:grouphug: May you experience God's grace in the midst of all this. I'm glad your son is doing well. The young people who can't read.....So sad! It makes me think about how things might have turned out differently if someone had come alongside them earlier in life. I'm not "blaming the system", but it sounds like they've had a hard row to hoe. Elaine

Yikes! I didn't know the vaccine was so short lived/ ineffective. That is good to know; if we had come down with those symptoms I would never have considered pertussis because we have all been vaccinated against it. I'm sorry you are dealing with this and had to see so many doctors without a good diagnosis. I hope your recovery from this point is speedy and that your son stays healthy as well. :grouphug: Elaine

I'm curious about the number of people who find those who adopt the accents of countries they've spent time in to be annoying. Do we Americans feel the same about immigrants from other countries who adopt an American accent? I do notice that the annoyance is mostly directed at people acquiring a British accent and wonder if that is because that accent is (for some reason unknown to me) stereotyped as snobbish in America. Elaine

Ok, anyone else really not want Oswin to be the new companion? I'm ready for a change from Amy- (like Rory, though :001_smile:)- but Oswin just annoyed me from the get go. Argh. Elaine

Not much help, but I can commiserate! My 9yo dd also has a larger behind as well as mild sensory issues, making the tight fitting jeans very difficult. I wish there were more options available. She loves skorts the best and will wear them all she can, weather permitting. Elaine

Oh, no......do we have to feel bad about wearing clothes from Lands' End now? :001_unsure: They are so comfortable and I like them. I tire of being told I should feel ashamed over these sorts of things. OP, Your party sounds like fun! I'll be there.

This is so hard. I have had fibromyalgia for 12 years now, so I can understand your situation a little bit. For me, I just remind myself that people care and that they are trying to be helpful. Most of them haven't been through a similar experience themselves, so they just don't understand all of the emotions that accompany a chronic illness nor do they realize that they are the millionth person to hand over some advice. Some of the advice I get comes from people who have actually had some similar symptoms and found something they felt really helped them. I have tried most of these with a sense of hope, only to be disappointed with the lack of change to my situation in the end. This is so depressing that I've quit trying things for the most part. I just tell people, "Thanks!" and move on. It is hard and lonely, but unless you are talking to a really good friend I don't think you can expect them to understand. I'm sorry fro the pain you are going through. :grouphug: Elaine

This has happened to me twice, so I would always recommend checking the library shelves first! I'm glad you found it. Elaine

Thanks, everyone! I really appreciate all the good ideas.I'll check into these and I'd love to hear from others, too. I'm glad to hear that several of you recommend Writing Strands, as I have actually already used that with my oldest son. I didn't think it would be very effective for my daughter, but I guess it does break everything down into small steps, which is good. It isn't very visual, though? Thanks again, Elaine

My dd who turns 9 this month is very much a visual-spatial learner (with low verbal comprehension) who has recently been diagnosed with ADHD. We will be doing a mix of 3rd and 4th grade subject levels in the fall, and I am trying to revise my plan for writing instruction to meet more of her learning needs. Any suggestions for writing materials (or just teaching ideas) that work well with ADHD students? Thanks! Elaine

I don't know as I've never read the book, but you've got me interested now. :) Off to check it out on Amazon...... Elaine

I got 21 out of 22. I'm afraid I don't understand the rules behind the "that" vs. "which" questions, however. I guess we haven't gotten to that in Rod and Staff yet. :tongue_smilie: Elaine

I haven't read the responses here beyond the first couple of pages, but here is my thinking....... I think the value of a college degree beyond "having that piece of paper to get a job" depends a lot on what college you attend. I did about a semester's worth of my degree at a community college and the rest at a smaller, liberal arts focused university. Honestly, the work done at the CC had little educational value beyond the "piece of paper" aspect. I don't mean that as a slam on CCs, which I think are very valuable and which I fully support. I will happily send my kids to one if that fits in with their needs and our financial resources. But the university I attended did much more to expand my thinking and develop me academically. The problem here is that I don't know if we will be able to send my kids to a college like that; in fact, we probably won't unless they get great scholarships. If they end up at a school where their classes do more to just get a diploma than educate them, that is life. but I still want to give them the best education I can at home because then they will be able to fill in the gaps for themselves and have enough context to continue their education outside of that kind of setting. So I am not educating for college; I am educating for lifelong learning in whatever form that takes. Elaine

Beautiful dogs! I used to have a job as an assistant to the dog groomers at a shop. To get hired, the head groomers had to take grooming classes and have some kind of certification (I've forgotten exactly how that all worked now since it didn't apply to my position). To be a good groomer actually takes a lot of skill, and they have to be knowledgeable about all of the different breeds they might encounter. As an uncertified person, I was only allowed to brush, bathe, dry, give flea baths, do nails, and do "strip" cuts (where all the hair is trimmed at the same length). ElaineJ

:lol::lol: I thought the same thing! It made me laugh.

Dmmetler, any suggestions on "maintaining a paper trail" if you aren't planning to enroll a child in high school classes? We are in the process of having my daughter tested, and although she is still in elementary school I thought this would be helpful to think through as we plan ahead. (I usually am planning way to far ahead.....:)) Elaine

I'll be 56. sometimes I think we should have started having kids earlier so we wouldn't be so old as "empty nesters". Elaine

Ewww! I understand the dog in heat part, but asking a stranger to dispose of the pad is really strange and rude. What did you say?

These posts are making me feel better! My dd 8 (almost 9) has started to stink really badly every day, and I was getting worried something was out of balance with her hormones or something as my ds12 doesn't seem to smell at all. It sounds like she is within the normal age range for this to start. Does this usually happen earlier for girls, I wonder? Elaine

Denise, I am so glad you are getting some answers at last! I wish you all confidence and strength for the journey. :grouphug: Elaine

It is hard! The "aging out" of friendships thing seems very common, usually when the older kid turns 11-12. Making too much extra effort in this case seems to just lead to pain for the kid left behind, so we just try to create some special family time to fill in the gaps and look for new kids to play with. Sorry thins has been hard for your family. Elaine

I agree with those who would like 3 years of world history and one of American history. That would be GREAT! :001_smile: Elaine

I have big gaps between my three and I've wondered how that will be, but my oldest is just 12 now. I will only have one high schooler at a time, which I am thinking might be easier? But it will seem odd to have them disappear one by one. :crying: Elaine

I would also have had no idea what you were talking about, but I gather it is a movie reference and my parents didn't let us watch a lot of movies growing up. I am from the US, currently living overseas, and 41 years old. ElaineJ

I am also a TCA. I think that long term overseas experience does sort of make you permanently lonely in that you always have somewhat of an "outside looking in" feeling no matter where you are. We make friends, and good friends, wherever we go, but I always seem to have part of me watching what is going on in any given community rather than just feeling like I belong there. I don't know if that makes sense. I do think that as expats we can really bless immigrants and "foreigners" in our home countries when we are there because we can identify with their experiences more than most people. You have undoubtedly been shown hospitality by many others, and that can make you much more hospitable and much more aware of others needs that may be going unmet. Elaine