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Liza Q

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Posts posted by Liza Q

  1. If the parents roll their eyes and think that the kids are exaggerating, it seems like they really think that their kids' behavior is whining/ridiculousness, not hunger at all. But it doesn't sound like a discipline (I don't mean punishment, just that they might be dealing with whining or exaggerating)  issue if they actually let the kids eat what you have.Then again, I was never in this position as  I would discuss food plans with friends and acquaintances if we were going spend time together.

     

    Are you ever with them at a meal at their home? Do they serve plenty of food or are they serving plates from the kitchen and counting rolls or only serving vegetables or whatever and you hear/see that their children - not to mention you! -  are still hungry? Because maybe it is just a thing where they want their children to eat primarily at home/super healthily/a very specific diet.

  2. How do your friends react when you say you have some extra sandwiches? Are they indifferent or thankful or ??? I'm assuming their kids are pleased!!

     

    ETA: Another thought. Are your friends really inflexible about whining/begging/complaining? While I was always planning ahead with food - kids get hungry! - I had a zero-tolerance policy with whining. The more they begged and drove me crazy, the less they got. If they wanted ice cream and I said Not today, here's a juice box and a granola bar, I expected them to deal with it. If they whined, I would take away the granola bar.

     

    BUT. I always ran an outing past my husband so sometimes I knew that I had the extra $$ for ice cream. I would tell them that so they knew ice cream was likely, no begging needed! And if we were out with another family or 2, we moms would discuss the treat situation. Either everyone got ice cream or no one did, kwim? We didn't want anyone to feel left out!

    • Like 1
  3. I don't remember LL as having any type of busy work on the High School level. There was some in the Jr High levels. We skipped or, at most, skimmed over the comprehension questions and just used the background notes and writing instruction. My daughters liked choosing from the different writing assignments.

     

    I liked LL but I've never used LLATL so I can't compare them.

    • Like 2
  4. I have read about 90% of the literature I have assigned over the years and maybe 25% of the the extra books I have assigned for history - I have my kids tell me about the interesting - or awful - bits. I skim the History textbooks or read the summaries I have found in TMs or study guides so I am familiar enough with the material. Grading the essays is not difficult as I only assign essays in English/History on the books/topics I am most familiar with. I don't have them write about every book/play/poem/textbook chapter they read.

     

    I only give tests for History (never English) if they come with the textbook and answer key. Even with those, I am sure to pull out some of the questions to do orally. If I assign some Great Courses videos I rarely watch them - I prefer to ask my child to tell me about them! But I will definitely watch a video with my kids for English - we try to watch all the plays we read.

     

    Right now I am re-reading Moby Dick. I read it with my oldest about 12 years ago and it was still fresh enough in my mind a few years later when I assigned it to my 2nd. Now that my son is about to read it....I realized that I really need to read it again if I want to get into it with him!

     

    Science - if I can't totally outsource I make sure there are videos they can use on top of their texts, as I can't honestly manage anything past Biology! I rely heavily on a well organized text with reviews and tests for Science.

  5. We got back from our trip to Quebec yesterday and it was a marvelous trip! We didn't do any museums or take the bus or a cab - we just walked a LOT. We spent a lot of time in the Upper Town, near our hotel, and the Lower Town. We went up on the walls, to the Citadel, to the Plains of Abraham, and out to some further neighborhoods, like Faubourg Saint-Jean and Montcalm. We went back to the hotel for 2-3 hours every afternoon so I never got too too tired. It was a "look at everything and eat a lot" trip. We did eat at both Aux Anciens Canadiens and Casse-Crepe Breton and several other interesting places, like Chez Boulay and Cafe Krieghoff. I would love to go back and visit the museums sometime!

     

    On the way home we flew to Montreal and then were supposed to fly to Newark, but our flight was cancelled. They put us up at an airport hotel - the Sheraton - and gave us meal vouchers. We were to tired to go into Montreal but it was at least a safe, relaxing night. But it was great to finally get home yesterday!

     

     

    • Like 1
  6. My oldest was resistant so I let it go during High School. We discussed her reading in all subjects and she always seemed to have retained enough. She quickly learned, in college, that some classes/subjects really needed notes. So she found a method that worked for her and did very well.

     

    My 2nd was always ok with writing out notes and just took more in college. I haven't pushed it as hard with my younger two. They'll do what they need to do - it's not too difficult to learn.

