I can at least start the conversation. There is zero reason for our local schools to deny outside students. We are talking very very small schools. They have a handful of AP students annually. All but two of our local schools (within two hours drive) do not even offer AP because their enrollment numbers do not warrant it. This is not a space issue. This is either due to not knowing how to handle it or just sheer hostility towards homeschoolers.

Hmmm. Anyone know if this is true? If so, how can schools decline to test outside of their own students?

I wish I had thought of not using the word "homeschool" in my inquiry. I am pretty mad right now. There is a very small chance that dd will attend school here at some point but that would mean dealing with the guidance counselor that sent that message. Somehow, I don't think that will be a pleasant experience......

I just searched through all of the listings for my state but do not see anything other than high schools listed. Would an extension office be listed in the ledger or would the schools that the kids come from be listed? Our local university (that I teach at) has a testing center. Is there a way for me to make this happen on my own? Can I have the testing proctored there somehow?

Well. That did not go well. I got responses from both schools today. One simply said "We only offer testing to our own students. Sorry." The other was not so nice....."If you have rejected our local schools, don't expect us to help you with testing." Wow. I knew to expect little help but did not expect judgmental rudeness. I have forwarded that response to the superintendent as I feel it was inappropriate. Am I missing any options here? The only thing I can think to do is start contacting schools in more populated areas where we have family we could stay with. Are there any test sites not affiliated with school districts?

I was very messy growing up and have slowly evolved to the other end of the spectrum. For me, it was not about learning to organize, declutter, or clean. It was not really even about habits although I have developed some that make it easier to be neat. The biggest factor was distance from the house I grew up in. My mom is a hoarder. It was not quite as bad when I was growing up as it has gotten after I left home, mostly because my dad was still alive and did keep the hoarding down to a dull roar. I would say the house was always very cluttered and often this prevented thorough cleaning so it was also dirty. Having grown up in it, it was my "normal" and I had inherited a lot of the same habits. But with time and distance, I came to realize how truly uncomfortable and visually chaotic (and just plain DIRTY) my mother's house was. That was enough to change ME. It was not instant. It took years to get to the spot where I could declutter. I knew I had arrived when I finally boxed up the last of the knickknacks (AKA dust collectors). My house is very much "lived in" and certainly does not look like a magazine. But every night when I go to bed, the house is a clean slate. The kitchen counters are cleared off and clean, all dishes either put away or in dishwasher, all tables, couches, chairs, floors, etc, are void of stray items. Kitchen sink is clean. Bathroom counters are clear and clean. Laundry is either clean and put away or in hampers. Floors swept. I am the person who does pick up the towel left on the ground or glass abandoned on a coffee table. I do not find this counter to "living in" a space. I see it as far easier to start that next project or meal or chore when I don't first have to pick up. The habits I have developed really fall into three main habits. I subscribe to the handle-one-time rule. For instance, when I bring in the mail, it is immediately sorted into recycling (put into bin right then) or needs-to-be-taken-care-of which is a specific location in a specific cabinet that gets addressed weekly when I do the bills. Or when I do laundry, if I am holding something as I take it out of the dryer, I have committed to folding and then putting away that item. The second is habitual decluttering. I am ruthless. I never get rid of another family member's belongings without permission but common items or things that belong to me have to be useful if they want to stay. And the third is careful attention to storage. I live in a very old house that lacks closets and I do not have any "safe" storage in my wet basement or not-climate-controlled attic. This means that my furniture has to include storage. I have created spaces for projects-in-progress and other barriers to clutter-battle. Dd can make the biggest multi-day art-project mess, but when she is not actively working on it, there is a place behind a door that it can go. If something is parked there for more than a few days with no attention, it gets an eviction notice. Same with school stuff. Dd cannot seem to keep it organized despite my help and providing every possible organizational tool known to man so we have a large cabinet (with DOORS) that she can put her school stuff in. It is not pretty but at least I don't have to look at it.

