do anything about it. She brushed it off , told me not to be bothered by it, and that it was my fault for getting my father upset, etc. Basically, she blamed me instead of him. His teasing was relentless and cruel, he constantly criticized, called me names, cussed at me and was emotionally and verbally abusive. My father only hit me once, when I was in high school. Once I was able to start breathing again (he knocked the wind out of me), somehow I got the strength to tell him that if he ever hit me again, or if I ever found out that he had hit my brother, I would call the police and have him arrested for child abuse. He went ballistic, and I seriously thought he was going to hit me again. Actually, at that moment, I was hoping he would so I could call the police. I stared him down and stayed cool as he screamed and cussed at me and told me that I would be treating my mother horribly if I did that. I told him that he would be the one hurting my mother because he committed the abuse, and that I welcomed the opportunity be removed from home to go live with my grandparents. I also told him it would only be until he was found guilty in court and put in jail, then I could move home and live with my mom again, and then I could go the rest of my life and never have to see him again. For the first time in my life, I realized that I could have some power over him. Many times after that, he looked like he was going to hit me, even raised his hand, but I would just stare him down and he backed off physically. He was still verbally abusive, but never hit me again, and I don't think he ever hit my brother. Evidently he believed me that I would follow through.

I have no idea how to package tiramisu so it will arrive looking and tasting the way he would expect. In this case, can you contact his roommate, send money, and have the roommate buy tiramisu from a restaurant in town and surprise him on his birthday?

Two of my dc had general anesthesia when they had their wisdom teeth removed. Mine were removed many years ago, with just a local. I think my dc preferred to be asleep, though. As an added benefit, we had a very practical example of impaired driving and why the doctors tell people not to drive or make any important decisions for 24 hours after having general anesthesia. After we arrived home from the wisdom teeth removal, my ds insisted he was perfectly fine and had no residual effects of the general. He and my other dc decided to play Wii Mario Cart and another racing video game. My dc are excellent at these race car video games, and you can imagine their surprise when my ds was having a hard time driving straight on the video game track. While three of us were chuckling at his obvious impaired driving ability, he continued to insist that he was not impaired at all and he was playing the game as well as he always did. We saw impaired driving ability, as well as impaired reasoning. Lesson illustrated.