I used AbCeDarian and did not do grammar for first grade. We barely even did handwriting, there’s a lot of writing in the program IIRC. I did try to read aloud a few good picture books every day and we would talk informally about the books.

I love the idea of coleslaw. Nice crisp cabbage sounds so good among all those soft dishes.

Foerster is single variable. If you have his Precalculus text, the last chapter is a really great introduction to calculus. We did that first and then Foerster Calculus was pretty seamless from there. If your end goal is AP Calculus BC, you may also want to pick up a different text for extra/more in depth problems. DD had a really difficult time with Foerster’s presentation of a couple of topics. He made it almost too simple and she needed more practice to puzzle out more difficult problems on some topics. (The main one I’m thinking of is in Unit 8, where you rotate a shape around an axis and then find the volume of the solid.)

My son had a lip tie that did not interfere with nursing at all. He nursed till he was 2, good weight gain, no clicking, etc. The orthodontist mentioned it and asked us to get it clipped because it would interfere with getting braces and straightening his teeth. He had it clipped when he was 9 and has had no issues. The procedure itself was not a big deal for him and he enjoyed a big cold smoothie afterwards. I think my 4 month old might also have one. I have nursed for 15 years and this baby just struggles to get his mouth open wide enough. He pops on and off the breast and I’ve had a lot of milk blisters. I’m planning to ask the pediatrician about it this week. I really don’t want to put him through something like the clipping if I can avoid it. Weight gain seems okay so maybe we can hold off a bit.

I got him a historical fiction trilogy I think he will like and a duffle bag that has a garment bag compartment so you can fit a suit in. Every year I do something with photos of the kids as well.

I absolutely love AbCeDarian - it got my mildly dyslexic son reading. We used Level B and finished it about a year ago. He’s 8 now and reading around a 3rd grade level. I’m actually currently debating picking up Level C for him. There is some writing involved. That seemed to really help my son. He would use Dr. Bend’s method of saying the sound as he wrote the letters that make the sound and it seemed to cement the connection for him. He actually still does this - I hear him sometimes writing out things on the grocery list or a note to a friend and I hear him carefully saying each sound as he writes.

That reminds me of when I watch the National Spelling Bee and the kids are finger typing the words as they spell them - clearly muscle memory is a huge part!

I like Whole Foods brand Buzz Free Decaf. I’m absolutely not a coffee connoisseur, though.

It really depends on where they are going. I recently allowed DD13 to ride with a new driver (age 16) when the trip was within a very quiet gated community in the daytime. (The planned destination was slightly too far for them to walk and it was 100 degrees, so.) On the other hand I would not have given permission if they were leaving the community or driving on a busy road or it was nighttime. This is new territory for us - other than this particular new driver it’s been mainly family members and adult friends driving my kids around. Also we have occasionally used HopSkipDrive.

I got a Speck iPhone case for DD for under $10. Usually they are about $40! Later I want to look at some of the fashion stuff. A couple of fashion influencers I follow were showing off Prime Day items on Instagram and I want to have a look for myself.

Apples and Pears has made a huge difference for my struggling speller.

She needs to consult an lawyer. The surviving spouse might be able to elect against the will under certain circumstances and take a portion of the assets.

October 6, 2003. Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits CD.

I have used both (with the same kid, haha). LTR has a nice, defined amount of work every day that is not too much. We didn’t find the amount of writing to be too bad. There’s like circling and matching activities and coloring too, which my kid enjoyed. The word and phrase flash cards are nice and big and on quality card stock. AAR has fun games. But also fluency sheets which were very frustrating for this particular child (I had an older one breeze through AAR and enjoyed the fluency sheets so it is very kid dependent). It’s hard to know where to start and stop a lesson. There isn’t as much practice as there is with LTR. No writing. (This particular younger kid of mine seemed to need to write the words and say the sounds as he was writing to help him remember the phonics). The flash cards are not on as nice of paper and tear easily. I do not agree with the AAR flash card system at all and I think it leads to guessing. LTR, on the other hand, just says, review the following word and phrase cards. They can sound them out as long as they need to - every day if they want - with no penalty. As a side note, my kid who used both did not really have success with either. I suspect he may be mildly dyslexic. He finally began reading fluently with a combination of ABCeDarian and the I See Sam readers.

