caitlinsmom
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Posts posted by caitlinsmom
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I have a very area specific question that I need help answering. If you are in the area please message me :)
Thanks!
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Thank you for the recommendations! We are lifelong West Coasters. We've done CA, OR, WA, UT, CO, AZ, and NM enough that it's more like home than a vacation. I have friends and family in TX that we've never visited (Spring, New Braunfels, Houston, and Dallas areas). Of course they all want us to visit and make their place sound the very best :). I drive to West Texas one time when dh was stationed at Ft Bliss. The drive was gorgeous but El Paso was a major let down.
I'm not sure our route yet but we will avoid that entire area!
I'll check out all the places mentioned but I'm thinking well head toward New Braunfels that way we can access San Antonio and Austin.
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I should add I realize TX is huge. We will make our route once we have a better idea what we want to do. We will be coming from ID.
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We are planning a road trip next month to TX. No particular destination in mind. We're just tired of the snow!
What sights should we consider? Cities or towns to explore? Resturaunts to eat at?
We are open to anything!
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About 6 years, maybe 7 I found a pop music video that featured a man making a piano out of random items (a mattress being the only thing that still comes to mind ) as a way to compose a love song to a woman. He delivers a letter to her that has a string attached and leads back to him. At least that is how I remember it.
Does anyone know the song/video I am talking about? I thought it was by the band Over the Rhine but I am not finding it.
Anyway for those with magical google powers I would love some help finding this video. :)
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I think we'll manage without Costco. Unfortunately we don't have one here either. :(
Anything else you can share?
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We have the opportunity to purchase a business in NW Arkansas. We've never been there before. What can you share with me about the culture, people, education (homeschooling and higher ed specifically), etc? Why do you love/hate it? Areas you love/hate? Crime?
I'm obviously checking internet resources for statistics and such but I'd love to hear real live opinions. :)
Thanks!
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I am in charge of setting up a weekly group chat for a handful of 7th grade kids throughout the country. They need to have video sharing capabilities as well as chat and photo sharing options. The purpose of the group is kind of a relaxed study group for the kids. FB is not an option and most of the parents would prefer and ad free space. What other options exist?
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Does your woodworking business depend on transporting good/getting supplies a lot? If so, Grand Rapids might be a good area as it has a criss cross of highways.
Not much in Mount Pleasant. Cadillac is nice and has one or more smaller inland lakes and is known for winter skiing and snowmobiling.
Grand Haven/Holland areas are nice and only 35-40 minutes from Grand Rapids but along the lakeshore if you want that type of living. Norton Shores (between Grand Haven and Muskegon) might fit as well..
We are internet sales only so as long as there is a post office and a lumber mill/store somewhere in the vicinity then we will be good. I will check out Grand Haven as that has been mentioned a couple times. I don't think I looked there last month.
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I didn't go back and read the whole thread -- but is there any possibility you could rent? There's been a lot of great advice, but I'm not sure that there is any substitute for actually living in a place yourself.
It is an option of course but not one we really want to do. We will be relocating our woodworking business and with that comes a shop full of tools. We'd like to move once and save not only time but a lot of expense.
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Resurrecting my thread.....
Anyone have an opinion on Mount Pleasant or Cadillac? I saw a post on another forum that said "Well there isn't a mountain in sight and it isn't all the pleasant." lol That was coming from an early 20-somethig single guy so I figure I should take that with a grain of salt. lol.
We've been in contact with a great realtor in Traverse City but as of yet there isn't much on the market in our price range. He warned us (as did all of you) that we may have to wait a while for something to open up in our range as prices are on the high side. He gave us the suggestion that we might want to open our search are up to a wider area (currently set within 30 min of TC). Since we have the availability to be anywhere I thought I'd check out the Grand Rapids areas you've all suggested as well.
We pushed our visit out to the end of April so hopefully there will be a lot less Snirt to see. :)
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I was in Camp Fire, I loved it. We used to attend camp every year. I don't know what is going on with the program, I have tried to find information and it was practically impossible.
I agree! They have a great website but it seriously lacks any helpful information. I've emailed them so hopefully I can get the info I need.
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Just curious to hear opinions on the program. I've wanted my kids to participate for years but we've never lived in an area that had a camp. I'm considering becoming a leader (although I can't find info on their site about being a leader). If you are a leader I'd love to hear about your training and how life is in the trenches. If your kids participate, I'd love to hear your experiences.
