I have been so busy with end-of-the-school-year things (AP exams begin Monday :eek:) and the college search process that I haven't had any time to post in eons. Catching up: --I follow the Girls Gone Strong facebook page and read all their linked articles. I totally agree with their philosophy of heavy weights, HIIT for 10-20 minutes, some moderate sustained cardio, and active rest days (walks with the family). Build and maintain muscle! --NROL's Strong book is excellent. I borrowed it from the library to get some more ideas for my weight days. --This month my exercise has been twice-weekly weight sessions with my trainer, once a week weights with dh, various intervals (elliptical, body weight squats, some tabata, and so on) for 20 min combined with 20 min of core work (I have to squish workouts in while dd is on campus for her Arabic class) 3x a week, and the weekly bodyweight bootcamp class at the gym. Oh, and shoveling 10 cubic yards of mulch! I am now up to 3 full pushups at a time, six months after "graduating" from physical therapy for a frozen shoulder. This time last year I could not even lift my arm above horizontal. :party: I look forward to this summer lifting heavy 4x a week, increasing my variety of HIIT activities, and hiking with dh each weekend :)

You can also look for Youth in Government (called Youth and Government in some states) programs. My dd is involved with YMCA-sponsored delegation that takes kids from all kinds of schools. She is the only homeschooler in our (small) state! In our state, YiG conference is in the spring at the state capital. The kids prepare beginning in January. Dd was a member of the Senate this year. She proposed a bill, argued for it, debated other bills, voted, etc. I first learned about YiG through Lori D :)

I wear Merrells, the type that fit a little higher than trail runners but not way over the ankle. I found they fit my high arch and small foot the best. REI and Cabellas have the largest selection of hiking boots for women in my area.

:grouphug:

My parents, who died way too soon, were Very Catholic. Yet when a sibling came out as bi, my parents said "you are our child. We love you and support you. We want you to love and to be loved," When another family member announced she (at that time) was trans, my parents were supportive throughout his transition. They would be so happy to see him and his joyfilled life today. I think of their example every day, especially since one of our children is bi.

My go-to is oven-roasted broccoli: cut up up florets (or peel and slice the stems if you have a head), toss with olive oil and maybe salt and pepper, roast at 425 for 7 min, stir and roast a minute or two longer if you like it a bit more browned.

I have scarlet, tangerine, lemongrass, turquiose, and marigold (retired--of course it's my favorite and I onky have a few pieces).

This is my favorite resource for geography education http://www.scoop.it/t/geography-education It is curated by Seth Dixon, a geography professor who is very active in the national geography educator's association (I forget the actual name). He posts articles, videos, and other sources several times a week. You can search by tags if you want something on a particular topic. I have used that website weekly for almost two years. (FYI Power of Place videos are a little dated. Just know that going in. We replaced them for AP Human Geography with videos I found through Seth Dixon's website and other teacher sites.)

Nice!

Help him draft the email :) He'll be able to contact other departments/programs by himself if you talk him through the process this time.

I do not have experience witn PAHS classes. My older kids took many brick-and-mortar AP classes. I have designed many courses for dd, and she is taking AP Lang online with Blue Tent. I have found that the best preparation is to integrate the various free-response questions (plus DBQs for history, though I haven't done any history with dd) throughout the year. I like to match up the released FRQs with the course material, either by chapters or by chunks. At the beginning dd answers the FRQs orally and we go over the scoring guidelines. She'll then write one while sitting with me, progress to writing one as an assignment, and to writing one or two during a test. Most AP classes lend themselves to this arrangement. The big exception i've found so far is Psych---almost every FRQ draws from multiple topics across the coursework (senssation plus learning plus abnormal and treatment, for example). Check with your student to see if the online classes include FRQ writing. Self-grading from the rubric is good, but grading should also come from the teacher. You'd want to have your student practice with the released FRQ topics from collegeboard if there isn't enough. The FRQs in test prep books are not worth the time spent on them. Go directly to the real FRQs (google AP blahblahblah FRQ and you'll be pointed to the teacher side of college board with all the old FRQs, grading rubrics and explanations, and actual student examples).

I don't wear anything ;) That heated mattress pad dh bought for our anniversary a few years ago has paid off in savings on pajamas :D

I use Bluebonnet whey protein, the French vanilla and the chocolate flavors. I limited myself to brands I could purchase at our local natural foods store because we like to buy from locally-owned and -operated businesses. I tried three other brands/types (omg pea protein made me want to hurl!) and settled on this as the best choice. I blend the protein powder with milk and whatever fresh or frozen fruits I have available. The immersion blender is my new best friend. So thankful my inlaws purchased the metal and plastic measuring cups for it! I may need to try the powder with my morning decaf :)

Dd is a junior doubling majoring in English and French with a minor in theatre. She officially added the French major second semester freshman year. Her university and college within the university have mainly broad core requirements (writing and math are the exceptions). Instead of needing a history, a social science, a physical science, a biological science, and so on, students fulfill requirements within four interdisciplinary categories, so one might be able to take a history that fulfills requirement A and a different history that fulfills requirement B. All majors have a printable worksheet and an interactive online worksheet that is auto-filled as students build their schedules each semester. Both forms show how major requirements fill the university and college requirements. In dd's case, she entered with 12ish AP credits. She chose electives within her majors that could knock out core requirements. Almost every class she has taken she chose to take. The only exception was calculus as she did not take AP in high school. She took the college class during a winter session (five weeks) just to get it out of the way. It was basically a repeat of her high school honors-level calc. As for course load, she's ranged between 12 and 17 credits (17 is the max). The load was dependent on when courses were offered-----if she was able to register for a course only offered every-other-year as some of the 400 level English and French ones are, she jumped on the opportunity. Next year she'll be taking 12 credits both semesters. She could have graduated a semester early by increasing the load this semester and next fall but she chose not to do so.

