I’m for no history. But if you want something what about The Story of Me (with Bede)? Or doing simple things with maps/mapping, and world geography and culture?

Another way to think about it is that you’ve found things which are working for her, and you can stay with for her. And you have the chance to try a different key in the lock of his mind to open up his writing.

This one is hard. We have tried lots of physical activities, but they’re all too impatient to persist to the point of “runners high” and one has low tone and an akward gait. We have them in parkour right now which I think is good, but they don’t ask to go to the park and practice (they *might* if I tell them that’s what we’re going to do). We go hiking as a family average 1-2 times a month, taking plenty of time to climb and look under rocks. Nature is great. I think music is ok too. They all like to listen and each plays, but DS gravitates now to super busy electronica and I worry that it might deaden the positive effect of less “stimulating” genres. Like explained above there’s no physical limit on the stimulation from listening. What other activities are high dopamine producing? Especially for adhd kids who have low dopamine levels to begin with?

This. It’s been going on for years now, and I find it so revolting. It’s like lacing a beverage with a highly addictive substance(s) that adds little or nothing to the taste (how many people do you know that seem addicted to Diet Coke?) only with even more damaging consequences. I still believe in choice and in teaching regulation, and in parental involvement BUT I feel like I’m up against a tidal wave. I have 3 kids with ADHD, and they would play video games endlessly if it were an option. I would guess 70% of the time DS turns down other activities to play video games if he can. We have tried so many iterations of “screen time” rules in the last 8 years, all the while trying to teach self regulation with paltry results. We have even stopped screens entirely, but as soon as they have the chance they are back at it like junkies ? I’m not saying they qualify for this Dx, but I feel like maybe the only thing holding them back from it is me - so what happens when they’re on their own ?

We have a loooong day at church (we are Mormon, 3 hours of worship, Sunday school, and youth/women’s/men’s/kids groups), plus often meetings (our church functions on unpaid/lay individuals serving in all roles), and I get hungry, and the kids do too. Especially when the block of meetings is 11am-2pm, which it is sometimes. I bring a small snack (a little piece of chocolate, or crackers, or some sliced fruit) or at minimum some gum. Depending on where we have lived (we have probably been in 8 different congregations since having kids - lots of moving) i have seen some child/youth teachers go crazy with candy and junk food, but most have been moderate (once a month to never) in their classes. I think Mormon culture in general along the AZ-UT-ID corridor has a sugar problem, and maybe it’s because we don’t drink tea, coffee, alcohol, or smoke and have simply found another addictive substance to take its place? But what you are describing sounds incredible - pastries IN adult class weekly? The only time I’ve had something like that is on Mother’s Day, or when I was a youth on a birthday. That would be hard. Maybe the congregants need more intentional meals together - you know, a break bread kind of thing - to displace the snack habit?

I will say all my adhd kids were later at mastering math facts, and drills/lots of simple problems were NOT effective (they were counter effective). They needed to be used in the context of more challenging math in order for them to be internalized. And I let them each use the multiplication chart until they no longer wanted it. What was very successful for my kids was heavily conceptual math, with manipulatives building concrete foundations. We have used RS, Singapore, Miquon, and lots of education Unboxed activities.

I would also be interested in a group. I figure I have 6 more years *maybe* but more like 1-2 before going back to work. The thought of a resume with the last job and degree listed 16 years ago makes me anxious, and I want to do whatever is needed in the next few years to be ready.

I have not had issues with residue from my LUSH shampoo bar (I use Sea Nik), but they changed the formula on the conditioner bar a while back (Big) and I don't really like it anymore. I have not notices soap scum or build up in the shower. However, I will admit they are not as neat/tidy as bottled shampoo, even if I do keep them in the little dish I got to go with them. My wash routine is every other day, and I use a liquid shampoo (Rehab from LUSH) every 3rd or 4th wash because I love they way it treats my hair but it is too much for daily use. Honestly, if you have pretty plain-old hair like me that doesn't need a whole lot of special care I absolutely love the LUSH product "Fun" for travel. I use it for soap and shampoo, and it travels so well, and is tidier than the shampoo bar. Plus the kids all love to play with it. My favorite is Pink Fun.

Is this a hypothetical situation or do you have more details?

