It makes my blood boil. So dumb. But so much of our education is just insanely stupid. I look at what my state thinks will "fix" K12, and all it is going to do is make more people leave the profession.

In my state, they eliminated the test of basic skills. It was considered too hard and discouraged elementary ed majors. It required a 70% in order to pass, and tested at its highest, most basic algebra 1. I gave my homeschooled not particularly mathy 7th grader the practice exam in 2010. He scored a 96%. Eliminated. We have more than one state university with very low bars for entrance to elementary ed, and in one of those programs, the only math (so long as a 410 on SAT math or 17 ACT is achieved) require no math classes in college except to meet a single Gen Ed requirement with a class specifically for early childhood ed and elementary ed which spends a lot of time talking about making creative flashcards, and bulletin boards with math facts and symbols. Same school also had a "history through nursery rhymes" class for GEN ed history for the football team, and I won't regale you with the horrors of what that class actually was, suffice it to say that my lazy brother - a comp sci major in 1982 - petitioned to get into the class so he wouldn't have to take a real history class. He didn't get in. But his college, known locally as Crappy U, was and still is one of the top providers of new elementary ed teachers. I am in a state that has decided that any 18 year old with a high school diploma can substitute teach, even long term subbing. Let the blind lead the blind. Basic lifeskills math illiteracy is actually kind of normal in many of our rural schools because the pay is low. The most qualified teachers land in wealthier towns like Frankenmuth and Traverse City, Ann Arbor, West Bloomfield, etc. But ya. The test of basic skills was too hard. 😠 When I worked in the quilt store, the lack of math skills of local elementary teachers was pretty darn appalling. I tried to explain to a 3rd grade teacher why 1/8 of a yard of fabric was 4.5" by the width of fabric. Her response was, "I never understood fractions." Well thank the universe she didn't teach 5th grade!

Well, as we would say here, "Bless their little hearts!" 😆 My brother is left handed,but was taught to throw (base ball), right handed along with several other things. I wonder if most left handed knitters were taught early on to do it right handed.

I know exactly nothing about knitting. Is there a problem with knitting left handed? I never even thought about it.

I would caution against them. My parents used one back in the 80's when they were kind of first invented. Theirs was called "The Christian Brotherhood". It rarely ever paid anything, and when it did, it took FOREVER - often a year - for the money to arrive. The CEO/President of CB absconded with all the money, and Florida courts ruled that it was pretty much a " too bad, so sad" situation because legally, they really are not bound to pay. It isn't insurance. But they did seize his Florida home and some other assets in the states, sell it, and refund some money to the tens of thousands who subscribed to it. Many of these do a five year look back on every iota of your health, and that of every family member so being rejected for pre-existing conditions is pretty normal, and there is no law against it because again they are not insurance companies.

Oh my goodness, sending you and the kids all the love I can! So sorry this happened.

Ottakee, I have a cheap pair of swim capris from Amazon. I think I paid $15. I got them four years ago, and they are still going strong. I chose capris because so wanted a one and done bathing suit so I can go from beach, to kayak, to sailboat. It is not fun paddling for two hours in something that rides up, and if I crewed the sailboat in board shorts, I would probably end up with my thighs burned because I tend to forget to reapply sunscreen. Amazon has some board shorts for $25 that also have a pocket.

