That stinks. Could you take a screenshot of the item listing on Amazon with your phone, then see if the in-person store will price match? It saved me fifty bucks once at Staples.

Cloves? We have a friend who is allergic to them. The holidays can be a minefield for our friend.

We really liked Waitress. Not a huge blockbuster, but sweet and funny.

It is an age thing. Older people in the US are more likely to be white than younger people, for all kinds of reasons. These statistics say that non-hispanic white children under age 18 made up 53.5% of the children under age 18 in the US in 2010. So around 50% of the public school population country-wide to be white is about what you'd expect. Of course, the numbers at any given school vary widely, as our country is made up of a lot of very different areas. For those of us who live in diverse areas, diversity is just normal day to day life. For us, a lack of diversity is very visible and feels unnatural and uncomfortable, in the same way that a minority person stands out in a setting that is otherwise all white.

In my kitchen I have a set of old computer speakers hooked up to a small bluetooth device. I plug in the device to the wall outlet, then plug the speakers into the device (just like you would have plugged the speakers into a computer). It even has a USB port I can use to charge the phone. Similar devices are around $10 on eBay and Amazon. In other words, you don't need special bluetooth speakers; one of these devices will make any simple computer speakers into bluetooth ones. (The speakers are powered through the input cord.)

Heigh Ho, could you explain this little bit more? I have heard people of color on Twitter mention that others have assumed they went to college on a virtually-automatic full ride, when nothing could be further from the truth in their case; no full ride or anything close. This misconception seemed widespread, as quite a few people shared similar experiences. I'd like to hear more from your perspective.

But if advertising is the goal, having more complex criteria that attempts to reach out to more customers would legitimately include strategies to reach different groups of people, rather than assuming one-size-fits-all approach. If my top five responders are all 30-something Mormon moms in Utah, that's going to reach a different group of people than if my top five include a Mormon mom in Utah, a young, black NYC fashionista, a crunchy-but stylish empty-nester in rural Tennessee, an edgy Jewish guy in Los Angeles, a hipster gal in the PNW. Think, for example, of the Mood Fabrics bloggers - pretty diverse, in lots of different ways, so there's more chance there's one you can relate to, so more chance you'll be inspired to buy their fabric.

Every app I've seen - somewhere between 15 and 20 over the years - has asked that all high schools and colleges be listed. I think it's pretty common, though obviously even 20 is a small sample.

Why would a college care about the distinction between public and private schools? (I can see why they would care about the distinction between one particular school and another, in assessing things like whether the student is taking the most challenging classes available to them, or the fact that one school's B students are well prepared for college but another school's A student still need considerable remedial help to be successful. But why public vs. private in general? The application process is generally no different between the two, unlike hsing vs public/private school.)

In most cases where students are enrolled in a public school but do their schooling at home, the school awards their high school credits and diploma. If your child is enrolled in a public school that doesn't award high school credits or diplomas, that's a fairly unusual "special case" from a country-wide perspective, and the best thing to do is contact the college in question as to how they want you to answer the questions on their application, especially if it is an out of state college which may not be familiar with the kind of charter set-up you are using. The way you self-identify in social settings (park day, homeschooling groups) and to the check out lady in the grocery store may be different than how a college views you, in terms of whether their homeschooler application process applies to you. And it should be noted that schools are different and students are different, so a label that's an advantage in some way for one school (less paperwork for public school kids, easier eligibility for certain programs or scholarships) may be a disadvantage for another (if the school prefers homeschoolers for some reason, or the homeschool requirements better showcase the student's accomplishments).

Swiss army knife.

... Interesting! So, if the program is largely hands-off when it comes to curricula, how do they award credits for high school courses? Side note - I have quite frequently called admissions offices with various questions. Most of the time they are very helpful. One school in particular was utterly unorganized and different people gave different answers. If answers are critical, get them in writing. Also, in the situation you describe, I would try to make sure the school got as much useful info as possible about the child's education. My general approach has been to make a list of information we want the school to have, then see how that information can fit into the school's application forms. So for example a particularly important summer job might fit under employment, or activities, or be covered in an essay or short answer question, or put into an optional resume, so long as it gets in there - different places depending on what each application has space for.

