Is the team doing the selling or the team's parents' organization? The booster club asking member parents to sell raffle tickets for alcohol is within the realm of normal. Wine and beer baskets are popular items at basket raffles, so why not a wagonload of assorted alcohols? But, when the prizes are alcohol or other 'adult-only' items, the ticket sellers should also be adults. If the team members are doing the selling, I agree with Happy Smiley Lady. If an underage cashier can't be the intermediary in my purchase of alcohol at the grocery store, minors selling raffle tickets to win alcohol, especially if that is the only prize option, seems wrong.

Yes, pre-read. At least you are forewarned. My children really liked The Elements. I remember being blindsighted by the anti-evolution paragraph in Carbon Chemistry. I skimmed the unit in advance but more for where to insert supplemental materials and hands-on activities than for content. Had I pre-read, I would have blacked out that paragraph. I did black-out selected sentences in some of the other units we completed. All of them seemed to be asides rather than integral parts of the chapter. I think secular homeschoolers recommended Ellen McHenry's units because it was difficult to find engaging science options that would work for a variety of ages. Let's Read and Find Out Science series and Magic School Bus worked great for early elementary. After those, elementary and middle grade textbooks were boring and overly simplified. McHenry has an appealing writing style and a knack for explaining complicated topics in terms a child can understand. Some reviewers do mention that she neglects to mention evolution as a factor in her life sciences units and that more attention should have been given to radioactive half-lives in general, and carbon-14 in particular, in the chemistry units. In the past, most people attributed this to McHenry wanting to appeal to the broadest possible market. That is, until as Farrar mentioned, McHenry published her geology unit.

How many days do you plan to visit? If more than one day and you are not already members, a membership costs less than two days of admission tickets. An added perk is that members do not pay parking fees. Pre-COVID members also had an express line for tram tours. Now I believe all visitors are required to have timed tickets. Whether you get a membership or plan to pay the daily admission fee, do it online. Order your tour tickets at the same time. That way you are sure of admission on the day you want to visit.

We talked with a plumber about tankless just yesterday. We opted to go with a larger capacity gas water heater. A tankless water heater costs more than a traditional water heater. The cost is offset by greater fuel efficiency and a life-span of two to three times longer than a traditional water heater. Plus there is the promise of hot water on demand. In a new build it is probably worth it. But, retrofitting an older home is expensive. There is much more to installing tankless than simply swapping it for the tank. To go with tankless, we would need to run dedicated electrical line and if our panel did not have sufficient capacity, install a new or auxiliary electrical panel. We would also need a new vent, involving roof work, so a third contractor. This is on top of the plumbing costs. Multiple contractors also mean greater potential in delays. We were replacing the tank because ours failed. We were not willing to go days (more likely weeks) with no hot water. Plus, we do not consider this our forever home and it would take ten years or more to recoup the costs.

Sheet pan meal Kabobs and rice Tin foil meals Grilled protein with baked potato or potato packets

My side effect from the second shot isn't listed. I had some stiffness in my arm the morning after my injection and it was sore if I touched it, but otherwise unnoticeable. Where I did feel discomfort was in my upper left breast. The lymph nodes in my armpit had swollen. I am well-enough endowed that using my arms without brushing against my breasts is nearly impossible. Anytime I moved my left arm, I felt it not in the arm but in the breast. The swelling and resultant tenderness subsided after a few days.

Carbon Chemistry, chapter 10: Proteins, page 70: "The human body contains about 30,000 types of proteins. Each protein is made of thousands of amino acids which must be in exactly the right order. This fact poses a huge problem for the theory of evolution. The probability of all of our 30,000 proteins occurring by chance is as good as zero."

Sziib, I am sorry that you feel out of place. The age-based progression you have experienced thus far in your education is unlikely to continue once you graduate high school. Most colleges and universities strive for diverse student bodies. You will find dual-enrollment high school students, recent high school graduates, students who took gap years, and returning adult students in the same classroom. You might find a few seniors in a freshman level survey course and freshmen in an upper level seminar. Full-time, part-time, and non-degree seeking students will take classes together but each will be on his/her own timetable. Age will be largely irrelevant. Even among the recent high school graduates you will find student ages differ by several years. You will find this to be the case whether you go to college in your own state or a different state. Remember, some students from other states and countries will select colleges in your state.

