You wouldn't just be doing it for you - really. Dogs hide pain. It is a survival instinct (weak members of the pack are relegated to the lowest seniority, don't get enough food, etc.). I always tell people that, imho, you need to do this BEFORE they animal gets to the point where they are in great pain and suffering. Think of coming home to a dog that has been stuck on the floor, in pain, possibly dying a slow, miserable death. Not the way you want them to go. No one can tell you if it is the "right" time because there is no actual right time. There is no good answer - it's just crappy to have to decide at all. Dogs have no concept of the future - not in the way we do (that we know of). Their life is now. Right now. You won't be depriving the dog of something they are looking forward to (i.e. a longer life). You only have to deal with what the dog is experience in the moment - form moment to moment. I know our lab was mortified when he had accidents in the house - you could see he was upset. He was in pain - although he wouldn't show it - and couldn't do most of the things he enjoyed. We decided that it was time rather than risk a difficult, lonely, or drawn out death for him. Again - there is no 'right' answer, and I still have twinges of guilt and wonder if we did the right thing (and it's been two years). Our vet thought we were making a good choice, but that still didn't really help me feel there was a 'right' choice. <<<hugs>>>

Just wanted to add that this has been pretty normal in our PS experience. Sigh. DS has only had one teacher who consistently returned papers with feedback. Even in AP English he isn't getting papers back until the end of the grading periods. Very frustrating.

I would (and have) let mine go - phone or no phone. With people I don't know, or don't know well, they know they can call me and use a "code" word to get out of a bad situation. Now - both of them drive anyway, so they can get themselves out, lol. It isn't that I think they won't mess up sometimes, I'm sure they will - or have and I don't know about it :) It's just that I think by the time they are in high school they need to have a lot more autonomy and freedom. Better to mess up now than after they leave home, IYKWIM. So far so good.....

My son has the 3-dys's (dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia). We took the last 2 years off grammar and spelling and focused more on math, science, and humanities-type classes, along with study skills. He still had to write papers and such, but used spell check and I edited his grammar heavily in rough drafts without any sort of penalty to his grade. One of my main goals in 9th and 10th was getting him ready for taking math classes at the CC (this fall), and it did pay off. We just can't do it all, all the time, without complete burn-out, IYKWIM. Anyway - now that he's taking math and science at the CC (he was going to take math and Spanish, but we switched it because of my concern about the writing in Spanish) - I'm going to be focusing heavily on bridging the gaps in grammar, spelling, and composition so that he'll be ready for college after graduating. I guess my point is that, for us, we had to pick just a couple of tough things to focus on and then work on subjects he was good at and enjoyed. I could have made him miserable focusing all of our time of his weaknesses.... An earlier poster mentioned that - teaching to his strengths as well as weaknesses... Very important :) For spelling next year, I'm looking at Sequential Spelling and maybe MegaWords... Just now starting to really look into it... We're moving forward one goal at a time, instead of trying to make gains everywhere at the same time. I'm thinking about Sequential Spelling for Adults - it's two levels, faster paced... Anyone have experience with it?

You rock :) So - perhaps we stick with 2 semesters of chemistry - and deal with the physics after he has calculus one done....

Good to know, Regentrude :) If he took physics the last semester at the CC he'd be taking it concurrently with Calculus 1.... I'm thinking he'd do fine in Chem that first semester.... As for more Spanish, he hates foreign languages, lol :) We did Spanish at home this year, and he's done about 2 years of Latin (pre-high school) - and can't stand it. I'm thinking that 2 semesters of college Spanish, plus the year of HS Spanish will count fine for his foreign language requirements. However, if he does need 2 years of college Spanish, then we may just decide to get it over with at the CC....

I don't think the physics class is an algebra based course - I think they assume that after college algebra, you can hack the calculus in it. I'm new to all this, though, and just going by what the counselor told us.

I need help filling in some blanks... DS will be a junior in the fall. He just enrolled at the CC, and here is what we have in mind for his Junior and Senior years at the CC: Semester 1 - Intermediate Algebra & Spanish 101 Semester 2 - College Algebra & Spanish 102 Semester 3 - Plane Trig & _________________ Semester 4 - Calculus 1 & ________________ He'd like to eventually get some sort of engineering degree - but has not picked a program and has no idea what school he wants to go to. The state schools will take the classes as transfer classes, but he may not stay in this state... My biggest concern, however, isn't that the classes transfer; far more important are the non-mommy grades and the knowledge/prep for his degree. He's taken conceptual physics, biology, and chemistry here at home (mommy grades). The college does offer a physics class and a chemistry class that are recommended for STEM majors and that he can take after that College Algebra class. I've read that in some cases, though, science classes taken at a CC don't always look good for STEM majors. However, he could take them and take the SATII for the subjects after the classes. I don't feel he is ready for the SATII's at the moment. Of course, he would get both of those SATII scores after the first semester of his senior year of high school (may not be available when he applies). He has dysgraphia and dyslexia, so we're trying to steer clear of classes with a large amount of in-class writing assignments/essay tests. We're still working on his writing skills intensely at home with the plan that he'll be ready to go his Freshman year of college into those classes. He'll be doing history here at home as well as English Comp and Literature (due to the writing components of those classes). Suggestions????

