[Recording and/or repeating failed dual enrollment classes]

I have a few questions about reporting dual enrollment classes and final senior transcripts.  

My son  is a graduating senior, accepted to several colleges and has committed to the college of his choice, which offered him a merit scholarship.  

Unfortunately, he suffered a relationship disappointment this spring and he allowed it to affect his dual  enrollment studies severely.  I knew it was an issue, but was balancing the line between encouraging him to do his school work despite not feeling like it and letting him take responsibility for himself and learn how to  manage his studies without mom's  help, which was one  of the goals of dual enrollment classes this year, before going away to college next year.  Unfortunately, he hid from us just how much this was affecting him and what a hole he dug for himself with his classes until it was too late.  If we had known, we would have advised him to take the W in a few classes, but we didn't realize in time.  So, he got an F in two classes as well  as a D, C, and B.  By contrast, in the Fall semester, his grades were two As and three Bs.  Ironically, the two classes he failed were the classes he got a As in during the Fall.  So the issue was truly just not turning in assignments or doing the work, not a difficulty in understanding the material.  

Over the past few weeks, we've come to realize just how much he was struggling, and are getting him mental health help.  As of right now, he *really* wants to still go away to college in the fall.  This is not something we are pushing on him.  We are willing for him to take a gap year or change course altogether.   But if  he really wants to pursue this still, we want to support him.  We do want him to know that one big stumble does not have to mean giving up on all his dreams.  

So, my questions are these.  First, his classes were taken at a University, and most of them are for-credit classes that will transfer.  So, his new University will see this transcript.  What would be the best approach for discussing the spring grades with his new school?  Should we call the admissions office and discuss it preemptively before they get the transcript?  Or wait until they ask?  I've  done the calculations, and the low grades this semester will not drop his GPA below the threshold needed for his merit award.  But I'm sure it will not  look good to them that he did so poorly this past semester.  

Also, do I need to record his two failing grades on his high school transcript?  He did not need either of these particular classes to graduate.  I am asking primarily from the perspective of continuing to send transcripts with scholarship applications if requested.  I don't want to misrepresent him of course, but also don't want to hurt him unnecessarily.  I am not really sure what the protocol is for Failing or Withdrawing from a dual enrollment class,  with respect to homeschool high school transcripts.  I do know that this will be a permanent part of his college transcript.  

Finally, one of the classes he failed was Calculus.  He will be retaking Calculus next Fall anyway.  That was always the intention, for this year's math to help prep  him for next year.  But, I've considered having him retake calculus this summer, just to help rebuild his confidence, as well as to show the university that he takes this seriously.  However, because of other prior commitments this summer, he cannot take it at a CC or the dual enrollment university.  So, it would be a homeschool at home Calculus class, which we do have the curriculum for.  Which means, the "replacement" class would not be official or reflected on the college transcript, just on the homeschool transcript.  I'm trying to decide  if this is worthwhile.  I don't  want it to look like the dual enrollment class failed him, but mom says it's all good, ykwim?  Part of me just wants to have him unofficially retake calculus this summer to help prepare him, but not worry about it being on a transcript..

Any advice or other ideas are very welcome!  
Thanks!
 

[Converting Letter Grades to Number Grades for transcripts]

"

"UAH accepted letter only grades for my DD with no problem at all. And they reweight grades based on their weighting."


Yes, I tried to submit our transcript as is.  But we're in Texas, so there are no Umbrella schools.   So UAH emailed and asked for the transcript to be converted to number grades.  

[Converting Letter Grades to Number Grades for transcripts]

I searched, but couldn't find the answer to my question, either here or on Google.  

One of the colleges that my son has applied to wants us to convert our transcript to their format, which includes numerical grades.  However, I did not keep track of his grades throughout high school numerically, only letter grades.   He does have some co-op  classes and online classes with number grades that we can use.   But the classes I taught him, I only recorded  as letter grades.  

Is there a standard number grade to assign when converting letter grades to numerical grades?  I thought about assigning him 95s for all As and 85 for all Bs, but don't want to shortchange him if the convention is otherwise.  

