Thank you so much, everyone! I am taking notes! Solascriptura, may I ask how you prepare your probiotics? Do you have a link or a resource I could check out? Thank you!

Ok, speak to me like I'm a toddler, please. I'm not naturally crunchy, but I want to be. :) The last two winters we've just struggled with illness after illness--particularly my dh. Last year he had mono and was sick for three months. This year he has battled pneumonia, and while his lungs are now clear, he's still spiking fevers at night. He has a very sensitive stomach (runs in his family) so vitamin c and other supplements can be really hard on him. He has a strong gag reflex, and once it gets going, it's very hard to stop. He has very little appetite, so getting food into him can be difficult. We've gone the medical route, and the doctors treat his immediate illness and symptoms, but I want to help him build immunity so he can knock these bugs before they take hold. Any suggestions? I've been reading about bone broth, and think that might be a good place to start. Any other ideas? Another friend has mentioned essential oils, but I have no idea where to start. They are expensive--do they work? Any good, soothing, healthful recipes? Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated!!

When Television was Young, the Inside Story with Memories by Legends of the Small Screen by Ed McMahon, and To Kill a Mockingbird. ;)

I grew up outside of Grand Rapids, and that does surprise me a bit. I haven't been back in years, and I would love to bring my children up for a visit. Thanks for sharing this!

Thank you, Amy! I just thought I'd update with this: I talked to ds, and he is very enthusiastic about the idea of pursuing an engineering degree first, and then going on to law school. I love the idea in that if he doesn't go to law school, he has a very marketable degree. If he does, he has a skill set that makes him unique among lawyers. Thank you!

If you go to the Parthenon, Rotier's is a local restaurant that has great cheeseburgers. It's really sort of a dive, but it's a legend in Nashville. It's close to the Parthenon on Elliston Place.

Thank you so much for all the replies!! Lori, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to type all that out!! You have given me so much to think about, and I'm printing it out for my file. To those who mentioned NCAA, I'm on it. :) I've been reading up on the eligibility requirements, and of course those are just more pieces to the puzzle. Oy...

Thanks, Harriet! I edited my earlier post--I didn't mean to indicate he wouldn't be taking a fourth year of English. I forgot I had lumped English and history together under Omnibus and neglected to add in the fourth year. Thanks!! I had my suspicions about Apologia, and I was hoping someone would address that. My problem is that Apologia is the only option offered locally. I was a humanities person myself--I have majors in English and Poli Science and then went to law school. I am not confident in my ability to provide a beefy lab science on my own, and don't know where else to turn. Do you have any recommendations? Anything online? Thanks!!

Yes! Of course! :) For the first three years, history and English are integrated through Omnibus (two separate classes, but they cover the same time period.) His senior year he will be taking a fourth English class in addition to government and economics. I didn't write that correctly, and I'll go back and edit. Thanks! Regentrude, I don't know if he is a good fit for computer programming, honestly. It's something he is interested in though, and I'd like to keep the door open to him. I think we will look at a programming class for him his freshman year for the exposure. We'll see what happens. I feel much more comfortable addressing his interest in law school, as that is the route I took. I can help him get there, but the STEM path is much more of a mystery to me. That's why I'm very grateful for your input!

Thank you for these resources!! I didn't realize AoPS had programming classes--for some reason I thought they were exclusively math oriented. I appreciate the help! Thank you also for the feedback on AP classes. It is what I suspected, although I'm always surprised when I look around and don't see many homeschoolers in my area pursuing them. I don't know that we need a top university, although we would certainly be thrilled. Money will be an issue and merit scholarships will be required, unfortunately. Thanks again!!