I only do laundry once a week and I have a tiny laundry area in a public space with no counters.....as in for my sanity, the laundry must be done all at once and folder/put away immediately. I run both the washer and dryer and fold as I take out of the dryer. Despite having little space, I have a long-standing and complicated system of stacking folded clothing that allows me to segregate by owner and type even though I only have the space on the top of the washer and dryer to stack. In good weather, I line dry which makes folding as I take down even easier as I can just pluck the items in whatever order they go into the baskets. The only time I have ever put dry and clean clothing into baskets unfolded is when I am quickly rescuing it from rain. To me, somehow laundry gets "dirty" again if I dumped it on a bed or couch.

I really cannot understand why anyone cares about what someone else is wearing. As long as it is safe and hygienic, on what possible grounds would one have to care?!? Sheesh.

My dd is also on the younger side and is spending more like 2 hours, 6 days a week in Latin 3, so I too am concerned about the next step. She currently wants to take AP next year but if it indeed will take even more time, I'm not sure we will be able to fit it in. I am still hoping that the time spent will come down once she gets her groove but so far there has been no relief.

I had one for years and we did the tea kettle thing. That worked well. And I did use mine as extra counter space. It was right next to the fridge so I often found myself stacking fridge things on it while digging to the back of the fridge looking for something or when unloading groceries to go in the fridge. Nothing ever stayed on the stove for more than a minute or two. I hate that thing but I did not find it any more difficult to clean than my current gas stove. Different but just as much of a PITA. My beef was that it was electric which does not fit my style of cooking. I recklessly use my current gas stove top as a drying rack for pots and pans.....

Fingers crossed. I have left messages with the guidance counselors at the two local schools that offer AP classes.

That is the class I'm looking for and there are so few that are even approved, I know I am likely going to have to find a school that will help us even if they do not offer it. I was hoping one of our local(ish) schools would at least offer a class that has an exam on the same day, but that is not looking like a possibility either. I do so wish there were some independent testing centers that were not tied to schools.

I certainly would do so if we had any private schools as I suspect you are right in that they might be more cooperative.

The toilet discussion is cracking me up. Obviously, not your biggest concern in a post-hurricane disaster, but I have lived for weeks without water when our well went out when I was 8 months pg. Dh made a makeshift compost toilet with a bucket. He just unscrewed the seat from one of our toilets, duct taped it to a bucket, and put another bucket of sawdust (sand, charcoal, or shredded newspaper would do as well) with a sand shovel next to it. We used it for weeks. No biggie. Had we known the well was going to go out, like people would know a hurricane is coming, we would have filled the bathtubs and every other available vessel so we could have used the toilets (not to mention wash ourselves!) beforehand. The drowning in a flood or getting trapped in a destroyed house would be my bigger concern. If I chose not to evacuate and I survived all of that, I am pretty sure lack of electricity and/or water would be unpleasant but survivable.

Thanks! I could not find this on my own on the site (which means I did not recognize that "ledger" was what I was looking for). A quick search found that the closest school that offers the subject we are looking for is 8 hours away! And that of all of my local (within two hours) school districts, only two offer AP anything. Wow. Let's hope one is cooperative!

We often eat fried or poached eggs over mashed root veggies (like rutabaga, sweet potato, celery root, turnip, etc....) or over roasted veggies (just about anything). I will make a big batch and serve it over a few mornings. I also like eggs over fried cabbage or greens too. I am not into sweet things for breakfast and have a CSA so the combo means lots of veggies for breakfast.

My late great-grandmother would never evacuate for hurricanes and she rode many of them out, alone in her house, despite pleas from family. Her reasons were always the same. 1. She had a ride (she didn't drive) and a place to go but the family members that were offering to take her were not willing to take her dogs. They expected her to leave them alone at home! At that time, the public services for those needing to be helped with evacuation also did not help with pets. 2. She was worried about looters since she witnessed the looting of some of her neighbors' houses when they left and she stayed. 3. She lived well into her 90s, while still living in her own house, and had seen it all. She just did not believe the hype and figured if God thought it was her time, it was her time. She always took precautions. She had her handyman board up the windows and she had plenty of emergency supplies to ride out the storm. She did not expect anyone to rescue her. She knew she was taking a risk and was OK with it. It is not what I would choose to do but since she was only endangering herself, I think it was within her rights to decide to stay. The last "big one" to hit during her lifetime was really bad. I cannot remember the details but after many phone calls, begging, and crying, she finally agreed to evacuate but absolutely would not budge without her dogs. Her helpers eventually agreed to take them as well. She was pretty smug when she returned to find that her house was not damaged in the storm but had been broken into, just as she predicted. She died shortly afterwards but I doubt there would have been any talking her into evacuating again.