Also, the college wants his transcript to be unweighted.  He does have several AP classes on  his transcript.  Would the class being AP affect the number grade I should assign?  He has a couple of AP semesters where he got a B, but I had awarded him 4 points on a 5 scale.  

His transcript has been accepted by several other colleges already and he already has acceptances from two.  So I'm not concerned about the validity of the transcript  I created, but need to convert it  for this particular school.  (It is University of Alabama Huntsville.  He wants to consider this school, since his planned major is Aerospace Engineering)

Thanks for any suggestions or resources!
 

[Should long-time homeschoolers help crisis schoolers?]

I started a Facebook group for this very thing.  It's  called Temporary Homeschoolers.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/temphomeschoolers/

I invited experienced homeschoolers to join the group who were willing to help folks who have been thrown into this, due to current circumstances.

The group has grown a lot, and I believe is a positive resource for everyone.

My philosophy is that folks who are schooling at home right now are going to call themselves homeschoolers.  They don't know any different.  So, this is an opportunity to show them a little about what homeschooling truly is.  We've been able to calm a lot of frazzled nerves, and help folks understand they won't ruin their kids.  We've encouraged a lot of deschooling and taking the opportunity to focus on non-traditional education, since many schools haven't provided full curriculum yet, and probably will not be able to for some time due to equal access issues.  

I know this is not "real"  committed homeschooling in most cases.  But I see no reason to be antagonistic and divisive.  I'd rather extend a helping hand in this extraordinary time.  The vast majority of folks will probably return to public schools when they reopen, but if they can go back with some homeschooling myths dispelled and a new respect or appreciation for homeschoolers, it will be worth the effort.  

This situation has also caused A LOT of folks who were already on the fence about homeschooling to decide to give it a go.  So, we've been able to share various resources with them as well, and answer a lot of genuine new homeschooler questions.  We've also been able to share with them that this, crisis homeschooling, or isolation homeschooling, is not representative of how homeschooling looks for most of us.   

So, that's my perspective.   I certainly don't feel that all homeschoolers are obligated to help in this way.  It's just my little way of doing what I can to help my neighbors in this awful time.       

[Which 20 books help prepare for reading the Great Books?]

I'm unashamedly resurrecting this thread again. So many great suggestions! My current middle schooler was just starting 1st grade when this thread began, but it's quite helpful to me now. Thank you!

[Thoughts on math mammoth?]

I've been using Math Mammoth for about 5 years now.  My oldest has finished it, my next is in level 4, next is finishing up level 2, and next is starting level 1.  

 

I think it is a fabulous program.

 

We came to Math Mammoth after I ran into issues with "just memorize the algorithm" in Saxon 3 with my oldest.  I did some research on math curroculums, mostly here on the forums, read Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics, and knew I wanted to switch.  I was leaning toward Singapore, but was put off by all the books and parts involved to just cover one year well.  Math Mammoth was recommended to me and we gave it a shot.  I ended up starting my son back in level 1, since there were so many concepts in level 1 and 2 that he had not yet covered through Saxon 3.  He did double work for a year or two to catch up.  

 

Math Mammoth is easy to implement, intuitive for my kids, both the naturally mathy ones and the not so math-inclined.  I love how the concepts are taught from so many different perspectives.  If one does not gel with the student, no problem, another perspective will be in the next section.  They are not drilled to death, but the math facts are learned naturally, without a lot of extra drilling.  It's been wonderful for our family.

 

The price is excellent too, especially if you have multiple children who will be cycling through. 

 

We've used it since before it was aligned with CC.  She did not change the material at all, but simply moved some units from one grade to others, to align with the common presentation of material.  So the move of the formal introduction of multiplication from 3 to 2.  

 

Which brings to mind another benefit of the program.  Math facts are introduced conceptually much sooner than they are formally.  Building blocks for multiplication are throughout the first two levels.  SO much so, that my boys start figuring it out on their own, and are already learning their multiplication tables before it's ever introduced in a multiplication chapter.  Same for division and fractions and algebra.  It makes the new topics so much less daunting when the student feels like they already understand the basics.   

