[Some positive thoughts please]

Praise God!  I'm so glad he's being released so soon.  What a relief for all of you!

[Some positive thoughts please]

Praying for continued healing for him, as well as for peace and strength for you.  

[How to use an odd room]

Your club chairs in the center sounds fine.  If you have one, a grand piano would work, too.

[Offer going in.....]

Congratulations!

[S/O What things are neccessary?]

Legally, you only have to do what your state's homeschool law requires.  However, if your dc end up returning to traditional high school, having those credits out of the way would help (assuming the schools there accept your homeschool credits -- that varies by school district).  As for colleges caring, that may vary by college.  

[S/O What things are neccessary?]

36 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

Usually if you major in another instrument, you will be required to take several semesters of piano while in school and pass certain proficiency. You don’t need to know in advance how to play piano, but if you do, you might be able to place out of those requirements. 

This. 

2 hours ago, 8filltheheart said:

Can you explain the bolded?  I have no idea if my dd is going to want to pursue music (she will be an accomplished violinist and singer by the time she graduates....she is already heading in that direction).  She is only a rising 8th grader and after an engineering camp this summer is now saying EE.  Who knows.  But, if she does decide to pursue something in music, do all music majors need to know how to play the piano?  Theory makes sense.  But I'm not sure why a violinist would need to know how to play the piano.

See Roadrunner's comment above.  Also, knowing piano helps with theory class.  Freshman music theory is often considered a weed-out course for music majors; already knowing how to read notes and key signatures in both bass and treble clef will make the course much easier.  (Students will learn alto and tenor clefs, as well.)  At some point, students will compose simple piano music to demonstrate theory learned, and having a head start on the keyboard will make those assignments easier.  Certainly, it's possible to be successful in music theory without already knowing how to play piano, but some familiarity will help.  

[S/O What things are neccessary?]

I made sure my dc studied what was needed for college admission.  I also made sure they were on track with courses required in the local public or private schools in case they had to finish high school there for some unexpected reason (I knew someone whose dc transferred in and had to take an extra year to get in the required courses to graduate).  So, yes, my dc took P.E. and health. 

I'm not sure what instrument(s) your ds plays currently.  If he doesn't yet know how to play piano, getting started on that may be helpful.  Also, the freshman music theory course tends to weed out a lot of students, so going in with a solid foundation would help.  
 

[Offer going in.....]

37 minutes ago, DawnM said:

So the owner told our realtor that they have another showing today and they seem very interested.

My realtor says she thinks he is playing games since he knows an offer is possibly coming.   

I really don't know what to think about that.   Why would he even say that, even if it is true, who cares?   He must have said it for a reason.

Sure, there's a reason.  He wants you to make a higher offer to outbid the other party.

[Offer going in.....]

I'd want white cabinets.  Warm wood floor and beams will work nicely with them.  Gray is depressing.

[Good News!!!]

I'm so glad!  What a relief for you both!

[ACT scores -when is the score "good enough?"]

Why not just call the universities she's interested in and ask about the scores needed to be competitive for their top scholarships?  

[S/O What would you want? Trigger warning for funerary thoughts and references]

I like visiting my mother's grave, even though I can't do it very often.  And while occasionally I feel some guilt about not going more frequently, I know my mom would tell me it's okay -- just to come when I can.  While I'm there, I also visit my grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, childhood friends, my parents' friends.... That's one of the advantages of growing up in a small town.  My brother and his wife bought graves right next to my mom's, but we chose not to.  While I kind of like the idea of being buried there, we live so far away that my dc would likely never visit.  They'd be more likely to do so if we were buried here, where they grew up; we'll probably choose the same cemetery as dh's parents.  Even if our dc never visit, I want them to have the opportunity to do so and for it to be a place where other relatives they loved were buried, as well.  I know that will mean something to at least one of them, and that's good enough reason for us to do so.  

[Iron numbers--help me interpret and raise them]

I've known several people who swear by raw carrots instead of prunes.  

[Looking for a diploma cover/folder 11x14]

You can order covers from homeschooldiploma.com.  

