[What happens if the college you were attending goes away?]

My Alma mater closed after 75 years. Just couldn't break even anymore in a competitive market. But, it was a Catholic school, and the other local Catholic college took over their records. This was highly publicized and easy to figure out at the time. There should have been some announcement that would come up by Googling.

[Acknowledging vs Celebrating Anniversaries...vent, advice..]

Totally agree with both posts. We've been married 24 years, and I learned a long time ago not to expect dh to read my mind and be upset when he doesn't. Oh, I definitely went through that stage, pouting on anniversaries, etc., but it's not worth it.

 

Now I remind dh that our anniversary is coming up on X day, list the days and times in proximity that we would both be available, and suggest he start thinking of something to do, along with any suggestions I may have. He's happy he doesn't have to guess what I want, and I'm happy because I get to celebrate in a way we can both enjoy.

 

Men being clueless doesn't mean they don't care, they're just clueless. Have you read the book "The 5 Love Languages" ? His love language is likely different than yours, not wrong or bad, just different. You have to teach him how to make you happy :)

[What do you call the circles on the stovetop that you cook on?]

New England. Burners, no matter if electric, gas or ceramic top. If you put a pot on it, it's a burner. Never heard them called anything else.

[Why don't all rooms have heaters??]

Never heard of a ceiling fan heater, wow. Even though I live in the freezing north where such a heater would be luxurious, I'd actually rather have AC. It's only hot and humid for 3 months, but oh does it make me miserable!

[Reading While Eating...Yes or No?]

I always read while I eat (usually these boards, actually) . Meals are my break time, so I want to enjoy myself. My dc are usually watching screens (YouTube, Netflix) while eating, and dh checks his emails.

 

That said, we very, very rarely have family meal time. Each person eats breakfast upon waking, which spans a couple hours. Of course, then we are all hungry for lunch and dinner at different times based on when we ate breakfast, add in evening activities, and everyone just grabs a bowl and heats up whatever I made when they're hungry.

 

I figure we're all here together all day every day (dh works from home) so sharing meals isn't that essential. We've been "connecting" all day!

 

On the rare occasion we have a family meal, yes, no reading and no screens.

[What do you collect?]

I'm not really a collector, but I do get on certain "kicks" where I research ad nauseum and, due to enthusiasm, sometimes buy too many of a certain category of item.

 

In high school, I was into Victorian themed decor; in college, anything related to French language and culture. Of course, while exploring religions and through the conversion process, it was religious books; then when dc came along, parenting and homeschooling books.

 

More recently, when little dd was expected, I decided to cloth diaper her. After researching the myriad of options, I collected at least 2-4 of every brand, style, fabric and design, then repeated the same process with cloth training pants. I figured she was my last baby, and I wanted to have fun while feeling good about caring for her skin and the environment at the same time, which helped me to justify the cost.

 

Now, I'm pretty much repeating the cloth diaper phenomenon with cloth pads for myself. It may sound insane, but there are tons of women on YouTube showing off their stash of cloth pads in luxurious fabrics and adorable prints, and I got sucked in. After all, I've got 10 years max left till menopause, may as well pamper myself while helping the environment...

 

I have collected about 55 pads, half of which are utilitarian, while the rest are gorgeous prints that I use for every day liners. Go ahead and search "cloth pads" on Etsy, if you dare :) .

[American School - Online/Current]

It is a decent review of basic math, but not a formal "pre-algebra" course. The second course does introduce algebraic concepts, though. The first course covers all of basic math: 4 operations, fractions, decimals, percents. It is a mastery program, so there would be a chapter on each topic, progressing from the basics to advanced, take an exam, then move onto the next topic. The 2nd course is mainly geometry, from basic perimeter and area to volume of cones. The algebraic concepts introduced in the 2nd course are done incrementally, beginning with concrete visual presentations, then translating that into an algebraic expression. There are word problems throughout both courses.

 

AS does offer pre-Algebra as an online course, which is another option.

[American School - Online/Current]

I guess that would depend on her comfort level with grammar and composition. The composition aspect is quite straight forward and incremental, and most assignments consist of individual paragraphs. The grammar does become more challenging in the 2nd semester. That said, you could always give it a try, and if it takes her a little longer to finish, no worries, since she would be ahead of the game anyway. If you choose the college prep track, the last 2 English courses are much more demanding, especially British Lit., so it's not a bad idea to leave more time for those.

 

Just a reminder, that the cost of the diploma program only covers the required 18 credits, so if she wants to bulk up her transcript with additional courses in later years, those will need to be purchased individually. But, if you get in the habit of budgeting for the monthly payments, once they are paid up, you can put those funds toward additional courses.

 

Also keep in mind that this is a high school program giving high school credit, although some of the 9th grade courses can seem remedial. Therefore, there is no reason to get into the fact that your daughter is an 8th grader when you purchase independent study courses. Since she is not enrolled, but taking courses for "personal enrichment," it shouldn't be an issue and no one ever asked. If you volunteer the information unsolicited, however, you might have a problem, or not, I don't know, I just wouldn't mention it if not asked.