 

[Suggestions for a family game that a 7-year-old can also play?]

Ticket to Ride is by far our favorite game. I recommend it so highly because it is truly fun for both parents and kids, and kids from 7+ can actually play competitively.

 

We love Settlers too, but it has definitely been a little too much conceptually for our boys at 7.

 

Our newest favorite is Carcassonne. To me, it is similar to Settlers in play, but conceptually more like Ticket to Ride, so it's one that a 7 year old could enjoy as well.

[What practical things helped your late reader the most?]

Funnix has been wonderful for us. My eight year old was not interested at four, or five, or six. I started letting him use Funnix as a supplement, and he took to it right away. He finds the stories amusing and he likes being able to do it himself. I never saw myself using a computer program to let my child self-teach himself to read, but it has worked wonders for him in the last year. He's now deep into the middle of level 2 and reading Magic Tree House books on his own, willingly. This is a big change from 18 months ago, when he thought he was too dumb to read, because he compared himself to his older brother who was reading massive chapter books.

[Can anyone explain how Obamacare will change things for our family (self-employed, OOP payments)]

DH is self-employed, no employees just works for himself. We pay about $1100 a month for pretty much catastrophic coverage. Very high deductible ($2500 a person and $7500 as a family) which we have never hit. It is very difficult for us to pay this.

 

Does anyone know how Obamacare might change things for us? Does one have to be uninsured to benefit? Should we 'go off' insurance (maybe to a faith based insurance) now so we can be covered under Obamacare? Will prices vary from state to state? (we're in Florida).

 

 

We are very similar to the OP's situation, so I am reading this thread with great interest. We currently pay high premiums for similar coverage (our deductibles are a little higher), plus contribute half the premiums again to our HSA, so that the medical expenses we do pay out are pre-tax. The premiums and HSA contributions combined are 14% of my husband's gross income. We are seriously reconsidering whether to continue this medical coverage, possibly switching to a faith based exchange, or purchasing the subsidized coverage when it is available.

 

We are self-insured also. I have heard/read that, if you already have insurance, this won't affect you much. But then I keep reading about insurance prices going up and companies cutting the number of employees or cutting employees hours so they are part-time to avoid having to provide insurance for them because they can't afford to provide what Obamacare says they must.. So, by the time we really see this implemented, there will likely be a lot more people without insurance.

 

 

Here is how Obamacare has affected us. My husband does the exact same kind of job now that he has done for the last ten years. Only now, instead of being a hospital employee, he is an "independent contractor"- self employed. Which means they no longer pay for any of our benefits, including health care coverage. More and more businesses will be hiring folks this way to avoid having to pay the increasing costs of coverage. My husband's employer made no secret that this is directly related to the coming changes. So, he does the same work with fewer benefits and is considered self employed. In the past, self employment was an opportunity to start and grow a business, with the hope that it would become profitable in the future and make the early sacrifices like giving up employer benefits worthwhile. Now, non-optional "self employment" is code for No Benefits, with no opportunity to grow your fake business.

 

This is not a new problem; when I was working I worked as a benefits administrator and every year insurance premiums for the companies increased and level of coverage decreased and somehow we had to make it palatable to our employees and still seem like a "benefit." In the last 20 years, employer funded pension plans have gone the way of the dodo bird, a benefit that was completely expected by previous generations and considered inviolable. Companies, including the one I worked for, paid large sums of money now to get out of these plans, foreseeing the cash pit they would become. In the same way, it is very possible that the AHA will influence more businesses to phase out traditional employer-subsidized medical benefits.

 

My dad recently lost his job of 33 years. His employers closed down their company, citing Obamacare as the primary reason, because after several years of losing money, their profits were already razor thin. Dad was fortunate to find another job, but at reduced pay, longer hours, AND... you guessed it, no medical benefits.

