Keep a daily checklist of subjects/projects completed or working on. Create or find a simple weekly chart (like a chore chart) and write down assignments he's completed daily. Create a portfolio of those assignments, a list of books read, and a list of fieldtrips or group activities. For parents that are concerned about "socialization" - as your x might be, take a lot of photos of your ds engaging in group activities and include them in your portfolio. Basically, give him a physical representation of what you do. You can store most of this material in a 3-ring binder. It's just nice to have this kind of documentation on hand not only for your x but also for yourself and your ds. They make nice memory books. Because of his low muscle tone, I would look into either therapy for it outside your home, or if that's not possible, activities he can do at home or with a group that address it. Come up with a little program to address it (sitting on a bounce ball to increase core strength, playing with a lite-brite to fine tune small motor skills, beginning music lessons for hand coordination, park days with a homeschool group...etc). Lastly, I don't know what your state requires, but some type of standardized testing might further document your ds's progress. So look into whether that would be a benefit.

This is not the new normal. We do need some fundamental changes though. We're going through a period of adjustment and it's going to get worse before it gets better. It will get better, though.

Check out their website, too. My favorite quick start guide is from the Diet Doc.: http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf Look at the LCHF for Beginners section.

of something, it's best to just calmly hear them out for a few minutes then say something about thinking/discussing it with them later. It's usually best not to accept guilt or too aggressively defend until you've have a chance to get more information. That said, I wouldn't under any circumstances let a screaming cussing person into my house. Whether or not her claim is true, it's inappropriate for her to bring it to you in this manner. You can say something like....."I'll be happy to discuss this with you when your calmer..."

http://www.businessinsider.com/germany-circumcision-illegal-cologne-2012-6 This article doen't outline the full, up-to-date story, but there's a movement in Germany to have circumcision declared a human rights violation. Of course, religious folks - both Jewish and Muslim - are quite upset about this.

Get a dog. Seriously. A big dog.

While these things might be a bit concerning, considering their background and recent language development, it really sounds developmentally normal to me. I'd continue to play word games, sing, read, color, count. Here's a fun and easy workbook that works on phonemic skills.http://www.amazon.com/Phonemic-Awareness-Activities-Reading-Success/dp/0590372319/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345861411&sr=1-4&keywords=phonemic+awareness#_

A couple years ago, my very best friend who also happens to be my step-sister made a life altering decision that I felt very strongly was a very poor decision. I did express my opinion and we did have a short term falling out. Eventually, I accepted her choice while still not exactly approving of it. We're still very close and the relationship has been mended. My advice is to say something but try to do it in a loving way knowing your advice may not change the outcome. If your relationship is strong enough, it will survive. If it's not, then it probably wasn't all that important of an relationship to begin with.

it. For my own piece of mind, I find it easier to speak up - hopefully respectfully - when I feel the need. That being said, not a lot offends me and it doesn't particularly disturb me if I offend others. Soooo, it depends on the circumstances. :D

Or, the false accusations against Dominique Strauss-Kahn. That ruined his career.

Or, the McMartin Family from CA and that false sex abuse case against their whole family. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMartin_preschool_trial

Or, that guy from the Atlanta Olympics who was accused of placing a pipe bomb in a garbage can. He discovered the thing but was accused of planting it when he didn't. Cannot remember his name. Off to google. Richard Jewell: "Discovering a pipe bomb on the park grounds, Jewell alerted police and helped to evacuate the area before the bomb exploded, saving many people from injury or death. Initially hailed by the media as a hero, Jewell was later considered a suspect. Jewell's case became an example of the damage that can be done by reporting based on unreliable or incomplete information.[2] Despite having never being charged, he underwent a "trial by media" with great toll on his personal and professional life. Eventually he was exonerated completely; Eric Robert Rudolph was later found to have been the bomber.[3][4] In 2006, Governor Sonny Perdue publicly thanked Jewell on behalf of the state of Georgia for saving the lives of those at the Olympics.[5]" Contents [hide]

It varies by individuals but I can have only very little artificial sweetener (of any type). I stop losing or begin gaining. Just something to keep your eye on as you move forward.

