The biggest negatives to MUS are lack of graphing calculator instruction (there's no need for it in MUS, but many other texts require it) AND lack of experience with formal proofs. I have two boys - one wants to be a fine artist, the other an engineer. MUS would be adequate for the former, but not the latter. I think of MUS as the "kinder, gentler" math for students who are not inclined to the subject. IMO, it is not rigorous enough for a student who plans a career in science/math/engineering.

There are several book along the line of "change your speech patterns, change your mind." One is A Complaint-Free World. You only need to read the first chapter to get the idea. Here is the website http://www.acomplaintfreeworld.org/ Another book I've heard good things about is Learned Optimism.

Some of my son's classes started in August and some in late Sept. Some of them end with the AP exam in early May and some go until June. We will probably add some extra studies in May on topics of interest (World Religions, Nutrition), but I expect a gentle ramping down of school work just as there was a gentle ramp up! In any case, he will stay busy with volunteer work and his entrepreneurial efforts.

This site has a lot of helpful tutorials. We are using it along with Apologia. http://www2.wwnorton.com/college/chemistry/gilbert/index/site_map.htm

We get the best prices from Hotwire. I use Travelocity to check hotel reviews and comments.

I skipped some of the bad language. It's an excellent book -- one of my all time favorites. East of Eden is even better.

If I had started in 2nd grade, my kids would have benefited!

Was it easy to install? Does your roof have gable vents, or a ridge vent? Or both? (I'm thinking about your comment about shingle life and wondering if the ventilation has something to do with it. Our house has gable vents only, which I understand are not as efficient as ridge vents.) Just curious...we might want to do this too!

It was about 5 or 6 years ago when we looked into it, and at the time, the materials were more expensive than we could afford. I wonder if it's cheaper now? I've also wondered about solar shingles. We'll need a new roof in a year or two and I hope solar shingles will be an option for us.

I don't know if grocery shopping counts, but I can't think of any household chores I like. Ironing is the pits. It's takes me 20 minutes per shirt. Fortunately, my husband wears his shirts several times before I have to wash them. "Perma press" isn't pressed enough.

I don't have any regrets about using MUS and I don't think it hindered my son in any way. Like you, when we started HS I thought he should be doing "more rigorous" math. Foeresters is. :001_smile:

Each day, my son does 10 problems from SAT Math I or Math II Subject test prep books.

After many years w/MUS, my son used Foerester's (sp?) for Alg II/Trig. He was in a small class with a tutor, and he did just fine. There are some proofs in Alg. II, and my son had no idea how to do a formal proof, so he was somewhat behind in that area. I don't think you'd have any trouble with Alg. I, however. That's probably a good time to switch.

Toyota is offering a free defensive driving class for teens. They have 4 locations listed on their website under "upcoming events". Check it out! http://www.toyotadrivingexpectations.com

It's an interesting book, though I liked The Blank Slate better. I'm learning a lot, but true to form, retaining little. One funny part in the book is that he said a colleague of his -- another linguist -- has a theory that people are born with an innate knowledge of 50,000 concepts including "carburetor," "trombone," and "doorknob." He says this colleague will brush off criticism that his theory is outrageous with statements like, "Well, they laughed at Columbus, too" Pinker retorts that people laughed at Manny Schwartz, the person who thought up the "Continental Drip" theory (that continents are pointed at the end because molten lava dripped downward as they cooled!) And people were right to laugh at Manny Schwartz.

I agree. This website is very appealing and engaging with all the photos of your daughter and her "babies." I wish her much business success!

We watched the Standard Deviant's Nutrition video. It gives a good overview. See if your library has it.

Chicken Enchiladas 1 med onion, chopped (about 1/2c) 2 cloves garlic chopped 2 TBS vegetable oil 1 1/2 c chicken broth 1 to 2 TBS chili powder 1 tsp dried oregano leaves 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp salt 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce 12 6" corn tortillas 3 c shredded cooked chicken or turkey 1 c shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese sour cream Cook and stir onion and garlic in oil in 2 qt saucepan until onion is tender. Stir in chicken broth, spices and tomato sauce. Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer uncovered 10 min. (Note: I usually double the sauce recipe because I like our enchiladas to have a lot of sauce.) Dip each tortilla into sauce to coat both sides. Spoon 1/4 c of the chicken onto each tortilla; roll tortilla around chicken and place seam side down in a 13x9x2 baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until cheese is melted (10-12 minutes) Serve with sour cream and if desired, shredded lettuce.

When Costco opened their first store here several years ago, they offered a trial membership, one year for free! Yours might do the same! I'd check with them when they get close to opening your store. (Our offer for a trial membership came in the mail, unsolicited.) The things I love at Costco: 1) Parmesean cheese bagels (12 for $3.99) 2) Kirkland brand vanilla soy milk 3) Ready made rotisserie chicken There are other things I like at Costco, but those three are my favorites.

It's the best program we've found. I only wish I'd started my kids w/IEW in elementary school.

We have a premier cooking school in Charlotte. Johnson and Wales has other locations, too. http://www.jwu.edu/admiss/

Ouch! When he started PS in 9th grade, my son said more security was needed at the school. "They really should have rectal scans." I don't think so....:)

Our first house sold by word of mouth when we were "just thinking about" selling it. We decided to sell our second home FSBO. We had a contract within a month BUT THEN one week before closing the buyers backed out and we had to start all over again. We could have sued for specific performance, but we didn't want to waste time and money. It took another month to find a buyer and 45 days to close. We advertised in For Sale By Owner magazine and the local paper. Our third home was in a new subdivision with new construction all around. It was a tough sell. We tried to sell it ourselves for 2 months, then contracted with a realtor who put it in the MLS for us for $500. It sold in a month. From what I've seen in our neighborhood, realtors are not diligent about marketing homes. They rely on the internet and MLS to do that. Often, the info boxes at the street are empty and rarely are there Open Houses. So, I think selling it yourself WITH the MLS listing through a realtor who is willing to do that for a flat fee is the easiest route. If I did decide to use a realtor, I'd find one who is new -- eager and motivated to build a business. (I'd get a comparative analysis from 3 old timers familiar with my neighborhood to check the pricing the new realtor comes up with).

I like Virgin Mobile because I rarely use my cell phone. All this company requires is that I add $20 to my account every 90 days. My phone has accumulated over $100 worth of minutes on it because the $20 I add doesn't disappear or go to fees - it's only used if I make calls or send/receive text messages. It costs me only $80 a year for the peace of mind of having a cell phone when I need it. I think it's a bargain.