In order of difficulty? The Elements is the easiest, and in my mind, the best of Ellen McHenry's units. Barring a few games, I did the entire program with a 2nd grader and a tag-along kindergartener. High-input, low-output was perfect for my science geeks at those ages. I did supplement with selected Inquiry in Action units because my children wanted to do "experiments." While the content could be considered upper-middle or low-high school I question whether the artsy-craftsy output would appeal to a 7th grader. At the very least, I'd plan to supplement with some hands-on science activities. Botany, Carbon Chemistry and Protozoa would be the next easiest. Which is easier depends on your children's interests. The Brain and Cells are the most difficult concept-wise. Topically? Chemistry: The Elements, Carbon Chemistry - you could do one per semester, adding in supplemental videos, readings, and hands-on activities. Or, you could do a semester of chemistry (1 quarter per unit) and then do a different science the second semester. Life Sciences: Botany, Protozoa, The Brain, Cells (Cells and the Brain are about equal in conceptual difficulty, but IMO the games in The Brain were more enjoyable.) Earth Science: Rocks - I did not use this unit We did The Elements in 2nd/K, Botany in 4th/2nd, The Brain, Carbon Chemistry, and Protozoa in 5th/3rd, and Cells in 6th/4th. The break between 2nd and 4th grades is because we did an integrated science/prehistory unit for 3rd grade, not because I thought McHenry's units were too difficult. Pros: My children loved that McHenry did not talk down to the reader. They liked the fingerprint people, the games, and most of the crafts. Cons: McHenry strove to be neutral to appeal to a wide audience. In this attempt, she skimmed over or entirely omitted important topics that some might consider controversial. She also interjected her personal views at seemingly random locations. I was fine with this for elementary science, but by middle grades, I was having to supplement too much for comfort.

Poor girl, I remember those days. For tonight, I would make a quick run to a store to pick up a package of disposable underwear. While old towels and puppy pads are great for protecting mattresses, they don't prevent bleed through onto underwear, nightclothes, or blankets. Your daughter can put a pad inside the disposable underwear for double protection. In the morning, tell her to step into the shower before tearing open the sides of the underwear to remove them. Rinsing in the shower will be more effective than wiping at that point.

They tear down the entire house. They either build a gigantic house that occupies all but minimum setbacks or they subdivide the lot and build two or more narrow two-story houses, again with minimum setbacks. My neighborhood is being gentrified. Dh is hoping someone makes us an offer we can't refuse. I've thought about neutralizing my pony wall by covering the brick with drywall and paint, then thought why bother. The sofa hides it on the living room side and all people do on the entryway side is kick off their shoes and hang up their coats.

13 yr old - 1 week at the youth camp he planned to attend last summer and 1 week at scout camp 15 yr old - applied for an online camp, still waiting to hear whether or not he has been accepted

I don't have to wonder. They would either gut it or tear it down and start over. That is what has happened to every home in my neighborhood that has sold in the last 3 years. For example, I have a pony wall between the front hallway and living room. People ask, "why don't you remove it." Answer: because I don't want the front door to be in my living room. We did have the wall between the dining room and kitchen removed to make a more family-friendly kitchen. The original kitchen was of the one-butt variety. The experience was so traumatic that we decided we were done with major renovations.

A young teen not knowing what she wants to do with the rest of her life is normal. That is one of the reasons schools require students to take courses in multiple disciplines. Don't discount the flagship on the basis of someone else's experience. There are many, many, students with near perfect standardized test scores, high GPAs and AP/DE credits. Extracurricular activities are a key factor in college admissions decision-making. It is better to have slightly lower grades and strong extracurricular activities than straight As and nothing else. Not taking many AP or DE courses because the student wanted more time to explore an area of interest can be explained in an essay or interview. Colleges want students who are going to do more than simply attend classes. They want students who will be active participants in campus life. They also want diverse student bodies. Your friend's son not getting in could be as simple as the school having had too many local applicants and wanting to offer seats to out-of-state students. Or too many computer science majors or a number of other reasons. Have you considered calling this year 8th grade? You said she wants to graduate at 16. That is very young. Even 17 is young. Some students are ready, others would really benefit by having more time. If you called this year 8th grade, you could include Algebra I, Geometry, Biology, and Chinese I and II on her transcript as high school credits completed prior to 9th grade. That would provide room in her schedule for extra electives while still allowing time for all requirements to be met without requiring a fifth year of high school. You could track her credits both ways for now and decide what makes the most sense closer to the end of next year. My best ideas for fitting video game development into a a standard course load are: 1) Computer science in lieu of science. If next year is her sophomore year, she either doubles up on science in 11th or 12th grades or has just three sciences on her transcript. If next year is her freshman year, she takes science in 10th, 11th, and 12th grades and her 8th grade biology makes a 4th high school science. 2) Integrate English and US history programs. Assigned readings in US literature serve both courses. 3) Start one or two of her courses during the summer. Continue at her own pace through the school year and into next summer as needed. 4) 6 credits: 1 each in fine arts, computer science, English, social studies, Algebra II, and Chinese. If next year is freshman year, you could also give 1 credit PE for dance. If sophomore year, she already has her PE credit, so dance is an extra-curricular activity.

