Are you open to a secular class? We have been very pleased with Blue Tent Online's English classes. Dd has taken Honors English 1 and 2 and is currently in AP English Language and Literature. Honors English 1 has a grammar component and a vocab component, but it is focused on literature and writing. http://www.teacherweb.com/USA/BlueTent/Thompson/apt27.aspx

Lisa, this is where we are with dd (though Arabic and social sciences, not physics/math). If if if if if she is accepted for nsli this coming summer, she will probably apply to college next fall. Her plan would be to defer a year if if if if if if she's able to get an academic-year nsli or yes program for that next year. Dd is just at that point where another year of high school with university classes seems like spinning her wheels. Dd's college list consists of landgrant universities with huge Arabic and international relations programs and two DC schools with very strong Arabic departments. She has decided not to apply to any super-selective schools for IR, saving those for grad school if necessary, so we don't have too much of the "what if I don't get in?" worry. She's been looking at schools from the affordability angle. Dd doesn't have any special hooks like your ds :)

:grouphug: Best wishes!!!

Ha, I'm making ATK's Baja fish tacos as soon as dh and dd get home...

Anyone else hungry?

Today: training and a walk I squatted 70 lb, benchpressed 55 lb, and deadlifted 135 lb. Not bad for someone 6 weeks out of physical therapy :D

Critical needs? Patience----on both sides! Flexibility The ability to do lots of research to choose courses, materials, and to create a loose plan (see: flexibility) for 4 years with stricter plans for a year at a time Dd was prepared academically for high school work. I mean, she had been doing (what some would call) high school work for two years beforehand. Her writing was not as strong as I would have liked, but she has progressed so much in the past 15 months since officially beginning high school. She still needs to work on organization and long-term assignment planning. She does that well for the subjects she loves but tends to slack for the subjects she doesn't enjoy as much. Just like most of us :lol:

I miss those days :)

I can see us paying some post-college expenses..........if dd has a full ride to college! Our kids know how much money they get from us for college. If some is left over, then they would receive that money for grad school. I could extend that thought to someone living abroad for a finite period of time. Anyway, family cultures vary :)

Our premium payment (same exact plan) will increase $7 per month for 2016. Statistically, that's just noise compared to our cost. We have had the same plan for three years. Our 2015 premiums are actually lower than our 2014 premiums. We have utilized medical much more this year than in the past (2 kids with health concerns---lots of testing this year!). I am pleased with our coverage.

After my physical therapist showed me how to use the TheraCane on my traps and other awful spots, I purchased a Back Buddy http://www.amazon.com/Body-Back-Buddy-Self-Massage-Tool/dp/B0006VJ6TO/ref=sr_1_3?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1447765547&sr=1-3&keywords=theracane (I actually bought the Jr version because my arms are short lol).

Yesterday: training and a hard 20 min on the elliptical Today: probably a mix of cardio (bike and rowing machine?) with core work

So I'm back to my usual routines after last week's successful science festival for the elementary kids in our homeschooling group :) I had 32 kids in grades 3-5 compete in 7 different Elementary Science Olympiad events (Div A, for those who know SO). We're hoping to create a farm-team-type system for our group's Div A, Div B, and Div C teams. I am invested since I coach both Div A and Div C :lol: So today looks like this: --dd Arabic; gym training dor me --dh Chinese 5-7 --dd ballet 7:30-9 --daily and Monday things --laundry --send AP syllabi to WTM friends --email my high school team about event choices (have some conflicts) --make more potstickers --pick herbs to dry --pull more carrots --quick grocery run to closest store (need lemon and dishwashing liquid) --post pictures and video of Saturday's events to FB group --order board books for Chinese friends' babies (one is in China w his mom while his dad finishes his contract at the university; other will be born in NYC in a few months)

f Sadness :(

Do you know why? Can you suggest a website (or book) for reading about how the different types of probiotics work for different situations? Thanks.

Oh my gosh, you can so do astronomy as a lab science! It's taught as a lab science at the university here, w lab from 7-10pm. Of course, some of the topics can involve some serious math, but that can be worked around for a high school student, just like how colleges have different levels based on math required (astronomy for physics majors is different from a mire general astronomu, but both count as a lab science). I personally would do marine bio after a run through regular bio, similar to people who study anatomy & physiology or botany after biology.

Dd will have the bare minimum of English coursework. And then she'll have so many social science and Arabic credits! Her transcript will show what her interests and passions are. It will also show that she is able to take advantage of the flexibility of homeschooling. We are not recreating the usual high school path here :D (Latest topic---taking Geology and Astronomy at the university next year as her sciences. No physics, gulp!)

Garga, electives can be whatever is of interest to the student, not just gym or art or music or personal finance etc. All of dd's electives are/will be academic subjects. They are only elective in the sense that they fit outside the basic 4 x 5 (because I require 4 years of foreign language) grid. Dd's transcript is written by subject. I have English, mathematics, social sciences, physical sciences, and foreign language listed. She will have, at minimum, 4 English, 6 mathematics, 7 social sciences, 6 sciences (some university) and 6 foreign languages (some university). I'm not worried about artificially assigning some to serve as electives. I *may* have an "arts" section if the schools she applies to wants that on the transcript (mind you, she dances classical ballet 7-10 hours a week)---I can easily pull out a half-credit of art appreciation from what we've done cumulatiively in history.

:grouphug:

I did, thanks to facebook :) I want to be her when I grow up.

Desert Strawberry, so sorry about the loss of your dad :grouphug: I lost mine suddenly four years ago.

Lisa, I have to say, I read the info about that US gov class and the comparative gov class last winter and I just got this feeling that it would what Sailor Dude is experiencing.

40 minutes elliptical, 15 min core I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving week when the university will be closed--no squeezing in a workout while dd is on campus. I'll be able to do as much as I want :D

I'll be back next week. The science festival I run is tomorrow...

I didn't vote because I'm not the one with food restrictions--my girls do. I am just so sad on behalf of your dd. It's hard enough going through every day surrounded by people eating things you can no longer eat. To watch a close family deliberately eat a favorite food in front of you is just too much. The deliberate part is what bothers me. Dd20 has been dealing with food allergies since she was 11 and intolerances (rice, gluten) since last year. She "sucks it up" at every single meal. And late night snack. And study group food coffee run. When she comes home for break we only eat what she can eat unless[/] the food is something she never liked. I cannot imagine if we were to eat homemade macaroni and cheese in front of her and tell her just to deal with it! Dd15 is one year into a dairy-restricted diet (not allergy just severe intolerance). She does well most times but has been known to cry about missing pizza. To bring a hot, fragrant pizza into our home and eat it in her presence???? I just could not do it. Fourteen is still young. Food permeats our culture. Home should be a safe space where family members take your feelings into account.