This is something many people do not realize. A lot of this math, prior to the the 1950's or so, was most definitely handed down in practical hands-on ways from parent to child or master to apprentice. But, most kids really do not work in practical ways with their parent in trades due to modern liability issues, school days being longer, extra curricular activities, etc. Tech Center here for 10th-12th grades has been entirely dumbed down. Just terrible. There is no where near the level of work now that there was when my brother went to tech center. Again, the major issue is that the foundation is about as useful as wood rot. The 1930 8th grade diploma exit exam had plenty of algebra and geometry based problems on it. Word problems. Everyday problems using practical, higher-level thinking math skills. How did all those 8th graders manage this exam if they couldn't do the work? I hear this same argument (nobody needs this in real life) about English. "My kid shouldn't have to write an essay, or a paper, or read a novel, or diagram a sentence in order to graduate." Okay then. Let's just openly declare a high school diploma to be nothing more than fancy toilet paper, and let kids out of school at 13 and hope their parents have half a brain and will finish educating them. Sure. You will not personally have an employer who pays you to diagram a sentence. You will most certainly have employers that will fire you when you can't find a coherent sentence with two hands and a flashlight, write a decent report outlining the data he/she needs to know in order to make important decisions, or read and understand the darn instructions for setting up the new printer. No one wants a CNA, a lab tech, a car mechanic, or anyone else working on their bodies or their expensive things that can't think logically. The methods we have at our disposal in public education for teaching logic are Math, English, and the branches of mathematics, music (which has been cut to the bone in most of the not wealthy districts), wood and metal working (which has been grossly dumbed down at tech center), high school level science (more subjects that too many people think their kids should not have to take), sewing (apparel construction and design, also gone in nearly every single district in my state), technical drawing (drafting, also gone), formal logic and philosophy (geometric proof writing with big words (😁)....what is left if we take high school mathematics out? None of this is "You must read Hemingway and Chaucer in order to be successful" or "You must remember the quadratic equation or you will be unemployable." It is all about training brains to think and problem solve, to digest the whole yet see the parts. It is all about having enough skill that if you needed to read Shakespeare to the boss and tell him what it means, you could actually do that. It is all about IF the boss came up with a new plan in your line of work and it meant you had to learn to program a microcontroller, or whatever, you could sit down and figure it out or to take a class and pass it. It is about having a foundation strong enough that a person can learn a new skill if needed. And we are fast embarking on a downward spiral to a functionally, life-illiterate society. As for trades, I did a quick search for several non-"college" trades programs and what is required on the licensing exams. Solar installer: Algebra2 and Geometry. Solar Technician: Algebra - Trig. Some persons indicated they even use Calc 1 on their job. Electrician: Algebra 1&2, and Geometry. Electrical Journeyman: Algebra - Trig. Cabinetry building - Algebra 1- Trig (yes, there is applied trig used). Paramedic school exam locally tests through Algebra 2 and requires two essays (I would imagine the essays are to determine if the person could actually chart, note, and report with clarity and decent sentence structure.) Welding (welder, not a technician or robotic welding programmer) - algebra and geometry. Robotics technician (2 year certification course that is not a degree seeking program) - Algebra - Trig and also a statistics course. Since trades and public safety go hand in hand, higher level thinking about math will always be required. Do we have a problem with how math is taught? Absolutely. Seriously, we could be getting kids excited about and embracing math if we didn't teach it in such stupid ways. Believe me, I have taken numerous teams of middle schoolers and high schoolers, young high schoolers, through Battle of the Rockets and NASA Student Launch, college level engineering competitions, and taught them to calculate the following: Barrowman's Equations (Algebra 2, and have taught kids how to do it that hadn't even had algebra 1 yet), Descent Rates, Center of Gravity, Thrust Equations, Kinetic Energy (force at landing per ft/lb), Ideal Gas Law (calculating ejection charges), Exit Rail Velocity (we didn't push them into calculus, but they definitely used algebraic skills based on an assumption of consistent acceleration), Drift Analysis, Altitude calculations (trigonometry). Though there were computer simulators that could have spit numbers out to them, we made them do it all by hand so they would understand how this data is created. Some of them got so good at it, they could do a lot of this higher level math in their heads. They also learned the Design Life Cycle and wrote the technical documentation for it, some of their documents exceeding 135 pages in length produced by 6 students half of whom were middle school age. More than one kid who entered the program told us they were "no good at math", " not smart", "can't understand hard things" and came out the other side with a whole knew outlook on their own abilities, a positive outlook. Lest you think we had geniuses, we only had one ever whose IQ could be pegged as gifted or highly gifted. The others were just regular kids hovering around the average, not advanced, not the top 10-20% of their schools, and until they completed the program, not certain they were smart enough to do whatever their hearts' dreamed of in life. They found out they were capable of anything. Now that said, none of them had diagnosed LD's. I am talking neurotypical kids. In terms of humanities, I can tell you that the students who thought "I sing well and play my instrument pretty decent so I am going to be a musician or music teacher because I hate math!", flunked straight out of the music major in college. Mathematics is the language of the universe, and music is the poetry of that language. Four semesters of music theory, and most music majors flunk out in year one. They don't make it past theory 2. They barely make it through theory 1. Writing a 32 measure two part invention in the style of Bach (Theory 2) or a 20 measure 12 tone row piece of music for piano (Theory 3) is NOTHING more than a brain twisting exercise in mathematical precision, and the opportunity for error is not much different than that of a calculus problem that takes an entire page,front and back, of a legal pad. You just pray the professor is having a happy go-lucky-aren't-my-students-lovely day when he/she grades it because you are so far in the weeds you need partial credit in order to not tank your GPA. I think if we are going to talk about jobs that do not require higher order math thinking, then we need to talk about jobs that require no skill beyond 8th grade and a driver's license. Some of these jobs are vital, very vital, much needed jobs. None of these positions and the people who fulfill them should be looked down upon for doing them. But historically, no one has been willing to pay a living wage for this work. Of course that is a different problem for sure. However, if we are going to say "Hey, we will no longer require x,y,z high order thinking skills in order to graduate high school", let's at least be brutally honest with what these kids face. We have so completely compartmentalized the subject matter of math that swaths of people do not realize they use their algebra brain very routinely at work. I am all for the option of letting them out at 10th grade with a solid, very solid foundation and let the chips fall where they may because keeping them at that age when so reluctant to learn is making teachers crazy. But the foundation is trash at the moment so we aren't doing them any favors. I am also in favor of saying, " Hey. The journey is its own reward, and you don't have to be GOOD at all of it." But we can't just keep lowering the bar. And the only reason four year college is now a practical default is because the foundation sucks eggs. So we need to go back to kindergarten and start talking about math differently, teaching math differently, and work our way up. I am normally not a book burning kind of person, but honestly if my local school district would provide their math textbooks for K-6, I would host the weenie roast! Wow! That was a long rant! 😂😂😂 Sorry about that.

