That thread stressed me out a bit too. My questions: What do you do if your kid doesn't do well on tests of any kind? What do you do if it doesn't matter how much/how hard you've worked with your kid they still can't get past elementary school math (basic operations, decimals and fractions)? What do you do if you've gotten your child to read but the comprehension levels aren't there? What do you do if you realize your kid is not college material? What do you do if you realize that your kid isn't even CC material? What do you do if you realize that your kid may be suited for working at a cash register all their life? What do you do if your kid is not interested in book studies? What if they are more driven toward art, working with their hands, food? What if your kid has no drive? What if? What if? What if? There are a lot of people out there who struggle so much in homeschooling. We do our best, we try our hardest. We're juggling kids, homeschooling, part or full-time work and making sure our kids can at least get a job one day if not go to college. A lot of us have given up the college dream for one or more of our children because we know, it's not happening. There are those out there who are doing a lot too. And if you have that kid who can do it, that's great. But a lot of us drew different cards in life. And we have to work with what we're given and some times it's not a lot. And I know there is educational neglect that happens. And drugs and alcohol or abuse aren't always the reason behind. Some people are lazy. But I think the majority of us on here and the majority of people who are out there trying to homeschool their kids are really trying. They may fail or their kids may fall short. But we're trying. And that should really be worth something. So if you feel bad about that thread or any other---Don't. You're doing the best you can.

I hate family secrets and think it's so wrong to keep them. I felt so betrayed by everyone when I found out important things that I had been lied to about. It upsets me that the older generation thought it was OK. So with my kids I've been very open about family history and there are no secrets. Secrets hurt families. They really do.

He did reunite with his birth mom in Korea but he doesn't speak the language so it's going to be an uphill battle for him there. Everything there is about status and education. I felt so bad for him when a friend was tweeting about this. It's been a couple of months now and I'm wondering how well he settled and if his family was able to reunite.

I see plenty of women in the 40s and beyond with braided hairstyles.

We are 1/4 of the way through the last two years. In the first semester of junior year, my daughter has read selections from her American Literature book on early American lit to the before the Civil War. Civil War period lit begins soon and she's started on The Red Badge of Courage. She also has an interest in Northern and Eastern Europe and so far has read: Pippi Longstocking Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates Norse Mythology We plan to have her read different books as I find them in the library so it will probably be very random.

Last year was 10th grade for my oldest, We did: World History (included a large project on a world event) Math (Khan-academy working our way through high school math) Chemistry Japanese (1 semester) Art Computer programming (Khan-academy) Language and linguistics (on her own) Applied Science: Baking and Candy-making Literature and composition For my youngest (next year) we are planning: Asian History Asian Literature Art History Music History Anatomy through Art (for science, basically studying anatomy to better draw not only the human body but some animals as well) Math Japanese Violin Art She's very focused on Art and music and Asia. The Anatomy course is something I'm working on figuring out. Basically, it's to help her with drawing but we want to study the parts from skeleton out and how they move and work and all of that. She'll have to learn the vocabulary as well. But it's more for an art student than someone wanting to go into the medical field.

New patient--it took about 6-9 months for first appointment (other Ped. office wasn't taking anyone) Well-check/annual physical--about 3 months and then usually on call for the first available (this past time it took about a month or so) Sick appointment in a day or two (as current patients), if we get up early enough and they are really sick we can come in for walk-in hours. I'm just happy I don't have to take off an entire afternoon anymore to drive 45 min away to take them to a Dr. that takes our insurance. It's so nice to have in-town doctors in-network again.

Send it to my house, I love using it for litter in the rabbits' cage. And we've stopped the newspaper so I'm starting to run out. :lol:

Cold enough this morning that my ducks sort of turned into icicles after their morning bath. They were all shiny with bits of ice dangling from them and crunchy when you touched them. But they were happy as can be and gobbled down their warm scrambled eggs. But cold and sunny.

