I second Skechers Gowalk. They are so light and soft that my whole family loves them.

Ds took US Politics and Government as a 9th grader last year. There was very little "teaching", and I would describe this class as a "teacher guided self study". I did like the online textbook used for the course, it's got a pretty balanced view instead of leaning right or left. From my memory, the course material consists of 1) reading the online textbook and take the chapter quizzes, 2)participating in the student forums, this includes both class related topics and current events, the majority of the students hold very conservative views, 3)FRQ grading exercises which later turn into FRQ writing exercises, 4)misc. class projects. As for the teacher, she did grade student's work very slowly at times because her husband was deployed that year and she had a very young baby at home. But I don't remember it being a huge problem. The course and the AP test was very easy for ds because he is very politically minded and he reads news and watches c-span for fun. But even if he weren't, I would imagine this course could still be easily self studied. All you need is a good structure: get a good textbook, plan out your weekly schedule, start prepping for test in either Feb or March using online resources including CB's printable past FRQs and do them once a week until May, and maybe get a good prep book for review.

AP US History with PA Homeshoolers by Susan Richman Blue Tent Honors English II (currently in Honors English I) AP Microeconomics by Gene Hayward (will register for this when it becomes available)

Do you have any idea yet which field in PT or OT you are interested in? In general OT work is much less strenuous than PT work, but there are fields in PT that are less strenuous. For example, it is more physically strenuous for a PT who works in the subacute wing of a nursing home than one that works at an outpatient clinic.

I voted for kitchen garbage can because it happened twice. I can't believe other people's kids do this too!!

There are many other GV features that I don't use but you can see here for all the features if you scroll to mid page. One thing I do find useful is the call-waiting signal to let you know another person is calling you while you are on the phone. In that situation, you can decide to pick up the call on the other line, or just let it be. Eventually the caller will be asked to leave a message (if you don't pick up) which you'll be able to listen to online later.

Can GV give you a new number? You can pick a number that's easier for you to remember from a huge list of numbers GV provides. So, I can link my cell number to google as well as my landline number and have it ring with Google? Yes, you can link them so when your home phone rings, all the linked cell numbers ring as well. In other words, if I call your home phone while you are not home, you won't miss my call because your cell phone rings too.

So, help me understand. 1. If I get an Obi Adapter, can I use it as my main line at home? Yes, that's what we did. 2. Are there yearly costs associated with the Obi or with Google voice? No, just the initial cost of Obi Adapter. 3. How do I "port" my number over to google voice? See here. It says you can port your mobile number, but my sister and bil successfully ported their original landline number. We didn't do that because my husband refused to pay $20 for it. :laugh: 4. Is there actual tech support? I can't find a number to call. Google voice has a "help page" if you call that "tech support".

I am a fan of maangchi.com as well. Try this easy noodle recipe: JapChae , you don't have to have beef in it if you want all veggie.

I keep very little of ds's school/art work. Every year I have him go through the box to see what he wants to keep and he throws away lots of stuff. He couldn't care less. My niece, on the other hand, keeps a box on her own, and shows me the content when I visit. She remembers everything, even stuff she made in preschool more than 10 years ago. So I guess it depends on the kids.

I feel your pain. We were getting on average 5 calls a day even though we were on the "Do Not Call" list. We finally ditched the landline and switched to Google voice. It's currently free if calling within US and to Canada, although you do need to purchase a box to link up to the computer and the conventional phone. We have not received any unwanted call ever since. Google voice has many many advantages (you'll see if you google it), but one thing you can't do is to use it to make emergency calls like 911. Look into it and see if it's something you want.

No graphing calculator is needed through algebra II, but after that, it will depend on the textbooks you use or teachers you have. AP Statistics from PA Homeschoolers requires a graphing calculator, Lial's pre-calculus also requires one.

I don't wear any sent on myself before I go out because people around me might not like what I like, so I use essential oil only at home. My favorites are Aura Cacia's Pillow Potion and Rose Absolute. Here are ways I use them: 1. I put a few drops on a cotton ball and put it on my night stand and the whole bedroom is soon filled with the aroma. 2. I put a few drops on a cotton ball and keep it in my linen closet and all my towels smell nice. 3. I put a few drops on a cotton ball and keep it in my closet and all my clothes smell nice. 4. I put a couple of drops in the shower stall before I take a shower, you can also put it in the bath water if you take a bath. edit to add: If your kitchen has some food smell, or if you just want to freshen up you living kitchen/family room, you can put a pot (with no lid on) of water and 2 teaspoons of dried thyme on the stove to boil for about 5-10 minutes, it will make the living area of your home smell heavenly.

Maybe we are strange people :laugh:, but both dh and I feel the mechanics is the hardest part in high school physics. Even though the mechanics part is easier to relate to in life, it can still be very abstract. For example, we can't see all forces at work. All we "see" is the effect of the net force. And so it could be pretty abstract when it comes to drawing and noting all the forces in a system. If one has a hard time doing that, then he can forget about solving any physics problem that requires it. As for biology, I think it is still a knowledge based science at least in high school level. Classification, evolution, ecology, human systems are all pretty concrete stuff. The only part that's more abstract and hard to "see" is the stuff happening at the cellular level. Even with topic like cellular respiration, you can know the "what" without knowing the "how". But one can't get away with that in physics.

