This year, we are enjoying Dive science. Apologia and/or Master Books wasn't a good fit for us, either.

My oldest had a significant underbite corrected about the same time. I was told that for boys especially, it's important to do this before puberty. He wore head gear for years and now has a permanent retainer. It wasn't a huge deal; the more faithful he was wearing his appliance (head gear) the better his outcome. It helps to be homeschooled, since he would wear it during the day. If he'd gone to PS, he wouldn't have worn his head gear during school. Overall, I think it was much less of a deal than braces later. I also recommend a second opinion, which means getting more than one quote from different orthodontic offices. And I think medical/dental offices are some of the safest places to be in the midst of covid..kind of like flying right after 9/11. They are so careful!

My oldest graduated in May, had an excellent scholarship opportunity, and didn't go. I'm still really upset-probably because it's so recent. He is working a lot, saving money, and building a house. I'm not sure how things will turn out for him. I'm sad because I think he's choosing a much harder road than was available to him, but he keeps telling me he hated school (guess I did a *great* job homeschooling!) and couldn't imagine doing more of it. He has ideas and things he wants to do. He is a very hard worker and has great carpentry skills, so he has more work than he can possibly complete right now. For now, he is doing fine. But construction is kind of a young man's game, so we will see where the future leads. My DS doesn't have any learning disabilities or anything like what you said is going on with your DD. We will not financially support him just because he wants to work in a low-paying field, so my story may not be relevant, but we are allowing him to live here without paying for anything except his vehicle and phone expenses until he has built his house (6-8 more months?) and he can move in. Rents in our area are ~$1700/month for a gross one-bedroom apartment, and it would be such a waste for him to rent something while he's building. He's excited to have his own home and to move out. His house payment will be significantly less than the rent for a tiny apartment, so I'm proud of him for thinking smartly about his housing situation. Anyway, best wishes!

I can really sympathize with you. We don't watch a lot of movies. Isn't there a company that will "clean up" a movie and send you the DVD? I can't remember the name, but it's not Vid Angel or Clearplay. I didn't see Oddball recommended, yet. It's adorable. There is a scene where an unmarried couple has 'their first breakfast together' but my kids think the guy came over for brekkie-there's nothing romantic portrayed. Adults will probably assume the couple has moved in together. There is another scene where the same couple travels together, but it's for work. What did you think of the new (2011) Tin Tin movie? Have you seen Sue Thomas, FBEye? It's on PureFlix or you can buy it on Prime. We have enjoyed Andy Griffith on Prime. Also, the Expedition Overland series about a group of guys who take overlanding trips from the tip of Alaska to Patagonia, Argentina is fun to watch. Wild Hearts Can't be Broken? There's a kiss. It's easily predicted and can be fast-forwarded through. The guy is clearly in love with the girl but she's too young. He waits years for her and then they are married. The new Dr. Dolittle? Below are movies I liked that I will name so you can check out. These are movies I would FF through parts or use the parts I didn't appreciate as a point of discussion. My kids are 12-18. Invincible, Remember the Titans, Invictus, Hidden Figures

My son was born with severe, life threatening food allergies and had more than one anaphylactic reaction. It was horrible and terrifying. I prayed many, many times for healing. Actually, I was begging and wishing. He was so sick for so, so long. This kind of thing runs in my family, and it had not turned out well for one of my close relatives. After years of successfully living with the severe restrictions and obsessively caring for him, he had two accidental exposures that made him horribly sick about age 10ish. I was devastated, but very soon after that he was prayed for by a visiting minister at our church (at his own request) and was completely and instantly healed. He eats everything now, zero restrictions. Even the foods that caused anaphylaxis. Even the foods he had the accidental exposure to, right before his healing. It's been almost 10 years, and I am still in shock over it at times. I wondered if the accidental exposures (although upsetting) were possibly God showing me he was *still* allergic because I had been doing well managing everything for years? I don't know. My son was crazy excited and told everyone.

