Just wanted to add that if you go this route the Marketing Clep exam has one of the higher pass rates so if you are interested in using Clep to support grades this might be a good first exam. We did a combo of online resources for our class, coursera etc. Used the REA study guide also. Both dc's took and passed the Clep. Just because the pass rate is high doesn't mean it is an easy exam, one of mine didn't get the stellar score they were expecting, simply passed.

Fleece socks are nice and easy too. Maybe to go with the hats Chris linked.

They might already have Travel Insurance so I would just ask. Many bank accounts etc give it with the account inexpensively. The parents would need to check if he will be covered without one of the account holders.

Stacia, my kids liked the nursery crimes series. No one here has tried the other. I will admit the Shades of Grey title always makes me think of Fifty Shades...the description sounds good. I finished my Lady Emily bookhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23848104-the-adventuress. I liked this one better than the last couple in the series. They are a bit predictable, I keep thinking she really needs to learn. Going into old ruins for her means being kidnapped and tied up. A wise person would give up ruins by themselves!

I am currently serving. It is rewarding. I would go for it. I think it is very important for people who are actually using the library to serve, preferably the whole library including the children's section.

First off your new itinerary looks much more enjoyable. Before I forget since there may not be a Premier Inn in York I have gotten positive reviews about the Bar Conventhttp://www.bar-convent.org.uk/. A friend recently spent several nights there. It is right by the train station so very convenient. Another idea I researched a bit is Castle Howard near York. I have never been mainly because we have English Heritage and National Trust membership so tend to prefer outings that are free. There is bus service (private, £10) from York to the Castle. I was worried about the amount of time needed to get to Chatsworth from Lakenheath so was trying to come up with easy no car alternatives. Chatsworth would be so much easier if your sister drives you. Grindleford is a nice very little village. Trains from Manchester to Sheffield go through frequently but most don't stop. Make sure you have the schedule. There is a restaurant open in the morning right by the train station that is very popular. It is actually a stop on one of our favourite walks from Longshaw, frequently referred to as the Padley Gorge walk. Not sure about trains to Leeds/Bradford airport. Dh thinks they have good service to Ireland. One other option if the train to the Leeds airport proves difficult, Air Lingus does fly from Doncaster Robin Hood to Dublin. A combo train and bus would work from York. About an hour travel time I would think but need to allow an extra half hour in case you need to wait for the bus....think every half hour. Shannon might be a departure point for some areas in the US. I know you can clear US customs in Shannon. We flew to Canada from Shannon once and liked the airport. Really nice people.

Welcome back to VC. It was funny that one of my thoughts opening up our Easter thread was how nice it was that VC would return this week! Jane, I started a hand piecing project last week because I was missing doing crafts. I found it in last years stack of American Patchwork magazines that I picked up at my mom's house. Not sure that I like the technique but will persist. On the reading front I am still reading the latest Lady Emily mystery by Tasha Alexander, The Adventuress. I started a new to me historical by Jo Beverley on my Kindle. I also picked up a stack of Dean James British Cozies at the library on Saturday. One of the characters is a vampire so these will not be typical village cozy mysteries. :lol: I might like them but not sure about many of you. The author also writes as Miranda James so these may be great. The Cat in the Stacks books are some of my favourites.

:Grouphug: Angela, Sending my sympathies regarding your grandfather. I am also glad to hear your precious baby is gaining weight. That is always a huge positive. In the UK village names are repeated all over the place. It makes things difficult when using sat nav to a place you don't know. Sometimes they put the county beside the name, other times a city which may not be that well known. I find it really frustrating. Dh has a bad habit of planning an outing and getting me in the car with my sat nav (one of the only pieces of tech I am in charge of, that is a clue that I am challenged but generally directions are my thing) and announcing we need to go to blank and that its north. I get 5 places, logic lets me eliminate a couple. No ability to Google because my other technology isn't that good. With dh asking which road would be best.....I sit there trying not to scream thinking you picked the destination and should have googled the basic whereabouts in the house. Dd has that book on her shelves. She received it as a present years ago. She reads bits of it occasionally.

I think the book said New Hampshire, could have been Vermont. Pretty sure not Massachusetts because I would have thought of you and remembered. I tried googling but my internet is so slow that I gave up. Did't feel like searching the book because I did read a bit further. I really wanted to like it. The book did talk about Boston at the start. I think someone was from Boston. I thought they meant Boston, England at first.

