Anna, Please note that my recommendation for Gruber's is from reading lots of cc posts - not from personal experience. It's more for learning the material. Once that's solid, nothing beats the questions from past college board tests. My dd did not use the Gruber's - just the blue book but the Gruber's is on its way from Amazon for my ds. It's great that your ds is starting so early. Practice will certainly raise scores especially the math and writing. Critical reading is a different animal - but lots of reading ala TWTM will help.

I found out about the curves from this thread on college confidential: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/1407295-october-2012-cr-m-curves-4.html CR: 800,800,800,760,740,720,710,700 For Critical Reading, -0 (none wrong), -1 or -2 gives an 800, -3 gives a 760, -4 gives a 740, etc. Dd got a 760 (3 wrong) which was 99 percentile so she did better than 99 percent of the students. Note that the student is included so no one can be 100 percentile. M: 800,770,740,720,710,700 For Math, -0 gives an 800, -1 gives a 770, -2 gives a 740, etc. Basically the math was (relatively) easy, a lot of people got -0 and so the curve was very harsh. Dd got -1/770 which was 98 percentile. Writing: 800: MC80/9-12E , MC79/10-12E , MC76/12E 790: MC76/11E 780: MC79/9E 770: MC76/10E, MC71/12E 760: MC76/9E 750:MC77/9E 740: MC67/12E 730: 720:MC67/11E 700: MC69/9E , MC64/11E 690: MC71/8E , MC66/10E 680: 670: MC69/8E, MC66/9E 660: 650: 640: 630: MC64/8E 620: MC57/10E For Writing, these are the combinations posted. Either an 80 on MC with a 9-12 on essay, a 79 on MC with a 10-12 essay or a 76 on MC with a 12 on essay gave an 800. No one on cc posted scores with 77 or 78 so you have to wait for CollegeBoard to come out with those scores. CollegeConfidential is a fountain of information. Be careful not to be overwhelmed as the posters tend to be over/high-achievers. HTH.

For SAT Math, I recommend Gruber's Complete SAT Math Workbook http://www.amazon.com/Grubers-Complete-SAT-Math-Workbook/dp/1402253370/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351548840&sr=8-1&keywords=gruber%27s+sat+math The (October) math curve was extremely harsh. -1 was a 770 (dd's score - 98th percentile).

For diabetics, fast-acting carbs such as grains (whether whole or refined), beans, fruits (except avocado/olive), root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, yams) should be limited as much as possible. Slow-acting carbs such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, cheeses are better. Protein from meat, eggs, fish are like slow-acting carbs. I recommend Dr. Bernstein's "The Diabetes Solution."

If it's your forever house, definitely lower property taxes. Also, since you're home schooling, the quality of the public schools (usually better with higher property taxes) doesn't matter.

Don't ever buy a Windstar. Our transmission went and I think that's the most expensive repair there is. We've had 2 Toyota Siennas and are very pleased with them. No problems at all - basically just oil changes and tires. I'd also try the Honda Odyssey (had very good luck with Honda cars) but we need the Sienna's 8 seater. The middle seat of the Odyssey's 8 seat version is too small.

900 servings (drops) of 2000 iu D3 in olive oil for $9.99 at vita cost http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-vitamin-d-drops very reasonable

My teens (especially ds) aren't particularly consistent/diligent keeping their faces clean but have very little acne. I attribute it to 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons (depending on weight - dd is very petite) of Carlson (lemon-flavored) fish oil (very anti-inflammatory) everyday. Never had to give them anything topical. If they have oily fish (salmon, sardines), omega-3 eggs or chia seeds that day, I reduce to 1/2 of above.

May I respectfully suggest high fat/low carb (in the 30 to 40 gram range). If that doesn't work, have your doc check whether you are insulin resistant in a OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test) and put you on Metformin. Metformin really makes you lose weight (I believe some people use it just for this), has been around for a long time, will help your lipid profile and has few side effects (mild diarrhea while adjusting, monitor B12).

I'm Jamaican. Dh is American. We live in S. Florida. I have always been very conscious of how I speak to dc because we homeschool. I played a lot of books on tape, TV, etc. There are some words and vowel sounds that the kids say that sound "Jamaican" but only a Jamaican who is listening very carefully (like me) would pick them out. My oldest has the slightest accent. My middle did a lot of speech therapy so I don't know what his accent is - probably a blend. My youngest (because I was lazy and played so many books on tape) gets a LOT of comments from his friends on why he speaks the way he does (kinda drags the last syllable). In the end, it all works out. They haven't a clue what my mom and brothers are talking about when we have family dinners and the patois is let loose :lol:

Florida Virtual School offers high school credit classes in Chinese 1, 2 and 3. It's free for Florida residents but pricey ($800 - iirc) for others. Dd took Chinese 1 years ago. It was the beta year and PowerGlide wrote segment 1. It was so bad that they switched curriculum mid year. A lot of kids struggled because the new curriculum assumed knowledge of the first semester which they hadn't done. Thankfully, dd had prior knowledge of Chinese and was okay. Powerglide was just horrible. The second semester's curriculum was okay. I've heard good things about BetterChinese.com too. I belong to a Chinese Church in South Florida and have quite a few friends who teach part time at the high schools. If you inquire at Chinese churches, maybe you can find one who will tutor part time. If you have a child who is very young (0-10), I recommend Learnables Chinese. We do not speak ANY Chinese and I played these tapes for my dd in the car from the time she was a baby. Her accent (I'm told) is excellent - not that I would know - I still can't differentiate the 4 tones of ma but she has an excellent ear for the language. She can tell who's from mainland China and who's from Taiwan by their accent.