 

Our insurance went up $3 per pay period. Not exactly gloom and doom. That's typically the amount it increases.

 

 

Our employer-subsidized insurance premiums went from $300 a month to $0, which was awesome. Well, except for the uninsured part.

 

Yep, we lose too. We pay very little, like laughably little in premiums with a max out of pocket of $5000, but the calculator says we would pay over $700 a month for premiums and over $8000 max. We cannot afford that. :(

 

 

I think your situation actually hits at the crux of the changes. You currently pay relatively low premiums, but AHA will raise your premiums and OOP expense to much higher levels. Ironically, by the calculators posted, AHA would *drop* my premiums and OOP expenses to approximately the levels you quote above (we currently pay over $10k a year in premiums alone, before our OOP expenses). So, hooray me, right?

 

Overall, I think the act is misnamed. In the short term, it will be more affordable for some and less affordable for others. So far, from what I've read here and elsewhere, it will primarily "hurt" those who currently have good employer medical coverage. And it will benefit those of us who pay for self coverage or are not covered at all. And as more and more folks lose employer coverage, more and more will be funneled into the subsidized coverage. (I know my family and my parent's experiences are anecdotal, but I don't think it is coincidental that for our entire adult lives both they and we have had employer medical, and now in the last year, we don't). Honestly, I don't think this act is intended to be a fix, but rather a stepping stone to a single payer system. I know some states are saber rattling about not participating or establishing exchanges, but I believe that the powers that be aren't really bothered. It will just shorten the time frame for their citizens to enroll in the federally established plans.

 

I am still not sure how I feel about this program yet. Due to the great thread on here about why people love universal healthcare, I have changed some of my opinions. Obviously this is not anywhere near that yet. Right now we get insurance through DH work. I put our info in that calculator and if we had to choose that option it would be $355 more a month than we are paying now. I don't see how that helps us at all. It would make things very tight. However, I know a couple without insurance and it would benefit them. So confusing.

 

 

I'm torn too. Our family will possibly personally benefit. But I can't really rejoice in that knowing that many other families will not, ykwim? Plus, I will admit to concerns about health care quality and access.

 

 

It does not require anyone to change their existing plans.

 

 

 

Not per se, but if the employer sponsored plans go away, it has the same effect.

 

However, I have no problems paying a little extra in taxes (though we do not make enough to have our tax rate increased) so some other 16yo kid does not have to watch her "pre-existing condition" mom almost bleed out on an ER floor.

 

 

:grouphug: That is tragic. I am so sorry.

 

I don't know why so many people are assuming that they won't be able to afford insurance once everything kicks in. You be able to participate in the insurance exchanges (intended to bring down the cost of insurance for many). Families making up to 400% of the poverty line will qualify for a tax benefit, which will help pay for insurance. http://www.healthcar...ml#event41-pane Right now, the federal poverty line calculator tells me that a family of 5 can bring in $9,000/month and be just squeaking under 400% of the poverty line. http://www.safetyweb.org/fpl.php. Why do so many people believe that these things won't apply yo them and they still won't be able to afford it?

 

 

Well for me, I am simply skeptical that things will all shake out for the good for us in the end. There are so many variables and unknowns at this time that one cannot really know for sure. Right now, the calculators show our family will benefit from a subsidy and will pay less in premiums. But, what will the coverage be like? What will we pay in co-pays, deductibles, and other OOP expenses? Since we are "self employed" our current health insurance premiums are tax deductible as well as our HSA contributions. If HSAs are eliminated and only the unsubsidized portions (or none) of our premiums remain deductible, our AGI will increase substantially, cutting our subsidy eligibility and probably not improving our situation overall. Since we currently struggle with paying the premiums and pretty much all of our medical expenses as well due to high deductibles, paying a similar amount for (completely unknown) coverage doesn't fill me with optimism.

 

Edited: to fix midnight-posting, NAK errors. If I've missed some more, please excuse.