Back when I was an accounting major, Financial Accounting meant the intermediate class. Recently I have been looking at accounting programs for dd and am seeing it sequence both ways in terms of labels. Generally there isn't an Accounting 1 if financial accounting is the start of the accounting sequence. She definitely needs to start at the beginning because it is a subject that really builds on the basics. A good intermediate class covers a huge amount of material. I would also make sure a business major is Calculus ready. Understanding micro is much easier with Calculus. Strong math in general makes life as a business major easier. imo

Happy Easter to those who are celebrating! I just finished one of my British Village Cozy reads. This is my second Patricia Harwinhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1378830.Slaying_Is_Such_Sweet_Sorrow?from_new_nav=true&ac=1&from_search=truetitled Slaying is such Sweet Sorrow. It was pretty good and flowed much better than the first in her series. When I stareted this project I originally declared I would use only British authors, ;) this one has an American but so is the main character. The first book was a bit off for me because of a couple of picky points. This one didn't have any noticeable points. I had to laugh at one of the sections where the main character asked where the bathroom was and they tried to direct her to a shower room. Getting comfortable asking where the toilet is using the word toilet can be really hard. But directions are given much quicker if you just ask for the toilet, so I learned and quit telling the kids it wasn't polite! I also tried to read another cozy earlier in the week for my cozy project that I thought took place at a fish and chip in Berkshire. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23281653-fillet-of-murder?from_new_nav=true&ac=1&from_search=true. I need to read descriptions more closely. I kept thinking that the book was riddled in inaccuracies. Absolutely filled! It was driving me nuts when the setting was mentioned as Berkshires in New Hampshire, I think. Anyway I couldn't go on. Too much irritation partly because I filled up my overdrive account with a fluffy book set in the wrong country! I still need to do a return and can't via kindle.

I totally agree. I am busy adjusting my American recipes to weight just for that reason. I am finally getting used to kitchen scales. I am not sure how much flour costs in Italy but I think I have compared British prices to French and found them comparable. I spend about 50p for 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) of basic store brand flour which works fine for my baking. I will admit I do sweets mainly. I no longer bother with basic bread because I can buy fresh baked bread pretty inexpensively too. With my favourite bakery less than a 5 minute walk we buy bread. I still make English Muffin bread for a treat and the flour works on that. If you have to weigh your flour you might as well save money.

:lol: To Stacia's Ds

Before I start giving recommendations I just want to clarify, your sister is no longer the one driving the rental car to York and Chatsworth? Trains are now possibly a preferred option for as much of the trip as possible?

I am currently visiting in the US right now and it seems like "awesome" has become the catch phase for many things. I order a coffee with milk not cream......it's awesome. :lol: No, I am simply sick of fancy expensive coffee! As above, I comment how hard it's raining to a cashier......once again it's "really" awesome. No it's been raining a lot. It pops up constantly especially with the dc's friends. Everything seems to be awesome with them. Maybe even cleaning bedrooms! ;) I guarantee my kids aren't going to start using it regarding housework although I have heard dd say it a few times.

My dc's have been using Straighterline and our experiences have been really positive. So far they (as in one or the other) have done English Composition (both kids, the Prof is really good, ds especially improved hugely), Business Statistics, Business Ethics, and Intro to Computing C++. Other than CLEP exams Straighterline is the best option in terms of cost for lower level credits that dh has been able to find. Clep has both College Algebra and Western Civ as options. The experience has been really positive in terms of getting questions answered and any technical difficulties. Their staff is really responsive. Eta...We had no problem at all transferring their credits but we did check before signing up for the courses. We saved a lot of money. Btw they did learn quite a bit in these classes.

Sending hugs also. As Jane said I'll take the good news portion!

One of the dc's good friend's is studying chemistry in Dutch. She is Dutch but lived in the US and Uk from age 4 so Dutch definitely is not her best language or wasn't. ;) Her younger siblings have decided to stay in English schools, I think. She is doing well now after 1 1/2 years. We saw her over Christmas which was lovely. We all missed her. I will second the Angelmaker suggestion. It is one of my favourites. Some other ones that are favourites here that I don't think you have tried are: Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series Anne Bishop's Other's series. The Other's is one I am pretty sure you would love, starts with Written in Red. I have also been enjoying Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series which is paranormal. If you feel like historical mysteries: Tasha Alexander's Lady Emily books, start with And Only to Deceive. Anna Lee Huber and her Lady Darby series. Sorry no links, really slow internet.

I feel a bit better knowing that someone with some experience on our roads will be driving. You have some long days planned and with a jetlagged person driving no one would enjoy themselves at all. Our roads can be narrow at times and stressful for experienced drivers (me ;) ). I still think you need the less jam packed days so you get to get out of the car. ;) I love the countryside, especially Yorkshire and Derbyshire and could give travel tips that would keep you busy your entire visit. That being said London for a day or two is good fun. London is a really safe big city with good transportation etc. The tourist areas are especially safe. We go a few times a year and play tourist. Also London is where the main attractions that people talk about are and by skipping it you might feel cheated later. We have never done a hop on/off bus in any big city so have no experience what it would be like. We are more the guidebook and walking tour type. We do use a bus/underground pass in London so do hop on and off. :lol: For a sightseeing day in London we normally do something along the lines of start at Buckingham Palace, walk accross park area to Horse Guards, then on to Westminster/Big Ben, take a boat down to the Tower, you could continue by boat to Greenwich if you have time. I think that hits several of your spots and would be a really full day for most. We would probably go to Oxford Street in the evening to eat and window shop. Collapse in hotel after.