One more comment, are you planning on both kids using the same curriculum for writing? If possible I would think about different curricula. In skill areas with younger siblings with more advanced skills this can make a huge difference *mentally*

My suggestion: don’t do grammar! Wait another year or two and do Analytical Grammar or another complete grammar that is geared to middle school. I am squarely in the better late than early camp for grammar. If you feel you need something do sentence family or Grammar Island - they only take a few weeks - and let it lie until you come back to it in a few years. Weak areas (as writing is for your DS) are not the place to turn them over to independence. Get him working independently in other things, and really work with him (or keep close tabs on him while he follows instructional videos and assignments). Daily 6-trait writing is succinct. It would be semi-independent, but you’re still right there with him. It’s inexpensive, and if half way through the year it really isn’t getting him the help he needs you can reconsider. IEW might also be a good match - clear instructions, repetition in the form of building step by step.

Start where she placed, and don’t rush. When we pulled oldest out to homeschool again she was behind in math (where previously she had been ahead). We started with 3rd grade Singapore PM and did it at her pace (no rushing, needed to make sure she understood, though parts we went through quickly because she did already understand. It took most of the year. Then by the end of the next year we were through the end of 5th grade books, and she started preA with AoPS shortly thereafter and has been doing great (and loving math) ever since.

Just my experience, but I have three with ADHD and WTM approach does NOT work with their brains. It is too parts-to-whole, too wordy, too stark/sterile in layout, and too "just do this now and you will understand later where it fits in." Also, it is memorization-recall heavy. Now, I actually haven't seen GWTM so take my input with a grain of salt. I know that WWE and WWS and FLL and the general suggested approaches (poll-parrot stage, writing lots of outlines and summaries for logic stage, etc) has been a waste for the ADHD kids. Things that worked: MCT grammar, studying Latin, and Barbarian Diagrammarian. For a 10 year old I would jump right into MCT Grammar Town and Practice Town. Best wishes!

We used BA from 3A through 5B, and the only “supplement “ to it was DreamBox accounts. They probably got about 20-60 min a week on SreamBox depending on how long BA took each day. I did not try to synchronize or line-up or dictate content on DreamBox - they just did it as it came. So it wasn’t systematic review but it was review.

Not as significant a one. Transpiration from grass will be mich higher than say yucca or rabbit brush. I am for xerascaping though. And smart solar design in planning and siting a house. But so much if this needs to be done at the beginning to be affordable for people. I am for water conservation as well. LA and the inland empire have too many people consuming water at too high levels, but let’s get real. What about industrial water? Agricultural water? And of course landscaping water (fountains, pools and water parks, etc). I haven’t read the bill but I certainly hope it gets to restricting those users as well. Are we really going to continue to farm CITRUS in the desert? It broke my heart to drive through the Central Valley 4 years ago and see entire almond orchards dead on the west side of the highway and the giant canal on the east side moving water further south.

Yes, I’m from eastern WA, lived around the country (including western WA for 8 years) and now live in another state - dry, hot, and conservative. Visiting family in eastern WA I can see the morphing. What’s more, there are a LOT of Californians who are moving there and where I live now that are adding to the changes. In my current town of 30k where sheep is the main industry, followed by the smaller state university there, lots of people are coming and kind of stepping on local culture and way of doing things. It isn’t that I don’t like new people, I was new myself at one point. But it can be hard to see “outsiders” who are accustomed to certain things come in and push for changes that are more like the place they left when obviously they left because they thought our town was better. It can happen no matter the culture or politics. I suppose I am suggesting to keep in mind WHY you move to wherever you go and don’t try to make it like where you left.

Don’t make generalizations or set any specific expectations of the future - teach the child in front of you. That alone is a wild ride, and getting a preconceived idea of your asynchronous kid can lead to anxiety, disappointment, and emotional strain.