I am sorry for your loss. If the son needing shoes is the one wearing gray, I would try to steer him toward black shoes because I prefer that combination. But, really any of the shoes pictured would be fine. Rather than agonizing over shoes, ask the teen which pair he'd prefer. He has to wear them.

Yes, your daughter should start investigating schools and thinking about prospective majors. For a start, look at the admission requirements for a few schools within your state. Compare the requirements at your state's flagship to those of a couple of smaller public and LACs. Also look at requirements for arts schools of interest to her. Make a table of requirements. The pattern you see for the colleges and universities will probably correlate to your state's public school graduation requirements. Typically: English - 4 credits Math - 3-4 credits: Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and possibly one higher-level math Science - 2-3 credits: a life science (biology), a physical science (chemistry/physics), and sometimes an additional science (anatomy and physiology, perhaps) Social studies - 2-3 credits: US history, world history, and often a half-credit each of civics and economics Foreign language - 2-3 credits Fine arts - 1 credit Health/PE - 1 credit, colleges don't usually care about this one Electives/career focus - 6 or more credits in subjects relating to the student's interests and goals. Ivies and other highly-competitive academically-focused schools may want 4 credits in each core area plus strong APs. I know nothing about art schools beyond that portfolios and/or auditions are required. Pointy is good. Seven science credits for a prospective physics major show that the student has a strong interest in science. Unless your arty-student really likes science, she does not need extra science courses. Instead, she should choose electives that will further her goals - more computer programming and fine arts courses, for example.

Language Smarts was our supplement. Handwriting: Handwriting Without Tears Phonics: my children were early readers. 1st through 4th grades we buddy-read selected works for fluency. Spelling: 4th grade: Spelling Works Other language arts: Child 1 - 1st grade: Writing With Ease, Level 1; 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades: Junior English Child 2: 1st grade: Aesop's Fables: My Book About Reading, Writing, Thinking; 2nd and 3rd grades: Junior English ; 4th grade: Wordsmith Apprentice and A Crow Doesn't Need a Shadow

The gaming program sounds wonderful and unique. Few colleges require more than 3 years each of science and social studies. Some only require two. The only concern I'd have with an art-focused student doing just three years of social science is that if three credits are required the expected courses are usually US history, world history, and a half credit each of civics and economics. If you are opposed to "light" civics and economics, plan to work those into her junior or senior year. There is no problem with just three sciences. Some states allow students to substitute computer programming for their 4th math or 3rd science class, so that is also something to consider. If you really want her to have four science, she can double up one year. Colleges won't care if she completed one science per year or all of her science credits in the same year. They just want to see that she took the requisite number of lab sciences.

I would not provide my mailing address to a random caller. Being called by a teen would make me question the child-safety measures taken by the facility. I have too many years of Scout BSA's policy of no one-on-one contact between adults and youth to be comfortable with this scenario. The head of youth services or a designed adult contact person should make the phone calls.

You want a cobbler apron. The aprons I like have a back similar to the one on the Advance pattern in this image. The fronts and hems on mine are squared. I like that I can slip them over my head and they stay in place, no need to fuss with adjustable ties. I do not even tie them. The closest modern aprons I have seen are the Japanese-style cross-backs.

I usually pour balsamic vinaigrette over them and grill. If we are out of vinaigrette I brush the mushroom caps with olive oil. They are good on buns with roasted red pepper, avocado slices, and/or usual hamburger toppings. If serving without the bread, vegetable kabobs make a nice side.

I almost always wear an apron. I splatter a lot when cooking. Also, it is convenient for wiping hands. My favorite aprons were my grandmother's. Unfortunately they are wearing out and I cannot find modern aprons in the same style.

I would reconfigure the cabinets to allow for the taller refrigerator. Build a shelf for the microwave to get it off the countertop. The remaining countertop will be ample for preparing beverages and snacks. Excess counter space invites clutter. The backsplash is pretty, but I would choose something easier to clean. Personally, I'd rethink the butcher block and use the same material for countertop and backsplash.

I do not know any one who experienced serious side effects from the vaccine. Sore arm and a day or two of flu-like symptoms, sure, but nothing that didn't clear up in a few days. A minor inconvenience in exchange for a chance for life to become more normal. On the other hand, none of the people I know who had COVID suggest it was a minor illness. All were seriously ill for weeks. Several were hospitalized and continue to suffer the effects months later. I lost five relatives in the past year. Two of the deaths were directly attributed to COVID, one COVID was a factor, and the other two were collateral damage - failure to thrive after months of isolation and delayed medical care.

Relatively easy. Walmart and other pharmacies advertise slots for Moderna. Fewer locations offer Pfizer but it is available. Schools announce clinics as they receive notification. Our second appointments were scheduled when we received our first doses.