"Good" is entirely relative. Some schools have automatic scholarships for various levels of scores. Many schools that give merit will base that award in part on scores even if the award isn't automatic. I would definitely plan on having him take it again at some point junior year following some prep. I'd probably have him prep for the PSAT if he is hoping for scores at national merit levels (I don't know for sure, but off the top of my head, I'd guess that a 1390 SAT is not quite representative of what would be high-enough on the PSAT for national merit). The most efficient way of prepping for the PSAT would be to prep for the SAT, two birds/one stone.

It looks like there has long been a two-year window, beginning a year before the PSAT, for a NMSQT confirming SAT score, e.g. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/328771-question-about-national-merit/?p=3374259 "Take the current SAT® and earn scores that confirm your 2009 PSAT/NMSQT performance. You must take (or have taken) a national administration of the SAT between October 2008 and December 2010."

I could swear I read nearly this exact thread before, but I can't find it. Colleges in CA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colleges_and_universities_in_California I suggest getting a college guide like Fiske and looking up the descriptions for each one. If private colleges are an option, I'd suggest not limiting yourself to in-state only.

I can't remember, have you done 23andme (and then run the data through genetic genie)? Sorry if I'm remembering wrong; I though perhaps you have. This probably isn't what you were asking LOL, but here's my two cents anyway: if he has a MTHFR polymorphism, consider avoiding nitrous oxide (NO, laughing gas). It is still controversial, but NO might result in an unacceptable rise in homocysteine (which is bad for reasons I can't even remember). Post-surgical options for pain: I like ibuprofen, if allowed, but for some surgeries, it is too much of a bleeding risk for some period of time (one or more days). If he has polymorphisms related to the liver (detox) such as CYP2D6, etc., I would consider adding something to help clear anesthesia/oxycodone/tylenol (like broccomax or NAC or milk thistle).

A few more thoughts: what I don't like about the idea of a vocab study is that, as far as I know, such programs typically are not going to involve learning through context, but rather through rote or some other method disconnected from context. Perhaps I'm wrong about that; I haven't homeschooled in a long time now so I'm not familiar with what's out there. FWIW, my kids are the type who learn poorly by rote (which, by the way, also means that a number of popular Latin programs would be a terrible fit for them; in contrast, I would prefer programs where learning occurs through translation, i.e., context). There is no requirement that says you have to teach Latin for a quality education, just as AoPS is not the only route to practicing problem solving, even though it is a convenient one for certain students. (Though, we could then get into defining classical ed, which in my world involves Latin and/or Greek, but I don't ascribe to neoclassical approaches.)

Latin is inflected. The endings of the words demonstrate their function rather than their order. Coming from English, every Latin sentence is a puzzle, an exercise in problem-solving. I think of it this way: meaning in Latin is spatial, in English it is sequential. I took Latin in high school and Spanish in college. IME, Spanish was a breeze after having had Latin. Latin is simpler for a homeschool parent to learn and teach because reading and writing are the primary inputs/outputs rather than speaking and listening. If you'd rather not teach Latin, but would prefer a modern, spoken language, other inflected languages include German and Russian. German might be an interesting choice to the extent that many English words have German roots. Suppose you spent a semester getting a taste of Latin, just to understand how the language works, before choosing a language for long-term in-depth study? (E.g. my kids' old school did that, a year of Latin in 7th before Spanish in 8th.) If you were interested in a Latin taste-test, I highly recommend GSWL. Cannot. go. wrong. with GSWL. It would take less than a semester.

I imagine the parakeet escaped from a neighbor? Especially since the bird flew to you and is happy in a cage?

I have prime. Before I put an item in my cart, I can usually see exactly what day it would arrive (not two days from when I order, because it often depends on what time of day I place the order, for certain sellers or warehouses). That depends on which seller - sometimes there's more than one prime offer. Only rarely have I not received orders when they said they were going to arrive from the info I saw before I ordered.

I think a year may be even longer than the Aborigonal walkabout. I would question whether 20-40 acres is nearly enough if he is planning on eating small animals. If he is looking for a really tough outdoor experience, after he is commissioned in the military, he can apply to Ranger school.

While the underlying causes of pans/pandas will vary, typically there is some form of immune disfunction and/or complicated, controversial infections (e.g. lyme, bartonella, babesia, mycoplasma), autoimmunity. It is much more complex than genetic predisposition plus strep strain. And yet fascinating all the same... On the mthfr, I would run 23andme (which can be done anonymously), just the ancestry portion, then take the data and run it through genetic genie. Way more info and far cheaper than just having a genetic test for mthfr thru labcorp. While methylation is an important process, it is by no means the only sub-optimal genetic process that can be going on and everything is interrelated.

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/645699-shampoo-for-gray-hair/?p=7591331

Regarding malaria, as it turns out, babesia (often tags along with lyme) shares similarities with malaria and some malaria medicines are used to treat babesiosis (aka Nantucket Fever; we return to the little island in a few weeks :))

FWIW, D-mannose is the stuff contained in cranberry juice that helps, available both in capsules and in powder to mix into drinks. ETA, Quill, if you are thinking along the lines of an herbal antibiotic approach, IIRC there is a protocol for UTIs in Buhner's Herbal Antibiotics book.

