I am here! I am reading, but not as prolifically as I would like. Currently, my reading looks like a 20 year old dating: mostly reading fast, low commitment reads, not much substance, but having fun. :blush5: I picked up Orange is the New Black at the free little library around the corner. I am about halfway through. I find it is lacking flow. I also started The Astronauts Wives Club and found something similar. Both seem stilted and somewhat forced, more like vignettes, rather than a fully developed story. It's fine if it is just a series of short stories, I think the trouble for me is trying to make it feel like a cohesive story and it is isn't working. Since this is the second book that I have had this feeling with, maybe it is a me thing and not the poor book. I have a slew of books that I have snagged from the FLL, so I feel no pressure to ditch them if I can't get into them. I am getting a little more invested in OITNB, so I am not giving up on Astronauts. I am awed that it has been 20 years since the muggles met the wizarding world! I was such a baby. I can't believe I am 20 years older. :eek: I envied people who had children during that magical time. I happened to randomly be at a bookstore on release night for one of the books. It was so much fun seeing everyone dressed up eagerly anticipating the midnight release. My own were too little to participate. I later enjoyed the series with my children (well, not all of my littles have made their way through all of them), but we never had the opportunity to experience the magic of a big reveal.

Married to my dh 18 years next week and together 23 (!!). We were very young when we met, so I am sometimes surprised that we have grown and matured so well together. He is the world's easiest person to live with. He spends a significant amount of his life energy trying to make my life easier. I am definitely more high strung and spazzy than he is, but he tolerates my quirks so very graciously, just as I tolerate his. We truly are a team and he is my favorite person to hang and laugh with. We compliment each other very well. Between him working from home and me homeschooling, we get to see each other and chat quite frequently throughout the day, so it is a good thing we get along so nicely. Life is not always perfect, but he is a rock and I am glad we are in this together. :wub:

I bought these last summer: https://www.amazon.com/Dokotoo-Womens-Waistband-Swimsuit-Bottom/dp/B01HMMPK5S/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1495050477&sr=8-18&keywords=black+women%27s+swim+suit+bottoms They work with a separate top, but I also wear them over my one piece and it works well.

So, my 10th grader is at public school for the first time this year. Student has a 504 for two minor learning disabilities, ADHD and working memory and processing speed issues. Last summer (as a homeschooler), we applied for accommodations from the College Board. They were denied. I think I asked for too much. My student received accommodations for the ACT with no problems. (and I asked for less) Fast forward to this year. Every time I have met with the counselor I have expressed the need for accommodations on the upcoming AP tests. Well, the ball got dropped and they were never requested. :cursing: The counselor told me she talked to the AP teacher and the teacher thought the student would be fine without accommodations on the AP exam based on grades and class work (extended time IS in the 504 plan). I followed up to tell the counselor the ACT scores were in and student had done very well, particularly in reading. (It was a 6 point jump in composite score from last year. I think dc knew how to use the accommodations better, was more familiar with the test and a year older. Counselor was surprised by the test scores, they are significantly higher than the school's average.) I impressed on the counselor the need for accommodations for the upcoming SAT and PSAT. She said, "We'll be really on it at the mid-point for next year," "No, the accommodations are needed for the August SAT and October PSAT," was my response. The school has been dragging their feet, not calling me back or answering e-mails. I called before 9 this morning requesting an update via call or email, heard nothing. I contacted the College Board today to see if the accommodations had been requested, no. I initiated the process with the counselor a month ago. There were several things that needed to happen, but I took care of everything within 24 hours. I followed up with the CB to make sure they had what they needed, yep, everything was back on the counselor. I last emailed the counselor almost two weeks ago after she asked if there was an additional info other than the lengthy psych report. In the email she implied they were getting ready to resubmit, so to call the CB today and hear nothing has been done in almost two weeks, is quite frustrating. I told the counselor I wanted this completed by the end of the school year because the school will not do anything over the summer and it will be too late for the August SAT date anyway. I know this is rambly, I am just so annoyed. I know the counselor personally, so I am trying to balance that. I cannot believe what a cluster this has turned into. I sent an email before the end of school today saying I wanted an update ASAP and that I had been in touch with the CB. What else do I need to do? I know the CB peeps really prefer requests come through the school, but should I just go ahead a resubmit?

That's what I understood from the article. I think the seller genuinely wants to continue his father's legacy and is trying to find a way to honor his father's generous gift to the artist while meeting their family's mounting financial obligations. It is a very sad story, and I hope the attention generates a positive outcome for all parties involved. It seems like a case of the seller trying to do a caring, humane thing for a friend. I was touched by both parties in the article. Thanks for the follow-up.

Didn't the CR-V have a huge airbag recall last year? I would be sure to do a thorough investigation because IIRC it was pretty massive recall with life threatening consequences if the issue was not corrected. I think it was Hondas produced during a specific time frame, so it wasn't just the CR-V that was affected. http://hondaairbaginfo.com/

:hurray: :hurray: :hurray: Yeah! I love to see kids standing up for their beliefs. It sounds like she received a positive reception from the school (thus far).