We are starting to make some tentative decisions about classes dd might take next year. We have some concerns about access to AP exams which might be a factor in course selection. We are very geographically isolated and rural in addition to having local school districts that are traditionally hostile toward homeschoolers. Traveling for exams is not out of the question but is just another factor in her/our decisions. Would it be inappropriate for me to contact our local schools a whole year in advance to find out if they would even consider helping us out? I know that there are no guarantees but a general idea of how open they might or might not be to helping us, would be helpful. It is very possible that we will be the first local homeschoolers to even ask about AP exam access so I would like to give them as much heads up as possible if they are even remotely willing to work with us. Plus, there are several districts in our area and it would be good to identify which ones slam the door immediately and which ones don't. Thoughts? Any advice would be welcome.

I get "what about math" and "what about science" a lot....from people who know I teach engineering classes at the local university, sometimes even colleagues. I think it will be ok. Really.

My dd started Suzuki at age 4. She is 13 now and is close to finishing Book 10. Our program varies in price based on level and activities but it basically breaks down to $1/minute for lessons, free group/parent classes, and about $200/year for extras like orchestra or chamber groups. There is also an annual $150 fee that covers t-shirts, recitals, piano accompaniment, master classes, and other general non-lesson-specific things. It is expensive but we have had a very good experience and think it is worth every penny. Dd started learning by ear and memorization but our program does introduce reading music by the time they start Book 2, even earlier for older students. For kids as young as yours, you will need to commit to years of being present for lessons and every home practice session. My dd did not fully own her practicing until age 10, with partial independence starting at age 8. My dd is very musically interested and has since branched out into different genres on violin and has added mandolin and ukulele on her own. We are currently faced with a dilemma because our local teacher is likely leaving the area next year. There are no other teachers at dd's level within 100 miles (maybe more). We are considering some sort of Skype/online option with occasional travel. We are not sure at all how that will work out.

I did end up giving her two more tiny portions of food mixed with water throughout the night. The morning seems to be a mixed bag tipping in the positive direction. There was a small amount of clear vomit with a small but dense hairball in it. But no food or that smelly stuff. It appears she has gone number two but otherwise the boxes are just about empty. I'm beginning to wonder about my younger cat too due to the box situation. Older cat is still is good spirits and begging for food. I fed her another tiny portion for breakfast and will do so throughout the day. I'm confused about the vet advice as well but I really don't know anything about cats. I could tell he was frazzled and it is very likely that a vomiting 18yo cat was insignificant in whatever else he might have been dealing with. He was impatient and distracted on the phone which is not characteristic of him. I am willing to go to almost heroic lengths, both financially and effort-wise, for my cats but this one is very very sensitive. I am the only human she fully trusts and she is a love bug, but it took literally years to get her there. She was rescued as a nearly-starving 2yo from a cat collector then spent a full year in a crowded shelter. Going to the vet (or anywhere) is sheer torture for this cat and she will hold a grudge for weeks after a trip. We have never successfully gotten a pill down her. My vet tech neighbor couldn't do it either. No matter the vehicle or devise, she somehow coughed up every attempt. The one time she needed meds, we ended up having to have them injected after the pill fiasco. So, given her age and temperament, I would not go to invasion measures, even at home, by me, to extend her life. She would be miserable. Our vet knows this and perhaps he was gently trying to say "this might be the end." Or he might have just been in a hurry. I did say that I suspected she had already not held anything down for about 36 hours and questioned the fasting recommendation, but he continued to stick by it. Luckily she is not and never has been overweight. She also has not lost any weight. Getting a second opinion would be difficult due to the distance to another vet (2 hours) and my poor kitty's absolute terror of the carrier, the car, vets, the outside, and everything else. I'll be keeping an eye on her and keeping fingers crossed but am feeling much better about it today. Thanks for the input!