The number one problem with high school mathematics has nothing to do with the difficulty of high school mathematics and whether or not requirements are too difficult. It has everything to with the colossal incompetence in teaching mathematics at the elementary level, a fundamental lack of understanding of foundational principles. Most neurotypical kids would not struggle with Algebra 1 and 2 nor geometry IF the foundation has been decent, and they have a work ethic. I have spent too much time with elementary teachers who don't know what 10% of $30 is to have any faith that the issue is "are graduation requirements too hard." Nope. They aren't though I would argue that I would prefer the foundation to be so good that we could allow students to have a vocational diploma at 16/10th grade and then options for continuing education like Tech Center full time instead of half days. We are being left behind in the dust by most of the industrialized world living in the age of technology. the answer is not to lower the bar. We need to fix the base.

I think it is a bassackwards policy. The stupid idea assumes all students begin with the same set of skills and school readiness. That is just about as dumb an assumption as policy makers can manage. It is hard enough to attract teachers to the districts that need them most. They should be falling over backward to keep them.

To be honest, given he is from a middle eastern country, the likelihood of a US judge awarding him custody to remove the children from the US is quite low. They usually would rather see them in the hands of a maternal relative or foster care even if the mother is unfit. I would be skeptical of his claim. Unfit is a high bar legally. If he cannot stay in the country, he needs to brace himself for the fact that the children are probably going to remain. They will award the mother child support, but if he goes back to his country of origin, the courts won't be able to collect it. Many countries see it this way. They hold onto their citizen children until they reach the age of majority. He should discuss things with his consulate, and get advice from them on where to get representation as he goes through the divorce.

