Just as an aside to your discussion: I wrote one of the "approved" science programs available to homeschoolers in Alaska. I have no idea how they heard about the program (perhaps they checked out Rainbow Resource? LOL) but they contacted me about offering it. If one of the families in their "charter group" specifically requested my program, the charter would pay for it. I think the state ordered from me three times. Ria

Jackie, Bless your heart. I completely understand. Last year, after 16 years of homeschooling, we put our four youngest children in school, in late Feb. There were multiple reasons for this, but a large part was our finances. We were stressed. Our eldest (twins) are in college, and let's face it, the economy hasn't been good for years. Dh works for an extremely small family-owned company. His job is good, and he's only 20 minutes away, but the raises...well...cost of living, if that. It's a trade-off thing....I'm sure you understand. Anyway, in Feb. I enrolled the boys (at that time, grades 5, 6, 8, and 10) in school. The 10th grader wanted to be there, and he's thriving. The others...well...I wondered a bit about how they'd adjust, how they'd be treated, and how they'd like it. The results: they love it. Education-wise, I'm more than satisfied. The school district is on top of things. My one concern is math, but I'm involved and am making sure the boys meet my standards. In the other subjects, however, I'm impressed. Adjustment: they are very happy. Nothing new...they've always been pretty easy going and make friends easily. The workload is fine. Homework is something new, but nothing has made them come apart at the seams. They are learning and making great progress. How they are treated: I met with staff/teachers at the schools and talked to all of them. Everyone, at all three schools last year (elementary, middle, high), was more than accepting of homeschooling and concerned about helping the boys fit in mid-year. I brought samples of work for the teachers to see (writing teachers wanted this, in particular). Teachers love my kids (shameless brag) because they are bright and enjoy learning (hmmm...think they were homeschoolers? LOL!). The other kids have been great. Kids in town/city districts are used to new kids. My guys are happy and have nice friends. I hope you have a similar experience. For me, the switch has been a good one. My guys are happy at school, and I'm happy working. Finances are still tight (the economy ...gasp...I simply couldn't be unemployed now), but we are okay. For now. And for those who are wondering....I cleaned out my attic and sold tons of stuff on Ebay in order to raise the money to purchase that kitten. We don't have money in the budget to buy that little creature. Nice to know that old train set went to good use, eh? LOL. Ria

That's wonderful!!! Ria

I can tell you from personal experience that it's not a good idea to sprinkle the dry Oxi-Clean powder on the clothes and then run the washer. My work shirt was ruined...lots of little spots everywhere. I'm really not sure what to do, either. I tried mixing a solution of Oxi-Clean and putting it in with the clothes, but my washer pumped it out before filling! Ria

I have a lot of All-Clad. It is widely considered to be the best cookware available. It is stainless on the outside, has an aluminum core that goes up the sides of the pans, and has stainless inside. Amazing stuff, but wickedly expensive. Aside from the All-Clad I also have some Calphalon (hard-anodized regular, not nonstick), a few Analon nonstick pieces, and some Cuisinart nonstick skillets (rated #1 by Cooks Illustrated). I'm pretty serious about my cookware. :001_smile: Ria

LOL. She's only around 3 weeks old and is at the breeder's home (this breeder's cats are raised underfoot). My older three kids know about this, but the younger three don't. I'm very careful that they don't see emails. We should pick her up at the end of Nov or beginning of Dec. Ack...boys coming...must click out of this thread, lol! Ria

She's only a few weeks old...the kids don't know about her yet. She's a Bengal. Now I have to come up with a name! I'm so excited!! Ria

I can't remember how I taught the twins. What I do remember is paying the older kids to teach the younger ones after that. LOL. Ria

The first day I made milkshakes and smoothies. The boys really were not hungry - the meds they gave them for pain were narcotics, and that dulls the appetite. The next few days we gave soups, puddings, pasta dishes, yogurt, etc. Nothing crunchy or hard for at least a week. Ria

Our two sons had their tonsils out on the same day when they were 4 and 5, I think. Yes, it is very painful for the first few days, and soft foods are good. Our boys were very tired for a good week after the surgery. No complications here. Ria

