I say "no problem" all the time. In my defense, I was going for casual and friendly. Not offensive. Oops.

I call my MIL by her first name (in texts and such). When referring to her to my kids, I call her Granny. Sometimes I call her Granny when in mixed company (large family gatherings, lots of grandkids).

I do the normal quick stuff like spaghetti or loose meat sandwiches. Another that we like is Sausage & beans over rice. I cut one package of smoked beef sausage or hot links into bite sized pieces. Brown in pan. Stir in a drained/rinsed can of kidney beans until warm. Serve over rice. (Can also cook onion/pepper in the first step.) Good plain or topped with salsa.

Thanks for all the thoughts! I don't feel AAS is babyish (obviously I would accelerate where needed, and I'll probably use the tile app instead of tiles). I guess I was more wondering if there was something similar but more concise. I actually have Spelling Through Morphographs, but lesson 1 assumes skills that I think DD lacks. I may come back to that after we cover some basics...?

Pentime? The first book is very basic with letter formation. It's not colorful but has little pictures that my DD's always liked to color.

Yes! We usually start school by now, but I'm in the middle of painting the living room (something I started and put off all summer). Plus, oldest DD has had a ton of doctor appointment this summer - hopefully those will taper off after this week and we can return to normalish. OP - glad your family wasn't harmed! How scary.

Their "Buffet" seems a somewhat catch-all, anti-aging serum. But if you check out their website, the have recommendations and sample routines.

Younger DD was a very late reader (late 4th grade). We currently use CLE Reading a year behind and she does fine; standardized testing showed her close to grade level in reading now. (She isn't a voracious reader, though; she prefers to read *only* graphic novels/comics.) We've been using Apples & Pears for several years but it's just not carrying over. She spells very phonetically ("excyoos me") but she also leaves out sounds (though she can tell that she left out something when I ask her to read what she wrote). I tried All About Spelling many years ago...and it was a disaster. The girls were little(and in the midst of their reading struggles), the tiles were annoying, the whiteboard was a bulky nuisance, etc. I'm reconsidering it because I feel DD needs something drastic, but also because I see they have a letter tile APP! I'm even thinking of starting with Level 1, just to cover all the basics (she's inconsistent in using c/k to spell the /k/ sound...) Is this crazy? The thought of starting a multilevel program at this stage of the game makes me...cringe. Anyone have success with an older student starting from the beginning?

I'm not sure if it's in any stores. When I check availability for my local Ultas, the products say "not available in store" and "not available for in store pick up." So...sounds like online only. I haven't tried the Azelaic acid yet (it's up next) but I tried the Niacinamide first. I have sensitive/reactive skin, and it was initially sting-y and my face felt a bit tight...but it faded really fast and I had no redness/irritation. Of course, ymmv.

DH and I have fond memories of camp, so we sent our girls as soon as they were old enough (they've been going for a week ever since they were about 8). They both love it! Now they go for one week to the camp I went to growing up and one week to camp with our church. As far as what to look for: what kind of camp experience do you want? (Cabins, dorms, religious, sporty, music/drama, etc). Who staffs the camp and what safety precautions are in place? I never questioned whether my kids would go (to where I went). It has a strong generational tradition (my kids go with the kids of people attended with).

I've been reading about The Ordinary for years but never tried them. Saw on a FB ad that Ulta (online only, possibly) is now a distributor. Woo! Prices still seem (beyond) reasonable. I ordered Buffet, Azelaic Acid, and Niacinamide+Zinc. (I'm hoping the Azelaic acid helps with some brown/sun spots that are on my face!) So... what do you love/must have/want to try?

Way to roll with the punches! My goodness, I need a nap just reading that!

We really liked AGS history this year. We did the US History but there's also World Hist. and US Government texts available. https://www.wiesereducational.com/products/ags-united-states-history-mm8041.htm (they have samples here) My oldest used Glencoe Science (level green) this past year. We liked it because it was a simple overview of general science topics (we landed there after abandoning Apologia Gen Science). https://www.mheducation.com/prek-12/program/glencoe-science-level-green2008/MKTSP-QIF11M02.html?page=1&sortby=title&order=asc&bu=seg (link shows the table of contents) Both books above I bought very inexpensively on Amazon. I think they'd be perfect for the ages/levels you need.