I really like this. I don't think you need to feel guilty about not allowing the boy to come over after school. I never had an issue with our thirteen year olds being home alone. But, we didn't do "having friends over" when we weren't going to be there. We waited until they were a little older for that.

That stinks!!! It is why I have a whole side of family that I am estranged from and have been for a while. A relationship is a two way street. They NEVER consider anyone but themselves, and I am supposed to be the doormat they wipe their shoes on. Enough was enough. I began having physical stress symptoms just from knowing I was going to be in the same room with them for an hour. It is bullying, plain and simple. I don't believe in "turn the other cheek" when it comes to bullying regardless of being related.

I am worried. We are having insanely warm temps. Some trees are so confused they are budding out. But it is early February, the chances of freezing weather, ice and snow are high. SouthEastern Michigan orchardists are REALLY worried. Such a strange year.

Watch out! That girl is going to hit a growth spurt! 😂

The first one is child, child neglect, reckless endangerment, and potential of murder if the child falls into a coma and dies. Second - educational neglect. Illegal in some states, often not enforced. Still, a crime against the child. Third - abuse. Fourth - an act of sedition and potentially treason, criminal acts. I don't spend time in the company of people who support this kind of thing. I don't want to end up being asked by the prosecution to testify because my ignorant nephew's rants on social media, and threats of joining the insurrection with his many guns. That is something I just have to stay away from. His fault not mine, so if you habe relatives who support those crimes, you have nothing to feel guilty about for keeping your distance. Fifth - people who openly brag to me that they carry guns are people I do not spend time with when I can avoid it. Unfortunately, in my family, the dolt that stockpiles a gun and thinks he needs to have one on his person everywhere he goes, was the same person who also decided to clean a hand gun while drunk, didn't realize it was still loaded, and missed shooting his pregnant wife in the abdomen by 2 inches. Bullet lodged in the wall, shorted out wiring, and started a fire. Nope. Not hanging out with him. Sixth - that one is more of a grown inward, and turn head away so I can roll eyes without being seen. Give yourself permission to not have to be more than cordial with family members who believe dangerous things or act in dangerous ways. We don't get to choose our families. But also work on the concept of an open and loving relationship with your children, and learn coping techniques for how to deal with it if they ever did adopt such notions and practices. Your kids are your primary family responsibility. This is where you want to work on how to handle your feelings, and their choices.

Tiggy, check with your local 4H extension office and ask if they have a dog club. Many of them do, and the kids do not have to have experience breeds for showing. Often they will help them work with any dog they own, and offer classes and workshops. You could attend one of the workshops, and then spend some time together training one of your dogs to do some basics. I have noticed that a lot of dogs enjoy working with their family as long as the training is fun and positive, not punishment based. You might meet a mom or two with whom you would enjoy conversing. Chances are that your county or state fair also has a dog show, and that might be a fun outing with DD. For ds, I think I would endure something like encouraging artwork and story writing about cryptids, and then reading the writing and commenting/discussing, helping him create a personal portfolio of the work. If there are any speakers coming to a local university to talk about the history of cryptic study, swallow deep, and take him to the lecture. Alcohol and pizza for you when he goes to bed.

This. It is expensive to pay for remedial coursework that does not count towards graduation and rarely is covered by scholarships since they don't award a lot of money to students needing remedial placement. It is so important to look at the end, and then carve the path to that point. For our 3 boys, the competitive rocketry team and hands on engineering classes were VERY important to them. But their goals for after high school were also front and center. So instead of a 9 month school year, we schooled 11 months, taking July off. I also streamlined history and science exams. If at the end of the unit, an oral quiz from me indicated they had mastered the content and could readily explain the concepts to me, then we skipped the written exam, and only did semester and final exams. They wrote a lot of essays, and we never skipped chapter exams in English or Math because those are so important to being comfortable on college entrance exams. But any time there was a struggle, we stopped, discussed, remediated, and then tested. This worked well for the first two years of high school. Once they were in AP world history, AP Government, AP Chem, and such, we had to follow that strict curriculum to prep for the exams, and when they did Dual Enrollment it was of course outside my control. High school is tough. It isn't just core material. If going to college or to a selective tech/trade school, then one needs to worry about foreign language, fine arts, computer science/literacy, PE if required, electives. Sometimes the social has to give a bit.

