I did not particularly like high school and have kept no connection to anyone from high school. I did go to my 10th reunion out of curiosity, but I realized I still have nothing in common with most of my old classmates. Going to my reunion helped me to firmly close that chapter in my life. I did not go to my 20th and have no intention to go to any others. I did like college but haven't gone to those reunions either. I'm fine with that.

This is my daughter's sixth nutcracker and my foster son's first. Cast list comes out tomorrow.... The nutcracker is kind of unappealing musically and choreographed very similar each year... Yet, it is such a delight to kids and families in our town, so it's hard to dislike it too much.

Foerster doesn't have pre-algebra. The algebra book is a bit older (at least my edition is). It's definitely aimed at middle or high school algebra 1. I think Lials is aimed at remedial community college students. I only saw Lials pre-algebra about two years ago and felt it was a bit busy and visually distracting, but lots of board members have used it successfully. Foersters looks heavy and dry compared with some more recent books, but it hasn't been a problem. There is a nice word problem focus.

I have the solutions manual. It wasn't a big deal to buy it from the publisher. I just called them up and I think I sent in some paper saying I was homeschooling. I don't remember, but it was pretty easy.

I got a giggle out of Galore Park Maths 3 ratio word problems... Knowing the ratio to a good gin and tonic is important! Perhaps not at 12, though... Still, it hasn't lead to underage drinking and I doubt dancing bears would either.

Congrats!! We're waiting on a cast list to come out soon, though, alas, Clara is not a possibility.

We do odds. If my daughter misses a problem, I often have her do the corresponding even problem which is usually similar. Also, as someone here suggested last year, we do all of the word problems. It's worked out great so far and I'm happy with the program.

I certainly felt spelling was a waste of time for my older daughter. It was just busy work with no purpose. When I stopped and her spelling was still excellent and improving, I felt no regrets. My younger daughter, on the other hand, has really benefitted from apples and pears. I think it's the right program for the right kid at the right level at the right time. Would it be right for anyone else? No idea...

It's easier for me to add in and supplement as needed than to end up feeling stressed that I didn't finish books or wasted money on materials I didn't use. I'd start small with lower expectations about what you can accomplish and grow from there. I have played around with doing grammar and vocabulary and writing and lit analysis and spelling and find it overwhelming. Instead, I do a grammar unit, then a writing unit, then literature focus, etc... Some stuff gets woven through it all, but it's easier on me to have English be just "one thing" and not juggle too many different programs.

No, not year long courses. We used Elements and carbon chemistry and added in work on balancing equations and the you tube series Crash Course chemistry. It was a fun year - plenty challenging and they memorized the periodic table. The year before we used Cells, botany and the brain in a biology class with other stuff too.

I think both Hake and Lightning Lit have a vocabulary component. Are you sure you need the extra vocabulary book? That'd be the first to go if it were me and I wanted to streamline.

Ellen McHenry's science materials have been awesome for us.

Even with my non-LD kids, I didn't bother about spelling until they were fluent readers (like 3rd grade-ish) Phonics is about the relationship between symbols and sounds, so any phonics based program (and they pretty much all are these days) will include some spelling instruction, even if it's not specifically identified as spelling.

No! If anything, homeschooling is downright trendy these days.

Some of that sounds puberty related, but if you have a sense something is really wrong, I'd get it checked out.

Are you using the Challenging word problems and intensive practice? I'd add those in if you haven't already.

We're halfway through algebra 1 and I have both ready to go on the shelf. I figured we would first run through Patty Paper as a preview and then tackle regular geometry. I hope you'll let us know how it goes!

Including my foster kids. Kindergarten age (5-6) is average. 4 5 6 6 7

I like thinking of writing as building up from small to big: letters (handwriting), words (spelling), sentence (punctuation and grammar), paragraph, essay, thesis/dissertation/book. With my own kids we worked our way up - working on one or two skills at a time. My 6 yr old is still learning to read, so his writing focus is on handwriting. There is no point for him to deal with spelling yet. My 10 yr old is working on spelling and sentence level mechanics. At her co-op, they have the kids doing essays, but it makes me cringe because she hasn't yet mastered writing sentences. So we work on spelling and punctuation and grammar at home. My 12 yr old has good ability to construct sentences and paragraphs. She's definitely working on developing her ideas in essays. Maybe in a few years she can tackle a longer project, but for now, her essays are around one or two typed pages.

When I was a student (in the us and overseas) and when I worked (in the us and overseas) earning close to nothing, I did not file. If he were my child, I wouldn't bother.

What is her A1c? Has she done a glucose tolerance test - what were those numbers?

What period is she studying in history? We just choose from the books and plays and poems written in the time and place that we're studying.

I think libraries and bookstores organize books by intended audience -- which would mean written at a certain reading and interest level. It's consumer oriented and irrelevant. AR and scholastic book wizard are more about reading level, though it's all kind of artificial and surely irrelevant by age 14. Honey for a child's / teens heart organizes books based on what adults (or more specifically, the socially conservative Christian authors) think kids should be reading. Also, completely irrelevant. I just ignore all reading levels and assign classics for study and let my kids choose whatever they want for pleasure reading.

12 yr old has a phone -- she uses it when she walks and takes the bus around town, babysits and spends all day away from me at ballet rehearsals or at class. It's an older model iphone and she also uses it as a calculator and watch and radio and to listen to audio books. My 10 yr old does not have a phone. She does ride her bike to and from school, but isn't always careful about remembering where she leaves things. I imagine in a year or two, we'll add her to our plan. She has an old unconnected iphone so she doesn't feel particularly left out.

My 12 yr old daughter will have auditions next week, but not for individual roles -- just by age/level. She attends a smallish studio and the performance is entirely students. I know the roles she'd like to get (Clara, Doll, Spanish, Snow) and I hope if her dreams are not to be realized, she won't be too disappointed if she is in the party scene for the fifth year in a row or in the Chinese corps again (third year). Anyway, at our studio, it seems to go something like Sheep, Mice, Gumdrops, Angels, Chinese, Spanish, Snow, Lead Roles. The boys do Russian; Party scene kids are various ages and levels; Soldiers and Arabian are taller kids of various levels. She has been taking pointe classes for a year and a half, but has yet to perform on pointe yet. She's hoping that this might be her year... If not, well... I'm sure she'll keep plodding on. Good luck!