My son has been a plumber's apprentice since he was 14. All four years of high school include a credit for his work. The first year was when he got his official state apprenticeship license and we have that year down as Beginning Trade Apprenticeship, second year is On The Job/ Skills Training, the third year is Work Study/ Continuing Apprenticeship, fourth year is also preparing him for his journeyman license in a year and we are calling it Apprenticeship Completion and Skills Overview. If your son is wanting to seriously consider welding, he should consider applying for his apprenticeship license so his hours can be officially applied toward a future trade. We are in Colorado and had no problem filing official paperwork to have our son as a licensed apprentice at the age of 14. The state recognizes him and his hours are turned in every year. This helps to show the amount of hours of training he has received.

My son's party is from 2-5. He has several friends with parties starting at noon and they are serving lunch. Several others our having evening parties with dinner served. My son decided that he wants snacks and lots of outdoor games. We are planning on having a nacho bar set up along with a veggie tray, fruit tray, nuts, pretzels, and popcorn. He wants mini cheesecakes for his dessert and we are also having a candy bar set up. For drinks, we are serving ice cream punch, iced tea, bottled water, and cans of pop.

My son will only need a semester of Government and a year of Trig/Pre-Calc to finish up his requirements for graduation. I told him that I wanted him to pick a subject that he was really interested in and that I wanted him to spend a semester researching, writing, and presenting information on the topic. He will present brief talks on the subject each month and be required to write a research paper along with giving a oral presentation on the subject. He was thrilled with the idea and has decided on Asian History. He wants to start out looking at the broad scope of Asian History and gradually focus in on one aspect. He has already started researching and gathering items for presentations. We also told him that he could pick whatever else he wanted to study but we also wanted him to have a semester on personal financing and investing. He has decided that he wants to delve deeper into Early Civilizations and also wants to study Marine Biology. His will start taking classes at the junior college during his second semester. He is a plumbing apprentice and works quite a bit so he will receive an on the job training/work study credit as well. He also plans to continue to compete in cross country and track at the local high school as well. My upcoming freshman also wants to compete in cross country and track. His academic classes will be: Algebra, American HIstory, American Literature, Apologia Physical Science, IEW Medieval Writings, Logic, and a to be determined elective that we will add to the schedule after cross country season is over. He also takes a robotics class at the local engagement center.

My son went back to public school the start of seventh grade and it was great for him. I think it really depends on the child and the school. My second son tried to go back at the same time and was entering sixth grade. He hated it and came home after 8 weeks. He has been home schooled ever since. My son who returned to public school is graduating with honors next month and my second son is wrapping up his junior year at home but enjoying competing on the public school sports teams.

Around once a year, our church will ask for volunteers. They usually list all of the different ways that you can volunteer and ask, if interested, how often you wish to volunteer. Anyone who wants to volunteer with kids has to fill out paperwork and pass a background check. For nursery, we rarely have volunteers with children of nursery age. There are 6 head nursery and kid's volunteers called monitors (I am one of them). In order to be a monitor, you have to have been volunteering for at least a year, pass a more extensive background check, be asked to be a monitor, and go through training. As a monitor, I make sure that all the volunteers show up and find replacements if needed. I also make sure that volunteers are doing what they agreed to and not ignoring their duty. I also make up snacks and drinks, over see diaper changes, and bathroom visits. Our church as a work day twice a year where anyone who wants comes to help repair and clean the church. Many people get to know each other and what is asked of volunteers during the workdays and opt to volunteer in some regards as a result. No one is required to volunteer and probably only 15% volunteer on a regular basis.