Someone was asking about Europe? This just crossed my path... Occurrence of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in different genera of mosquitoes (Culicidae) in Central Europe https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26631488

I was thinking 4 months, but actually I think bart is 4 months. I can't remember for babesia. We treated a couple of years ago, but I think it's still present, long story.

Just in case he wouldn't think to do this, have him take pictures of any rash or unusual skin situations that develop during or after his trip. (Not that my kid had a rash that I know of, though I often wonder if his pathogens came another route, such as via sand fly or other biting critter, at a certain island epicenter for this sort of thing.... to which we are returning shortly. We don't usually use bug spray at the beach, as it's all I can to to get the sunscreen on them.) And if you should desire an herbal angle for prevention/treatment, that's available too (if I recall, the Buhner recommendation is something like: daily astragalus supplement for immune system purposes and andrographis tincture to apply to a bite to attempt to kill germs). ETA, I have this repellant in my shopping cart https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015KG5NK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 . There's also a Buhner recipe in the 2d ed. of his lyme book that can be purchased already made from Montana Farmacy.

More about the immune system and OCD (if you all don't mind if I put this here?): Inflammation in the Neurocircuitry of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2631893 (published 6/21/17) This is supposedly a "breakthrough" but as a pans/pandas mom, my response is, "well duh." It is about time the inflammation angle is explored further. *** On alternate fever response, my reading today involves trying to figure out fever vs heat shock, heat shock protein and the role of antibodies against it - autoimmunity? Or, are antibodies to heat shock protein stimulated by a pathogen subverting the immune system to its benefit, as pathogens are wont to do? I noticed something in my kiddo's bloodwork where anti-68kd popped positive at the height of our IVIg infusions; apparently that also represents antibodies to HSP 70, a heat shock protein. On alternative fever response generally, ibuprofen tends to be somewhat helpful, at least takes the edge off a tad.

Just commiserating. I too have gained, mostly from stress-eating, grabbing a handful of carbs when I'm not even hungry. I know what I need to do also and I feel so much better when I do. I am determined to climb back on the wagon today. I need to remind myself that there's no reason I can't do this. The stress of a medical thing in my family really gets to me, but I need to compartmentalize it.

It sounds like you have found a very supportive school - that's half the battle right there! Expect some ups and downs, but overall, kids tend to adjust pretty quickly. A new adventure! On the fourth grader, I'd worry about getting sufficient challenge over the next two years - I'd explore whether the school will offer her math at her level. As for middle school, on the one hand, middle school is a time when lots of kids come home. On the other hand, the secondary school format usually means it's easier to get more advanced work. I think I'd cross that bridge when I came to it.

I make the waffles all at once and then keep the extras in the fridge for the next day or two, then pop in the toaster oven. (It might be my imagination, but the leftover GF waffles seem to toast up better than the regular ones)

When you get your checkup, get some basic bloodwork that includes bilirubin. (Just found out yesterday that my kiddo, who we thought was having some sort of abdominal migraines, actually has high bilirubin, which apparently can cause the symptoms she has been experiencing.)

tortilla chips and salsa potato chips If you think you need to keep something on hand in place of the pizza, there are plenty of GF frozen pizzas at the store (though only one at our grocery os both GF and DF, Daiya)

Kind of true here. One of my lefties is clearly my most mathy. Except for the one lefty who is the most mathy of the six, the other one lefty and four righties are probably sort of even with each other in math strength - it's surprisingly difficult to compare because they have each had a different path so far in their math education, in part due to different developmental timetables and in part due to whatever the school was doing. Unfortunately, it's also true that my two lefties have had more issues in other areas (language processing, handwriting/processing speed, reading speed).

Why is it always blue. I did that to two new custom dress shirts of dh's a few years ago. He was out of town so I had a few days. I used the Carbona stuff and probably random remedies found on the internet (borax is one of my new favorites, but I can't remember if I used it for the crayon). Last time this happened, we were on vacation. Again with the blue crayon. I immediately re-ran the load but had nothing to use on the crayon; it helped a tiny bit.

This sounds like a good plan. I have a Pro i5, 8 gb ram/256, 2014, bought new at a Black Friday sale at Best Buy. I don't use my storage really (because it's too much of a chore to make my android phone talk to my macbook to download my photos). But I have a hard time buying a new computer that isn't the latest specs, especially with a macbook that will likely have a long life but doesn't appear to be easily upgradeable. (Mine is 2.5 yrs old already and is in like-new condition, as far as I can tell.) I have the 13" with retina display. It's perfect for me. Last year, for my dd who needed a computer for photo editing, I bought a 2015 Pro refurb 15" with an i7, 16 gb ram and 512 gb storage. She easily filled up the 512 and I recently bought yet another external drive for her to offload her photos. She totally maxes out the power on that thing when she's editing photos in Lightroom. Going for the maximum power and size was the right choice for her needs. I would not hesitate to buy another refurb. As for the regular MacBooks, I vaguely recall they have M processors? I can't remember why I am skeptical of the M chips; maybe because I don't like the Microsoft Surface 3. That reminds me, I need to buy iPads this summer for my boys for their high school. They will have some form of PC at home. But still, I need these things to last four years. I will have some decisions to make on which ones and from where.