 

HTH,

[American School - Online/Current]

I would look at their list of required courses, and make sure your dc is prepared for that course work. If she is ready for Algebra in grade 9, for example, they will let her take that rather than Basic Math I and II. But, she could take the basic maths in grade 8 (my dd did) rather than another pre-Alg. course so she could begin accumulating credits. She also took an elective of her choosing (Child Development), but either Psychology for Life Today or Health, both grade 9 requirements, could be completed in grade 8. This gives her an intro to the AS format while leaving more time in later years to fit in electives, higher level courses, or simply a lighter course load as the work becomes progressively more difficult.

 

Tell them you want to purchase independent study courses, and pay for them individually. Then you can enroll her in the diploma program for grade 9. Or, just enjoy this year of wrapping up your mom-led homeschool adventure before she has to focus on meeting someone else's requirements and expectations.

[American School - Online/Current]

Yes, huge difference in deadlines. The online courses have a 9 month limit, with the ability to purchase an extension for a couple more months. This caused a lot of stress in our house. The paper courses have no deadlines for individual courses, the student just needs to complete all the required course work within a total of 5 or 6 years, but that's it.

 

In our case, the paper courses were much better, but maybe that was because we were able to try both. If we hadn't, maybe the online would have seemed just fine. My kids just didn't like having to read everything on screen, they really prefer real books, and the tight deadline was tough.

 

My kids are enrolled in the paper course program, but they are allowed to replace a couple of those (2 or 3, can't remember) with online courses. Anything beyond that has to be purchased separately. It's still a great deal.

 

We pay $75 per month, interest-free, until tuition is paid off, about 2 1/2 years. You can call to find out what the monthly payment would be in Canada, or you can just pay it all at once.

 

It is also possible to purchase courses individually, try one online and one paper, for example, and see how she likes it. My daughter took a couple of courses in 8th grade for that reason. If you do end up enrolling her, the cost of those courses is put toward the full program tuition, so you aren't out any money.

 

HTH,

[American School - Online/Current]

Both of my dc are enrolled in AS. Our favorite/preferred courses are paper with online exams. They have a textbook and very well-written and helpful study guide, but the exams are completed online. They are identical to the paper exams, but without dealing with snail mail. The fully online courses have no paper resources at all, and my kids want/need books. There are a few courses that do not offer online exams, such as math and lab science courses, so if you really want to avoid paper exams, you might consider the online courses for those. Personally, I would not do all online courses. If you choose to do any, I would limit it to 2 per year. This would give a better balance. I also wouldn't have her first online course be a demanding, required course, in case she really dislikes the format. Starting with a fun elective is always best.

 

Some kids do well with all online courses, but I really don't think it is using AS' s program to its fullest potential. So many schools have online courses; the ones AS are from Florida Virtual Academy. I really love their in-house created courses and their personal service. The online courses can serve a need, but I find their paper courses to be their biggest strength, and using those with the online exams has been the best format for us (with a couple online electives not offered as a paper course).

 

I believe you are in Canada? If so, one thing to keep in mind is that, although the paper courses are much less expensive than the online ones, AS does charge more than the posted price for paper courses shipped outside of the US to offset the shipping cost.

 

I have written several detailed posts on AS previously, that you will likely find in your searches. Feel free to ask any further questions.

 

HTH,

[Speed Queen fans - help me out]

Very simple. There are really only 2 models, I think, with or without the extra rinse. No buttons, no electronic programming, just excellent cleaning. You'll love it 😊

[Daughters of Abraham]

I attended one of their meetings in a rural area over a decade ago. This particular one was mainly made up of elderly church ladies, most likely an ecumenical Christian group on most occasions, since I don't think there was much religious diversity in their area.

 

I was invited to speak as the Muslim representative, as was a Jewish woman. The two of us actually learned quite a bit about the commonalities in our faiths, and the church ladies seemed to enjoy themselves as well.

 

I was somewhat taken aback over how many of the potluck dishes were based around ham!, but I chalked that up to elderly church lady ignorance, bless their hearts.

 

I would definitely be interested in participating in such a group in a more diverse area.

[Play based homeschool preschool for the non spontaneous parent]

I'm quite similar. I highly recommend Timberdoodle, plus a read-aloud program. We used Wee Folk Art last year and enjoyed it.

[American school question]

They like it even though it's, you know, school ☺. It's great to know all their bases are covered, which simplifies homeschooling for all of us. We have been quite pleased with most classes, they are well organized and the teachers are always available to answer questions. They don't have AP classes, but you can take those elsewhere and transfer them. I've posted quite a bit about AS in the past. We are very happy with it.

[American school question]

I'm not sure, I hadn't really noticed, and both of my dc are enrolled. Regional accreditation is equivalent and reciprocal, but if you really want to know the reason, you should just call and ask. The staff is very friendly and helpful.

[Curious: those of you who no longer use paper checks...]