My poor sweet kitty seems to be sick and I'm having a hard time sitting tight. This is long. Sorry. She is 18 years old and still very spry and healthy. You would never guess her age. I clean all of the litter boxes daily and two days ago I noticed that there was markedly less to clean. I have two cats so I was not sure who might be having a problem. There was less number one. The cats eat raw food and I usually mix in a little water so I increased the water on the next feedings. Yesterday, there was even less to clean in the boxes. Both cats were acting normal. Our boxes are all in the basement so I don't go in that area except to clean the boxes daily. This morning, I went to clean them and noticed two very large piles of vomit, both obviously fresh after their evening and morning feeding. My older cat occasionally eats her food too quickly and will run to the basement to vomit. Then she (yes, this is gross) eats it again. So it was not alarming to see the rejected food but was unusual that it was not eaten and even more unusual that it appears to have happened after two consecutive feedings. Huh. And again, the boxes were not the normal level of dirty. An hour or two later, the older cat ran into the basement and I could hear her vomitting. So, I went down to find a new puddle but this time very thin, brown, and very very foul smelling. Alarmed, I called the vet. We have one vet clinic. The next closest one is two hours away. They are closed on Wednesdays routinely to do farm visits. So, I had to call the emergency line and leave a message. While I was waiting for them to call back she vomited twice more, the same smelly stuff but a far lesser quantity and then a third time that was much more clear/watery. The doctor called back and listened to everything I wrote above. He asked if her stomach was hard or swollen. It is not and no indication that it hurt her for me to touch it. He asked if her gums were pink. I gave it my best effort but she would not let me look. (Yes, I was beaten by an 18 yo cat). He asked if I had changed food or if she had access to anything poisonous. No and No. I could tell he was not nearby and that seeing her was going to be a big hassle, if not impossible. He recommended that I not feed her and take away her water until the morning, then try feeding her a tiny bit of water to see if it would stay down. If not, I should call back. Adding up the tossed food and the empty litterboxes, I am concerned about denying her food and water for another 12+ hours. She is very clearly HUNGRY. He also said that in a case like this, it will either resolve itself or won't. If it does not, given her age, there is likely nothing he will be able to do. I did a quick internet search and it sounds like there are all kinds of reasons this could be happening, one of which being a simple hairball obstruction. She is prone to hairballs. It seems to me that is probably under the category of "resolves itself." Any thoughts? Should I really deny her food (which she is begging for) and water? She has not vomited since the call to the vet about 6 hours ago. I confess that I broke down and gave her a teaspoon of the mildest grain-free canned food with a teaspoon of water about an hour ago. She gobbled it up and is still boring a hole through my head with her hungry stare. She has thus far kept it down. I don't want to risk doing any more damage but also don't want her to be miserable and/or to get sick from dehydration.

Not sure how old your kids are, but if you keep the shell intact after scooping the squash out, dry the halves in the sun. They make great fairy houses.

Ask questions beforehand. The indoor facilities that my dd competed in only hold a handful of spectators in the pool area (and yes it is very very VERY hot) so you only go to the bleachers when your kid is about to swim. For the rest of the very long day, you (and your swimmers) are camped out somewhere else. Sometimes that means a cafeteria or gym, sometimes a random hallway and sometimes it is COLD so you need layers you can take on and off if you are going back and forth to bleachers. Our team parents bring sleeping bags for the kids to lounge on between events and bag chairs for the adults. Lots of snacks and things to do. And yes, every single towel in the house. I swear I packed more stuff for meets than I did for weekend camping trips. I agree that if there is a way to leave the toddler somewhere, do it. It is pretty much torture for them....and you. Ours did have a lunch "break" but it was not long enough to leave. If I were you, I would find some nice parent with experience on your team and pepper them with questions.

I keep jack-o-lantern tools in my kitchen year-round for cutting squash. It really is the only way for me to cut a squash without breaking out the chainsaw.