http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000092TS9/ref=wms_ohs_product_T2

The episode where Nathan was on the most was episode 7. You can see my daughter and I in this episode too. I'm also shown briefly in the last episode trying to carry water with a yoke.

Yes, it was me and I'm still lurking on this board. Nathan only spent one year at American Boychoir School and is now back to homeschooling. He's 15 now. I'm glad somebody is still enjoying the show. For those that didn't see it, I do think it's worth watching, but of course I'm biased! Valerie

My 8th grader had no trouble getting through LoF Algl. 1 on his own. However after a year of no math in 9th, I just had him start ALEKS Alg. 1 as a quick review before going on to LOF Alg. 2. He scored only about 30% on the initial placement test. I don't know if all kids would forget that much in a year or if it was something about LOF that made the algebra fail to stick with him.

14. Finally! :tongue_smilie:

Growing up here it seems like everyone wanted to go to Michigan State, U of M or maybe Michigan Tech if they stayed in-state or didn't go to a private school. Ferris was relatively new and didn't have much reputation yet. You'd have to compare the average test scores to see how it ranks these days. It's not much to look building wise. Not much of a town.

http://www.shopjustice.com/girls-clothing/clothes/jeans

My son just got this assignment. I don't like it but he is insisting on a comparison of apples and oranges! He always chooses his own topics. I often think I can come up with better ones which might involve learning something useful but we are using outside teachers and they never say "let your mom pick your topic".

Unless this is going to be a fairly static site, you might want to look into using CMS (content management system) software. You'll still have to design the pages, though. Also, you'll probably want to get up to speed on CSS, not just HTML.

I read through this link I found when I googled middle school research paper. I think it's pretty good. http://www.sayreschool.org/page.cfm?p=131

I listened to it. I think it was worth listening to. It was 48 minutes or so.

We are in Michigan as well. My daughter has only been allowed to take non-core classes such as music and art at the middle school. She is counted on count day and yes, they get money for her. She did participate in one after-school activity last year with competition (an Odyssey of the Mind type thing). That's something that's paid for and run by parent organizations and volunteers. I just went directly to the volunteers running it and asked. My son was on a high school level FIRST Robotics team last year but it had nothing to do with a school. Most of the schools in this part of the state don't have robotics teams anyway. It costs a ton of money to build the robot and be in the competitions so teams need corporate sponsors. Most of the teams are sponsored by companies and run by parent volunteers. I know 4-H is trying to be involved with Robotics teams so that might be a contact for you as well. You might consider starting your own team with a group of homeschoolers....it's easy to get an established team to mentor your team as that's part of the FIRST culture. A high school based team might be too big anyway. Your son might not get hands-on work with the robot until he's a senior. I know of another district in Michigan where they do allow the homeschooled students to take core classes, either online or at a community college (this is new this year) but the school district had to get a "seat waver" from the state and it was three years in the making to get past county objectors, etc. I can put you in touch with the parent that was deeply involved in making this happen if you're interested. Valerie

Yes you can still do it. I too am a former cross country runner (in college) and I have let myself gain weight, then have lost weight and run again, then gained again, and I'm now starting to run again as I lose weight for the 2nd time. I'm not sure how much extra weight you are carrying and your age...those factors could make a difference. The key thing is to take it easy so you don't get injured. I don't let myself worry about my slow pace (compared to what I used to be able to do). I tell myself that I'm carrying more weight than I used to and I can pick up the pace after I lose it. I also hate the way my thighs rub and/or my shorts ride up when I'm overweight. I know that will end too. I just don't have very high expectations for a decent pace until I get within 5-10 pounds of my ideal weight. So I just keep plodding away at a slow pace for now.

I bought two sizes of feather dusters. One fell apart within a few months. Never really got in the habit of using them. One of the big pink (formerly purple) feathers came in handy for decorating a costume hat though.

I have my 12 year old 7th grader taking LL7 from G3. She enjoys the class, particularly the forums where the kids complete each other stories. Those forums have actually been addictive, attracting a huge amount of her time. However....the class is full of gifted younger kids and the class discussion and pace very much is geared to under 12s. It's really a bit young for a 7th grader. I would not put your 13 year old in it. You could do the material on your own in less time. Valerie

I did that. My kids are older too. They only returned to the car to dump their stashes when they got full. I just followed them so as not to lose them in the dark. I suppose I could have just sat in one place but I liked looking at all the houses and their spooky decor too. It was cold...I had no desire to be out there walking and standing on the sidewalk like the parents of the little kids.

I'm enjoying the book entitled The Canon A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science by Natalie Angier.

Can an older boy (14.4) join BSA for the first time, or do they have to have done Cub Scouts? Yes. How much time per week? Our mtgs are 1.5 h/week plus campouts, etc., about once/mo. Are campouts all mandatory? No. Cost per year? (ballpark would be OK, including all the incidentals, not just uniforms or books) Varies, I'm sure, our troup has lots of fund raising opportunities. Doesn't seem expensive compared to other activities. $350? Including summer camp. Biggest advantages, drawbacks? Advantages, social time with other boys, skills learned. Drawbacks...none really. What do you wish you had known? How to find a troop whose leaders you can trust? (This is a real big deal for us, based on some other experiences we've had.) Just go to the meetings of any troups in your area and talk to the leaders and parents. Can you change troops? Yes. How long would it take for a total newbie to achieve anything? Depends on how hard he works on the requirements. Doesn't need to take long at all. Much of it is easy for a 14 year old. What percentage of guys earn their eagle, and average time to earn it? Depends on your troop and how much this is pushed and at what ages. I think the percentage is low, nationwide. Anything else you want to tell me? Go for it! My son didn't start until 13 (8th grade) and is behind his age mates rank-wise but it hasn't mattered. He has enjoyed it.

We like our plastic/acrylic glasses from Target. I bought a couple of sets of glasses at Ikea last April and most are broken already. We have a tile floor. Valerie

I can't really answer your question about whether your half-marathon plan is appropriate for you....you can always just start it and see how it goes. If you have extra time to make it a more gradual buildup then use it that way. As for the indoor triathlon a few weeks after the half-marathon, I think that will be a piece of cake. Those indoor tri's have shorter distances and aren't hard at all. Just work up to the biking time indoors in Nov and Dec. and you'll be set.

You could combine your Chicago trip with a stop at the beach. There's Illinois Beach Park which would be convenient if you're north of Chicago in the Zion/Gurnee area (as you would be if you choose to go to Six Flags). If this summer continues this way the idea of a Lake Michigan beach in Sept. sounds cold to me though

Yes, LOF geometry is a full credit (full year) of high school math.

My 12 yo dd was bemoaning that she had nothing to read. I have a library full of classics that she spurns. My dh brought out one of his books, Ender's Game, and she took it with her to camp this week. Hope she likes it.

My 8th grader is just finishing up Beginning Algebra. He used the Home Companion with it. He did it completely independently, but says he wants to use something else next year with a video. We borrowed VideoText and he says he wants to use that instead. Personally, I think this may be a bit of laziness on his part. It takes some work to read through the explanation; more work than just listening to a lecture. My next step will be to have him take the Alg. I assessment in ALEKs. That will show me how much he really learned and retained. Then I'll have him review anything he missed in ALEKs by finishing up their Alg. I before starting either Alg. II or Geometry. I'm totally undecided as to whether to stay with LoF. If he does well on the ALEKs assessment I may stick with LoF over his objection, because I like it.