I'm told it is a bit different than the SAT essay. Help? Thanks!

I'm debating which AP courses to do with DD (rising jr.) next year. She is very interested in AP psych and perhaps AP art history, not so much in AP histories or englishes. She'd really like to do an anthology approach to American Lit and Brit Lit (not so heavy as APs) so she can concentrate on *creative* writing. Is there any conventional wisdom that "everyone" knows, about which AP courses are harder, "fluff", more/less desirable as a mark of a "good" student? The psych and art history are because those are in her field of interest, not because we're trying to pad her transcript. Should I be doing that, too? She will probably go to a smaller, church-affiliated LAC, so we're not aiming for Ivies. We will need for her to be considered for scholarships! I really didn't want her to have to study for SAT2s; she'll have to study for PSAT and SAT as it is. (She doesn't seem to be a natural test-taker.) Any input?

You could have you child do AP classes which are not directly tied to the 4 year cycle, such as sciences, pysch, geography, etc., and have them do the 4 years as usual. You could also start and finish the last cycle earlier, so that they had time to add in APs that cover part of that material. Finally, you could also have them take APs concurrently with a 4 yr history cycle and its corresponding great books. (That would probably be the most dificult of all the choices.) hth

it doesn't cover any grammar, just expects you to learn by rote repetition. There is no explanation of why you say some thing one way and some things another. That might fly in elementary, but not for older kids.

Ds is graduating in a couple of weeks. He is simply "finishing", without any fanfare, no graduation ceremony or event to attend, per his desire. He may have a small, celebratory laser tag outing with his close buds, but that is all. However, there are family, old family friends, etc. whom we *should* inform, rite of passage and all that. I think?? How do we let them know, without inviting them to anything, without--especially--it coming across awkwardly. We certainly do not want to solicit anything. A note of congratulations would be nice, *if* the person desired to send them. Thanks for your input!

Situation: Ds is graduating in a couple of weeks. He is simply "finishing", without any fanfare, no graduation ceremony or event to attend, per his desire. He may have a small, celebratory laser tag outing with his close buds, but that is all. However, there are family, old family friends, etc. whom we *should* inform, rite of passage and all that. I think?? How do we let them know, without inviting them to anything, without--especially--it coming across awkwardly. We certainly do not want to solicit anything. A note of congratulations would be nice, *if* the person desired to send them. Thanks for your input!

take this with a grain of salt, but this sounds much more like an extracurricular project or a job. While it takes time, it doesn't sound like it involves the thinking and learning required for a fine arts credit. For example, if you were to research and find online syllabi for, say, "Introductory Acting" or "Theatre 101" or "Methods and Movement in Drama," (someone stop me! :blushing: ) I would think that you'd find a much wider range of topics, information, and methodology being covered in that class, and if the kids were lucky, a performance as a capstone project to apply what they've learned. That's my opinion, fwiw.

We don't bite, and as you get to know us, you'll find that we're a pretty tight group. The other moms here have been so helpful to me. You are in a great place!

Dd wants to take one of these, and it would be very nice to meet the tutor!

Here is a link to Eliana's Wonderful Short Story List: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4540 You'll need to scroll about half way down in the thread, and there are two posts with half the list in each post. That might help! Valerie

to the other suggestions you've received. Thank goodness someone else has two brain cells left to rub together! I just wanted to say "hi" and welcome you back! What a couple of years you've had! It is a wonder you are still standing. The only input I have for you is that my dh has been insisting that this summer we take a long break. I agree that it will really help us with burnout, so aside from dd and me continuing to work on her math til she finishes Alg 1, and her working on vocab for SAT prep (should be 1.5 hours total), we are not doing school this summer! We desperately need to do some creative and physical things. I think we'll be able to come back to school in the fall gratefully, rather than reluctantly. Ds18 will graduate and is looking at working all summer, perhaps at a camp. :) Again, no school. {{Stacey}} I'm glad you're back...how are *you*? Val

you can hate me if you want to, cuz I'm being a big old butt-in-ski, but I don't care if she's Jewish and this is her sabbath. You need to call her. You didn't hire her for a part-time job. Spotting again is something that needs to be checked out. It may very well be nothing, and if so, we will all breathe a sigh of relief and thanksgiving. But if it is something, you want and need to know early. Early gives you and the providers more options to take care of you and of the babe in the best way possible. You have more choices when you catch it early. My apologies for being so opinionated. I'm praying for God's care for you and the babe. {{Aubrey}} Val

I think people are smarter than realtors give them credit for. I looked at many houses, and I was not looking at furniture trust me. I hate the posh Mediterranean frou-frou look that is so prevalent these days. (Hope I'm not stepping on toes.) I was looking at function, fit, care, and "how would this fit with our lifestyle?" FIL's house sold in 3 mos flat (a miracle, truly) and it was *empty*. The paint job and carpeting that had been replaced were done by a decorating challenged relative. ICK. What sold it, I believe, was the true old beauty of the house (good bones, oak flooring) and the beauty of the setting.