Grandma was 103, and up until 3 months ago was in excellent health. She had a fall at the end of June, and has gone downhill quickly since then. She was a spitfire, and I loved her dearly. Dh's family used to treat me horribly (and even these days it's obvious that I'm merely tolerated) but Grandma always loved me and let me know. She was always there for me, and I'm feeling very sad. She was ready, and I know she's happy, but I sure will miss her. Ria Edited to add: She was my number one fan when we were homeschooling! She just loved the fact that I taught the kids at home, and always wanted to know what we were studying. :)

With our last (#6) I finally went in because my slight contractions were annoying and I figured maybe I could talk the docs into giving me a sleeping pill or something. Got to the hospital, the nurse started yelling, and ds was born 20 minutes later. LOL. Ria

It's not up to the president; the most he can do it try to get some legislation passed. But honestly? Socialized health care is not going to happen in this country. Ria

I cook with red and white wine, and the occasional brandy or sherry as well. I've always done it, so my kids grew up with it. Try it without calling attention to the wine and see if anyone says anything. The flavor won't be of straight wine...it just adds some depth to the overall flavor of the dish. Ria

Link?

Popping in again to say...the disturbing part of the video to me was the girls' obsession with their mother's breasts. The drawings, the discussion that the girls feel the breasts are theirs, the names...that is just creepy for an 8 and 11 year old. Ria

Wow. That was a bit of a shocker to me, and I thought I'd seen a bit in my time. I was once at a park with a group of moms. We were sitting on a park bench. One of the women had a couple kids, the youngest was a boy, age 4 1/2. At one point, he came up to her and asked for her "boobie", at which point she lifted her shirt straight up, whipped it out, and he stood in front of her and went at it. It was disturbing to say the least. Personally, I think all kids should nurse until age 2. This video disturbed me...just as much as the park bench incident. Both were extreme. 4 1/2 in public was awful. Age 8 is just beyond. Ria

CAn you tell him you aren't going to time him anymore, and do it secretly? Ria

We didn't like our wood stove (Vermont Castings). It was messy, I was forever having to put wood in it (a real danger with toddlers around), and the catalytic converter died after a few years. We pulled it out and got a self-stoking coal stove instead...much cleaner and more efficient. Here in PA coal is abundant, but I don't think that's the case in most of the country. Ria

My kids are also great cooks. Right now my 11 and 13-year old sons do any and all baking around here. It's nothing for them to whip up a 4-layer cake from scratch, with some type of decadent frosting (buttercream has been a big hit lately). They are amazing! Every year for his birthday we give our 5th child (this is the 13-year old) the latest America's Test Kitchen cookbook and the companion DVDs from the show. He loves it! Ria

It's important to note that not all colleges will accept CC credits. Here in PA there are lots of schools that will accept CC credits, and also some that will not. My dd's college accepted all her CC credits; she is now considered a junior even though she's just starting her sophomore year (the irony here is that she's in a 5-year BS/MS nursing program and she's got to take the nursing classes in order, so she'll have to be there for 5 years anyway, lol). My son's college, however, is somewhat notorious for not accepting many credits at all; the most you can transfer are credits for 3 one-semester classes. In order to have those credits transfer, however, the course must meet a list of criteria. If it passes that list, the college requests a syllabus and name of the textbook used for the course and passes it to the appropriate dept. in the college. If they determine that the course content was equal to or above what is taught at their college, the student will be awarded credit. All this to say that my dd graduated with 27 CC credits; all were accepted at her school. My ds graduated with 31 CC and local university credits, and he received credit for 3 one-semester classes at his school. Don't count on anything! Verify with each and every school. Ria

You all look great! I wish I could have come up for that, but 1.5 hours was just a bit much! Thanks for sharing the pictures. Ria

I think problems 2 and 3 are caused by a lack of parenting skills. If you parent you kids properly, they'll be fun to be around, will respect adults, and will work with, not against, their peers and siblings. Such children will be great students at home or at school! Honestly, the problems with a lot of kids are already present before they step foot into the school buildings. Ria

Why not make an appt. with the public school and talk to them directly? We can guess, but they can tell you precisely. You could even ask them to give you a copy of the 7th grade books to see what the 7th graders are doing this year. I'd also talk to a 7th grade English teacher about the types of writing assignments the kids are getting this year. That information should help you prepare your child. Good luck! Ria

No. I did it so I could give my kids a fantastic education. Ria