I was pleasantly surprised. My dc child took the PreACT at school in the fall and we (finally!) got the scores right before the April 8th testing date. They were pretty discouraging, particularly reading, which took a huge dive from last April's score. Given those scores, I did not have a lot of hope for a solid improvement on the this third test taking round. Well, I had a big ol' bite of humble pie yesterday. Overall score improved 6 points from last year. Reading was a 33 (!!), which was a significant bump from last year's scores. Every area got the green check and my child scored at least 10 points over the school's average ( :huh: :closedeyes: , yeah for my kid, what the heck with the school average (which has always been abysmal and one reason I did not want my kid at this school)?!) My kid felt really good about this test and thought it was easy. In addition to almost a whole 10th grade year, I think familiarity with the test, as well as how to use the accommodations helped boost the score. While I don't think the math program at our school is particularly solid, we have worked the system to fully benefit my kid and this child's specific academic challenges. The school uses a block schedule, so most kids are taking their year of math in a semester, but having my kid in honors math classes every single day this year certainly impacted the math score. That particular test saw a significant decrease last year from the previous year's scores, but there was an almost 10 point bump in this year's math score! I am hoping we can keep the upward momentum and that this year's score wasn't a fluke. I know my kid is bright, but the working memory and processing speed issues often impede that intelligence. I really hope having the practice of taking the ACT the last couple year's will translate to another solid score next year, when it counts.

Yes, I think the venue we use has a small number of students testing, so they get started pretty quickly I guess.

Yes, our testing venue always finishes much earlier than what the ACT folks say. It is crazy.

Crazy it's been a year! Mine had extended time again and was the only kid in the room! I think my child finished too early, so we will see what happens with the score this year. :closedeyes: My kid felt good about it, confident even, which is concerning. I hope that doesn't mean it was a rush job. I would like to see the score increase a bit, but the PreACT they took in the fall at school had my kid scoring much lower on the reading than last year, so I honestly have no idea what to expect. On the up side, math went way up, which is so my kid-sometimes really with it and other times you're thinking, huh? Wonder if the turn around time will be as quick this year??

My now 11 year old headed to school last month. :sad: We support the decision and feel it is something this child needs to do. We have been doing a bit of math because that is the area the school seems to be weak in. My child got to school and had already covered the concepts the school was working on before Christmas. (Yay for Math Mammoth!) The problem is after a day a school and being around people all day, there really is not a lot of energy to do a lot of supplemental academics, even though the desire is there. We try to do a page here and there. We'll see what next year brings. Right now, this child wants to be home for 6th grade (but to finish out this year), but I realize that may change. We'll just play it by ear. It is a little disheartening, but I will do what I can to support and challenge as the desire and need arises.

Here are some tried and true favorites that I keep in rotation, even when I am not doing a W30: http://paleomg.com/sneak-peek-recipe-from-juli-bauers-paleo-cookbook-buffalo-chicken-casserole/ (My husband I love it sooo much! I often make it with ground turkey) http://paleogrubs.com/turkey-burger-recipe (Amazing and flavorful turkey burgers. Super easy. I bake them in the oven. My 13 year old will eat 3 or 4 at dinner, if allowed!) My kids all rave for my greek salad made with this dressing http://www.primalpalate.com/paleo-recipe/greek-salad-dressing/ (I use a little less salt than their recipe, as I find paleo folks tend to over salt. One trick in making this salad is to cut up a red onion first and squeeze the juice of a lemon on it and let it marinate while you put together the rest of the salad. It makes a nice tart salad, but also mellows the onion perfectly) My kids refer to this as favorite salad. Everyone of them will eat it. I use shredded green lettuce, cut up a cucumber, tomatoes and red onion, then top with this dressing. If you find olives tasty, my children tell me they are delicious additions. I personally find olives vile and repulsive. Also, feta is a lovely addition for the nonW30 folks. Tacos, balsamic chicken, chicken lettuce wraps, breakfast, yankee pot roast, Khalua pork (the last two are from Nom Nom Paleo) are also faves. We LOVE Nom Nom's magic mushroom powder recipe (again, we use less salt, I think my husband quarters it). It smells special, but it adds an amazing flavor to pretty much everything it is put on. We really put it on almost everything we cook. My 8 year old thinks it is the best stuff ever.

My dh and I got such a kick out of this! Dh works from home, so we could totally relate to the scenario. It has been a long time since we've had little people like that, but oh my, when that little baby rolls in in the walker...not sure that could have been scripted better! I am sorry their family is catching any flack. :closedeyes: People will always find something to complain about, even something as innocuous as going to work.

It seems so passive aggressive. If you have something to say, say it, own it and be open to discussion. I guess it is more about the 15 minutes of attention, than something of substance. Maybe they should use their billboard money for a massage or something? :willy_nilly:

It's like someone wants to troll retro style.

