I think you should probably ask about the grading for the specific course you are interested in because it seems like it varies from course to course. For example my son's Calligraphy class all of the questions regarding the history of calligraphy etc are automatically computer graded but the portfoliio of his actual work is graded by the teacher. In my other son's Arabic class there are some computer graded assignments, some teacher graded assignments and then he has speaking appointments with the teaching assistant that are graded by the T.A. ETA: the feedback time for questions is very quick, mostly within an hour. I don't think we've ever had to wait more than a day for a response.

My older ds is taking Arabic and my younger ds is taking Calligraphy through BYU this year. I've been pleased with both classes so far and the boys are also enjoying them.

The most important thing for me is QUIET. Unfortunately our library is anything but. I spent 2 hours there the other night waiting for my younger ds and I was pretty appalled. The only place with any seating is right next to the children's section. I don't think kids need to be absolutely silent in the library but there has to be a happy medium between that and absolute bedlam. I felt like I was at Chuck E Cheese but with books. The young couple next to me let their 2 year old run around screaming. A grandma dropped off her 3 grandkids and left. Another mom was using the kids' computer to surf while her three kids and the other three kids threw cushions and pillows all over and jumped from shelves. I kid you not. There is no way anyone could study or read there. What the library in the next town over has done is better. Their library is in the city hall complex. There is a coffee shop place in the atrium area right outside the entrance to the library and also a sort of play area for kids. I think this is a better solution but our library building is too small for something like that. I would also like to see a better selection of books. More programs for pre-teens and teens. Right now there are tons of things for pre-schoolers and elementary kids but not so much for older kids. Our hold system is great and there is a generous limit on the amount of books one can check out. I think it's around fifty per card. I would love to have no fines! Ours are pretty steep but one of the "prizes" in the summer reading program is a coupon for $5 off fines.

I haven't lived in France but I have lived in Germany so I am basing this on what would be available there. The canned pineapple should be absolutely no problem to find in most grocery stores. The other things on the list might be more difficult. I have seen all of those things mentioned on your list but the trick is knowing where to find them. Sometimes large supermarkets have a specialty section and they might offer American brand foods. It was always pretty amusing to see peanut butter or Kraft mac n cheese treated like luxury goods (with prices to match)! Her best bet is probably something like this http://www.myamericanmarket.com/

Olso, Hawaii Barfuss Emma's Bliss Everlasting Moments After the Wedding As It Is In Heaven Adam's Apples Head On

I used to get a stuffy nose in the mornings and finally narrowed it down to down pillows/ comforter and mildew. Once I got rid of both down and mildew the stuffy nose went away immediately.

I agree. My two oldest children were born in Germany, my youngest here in the U.S. The care that I received in Germany was far superior. At first I was a bit hesitant about the thought of the post partum midwife visiting for the some of the reasons that other posters mentioned but it turned out to be wonderful. It was so relaxing not to have leave the house to go to the doctor's office like regentrude mentioned. Plus the midwife did all sorts of things like give the baby a bath, answer questions about breastfeeding etc. When my second son was born all of us except the baby came down with a horrible virus right after I came home from the hospital. It was comforting to have the midwife come and check on us each day. In Germany I felt like I was actually being CARED for whereas here it was like "you're on your own now. bye".

I do a lot of prep beforehand as it's usually just me and the kids camping. Instead of salad we take veggies that travel well and eat those with dip (baby carrots, peppers, cucumber, pea pods). Last summer I made a three bean salad (garbanzos, green beans, kidney beans) and packed it into a few mason jars in the cooler. I made it the night before we left and we we had it a few days later it was perfect as that sort of salad tastes better after it's marinated a while anyway. Stews or chili travel well and can be made beforehand. Foil packets are also quick and easy and you can cut the veggies for those ahead of time as well.

Ours is red and I love it. Dh wanted originally wanted blue but he loves the red too.

My dh is German and insisted we buy all Miele products when we built our house because Miele is supposed to be "the best". We've had our appliances for about six years now and so far we've had problems with the dishwasher, fridge, washer, and the dryer (twice). My dryer, in fact, is currently working, and it took a week for Miele to send out a repair person. The guy who came out was the same guy who repaired my dishwasher six months ago and he greeted me with, "Hi, it's me again!". I think the fact that the repair guy remembers me is *not* the best advertisement for the company. Of course they never have the parts on hand, they have to order them from Germany, so most likely it will be at least another week without a dryer. Did I mention I live in the Pacific Northwest where it always rains? And for what the repairs cost I could probably buy a new machine at Sears and not be upset in a few years when it needs to be replaced. Aesthetically the Miele stuff is beautiful but I'm really disappointed in our experience of the quality, especially for the prices Miele charges. Dh is of the opinion that the stuff they make in Germany for the German market is better but that the quality for the American market is poorer because they have to change the dimensions (Americans want much bigger appliances).