Yes, I do. But not to brag, and only if the clothes remind me of my experience and are things I like. Funny, I was visiting back home this week for a niece’s graduation. I bought a locale TShirt, not to show off but definitely because I identify with this place (I grew up here but haven’t lived here in a while). And the style of shirt is very much reflective of the place. I don’t think I’d buy clothes that don’t reflect place. For example I wouldn’t buy a sun hat that said Seattle on it ? Maybe a “Seattle sombrero” rain hat. I also wouldn’t buy a beach towel that said Alaska on it, or a western style shirt that said Minnesota on it, or a jacket that said Honolulu on it. There is some “showing off” with clothes, of course. When I was 14 the cool thing was one of the Banana Republic T-shirt’s of a 3rd world remote location that you had to buy in a Banana Republic store (which there were none of in a 300 mike radius) - it was a way to show off that you went to the big city and had $$ to spend on a pricey T-shirt ? If you buy it for YOU, who cares what anyone else thinks your reasons are!

7th grade, DS used it in an online class with lots of web content (videos, interactives, discussion forums).

I just reread Teaching from Rest in preparation for my 1st grader coming home from public. I am also taking two independent courses for myself (not “teacher prep”) - German and Music Theory. I enjoy them but I also am trying to model self-directed learning. Oh, and we are building a house which is taking a lot of my study time but also is a creative outlet. I am compiling a World History course through a lens of science and engineering for oldest this year, which will involve a bit of study on my part. I am also working on some personal goals for self care and personal development - up before 7 and lights out before 11 (this is a big one for me), exercise, daily literature reading (currently reading Man’s Search for Meaning and listening to Barnaby Rudge, Moby Dick is next in the stack), tracking compliments/encouraging words vs criticism/critiques I give to get to a 10:1 ratio, and doing at least one thing from my Happy List each day. I used to spend a lot more time in reading educational philosophy books, researching curricula, and scheduling out the year during summer. I’ve discovered over the last couple of years I need to invest more in myself so I can keep up my energy and positivity through the year.

It would be too much for mine. Our local high school goes 7:50-2:15 (that’s 2hrs+ less than your schedule). Dd is in an early college high school program half day, and as a 9th grader had 1-2 hours of homework a night. That would be closer to your 7:30-4:00 schedule, but she also had 30 min lunch, a 15 min break to walk to the college campus, and two classes that were less thought intensive (welding at the tech center and Parkour). I think those breaks from intense thinking are important! It seems you have a lot of writing. An hour of WWS, two history essays a week, and an English essay every other week add up. I’m a multum non multa kind of person, and would instead work on one short essay (eg completed on one sitting, no revisions, 5 paragraph or less) every other week in History or English (thus one essay a week), and 1-2 high quality English and history essays per quarter. These high quality essays would be longer, cited works which go through a full writing process - research, developing a thesis, building support, crafting the writing, revising, editing. But I also know different individuals are capable of different things. I only assumed that because you are asking you want to know what’s typical or average for the boards.

DH is an emergency doc, so I call him :O) This is a tough one though. Many people use good discernment with this question generally, but there are a lot who do not. And they contribute to a problem with door-to-doctor time. What seems to happen a lot (surprisingly) is someone has a chronic issue, such as “my back has been hurting me for 3 weeks,” and no significant change in the chronic issue but simply decide they can’t stand it a minute more. I wish more people thought this way!!

I don’t think the belief in God is the linchpin, but I’d like to ask you this: do you believe having a framework of belief/moral conduct/philosophy that is *external* of self is an important factor? I don’t mean a fear of committing sin/unloved by God, or a prescribed ritual, but a belief that certain acts or behaviors are more desireable because they lead to a better outcome. And that we look to outside sources (scripture, the life of an esteemed example, a contemporary mentor, a model in nature, etc) to help direct us towards that more desirable outcome. Are these beliefs, in whatever form they take (theistic, nontheistic, non-religious, scientific, etc) stabilizing forces for ones mental health because they give life purpose and meaning, and often direction? Would messages, intended this way or not, of absolute relativism where only the individual can determine what is truth/reality/right/good/the-point-of-it-all be so overwhelming for some as to contribute to their feelings of pointlessness? These are sincere questions. They follow a line of what I am thinking, but I don’t know and am eager to hear others thoughts.

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When we bought 7 years ago we included W/D in our offer (spiffy newer matching front loaders). They accepted offer with out the W/D. Then they offered to sell them to us for $1400. ? Um, no. We purchased a new set, middle of the road, and they’re still going. We are building right now and I plan to bring them to new house. If they don’t fit with *my chosen* laundry room look and die in a year or two fine, but I’m getting my money and use out of them!