The largest one that I have had was blood filled and it burst. It felt like something was twisting inside of me and I was curled up on the floor and vomiting. I went to the ER and was told that it was a stomach bug but I knew it wasn't. The doctor said that the only other thing it could possibly be was a large ovarian cyst that was twisting. He sent me home and told me to schedule an ultrasound for the next day. It was the end of a holiday weekend and the ultrasound results were sent to my regular doctor instead of the ER doctor. The ultrasound tech could not tell me results but did tell me that she thought that I should be admitted but that was all she could say. That evening, I was back at the ER and someone finally decided to look at my ultrasound results. My cyst had burst and blood had pooled in my abdomen. They could tell from the color of the blood that the burst has occurred over 24 hours earlier so they could not do surgery. My body was already starting to absorb the blood and they felt like more harm would be done if surgery was attempted. I was told that an ultrasound and surgery should have been done when I first went to the ER but the doctor did not think that I looked like I was in enough pain and they were short staffed. I had an extremely painful recovery- worse than any surgical recovery I have ever had. I was on antibiotics, anti-nausea medicine, and pain killers. I had to wait for my body to gradually absorb and dispel of the blood which made me very sick. I had several additional ultrasounds to monitor the absorption and, after 3 weeks, 90% was absorbed. I really wish that the ER doctor would have taken me seriously and done what needed to be done. The next year, I had a partial hysterectomy and they removed the scar tissue from the large burst cyst as well as some smaller ones. I still have my ovaries and still get cysts. I can tell the difference between minor cysts and major cysts since I have had them so many times. Generally, if they make me sore they are minor but if they are painful than they are major. If you feel pain, you really should get it checked out right away. If you have nausea, spike a fever, have extreme cramping, sharp pain, or a twisting feeling than go it right away. Ibuprofen and heat should help if it is just discomfort. Good luck!

We keep our emergency supplies in a large truck box- it is black and grey and designed to fit in a truck bed to endure all sorts of weather. It is stocked with a roll of black sheeting and duct tape (in case a window blows out or there is a leak somewhere and it provides a dry surface to sit on), paper, pens, pencils, deck of cards, and travel games to keep everyone occupied, gallon jugs of water, water purification tablets (as a precaution in case we do not have enough water and need to find alternative sources), a crank radio, glow sticks, flash lights with extra batteries, hand warmers, metallic emergency blankets, suckers and other hard candy, jerky, canned fruit and juice with can opener, packets of tuna, peanut butter crackers, and other food items (I change these out every couple of months), roll of paper towels, package of baby wipes, disposable utensils and plates, toilet paper, throw away cups (I use the individually sealed ones from hotels), and additional comfort items depending on the season. It is amazing how much you can fit in a truck box and I really like to be prepared. When my kids were little, I would keep their favorite sugar cereal and poptarts in the box so they would get a special treat during bad storms. I would also suggest an inflatable pillow and some towels or blankets in case some one needs to rest.

We are big 4H fans. Our county has 14 clubs and each club has an emphasis on certain activities but does welcome members to be involved in any activities. Our county has one big Cloverbud group that meets once a month and the kids are introduced to various 4H projects. My daughter is in her 4th of 4H and loves it. I am a leader and I also really enjoy it. The first year my daughter had two projects and one got 5th at state, the second year she had 3 projects and one took state grand champion, the third year she had 3 projects and one took state reserve champion and one took third at state. This year she has 5 projects plus the fashion revue (she participates in this every year but is only county level until senior category). 4H has taught her so much. She gives demonstration speeches to her club, visits local schools to talk about 4H, puts on community project demonstrations, has interview judging, keeps record books, and so much more. This year was the first year that she was old enough to participate in some of the state leadership events. She went to a three day camp in the fall and was elected to our county 4H council. The older she gets and the more involved she is, the more opportunities she receives. She has received several state and county awards which count as merit points towards future scholarships. I have really enjoyed getting to know that youth in our club and other 4H clubs in our county. I have worked with them on their projects throughout the year and cheer them on during county and state fair. It is an amazing feeling to watch a youth achieve something that they have worked so hard on. It also motivates me to learn new skills to share with the youth. 4H does take work and dedication but the rewards are amazing.

My 12 year old daughter and 14 year old son are each getting a Lego set. My 17 year old son is getting map grids and miniatures for a game that he recently bought and a McDonald's gift card. My 18 year old son is getting Apples to Apples picture game, McDonald's gift card, and lottery tickets. All of the kids are also getting a variety of gum, tootsie pops, glass bottles of Root Beer and Coke, nice chap stick, a Lego minifigure, and a chocolate bunny. I usually do not put much by way of candy in their baskets but do get candy at the sales after Easter.

