Anyone's children participate in competitions in 6th-12th grades? They won't be piano performance majors, but they enjoy the challenge and getting pieces "perfect". 4 pieces for at least 3 competitions. Last year, my son was a surprise finalist his first try. They both received superior scores at each competition. This year, their teacher signed them up to the competition that moves up to state level if they do well. They like it, perform well under pressure. Their pieces are beautiful, and they will have keep up a repetoire of memorized pieces. Question # 1 Would you put any competions on transcript? As an activity? Superior grades? OR only add to transcript if they win 2nd place in state, for example? They work on competition pieces from October through early March. Question 2 Is this enough of a drawback to avoid competitons? They also play year round through Alfred's Masterpiece Classics - will be done with book 10 by 11th grade (early advanced). They might move faster without competitions but maybe not. My other question is about praise and worship piano using lead sheets, just chords on lyrics for the praise band. My daughter assumed sbe would be able to transfer her piano skill to serve in the church. She can't play by ear at all. Her worship piano teacher (different teacher than classical piano) tells her to listen to the song and mess around to find melody lines. Cannot do it! Question 3 Can classical pianists transfer to praise and worship piano if they are 100% visual players? Only ear players can play piano chords for modern worship music?

I am halfway through S. I am enjoying the margin story far more than Ship of Theseus. S o T reads like pulp fiction instead of a classic that inspires a lifetime of study. Or maybe it is the mystery of the author's identity that inspires the lifetime of study instead of the work itself? Anyway, I read a review with advice to read a chapter with the pencil notes only. Go back and read the blue/back notes. Until you finish the book. Then go back all the way through reading the orange/green notes, then a 3rd time reading the purple/red notes. So that is my plan. It is hard to ignore the colored margins when the page is full of them! There are lots of books read this week that I dropped! Code Name Verity - wanted a linear plot, confused. Rosie Project - I have son with mod intellectual disability and high functioning autism, the easy breezy tone rubbed me the wrong way. My son has such difficulties. Going Clear- just got so disturbed and didn't want to spend 2 weeks on it. I have read a lot so far...10 books already!

I read the return policy including Kohls cash carefully. It says nothing about an item per item exchange. At least it happened to someone besides me! Makes me feel better somehow. :)

I went to return a sweater with the receipts for $33 from a large order that was partially paid for with Kohls cash. I mentioned I wanted to do an exchange so I didn't lose the Kohls cash discount. She offered $20 on my Kohls card, so I reiterated I wanted an exchange so I didn't lose the Kohls cash, so she said I had to go find $48 worth to exchage it for ( $48 was the full price on tag). Makes sense to me I could exchange it for $33 since that was what qualified for Kohls cash originally, but it gets much worse!!! I shopped for an hour filling my cart with clearance merchandise that totalled $50. I went back to customer service and she said "No, one item has to be $48 that you exchange the sweater for. It must be an item for items exact exchange." I explained that my new purchase would have qualified for the same amount of Kohls cash. Kohls cash doesn't doesn't depend on how many items purchased, just the total. I asked to speak with the manager and she said she was the manager. I ended up just getting just the $20.

Nm

We are considering this for next year and this thread worries me! Any other reviews?

The Road Home, Ellen Emerson White (intense, angsty Vietnam fiction about a nurse). http://www.amazon.com/The-Road-Home-Point-Signature/dp/0590467387 And Tale of Two Cities for school, wbich she really likes!

That's amazing!!! :)

I seem to have blurry close up vision overnight! 45yo. Can I buy with Amazon Prime? Do I need to test strengths first? Toocold to go out! Eyeglass necklace to keep track of them? Tacky? Aging or necessary? :)

This year I decided against purchasing Great Courses bc of all the Moocs, open courses available. I am starting with these... Yale Open Course #1 The American Novel After 1945 http://oyc.yale.edu/english/engl-291#sessions #2 European Civilization 1648-1945 http://oyc.yale.edu/history/hist-202 #3 Civil War and Reconstruction (Blight) http://oyc.yale.edu/history/hist-119 #4 Early Modern England, History Politcs and Culture under the Tudors and Stuarts http://oyc.yale.edu/history/hist-251 #5 Listening to Music http://oyc.yale.edu/music/musi-112 Edx Shakespeare: On the Page and In Performance https://www.edx.org/course/wellesleyx/wellesleyx-eng112x-shakespeare-page-877 Poetry in America: the Poetry of Early New England https://www.edx.org/course/harvardx/harvardx-ai12-1x-poetry-america-poetry-937

Best homeschool decision I ever made. Used it all the way through, my daughter will do just the high school english light units, not lit. We also added writing. Not what you asked but we use CLE Math through 8 also. If I did it again, I would double up with Singapore. As far as taking too long, I feel like emphasis on 3 rs is soooo important in the elementary years. I wish we didn't spend so much time on history. If I did it again I would just do nature study and interest led weekly library books for science, What Your .... Needs to Know, Story of the World (no activity guides), library books, and CLE math, LA, and Reading.