Cut back on the carbs. Eat more fats. I pour oil over my food since going low-carb and can't keep the weight on. Unless you've got insulin resistance (then get a doc to put you on Metformin), you'll lose weight. I follow Dr. Bernstein's "Diabetes Solution" - about 30 g carb a day - mostly (non-starchy) vegetables - no grain, no fruit except avocados. No restriction on bacon, cheese, butter, even (gasp) pork rinds. Cholesterol at 162, blood pressure under 100/70 always (except when exercising), loads of energy, no mid-afternoon lull or after-meal sleepiness. Haven't been sick since starting the diet - no headaches, no pains, no aches. Everybody says I'm so thin but I don't dread clothes shopping now - everything looks fantastic on. I do miss my fruit though especially when my mango tree was in season.

Do you have College Board's Official SAT study guide? Lots of practice using past tests is key.

Do you mean that the insurance is more expensive because you have a third car (and full time access) as opposed to only 2 cars and sharing them?

Hang in there - ride out the storms.

Maybe you could try Skype - would be a way to get to know relatives without the travel and it's more frequent.

I think that College Board is very touchy about anyone using the designation "AP" without course authorization. Each teacher who teaches an AP has to submit a course "outline" (what's being taught) that College Board (I guess - makes sure is up to snuff) and gives authorization to use the "AP" designation.

You're correct. Should check before mentioning on the board. Good thing I bought 3 copies of each for my kids before then. Wonder why they did that. Must not have been making them money or they're coming up with a book.

You may purchase past PSAT tests from CollegeBoard. They have the Wednesday and Saturday tests available for $3 each going back to 2005(?). Ask for the answer key.

Congrats, Luckymama! Hope my dd is "one and done" too. IMO, practising the actual SAT tests are the way to go. Probably only if a dc is lacking in motivation would a class be super beneficial. Would hate for some one to spend $$$ when the same could be had at home (without wasting time and gas) with a $13 book.

Here's what the (very bright) kids over at College Confidential do: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/763933-everyone-read-before-posting-best-sat-prep-forum-faqs.html In particular, pay attention to Silverturtle's Guide to SAT & Admissions Success and Xiggi's SAT prep advice (which has you do untimed sections [math, verbal, writing] of Official SAT study guide, working your way up to a complete test). I don't think that it takes expensive prep classes - just perseverance and practicing a lot of actual SAT tests. There's also the Official Online SAT course for about $69 - 10-11 more past SAT tests. Dd has been working her way through the book and it's more than enough. The key is to know why the answer is wrong (figure out why College Board chooses their correct answer). Dd scored 235 on last Oct PSAT (her school requires 10th graders to take PSAT) and is afraid that she won't get close to that score when it really counts. Caveat: for some reason, she seems to get the reading comprehension part which is the section which most people struggle with and is the hardest score to raise. I attribute it to lots and lots of reading ala TWTM when she was younger. Alas, she has no time for reading for pleasure in high school. She's also had to build up stamina for the SAT which is 3 hrs long. The kids at CollegeConfidential also recommend Direct Hits volumes 1 and 2 for vocab - one of them did a survey and it had the most hits on SAT tests. These books really click with high schoolers as they have a lot of cultural references: Harry Potter, Lady Gaga, etc. Good luck.

Haven't read the other posts. - Substitute milk for cheese. - Walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds. - Watch the other nuts like cashews which have more carbs. - Lots of raw (less carbs than cooked) vegetables with coconut oil/olive oil. - The only really low-carb fruits are olives and avocados (which have healthy fats). - Use pure stevia instead of sugar. - Use coconut and almond flour instead of wheat, oats, etc in baking. - Lots of eggs, fish, meat. - WASA Crisp 'n Light (only this type) has 13g of carb (2g dietary fiber) per 3 crackers - so very low carb and delicious with butter.

As the other posters have recommended, low-carb, high fat diet. Also a tsp of fish oil (Carlson's lemon-flavored is mild) and if those don't help, I'd try niacin (the one that causes flushing) - maybe start with 50-100 mg and build up to 200-250 mg (depending on her weight - 500 mg max for adults) per day unless under doctor's supervision.

Starlight Cafe in Magic Kingdom is a good place to eat. Their half a rotisserie chicken is reasonable and you can get a salad out of the condiments (lettuce, tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, pickles, onions, etc.). The turkey leg is also a very reasonable buy at WDW. We always take 2 strollers along even though our youngest is now 10. We load up bottled water, umbrellas, snacks, etc. Parking passes can also be bought for cheap on ebay. If you stay on Disney property, make sure to plan to stay the extra Magic hours at the different parks. Another good reason to take strollers. If you have young ones, they can nap and the older can keep going.

75 is not too low but I would go to an endo and ask for the OGTT. Any problems with low blood sugar may end up with diabetes especially with family history. Diabetes is after all a loss of control of blood sugar (whether high or low). Before being diagnosed with diabetes, I had low blood sugar all my life if I didn't eat on time. My fasting glucose was perfect and my a1c was low (according to the doctor's standard). Little did I know what happened to my blood glucose AFTER I ate. Check it out to be sure. I feel that the test (fasting glucose) on my annuals failed to warn me what was about to happen. Fasting glucose is often the last to go and a1c is misleading if you eat low-carb. Only the OGTT really tells what's going on. You might have reactive hypoglycemia. Google to see if your symptoms are similar.