first, please let me apologize for the typo in the subject line--this app will not let me edit the subject line. :blush: which classes have your students taken, with which teacher, and what did they think? TIA! Valerie

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There are ladies on this board who have taught classes using the BJU texts, LoriD or Lori M ??, maybe Jann -- sorry, I can't remember. The consensus was that the texts were sorely lacking in explanation and in practical application problems. (My personal experience on that, too.) If they are used, they'd have to be heavily supplemented. Geometry w/ homesat was OK. Precalc with Homesat was bad news.

a dear, older-generation friend told me that one hot summer afternoon she looked out in the back yard to see her 5 yo little boy and the neighbor boy chasing each other around, trying to pee on each other "to see if it would cool them off." She never mentioned it to them again, until one day when her son was grown and he said something at a family gathering about the ridiculous thing one of his own children did. She chose that moment to remind him, after all those many years, of what he and the neighbor kid had tried. :smilielol5:

Usage of when vs. whenever is one of my regional grammar pet peeves. My children are so used to hearing "whenever" from their peers that I am losing the battle! :banghead: For example, "Whenever we went to the movies last Friday, we saw 'Enchanted'." Is there a grammatical (part of speech) difference between when and whenever, or is it simply the commonsense realization that "whenever" should refer to multiple occasions? Help? TIA, Val P.S. Don't even get me started on well vs. good, as in "How are you today?" "I'm good." or "I'm doin' good." (That last one *always* makes me mentally reach for the packet of gold stars and paste one onto the speaker's hand.) I. have. issues.:blushing:

how do you and Hans do on projects that require working together? Are you miserable, and better off splitting up the work, then coming back for the next task? Are you great at working together, and even enjoy the comraderie of accomplishing a task that you both work on? Are your values approximately the same? IOW, will you and he agree on most things or disagree? **** This line of thinking may help you determine both "if" and then "how". Best of luck! V and dh, who dream of building an ICF home, built into a hillside

Gail, I'm so glad you continue to visit the boards. I don't know how you do all that you do. I'm praying for you and yours, for peace, wisdom, provision of all your needs, and for strength for you! May you be blessed today! Val

Very tastefully done. Because I'm a stickler about typos, I would have noticed. I would also have felt bad for you, knowing that at some point, you'd discover the mistake and feel badly about it. I'd never have mentioned it. My MIL became more and more outspoken in her last years, and she was not an advocate of HSing. My deepest sympathies! So, back to where I started, it is a lovely, tasteful and masculine invitation. You should be proud. :hurray: One other thing...typos happen. Some copies of Jay Wile's first printing of Apologia Biology had a typesetting error on the spine of the book. In huge 3/4 inch letters, it read BOLOGY. (OMgoodness...I would have died, had those books been mine. I remember them being sold with a slight discount along with a laugh and a shrug...things happen!)

I've seen God do unexplainable, otherwise incredible things before...this is one that He has ordained for ER. What an awesome God we serve! May ER never forget!

Hey, Sharon! I have a more *important* question for you than anything about your son.... :toetap05: . . . . . How'd you get 7 (yes, seven!) smilies to show up in your post?!?!?! ;) :lol: Seriously, very big congrats to both of you!!

the way things are going in his week. Poor guy! Work is a #$*&% for him. I digress. Dh is probably the most thoughtful, sincerely kind person on the planet. He really listens to what others say, and acts on what he's heard. He takes me to chick-flick movies and enjoys them with me, just as he did with his mom when he was a young adult. No, he isn't perfect, and, yes, he's taken :lol:, but I wanted you to have that background. Dh has always loved weaponry--much more than his dad or brother did. From the stories of his building p*pe *ombs in the ravine when he was a kid, to singeing his kneecap with fuse cord when we were newly married, from hunting to plinking, from arrows to semi-autos--he has loved it all. As a dad he has built replicas of Elven and Rohidian shields, Gimli's axe and a very creditable Rohidian sword with my youngest son. They pulled up an unfortunately located sapling, only to find that it would do very nicely as Gandalf's staff. He has spoken to me on occasion about what would happen to his *items* should something happen to him. While he has taught the children (dd, too) weapons safety from early on, he is absolutely adamant that he will not allow a legally adult child to own or possess weapons in our household unless that child is absolutely trustworthy and free from biterness, anger, and rashness, and is more than reasonably calm when provoked. Our will stipulates that the children will not be given possesion of the *items* unless the guardian deems them mature enough to have custody of them, and it is entirely up to the guardian. hth

Oh, my sides, my aching sides! :smilielol5: Along the same lines, (guys can quite reading now if they are at all shy about anatomy talk) my college physiology textbook in the early eighties reported that each human mammary gland had one hole to release milk. That was true then, as it is now, right?!?! Right? ;)