If you know one cabinet is currently getting scuffed, that is not something that will improve with painting. It'll just get scuffed and chipped (and possibly look worse because it's paint.) (I painted my kitchen -- for the 2nd time -- this past year. I did the whole shebang: clean, sand, prime, sand, paint, sand, paint. It's a pain and takes forever. I used Benjamin Moore Advance which is meant for cabinets but takes a while to cure.)

Gosh, I return things all the time. Seriously. I probably tried 10 bathing suits this year before settling on one. Returned the rest. Same for tennis shoes pre-Disney vacation. If my friend called me out on that, I'd be hard-pressed to not roll my eyes right in her face (cause I'm immature like that).

We used the streaming TT this past year (our first yr with the program). My DD had to write out/show work for all the problems. We just keep a spiral notebook next to the computer. At the end of the lesson, I look at the chart that shows how many right/wrong, attempts, if she had a hint, etc. I can't speak on being ready for college, though I am concerned about that. DD was previously struggling with math and her confidence... but this past year she did well with and liked using TT.

I love this thread. I drool over ToG/MP/MFW -- all of them -- every single year. And I *know* that those sort of programs would fail abysmally in our home...but they're so pretty! My kids are so uneven in their abilities (reading far below grade level, etc) that a package would be a waste. (I did buy Bookshark 6 Science for this coming year...and my rebellious, do-it-my-own-way self is already slightly panicking at the laid-out schedules and books and stuff.)

This. Some cancer treatments may even cause neuropathy. (My dh has lingering neuropathy in his feet from his lymphoma treatment.) This is a good reason to already have a neurologist on hand. (A good cancer hospital/team will listen to this concern from the beginning and help you make the connections needed.) Best wishes.

I saw ads for this on TV, but I thought it wasn't a real thing. (Like those fake ads that are really a Geico commercial or something.) I just got back from 4 days camping at the beach, where flies plagued us when eating outside at the picnic table. My mom was especially annoyed. I'm thinking I'll buy this for her for Christmas so she can keep it in the camper. 😛

We just got back from the Outer Banks (Hatteras). We climbed the lighthouse (yikes!). You could take the ferry for an Ocracoke day trip. In Nags Head/Kitty Hawk: climb Jockey's Ridge (or take a hang glide class). Kayak or jet ski on the sound. There is a waterpark on the far north end of the beach (H2OBX). In Manteo: the aquarium, a cute waterfront, The Lost Colony production. Plenty of stuff for keeping busy. (ETA: and lots of driving if you plan activities in the different areas, obviously. It's a looong haul from the north end to Hatteras/Buxton.) That said, I've never been to Charleston, so I'd probably pick that...

I'd fight for that money. I'd start nice, explaining that she's stealing and it's unacceptable. Then I'd up it to contacting their board, with a side of "I'll be contacting my lawyer" (even if you don't plan on doing so). I'm pretty sure that will get your refund. Getting the refund would NOT be the end of it. Consider it a public service announcement but I'd leave a review on all the local homeschool FB pages. For all we know, this woman is scamming everyone.

Sure! On Amazon prime there are a couple of series. One called Children of the World and another called Families of the World (these seemed geared toward younger audiences, but I've not fully previewed them). And there is a series called Most Dangerous Ways to get to School (or something like that).

I voted LGBT but if I'd seen it about a decade ago, I would've voted cutesy/Lisa Frank-esque stuff.

I'm piecing together my own world geography for this coming year, but my kids are older so we're focusing more on people and world religions. That said, there are several great animal atlases on Amazon (Animal Planet has a nice looking one, as does Smithstonian). I also found many nature documentaries free on Amazon Prime (also lots of documentaries about children/families around the world). When my girls were little, we did a zoology year + biomes/habitats. We used these resources: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Animal-Research-Report-Printables-680058 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439453372/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1557996881/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'd rather not know. I buy what I buy based on the merit of the product, not the beliefs of the CEO/creator/president/ etc.