Mine always turns out pretty good (eating some now....), but I've never thought of it as a way to "stretch" anything. I use 1 lb ground beef, 1 lb sausage, 1 package onion soup mix, about 4 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 2 eggs, about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of bread crumbs, and 1 8oz can of tomato sauce. Sometimes we top it with bacon.... I form it into a 3 inch think "slab" on a broiling pan (no greasy mess), 350 F for about an hour. To "stretch" meat, I think better recipes are chili, stuffed bell peppers, any kind of pasta or rice casserole thing...

Huh.... I had never heard of anyone ever using anything but brandy before.... Brandy with a bit of nutmeg sprinkled on top.

We use the clear lights - they look more like tiny candles to me :) Each year all 4 of us get an ornament from Santa, and those ornaments represent something important from that year. We also buy ornaments on vacations if we find something cute. All the homemade little ornaments from when my kids were little are up there as well. As for garland, we've done a few. I've had beads, we've done the popcorn and cranberry thing. We haven't had one on there in a few years, though.

I love snakes (corn snakes are gorgeous!!!!), and we have had a pet snake (rescued garter snake) and truly enjoyed it.... But - I'd hesitate on the Ball python. They grow to be 5 feet long (at the extreme, 6) - average is 4.5 I think... Anyway - they get BIG. I can't imagine that large of a snake as a pet unless you really have a great set up for it. I mean - they need their space, ya know? If the space can be provided and you don't have any small cats or tiny dogs for pets (large cats should be ok....) then maybe. But it will be a very different pet, in my opinion, than the corn snake.

I think Cornell notes is the way to go. It's very simple - there's even a chart :) No one method works well for everyone, but I think it's a great place to start, and then the student can go on from there to find whatever works best for them.

I've been able to manage a street without crosswalks since I was about 9. Yes, if they are there, use them, but I think a teen can manage....

:iagree: :iagree: (I would add more of these guys, but the # of emoticons in a post is limited....)

I understand this, especially with teens, and I tried to really enjoy what I could back when they were little, but I always felt like I was failing at it, lol. Here is a great blog post about it.... http://momastery.com/blog/2012/01/04/2011-lesson-2-dont-carpe-diem/

My DS has only missed the bus three times in 4 years.... Because he knows that there is heck to pay if he does, lol :) He does drive now, but when he's out of gas, or has had the vehicle taken away (groundings...), or doesn't get good enough grades (we pay for his insurance if he gets all A's, 2 B's in AP only, he can lose driving privileges for the quarter if he doesn't...) he has to take the bus. No one here is a morning person, but I've only met about 3 in my life, so there ya go .... Anyway, a good friend of mine had to pay her mom for the gas and her mom's time whenever she missed the bus and had to be taken to school.... love that!!!

JadeOrchidSong, I think you could use it easily with a large age range, I think it just depends a lot on spelling ability (there are some rather large words used). But - I do think it could be modified by a parent even then. I am so glad it's working well!!! It is the only thing that has "stuck" for my son as well :)

We blocked off as much as we could with curtains and plastic, but the cleanup is still a beast. The most effective way of getting rid of all of it after the work was done was to change my A/C filters every day for about a week. If you don't - it keeps re-depositing on everything you've already cleaned. Use the cheap-ish ones, but not the bottom of the barrel filters.

We bought our car seats in 1996 - no expiration dates. No one had ever talked about expiration dates, not in magazines, etc. So - of course, by the time people were talking about them (parenting blogs, magazines) we were no longer listening. I heard about them about 3 years ago. Parents of older kids can easily be out of the loop on little kid stuff.... I wouldn't use one past the expiration date 'just in case'....

Yep - every year since they were born :)

We've had the full week off for the last 8 years, but have moved to a different state and now only have Wed-Fri off. Of course, after all the snow, today became a snow day anyway :)

:hurray: :hurray: :hurray: I also feel that happy parents with a strong relationship with each other = strong family. I am not implying that this is the only way, or that anyone here who doesn't leave their kids doesn't have a string family. However, I have met, and know well, a good many couples who've marriages have disintegrated after the kids got older (usually in high school or after graduation) and their "child centered" lives had left no room for them to be a couple anymore. They forgot how to "be" just the two of them. DH and I NEED our time away to just be together. We take trips without our kids, and our kids understand that we need our time alone. We started leaving them as soon as I was no longer nursing - for one night at a time to start with. We built up to longer trips, and they have never had a problem with it. We also spend a lot of family time together and take family centered vacations.

I think, if they are staying with close friends or family that you trust, that 10 days is fine. My kids really enjoyed themselves with other family members when they were that age, and we would call to check in on them every day. Never, ever had a any problems.

I wanted to add after reading a few posts that I don't drink to get tipsy. I drink wine because I really enjoy the taste of wine. I drink one glass very slowly usually so that I can enjoy the flavor and not get tipsy (I'm a real lightweight). Also - we drink expensive wine, so chugging is not an option, lol..... Drinking for flavor is just as common as drinking for effect with most people.