[What do you keep your thermostat set to? (Heat)]

I think I should have married some of you guys! :D We are going on 20 years of thermostat wars in our house. I honestly think that, financial imperatives aside, the "normal" inside temperature has a lot to do with how you grew up.

 

We go from 72-74 depending. You aren't alone. I hate being cold and won't let my kids get cold. I had no idea people toughed it out and wore coats and blankets in the house. To me it's like enough food... a basic mom instinct to keep the kids fed and warm.

 

Maybe we are just more apt to get cold. Anything below about 68 and I would be miserable the whole time. Nope.

 

This is my husband. Except that he thinks he is FREEZING if I turn the thermostat below 72. He thinks that in winter the house should have a cozy warm feeling. But since we live in TX, oftentimes the daytime temperature is in the 70's, so to get that feeling, he jacks up the thermostat to 75!!! He does this every morning before work (from the 70-72 I have it set on), which drives me nuts because then I wake up sweating and then the house stays too warm all day. We have similar issues with AC in the summer. A lot of this has to do with growing up poor and feeling too cold or warm in his home. So he grew up promising himself that he would never feel uncomfortable in his own home.

 

I on the other hand grew up in a house where AC and heat went off at night. I actually love the feeling of a cold room at night and snuggling under quilts to sleep and the crisp feeling of the room when waking. Unfortunately, I rarely get to experience that feeling now and usually sleep with no covering at all.

 

I'd prefer 70 in the day and 65-67 at night, but that's never going to happen in our house. It is crazy to me that even my dream/frugal temps would be extravagant to many of you! We are fortunate to have gas heat though, which is relatively inexpensive. I win more of the temp wars in the summer because electric AC is way more expensive.

[basal cell carcinoma, round 2]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

My husband used to do those MOHS procedures. It is really amazing the capacity the human body has to heal. He'd see patients on the followup appointments and be so pleased at how good they looked, knowing how much was cut away.

 

I pray that all goes well for you and that you are done with this! :grouphug:

[Do you believe humans are mammals?]

a) God spoke the animals into being

b) God created Adam from the dust of the earth and breathed the breath of life into him

c) Adam is made in the image of God and the animals are not

d) Humans have souls, animals do not.

 

I believe in all of these points, yet I still believe that we are mammals. Of course my opinion is informed by the fact that I've been nursing for the last 10 years. Either I am a mammal or all that sweet chunky baby legs came from the voodoo-magic!

 

This discussion also calls to mind playing Alive/Not Alive with my preschoolers. Just because we as humans are classified as Alive along with Giraffes and Leaves does not diminish our differences or make us only as valuable as a Leaf. Rocks are Not Alive, but this is not a value judgement, just a statement of fact. However, in most cases it does support the notion that we are not 'dumb as rocks.' :lol:

 

There are plenty of further classifications that can be made among mammals. Live Young or Not. Sentient or not. Human/Not Human. Made in God's Image/Not. I really fail to see the harm in a mammalian classification.

[please no debate - chicken pox]

My stepmom has been in eldercare nursing for 44 years. Shingles is a beast.

 

It is! And now many otherwise healthy adults are suffering Shingles outbreaks too. Two friends of mine have had Shingles in their EYE, which was dreadful. In fact, I think that the increase in Shingles cases is the biggest unintended negative consequence of the chicken pox vaccine. Fewer children have chicken pox, so adults who had cp as children have fewer opportunities to be exposed and renew their immunity, leaving them vulnerable to a reactivation of the virus: Shingles.

 

Assuming we were free to quarantine for two months, I'd be inclined to expose my children to a friend with Shingles if the opportunity arose. We've tried chicken pox parties several times to no avail. But on multiple occasions, children or grandchildren of friends with Shingles have come down with chicken pox. In half those cases, the children had been vaccinated, but still caught chicken pox from the relative with Shingles. So there is a very good chance that your friend's children will contract chicken pox.

[Homeschool Vaccine Study]

I did the survey, because with a Marketing degree I appreciate folks trying to do research. :)

 

I didn't provide (and wasn't asked for) any contact information like names, address, phone numbers, ssn #'s or any other personally identifiable information.