I bought a binding machine for spiral bound books so I could rebind them when needed. Most print shops have a machine that can rebind spiral bound books. You could always take them in to see if they can fix them for you.

Every year right after school lets out, there is a huge used library book sale where discarded and donated books are sold. It is a three day sale and day three is always fill $1 bag day. The first weekend of December the library again hosts a book sale with good condition books that would make great gifts.

You could do fondue with the venison. My mom used to cook cubes of venison and give us a variety of sauces to dip it in and we loved it. She would also do a cheese or sour cream sauce for us to dip veggies and pretzels in and a chocolate or caramel sauce for fruits, marshmallows, and cereal. Edamame and carrots would be good on rice with a little soy sauce. You could make a chocolate pudding cake- not a meal but does not have eggs in it. No bake cookies but you would need oatmeal or crushed cereal.

If you visit overdrive.com you find a library near you that participates in audio lending. I can check out up to 5 titles at a time and I browse and borrow books from my laptop, phone, or tablet. It is free- you just need a library card. Definitely check it out because there are great titles.

I am legally blind but have always been a book lover. I was completely blind for a time 20 years ago and that is when I began listening to audio books non stop. I regained part of my vision but it can still be a strain to read so I continue to listen to audio books. I usually read 3-4 books a week. I listen to them while I cook, clean, do dishes, laundry, yard work, shop, and more. I love audio books.

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There are quite a few free activities that I think your family will enjoy. Ellsworth Air Force Base is just east of Rapid City and has a free museum. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is in Rapid City and offers a free geological museum. They have dinosaur skeletons, a room of glowing rocks, and more. Rapid City also has a fish hatchery where you can feed fish and see fish and different stages of growth. This is also free and a favorite for all ages. Storybook Island in Rapid City is free and a really fun park that the entire group will enjoy. There is an ultimate frisbee course next to Storybook Island that is free but you need to bring your own frisbees. Dinosaur Hill in Rapid City (also known as Hangman's Hill) is free in Rapid City and offers excellent views of the area. If you enjoy hiking then Harney Peak in Custer State Park is a wonderful hike but it does cost for state park admission. You can drive through part of Custer State Park for free (from Custer to Hot Springs) and this is a great way to see buffalo and other animals. Mount Rushmore is definitely worth the visit and Crazy Horse is also neat to see. Around Custer, Hll City, and Deadwood are several wineries that have free tastings all day during the summer- if that interests you. There are many gorgeous free hiking trails all throughout the Black Hills. Wall Drug is free and a fun stop. The Badlands are right next to Wall Drug and people either love or hate the Badlands. I love them but many do not. Pierre is the capital and has a beautiful Capitol Building that you can visit any time. There are blue tiles hidden throughout the building and it is really fun to challenge each other to find them while going on self guided tours. The Corn Palace in Mitchell is fun to see especially if they happen to be having a corn festival at the time. There are various Indian and pioneer museums all throughout South Dakota if you want to look into those. I could really go on and on. If there are specific questions you have, want to know great places to eat, or want to know options for specific areas of interest please feel free to ask. Oh, and do not go to South Dakota during the first 2 weeks of August. This year will be the 75th anniversary of the Sturgis Rally and it will be crazy and expensive during that time.

It really depends on your interests, ages of kids, and the route you are taking. I lived in central South Dakota until I was 9, the Black Hills from ages 9-16, and now live in NE Colorado about 30 miles from Nebraska. We visit South Dakota often and have family and friends throughout the Black Hills. I could give you a really long list of things to not miss but you may not be interested in some of them. There are some really great attractions and historical sites that not many tourists know about. Let me know what you are looking for and I will supply you with a list.

I have three of them and I adore them.

