My 10yo DD has loved Poe for years. She's an odd duck anyway, but fwiw she started with the Raven, and then expanded to the Gris Grimly illustrated Poe stories. Amazon has a decent 'see inside' for those so you can see how you feel about it. She just loves them.

I've been running a Writing Club for our homeschool group using these books exclusively, but with personal tweaks, like an end-of-year magazine. It has been working wonderfully! We've got a pretty long wait list for the new club sessions starting in September. :)

Re-reading this and seeing you've already tried what I suggested (late night reading comprehension fail, I blame a too-long day) you may be SOL. It's pretty rare for flowing water such that could drive a small turbine to not express as a more lush vegetation area/dark patch on Google Earth. Only a pro hired to take a closer look could tell you for sure. Sorry!

Fishfinder isn't going to work, you're right. You are looking for surface water? Assuming you have water on the property and don't know of wet areas, which is basically how a natural spring usually expresses itself ime, I would get on GoogleEarth and look for areas where the vegetation is darker, implying increased water supply. In our area, surface water/springs/bogs/ponds usually means wetlands, which means increased regulation, and most property owners don't want to deal with that and prefer to use well water anyway. Pretty much every land owner in our county needs to hire a wetland consultant at some point. Source: I'm a working geologist for a full-service earth science firm. Edited for typos.

DD is doing Apples and Pears slowly alongside Bravewritery writing practices.

Does *she* want to be tested? We have put off evaluations for many of the reasons PPs listed (meeting child where they are at, not interested in special programs, etc) but now as they are getting older they are more observant about their differences. DS especially is interested in knowing more about himself and his strengths/weaknesses, from someone outside Mom. We decided to go ahead and have both kids evaluated since the younger is sure to be curious as well, so now they are both on wait lists for neuropsych evaluation. I am not sure if we will give the kids the full nitty-gritty results--we'll wait to see what they say to decide that--but no matter what we are respecting their desires to have more concrete information about themselves.

During our many read alouds, my 9yo DD enjoys thinking putty, coloring and drawing, weaving, embroidery, making little scenes with small figure toys, keva planks, magnatiles, etc.

We're a Bravewriter family. My son is/was similar in that he has many words inside him and likes to share, but doesn't want to write anything down if he's not invested in it. When he was smaller, he'd have major meltdowns over being asked to write formulaic materials or stuff he felt boring or pointless. Bravewriter helped tremendously. However, we started with The Writer's Jungle. At the time her leveled guides (Partnership Writing, etc) didn't exist yet anyway, and what I really needed was a guide for *me* on how to guide him. TWJ provided that. Since then, I've purchased some of the leveled guides, but they haven't worked well for us...largely because many of the projects were not stuff he wanted to do, but also because like you discribe, he didn't fit well into the writing stages Julie identifies. I might recommend that before you buy TWJ, poke around on the Bravewriter blog and see if her ideas resonate with you. And if they do, buy it on HSBC, where it's cheaper. :)

My daughter has similar taste. She loves many that are already listed. A few more.... Princess and Mr. Whiffle is a very creepy picturebook! Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark are great, maybe when she's reading more independently or as a read aloud for now. The Poe retellings illustrated by Gris Grimly are also a huge hit here.

Agreeing with the general consensus. Commenting to add that I keep an Amazon wish list of books and supplements "for our homeschool." My mom has been known to buy Christmas gifts for me off that list. I don't mind in the least. For all her pooh poohing it's one way I know she's in favor of the whole crazy idea. ;)

We are using MindUp slowly. One of my kids is uncomfortable with mindfulness (the one who needs it most of course) so we spend a long time getting used to one exercise before exploring another. Even if we never "finish" the book, though, the simple addition of a chime and breathing to the beginning of our morning time has been totally worth it.

I never changed my name either. It's not that unusual in the circles I travel. My parents thought it kind of funny, my grandmother never got used to it and continues to insist I did take husband's name, but it's nothing I get bent out of shape about. We know the truth. :D The kids have DH's last name, as well as my last name as a middle name.

Dansko shoes NYDJ pants Most Eddie Bauer Some Land's End

First c-section recovery was rough. I felt like I was hit by a truck for a while, probably because I had a long labor before it being an emergency C, and a newborn who was ready to be entertained right away. Second c-section recovery was smooth and easy. It was planned, and my life was set up easier at that point. I felt so good that a couple weeks in I forgot and bent over to pick a weed and felt a "pop"! That spot that "popped" healed a little funny (it was probably a little wrinkle in the muscle fascia or something) and ached for a long, long time afterward. So, no matter how good she feels, don't let her do any gardening before she's fully healed! ;)

I have very curly, coarse hair and for the last month or so I've been using DevaCurl no-poo. It works really well for me actually, helps a lot with the drying I get with regular shampoo. I think it might depend a lot on your hair type.

As a very short mom with a very short son unlikely to grow taller than 5'4", I am happy for you, but just want to put out there that even if the growth spurt didn't come, short is not really that bad of a thing to be. :)

Dinosaurs to dragons to mutants to skeletons (snake skeletons being a favorite) and back around to dinosaurs, here. The collections on display in DD's room are something else. ;)

I fall firmly into the "let them be obsessed" camp. My kids do this too (as do DH and I, even still.) Trying to discourage it...I just don't see any upside to that. It'll probably gradually fade or morph into something else, you may not even notice it happening until one day you realize it's just SNAKES everywhere, or something, and ACKKK weren't those books nice????? ;)

My DH started and but did not finish two degree programs. He's now production manager for a small maufacturing business, and you would be unlikely to guess he doesn't have any degrees. (I have two.)

Personally, we are a family that lives science, so formal science is unnecessary as a child. They are naturally immersed in it...books, the habits of curiosity and observation, field trips and osmosis. History is something that we are interested in, but have less access to, so our history study is a little more structured. So, I guess if you look at our homeschool with a certain lens, it could appear we've emphasized history over science...but it's just a different approach, really.

When our dog found a nest in our yard and three newborn baby bunnies died, my DD the budding biologist took one to the local university and they preserved it for her, and it is now in a jar in her "cabinet of curiosities". ...so that's one suggestion, but maybe not what you had in mind. ;) From what I understand, momma bunny will likely abandon the nest now anyway, since she knows it isn't a safe place after all, and she'll try again somewhere else. Harsh maybe, but that's nature sometimes.

I have only and intend to only do formal grammar with my LA natural as long as he enjoys it. He went through the first levels of MCT quickly and happily, but we're stalled out in Voyage because he is finding it more dry and repetitive. This is the same kid who asked to learn basic diagramming and will point out *my* casual colloquial grammar mistakes, so I just can't imagine forcing formal grammar over time better spent on other things. We'll study it in context and as needed or requested from here out.

Totally a splurge for myself, but I scored a pair of Frye boots on a really steep discount. Christmas in July!

Yes, almost always, though it might take me several hours to do so. But for many years I didn't. Turns out that for me, it turns out that was, in part, a side effect of some personal anxiety/depression issues. Funny how I feel more ready to take on the day now that I have some meds. Now a pj day is for a rare treat or a sick day.

I think you might be pleasantly surprised about the availability of Asian language opportunities locally. I took both Japanese and German at my public high school and in college. Yes, that was 20 years ago and course offerings have changed, but the same high school still offers 3 years of Chinese, and the options for languages at the community colleges and enthusiast clubs have expanded. (i.e., my sister is currently learning Swedish at an evening Meetup-type group!). So I personally would not put off my child if they are eager to learn any given language.