They got our state right: "not specified" and "not set in state policy" iow it depends :lol:

Oh my. A friend here, whose homeschooled dd used an online provider for one AP class, asked me two weeks before the exam last year how she was supposed to find a school with a seat for the exam. The online provider never told the students/parents how or when to find a seat :eek: It was their first year ever offering an AP, but still...

Dd and I used American Odyssy duing her 8th grade year (which you could argue is her 9th grade year since she'll graduate early). I read the material ahead of time and sat next to/across from dd while she read it. She likes to discuss while reading something :) So we'd talk and she'd read some more and maybe we'd pull out the atlas or google something and talk some more. It was a relaxed yet vigorous year. She wrote some essays (I used a few of those topics EKS mentioned), she did oral presentations, she argued her points on topics, and we talked a lot. I did not give any tests because I felt the minutiae of history tests (this happened on this date, this person did such and such) was not as important at that stage for dd as understanding broad concepts and interrelated events.

DdTheYoungest has received maybe 5-6 unsolicited emails or snail mailings. She selects the 'do not share my info' choice on all forms. She also does not have a completely filled-in CB (or ACT, for that matter) profile, just the required items. She has taken SAT, SAT subject tests, PSAT twice, APs, and ACT. We have learned from her brother's experience :lol:

Personal training sessions and gym membership for me, hands down. We joined a new gym 1.5 miles from the house a year ago January. I started working with a trainer a year ago. I am so much stronger now! I have visible arm, back, and lower leg muscles. My thighs are tighter every month. My balance has improved beyond all recognition--I can do all kinds of tricky one-legged things now. I may join the powerlifting team this year :D Absent injury or disease, I refuse to be one of those out of shape middle aged women who become increasingly frail. Dh and I see this money as an investment in my future health.

Current college junior will be working a directing internship at our state's Shakespeare Festival (late afternoons and evenings) and at her retail job (mornings and early afternoons). She'll be living at home this summer. Current 10th-grader-who-will-graduate-next-year will be studying Russian and political science at Ole Miss with free tuition, room and board because of her ACT scores.

I'm in Delaware. There is no state-wide dual enrollment program. University of Delaware: • non-matriculated students pay full tuition per credit hour • they can take any class as long as they fulfill any prereqs or pass a placement test (math, foreign languages) • they can take up to 7 credits, so a regular class plus a lab science or a lower/mid-level language class (my dd was told she could take up to 8 since she has shown she can succeed) • there are four classes offered online per semester for high school students at approximately half tuition (bio, general psych, nutrition?, something businessy) I don't know anyone, homeschooled or public/private schooled, who has taken one of these classes Del Tech (the community college w multiple campuses)---I don't know any homeschooler who takes academic classes there (there's a growing group studying various trades, which I think is an awesome opportunity for those kids) Wilmington University (multiple campuses throughout the state) • high school homeschoolers pay a reduced rate • they can take one class a semester, I think, but only junior and senior years • the classes tend to not be that challenging (I attended a meeting for parents where the director told me that dd, if she were allowed to take the English class early, would have about 2 hours of outside class work a week, total!) • they're trying to start a "dual enrollment on high school campuses" program in lieu of APs

We drove an hour south for dd to fill in the paperwork this Monday. We were happy to see that the first school (Envi Sci) is a very easy drive from the second school (the other 4 with Psych on the afternoon of ES). Unfortunately there is no place around either school where we can pick her up a decent lunch that day, so I'll have to make sure we have healthy options at home to pack for lunch. Lang prep is going very well, thanks to Blue Tent Online. She's doing a m/c and 3 essays each week for practice. Environmental is solid. Psych FRQs vary depending on the topic, though she's pretty solid on the m/c questions. Comp Gov is her very last test, on the second Thursday, and has been pushed somewhat to the back burner, though she's chugging through all the back FRQs. Calculus, sigh. That is not going well. Many tears :(

Dd is nearing the end of her junior year with three more weeks of classes. She's been on the Dean's List every semester--so proud. This was the first semester she did not have the week 2 "omg I'm going to fail everything this is so hard" freakout :) She scored a coveted internship this summer with the state Shakespeare Festival. She'll be able to continue working at her retail job as well.

The Tarbuck's Earth Science I have contains both geology and astronomy, so you'd be good using a book like that :)

Thanks! We won't be able to visit until September. She knows she'll need to apply asap for the merit money.