Beautifully said. 😄

^^^ I was going to toss that into the mix as well. It is more in-depth in coverage over Native Americans and Colonial / early US history, but what I especially liked about the coverage of the 20th century was that chapters focused on interesting and often positive events rather than going on and on about the World Wars. Several of those 20th century topics covered lesser known items, such as Eisenhower instituting the interstate highway system. Also, you might check out some of the Cornerstones of Freedom books on specific U.S. events to help fill in. They are written at a grade 3-5 level. Some definitely DO have a strong bias, but not all, and since these are short, you can do a quick preview of them. I still remember how much we enjoyed the one on The Story of the Erie Canal by Stein.

Yes, woodworking can count as a Fine Art credit. If there is learning, progressing in skill/knowledge, and "output" of project(s), it would qualify. I would recommend tracking hours spent in learning/doing to determine if there is enough time spent to count towards a partial or full credit. ETA: Some ideas of types of Fine Arts: - Performing Arts: Music, Drama, Dance (actual performing/doing) - Studio Arts (hands-on 3-D types of media: jewelry-making, pottery, sculpting, woodworking, glassblowing or fusing or stained glass, etc.) - Visual Arts (creating art such as drawing, watercolors, painting, print-making, etc.) - Design Principles (course on color, line, form, structure, etc. that applies to any of the visual arts) - Composing (creating/writing music and/or lyrics) - Choreography (composing of dance for performance) - Filmmaking - Photography (print or digital; if print photography, a course focusing on darkroom techniques; etc.) - Digital Arts (graphic design, web design, Photoshop, computer animation, etc.) - Appreciation course (Art / Architecture / Music / Drama / Film / Photography -- learning history, artists, movements, and deeper understanding of specific works in a particular medium)

Because of your family's past difficult life circumstances, and because your family has done both brick & mortar school and homeschool in the past, I would suggest doing a blend of typical college admission requirements and state Board of Ed's required credits for high school graduation. That way, if your life circumstances change again, or if DC change their minds about homeschool and want to be in a school for high school, you will have an easier time transitioning back into a brick & mortar high school if needed. Note that a blended list of credits from colleges & your state board of ed. still allows you flexibility as to HOW you accomplish these credits. 😄 A college prep + high school grad. set of credits typically looks something like this: 4 credits = English (usually 1/2 Writing + 1/2 Literature; up to 0.5 credit of Speech/Public Speaking works here too) 3-4 credits = Math (Alg. 1, Geometry, Alg. 2 -- many colleges want a 4th math, and often want that to be a math above Alg. 2) 3-4 credits = Science, with labs (most colleges flexible; some want Biology and Chemistry; 4th credit needed if going into a STEM field) 2-4 credits = Social Studies (most colleges require 1 credit Amer. Hist.; many also want 1.0 credit World Hist. or Georg.; a few want 0.5 credit each Econ + Gov't) 2-4 credits = For. Language, same language (Latin accepted everywhere; ASL accepted at many colleges) 1 credit = Fine Arts or CTE (Career-Technical Ed.) 4-8+ credits = Electives (ex: PE, Health, Computer, Religious Studies, Vocational-Tech, personal interests, "Academic Electives (add'l credits in the first 5 subjects above, beyond required amt.), etc.) 22+ credits = total In planning a set of credits that keeps as many future doors open as possible, I also would be thinking about each child's interests and future goals, and work that into the homeschool high school experience as much as possible. I believe your older DS is interested in Music / Music Theory? I would think about what his post high school plans might be -- a selective music conservatory? straight to performance or self-employment as a music teacher? something else? -- and gear your high school homeschooling around what will best support, and complement/extend/make flexible, his Music career plans, and develop your list of required credits it include that. Returning to brick & mortar school might be a possibility, so check if homeschooling high school is an "all or nothing" decision by your school district, or if they require taking their end-of-year test for each and every course to grant credit if wanting that to be accepted and to show up on his school transcript. In those cases, you may wish to stick closer to the specific Sciences used by the brick & mortar school for easier re-entry, for example. Or, there may be no troubles at all about accepting homeschool credits for returning to a brick & mortar high school -- which gives you great freedom in what Social Studies you might choose to do. Research college music programs now, to make sure you have your bases covered and leave doors open by completing a college prep set of credits. For example, Math beyond Alg. 2 may not be needed, but a 4th math credit may be required, so consider what would work best for him -- possibly something like Business Math or Accounting, if he may end up giving music lessons or being part of an independent contracting band as his business, which would satisfy the 4th math credit AND be personally beneficial for his future adult life. Just an example. Also, it can be useful to look and see what your potential dual enrollment options are at the local community college (CC). Especially if there ends up being a Vocational-Technical certificate or Associate degree that would be of interest to your student, or would be helpful to have as a "fall back" training and skill as a young adult if Music is not panning out as planned -- for example, sound engineer training/certification could be very useful for himself, and adds to his potential employability. And, if something like that is available in your area (even if not as DE through the CC), it could be done as Elective credits. Just a few rambling thoughts to help you see the possibilities as you plan for homeschooling high school. BEST of luck in planning for homeschool high school.