I love the idea of the note and bookmark with your email. Before email and kindles I always left a trail of books behind me in hotel lobbies. I did sometimes wonder who picked them up. I still see spots where people have left books behind to share when we travel but generally don't pick any up because of my Kindle being ready with a stack.

I was just thinking about Day 1. Not sure which airport but Heathrow to Lakenheath would take 2 hours, Gatwick probably an hour more. Luton or Stansted less. Audley End house is a lovely English Heritage property on your way north to Cambridge and Lakenheath. Might be far easier on your first day than Burghley. Burghley is at least an hour Northwest of Lakenheath. Not sure how much time you will actually have at Burghley because it closes at 5. Burghley and York on second day......this is still an incredible amount of driving by British standards. If you switched to a Premier Inn (I agree with Laura, great affordable chain) near York (normally good chain restaurant attached to Premier Inn, but on the A64 outside of York totally there is the only exception I know of, a McDonald's or a decent Fish and Chip are the choices). There are other Premier Inn locations near York but I don't think any in City Center...in or near walled area). Anyway staying near York would make it easier if you wanted to move Chatsworth to Day 3 skipping Dover. Anyway down the A1 past Brodsworth Hall then M1 to Chatsworth exit. Roughly 2 hours. You could eat in Bakewell and go on to Lakenheath coming near to Bolsover and Hardwick in route. Depending on how many stops you wish to make. ;)

Did you change your name? I just sent a pm to a different name who started this tread. Really confused.

I actually live near York and we visit Dover frequently. I have some suggestions to make days 2,3,and 4 a bit more enjoyable. First on day 2 a few things to think about schedule wise..... Lakenheath to York in practical terms is really a 4 hour drive. Your odds of no congestion on the A1 are slim. Dh does a chunk of that drive weekly so we know it. York is absolutely wonderful. Probably my favorite city to spend a day. You can walk the wall around the city. See Roman ruins. Fun shopping. Lots of food to choose from but buy a scone at Betty's. Jorvik viking center is closed due to flooding indefinitely. The Cathedral takes at least an hour. The free train museum is DJ's favorite. I normally recommend 2 days for York. Durham is a long ways north. Won't work. We hesitate for a day trip. Chatsworth is probably 45 minutes off the M1. I would guess about 3 hours from Lakenheath. It is lovely and it is pricey. Personally I think its a York or Chatsworth choice. Chatsworth could be combined with Bakewell or a walk around the Longshaw estate which is scenic and a Pride Prejudice filming favorite. One side note...English Heritage membership would give you entrance to Clifford's Tower in York, Brodsworth Hall which is right off A1, and Bolsover Castle off M1. For Day 3 does Dover Castle too. Hardwick Hall(offM1) is a family favorite, Harry Potter filming, which was built by Bess of Hardwick who was Chatsworth too. Part of Hardwick is National Trust and part English Heritage. Great pub as you exit Hardwick... Okay Day 3, In real terms roughly 2 1/2 hours Lakenheath to Dover (toll bridge/tunnel at Dartford are toll but have gone to license plate recognition ask how that will work in rental) You can probably do it all if you really move. About 2 hours minimum for Dover Castle, ticket system for tunnels which is great but can take extra time figure 3 to 4 hours with tunnel. If you want a really good cliff walk and have a nice day go to the National Trust area. It takes 3 hours to go all the way to the Lighthouse and back for our family. The reality is that is easily a great day especially with the drive. But I love Leeds Castle, so grounds plus castle quickly is 3 hours. Grounds alone are a nice walk, extremely scenic. Day 4, I don't think you can add Windsor in and tour the Castle. You might be able to plan to go in the evening, see the Castle from the outside, eat dinner, and stroll along the Thames. Walk to Eton, etc. That will give you time to enjoy your bus tour a bit more. Eta. I really don't mean for you to do all my add on idea. More of a giving you extra so you can slim the main idea down because you have really busy days planned. Hope you have a great time.

My dc's have normally done social studies together. That way I only have to find the documentaries once and both get to spend the afternoon watching telly. Not everyday, normally once a week. Mine are two years apart in grade. We had a disaster of an attempt at a year of world geography, no one liked it. We quickly just folded into a history course. Your ds can always spend his senior year doing something like economics, sociology, or psychology. He might want to try a Clep exam at the end and get some college credit.

:lol: unintended but appropriate..... Just so you know as of yesterday I have become even more concerned about elder care issues. I went shopping at T Maxx and my till receipt was wrong, less than what I knew I had spent (I add as I shop always, weird accountant habit). When I looked at my receipt no added discount on a single item but a Senior Citizen discount. I don't qualify for a few more years. I really really would rather have paid......