I believe in the physics, chemistry, biology sequence for science. However, ds who finished algebra 2 before the end of 8th grade couldn't grasp the concept of the mechanics. I tried Hewitt's Conceptual Physics (it was an epic failure), and then Giancoli's textbook (a much better textbook for a math inclined student) with no luck. I am glad I took the last couple of months of his 8th grade year to try out physics before we settle for it for 9th grade. Needless to say we are doing biology for 9th grade. So I guess math is not the only reason. In our case, the ability to grasp concept in physics is the deterring factor.

Ds was like that at that age despite a very healthy diet. His pediatrician was worried and told us he shouldn't touch any sweet drinks, sugary cereal, or white bread or rice. The problem was, he did not eat any of those things to begin with and still had a round middle section. That continued for 2-3 years and I had to listen to the pediatrician telling us the same thing every year. Last year he hit a growth spurt and grew more than 4 inches in a short time and all that belly fat went away. Come to think of it, dh was a chubby boy as well until he hit puberty. I wouldn't worry about it. So just continue to encourage healthy eating habit and make sure he has some physical activities daily.

I have been learning Korean on and off for the past year, not really committing to it. I plan to really make myself do it this summer. I reserved a book called Wheat Belly from the library. I got a bag of einkorn flour at Whole Foods the other day just because it was on sale. Having no knowledge of how to use it and the health benefit of it, I googled it and found a host of websites talking about how bad modern wheat products are. Most of the people sharing their experience referred to how Wheat Belly changed their lives. I am looking forward to reading it.

Your ds sounds just like mine when he was around that age. Although I don't have answers for you, I will share our experience and hopefully be of some help in your decision making process. I started ds with algebra 1 in 6th grade not because he loved math but because that was where he was at. He has always been good with math because he has a strong math intuition and flew through Singapore Math because the curriculum fits the way his brain works. I was concerned with his maturity when we began algebra but decided to go ahead and try because I didn't think going on a math exploration tour for a year or two was what he needed. Like your son, he did not like math, he just wanted to do what he needed to do and have it done. The ability was there but the proper attitude was not. It turned out that my decision was a good one for him. He thrived with algebra 1 and his dislike of math lessened. He actually said what EKS stated above, "I don't think I dislike math, I think I dislike arithmetic." He did geometry the next year without a hitch and declared geometry the best math he'd had, and "Why can't all math be like this?" We just completed algebra 2 this year and he has done well. He still does not love math, but he does not dislike it as much as he did when he was younger. Over the past couple of years, he also realizes that although he is strong in math he wants to use it as a tool in his work (like statistics, business, economics) and not live and breathe it (like math majors) in the future. One pitfall I find with him is that he solves problems with intuition first, principle/concept second. That may work for lower level math and science, but it will not work when he has to deal with more complex or abstract concepts. So if you see your child being frustrated with some problems he can't solve intuitively, you want to make sure he truly gets the principle/concept. Allow him time and grace to mature, but keep that weakness in check. Whatever decision you make, know that the beauty of homeschooling is the freedom to try different things and to figure out what suits our child/ren best. Wishing you the best!

:thumbup1: Thank you!

My public-schooled niece who takes algebra2/trig this year has the following topics in her syllabus that's not covered in Lial's intermediate algebra: Probability and Statistics Sequences and Series Trigonometric Functions Trigonometric Graphs and Identities The 3rd and 4th topics are covered in Lial's precalculus book so if you follow the sequence, your student will eventually get them. However, probability and statistics, and sequences and series are not. We used the second half of AOPS introduction to algebra to supplement Lial's intermediate algebra, there is one chapter that covers sequences and series. (AOPS has a separate book for probability so the topic is not included in any of their algebra book.) I think you can search the web and find free material online like Khan Academy to cover those topics, no need to use a separate book.

We used the 8th ed. which has tests ranges from 15-30 problems. Ds never needed more than an hour to finish one test. If the 6th and 8th ed. are similar, then I wouldn't give more than 3 minutes for each problem. For good math students 2 minutes for each problem should be enough, IMO.

I am really enjoying this thread. My five items are: KitchenAid Stand Mixer Le Creuset Dutch Oven Tatung Rice Cooker Kitchen Timer Vitamix

Thank you so much!

What other books besides the textbook do we need if we decide to go with Giancoli? I really like the online companion website here but my physics is rusty and might need extra help with solutions.

Low ferritin is an indication of low iron store in the body, and it usually takes a while for the level to come back up with supplement. I have had iron deficient anemia for the past 4 years despite having a very healthy diet. The first time I was diagnosed I went on iron supplement for 3 months until the blood test came back normal then I stopped taking the supplement. The next year I was tested to be worse then the first time so I went on iron supplement for 6 months until the blood test came back normal then I stopped taking the supplement. It happened again last year and my level was even worse than before. This time I learned my lesson and take supplement daily and did not stop even after the blood test came back normal. Since then I've felt much better with my fatigue level, heart palpitation symptoms, and I didn't feel as cold this past winter as I used to. Another thing beside taking supplement that helped me is to stop drinking tea and coffee. Both of them hinder the absorption of iron. I used to drink multiple cups of tea a day, now I am down to maybe a cup a week. Solgar Gentle Iron(iron bisglycinate) 25 mg is what I take daily. I can take them on an empty stomach without any problem. There is no need to change iron supplement if there is nothing wrong with the pill your dd was taking, but you do need to make sure she takes them daily for at least 6 months more after her blood test comes back normal to be sure her iron store is sufficient. Even after that you would still want to watch out for signs of anemia. My doctor said for people with history of anemia, it's very common to have them happen again sometime in their life. To answer your question, yes, I used to feel really really tired (not-wanting-to-get-out-of-bed tired) for the first 2 days of my period.