A documentary is the equivalent of a highlight reel. You see only what they want you to see for a short amount of time. It isn't healthy to compare our full life experience to someone's highlight reel. Same with social media or the blogger moms who only show the best of themselves and their crew. I don't know any homeschool families who had lots of adventures, though some more than we were able to have, for sure. It takes a lot of money to live that way and most of us have sacrificed at least some income to homeschool. Also, is adventuring even your goal? The other day I saw something something along the lines of "if you homeschool your kids you gain 17,000 hours with them". What if that was my goal...normal life with my kids in the plenty. My kids picked a lot of green beans lol. Did we have some fun? of course, but real life was my goal.

That sounds so frustrating 😕 Big (((hugs)))

Update later in this thread... I have Air Pods. I want to love them but they are physically painful for me. I've tried several types of in the ear wireless ear buds and they all send a painful shocking feel into my ear. I know this doesn't make sense but it is what it is. I really don't want to spend more than $75. Any brand recommendations with links for actual headphones that are wireless/bluetooth that are not huge in size please. Thanks 🙂 ETA: I guess I could spend more but you'll have to REALLY convince me they're worth it lol

It depends on their goals and if they are at a tipping point for a tougher to get into school. DD took the ACT and got a 34 and someone encouraged her to prep, take it again, and try for a 35 since there is a tiny percent of people who can get into that 35-36 range, making her stand out. She studied the ACT Black Book, took it again, got a 35. I really think it made a difference for her personally and met her goals. Which schools are they interested in? Are their scores sufficient enough for those schools? If they are to take it again, definitely prep some first.

We are finishing up Omnibus I this year but aren't continuing it next year. DS will take Dr Seaward's Western History/British Lit class with Schole. It just looked interesting to us. OB I finishes with Julius Caesar and Dr Seaward's class begins with the history of England starting around the time of the Norman Conquest in the 11th century. What is a good resource, summer reading, etc to fill in the gap some? He has had the full history cycle in elementary but I'd still like to hit some of the most important readings for the time period he'll be missing. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks in advanced 🙂

My DS is 13 but he doesn’t want the typical things. Last year he wanted Apple stock and he loves to collect real silver. So this year he’s getting a few one ounce silver coins.

What a terrible loss. Praying for all ❤️ I’m so glad you’re going to be with them and help. I’m sure your presence will be a blessing.

Not yet although younger DD keeps sending me Hindi name ideas lol Peacocks were originally Indian so he really does need a Hindi name 😊 She wants Aakesh which means Lord of the Sky. It is an awfully noble name for a bird who is roosting on the top of a man made playset 🤣🤣

Oh DS was delighted. DH isn’t fond of random animals and isn’t usually keen on keeping anything around of this sort but he was the first one to be enamored by it and seem to want it to stay. We both love birds of all kinds though. I hope we have a situation like @Navymom‘s dd (minus getting hit by a car of course). He seems awfully friendly and I would think a friendly non-feral peacock would be very different than the situations people face with a whole herd of feral ones.

So this morning he decided that he was going to walk with DS and the dogs on their morning walk in the woods on the trail. He just followed along 🤣

That’s funny that you said this, I was just wondering how he’d do in the winter?? NC is a lot milder than IN. Did he sleep in a tree there ? Getting hit by cars is a huge risk for them. Thankfully we live on a calm, dirt road. I hope that helps his chances.

As I’m reading, a lot of people give them a little something to eat in the evening to encourage them to stay and not wander off since evening is when they tend to do that. I now think that’s why he was at my back glass door looking in a few times during the evening? He knows that’s where we came in and out and he thought I had a copy of the schedule? 😂

I think that’s about what he’s singing to my chickens right now. They’ve been in the coop and run and haven’t interacted with them yet but he was showing his feathers around them yesterday.

The verdict is still out for me. If he sticks around then I’ll let you know in a few weeks lol.

He has definitely decided that this is his home. He was happily circling the perimeter of our open area (probably about 2 acres or so) just being curious and eating bugs. And where did he roost? Not in a tree but on our playset roof right next to the house. He’s definitely used to people. Zero aggression and he was standing by the back door for a long time as if he was expecting something. I’m not sure how I feel about all of this yet. I don’t think animal control here will do anything about it anyway. We had a loose pig digging up our garden and they came out and said “what exactly do you want us to do about it?” and left.

I don’t have anxiety but the teen and young adults years triggered some situational anxiety for me. I’m over it now but it’s a lot of freedoms and change at a breakneck speed.

He’s still here and after assessing it more he doesn’t seem feral? I think someone raised and dumped him or is missing him. He doesn’t seem afraid of us or even our dogs. I was able to go out and be fairly close and he was very chill. The only time he reacted is later when I was filling the bird feeder and he didn’t know I was there and I sneezed. He flew on top of the coop then. IMG_1533.mov

Yes we actually think we heard it last weekend in the woods but we didn’t know what it was and we never would’ve guessed peacock. I know, I feel bad for him. I think he’s probably fairly young. He seems a little lost and he definitely wants in with the chickens. He’s still hanging out by the coop.

I don’t think they’re native to the US (India and Sri Lanka, i think?) but I know they have become feral in some places like Florida and the Carolina’s and repopulated so it’s hard to know.

No idea! I don’t know any neighbors who have one at all. There are only a few houses on our street and we all have land. I walk our road every day and I feel like I’d know if someone had one. It came from the woods. At the end of our road there is a farm and people are bad about dropping animals and birds there so maybe someone dumped it? Who knows. I put a bowl of food and water out for it. It is shy of me and stepped back in the woods and watched me but it came right back to the food and water when I left.

It seems to want in my chicken coop. That’s all. It’s so pretty. I wish I could get a good pic but it’s shy.

A little bird builds in my garden shed every year and I always try to catch it but I missed it this year 😕. I don’t mind her there but I know from experience that if she lays her eggs there a snake will eat the babies. It happens every time and makes me so sad.

Sometimes you want to ask something but you just know it is gonna trigger someone 🤣

Not kidding, several people I know have quit teaching and it is usually over parents. All of these parents need to figure out how to homeschool (their poor kids lol) because there are not going to be any teachers left to teach their children!

I think this is good for parents to know and I would definitely cross post it, maybe in both the MS and HS forums.