I think you are right to follow up on this, as you have promised your sons you would. I wonder how the lessons are being portrayed. That is, what are the intentional and unintentional lessons being taught? And how do they align with what you want your boys to learn about sex and sexuality? How are these stories informing and shaping the young men they are becoming? As an example, is rape portrayed as "just something that happens", or is it portrayed as a horrible, violent act against the victim? If the students are too young to handle the horror, then the lesson is better left until they are old enough to fully understand. This isn't about the graphic details, which need not be dwelt on, but more about the goals of the lesson - who are these people, why did they behave as they did, and what can we learn from this story that we can apply in real life? How does this story help us to understand how to behave ourselves? How should we treat those of the opposite sex? How should we handle being in positions of power and responsibility? How are modern times different, in terms of expected behavior around slavery, forced marriage, concubines, etc. And so on. Perhaps it is in these areas that your boys are sensing something not quite right with the lessons.

In this case, though, we are talking about how your child represents themselves in their college applications. And thus not taking into account other people's morality/ethics can seriously affect your child's life. As previous posters have noted, if your child is enrolled in public school, and graduates from that school, it may not be *illegal* to fail to mention the school enrollment/diploma and instead represent the child as a "homeschooler", but there could be serious repercussions. To do this you'd have to omit any mention of the school on your application - something that all of the 15+ applications I've helped to fill out specifically warn against. This would be considered a lie of omission, and a quite serious one. If/when the deceit was discovered, the college would be within its rights to rescind their offer of admission, kick out the student, and possibly keep the student's already-paid money. AND if classes had already begun, the student would then have to explain all of that on their application to any subsequent colleges, for the rest of their lives, or risk it happening all over again. .So it would be very rare circumstances indeed where doing this would be "what's right for your kid". Obviously, some situations are complicated, especially when a college's guidelines don't take into account the diverse legal situations for homeschoolers in other states, and the wide variety of ways students who are educated at home can earn high school credits and high school diplomas. In those cases a phone call to the admissions office (or several) will help you work out the best approach for your particular situation. tl;dr - On college apps, be who you are, and be that well.

What a particular student might consider themselves - homeschooler or not - is neither here nor there; it's what the college considers you that matters. On all the college apps I've helped various kids fill out, they specifically ask you to list ALL of the schools you have attended, high school and/or college, and to submit official transcripts from those schools. lf you've attended a public cyber-charter high school, then you would be obligated to list that school and submit their transcripts. In that situation, I don't see any way you could legitimately claim to be a homeschooler. You couldn't take the work and re-package it as "homeschooling" and leave out the fact that you were enrolled in the school and earned credits through the school. The fact that the work was done at home, and that a parent played a facilitator role in delivering the content, is neither here nor there. The school awarded the credits, and must be mentioned in the college application. Now if you'd done a blend of credits earned through homeschooling vs. credits earned through a school or other credit-awarding organization, then again you'd need to list the school and submit transcripts, plus do the corresponding paperwork around the homeschooled credits. The homeschooling parent might submit a document which lists all of the credits earned in one Master Transcript, for ease of reference, clearly noting who awarded the credit for a particular class. But the one thing you could NOT do is to take credits earned through a school (private, public, online, correspondence, DE, etc) and present them as if they were earned through "homeschooling" and leave out the fact that they were in fact earned through a school. As to whether a college would consider a student with such a blend of credits "homeschooler", would be up to the individual college. and like a PP said, the key is to be transparent and honest in the application process, so that it's all above board; different schools will handle things differently.

I rather enjoyed my visit to the Autry Museum of the American West. Worth looking at their event calendar - the Day of the Cowboy was pretty cool, though I don't see it on the calendar yet for this year, and they also have homeschool days. Huntington Library, mostly for the adults - very, very old astronomy books from important astronomers, plus lots of gardens to walk around. I enjoyed La Brea Tar Pits, LA Natural History Museum, & California Science Center.

Soy or coconut yogurt with fruit. Nuts Overnight oatmeal, made with milk or a dairy alternative, with fruit and nuts. Bowl of cereal. Hummus, bean dip with veggies or bread to dip in. Bowl of rice with meat and veggies, microwaved. Popcorn. Charcuterie plate - meat/sausage, veg, olives Dinner leftovers. Peanut butter on apples. Gucamole and corn tortilla chips. Salad greens with eggs or meat or beans, plus veggies and maybe some fruit.

Almost twenty bucks for four dice? Wow. They are cool, but I wonder if there's something else in that price range that would be more useful. You only role up a character at the beginning of the game. I'm that mom who goes rogue on the Christmas lists, though.

Don't you generally build a character with a regular set of polyhedral dice? You might want to clarify with her. Character sheets can be printed from the internet, IIRC. (You might also want to get her a nice dice bag - I got a lovely etsy seller to custom-make make one a few years ago and it was a hit.)

