I tried to do daily or even weekly lesson plans when we were homeschooling (grades 4/5), but I found it was not worth it for us. What we did do was develop a "learning list" starting around age 6/7, when we were after-schooling, where my child and I wrote down all the big and little goals we had. Then we broke the list down to make real plans, but it was flexible, and changing. When we switched to full time homeschooling, I tried to do detailed lesson plans in advance, but out of necessity it turned into documenting what we had done as went along. We developed a routine for the homeschool schedule that was basically block scheduling, and I did refer back to the learning list fairly regularly. Some of those goals were written up on index cards, and fleshed out as needed. I put together a pocket organizer with: Photocopies of the table of contents of each textbook used A log of books read (I was able to track a lot of this by using library lending records) Several grade levels of detailed curriculum guides downloaded from our school district's website (not to follow precisely, but to have as a reference tool of sorts) Schedules of various programs (museum classes, dance lessons, library programming, etc) Records of test scores and awards won eta: We might homeschool highschool, if the kid does not get into one of their preferred schools. In that case, I WILL do more lesson planning, as we will need to be more focused, at least for grade 9/10.

I asked my kid who just finished Algebra in 7th at public school, but previously used AOPS pre-algebra at home (for grades 4/5), and the kid strongly recommends getting comfortable with AOPS before moving on to the next level. AOPS recommends taking their Intro to Counting and Probability class prior to taking Algebra B. If your child takes that in the fall, that could satisfy their desire for something new while getting acclimated in the AOPS way of doing things. Then they could follow up with Algebra B in the spring semester. [edited for clarity]

My child was pretty much ambidextrous at the beginning, but they slightly favored the left hand when learning to write (ages 3-6). I noticed that when they wrote with their right hand, sometimes they did whole word mirror writing without being aware of it. At age 6, a broken right arm led to fulltime lefthandedness. They recently broke their left arm at age 12, so they took a stab at trying to use the right hand again, much to their amusement. They ended up using a mouse-based computer drawing program to do their algebra homework. This child is strong in math, is a "visual-spatial" learner,and is super creative/imaginative. They are hoping to attend a performing arts high school.

No, probably not I have offered to share with Dh, and he acts like i have insulted his manliness. When he has offered to share with me, I always seem to get hit in the head with the ends of the spokes of the umbrella. In the unusual case that I was out walking and I had an umbrella in a downpour, I doubt that there would also be a stranded stranger around that would be going my way, and be the right height. If I share with someone taller, I get wet. If we stand far enough apart so as not to be pressed together, we both get wet.

Regarding Harry Potter, my sensitive kid read maybe half the first book and gave it back to me, telling me that it was not appropriate.

My child was into the 39 clues series at that age. Adventure with a little history mixed in. That year they also read Bill Bryson's "A short history of nearly everything"

We are doing a gut remodel of a house that had a gas log fireplace. It was one of the first things we pulled out, a little bit due to the advice from the previous owner. I am not a fan of those anyway. We are putting in a wood burning stove instead, partly because it will actually provide heat, and partly because DH has always wanted to be able to burn stuff in his grown-up home.

One resource we liked at that age is Mathematics, a Human Endeavor, by Jacobs. https://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Endeavor-Harold-R-Jacobs/dp/071672426X

My 12 yo dc is researching ancient Greek philosophy, and is making a list of online resources. Does anyone know of any specific websites that they would recommend? tia

My brother and I have dark brown eyes, while our father has blue eyes and our mother has greenish-gray eyes.

We got married almost 25 year ago, and paid for everything on our own. The price for our wedding and reception for 120 people was a little under $5000, and it was held at an old mansion at a university in the city. Most places we looked at cost twice as much. The base fee for the venue was $1000 back then, and it is $3500 now, so I am sure it would cost a bit more these days. I paid $199 for my dress at a crazy wedding dress clearance sale. It had a retail price of $3500.

Our city has more than 30 public high schools, and they are not assigned by where you live. Instead, you enter a lottery to be assigned to one, ranking your preferences and crossing your fingers. A handful of these public schools are available only through special admissions, based on exams and grades or by audition, depending on the school. There are also a bunch of public charters which run school-specific lotteries. My kid will be going through the high school selection process later this year. The ones we are looking at range 4-8 miles away. Most kids take the bus or train. If we drive, I would plan on 20-40 minutes, depending on location.

I am on the deed, but not the mortgage.

A lot of our kids have been through this phase, so there are a number of threads discussing it. Here is one: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/565942-ease-doing-math-mentally-but-struggling-with-writing-it-all-down/?fromsearch=1 In our case, I usually had my child write out a couple of problems from each section rather than only writing the answer that just appeared in their head: "Demonstrate to me how that kind of problem works, and then you can move on."

My child was seen at an adolescent clinic last year, and we are officially switching over to them instead of the pediatrician this year, at 13. It was booked as an "intake visit," which is more extensive than a well check or a physical. They did a full review of systems, including blood and urine, which apparently checks for certain drugs. It also included a screening with a mental health provider and another screening with a nutritionist. I think in the future we just see the MD for the annual exam.

I am also a jaunty auntie to my nieces. I think you and I are in the same local area, if I remember correctly.

I also have an aunt that rhymes with ant, and an aunt that rhymes with haunt.

Both. Depends on various things, including context. But, although I am a native speaker of American English, I have lived in many different places, and have been exposed to many different accents.

Dh takes our dc to do more primitive tent camping, but when I go, I book cabins or yurts at a state campground for about $40 per night. They have a picnic table, grill or fire pit, electricity, a water source, and bunk beds. I bring an electric kettle and bedding, and really basic food. Think picnic, not recreating regular meals in the woods. In the past I have spent loads of time making (and cleaning up after) fresh pancakes, bacon, etc, but realized I am much happier to hand them a box of bakery muffins. We have even ordered pizza delivered to the campground entrance!

I wouldn't use the word "magic," but over the years I have developed enough techniques that I mostly improvise the meals I make. I enjoy reading cookbooks for ideas, and will Google recipes if I want to try to recreate a dish. I will usually look at 3-4 versions of the new dish, then make it in a way that suits me and our various dietary restrictions. Dh cannot eat any form of onions, garlic, cheese, or vinegar, to name a few things, and we have a vegetarian too, so I kind of have to "magic" my way through meal prep.

Early January, during the break between semesters, which was a good time to leave New England and go to Hawaii. We decorated with white poinsettias, and for about $100, the florist gave us a huge truckload of plants, including some impressive poinsettia topiary trees. He was ready for them all to be gone.

I do think the fact that I attended pricy private college prep programs meant that the expectations had to be very clear. I think about 25% my senior class went to Ivy league schools. Intense stuff.

I went to two different (expensive) private high schools, and at both schools teachers handed out fairly detailed information about classes at the beginning of each term. They would spell out what was covered in the class and how the grade was going to be calculated. Sometimes small changes were made during the term, such as a quiz being tossed out, or offering an opportunity to earn extra credit, but I don't recall any changes that added requirements. I think my classmates would have carried out a mutiny.

If you have the time, it is not nuts. And it's not like you are doing the return trip right away, so you will have some time to unwind before getting back on the road. Since you have already made a trip one way before, you probably have a realistic expectation of how many miles you will cover per day, and ideas on how to make the daily rhythm work for your family. I have good memories of many long-haul family road trips. My parents mostly let us choose the motels along the way, from the AAA guides that we carried with us. We would always try to find a place with a pool.

That recital policy is stupid. And the teacher is the one who changed the planned date without getting confirmation that the new time works for everyone. So, I think the teacher should deal with the repercussions, not your child. Enjoy the skate show.