I disagree. I think they are very effective at their jobs. In my opinion, the objective of the modern monarchy in the UK is public service and I think they carry off their engagements well and bring a lot of attention to causes they care about. For example, William’s recent turn selling the Big Issue newspaper got a lot of attention and got many people thinking about homelessness. Even his “official” 40th birthday photos released by the royal family were of him selling the paper! The point of the monarchy is *not* to put a foot wrong. We’re not supposed to be able to relate to them. They work hard, very publicly, on their causes. I do not worship them- but I have a lot of respect for William and Catherine especially. Working and raising a family in that most intense fishbowl can’t be easy.

This vegan chickpea “tuna” salad is amazing. I have served it to non vegan friends who rave about it. Add salt and serve with things like crackers, whole grain bread cut into triangles, kale chips, and/or romaine or endive hearts on the side. Those can be the bases or dippers. https://www.thespruceeats.com/chickpea-tuna-salad-recipe-4844510

Old Navy usually has pajamas on sale around the December holidays. DH really likes LL Bean, and they are almost twice the price of the Old Navy ones.

Another thing to consider is that you have to visit the orthodontist more frequently with traditional braces. With Invisalign DD got them at the end of April and won’t see the orthodontist until October. She just changes the trays each week. When she had traditional braces we were there every 4 weeks for adjustments.

I love all things cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Boiled cabbage with a bit of salt and mustard - yum. One of my kids is the same, the others won’t touch the stuff. Apples are not my favorite. I buy some in the fall and usually get whatever is at the farmers market. My favorite way to eat them is sliced in a bowl and sprinkled with cinnamon. I really don’t like biting into a big piece of fruit, so I usually slice them.

I do most of the “around town” driving. I know the routes better and little stuff (a long light, a slower car ahead, etc) doesn’t bother me. DH usually takes the first shift or does all of the longer drives, or if we are in a place where he’s more familiar with the location than I am.

I have a DS somewhat like this, but mainly resistant to one or 2 subjects. He could read about history and look at maps all day and be thrilled, haha. I write out a list of the day’s subjects on a notepad. We alternate - he chooses, I choose, and we go back and forth, crossing out subjects until we’re done. For each subject he does with a good attitude, he puts a smiley face sticker next to that subject on his list. For whatever reason, he likes the smileys and he likes having a visual of his goal to have a good attitude!

I like those grill baskets so my veggies don’t all wind up getting stuck in the grill. I like to put together zucchini, summer squash, red onion with a little Italian salad dressing (I make it myself since a lot of store dressings have cheese). Grill in grill basket. I usually serve over brown rice with some cubed avocado on top. If this is a shared grill, your vegan guest might be grateful if you could brush off the grill surface with a grill brush before beginning to cook the vegan items to get any animal residue off the grates.

I love Walmart Plus. Look into your credit card deals - ours pays for our Walmart Plus membership so it winds up being free for us. They do an excellent job picking/packing/delivering. I even had the delivery guy once offer to carry my watermelon inside because it was heavy 😂 I also love that you have 6 hours or so to add to or revise your order after placing it I always forget stuff when ordering so it’s nice to have a chance to add items if I think of them later. I always tip, usually whatever amount is suggested on the site when checking out. I have never used Instacart or anything so I don’t have a lot to compare it to. But I’m pleased. I don’t always get delivery. Often I like to go to the local grocery store or farmers market and choose items myself (and there are a few brands that Walmart Plus doesn’t carry that I buy). Maybe I do 60 percent of the time shopping in person, 40 percent delivery.

I am using the Big Book of Lively Latin with my son and we are really enjoying it so far.

It may be too late for this year but USC does have a pre-university program for high schoolers to live there for a week or two over the summer and take a course. I think it is called Master Scholars.