Oh! And about contacting the schools. Most high schools give tours to prospective families (yes, even public schools!). Make sure to request time with someone from the SpEd department. Just going through the process of setting up a tour may help you decide which school you'd rather deal with. :)

We are in our third state in three years and I will offer this advice. Many times the wealthier areas (even if just by a bit) may have "better" schools on paper, but the culture can be less appealing. Many times these schools cater to the higher achieving majority and kids with mild special needs (or even just average students) can get lost in the shuffle. Sometimes you can find outstanding special ed services at slightly less competitive schools. If it's between outstanding homogeneous schools in new, expensive neighborhoods, and great diverse schools in established neighborhoods, I'd go with the later, assuming you don't receive new info on the quality of the schools. The culture of the area and school would be of utmost importance to me when looking for a high school. Just my two cents!

I guess I'm confused. Do you allow him to act out fairy tales? Disney? A favorite cartoon? Does make believe bother you in general? What is it specifically about ancient myths that makes you disturbed?

I don't think 36 weeks is short at all, especially if you are owl raking every day. I was a teacher. There are NOT 180 days of instruction in regular school. I only plan for 30 academic weeks. When we are "off" we still do latin and math and we are usually "off" because we are doing educational field trips, traveling, or working on projects. Curriculum isn't everything. ETA: Ha! Owl raking?! That should say working!

That's exactly what I thought when she said it smelled like "herbs." ;)

It would never occur to me to fly to a destination that was 7 hours away. We travel quite a bit. I'd much rather leave early and be there for a late lunch than deal with an airport, any day.

There have now been several links provided for you.

My response was to your comment about other countries having poor living conditions. Those kids aren't on US soil. It's an entirely different fight.

Because these kids are here.

;)

Yes. There was actually an interesting study I heard about on NPR a year or two ago. They tested a bunch of homes with and without pets, looking for germs- specifically feces. I forget the specifics now, but essentially they were surprised that the ONLY feces they found in either type of home was human. The dog homes were not any dirtier than the non-dog homes. So, with that logic, I'd let my dog in the bed before I'd let my kid in the bed! ;)

OMG, it actually claims children are more likely to be gay if raised by gay parents. You either are gay or you aren't gay. Here's a thought, perhaps children who are raised by parents who love their children for who they are are won't reject their children because of sexual orientation are more likely to have kids who are honest with themselves and confident about who they are, so they don't pretend and enter into heterosexual marriages, only to be miserable and end up divorced with kids. Gee, if only there was some way we could set these kids up to have parents who aren't ridiculed for who they are and could be treated like full human beings. Maybe there is some way we could give these kids permanency and acceptance. Hmmm...

Growing up I only knew one homeschooling family well and they were suuuuuuper religious. I met a few other homeschoolers over the years and thought they were weird. Then I became a teacher, so of course I thought everyone who homeschooled were lunatics. Then, overnight, I became a parent to twin kindergartners, one of whom had special needs. It took three years, but eventually I saw the light.

Here's a start. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/country-lost-kids/

Oh! And check your Costco. I've found organic availability varies by location, but that's where I buy organic rice and sometimes soups for lazy days.

Some ways to cut down on costs: stick to whole foods, cook from scratch. Buy whole chicken and use it for stock. One whole chicken can give us three meals, so it makes paying $15 for it a little easier. ;) Buy what is on sale and build meals around those things. I save so much at Whole Foods this way. Many times I can find things cheaper at WF than I can at Publix. When we had a chest freezer, we'd buy grass fed and pasture raised meats in bulk from the farmer. Good luck!

Vacation Rental By Owner. Sometimes you can find great deals if you are staying a month during an out of season time in a given area. For instance, fall in the Outer Banks is significantly cheaper than earlier summer months.

Also, you might look at buying a used RV and then selling it when you are done. But honestly, every time we've priced RVs, the gas and added site expenses just never seem worth it for a short term trip. We do ok in tents.

We did that for three months last summer. We drove around the country (and I mean around! In a big circle, coast to coast). We tent camped, slept in only a few hotels, and stayed with family. We did it in our Subaru with two kids and a dog. We have a Yakima pod on top that was absolutely necessary for all our camping gear. It was epic. I will never regret that we took a chance and did that. Ever. We did about 23 nights of camping, but never more than 3 (maybe 4?) nights in one location. We could have stayed longer in certain places though. A lot longer.

I would be so grateful you were honest. So many times I've showed up to an event only to discover the sick child. Grrr. I also wouldn't want people in my house if I was dealing with puke. I would also be nervous of coming down with it myself while trying to entertain company.

The Hobbit, HP, Rick Riordan, and anything about Egypt

We are starting either July 7 or the following week. It's the earliest we've ever started, but we've been off since May because of a trip. Now that we live in Florida, I'm realizing we want to be out and about less in the summer because of the heat, so it's a perfect time to stay inside and get work done. That way we can take it slower in the winter when the weather is nice and we just want to be at the beach.

I could easily spend 2.5 days eating at the Bellagio buffet, swimming at the pool, and seeing Cirque de Soleil. And I am not a fan of the strip. The smoke is the worst. But even I could fill 2.5 days with amazing things in Vegas. Oh, I would not recommend day trips. You aren't there long enough.

I hope they make it back to you!

Grenada IS a country. ? I just hate the litigious society we live in. Sorry. I'll stop hijacking the thread...