Here are some good ones: http://www.amazon.com/New-Atkins-You-Ultimate-Shedding/dp/1439190275/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345821333&sr=8-1&keywords=atkins http://www.amazon.com/Art-Science-Low-Carbohydrate-Living/dp/0983490708/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345821370&sr=1-3&keywords=living+the+low+carb+life http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-About/dp/0307474259/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345821410&sr=1-1&keywords=why+we+get+fat http://www.amazon.com/Primal-Blueprint-Reprogram-effortless-boundless/dp/0982207786/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345821461&sr=1-1&keywords=the+primal+blueprint+by+mark+sisson

Cambridge or Oxford probably aren't first in our thoughts because we have many, many strong and affordable (for a well qualified students) schools in the US.

is likely to get significant financial aid or scholarships from an MIT or Georgia Tech - that's probably not true of Cambridge.

I'm way to poorly educated myself to let little errors (and they're all little in the scheme of things) bother me. I try to focus on the meaning rather than the style. Here's a joke: Local Yokel to Harvard grad: "So, where you from?" Harvard grad to Yokel: "I'm from a place where we don't end our sentences with prepositions." Yokel to Harvard grad: "So, where you from, Jackass?"

It sounds weird, but get her to pee on some newspaper. Lay it outside and convince her to pee on it if you can. Lay the paper on top of cleaner stuff in a suitable spot. If she's likely to go in the house, she'll choose a spot that smells "right". If she does use it and you see her, praise her for it. Once properly trained, most dogs are very adverse to peeing/pooping indoors, so it might take a bit of re-training. It's better for her health to go more frequently. Unfortunately, with those long hours, you'll need to give her the indoor option. If you can't get her to pee on newspaper get this:http://www.walmart.com/ip/Pet-Select-Pee-Pee-Pads-22-x-23-100ct-Dogs/3635614

Well, something else must be going on - not that you need to share that here. It probably relates to a relationship, a friendship, or an addiction. I hope you find the answers and can help her find her way.

There are high school programs (that work for homeschoolers too) that allow enrollment with credit at CC. Some colleges (many) accept CLEP and AP exams for credit. You need to think a bit more out of the box. A four year on campus traditional program isn't the way to go when college costs are so out of reach.

I sent my oldest to school last year for 9th grade. He'll continue there this year for 10th. How does she feel about homeschooling? How much control does she have about her schooling options. When they reach those teen years some of them just want some control. They're trying to transition into young adults and forming opinions. They want to actualize those opinions. Sometimes that's good and natural, sometimes that's not so great. :D If she's generally on board with homeschooling, I'd encourage you both to come up with some type of agreed upon schedule that holds you both accountable. BUT, she needs to buy in. If she's not on board, well, any plan you come up with might devolve into passive/aggressive conflict and that will take all focus off of the actual academics. Homeschooling may then become a power struggle. Not fun.

I agree with discussing this with your dh. My first instinct is to not give this emotional display any attention. Your ds is in effect putting you on a guilt-trip. I would have a real problem with that. I'd apologize for your error, but if he's not able to move on rather quickly, I'd ask him to cry in his room and to only return to the family when he can forgive. Possibly as he get's older you should be LESS understanding of this type of sensitivity. That's not to say you need to be harsh, but quietly and with humor NOT focusing on or accomodating these things might be the way to go.