Wonderful news! Congratulations!

Nm

1. 62, more than last year! 2. Sarah Jio, new author liked 1rst 3 books, but latest was weak... Just One Day, Gayle Foreman Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D., Nicole Bernier 3. Where's You Go Bernadette and Wife-22 (On the opposite spectrum) - Revival and Revivalism, Ian Murray Book of Ages, Jill Lepore 4. Reconstructing Amelia 5. Homemaking, J.R. Miller 6. Outlander series -crude 7. Spiritual Depression, Martin Lloyd Jones Mindset, Carol Dweck With kids: Weakness is the Way Freedom of Self Forgetfulness Cross Centered Life Homemaking, J.R. Miller 9. Spiritual Depression, Martin Lloyd Jones 10. I enjoy having lists of all books read yearly in Evernote. They are fun to look back on.

A Lantern in Her Hand and sequel, White Bird Flying by Bess Streeter Aldrich Irving Stone - my favorites are the ones about Jessie Benton Fremont and Rachel Jackson Bodie Thoene's Zion Chronicles and Zion Ocvenant series

I will be praying for you all. Keep us updated please!

We are considering: Pre AP English -10th grade Intro to Lit and Academic Writing -8th grade Thanks!

Chalkdust geometry assignments list additonal problems for honors course students. So, I am labeling it as honors geometry.

My 9th grade daughter received her PSAT this weekend. She took the SAT with Duke Tip in 7th and 8th. Math score went way up (as expected bc covers less advanced topics), but writing went DOWN bc her SAT essay score boosted her writing a lot. My son qualifies to take the SAT through Duke tip too. But, I am questioning the value. He took a writing multiple choice practice test, and scored far below the award cut off. He wants to do a little prep so he can get an award like his sister. Since the PSAT is scheduled to be different in 2015 (his 9th grade and her National Merit 11th grade year) :/, I am wondering if it worth it to even practice further. My daughter needs to raise her PSAT quite a lot in 2 years. Seems unlikely without prep, but it will be a different test anyway. So, how to prep?? I went to college with merit scholarships from National Merit status. It can make a big difference, but I mostly want them to break 2000 SAT to get into our challenging state university.

He has a rn during school hours at home, but can't obviously not on vacation. He has complicated medical equipment, and his set up is like a mini icu. Takes a while for even a new nurse to get oriented to his plan. So, we are the only caregivers. I am second guessing the idea bc of the long drive- he gets sores from too much time in his wheelchair, healing one up from church service last Sunday. I can't imagine how we would do with the drive, even with all the recovery days built into the schedule. It is a great idea in theory, but our family is unique. I'm thankful for our many oceanfront beach vacation memories.

Okay, thanks. I can see it is doable too, but do my husband and I want to separate for the majority of days on our vacation? It could work though...

We have 4 children 19 (profoundly disabled and medically fragile), 16 ( autism and mod intellectually disabled), 14yo and 12yo. We considered the option of flying me and my two youngest (homeschoolers) for 3 nights. Plane fares plus hotels are super expensive. My 2nd oldest with autism and intellectual disabilities would feel left out. Our next plan is following and what I am asking if it is crazy. It would replace our annual beach vacation. 14 hours road trip in huge wheelchair van, with one night in hotel each way to tend to son's needs. We are looking beachfront in Plymouth -about an hour outside Boston day 1 - unpack and hang out at beach day 2 - train to Boston, dad at home with son reading and fishing day 3 - train to Boston and Red Sox game, mom at home with son reading day 4 - train to Boston, dad at home with son reading and fishing day 5 - all of us to Plimouth Plantation day 6 - drive to Lexington/ Concord tour, dad at home reading fishing day 7 - pack and hang out at beach It feels awkward bc we have to split up so much. When we go to the beach we stay oceanfront and basically never leave. This schedule is nice for my oldest bc it gives him a few days in bed to recover from the road trip before we go to Plimouth Plantation. I really want to show my kids Boston bc my dad's family is from there. We are HUGE Red Sox fans (bc of my childhood), but I really want my husband to go in my place bc I went so often as a kid. So, that is part of why I want us all to go.

My dilemma is where to stay if I fly with 2 teens and also want to see Lexington/Concord and Plymouth. I would rather not rent a car since most things are near public transit - except these excursions. Any suggestions on budget hotels near transit on the outskirts of Boston? If we drove 13 hours with our disabled older children, I love the house in Plymouth idea. Just don't know if they could handle the long trip. We want beachfront though bc we will take turns staying home to care for our oldest. Any others beachfront house suggestions within daily driving distance of Boston or transit?

What does this mean? My daughter has never been great with spatial skills when younger: handwriting, building sets, puzzles etc. Very language arts gifted though. She did well with Chalkdust Algebra in 8th but it was a ton of work to master it. Chalkdust Geometry, on the other hand, has been so easy for her. She has 100% on her tests so far. I can't figure it out bc I did horribly in geometry in high school and even with the dvds, I am not improving. I think it must be her Logic classes? I am confused but happy about it. :)

Nm