 

It does ask for children's birthdate's, but if you want to take the survey and feel odd about that, you could easily substitute a fake birthdate that gives the same age.

 

I think this survey is targeted toward homeschoolers because some people homeschool to avoid vaccine exemption issues. They might also be studying whether families that are willing to go counter culture on education are more likely to make counter culture choices medically.

 

In any case, it was an interesting survey.

[Need Minions]

Ha! I've actually heard the following in my house:

 

"Mama! I *need* some minions!" or "Mama! Xxxx won't be my minion!"

 

I've never considered conscripting them as my own personal minions. :D

[How do you pronounce the name Apollos?]

Thanks so much for all the feedback!

 

Sorry for the confusing poll options, but actually, your feedback helped me figure out what truly annoys me about the alternate pronunciation and it is NOT the long 'O' in the last syllable as I thought it was.

 

My husband and I pronounce the name the less popular uh-PAH-luhs. Now that I think about it, that probably has a lot to do with living here in Texas where final syllables are often softened. It sounds 'right' to me.

 

But, the pronunciation that most of you advocate, and which I left off the poll, uh-PAH-los does not grate on me. In fact, it sounds more proper, and I agree with you all that this is probably the correct way to say it. Fortunately, around here, LOS and LUHS would be used pretty much interchangeably and most folks wouldn't notice the difference.

 

I thought it was the LOS that bugged me, but not I realize that the pronunciation that grates on me is uh-pah-LOS, with the emphasis on the last syllable. And I spelled it LOWSE in the poll because that's how the worst offender says it, drawn out and with lots of emphasis on that 'O'.

 

Funny how much a little inflection or change in emphasis can affect one's impression of a name.

 

Thanks for the help!

[JAWM: "Interesting" introduction at church today]

We make non-traditional vaccine choices in our family, but it is not something I discuss with casual acquaintances, strangers, or really anyone that hasn't expressed a strong desire to know my opinion on the subject. With like minded friends, sure! But because someone mentions a particular disorder that may or may not, but probably isn't related to vaccine reactions? No, no, never!

 

I really don't even think you were out of line so much yourself, personally. I have a son that I would describe much like your child- probably has a form of ADD or ADHD, but has never been officially diagnosed. I've certainly discussed this with other moms, in the realm of making accommodations for the needs of my particular child, especially if they've brought up educational concerns with their own children. However, I do not think that even such a conversation should open the door to intrusive medical questions and comments that imply one is responsible for causing their child's struggles. That's just rude!

[How do you pronounce the name Apollos?]

Our newest baby is named Apollos. :001_smile:

 

We pronounce his name one way, but some of our family members pronounce it another. It annoys me to hear them pronouncing his name "wrong" but I have been Googling to bolster my case before asking them to pronounce it "correctly" and have found different sources that support each pronunciation.

 

So... how would you say Apollos?

 

[7-year-old and "The Hunger Games"]

I wouldn't let my ten year old read it yet.

 

For point of reference, he has read all of the Harry Potter books, including the last few darker ones, which also involve kids killing kids.

 

But for me, the difference is that in HP, the lines between good and evil are pretty clearly evident. In The Hunger Games, I think it would be easy for a young child to miss the underlying themes and comments on modern society and "reality" TV and the complex causes of warfare. Without understanding these issues, the book is just a senseless bloodbath. I don't think my son is even aware of many of these issues, certainly not in a meaningful way, so the book would be pointlessly violent for him. We have friends who are adults and saw the movie without reading the book, and came away thinking the movie glorified the violence rather than satirizing it, so if adults can be confused without proper context, so could a young child.

[Anyone else taking their children with them tomorrow while they vote?]

I'm taking mine. The poll workers have always loved seeing kids with their parents in my experience.

 

This has been my experience as well. My kids have always gone with me or my husband and go in the booth and see how it works. Poll workers have never given us the stink eye. On the contrary, they all are pleasant and encouraging, especially at primaries and midterm elections.