My oldest and youngest were both water births. I would have liked to have had my middle child in the water but they wouldn't let me because of pre-eclampsia. Anyway, I am super enthusiastic about water births: way more relaxing and with the two born in water I had no tearing or stitches.

Dh travels all the time for his job. For the past three years it has been pretty extreme with him averaging 280 days away. He mostly travels internationally and can be gone from two weeks to two months. He is currently on a five week trip. I have mixed feelings. He does earn good money so that is a positive but it is hard. I am responsible for everything all the time and that gets a little old. I only get breaks when I put my oldest ds in charge for a few hours. I do feel some resentment when it is an especially long trip and dh gets a real weekend while it's business as usual here at home. Unfortunately because dh sees the children so seldomly he doesn't really have a relationship with them.

Almost never. Neither set of grandparents like to babysit either. Fortunately my oldest is 14 and very responsible.

:iagree: If this is something that you need for the German government they will NOT accept non-accredited translations. Ask me how I know. :glare: I agree with Lanny that the German Consulate would most likely have a list of certified translators or you could still call the university but ask if they know someone with certification. This is what we did when I needed documents translated for my visa in Germany. We paid by the page and I believe that is pretty standard practice.

Walking-Iris- Amen sister! Very eloquently put.

I've read several threads like this over the years and, maybe I'm oversensitive or something, but they always rub me the wrong way. Left-handedness is not a defect or a disability but some people stlll act like it's a problem. Who cares whether little Billy holds his pen differently or the paper at a slant. If the kid needs to adapt to make it more comfortable to write in a manner intended for right-handed people I think it's wrong to try to change that just so it "looks" better. If the kid is distressed about it or in some sort of pain from holding his pen a certain way then, by all means, offer help but otherwise: not a big deal. I also hate the assumption that lefties have poor handwriting. I'm left-handed and so are two of my kids. I always get complimented on my beautiful handwriting and I like to tell people it's because I'm a lefty. :lol: My oldest ds and dh are right-handed and they both have atrocious handwriting. It's never occurred of me to attribute that to their lack of left-handedness. ;). Some people just have poor handwriting!

Only, if they lost their citizenship during WWII and then there is a lot of paperwork. Germany is not an easy country to get a visa for on your own. If you have an in-demand profession or are an academic, with the military or through a corporation it is probably easier. I am married to a German citizen and it still took a lot of hoop jumping for me to get a visa.

My dh had a great-aunt who was very well-to-do but stingy. The first Christmas after dh and I married the family went over to her house to exchange gifts. Normally she'd hand out money in envelopes to everyone but since I hadn't "qualified" as a member of the family she rummaged around in a cupboard and presented me with a box of chocolates. I love chocolate so it would have been a great gift, had they not been RANCID. This aunt, on other occassions, also tried to give me old worn out shoes that were two sizes too big, a moth-eaten fur coat, and various expired foodstuffs. My MIL also operates along the same lines. She is very overweight and back when I was quite thin she'd try to pass her old clothes off to me saying we were "about the same size". :mad: She also gave me some underwear claiming she'd "only worn them once" and a pair of pajamas that had also only "been worn once" that had a huge stain on them.

:bigear: I don't have an answer for you but I am interested in this too.

I've had good results with glass stovetop cleaner and one of the scrubbie pads made for glass stovetops. HTH!

So sorry! How very heartbreaking :grouphug::grouphug:

I feel for you. I don't do hot very well. We're at the other end of the spectrum- a chilly 53°F and raining here today.

Hello! I live in Washington State now but I previously lived in Germany for over 10 years. My husband is German and my two older children were born there. We've always homeschooled both for academic reasons and because my dh travels a lot for work so we like to have the flexibility to sometimes accompany him. My hobbies include genealogy, Scandinavian crime fiction, and knitting.

June is usually not too hot or humid but it can be variable. My middle son was born in Germany in late June and it was a period of very hot weather (upper 90's). I think it depends on what you are used to. The humidity is a lot more than what I am used to (coming from the Pacific NW) but is not as humid as many areas in the rest of the US. Also air-conditioning is not the norm in most places in Germany so when it does get hot you can't always just go inside somewhere to cool off. Most hotels will have a ironing board and iron if you ask for one at the front desk.

We're currently in CVA but won't be going back for next year. They've made a lot of changes over the past couple of years and the program isn't the same as it once was. They will not cover any outside classes next year and their curriculum choices are more narrow as well. I don't know what their current policy is for therapy services but there is a social group on here for CVA and you could ask there.