Congratulations on making it through! Good for you for choosing exercise. That's the only thing that helps me with bad PMS, too. And sleep. Sugar always makes mine worse. I'll cast another vote for the rolling start whenever possible and delaying the non-outsourced classes. The first weeks of any school year for us (this year it's grades 7, 9, 11) are for gauging workload, tweaking, evaluating, ramping down, ramping up, whatever. Multum non multa is actually our school name.

She should be keeping track, technically. That way she has her own record to compare with what her employer reports at the end of the year on her W-2. If she's already getting minimum wage, it's not as big of a deal, really. I'm glad she's getting tips on top of minimum wage. The software I'm familiar with records credit card tips according to whoever made the sale and that money is dispersed on paychecks. There is also a way to record cash tips in most payroll systems for tracking and reporting on W-2s. I'd guess that if the boss is paying out the cash tips, he/she is also recording them. How much tip money are we talking about? She may not even have to file a return if she meets certain guidelines. (See Publication 501 on irs.gov) What are her withholding amounts?

Thank you. A million times (and it still wouldn't be enough) ❤️

DH is still employed; job security has been/will be tenuous. DH & I are rebuilding a relationship, since we've been around each other so much. The kids were all going to PS in August, now they'll be home. This is unexpected and disappointing, but it's something to be thankful for, too. We've not been without food or water one time during a global pandemic. I know this is not universal. Human body immune systems. amazing. Good cops. I'm so thankful we did family portraits a few times while the kids were little. For Jesus and the Bible. I could go on forever (literally!). Thanks, Mercy!

I love the Good Girl Moonshine recipe from Trim Healthy Mama. There are many variations, but I use 2-3 Tb of raw apple cider vinegar, 1-2 drop of Stevia, a pinch of ginger, a pinch of cayenne and maybe a squeeze of lemon juice in a pint sized (16 oz) mason jar. I fill 1/2 way with ice and the rest with water. It's so refreshing. Sometimes if I'm really dragging, I'll add the GGMS ingredients to a glass of iced tea and it's even better. An Emergen-C packet is also a nice pick me up, though expensive. Incidentally, are you able to get more sleep? I understand it's not always possible, but nothing's going to replace sleep if you're tired.

In addition to what others have said, I love toasted Ezekiel Bread with nutbutter and if I am craving sweets, I'll add honey.

Can you explain the bolded? How can that be known?

I see nothing wrong with this. 🙂 (seriously, though...this is how I make decisions, too. I think a lot of us do. And, for the record OCD would be more like working and reworking your chart compulsively just because you think you might've missed something. And also for the record, free thinkers NEED analytical thinkers and vice-versa.)