Lots of good suggestions here. In addition to talking to the person dictating these experiments etc., he should be talking to his principal and his union and documenting every single thing he buys (and the routes he took before buying to find the resource in other ways). Then going up the chain of command - to the school board, then if he can take the risk, the parents, press, and city/state reps. In the meantime, he should also be networking with other teachers, in his school and other schools in the district. Many non-consumable supplies are in storage for most of the year. If six classrooms across town are doing the matchbox experiment, there's no need for all six to have a full kit of supplies; they can coordinate and use just one. (Having done a lot of co-op classes, I have both borrowed and lent supplies like this to a teacher in my district; win-win.) In addition, he should be looking at the experiments and seeing if substitutions can be made. While rubbermaid lids can make a nice ramp, so can cereal boxes, pieces of cardboard, books, etc. The "rubbermaid lids" item may have just been a suggestion of something that a teacher might have on hand, and not intended to be a set-in-stone requirement. Classroom books are useful, but again connections can help. Simply asking the parent-teacher group to ask parents to donate outgrown books can help. (You would get the best books from parents whose kids are several grades higher up.) All that said, what the OP describes is an extreme situation; it's not normal and the teacher would be right to make a fuss about it. The UNION is probably the best way to move up the chain of command without risking one's job. That's what unions are for.

It's worth noting that in public high schools, a course called "chemistry" is typically taught at several levels. A school might offer AP Chem (equivalent to college chem, and typically only taken after a year of Honors Chem), Honors Chem (a rigorous high school level chem, typically for STEM students who will go on to AP Chem), College-Prep Chem (a decent high school level chem, perhaps for bright non-STEM students who are college bound), and one or two versions of General Chem (a lower-level high school class). Point being, not all high school chem classes are equivalent; the key is choosing (or creating) one that is the best fit for your child's ability, interest, and goals. In some ways, looking at these options might lead you towards doing the least-challenging course that would still meet requirements for admission to a good-but-not-ivy college. (To be competitive for scholarships, many state-flagship schools, etc you'd want to aim higher.) Note also that if your child majors in the arts or skips college entirely, this may be the highest source of chem learning your child has to prepare them for adult life. An understanding of the basics of chemistry can help in the kitchen, in understanding medical topics, and in understanding some current events (climate change) in order to have an informed enough perspective to be a responsible, involved citizen. In some ways, taking this "lifetime" view can be a push towards taking a more challenging class. Does everyone HAVE to do chem? No, of course not. But it does provide information and perspective that educated adults may find useful, and it keeps the doors open for college admissions. Don't minimize either of these things.

SUDAFED. The good, original, that they only sell behind the counter now because people buy it to make meth. The kind that has PSEUDOEPHEDRINE, not the kind that has phenylephrine. The phenlephrine version is labeled "Sudafed PE", and that's the stuff that you DON'T want. I agree with the previous suggestions about steam - take a nice warm shower. Allergy meds, and in particular prescription nasal sprays, may be helpful. If it's allergy related, giving your home a thorough clean to minimize dust and dander can be an important part of your strategy. That means dusting your bookshelves (cause I know if you're on WTM you have bookshelves!), washing your sheets, and vacuuming your floors.

I would call the relevant department, and explain the dilemma, and see if they have any viable solutions. They don't know they've created a problem unless you point it out to them. Better yet, go to the department office in person. There is a possibility they can re-add the class to their schedule. There might even be other students affected by this problem. Speak up!!!

How far is your sister travelling? What is her mode of transportation? How long is she staying? In other words, how feasible is it that she bring her special ingredients or dishes with her? Is it possible for her to make a grocery run once she's there? This is your SISTER, not your dh's boss. This is a family holiday meal, not a birthday party for one of your kids. I do not think it's at all unreasonable to ask her to bring her special foods, or to chip in for the ingredients. You are doing the hosting - a big part of the work and often the expense of a holiday meal. Other participants should help in one way or another. That's the way we do it in our family, because it keeps everyone sane and solvent.

This post is the most contrary to my beliefs on this thread. I believe that striving to walk a good/right path through life is its own reward, and that one who does so should not expect an additional external reward from man or God. I believe (most, healthy) people know in their hearts when they are choosing the bad/wrong path, and choosing to go against their conscience will come with its own punishment/torment, in one form or another, if not from man or God then from ones' self. I don't strive to do good out of fear of the consequences if I don't. Indeed, there are often negative earthly consequences for choosing the good/right path (think of those who defied the Nazis and suffered for it), and of course sometimes bad/negative things happen in life to people who have always walked the right path (think of those good people who suffer the pain of losing a child). I strive to do good because it's the right thing to do, whether there is an external reward at the end of it or not. The goodness, itself, is the reward.