We have had two children get their ears pierced at a tattoo/piercer. In our family, we go to professionals when things get pierced. One child has very sensitive skin and had a little issue once the hoops they used were taken out, but that was due to poor quality metal or an allergic reaction. We went back to the piercer, they put hoops back in and the issue resolved. Piercing guns can damage the ear tissue, since you are essentially forcing a sharp object through with blunt force. I had my ears pierced twice at a Clarie's type place at the mall. My ears were damaged and formed scar tissue that was surgically removed after the first attempt. Got them done again, same issue, so I don't wear earrings. I do not think I would have had that issue if I had gone to the piercer. The piercers were great. Patient, took their time measuring and lining the piercings up. It was a very professional, hygienic and positive experience.

I haven't checked in for a couple of weeks, but I have been reading! I read: Me Before You and all three books in the Wool series by Hugh Howey. I think I read another book, but I need to check my list (Oh yes, it was The Boy is Back, total fluff. I might want those couple of hours back spent reading that). I started Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Where'd You Go Bernadette? I also checked Rocket Girls out from the library. In the read aloud category, I finished reading Jeremy Fink with the eleven year old. That was a lovely book. My younger teen and I are getting ready to wrap The Secret Life of Bees tomorrow or Tuesday, while the big teen and I are still plugging away at Just Mercy. I am not much of a mystery reader, but I will try to find something intriguing for March (although, Wool may have stolen that category; that was definitely an intriguing read!)

I read the other thread on the billboard in NC. I thought it was strange, but I guess it got stranger. A new sign in place of the original one reads: "Much Ado About Nothing. A social experiment that brought forth those so immersed in their own insecurity that in the mirror they could only see an angry victim of their incorrect interpretation of a silly billboard -- Bless their hearts." http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/new-billboard-off-business-draws-renewed-criticism/article_284183f2-b6cd-5aaa-9170-c2d818f6c1b4.html The source of the billboard has requested they remain anonymous.

Finished The Underground Railroad. It was heartbreaking and beautiful. I also finished Better Than Before which was interesting. Nothing particularly new for me. It was the first Gretchen Rubin book for me (and probably the last). At bedtime, the 13 year old and I are reading The Secret Life of Bees, which I read many, many years ago. The 16 year old and I are reading Just Mercy aloud at bedtime. It is a first time read for both of us and heartbreaking. I was sobbing during last night's chapter. I am also reading Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life with the 10 year old. It is a new one for me, but I am enjoying it. I need it with the weight of Just Mercy. The 8 year old and I are reading some inane Beacon Street Girls book. Even though I am only averaging a book a week for myself, including the reading at night I do with my kids, I am still managing a lot of reading. I just blazed through The Star Attraction, which fulfilled my BINGO square of a book I wouldn't want to be caught reading. It was straight up fluff and not even very good fluff, but it was a super quick read and nice escapism after some of my heavier reading. I think I may read The Tycoons next, although I also have Spark!. Maybe I will start both. :tongue_smilie:

One of my sixteen year old's friends said Arrival was really good and Hidden Figures pretty amazing, but interestingly thought La La Land was meh. Yay for good movies to look forward to!

Ack! I need more time in my life! The Underground is waiting for me to pick up at the library. :willy_nilly: I know that is going to be a heavy read, but it is another of my favorites time periods to read about. How people, how am I going to find time to read all these gems? Alas, so many books, so little time.

I finished Life Reimagined: The Science, Art and Opportunity of Midlife. It was very good. I think my dh is going to listen to it. Every chapter had some valuable take aways. I also read The Boys in the Bunkhouse: Servitude and Salvation in the Heartland. Wow. It borders on incomprehensible to me that something like that was happening almost a decade into the 21st century AND that it had been going on for almost forty years despite repeated attention brought to the issue. I started Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin. I am only a page or two in, so I probably should not even say I started it. I know I will enjoy that one. I am also a few pages in on Miss Garnet's Angel. I think after this nonfiction blitz I am going to need something a little light and fluffy. :001_smile: Maybe Miss Garnet will satisfy that light and fluffy desire. I have The Tycoons: How Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Jay Gould and J P. Morgan Invented the American Supereconomy from the library and I would like to get to that one soon. After reading Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of an American Fortune a few years ago, I discovered that I have a strong interest in that period of history. I am finally circling back around and reading about the more well known millionaires of that time. Empty Mansions was fascinating!

I have about 100 pages left in Life Reimagined: The Science, Art and Opportunity of Midlife. I am really enjoying it and finding all the brain research and the chapter on midlife marriages fascinating. I can tell I am going to have to just go at my pace and do my thing in this BAW endeavor. I am a person who tends to get hyper focused on a goal I have set, and I realize reading is an enjoyable activity for me. I don't want to feel panicked or a sense of dread if I don't read a book a week. I already get the tiniest bit disappointed if I don't my 250 steps/hour, so I don't need to add anything else to my, "Damn it, I didn't meet that goal" list. Happy birthday to anyone celebrating this week (Rosie and anyone else). Thinking good thoughts for those who need them this week.

It won't let me like your post, Ethel. :closedeyes: I picked this up from the library this week to read for the birthstone challenge. Glad to hear your are enjoying! I think it may be my next read.