[Do you ever think of what you would have been like had you made different decisions in your life?]

Yes, I occasionally think about past choices and how my life might have been different, but I realize that a different life would mean I would lose much that's important to me now.  I'm glad to be where I am.

[Best way to access The Great Courses (audible vs wondrium vs ...)?]

FYI, Wondrium does not include all of the Great Courses lecture series; the missing ones may still be available on Audible or on CD/DVD from the library or eBay.  

[Phobias: do you think they can be "cured"?]

Tapping/EFT helps some people with phobias.   

[What is the first thing you ate after you gave birth?]

I don't remember what I ate.  With baby #1, I do remember being ravenous and terribly impressed with whatever the hospital sent up for me to eat.  I doubt it was as good as I thought at the time, but I was very grateful.  

[Flameless candles with realistic color]

Bumping in hopes someone has a suggestion....

[Anxiety]

3 hours ago, ktgrok said:

Anxiety and inflammation go together. I wonder if you are fighting off a bug? My son's PANDAS responds very well to ibuprofen. 

Thanks for sharing that.  I know someone who needs that info.

[Anxiety]

GABA, which is short for gamma-aminobutyric acid.  Here's some commentary about it by the Cleveland Clinic.  It's likely available at a local Vitamin Shoppe or similar store; if not, you can buy through Amazon.  

[How long a recovery did your kid need for wisdom teeth surgery?]

A friend of my oldest had them out, didn't use ice, swelled up like crazy, and still had pain with chewing and limited activity two weeks after the surgery.  Because of that, my oldest was willing to ice at first (20 minutes on, 20 minutes off), but then stopped being consistent that first evening.  Dc's face swelled up on the 2nd day, and icing at that point didn't bring it back down.  Dc looked rather like a chipmunk for a week, but resumed most normal activities in about 5 days.  My 2nd dc chose to be meticulous about icing for two days; that dc had no swelling, very little pain, and was fine in 3 days.  

[Larger churches….what does yours do right?]

My church is also strong in these areas:

3 hours ago, purpleowl said:

* Faithful preaching of God's Word

* Care for community, both the church body and the community around the church

* Within caring for the church body - one thing that drew us to this church (we've been there a year and a half) was that it has a special needs ministry. The fact that that exists is a demonstration of an attitude that this church will care for ALL its members. And while we haven't ended up using that particular ministry, we have experienced that care for our own kids.

* They encourage people to serve, but they also try to help people find areas of service that will be a good fit for their gifts. Not just "we need warm bodies to do such and such." And they recognize that there are seasons where people can serve more and seasons where they can't. Oh - and they try to make sure people have times of rest. Like the children's Sunday School workers during the school year get the summer off and others are asked to fill in for the summer. And they do that for other areas of service, too (not necessarily school year/summer, but just making sure there are periods of rest).

Those are a few off the top of my head.

Building community within the church is a huge focus.  The church leaders encourage everyone to get involved in smaller groups (besides volunteering) where they can grow spiritually and can develop relationships with other believers.  There are sign-up events 2-3 times a year to help everyone get plugged in with a group.  There are "life groups" that meet every other week in homes for fellowship, sermon discussion, and Bible study -- all adults are encouraged to get involved, and there are a variety of group types to make finding one easier.  There are also men's and women's Bible studies that meet in the a.m. or evening every other week.  There are evening Alpha groups specifically for adults wanting to learn about the Christian faith.  Teens have middle school and high school youth groups with an amazing youth pastor who makes a consistent effort to connect with each student to help them develop stronger faith in Christ and good relationships with each other.  Most of these groups include a meal or dessert together, usually brought by group members.  The church provides free coffee and tea on Sunday mornings before and after services; a small café in the lobby also offers upscale coffee drinks and baked goods for purchase, with all profits going to support missions.  



 

 

[amazon return question]

Did you try scrolling down? When I have a return, it offers me Kohl's and another site, but the UPS store is still there farther down the page.

ETA:  I just reread.  I'd call and explain the situation to a rep and ask them to adjust your options, so that the UPS store was free.  

[Can you all pray for DH and I?]

Praying