I'm a former Girl Scout leader and I hated every single minute of it. We had a horrible council that was a nightmare to deal with and I'd really like not to repeat the experience. :)
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I would avoid visiting in March to make a decision. It's typically not a pretty month in a pretty state. Lots and lots of snirt (snow+dirt). Come in May or June! I've lived here my whole life and have never desired living anywhere else. It's just that perfect :001_wub: .
:) My dh has vacation time coming up next month (mid month) so while it's not the best, it's when we will be headed over.
When you say South Central, any area you'd recommend looking at?
No one has mentioned Lansing area yet. Is there a reason for this?
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Different areas of Michigan have a very different feel.
Are you looking for more town living or country? Artsy/yuppy or more traditional small town? Larger city with active cultural life?
Traverse City is nice but a bit pricey. Grand Haven is a nice community that is smaller with a bit more reasonable housing. If you want rural move out about 5-10 miles from either of these and you can get more rural type life.
We would prefer country living with an acre or two. Smaller areas, under 12k population, are the best for us. Nature and quiet over culture and nightlife but we would like to have something close by for those times we want some culture. (We currently like about 3 hours away from the nearest culture desitnation. We've gone down once in the last 4 years.lol) While we like to spend time at museums and such, we dont end up utilizing them like we always talk about. Basically a grocery store, a lake to fish, internet connection, and a library are our only firm needs. :)
I've been setting all housing searches within a 20 mile radius of whatever town I'm looking at. We don't mind a drive or being off the beaten path as long as there is some sort of community locally that we can be part of. We have 2 large homeschool groups here locally that we have participated in for the last 4 years that has been our communinity, but the area as a larger whole is lacking in a sense of community. We'd like to know people we live around or those at the grocery store, library, etc. We don't have close family so we like to be active in our community for a sense of family.
I don't remember who mentioned it but 4-H is something we've participated in the last 2 years. Last year I became a 4-H leader (wowza! That was work) to meet others in the area and expand our little bubble a bit. My kids love participating and it would definately be something we would look to join when moving. We like the country life a lot. We have chickens and like a large garden. We've had all sorts of farm animals over the last few years and would like to again in the future.
PS- Excuse the spelling. On my mobile and cant seem to correct my mistakes. :)
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Aren't residents of Michigan called Michiganders? I know nuttin' about the state and living there, but this little piece of trivia has always stuck in my head. :)
Lol! I typed that and a few other options multiple times, but none looked right. I almost titled the post "Hey you Michigan resident..." :D
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Oh! I am in the Cadillac area. The UP is fantastic for exploring and camping, but I am not hardy enough to live there!
No co-ops for us. SOF was a requirement for the only one near me.
Lol. Yeah, I don't think we are that hardy either. I told dh about some of the winter stories I read. He just stared blank faced then said "And you want to move there?"
I guess we will stick to the lower portion. :) I'm looking at Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo areas right now. Now before I ask this next question keep in mind we currently live in a town of 400 with the greater metro area at roughly 60k..... How safe are the surrounding areas of GR and Kalamazoo? We haven't lived in an area with any sort of crime rate for over a decade. I don't know if I could go back to it.
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Adding: yes to Grand Rapids, also. Such an interesting city that has become quite vibrant the last several years. Seems there is always something going on down there. (Uhh..."down there" because I'm "up north"!)
Up north how far? :) The first part of the state that caught my eye was the Houghton and Hancock areas, just based off a few pictures I saw on a friends fb page. Then I was told the whole UP had very little homeschooling population so I kind of switched gears.
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I've lived in west MI for 5 years. If I had truly understood what winter was like, I would not have moved here. I was not an outdoor person at all before we moved- now I crave sunlight like a starving person. When I lived farther south (and it wasn't even all that far south), I got enough sun just in the course of daily life. Now we spend a LOT of time outside all summer. We actually mostly live at a campground in the summer. But even then, it's not uncommon to have to wear jeans and sweatshirts early in the morning and later in the evening. The first time I watched fireworks on the 4th in a sweatshirt, wrapped up in a blanket was a shock. If you are coming from a similar climate, you don't need to worry about it. But if you're from farther south, I would really consider it.