We live in a small town where most of the teachers have known the kids their entire lives. My son has been facebook friends with his math teacher since he first got an account. His math teacher is the father of one of his best friends and my son has known him since he was 2. He is also friends with his history teacher. His history teacher's wife is my best friend and their daughter and our son are 2 days apart and first met in the hospital. He has several other teachers with the same situation- parents of kids that are his friends or the teachers have been family friends for a long time. He attends the same high school that my husband and I did and has had multiple teachers that graduated with us and their kids are friends with our kids. He has two current teachers in their first year teaching that he is facebook friends with. They have been friends for over 5 years when they were all in youth group together. It does not bother me at all that he is facebook friends with his teachers because they have a legitimate friendship/relationship outside of facebook. By the way, his principal is also a friend of his. The principal's daughter is in his class and the principal's husband is also a teacher at the high school and a friend of my son's. My son is also friends with the middle school principal- his son runs cross country with my sons and with the elementary principal- his daughter and my son are best friends and attend dances and school parties together. The school and all school clubs also have facebook pages and it is a way that our town keeps up with what is going on. My son is also friends with many adults who are outside the school system but parents of friends and/or our family friends- this includes doctors, attorneys, police officers, pastors, accountants, and more. It does not bother me that he is friends with them so I do not know why it would bother me that he is friends with teachers.

I hope it helps. It is hard to have your kids growing up and wanting them to have the world but not being able to give it to them.

Our oldest is very independent and really wanted to go away to college. We took him to several colleges for tours and sat through the financial seminar at each college. We told him that the decision was up to him but that he would be responsible to pay for college. We said that, if he wanted to attend the highly accredited junior college in our town, that he could live at home with room and board covered or he could live on campus or with his grandparents and we would provide an allowance for living expenses. We told hm that he would always be welcome to eat at home, do laundry here, crash for the night, etc. but would be responsible for all other expenses if he was not living at home. If he chose a college where he had to live on campus, we would give him so much to go towards living expenses but he would be responsible for the remainder. We sat and talked about expenses and started the tours before his junior year. At the start of his senior year, he came to us and said that he was going to attend the junior college and get his associates and would then transfer to an engineering school to finish his degree. He said that he had weighed the pros and cons and decided that he would rather have the financial freedom later on than the so called "freedom" than came with living on campus and away from home for the first two years. We have been working on scholarships and he will be able to attend the junior college at no expense and may actually be paid to attend. He is looking forward to having two years of college with no debt and being able to put money towards future college expenses. We felt that we needed to be honest with him and provide the opportunity to him that we will offer to our other children as well. He is really happy with his decision and has been doing research on how many credits he can transfer. He will have almost a complete semester of college classes done when he graduates from high school in May. He is hoping to be able to transfer the maximum number of credits possible when he moves on to a four year college. He is already showing us that he is making wise financial decisions.

When our oldest was entering 7th and our second was entering 6th, they really wanted to try public school. Our oldest loved it although he did not feel like he was learning much and our second son hated it. We pulled our second son out after 8 weeks and he has been home ever since. He is finishing up his junior year and competes in sports with the local high school. He never again has wanted to return to public school. Our oldest will be graduating from the public school in May and has loved the social aspect of high school but not the academic side of it. He does take classes part time at the junior college on top of his other classes. He is in the top 15% of his class and one of only three boys in his class to be inducted into NHS. He is glad that he went back to public school and never did want to return home. Our third son is finishing 8th grade and our daughter is finishing 6th. Our daughter thinks she may want to try public high school but our youngest son wants to continue being home schooled during high school. I really think it depends on the kid but transitions can go very well. My sister home schooled her kids but they had always begged to attend public school. She sent them in 5th, 7th, and 8th and the kids have all been so happy to be at the public school. Her oldest is also graduating in May.

I use instant mashed potatoes in my potato soup. Instead of adding cream or milk, I had a packet or two of instant mashed potatoes. I always get rave reviews and am asked my secret- which is instant mashed potatoes.

Anything by Beverly Cleary- Henry Huggins and Ramona books. They are hysterical and enjoyable for the entire family.

I am 39 and I did get a booster last year. My husbands is 40 and is due for a booster soon and will be getting one. We try to keep all members of our family up to date on immunizations.