Do Sam's Club cupcakes with whipped topping (not buttercream) need to be refrigerated? The bakery said no, because the whipped topping is nondairy. But everywhere else I look, people say yes to refrigeration. Anyone know the truth?

I understand that there are several blood clotting issues related to Covid, however the article doesn't say whether Covid caused the reaction. In my family, we have a tendency towards HIT, which means if we are given Heparin products, we will likely die or need an amputation. He may not have lost his leg due to Covid. He may have lost it because he was "HIT." Not that it makes his life any different. Just FYI. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heparin-induced_thrombocytopenia

Same for me! Let me know if you come up with something. And want to share. 🙂

So, I want to say something witty and funny on ds's grad announcement, regarding the quarantine and a much-delayed party and all the missed stuff. But I can't seem to come up with anything. Anyone have any ideas to share?

Summer parties are so much fun! Especially in my area, where it's still potentially snowy and freezing in May. It can be a combo graduation/going away party.

When my senior's classes finish in May (combo of online, community college, public school), we will have a celebration with just us. It'll be pretty low-key-a favorite meal and a gift? I'm looking for ideas on how to make it special, too! I'm still planning on having a bigger party when it's safe to do so, and I don't think July or August would be weird. Our local homeschool community doesn't have a ceremony or party or anything like that.

We don't watch many movies, but here are some we enjoyed as a family: Remember the Titans Invictus Hidden Figures Alexander and the Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day A Night at the Opera (Marx Brothers) We liked the 1966 version of Batman in that so-bad-it's-funny way. Like a Country Song (predictable, but better than most movies like it)

@MomN I got an email today saying VP has opened up a 60 day free trial for all of their self-paced courses.

This is hilarious! I think the reaction in my neighborhood would be about the same. And the song! Hahahahaha! Now I want to make a video to show my culture.

My advice to you (and I strongly dislike Apologia) is to just use the curriculum. It's so easy to use. It's already scheduled and the journals/notebooks work well to bring out the facts and leave the 'chatter' behind. We have used this book in our weekly lab meet-ups in the past. I looked hard to find something that was comparably easy to use, and settled (and I do mean settled) on Apologia. I really dislike a lot of things about it, but it ended up being what was simple to use. You can easily supplement with more interesting/challenging labs. I found great lab ideas at Steve Spangler, Ellen McHenry, and TeachersPayTeachers. If you still want alternative suggestions, I like the John Tiner books and Guest Hollow. Have you looked at BJU? 6th grade is a great science course. My favorite science year, I think. My local peeps are all Apologia fans, though. Boo.

In October I scheduled a tropical family vacation for the first week of February. Best. Decision. Ever. I typically have a horrible case of the Februaries and do so many 90s, 180s and 360s that it's not only bad for me, but for everyone around me. I'm proud of myself for acting preemptively. It only took 18 years to figure it out!

DS is completing Fire Science (a firefighting course) for a science course. I saw a community college course called Geology of Natural Disasters. I wanted one of my kids to take that class!

Hello and welcome! As to the bolded, I don't think there is a price difference for working parents, but some schools do offer scholarships. I think price will vary hugely depending on what you want. There are many different options, but 'better' really depends on what is most important to you. What would you say is your top priority in selecting an online school? Some things to consider would be: price, record keeping, rigor, live teachings vs. recorded teachings, hands-off for the parent vs. hands-on for the parent, accreditation, etc. This very helpful thread is pinned towards the top of this forum:

Have you contacted the Backcountry office for information? https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/backcountry.htm They could answer a lot of your questions for you. My sons have done rim to rim a few times, ranging in age from 10-18, so i don't think it's as scary as others are saying. I think making it a two day trip is a better idea. How old are your kids? I'm concerned that you are only asking about stamina for a 3-mile hike. Rim to Rim is no joke, and being able to do three hilly miles isn't a good barometer to determine readiness for a GC hike. Also, I think the whitewater rafting trips are booked years in advance. If that's something you really want to do, make that booking ASAP. Good luck! Have fun! Be safe!

Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls is a great read! It's an accurate account of ranching life in Arizona in the early 1900s.

I regret posting my whine about something I can't control. I'm sure it will all work out fine.

What about Dutch Blitz?

It's up to TWO WEEKS! (Sorry to shout...it's something I'm passionate about) This is why it is epidemic...because people think they're fine at 24-48 hours. https://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/about/transmission.html I don't think people should isolate themselves for 2 weeks, but they should be very, very careful to not spread their germs. This is two weeks AFTER you're done feeling queasy and/or have a fever.

Omega-3s are still a good option (despite a recently published study suggesting they don't help). They have a long positive track record. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6087692/ A meta-analysis: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-019-0515-5

I recently received an invitation with date, time, and city-but no address. You get the address when you RSVP! Brilliant! If I ever throw a party for anything, I'm totally doing that. I'm sorry it's so stressful. I was one of the forget-to-RSVP people years ago. I still feel bad about it.

Have you checked Costco? Sometimes their men's dress clothes are a fabulous deal. ETA: A $40 cocktail dress at Costco: https://www.costco.com/hilary-radley-ladies'-sequin-dress.product.100490382.html

I just want to say I think it's super cool that you 'have' an airplane mechanic. And that you actually pay for that service on a regular basis. That's awesome! 😎

This. My dh travels a lot, but it's predictable. Some weeks it's harder than others. Some kids take it harder on some weeks. I think the things that make it workable for one family might not work for another family. It's up to you to advocate for yourself and even for your kids. It's hard to create relationship when you're not together. I used to really worry about being called a whiner or a nag or needy or something derogatory every time I wanted to be honest about my feelings. But then I realized that was probably baggage from my childhood. My dh doesn't call me names like that or think of me like that when all we are doing is being adults and talking about our needs in the relationship.

The good news is, there are so many wonderful programs to choose from! If you want grammar-heavier such as SYRWTLS, then Spanish for Children A might work well for you. It does move quickly without a lot of repetition, but it is easy to use. If you have the discipline to review more often than the program tells you to, you could memorize the material quite well. Some of my other current favorites: Easy Peasy online (set up an account & make a donation) and The Great Courses Spanish 1 & 2. We also enjoy Salsa Spanish by Georgia Public Broadcasting for new learners as well as Destinos for intermediate learners. Best wishes!

The first week of public school had a stomach bug, a respiratory virus with low-grade fever, and lice going through the students and teachers here. Dang! We still say freshman for first year high school students. (2 points for a hyphen and an Oxford comma)