I want to +1 the ideas of routine vs. schedule and outsourcing a class for each of your older students, if possible. 1) Chaos is hard for me, too. I only have 4 kids, but they're all close in age and 3 of them are very competitive boys. It only truly got better as they got older, I'm sorry to say. I had years of reminding them not to interrupt me or each other. Are the kids bothered by chaos or only you? Are your kids motivated by rewards? punishments? Perhaps you could really think about ways you might be encouraging the chaos and work from there? For us, it helped to have separate areas for my kids to work. It helped to have rewards at the end of a well-done school day. It helped when I was intentional about staying focused, rather than distracted by my phone or laundry or meal prep or whatever. Are you interested in reading something like Teaching from Rest by Sarah MacKenzie? 2) 6/7/8 grades for my boys have been almost defined by mediocre work. My boys needed a lot of physical activity at those ages. Also, I have found some fun resources on Teachers Pay Teachers like 'speeding tickets' or 'correction tickets' to hand out to my kids when they rush through work, rather than give their best effort. When one of my boys hands me something mediocre, I'll return it with a speeding ticket. I wouldn't fret as much about not covering all the stuff you wanted to get done. It's better to do less well than a lot poorly. If the standards are based on quality, I think the quantity will come with time and maturity. 3) Let the boys work where they want? If they like working in the chaos but can't get their stuff done, maybe they need to 'earn' it? Like, they have to prove to you they can work well in the midst of the open concept, otherwise the desks go downstairs. I like Andrew Pudewa's talk on Teaching Boys and working with their general bent. I think it's free at the IEW website. 4) Routine is great. I would start with a consistent wake-up and morning meeting time for everyone and then build from there. My kids all had planners and knew what they needed to do in a day. The most important part of routine in our home when my kids were younger was afternoon quiet time. FOR EVERYONE. We got up at a relatively consistent time, had our morning basket time and then the olders would do their independent stuff while I did 1:1 with youngers. My kids are still not allowed to interrupt me when I'm working 1:1. I agree with the PP that said Managers of Their Homes is a fantastic resource and my best take-away was learning my expectations were bonkers. Timed schedules work great for us now that my youngest is 7th, but they were frustrating when my oldest was 7th. Are your older children open to helping with the younger children at certain times of the day? What about hiring a helper for you? Does the 3 yr old play alone (some do, some won't)? I like the idea of "quiet boxes" for preschoolers or younger kids to play with, with very special toys and games to use within the daily routine with a different box for each day of the week. The items in the boxes would change from time to time. This is something fun for a younger kids to look forward to and play with independently during the time you work 1:1 with the older kids. 5) Some of us are more apt to complain. I'm like that, and I'm only now coming to terms with what a drag it is to be around someone like that (me). I'm working hard to stop it. The only thing I have for you here is, don't take it personally. Hold your ground and let them get it off their chest and roll off your back. However, if they're complaining because they're stressed or unhappy, that's worth unpacking. Maybe your kids' brains are better wired to study different topics and subjects? Maybe you outsource the subject they most dislike? Whatever the cause, I wouldn't engage with the complaining behavior and I would give consequences for complaining (write "I will be thankful" 100 times? Call 3 people and give them a compliment? do an extra chore? come up with 5 reasons Latin or grammar will help them in the future? if they are really being turkeys, you could assign an essay on the benefits of Latin or grammar or whatever they happen to be upset about). Anyway, be encouraged! It's a big undertaking. I once figured out if my 4 kids went to PS, they'd have like 32 teachers among them, and those teachers would have a prep period most days. You have a lot of children and a lot to do in a day. I hope your coming year is peaceful and successful and joyful.

I will pray for you, too.

This year, all my kids were going to a charter school and I was going to be the one in school. Then covid and stuff. So, my 11th grade plan: Chemistry online w/Schole Academy Alg2 w/Schole Academy He's supposed to take English and Welding at the PS. Our area is exploding with covid cases at present. We are a hot spot, but public school is supposed to start in three and a half weeks. Who knows if schools will open or if they will stay open? If he's home for English, we'll do Windows to the World and something? for the other 1/2 credit. Audio book literature list from me (with or without the school's English class) TOG year 1 history + geography with siblings Lots of working, golf team, battlebots

Funny because it's true! Though this weekend at my sister's in Gilbert, it's going to be like 120. 😮 And, she currently has the Rona. Double Whammy!

Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but: The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr Outliers by Malcom Galdwell How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie Atomic Habits by James Clear Never Get Angry Again by David Lieberman These are books off my personal reading list from last year. I think they're all appropriate for teens and most definitely written at a teen reading level.