    • Like 1
  7. That sounds great, unless the FIT program requires college algebra. Also, most college stats classes require Algebra 2 or college algebra as a prerequisite. I'm going to assume the counselor wouldn't have put her in it if that were the case, but you might double check. You don't want her to be in a class that will be too hard for her. 

     

    Ds's college accepted Stats as meeting the sole math requirement for gen ed. If the FIT program does that and she can get through stats, math may be behind her and her nemesis no more!

     

    No, the counselor said that she didn't need further algebra as a pre-req. I surely hope that she is right! And we're hoping that the she will be fine in the math. One of my older daughters has similar math issues. In college she got a D in Pre-Calc and we were all thrilled that she passed! She then got an A in Statistics and found it much much easier than Algebra. And she thinks that my 18yo will be able to pass Stats. Again - I surely hope that she is right! The CC has a math lab open every day so she will be able to go for as much tutoring as she likes.

     

    And yes - Stats may meet her math req for gen ed at FIT. If she were going to major in Marketing or Business she would probably need more math.

     

    And. Whatever happens, I am just so so glad that she has made a few positive decisions and is focused on her future.

    • Like 1
  8. Well!

     

    She registered for 2 classes, English 101 and Statistics. The counselor encouraged her to take that instead of the remedial math because she is intending to apply to FIT for next year and it should transfer. And if she gets into FIT as a Fashion Design Major, she may not need that remedial math, as they have different standards. I'm concerned about it as I'm concerned that the longer she goes without Algebra, the more she will forget. But she was proactive and it fits into her schedule.

     

    She is already working on her application to FIT and is brushing up her portfolio.

     

    She found (with the help of a friend who is already at FIT) a Fashion Internship at a legit company midtown, bought some "new" clothes at the thrift shop where she volunteers, and started on Tuesday.

     

    She has her first class tonight.

     

    As my kids say, adulting FTW!

     

    • Like 6
  9. Like so many here, I didn't allow them an option until it was time to plan for High School. Private school was not an option, but in 7th grade we started discussing it. The best public schools here require tests/applications and they would have had to start preparing during 8th grade. Two of kids considered going to school but settled on HS in the end and the others had no interest in a "real" school.

     

    And. Some kids really don't know what they want. My 3rd daughter told me no about school, then asked me about going towards the end of 8th grade. I told her no as it was too late to get into anything but the worst schools and reminded her that we need some prep time. When I brought it up again several months later, she denied ever asking me and told me that she had no interest.

  10. This year we are using all Abeka for language arts. We both love it. We are doing Singapore Primary mathematics 1A and 1b for math. We did all of the reading lesson for K, so he actually reads quite well. I just didnt feel it was super thorough so we are reviewing with abeka the rules and things the reading lesson left out. Ive actually learned phonics rules I never learned.

     

    If you both like Abeka I hope that you are able to stick with it. But if you feel that a dvd program is best, BJU is solid. I was quite surprised by the price difference!

     

    BJU math is not much like Singapore, though. I suggest that you spend some time looking at the scope and sequence and samples. But you will have plenty of time for that.

     

    I think it's great that you are thinking ahead! I just wish that I could encourage you not to worry too much. It's hard to balance between "Do not worry about tomorrow..." and "The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance...".

  11. Did you homeschool last year for K? Even if you did, was it very academic? I ask because you may want to wait and see how this year goes - how your oldest learns, etc. He may not be reading independently enough by the 2nd grade to work on his own yet, even with the dvds. He may be so independent that he can blow through workbooks on his own and won't want to be held back by the dvds. What will you be using this year? Is it teacher-intensive and you're already concerned that you won't have the time next year? Not too soon to think and plan but, I think, definitely to soon to make decisions.

     

    Just in case my experience helps - I remember the fall my oldest started 2nd. I also had a 5yo starting K, a 4yo who was quite ill, and I was very pregnant - my 4th was born that October. It was a very hard year, as I had a newborn and my son was in and out of the hospital quite a bit. My oldest read very well and was able to work quite independently so I remember giving her plenty of workbooks for Math/Spelling/Science and focusing on teaching phonics and basic math to my 5yo and doing lots of reading aloud for history - we did Ot/Egypt with Greenleaf and Veritas that year. But I still have good memories of that year - lying on the couch with the baby and the kids all around me, reading aloud while they colored/legoed. I do NOT have good memories of the state of my kitchen floor....but you can't have everything!

