I did it 10+ years ago. I saved for a whole year prior and did tons of research on the doctor. I needed to find a window between nursing and pregnancies. I "think" the last box of contacts I had said -9.50. So rather bad sight. I just had an eye exam last month and everything is still really good. I had never had valium before that eye surgery. So I said, "Well, just give me a little bit." I was incredible nervous. So my only regret was not taking all the valium that I was offered. :)

So, ds#1 is having high school graduation party. He won't be attending any sort of homeschooled high school graduation ceremony. (His choice) However, the week after the party, he will earn an associates degree at the local CC. He will attend that ceremony. The majority of the party won't be homeschooled teens or families. It's friends from the neighborhood, or sports, or clubs that he's been a part of. Only 2-4 families that homeschooled will be there. So, as a parent, did you give a little speech? Was there any formal part to the party? His friends are sweet and funny and have been dying to know if "his parents really give him a diploma?" Finally, lots of people at the party don't know he's earned his associates. (His request) He didn't want anyone treating him different because he went to college early. Three years ago, the local CC had 1 public schooled student earn an associates degree. So it's rare. The local CC just notified him in the last 2 weeks that he could walk. So, he would like me to just order a second cake with the info for the associates degree. Does that sound ok? He's going on to earn his bachelor's this fall. Thanks

When I was in college there was a fraternity that had been "banned" a few years before I arrived. I went to a mid-sized State College with a low Greek population. The college town did not allow fraternity houses. However, most fraternities guys managed to live all on the same floor of a dorm. They often rented side-by-side off campus apartments. The banned fraternity continued to live together (on and off campus) and still went looking for pledges while I was I student. They were more dangerous in those following years until all of the guys had graduated. I don't have much faith in the word "banned" That fraternity maybe had 30 members and rarely legacy brothers. So not like Penn State at all.

Thanks!

So, at the bottom of ds transcript reads, "Expected Graduation Date: 06.01.2017 " What does it need to say after he graduates high school? I need to send a final transcript. Thanks!

I had one born sunny side up. I gave birth in a kneeling, almost upright position.

Is your son a high school student taking a college class? Is he enrolling in a college level Calculus I class during the same semester as Physics I ? In his future college major does he need both Physics I & II ?

With my kids, I try to remember to comment right before we see the child. I would probably say something along the lines of....Remember Charlie's legs don't work as fast as yours. So if you are going to play with Charlie please try.....playing cards, sitting down and blowing bubbles, dig in the dirt, etc. When mine were that little we often met a family at their beach house. Their child could float/dog paddle/use a kickboard for hours. But back at the beach house the child would sit in the shade and not run and play. It took a bit for my kids to figure it out. Keep coaching your kid. He'll get it.

72 credits. Started DE sophomore year. Went through the summers, too.

So, what is the difference between listing each item in a single post or listing lots of items in one post? If you've sold on these boards is there anything that I could do to make things go smoothly?

Domestic flight. From one coast to the middle of the country.

So, ds17 is flying at the end of the month for a team event. He hasn't flow since he was 5. He's flying by himself. (I'm fine with that) At the final destination there will be other coaches/parents looking for him. The prices seem to be cheaper if he has a connecting flight vs. a direct flight or layover. Same airline all the way though. Should I not book this? If not, why not? I'm open to any and all free advice. He's the last of the team to book cause we need save bit more for this event.

If you chose to get a job at minimum wage and your husband needed to go to an interview, you wouldn't have to quit your job. Most minimum wage jobs have policies about switching a shift with another coworker. I'm not encouraging you to get or not get a job. I am trying to tell you that there is a work-around if needed.

Very OT but in our last house we paid the taxes/insurance ourselves. It was not part of our mortgage payment. So there is a way to discuss the upcoming tax hike in your town without discussing your mortgage.

The question of, "Can your kid play sports, join the band, be in the school play..." is left up to each town's superintendent. Also, if you are considering sending your kids to a vocational high school the those are regional. So, towns, A, B, C, D send students to Voke123 but towns X, Y, Z, send to Voke789. Most of the community colleges are have a dual enrollment program. Do you want to live within driving distance to a CC ?

Exhaling....big breath...ds has finally heard from all 6 schools that he applied to. Four acceptances, one wait list, and 1 rejection. The wait-listed college strongly suggested homeschoolers schedule an interview. Ds never scheduled an interview. The rejection had 30,000 applications for a freshman class of 1,700.

I have a DE high school Senior so we're not all the way though the process. The local CC Engineering department has an agreement with the local StateU Engineering department. So there are specific engineering classes that do transfer. Ds also went into the StateU Engineering dept and doubled checked that the CC classes really did transfer. They were very helpful. So, I would suggest getting help from the departments in addition to the DE office. Also, the local StateU does DE so that's where he took Calc I & Calc II.

We're not at college yet. However, we live where some of the community colleges offer reduced rates for dual enrollment. Different CC have different policies about tuition. So check around. Ds has knocked off most of his general education requirements this way. So, we've saved because a CC class is running $500-600 where the same class at State U is running $1200. Ds wasn't interested in AP or CLEP but that's another way to save. I did meet someone who's daughter did enough CLEPs to arrive as a Junior.

Another vote for Old Navy tall sizes.

YMMV so check with your CC but my ds took the Accuplacer test at the end of 9th grade with only having finished Algebra I. He "passed" enough to take most classes at the CC but he didn't score high enough to take College Algebra at the CC. So during 10th grade he took humanities/science classes at the CC and did Algebra II at home. He then retook the Accuplacer and scored high enough to take math at the CC. So, Junior year he took College Algebra at the CC and did Geometry and home. Then he moved onto a Trig/preCalc class at the CC and then onto Calc I & II.

I think anything is workable. However, does this house have well water? I'm under the assumption that hand washing uses more water than a dishwasher.

When we were a family of 5 we had one bathroom. As a family of 7 we have 1.5 bathrooms. Is there any chance you can look for 1.5 bathrooms? This house fit us in other ways so at move-in I thought the half bath was really a luxury and probably unnecessary. It needed renovations and we didn't get to that till a year or so after moving in. Now, I'm thankful for the half bath when there's a stomach bug. Also, if we all have to get dressed and leave at the same time. (funeral, wedding, party, etc) But there's a point to not stretching your budget for a space that you'll only really really need a few times a year.

It depends on the teen. During middle school, my STEM inclined ds did a very textbook/workbook traditional science with a year each of Life, Earth and Physics. In 9th he did Bio at home with a few experiments and a very traditional text/workbook. That was the last science he did at home. The rest of his sciences he did at the local CC. Biology I, Chemistry I, Environmental Science and Physics I. He would have liked to have taken more science at the CC but schedule-wise it didn't work out. However, my next teen has said he doesn't feel ready to take science outside of the house. So, different kid, different plan.

Ds was in a similar position. Due to conflicting schedules he could only pick Calc I or Physics I. He ended up taking Calc I first semester. Then the next semester he had Calc 2 with Physics I.

I don't know if what we do will help you but in my house, if you empty something, you need to bring me the container so I can add it to my shopping list. I started this in desperation when the kids where too little to write on my shopping list. So instead of putting the last empty box of cereal in the recycle bin they were instructed to put it next to the coffee maker. I have a small love affair with my coffee maker but you can designated any spot that works for you. Now, they pretty much do it for anything. Want new socks? Bring me a pile of old ones with holes! Want more construction paper? Bring me the empty package. Contact solution, shaving cream, paper towels. Today, I woke up to an empty container of baking powder next to my coffee maker. With lots of kids and living not too close to the stores it has helped save my sanity.