So helpful! Thank you! I know! :( It's the choice between definitely going this year for 4 days or possibly going next year (and possibly not). I want to grab the opportunity while it's available. I *really* do wish we had longer though!

Was the volcano in the Arenal area? Someone else mentioned that I should look at that area. I just looked up the rainy season. Apparently, the timing varies depending on the region. (http://www.govisitcostarica.com/travelInfo/climate.asp) For most of the country, it is May-Nov, but Arenal is Dec-April. I didn't realize that it varied depending on the location, so that is good to know!

We are planning a family vacation to Costa Rica in late May/early June (during the rainy season). Our trip will be short--only spending 4 days there. Which area would you recommend? I think we need something that is easily accessible (not muddy roads) no more than a few hours from the airport at most. Please share your BTDT advice for which region would be good, your favorite activities there, and absolutely any other words of advice you have for us. This will be our first international trip with the kids (ages 8 and 11). TIA!

The Disappearing Spoon and Theodore Gray's Elements complement each other very well. Physics for Presidents is a good one for physics.

It is. The price online is $107 USD for one Epi-pen Jr, so it may be worthwhile for me to order 4 of them. I'll see what the pharmacists here can offer me though.

Thank you! I had never heard of GoodRx before, but the price it lists is $537 per dual pack. You guys are great! I'm printing out that coupon and the epi-pen coupon and will take it to the pharmacist(s) to ask about the cheapest option for getting an EAI. If it's going to be higher then ordering from Canada, I'll try the Canada option and see how that goes.

Oh! You guys are right! They changed the eligibility on the coupon since I checked it 2 years ago, and we are eligible for $100 off. :) I need to call some pharmacies to check on prices. It looks like it might be cheaper to buy from Canada than it is to use the coupon in the US. I have heard that many people do order from Canada, but I've never been through that process. Has anyone done that? https://www.canadadrugs.com/products/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&keyword=epinepherine&commit=Search

We can't use the coupon because our insurance disqualifies us. But it also doesn't help with the cost--$800 per dual pack as of 2 years ago, so we're looking at $1600 out-of-pocket--assuming the cost hasn't increased.

We need to pay out-of-pocket for 2 dual packs of EAI for kids. (I definitely need pre-measured auto-injectors.) What is the cheapest option you have found? An off-brand? Mail ordering from Canada (if so, which company do you use)?

Yes, that's right--just a chat box for Home2Teach. Sorry I don't have enough experience with online classes to be able to recommend one with video.

Thank you both! So very helpful!

I'm considering VP's Self-Paced History for my younger child who will be in 3rd grade next year, and I have some questions for those of you who are knowledgeable about the program. 1) It is listed as being for 2nd to 6th graders. Is the content exactly the same, or do I specify grade level at some point? 2) How long do the lessons take each day? 3) I heard somewhere that there is a 2 week free trial, but I don't see that on the website. I'm considering this for my son who attends a school-for-homeschoolers 3 full days/week. Doing a history lesson after school might be too much for him. He might love it, or it might burn him out. I would like to do the 2-week trial this schoolyear to see how he handles the lessons after school. Do I need to call to request a free trial? 4) They occasionally run discount codes for self-paced history, right? What is the best way to hear about them? Sign up for a newsletter? Like them on FB? Are they likely to have a sale between now and the fall? Thank you for your patience! I've been to the website but these are the questions still rattling around in my brain.

BFSU would work well. It's very hands-on and discussion-based. There is surprising depth for an elementary science curriculum, but it allows flexibility to into that depth or not depending on the child's readiness. You could do the lessons with both children and include extra discussion points with the older child.

Sounds like he's a visual-spatial learner. My youngest has high interest/abilities in visual-spatial areas. He adores many of the things already mentioned--legos, snap circuits, mazes, jigsaw puzzles. Maps, chess, and playing the piano are other things that fuel that spark in him.

We've done unusual placements with both of our kids when it was the best fit for that particular child. Actually, they have been some of the best educational decisions we've made. The beauty of homeschooling is being able to customize for the uniqueness of your children. If your younger child is very motivated, then it seems like it might be ideal. And it sounds like you might get the added bonus of a simplifying life a bit since they can be combined. Go for it! Very worst case scenario? You realize early on that it was a mistake and choose another course. (Because, if it is a big mis-match for the child, that will be painfully obvious very early---leaving you plenty of time to do something different.)

Fallacy Detective or Ellen McHenry's science would be good at that age and easily work in a co-op situation.

After ds finished Singapore 5A, he did a year-long local course to develop mathematical intuition and reasoning (that doesn't correspond with any typical course). After that, we started an algebra program that didn't work for us then switched to AOPS Algebra. It's been a fairly smooth transition (with the exception of the program that didn't work for us). If you are considering AOPS, just print off the placement tests that are available online to see if Prealgebra or Algebra is a better fit.

We just joined a local chapter of the National Association of Rocketry. There are mostly adults at the events, with a few kids. The members regularly do events for scouts, 4-H, and other programs, so they are fabulous with ds. It's a wonderful way to learn applied science, have fun building, and the launches are very exciting. There are some great competition and scholarship opportunities as well as a potential for mentorship if ds gets further into it. I don't know how typical or atypical our local chapter is. Might be worth checking out. It's very inexpensive. http://www.nar.org/find-a-local-club/

Thank you! Based on what you said, I think WHA might be a better fit for us than VP. It always feels good to start closing in on a decision. All the options overwhelm me! I appreciate your insights.

Thank you so much, Lori D! I can't tell you how helpful your post is to me!!

Does anyone have experience with these classes? I believe they are free online classes taught by volunteers (and funded through donations). A few of the descriptions look very appealing--very similar to online classes I've seen for quite a bit of $$. Since my oldest is moving toward mostly online work, this is rather appealing. I'd love to hear about your experiences with this group. http://www.virtualhomeschoolgroup.org/

Does anyone have experience with these classes? I believe they are free online classes taught by volunteers. A few of the descriptions look very appealing--very similar to online classes I've seen for quite a bit of $$. Since my oldest is moving toward mostly online work, this is rather appealing. I'd love to hear about your experiences with this group. http://www.virtualhomeschoolgroup.org/

I've been looking at the VP website, and I'm still so confused about these courses. Maybe I need to look at the information when I'm not so tired, but I've spent 30 minutes on the VP website and am not understanding these courses. I have no familiarity with Omnibus but am seeking rigorous online humanities for next year, and this seems like an option worth considering. Please be patient with my questions and feel free to chime in on any/all of them and to share your own opinions as well. Thank you! - Ds will be ready for early modern history in his history cycle next year. Is it possible to do Omnibus 3 with a 7th grader, or is that a high school level course? - What are the writing requirements that go along with the Omnibus courses (e.g., paragraphs or longer essays)? - The "primary" course examines what VP considers the major literary works (e.g., a core course), while the "secondary" course is more of a humanities elective? - If you can compare VP Omnibus with WHA's The Great Conversation, I would love to hear what you have to say.

Does anyplace offer online classes using Uncle Eric books by Richard Maybury? I tried to Google something like that but keep getting links to the books.

Mine was linked to hormonal imbalances. Both hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue can cause low blood pressure. Addison's disease is the most severe form of adrenal fatigue so it's a good keyword to use when searching for information.