     

     

  12. I've posted before about this daughter having physical/emotional issues and how I wasn't sure what would happen with her. She chose not to finish her homeschool work (she was supposed to "finish" in June 2016) and instead took the TASC (an HSE like the GED) in December of 2016. She applied to the CC for this fall and has been dragging her heels about taking the placement tests. She has had a lot of difficulties with math although she reads very well and writes well.

     

    Well. She finally took the placement tests yesterday (next week is the last week they are being offered). She did extremely well on the reading test. The writing test result take a few days - we should know early next week. Hopefully, she did well on that also and can go right into Freshman English.

     

    But the math is what I was very concerned about. The school offers 4 levels of remedial math, depending on the placement test. She placed into the 4th class - Intermediate Algebra and Trig. This is the kid I thought would never manage to pass Algebra 1! If she passes this class she can go into whatever "regular" math her major requires.

     

    So. I am thrilled that she actually took the test and intends to actually register for classes and she is pumped that she didn't have to start back with Basic Math!

    • Like 33
  13. Also. The FS at EPCOT are tiered so you can get one from group A and 1 from group B. If you want a FP for the new Frozen Ride, you won't be able to get one for Test Track or Soarin' or, I think, Illuminations preferred area. You can get 3 FPS per day in advance.

     

    PLUS. At this late date there may not be many of the hard-to-get FPs left. Make an acct on My Disney Experience and see what's available when on your dates. Choose FPs based on how long the lines are likely to be - at MK that tends to be 7 Dwarfs Mine Train and Peter Pan, the Mountains. Toy Story and a few others at DHS. Everest and probably anything in Pandora because it is new at AK.

     

    Check to see if there is currently a Free Dining special for those dates. If so, a lot of restaurants may be quite full already. Take a look at any character meals you want asap.

     

    This website has a lot of free help - I also like the DISboards but I find this site a bit more organized. I also love Touring Plans but that's not free and may not be worth the $$ for just a month.

     

    http://wdwprepschool.com/

    • Like 1
  14. My oldest is that type - anxious/OCD(on meds)/introvert - and her first job was at a local bakery - selling/cash register. We pretty much forced her to do it - she was 17 and had too much free time on her hands and we wanted her to have some real-world experience before college. It was actually very good for her. She worked hard and earned a raise - her boss told her that he liked the way she worked! In college she worked other jobs like that - Macys, etc. and she never liked them but she managed. After college she worked as a receptionist and also teaching Mommy&Me type classes, which she preferred.

     

    Now she works full-time as a research assistant and hopes that she will never have to go back to that kind of front-end work. But it was quite an achievement for her that she was able to do it successfully for several years!

  15. Also. When you know my adult children, so you know that they were homeschooled and are bright and articulate, and you meet me and find out that I'm Puerto Rican, don't act surprised that I don't speak like Jenny from the block or that I was somehow able to teach my children to appreciate Shakespeare or write clearly. And don't act doubly surprised that I never went to college yet I somehow prepared my children well, despite my obvious status as undereducated minority.

     

    Sorry I have no ideas for support. So long as people keep their ignorant comments to themselves, I don't have any issues. But I think that just treating everyone like a person and not a case of "because you are different on the outside you must be different on the inside so I am going to make you a special project" will go a long way.

    • Like 12
  16. This hasn't happened for many years and wouldn't happen here on the board, but still.

     

    When you see a woman with some children who are significantly lighter (darker/different) than she is, don't ask her if they are hers. Don't assume she is the nanny. Don't assume that they are adopted. I mean, do you really need to know badly enough to ask and then make her feel like crap or just weird? Not exactly "you" as I like to think that people here are not so boneheaded - just a universal you.

     

    As a Puerto Rican in NYC I haven't had much trouble over the years as it's pretty diverse but when I was with my lighter-than-me children (my husband is German) we just really seemed to draw attention. Not because they were fair/blonde - plenty of white kids around! - but because they were with me. Like, when I walked down the street, I was just a person. When I was out with my children, I was subjected to an extra level of scrutiny. My sister's husband is black and she has had the same kind of experiences. We try to be nice but seriously - MYOB.