We have a different situation, so I'll add it to share a different perspective. We have 2 over 16 and 2 under. Our kids have to purchase their own vehicles, insurance, registration, maintenance, and fuel. They are added on to our insurance policy, but pay their portion of the premium. The two who have done it so far have earned money through various jobs. The next one soon-to-turn 16 knows he'll have to buy his own vehicle and then pay for its operation. They run errands for me from time to time, but it's rare. Our kids aren't on our credit cards, though sometimes they'll take my card to the store to shop for me. Since no one checks signatures or anything anymore it's not an issue for them to use my card. Getting a credit card of their own will probably happen in the near future just to build a credit history. I wish so much wasn't tied to our credit ratings. By the time our drivers started driving, they had a student checking account with a debit card that they manage. As the guardian, I'm a signer on their checking accounts, but the bank wouldn't draw from my account to cover any overdrafts on the student checking. One tip: I called our insurance agent and asked for ALL the potential discounts available. When I did this, I found out my sons were able to take a specific online driver's ed course that reduced the premiums. A different driver's ed course wasn't accepted for a discount. I paid the $79 for the driver's ed, but my sons get the benefit for the cheaper insurance premium. Also, they get good student discounts. I provide a transcript to the insurance agent and that's been sufficient. We have a low mileage discount for one of our vehicles, too. One company offered a discount for Eagle Scouts. It really paid off to keep asking questions to get as many discounts as possible. I do the work of finding the discounts to help my sons, but they pay the premiums.

God King by Joanne Williamson is great! Hittite Warrior is also fascinating. We loved Rosemary Sutcliff, too. Especially Black Ships Before Troy (do you consider that ancient?).

True. Sorry about that. However, the east rim is accessible from the south rim entrance. I think that's the way Grace is going, anyway? When it's open, you can enter the park at Desert View, the end (or beginning if you're entering there) of the East Rim drive of GC when coming from the north, but that's pretty remote. Just FYI. The Navajo Nation is really struggling, for sure. Things are improving lately. Who knows what August will bring? The Grand Canyon area is excessively busy right now with a huge influx of tourism because it's open. Crazy busy, according to my family in the area. The area will be interesting to watch. FWIW, you wouldn't be close to the Navajo Reservation if you do a "drive-by sighting" of the Grand Canyon coming from Scottsdale, though.

Fun! The drive from Scottsdale to Grand Canyon is about 4 hours. The South Rim is made up of East and West Rims. You enter through the south rim, and then can go east or west from there. The North Rim would be too far away for you to see. There is a free shuttle service inside the park, and I think you can also walk along the rims on a paved trail. West is shorter and the vistas are closer together. East is more spread out. Parking is always an issue so get there as early as you can, especially if you have multiple large vehicles. Make sure everyone has good shoes, whether you plan to hike or not because you'll be doing lots of walking regardless. Take plenty of water. Plastic water bottles are outlawed inside the park, I think? The entrances are open for now, though who knows what will be happening in August? I recommend everyone see the IMAX movie in Tusayan. It's about an hour long, and you can see it before or after you see the canyon. August is still the rainy season, so prepare for an afternoon shower. Even if there's not a single cloud in the sky in the morning, by 1 PM you might be caught in the nastiest downpour of your life! This can also cause flooding on highways and parts of I17 between Phx and Flg. Would you want to do a driving tour? Hiking tour? Airplane tour? There's the Grand Canyon Railway that can take you from Williams to the south rim. It might be an option if you are already driving 3 hrs from Scottsdale to Williams because it would give the drivers a break. Most tours will begin early in the morning, I think. So, you'd have to leave Scottsdale pretty early to partake. Have fun! It's so beautiful! PS-August in Scottsdale is just...UGH! So hot! I hope you're staying in a fancy resort for less than 1/2 price to make it worthwhile.

FundaFunda uses the crash course videos in their course. https://www.fundafundaacademy.com/

I wouldn't wear a mask. However, I'll add this caveat: there is one case in my entire ZIP code and it's a part-time resident (this person has been publicly sharing about their covid experience).

Thanks, everyone. The cupcakes will be eaten very quickly by my family today, but I bought them yesterday. I needed fridge space for other things, and hoped they could be left out. They are stored refrigerated in the bakery. The bakery lady said they could be left out. My sister was adamant that the topping would spoil if it wasn't refrigerated. I ended up finding fridge space, but we are having a small outdoor graduation celebration today, and I think they'll be fine left out for that.