Ok, here is my requisite introductory message that begins, "My son is starting 9th grade next year, and I'm in full blown panic mode..." :) My ds waivers between wanting to follow a more STEM oriented field like engineering or programming and wanting to be a trial lawyer. He is very strong in the humanities and capable in math and science. What I don't know is how to structure his high school years so as to keep all of his options open. Here are our current plans: English: 4 years of Omnibus History: 3 years of Omnibus; one additional year of government and economics. Math: Alg. 1 taken in 8th grade; Geometry through Calculus with Derek Owens. Science: Biology and Chemistry courses and labs taken through local tutorial (Apologia); Physics with Derek Owens. One other lab class, but not sure where. Maybe dual enrollment? Online? Foreign Language: German 1 taken in 8th grade at OSU. Planning to complete up through German 4 (AP) at OSU To graduate he also needs .5 credit keyboarding; 3 credits of Bible; 1 credit PE and 1 credit fine arts or performing arts (per our umbrella) How does this plan look? Please, please let me know if something is lacking or adjustment is needed! Also, what types of electives should he pursue for a STEM degree, and how do we find them? I'm imagining he should be taking some programming classes? What about drafting? It's so hard not to compare with PS, but my nephew who is beginning college this year as an engineering major has taken drafting in school for 4 years! I just want to do the best I can to equip my son with what he needs to be successful. What about AP classes? Dual enrollment? Merit and/or sports scholarships will be necessary unless he wants to live at home and attend a state university that's about 30 mins away. It, however, does not offer engineering... He is hoping to participate on a mock trial team that is forming this year in our area, and in the process he'll hopefully be able to connect with a local attorney and get a feel for whether or not this is something he wants to pursue. He's also a golfer and spends a lot of time volunteering with our local First Tee program and golfing on the homeschool team and local tournaments. He's a good kid, who is busy, and we need to make the best use of his time. If you've made it through all this--thank you from the bottom of my heart!! I greatly appreciate any wisdom you can share!

I wasn't able to make it to anything other than our small, local conference which, admittedly, is very life-style oriented. I could really use some inspiration before starting school next month, and I was wondering if anyone would like to share links to some audio lectures that they have really enjoyed? I've listened to (and very much enjoyed!) most of the PHP mp3s, and would love to learn of other ones. Thanks!!

Yes! My grandmothers both used this word! We have a buffet that I still call a credenza, but I've never heard anyone else use that term.

Figure out Skype before starting the class. The tutoring sessions have been great, and I wish I hadn't procrastinated getting them set up. Oh, also figure out how to type the German characters on your keyboard. That messed Ben up on a couple of early tests. Fortunately, you are given the chance to retake the tests (once).

I would really love to find a computer-based Spanish program for my 8th grade dd for Spanish. Would Duolingo be enough to count as a high school credit? If not, can you recommend a supplement or something to beef it up enough? Maybe Galore Park? Is there something else out there you like better? Thanks for any help!! Shannon

My 8th grader is participating in the History Bee this year. A local homeschool mom put together a team of four middle schoolers, and we were able to split the entry fee four ways. That made the pricing much more reasonable.

12 year old: American Girl doll (she's still crazy over her dolls) Taylor swift CD boots headphones itunes gift card

My dd12 is exactly like this! She designs her own furniture and accessories out of odds and ends and makes skits, too!

That sounds kind of like diverticulitis. My FIL and SIL both deal with it. They manage it by eliminating all seedy type foods (strawberries, nuts, corn, anything with seeds) from their diet.

Thanks so much everyone!! You've given me some great options!!

I'm finally taking the plunge! :) I would greatly appreciate any recommendations for cases you have loved. I looked at the Lifeproof case, but it gets bad reviews for the 5. I'm really clumsy and definitely need to protect this thing!! Thanks!

Thank you, Moon!! I've looked at this before as a possibility, especially since my dd would love to study about Canada. My only concern is what if she doesn't enjoy Anne of GG? (gasp!!) Then she will fight me all year. :) I'm a big Anne fan (even gave this particular child the middle name of Anne--with an "e") so I think it looks like fun! Do you read many other works? How much time are you spending on it a week? What are you using to beef it up? Thanks for the reply!!

Can anyone point me to some resources (or something already planned!) for my dd who will be in 8th grade next year? She is very, very tactile. She is bright, but not at all academically motivated at this point. I'm looking for some ways to engage her, while still getting in the skills she needs for high school. She will be doing science and Latin at tutorial, and algebra here at home. She doesn't enjoy history at all, and I've never been able to spark an interest in this area! She's young for her age, and she really enjoys helping her brother with his phonics work--his program incorporates lots of games and pieces that can be manipulated and sorted. I think she would enjoy notebooking and making flip books, but so many of the resources I've seen are geared to much younger kids. So, my question...Can anyone recommend resources for me? Or ideas for me to incorporate more tactile experiences into her daily work? I think she would enjoy a unit study approach, and I think I may finally be at a place where I could pull it off. :) I'm looking to cover language arts (writing, literature, and grammar), American (and some Canadian) history, geography, and maybe artist/composer studies? Thanks!!

We are at 13.4%. Dh works for a small firm that doesn't offer insurance. We buy our own private plan.

Oh! should have read just a bit further before I posted! :)