https://www.plumdeluxe.com/collection/tea/black?fwp_type=herbal-no-caffeine

Hey, hi, I'm just stopping in since I started it eight years ago. The experience I had was criticism and being told that I was making a "beginner mistake" by caring about our kids being able to do at least grade-level work typical for their ages. It was rare for me to meet other homeschoolers who shared this standard. I was seen as uptight and unevolved, or not trusting the process of natural learning, or whatever. 🙄 Eventually I found a small group of moms who also had this view, that academic progress matters. Interesting - down the road, all of us ended up having some but not all of our kids in public school later on, either full time or part time. Our family's current configuration is one in full time middle school, who will attend high school full time as well, and the other doing correspondence high school with me as the tutor, and taking one class at the local high school. These other families have similar arrangements. I'm not involved in the homeschooling community at all anymore, but I still have the connections with that small group of moms. My years in were a bit lonely. The combination of caring about academics while dealing with specific learning disabilities that slowed things down meant that I rarely found anyone IRL who could really understand. But this small group of moms was helpful - they had their own challenges with their own kids, and they knew my kids, and in some cases, taught them at the co-op. So it was a support for me. It wasn't ever a tight social group for the kids, although they do know each other and are friendly when we see each other. Mine ended up finding their social groups at school. I was never able to relate to the people who just left academic progress to happen on its own. It is something I don't understand or agree with. I chose to avoid discussions of homeschooling with them - just changed the subject and talked about something else. I wish them well but we'll never be tuned into the same station.

We rented a van in Ireland. It was a stick. If you are used to driving on the right, and you visit somewhere that drives on the left, do not get a stick !!! I am really good at driving stick, but shifting with the *left* hand had me all messed up. In combination with driving on the left, it was just too much. Another thing I would do differently is use the internet (not available back then) to learn all the road signs and symbols of the country you will be driving in. It would have helped so much. Those weren't in any of the travel guides we read.

https://www.desmos.com/ I love this so much.

When I look at math now, I have memories of slogging through it the hard way, and barely understanding it conceptually. The tools that are available now make it so much more transparent. I just went and looked up Transformations on Purplemath and found a great article. And then if I wanted to, I could put some functions into Desmos and play around with some transformations, and see the new graphs right away. I never had that so easily available. I had to make an appointment at the math lab on campus and have a computer reserved as well. Everything is right there for everyone now. So cool.

We enjoyed all of the sci fi that has been mentioned. We also loved Hell on Wheels and Deadwood. For humor, we love Letterkenny. We recently started watching Schitt’s Creek and love that too.

I am so sorry you are in this situation. I know how it is to feel short, unconnected and invisible. I wish your partner would realize you need to be seen as a person who is more than just a caretaker to your children, and that you need to be on a team of more than one. Hugs.

All the girls and women athletes should be speaking out as a unified voice. “Sharing the platform” is ridiculous. I don’t see why the federal government should have anything to do with this. Athletic associations can govern this realm and leave congress to the important work of taxing and militarized international meddling.

Anyone who has ever been male, or taken hormones to transition to male, should be included in male sports only. That is inclusive- they can play, as males. It is also the only arrangement that is fair to the genetically, hormonally female athletes, which is who female sports are intended for. This is such basic common sense. It’s baffling that the feelings of athletes who should not be eligible have taken priority over keeping women’s sports a fair competition between women.

Lotion. I’ve tried all kinds of hair products for this problem. None work as well as just the tiniest amount of lotion on my fingertips.

I would not check yes unless it was something that caused me a current disability. IMO these answers are used to discriminate against applicants. They should only be allowed to ask about current conditions that cause a disability. In the USA: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/practices/inquiries_medical.cfm

I get PG Tips at our grocery store. IMO there are no American brands of tea bags that make a good strong tea that tastes good. The closest I've found is Numi Pu-ehr, but it's Pu-ehr so a little mushroomy. If I use Republic of Tea, I need to use about four bags and it's expensive. So I use loose tea instead. But I order it. Mountain Rose Herbs has affordable loose black tea that is nice - I like the Vanilla black - the vanilla is very mild and not sweet. Lately I've discovered Plum Deluxe teas - they are so good I'm drinking through the rest of my teas to get rid of them, and after that I'm only buying Plum Deluxe. I make loose tea in a Bodum mesh diffuser. But when I feel lazy I just throw the tea and water into a cream pitcher (it has a spout) and after it's brewed, I pour it through a strainer into my mug. Unsweetened almond milk and no sugar.

I have a relative who went through something like this. She is very bright, and I think she just couldn't stand being a kid anymore. She ended up dropping out of high school and working, I am guessing multiple jobs since a teen can't work full time. She did get her GED once she was old enough. Last I heard, she was enrolled in a trade school and doing well. I believe the behavioral problems stopped once they stopped trying to make her continue living as a kid and attend high school.

There are private, regionally accredited distance schools. They have nothing to do with public schools. A student enrolled in one is not homeschooled- they are a student of a private school. There are also regionally accredited distance high schools through some universities. Our son is a student at American School (the one in Lansing IL.).

King Arthur’s Academy is fun fiction writing.