:party: Happy Birthday Amy :party:

Ice over night--we could skate on the driveway :eek: Hopefully the roads are ok as dh has to drive a lot today to visit with clients! So for me: --exercise this afternoon (gym) --school w dd (my part: math, chem quiz, APHG FRQ boot camp) --usual daily things; Tuesday-specific chores --email the SO team, which I didn't get to yesterday --get mushrooms I forgot yesterday (oops) --make croutons --prep dinner --dd ballet 5:30-7:30 (may go to gym after I drop her off) --compare all the transcript examples I've gathered to decide which style and features I prefer --continue to think about course choices for next year

1. I didn't help with the math. I did do the geometry problems across the table from dd. That way I could anticipate any hints I could give her (similar to the "hints" in the books---by AoPS Geometry I was a master at the well-placed hint ;)) She was able to see me struggle and conquer the really hard problems. 2. No supplementation for the classes she took nor for the books on their own.

Sweaty and tired after training session (free weights, kettle bells, TRX) and 30 min on elliptical. But it's a good tired. At least right now ;)

I do use a lot more garlic than I posted because we like it :D I didn't want anyone else to be surprised :lol: We eliminated tahini from hummus when dd20 tested positive for a sesame allergy eight years ago. Once she was safe, we just never added it back in!

Oh yeah. So annoying.

So sad we're getting rain yet again. I wish we could have a nice snowstorm here in the midAtlantic region. As for me: --meet w trainer at 11am --school w dd (my part: history, APHG, chem, math) --email Science Olympiad team to check on progress etc --usual daily things and Monday chores --grocery run --check plans for next Monday w dsis --research summer options w dd --(my goal this week) start developing a transcript form for dd First, I need to text ds a Happy Last Semester of College message :party:

My son's competitive-entry private school treated AP US Gov as a full-year course (the regular level was half-year). The kids in that class did so much non-busy work that year and came out incredibly well-read. Their teacher was a former Senate staffer.

Thanks for all the suggestions. You have given dd much to read and ponder :) It looks like I'll have to investigate how big state schools handle OOS students and merit aid. We will not qualify for any sort of need-based aid from the majority of schools. We do not wish to pay our EFC because :lol: yeah, craziness.

Bryn Mawr is on our summer visit list! It's quite small, but might work with the other consortium (or whatever term they use) schools in the area.

Thanks! I actually spent a summer there doing research when I was in college (on what would now be called an REU) :)

We found that yesterday, following links from a thread on College Confidential :) University of Maryland has a really interesting summer program in Arabic, Persian, and Chinese. It's on our list of potential visits this summer. I wish medium-sized schools had interesting language programs!

Well, it's not really much of a recipe. I cook the dry beans following the quick-soak method on the bag (boil 2 min, soak in that water 1 hr, drain/rinse, cook in fresh water until done). I put a few cups of beans in the food processor. Then I add minced garlic, a half to whole clove, depending on the size freshly squeezed lemon juice olive oil, a few teaspoons or so salt freshly ground pepper thyme, maybe a half teaspoon I puree the mixture, adding lemon juice and/or olive oil until the consistency looks right. I add more seasoning if necessary. Watch out---the garlic can sneak up on you! I also make a black bean version with garlic, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, and sometimes cayenne.

Seriously. I am simultaneously glad and stressed that dd is able to explore out-of-the-norm ideas as a high school student!

Do you know how? A parent co-signer?

If AoPS PreAlgebra had been ready when dd was ten, I would have started her in that during her first year as a homeschooler. As it was, we futzed around a bit with some Key to things, Patty Paper Geometry, and a very schooly pre-algebra text I got for pennies. I don't think AoPS PreA is wordy. I think adults look at the book through their lens of having internalized that material decades ago, deciding that it is "too wordy". Frankly, if the kid gets the problem correct, and there isn't an alternate correct solution (or two!), I don't see the need in reading the problem explanation.

Thank you! They have a nice selection of Arabic classes and elementary/intermediate Persian and Turkish (for anyone else reading who doesn't want to chase down the course catalog :))

We're planning on doing a few college visits this summer for dd to get a feel of other campuses. She visited the schools dd20 was interested in and is very familiar with the state flagship university ;) Dd's latest "thing" is an interest in unusual-for-the-US yet potentially very important languages (she is studying Arabic now)----languages like Hindi, Turkish, Persian, etc. The State Department calls these, and others, "critical languages", and the government provides a lot of free study abroad opportunities such as NSLI-Y. Right now she also has a slight interest in Russian but no interest at all in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. We've been looking at the language offerings of many colleges and universities over the past week. So far we've only found "lottery" schools such as Yale and UChicago or super-large state schools such as Wisconsin-Madison and UCLA with wide (and deep!) language choices. Can anyone suggest other not-quite-as-competitive schools known for this type of language learning? Bonus points if the school is within four hours driving of Philly or Baltimore so we could make a day visit :D She does not want to attend a school under 2000 students unless it is in or very near a metropolitan area. She is comfortable with up to about 15,000 undergraduates. Dd's other interests: math (still, thankfully), how people think and what makes them do what they do (so perhaps psychology or poli sci or international relations), with a strong desire to work for the government. I know we're early, but this kid keeps me on my toes :lol: I already have a list going for engineering schools, one for comp sci, and one for pure maths.

1. I think some background in US History would be advantageous before AP US Govt. I think dd's 8th grade US History using the K12 book, American Odyssey, would have sufficed. 2. AP Human geography contains physical, political, and cultural geography as those factors relate to the people of the counties. A student would do better in the class if he/she already can identify major counties and regions. 3. It can be either :) We did a year-long geography course in seventh grade (along with history). Dd's using knowledge from that work every day in APHG. (But of course it helps that I designed both classes ;))

Angi, can I come over for fried chicken? Up ahead: --eat brunch (coffeecake is just about finished) --plan meals for week --write grocery list --weekly to-do list --finalize plans for AP Human Geography FRQ boot camp this week --library for holds, which include books needed for history tomorrow! --pick up dd20 at train station 1:30 --drive her and her stuff back to the dorm for the start of spring semester (her university has a winter session) --gym w dh --dinner (perhaps I should decide on that lol) --read :D

Last week, other than food or gas, I bought four kindle books (total of about $10). We celebrated dd20's birthday with food at home (birthday person chooses the meals for the entire day). Her presents included 10 boxes of Stouffer's mac and cheese (on sale---for the nights she can't eat in the dining hall because they're serving Asian food (soy allergy)) and cash for her weekend trip to visit her bestie at NYU (friend gave the train tickets as her gift).

Gym later this afternoon with dh (we have to move dd20 back to campus for spring semester--winter session just finished). I'll probably do a mix of cardio, Pilates, and stretching. Tomorrow is a trainer day :)

So happy for you guys :party:

We won't even have all our 1099s until after Feb 15.

I'm going to attempt to replicate one of the trainer's workouts while at the gym later this morning :)