We live near Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids and there are lots of opportunities in those areas. I have found that most of the homeschool groups are very conservative Christian. Which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your perspective.
The weather sounds pretty close to what we deal with here (East Idaho). I wouldn't dream of going to 4th of july without a blanket. :) It's practically tradition. lol
You bring up a great question about homeschooling groups. If they are conservative Christian, how open/friendly are they to others who may not be just lie them? We are Christian but I'm not the type to sign a statement of faith. :)
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Dh and I have talked of moving from our state for years. We are finally in a position that a big move is completely doable and a welcome change. We've made a list and done our inital research and it looks like Michigan hits the majority of our list. Our list includes: 4 season climate, humidity, inexpensive housing, easy homeschool laws, homeschool population for friends and get togethers, rural to small city, natural beauty, easy access to things like camping, fishing.... You get the idea. As I know it will come up, we DO NOT need to worry about employment as we both work online.
So far I've been focusing on the Traverse City area. Where else would you recommend checking out?
What do you love about Michigan? Any must see attractions? Any areas to stay away from? Honestly, I'd just love to hear your thoughts about the state in general. I will continue reading and researching (and visiting in March to narrow things down) but I'd love some input from others as well.
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We were there a couple years ago. I understand every single word you typed. :grouphug: You are in my thoughts and prayers. I know there is little that can be said to help lift the weight of everything, but know you are not alone and that you matter, even when things have gone so horribly wrong. :grouphug:
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Are there any HS groups in the Hancock-Houghton area? All links I am finding are dead or so old they might as well be dead.
Anyone know of an active group in that area?
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He's 9 and still on Beta? I don't know MUS well, but isn't that a 4th grader on a 2nd grade program?
There are other hands on approaches that are known for being more mental math focused and conceptual, like Right Start. I agree with others that the issue sounds like it's more about vision than math. I'd move to doing something else for math that would be more enjoyable and challenging and, at least for now, do math verbally if you can.
It is the 2nd grade program. That is where he placed on their placement test before I ordered which did seem quite behind (considering what he had done previously) but I figured they knew what they were doing. :)
I agree about getting an eye exam through a developmental optometrist listed through the COVD but ask around. Find a reputable one.
I also think you may be better off switching to more of a mental math. Possibly Right Start as others have suggested or Math In Focus (may have to start in 3rd and work forward) or something else along those lines.
But for now, I would sit with him, not fighting him, and work small numbers of problems on a dry erase board. Colored markers, larger body movements for the writing and the numbers will be bigger so less chance that whatever vision issues there are will cause additional stress. Have him create his own word problems to solve if that interests him. If the MUS manipulatives are bothering him, maybe try something else. He may be bored AND have a vision issue AND be missing some basics. It is definitely possible.
You might look at doing something like Beast Academy and/or Zacarro Primary Grade Challenge math to change things up a bit. Or Life of Fred. See if that creates some interest while you possibly seek out an eye exam. Or Khan Academy coupled with one of these....
Have you looked at Soror's relaxed math thread?
As for bad handwriting, again that could be vision issues, motor issues, etc.
I think you might benefit from reading The Mislabeled Child by Brock and Fernette Eide. See if anything in there speaks to you.
Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner by Kathy Kuhl might help, too. And you can always hop on the Learning Challenges board to get additional suggestions from women who have BTDT...
Hugs. Good luck and best wishes.
I will try some of your suggestions. He loves it when I make up word problems for him. I hadn't thought about it until the recommendation for the COVD, but if I write only 2 word problems on a page in large writing (think 1st grade size here) then he will work right through it. Thank you for the book suggestions as well, I will check them out.
I appreciate all the advice from everyone.
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Honestly, it sounds like he's bored out of his mind. It could be the format (MUS) or the level.
Have you always used MUS?
No we switched to MUS this year. Before that he did Horizons. I'm honestly tempted to go back to Horizons because they have so much more variety on a page. However, the reason I switched to MUS was because he didn't seem to be retaining the concepts taught. Maybe he is and all the extra work is just making him irritated. I really have no idea. :confused1:
Generation Change Dave Ramsey
in High School and Self-Education Board
Posted
Has anyone used this program with their child high school studies?
I am looking for a program that will help my natural spender see the value in planning, saving, etc.
Thoughts and opinions?