[So I just got home from dinner with my narcissistic mother, and...]

Hugs

 

[My idiot BIL....]

I would quietly invite your sister to hide out at your house if he gets crazier.  It sort of scares me that he has taken time off to spend it with the family.  I'm worried he might do something to them.  

 

My BIL is all conspiracy nut at times, I usually shut him down and I won't let him teach my kids Karate.

[Name a retail establishment that wouldn't be terrible for employment]

Small family owned bookstore:  I loved it and my paycheck was signed over too many times.  So, it ended up being cheaper for me to stay home with the kids. :)

 

Target:  yes!

 

Home Depot: no, worst place so far.

 

[4-H Fair Check-in, talk up your kids' projects here!]

Our fair runs Sept 2-6th. 

 

We have pink eye in the barns for the first time ever, if it isn't under control soon, none of our calves can go.  All the crops are going to be a bust this year because of all the rain, we actually just got some of our soybeans in the ground last Wednesday.  The knitting and crocheting is coming along and should be done this month.  We had a flaky teacher for cooking club who still hasn't handed out the gingerbread recipe she is requiring them to use for the fair project.  We won't join any clubs she runs again.

 

I'm toying with teaching a club myself next season.  If I decide to do so I need to drop off the paper work on Monday night.

[Fourth edition of TWTM...here's your chance to weigh in!]

AND (I can't stop!) I am forever grateful to another boardie who recommended Hands On Equations as a pre-algebra resource.  If you aren't familiar with it, it's a stepwise program that walks the student through the concepts of variables and manipulating them using actual small tokens to represent the variables.  It can be started in late grammar stage students.  

 

I second Hands on Equations as a pre-algebra resource.  My son had a lightbulb moment using the ipad app.  It's so great to see their faces light up when they finally get something!

[We need a blog title!!]

My current mantra is, Homeschooling thru High school, it can't kill you.  Would that work? LOL

 

 

[Your family in two sentences]

"You weren't born in a barn, just next to one, go clean that up!" <------- we live on a dairy farm.

 

"Get your nose out of that book and come watch this TV show with the family."   <------- I started family retro TV time.  The older shows aren't a hit with everyone..... yet.

[Help me set boundaries with Gold Child & Narcissist & Facebook]

I would go without the kids.  Meet baby, bring baby a small gift.  I would go enjoy your sister, you never know when she might get sick and tired of narcissistic mom and want to cross over from the dark side into the light.  :)  If you do bring the kids, I would tell her ahead of time that no one (not her, mom, great aunt betty, etc) is to take picture of your children.  Calmly, explain that you don't want your kids pictures out of your control online.  If she starts to argue, ask her if it's more important to visit with you or take pictures of the kids?  Because if she argues, then there will be no visit.

[Fourth edition of TWTM...here's your chance to weigh in!]

If I could wish I'd have you add:

• more information about teaching special needs students
• high school "paper work" information like what was suggested earlier.  We chose to go with http://www.narhs.org/ so we could chose what curriculum we wanted and still get an accredited transcript/ diploma at the end of high school.
• how to use/ find cheaper or even free resources.
• more information about CLEP, AP, Dual enrollment, etc.

[How to certify a transcript? Cross-post]

I'd offer the youngest $$$ to find them. That's what I do when I really need to find something. She finds everything!  Although, sometimes I suspect she hides things also.....

[Has anyone from US bought a book from Amazon.CA?]

Order from the Amazon.com site and have it shipped to Canada.  So, I'm backwards to what you are asking.  However, Amazon.com charges me in American dollars and it appears on my statement as one line and the very next line is the conversion amount.

[Shoe-Tying... Solved!]

That was awesome!

 

[What size white Board?]

I found a glass outdoor table top at the side of the road.  Neighbors bought a new patio set.  Hubby brought it home, I spend $12 in hardware and hmm maybe $6 in white shelf liner.  I applied the shelf liner carefully onto the back of the glass and this gave me a "white" surface instead of the color of my classroom walls.  Then hubby hung it up.  It is huge!  Cleans beautifully and goes nicely in my classroom. 

[Prepping a new laptop. What do I do first?]

With some quick online research this is what I'm finding so far.  IS there anything else I'm missing?

 

Run All Windows Updates

Install Avast

Install Belarc and run it

Unhide Extensions, Files and Folders

Tweak Your Power Settings

Turn on Windows Defender

Install a different web browser

Set up user accounts and parental controls

Switch to Desktop-first mode

Uninstall unwanted software

Make your own drivers disk

Activate Windows program

Perform a full security scan

Create a restore point.

Make a backup to restore when things fail.

take a system image of the whole thing

Set-up Dropbox

 

this list is not necessarily in the right order.

[Prepping a new laptop. What do I do first?]

We bought two new laptops for the kids.  One is going off to college and the other to my basement. :)  Before I let the kids have them.  What should I do to them first?

 

I know I need to install the anti-virus.  But what else do you suggest?

[Grade 9 -How many hours of school each day?]

Also, with your pole is that just core academics or does that include electives? Extracurriculars?

 

8 credits.  Extracurriculuars like 4-H clubs are not included.

 

[Please tell me it gets better ....]

Make sure you come and get support here, the ladies who have walked this road will guide you and we will all cheer you on.  Just make sure you don't write anything on here that will affect you legally.  Sometimes that starts up and then once it's on the internet it's can't really be removed (at least easily).  If the med isn't working then go back and get the dosage upped.  Only you can decide if it is working for you or not.  Blessings.

[Grade 9 -How many hours of school each day?]

I think I'm over thinking this.  This is my first child to be homeschooled in high school. I don't expect him to be "in class" the same as the local high school kids, however, I do know from my older kids who went through public school, that high school students were expected to have a couple of hours of homework at night also.

[keeping things in a dorm room]

CAA will help with towing if necessary.  That and Daddy has a flat bed trailer so between the two we can get her home safely! :)

[Correcting door slamming]

ohh and they don't get this from their mother.   :leaving:

[Correcting door slamming]

After one warning they know that when they slam the door, they are asking to wash all the door knobs in the house. 

 

I get up, get the rag and the spray cleaner.  Walk to their room open the door and say "Thank you for volunteering!"  with a big old smile on my face.  If they don't immediately get up and get started then I start to count slowly 1, 2, 3  the kids know that they will be doing this chore for as many days as I count off.  My older 2 kids have blessed me with a few days of clean door knobs.  I'm just hoping when the next child starts up it will be during the cold and flu season, that will make my load easier then. :)

[keeping things in a dorm room]

We opted for a small key locked safe.  She'll be coming home on weekends so we are only sending a 2 week supply with her to keep in her room.  Also, the pharmacy in her college town is with the same company we have in our town.  They will transfer her script up to them and have it filled up there if she has a bad snow storm and can't come home.  She has an atm card to get cash if she needs it but she is so frugal she drives me nuts.  So, I don't expect her to use it much.  We have the kids keep $20 hidden in their cars in of emergency.  She'll only be 1.5 hrs away so the worst is I head up there to bring her more medicine if necessary.

[I think we have bedbugs]

I am so itchy now.....  praying you win the battle quickly.

[And I Though We Were Done With Grammar]

High school level.  I would use http://www.grammarbook.com/

 

You can buy the book and your dd can read the textbook and watch the videos where the lady reviews the lessons.  It also has tests which you can use for a grammar grade. :)

 

[IEW Fix It VS Editor in Chief]

We used Editor-in-Chief.  My kids got good at clicking every link until they found the right rule.  I really don't think the software is good on it's own.