 

My boys were excited to go vote with us last week when we voted early. In fact my eight year old was so enthusiastic that he made a sign that said "Vote for {Presidential Candidate's name}!" He planned to bring it in the polling place and I am sure that a little song and possibly a dance would have accompanied it, so we had to explain the no campaigning within 200 yards rule. :lol:

 

We plan to watch the returns tomorrow night and color in our Electoral College map and debate the EC vs the popular vote.

[About what time do we start getting firm election results?]

I don't think so. They start making predictions a little bit after polls close on the East Coast, and the polls are still open on the West Coast. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

True. Since the Bush/Gore debacle, I believe they have started waiting until the polls close in each state before calling the election results in that state. Previously, they would predict winners before the polls had even closed, based on exit polls. But since they called Florida for Gore before the panhandle polls had closed, and ended up being wrong (at least judicially!), now they at least wait until the stroke of 7:01 to avoid looking like they are affecting the outcomes. But they don't wait until the polls are closed everywhere.

[How much should children be told?]

My thought is that at ages 7 and 11, a short non-dramatic explanation, like the one you gave your son Scarlett can be appropriate. But, I do feel it should only come from the parents involved, not from any other party, as interested as they may be in the child's well being.

 

I do think that a continuing relationship is a different situation than an affair that ended a marriage but no longer continues. If an adulterer continues in their relationship, as ugly as that might be for the adults involved, if they are a parent, their relationship with their child is separate from that. I can see keeping children in the dark for a while for the benefit of their parental relationships. But, I do think it is appropriate for a parent to sit down with them as they get older and explain things a little more openly. Especially if they were too young to understand when it happened and may have grown up with a misunderstanding about the relationships of the folks involved.

 

A dear friend of mine found out abruptly as a young adult that his father was not his biological father and that he was born as a result of an adulterous relationship. That was a BIG deal for him to process, especially as it came out suddenly and accidentally, and it took him a long time to forgive his parents for not telling him themselves at some point. Obviously it wasn't a conversation to have with a young child, but it should have happened some time before adulthood.

[Ok, so I am scared now.....]

A few years ago I was having some neurological issues and associated vision issues. I saw a neurologist, but she also referred me to a neuro-ophthamologist where they did additional tests that a standard ophthalmologist would not have the equipment or experience to do. I would hope that with your symptoms, your neurologist will decide to do the same.

 

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[Storing Large Toys for Boys]

Most of our weaponry and battles are ONLY ALLOWED OUTSIDE! So, we have a Deck Box on the back porch and all swords, shields, light sabers, nerf guns, sais, nunchucks, waterguns, stomp rockets, pool noodles and any other assorted artillery are all kept there. :D We also have a smaller "weapons" box in the playroom where a few nerf guns and darts are kept, in response to pleas from the owners. But if they use them to shoot mama or anywhere in the vicinity of the baby, they are banished outside as well.

[Unique things you do to save money]

I buy almost all of my boy's clothing and shoes at consignment sales. The only time we buy new is for socks/underwear or a real need that I didn't find ahead of time at a sale. Usually each season there are a few gaps (right now one of my boys still needs a winter coat) and I will go to consignment stores or sales looking for that one item. But usually, I buy ahead a year or season for my oldest son and for any gaps caused by worn out clothes/shoes for the younger ones.

 

I don't think this is too unusual, BUT I also sell at several consignment sales throughout the year, and I use the profits from my sales to buy my boys' clothes there. So, each year I spend some money from our budget, but the majority of what I spend on clothing comes from what I've sold. I get the clothing and baby gear to sell from items we no longer use, markdown days at thrift stores, garage sales, buying clothing in big lots from other folks, etc. Only nice quality stuff sells at consignment, so I have to watch for the gems at these places, but I find many. We also do a lot of donating clothing to goodwill, if it is not nice enough to resell.

 

I also buy the majority of our curriculum used online or at area curriculum sales. I resell whatever we don't use, and often am able to buy the new (to us) items I want with the proceeds of previous sales.