I think it does. It is fresh hair, and sunlight even if indirect. I think it is wonderful you are managing 2 hrs a day!

LOL, it is in fits and spurts. It is mostly dog walks! I take him around the block, several laps around pur one acre yard, a few times each day. A few days were so bitter cold with high winds at the end of the 2nd week of January that he would NOT stay out for long.

Yes, I do think the black is the way to go now that I have input. And thanks so much!!! I never think of myself as looking very good. That compliment made my evening! ❤

One other red flag I thought of is, "How does she talk about your son in the presence of her child?" I would be very concerned about the possibility that play time with your Dd and her child could lead to an influence on Dd that she should develop an adversarial relationship with her brother. This would have me on edge enough to not want to pursue anything further with this family.

Ugh. I am managing about 45 minutes a day. We have had so much cold rain, then icy roads and streets, then fog. Yuck. We are going up north tomorrow and will be doing some winter hiking in an area that is going to GASP, have sunshine! 😱 I might manage a couple of hours before my ankle gives up. It has been acting up lately. I think our eclipse trip in April is going to find me stubbornly outside from sun up to sun down for four straight days. Mostly though, I am just craving the moment we can de-winterize the sailboat, and unpack the kayak. I told Mark we need to set some money aside to go to a sunny beach next January, US Virgin Islands or something.

That sounds good. The black one is basically like the photo of the blush one. No beading. I have a silver wrap I could use if it is chilly. I own both of these dresses, and won't be shopping. I have three evening gowns in my closet, and I just don't want to buy another one! My favorite dress is a jade stretch lace cocktail length dress with beige lining, and a pair of gold shimmer sandals to go with it. It is dressy, but not formal, so that poor dress is not in the running even though it is my favorite.

So here is the deal. Dh's nieces his brother's daughter, is getting married Easter weekend. Black tie optional. Clothing isn't an issue in that we have clothing to meet the code. I am struggling to choose between my options. Dh is going optional. His tux is worn out. We bought it in 1993. He has worn it a ton because whenever I had piano performances that required me to be in evening gown, he always wore black tux. He also had it dry cleaned every single time. It has been to many a wedding, Carnegie, you name it. It has lost its luster, the hem of one pant leg actually has a fray no, tears in a couple of pockets, a shoulder seam that needs repairs. Not happening. He will be wearing his grey/silver suit - super nice - tux shirt with cuff links, and black and silver paisley tie. I am posting two pictures that are super close to the two gowns I am choosing between. My burgundy does have some silver beading, and black one has a slightly more elaborate ruching in the bodice, but the silhouette is the same. My question is two fold: 1. Given that Mark is not wearing black, which dress would look best. 2. Is black tie optional also "floor length optional?" I am tired of floor length. Mark steps on my dress when we dance. He is not exactly Kevin Bacon Foot loose here! 😂 Also, I am short waisted, and only 5'4". I have always felt I look shorter in floor length than mid-calf, or cocktail. But cocktail is absolutely not formal enough. Can I get away with ankle length? Tea length? Mid-calf? I am thinking that I probably cannot get away with midcalf without looking a little out of place. Both dresses are equally comfortable. I will post a photo so you can see my current hair color as well. Oops, my photo of us is sunset. Okay, well. My hair is mahogany if that helps. It will either be in a simple messy, French twist, or a half up, nothing coiffed or curled insanely. I don't have the patience for that!