Here in Canada, where everything is paid electronically, including taxes, I rarely use checks. But, I do use them to pay the rent, and for one of my daughter's activities. So, a few months ago, I went to the bank to place my check order. The teller looked at me like I was insane or in a time warp. She must have asked me 3 times if I was sure I wanted to order checks, since they aren't necessary anymore, no one uses them, everything can be done online, bla, bla. I assured her I still use them from time to time, and she reluctantly placed the order. $50 for 50 checks. Yup. $1 per check.

[There goes my Christmas gift!]

I know, so annoying! My ds's bday is at the end of this month. He mentioned several weeks ago that he wished he had all 4 books of a particular series, so I ordered the boxed set.

 

Yesterday he mentions that he found them all for free online and just downloaded them to his Kindle. Grr. That was one of his bigger gifts, although he has plenty of small ones.

 

Do I send it back, or give it to him anyway and deal with the awkward moment. Frustrating.

[Great Leaps]

Just a thought; have you had him evaluated? It sounds like reading, spelling, writing and possibly tracking issues at play. An evaluation can really help you sort that all out and determine the best way to remediate, which skills to start with and build upon.

 

I postponed my dd's evaluation until she was 9, listening to suggestions that she was a just late bloomer, etc., even though my gut told me she was dyslexic. The evaluation validated my instincts, told me exactly what her issues were, and gave me a plan moving forward. He may need to use Barton, Wilson, AAS, etc., or he might need vision tracking therapy. At age 11, I would want to know what I was dealing with in order to remediate as efficiently and thoroughly as possible before high school. Just my $0.02.

[Great Leaps]

I used Great Leaps with my dd a few years ago. It is primarily for fluency. The tutor might be using the phonics pages for spelling.

 

Great Leaps is an excellent program for building fluency, but if your son has severe spelling and writing issues, I would want to use a program specifically for those issues, such as All About Spelling.

[(irritating) Passport getting woes. My bad for being alternative.]

So I was curious and did a search, my kids' birth certificates cost $28, $23, or $20 depending on the state and county where they were born.

You guys made me wonder if the cost had gone up recently in my state, so I checked. Nope, still $10.

[What was your Cabbage Patch doll's name?]

Unfortunately, I can't remember. I do know that I got one much later than most, once you could just walk into a store and pick one. It was an unspoken rule in my family that we did not entertain faddish frenzies. If everyone just had to be somewhere or have something, we boycotted it. This ruled out Black Friday shopping in general, as well as waiting in line at any time to purchase whatever the latest coveted item was. For this reason, my son never got a Tickle Me Elmo doll. Principle. We also usually purchase new technology a good 5 years later than most, after the fad has worn off and the price has come down. My parents waited until the VHS vs Betamax war was settled before investing in one. None of us got a smart phone until last year, with very limited data.

 

BTW, I'm 42. Are some of you ladies really that much older that you were buying Cabbage Patch dolls for your daughters? Surely your kids were part of a 2nd wave or something 😊.

 

ETA: I think she might have been named Luella.

[(irritating) Passport getting woes. My bad for being alternative.]

 

 

I didn't realize people actually got those for their children. I just assumed every waited till they needed it as adult like I did.

Funny, I can't imagine anyone not having a copy of their birth certificate in their files at all times.

 

I grew up within an hour of the Canadian border, so it was very common for families to take day or weekend trips, and of course a birth certificate was necessary to cross the border (now requirements are more stringent) .

 

Dh grew up overseas and his parents and extended family still live there. We visit every 2-3 years. All of my dc have had passports since they were a few months old. As discussed upthread, birth certificates are required to apply for a passport, obviously.

 

I guess I never thought about when or why a birth certificate might be needed, it was just one of those things that was always on hand so we'd have it if necessary. In fact, we were given an order form in the hospital after each child was born, and we always ordered at least one copy right away, along with their SS#. BTW, they only cost $10.

[(irritating) Passport getting woes. My bad for being alternative.]

We just applied for a renewal. The clerk would not accept the about to expire passport as the photo id document and tried to reject it as evidence of citizenship, saying the birth certificate was needed. 45 minutes to closing, and no line, so I pulled up the state dept website and showed her that the current passport was acceptable for both requirements. She insisted on photocopying the driver's license, including the copy with the application, and told us to expect the application to be rejected due to no birth cert., but she processed it. I have no idea if she did not understand her training or if the state dept website is not up to date, as she had no work instructions available to consult.

It all depends if you are renewing an adult passport or a child's. Adults do not need a copy of their birth certificate, as the expiring passport is sufficient (although that may not be the case if it has been expired too long. )

 

For a child, the birth certificate is required for every renewal. Both parents have to give permission for the child's passport to be issued, and they need to compare the photo IDs of the parents to the parents' names on the birth certificate.

[How often do you enjoy a "date night" with your husband?]

Rarely. We did start going out for coffee once a month or so once the kids were old enough to stay home alone.

 

Unfortunately, that has devolved into discussion time for pressing issues we would rather talk about out of the kids' earshot, so while productive and necessary, it's not a ton of fun.