I was just going to recommend Mr. G for anyone looking for a fun introduction to Russian. Mr. G is a wonderful teacher .

Have you heard of Lauren Ipsum: A Story about Computer Science and Other Improbable Things? It is by no means a classic, but it is loosely based on Alice in Wonderland, and many of the reviews on Amazon relate it to The Phantom Toolbooth. My son is reading it now and loves it. http://www.amazon.com/Lauren-Ipsum-Computer-Science-Improbable-ebook/dp/B00QL616IC

We had rain and terrible wind last night in Orange County. There were quite a few tree branches down. The local foothills around us had snow. I had a man tell me today that he has lived in Irvine for 30 years, and this is the first time he has ever seen snow in the local foothills.

We had rain and terrible wind last night in Orange County. There were quite a few tree branches down. The local foothills around us had snow. I had a man tell me today that he has lived in Irvine for 30 years, and this is the first time he has ever seen snow in the local foothills.

All this twin talk has me thinking a great deal. I still don't know if I am comfortable with the twins going to Simon's Rock (especially because they will have just turned 16), but if they do go I know I will feel better that they are together. I do wonder how hard the adjustment will be for me and my younger son.

DS and DD found out this morning that they were accepted into Bard College at Simon's Rock. They each received a scholarship, but we need to wait a week or so to receive their complete financial aid packages. The school is very expensive, so they may or may not attend. Regardless, they are both extremly happy right now just knowing they got in.

The Sarah Jane Adventures is a good choice as is The Sparticle Mystery. Not sure if they are on Netflix anymore though. I believe Sarah Jane is on Hulu Plus still.

I watched it and thought it was terribly unimaginative. I mean these characters, the over-emotional mom and the clueless dad, have been done a hundred times before.

My three kids are on state health insurance. It has been wonderful for us. I pay $29/month, and they cover everything 100%. This includes dental and visual. We have wonderful doctors, and although we have to wait for referrals, it has never been a huge wait and the referrals are always to great doctors. I couldn't be happier with the insurance.

I have one up today, pictures from our recent visit to Chicago.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

My dog can tell when anyone has an ear infection. He sniffs ears, and if they are infected, he goes crazy. He has correctly diagnosed my stepdad twice and my son once. When anyone is terribly sick I always have him sniff their ears. :D

My ring was not worth much, so I threw it away. I have never regretted it. I really had no desire to ever see the ring again, and I know my children would never want it.

First of all :grouphug: :grouphug: to you and your daughter. My son suffered through years of selective mutism, and his piano teacher was one of the few people he was comfortable with. I cannot imagine how he would have dealt with a tragedy like that. I think at this time routine is important and lots of love and support from you and your family. This will help her with her anxiety. This is probably how I would have reacted too, but I am not sure that is helping. The issue with kids with selective mutism is that often their emotions and their inability to control them makes them scared and anxious. If you show her that you are sad and are grieving and tell her that is a completely normal reaction she might feel better in the long run. She will see that her feelings are normal and not as scary as she thought. In addition I would just spend a good deal of time with her, hugging and talking, and reassuring her that her world will get back to a new normal soon. :grouphug: :grouphug: again because I know this must be so hard to deal with. I can't imagine.

My daughter did not wear shoes consistently until she was ten years old. We live in California so it was not a big deal. When it was essential that she had to have shoes she would reluctantly wear flip-flops.

It's funny because I am in Orange County, and I have not found this to be true. Maybe I just have like-minded parents around me or something, but in my little homeschool sphere no one is using a charter for high school (although most do for their younger kids), and no one had any trouble registering as independent homeschoolers at Irvine Valley College. It would annoy me to no end if the community college just assumed we were with a charter.

I have actually found the opposite to be true amongst my homeschool friends where I live. Once the kids get to high school they all pull them out of the charter schools because they do not like the limited choices made by the a-g requirements. For some it feels like a choice between more rigorous and interesting classes or get it done a-g classes.

I am not sure about this. Maybe ten or fifteen years ago homeschoolers were not on their radar, but this is not the case anymore. There are too many homeschoolers in this state for them not to be on anyone's radar, and the truth is that by making it so hard for homeschoolers, the UC system is missing out on some great students. They could make exceptions for homeschoolers or, dare I say it, actually welcome them. Instead the a-g policy or entrance by exams is turning away more and more homeschoolers every year. The geometry requirement is the icing on the cake. Those who were considering working through all the red tape to get in now feel that there is really no point.

We saw it today. My youngest (11) wanted to see it, but I had to drag the teens along. We all loved it!

My twins loved to have their hand in my hair all the time, especially when falling asleep. It was exhausting. They also ended up having sensory issues.

My son loved Island of Thieves and the sequel The Sultan's Tiger.

This is a great idea, and I wish there was something like it. My 11-year-old would love it.

I am Midnightmint over at NaNoWriMo. Feel free to add me as a writing buddy.

My son and I are both signed up this year. He planned his story today and will start writing it tomorrow. I wrote 1,733 words today. I'm happy I wrote that much but am afraid I won't be able to keep that pace. I guess time will tell.

I'm not the OP but thanks for mentioning this. I just did a web search and my area has a VIP team. I already wrote an email to the group asking for more information. :)