It depends on whether you have a metabolic disorder, insulin resistance, or just need to lose a few pounds. The closer you are to "obese" and the longer you've been yo-yo dieting, the more likely you've got a metabolic disorder and are IR. For those folks to lose and maintain weight, it is quiet likely that you'll need to restrict carbs to quite low levels for a very long time. But, the only way to figure out what your carb tolerance is is to test it. To continue losing you may need to stay in the Atkins induction phase for longer than 2 weeks. But, go ahead and test it. Move on to phase two and phase three and see how your body responds. Track your carb intake and at some point you'll figure out how many carbs will maintain your current weight and what it takes to continue to lose. Also, if you're not already doing it and you feel good, add in some light (not overly rigorous) exercise -- lift some weights, take long walks, swim, play soccer in your yard with your kids.... whatever works for you. ETA: CONGRATULATIONS on your weight loss! Also, after reaching my goal weight, I remain very low carb - around 30-40 grams per day mostly made up of vegetables (love my veggies) and that's total grams not net grams. I don't minus out fiber. I find that's the very best way of naturally supressing my appetite. I just don't feel very hungry when 90% of my calories come from fat and protein (about 70% fat and 30% protein). I don't have cravings and have incredible control over what I choose to eat. I just like that. I'm also keto-adapted. I measure the number of ketones in my blood once or twice per week and fall within the keto-burning range. This just means my body burns fat as my energy source. I just recently added some weight training into my day. We'll see how that goes.

Here's a recipe for lemon poppy seed bread that I've modified for fewer carbs and to be made as muffins: 1/2 cup coconut milk 1/4 cup poppy seeds 2 cups Atkins Baking Mix (made from wheat gluten and soy flour) 11 grams/carb per 1/3 cup - so 66 grams of carb in this recipe 1/2 cup sugar substitute (this isn't a very sweet muffin. add 2 extra tbsp. for sweeter muffin) 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp. salt 1/3 cup melted butter (unsalted) 2 large eggs 3/4 cup sour cream 1 tsp. pure lemon extract 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Heat oven to 375 F. Use a muffin tin with paper cups. Combine the coconut milk and poppy seeds and set aside for 15 minutes Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl adding poppy seed mixture into it. Add dry mix to the wet and mix to combine. Pour batter and bake for 25-35 minutes. This makes 6 large muffins. Each muffin is about 11 total carbs. If you're not comfortable with the wheat gluten or soy flour in the Akins mix, substitute coconut or almond flour instead.

Each meal should focus around a source of protein. That protein can be fish, fowl, beef, pork, and shellfish. There's an almost infinite number of ways to prepare protein. Your next focus should be vegetables (no root veggies) - also a plethora of options. Next up is fat - fat in the form of cheese, sour cream, sauces, butter. A meal that includes those elements is usually pretty satisfying. Don't forget soups - beef or chicken vegetable, cream of mushroom, chili (without beans). We also like stir-frys in my home. Lastly, if you need dessert, berries are the way to go - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries. Nuts make a nice crunch snack or garnish. A weekly meal plan might look something like this in my home: Breakfast: Usually eggs, bacon, sausages, and protein smoothies in some combination. Veggies like bell peppers, cauliflower, or mushrooms added into the mix usually in the eggs. We also have corned beef, cheese (cheddar, brie, pepper jack) cold or melted in the eggs. Lunch is a quickly grilled meat (chicken breasts or thighs, inexpensive pork chops, lamb shoulder chops) and either a salad or vegetable. I frequently have a "big salad" for lunch: any type of lettuce, many types of veggies, chopped hardboiled egg, bacon bits, and full fat dressing. I'm very fond of avocado - so that’s usually in the mix. Dinner could be: Italian sweet sausages, onions, and peppers Chicken curry stir-fry with red peppers, pea pods, and bamboo shoots Steak with béarnaise sauce and salad Grilled salmon steaks and sautéed veggies Baby-back BBQ ribs and a spinach salad Mushroom soup and grilled lamb chops Shepard’s pie (topped with mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes) I cook bacon, corned beef, and chicken in advance and leave it in the fridge for quick meals. We snack on hard cheese, pickles, salami, cut veggies and fruit. Soups can be frozen for quick meals. My favorite low-carb cookbook: http://www.amazon.com/Low-Carb-Gourmet-Delicious-Satisfying-Recipes/dp/157954990X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345339058&sr=1-1&keywords=low+carb+gourmet HTH, Stacy