I've been doing this for a few years too. I started with evenings and 10 hours a week but now I work closer to 20. We've had to build a nice routine and I've worked with them on personal responsibility and time management. It's so hard to balance everything and I feel bad when I leave the house. But we depend on the income I make. The big thing to make it work is routine, everyone pitching in to keep the house in order, and having back-up in case the kids need to go somewhere while I'm at work. A flexible job schedule also helps. I work mainly evenings and weekends but it's like I work all the time because mornings to afternoons is school time, then chores before I leave and then I'm home around dinner time. The only day we all have "free" is Sundays so we spend that day as a family resting and recharging for the next round.

We had to do that for a while. All the doctors and the hospital (I can see it from my house) went out of network for about 4 years. There was one urgent care place in network. So we would take an afternoon off and schedule everyone's visits and get it all done at the place that was a 45 min drive away. I'm just glad none of us had anything major happen during that time. Good luck and I hope it works well for you.

I do the same for my daughter except I keep a spray bottle of water and spray and dampen everything as I go so it stays nice. And no brushes her either.

We just have the $60-80 one that you can find at most stores. It came with 4 trays, is round and has different heat settings. It works very well for drying a variety of fruit, veggies and making jerky. Dh hunts so we make a lot of deer jerky on our own. Our first dehydrator we got in the 90s and it just quit working a couple of years ago. It does fine for drying herbs but doesn't have the heat for drying wetter items. We got a new one with a similar tray type so that we could use more or less with either machine. I don't really see the sense in buying something that costs hundreds of dollars when the less expensive model works just fine. The only thing is that when I make jerky with the gun, I do turn them over once they've been drying for a couple of hours otherwise they dry around the grid on the trays and are impossible to remove.

Sounds a bit like my daughter's hair. I was reluctant to go without shampoo but it took it from a frizzy mess to something much prettier. I use John Frieda curly girl conditioner and after I comb it out we mousse it (again John Frieda) to set the curls in place. It's been 2 years since she used shampoo and her hair is beautiful now. When talking to others with curly hair the big thing was to avoid sulfates in hair products. So you'll need to read ingredient labels on her products. NO SULFATES.

There are tons of calendars out there that you can download and print for free. Since I use the grid paper, it's easy for me to just outline 4 by 4 or 3 by 3 squares of squares to make days for my monthly calendar. And I use the grids again to make timers for my days.

With the caramel apple pie, it's best to use some sort of caramel sauce or homemade caramels that don't harden as much. I work in a pie bakery part-time and so I've made or helped make most of the pies at one time or another.

It's all vegetarian friendly there pretty much. We ate at the Scholars Inn Bakehouse the last time we were there and it was pretty good but the portions are large so we could have ordered less. Hope you have a nice visit. We always like going to the books stores and different little shops there.

Target also has a lot of really cute flags and tape in their dollar spot section.

Prismacolor premier pencils good sketchbook not the cheap one but one with nicer paper where colors don't bleed through Copic sketch markers drawing markers in a variety of tip sizes Pencils in a variety of soft and harness a gummy eraser a nice art box to put things into watercolor in the tube (red, yellow, blue, white and black) a variety of brushes watercolor paper

I have a magic cat blanket. It is a goose down lap blanket that is really soft and warm. So whenever I use it on the couch all the cats come to sit in my lap. Maybe something like that. A soft down blanket for the cooler weather?

We have 2 cats, 2 rabbits (bonded pair), 2 ducks (raised from eggs after their parents were killed by a fox), and a handful of chickens. I think pets make life more interesting and full of love.

I've seen them used for monthly, weekly and daily calendars/timers. It's kind of a neat idea.

Midwest but the southern part which is much different from the northern part.

I've found cute ones in the dollar spot at Target before. Right now they have baby penguins, Santa & forest friends and another with polar bears. Plus there is a pretty one with delicate flowers. In the fall I found some there with flowers. I've also got in order in to a place in Japan. Hoping to get them and my new washi tape at any time.

It really depends on what I am using it for. circles--pudding or desserts length-wise--sandwiches ovals--when drying whole--eating chunks--for bread