    • Like 12
  17. My son only wants to apply to one, our local CUNY...that is extremely unfriendly to homeschoolers. I am having him apply to an extra 2 CUNYs, not that I think they will be any friendlier, but it's all on one app. He doesn't want to go away so that really narrows his options. There is a local LAC (where my oldest went) that might be ok financially with merit but it only has one of the majors he is considering so he doesn't want to bother. NYU would have everything he needs and is a reach...but I know we couldn't afford it as their merit aid is very skimpy and we won't borrow.

     

    All that to say that he is probably right and we should just apply to the one - well, three in the same system.

     

    He expects to transfer so we may have a longer list in a few years!

    • Like 1
  18. My daughter was - is - in a similar - well, maybe not similar, but definitely difficult! - situation. She was cutting/threatening suicide and then was diagnosed with anorexia at 14. After several months of an Outpatient program, they decided that it wasn't anorexia at all. We found that she had celiac disease and eosiphinilic esophagitis and multiple food allergies, as well as some OCD issues, misophonia, depression, anxiety. After her experience with the op program she has been reluctant to go to any more therapy and quit as soon as the therapist agreed that she wasn't in any danger, was gaining weight, etc. She refuses to get any kind of help - frustrating. But she manages her diet well now and things have gotten much better. She's exhausted a lot and it is hard to tell how much is her health and how much is depression...they feed each other. She doesn't really like us...but, again, things are better than they were.

     

    She lost most of 9th grade and we started trying to catch up in 10th grade. We used a combination of The American School and courses that I designed to get the minimum done - NY has a specific amount of classes for homeschoolers and it is pretty minimal. She was on track to complete everything but fell behind in the spring of 12th grade. Her last 2 classes - a 1 semester Astronomy course and 1 semester Economics course - were just plain more work than she felt she could handle, although I had designed them to be the bare minimum. I told her that she could finish or take the TASC (GED style test in NY) and she chose to take the test. She was required to take a 12 week class before she could take the test and it was hard to organize, as she was barely 18 and NY reallly realllly doesn't want kids taking the test that young. Anyway- she took the class in the fall after her senior year and it was really good for her. She passed the test on her first try (the math was a real challenge), got the results this past January, and is scheduled to start at the CC this fall. She has been dragging her heels and is taking the placement tests tomorrow. We told her that we she doesn't have to go and can work instead for a while so we will see if she actually registers for classes. We suggested that she only take two classes and see how she handles them.

     

    Her dream has been fashion design and we had her take Saturday classes at a great school (FIT) all through High School. No matter how miserable she felt she got her work done and it was the bright spot of her life! But she couldn't apply for FIT for this fall as the TASC results came after the application deadline. She has agreed to try the CC and work on her FIT app this fall. She does some volunteer work right now. She could be taking no credit classes in the evenings at FIT but she has been resistant...I think she views it as an admission of failure, taking adult ed classes instead of "real" classes.

     

    All this to say - this is how we handled High School with a child with a lot of issues. It was not as successful as I had hoped it would be, but she reads well, can write an organized 5-paragraph essay, do MLA citation, and knows a bit about history and science and art and literature. She will need remedial math but it could be a lot worse! Four years ago I was worried that she wouldn't make it to 18.

    • Like 3
  19. I just found a note in my desk and I thought that I would post it here because this thread comes up if you search  for Clover Creek Physics.

     

    In June I asked my son to describe Jetta as a teacher and this is what he said:

     

    She is orderly, straightforward, to the point, and never goes off on a tangent. But she is also fun and bubbly. I love her! She is a great teacher!

     

    :001_smile:

     

     

    • Like 8
  20. Chris Pratt has been immortalized by Lego as a minfig...not as just one character, but three different characters. That's like, Harrison Ford levels of greatness! ;)

     

     

     

    Love this!

     

    We like him around here. My older girls made me watch Parks and Rec with them - hysterical. We watch all the Marvel movies together as much as possible. And we've seen him in The Lego Movie and Jurassic Park - that's a lot of Chris Pratt! I remember her from Friends and I hear she has a show now.

     

    I'm always sad when any couple with a young child divorce, whatever the reason. But I can't even imagine how difficult it must be to keep a strong relationship going with these kind of careers - long hours and lots of travel plus children. That kind of lifestyle would make marriage much more challenging.

     

    Poor kids.

     

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