^^^ Awesome. That is the way to do it. Do your research. Know your student and their abilities/goals, and know the policies of the future colleges you plan to apply to. 😄 BEST of luck, @turkeypotpie and DC!

I have never seen Speech counted as Fine Arts. I have seen it only as either part of an English credit, or as an Elective. Just my experience. And as my final 2 cents worth (lol), I agree with several of the posters up-thread that exposure to and appreciation of the Fine Arts provides cultural literacy, and is enriching to the individual. Math and music are processed similarly in the brain and often enhance each other. You quoted the WTM in your original post, so I would guess you are somewhat classical in your educational philosophy. Classical education originates with the ancients, and a key idea of Ancient Greece is the 9 Muses who encompass the ideas of a complete education. The muses often combine History or Science AND the Arts: Clio = History and Music Euterpe = Musical Instruments Thalia = Comedy (theater), Geometry, Architecture, Agriculture Melpomene = Tragedy (theater) and Rhetoric Terpsichore = Dance, Harp, Education Erato = Love and Love Poetry Polymnia = Divine Hymns, Mimic Art, Grammar Calliope = Accompanier of Kings, Justice, Serenity, Heroic Poems, Rhetoric

You'll need to research the specific colleges you are interested in applying to in order to know if it will matter or not about skipping credits required for admission. You already have 0.5 credit of Music, so it wouldn't be hard to do another 0.5 credit of some other Fine Arts. And, there are tons of things beyond the big 3 (art, music, theater) that count for Fine Arts. For example, one homeschooling family did blacksmithing (he created a couple of knives and candlestick holders). Fine Arts is often creation or performance, but it can also be "appreciation". Several times at our homeschool co-op I've taught a high school Fine Arts: Film Appreciation class that is an intro to film analysis + overview of film history, where we read about/watch/discuss classic and contemporary films. Very enjoyable, and a great opportunity to learn how to view film (and TV) critically, rather than just mindlessly "consuming" by letting the visual media flow into your eyes without thinking about the underlying messages or themes or big ideas. 😉 Could you view this as an opportunity to explore and possibly stumble into something that could end up as a life-long enjoyable activity for DS? Computer animation or digital arts are more STEM oriented. Or what about combining STEM skills/interests with fine arts and make it a semester-long project, like designing/engineering and building a music instrument, or creating sculptures with 3-D printing, or building a robot that paints, or...?? And if none of that appeals, then go for the CTE option to fill out 0.5 credit with career exploration. BEST of luck, whatever you decide.

Friendly Chemistry -- covers the bases and is gentle. Also, as a complete bunny trail from your request 😉 -- in regards to your DS "not seeing the point of school" and you trying to "steer towards interests/lead to a job later"... What about investigating the vocational-tech programs at your local community college (CC) as dual enrollment and start dabbling with some of those courses to see what may be of interest in the broad vo-tech field, or even potentially graduate high school simultaneously with a certificate or AAS? Just to encourage you -- our DS#2 never saw the point of school. We gave him the best education we could all the way through homeschooling to graduation, and had a set of high school credits that were "college prep" in case he ever decided to head that way... But we also did a lot of flexible things for HOW we did credits to "fish" for potential interests. We also included a wide variety of extracurriculars so he could explore, too. Also, a lot of career exploration to get exposure to non-traditional occupations to see if anything there would spark interest. It really just took time, and getting out there working and doing various things until he could start narrowing things down. Both my guys were "late-bloomers" about figuring out their career paths. It took both of them into their 20s. 😉 Also, you might check out these past threads for some out-of-the-box ideas for a student who is not "into" school/academics, and is potentially non-college bound: "Launching an average kid" "Non-college bound students" "I get so depressed reading some posts on this board" (anyone else NOT have over-achievers?) Forgive me if I overstepped or misunderstood and added not-needed info on a bunny trail not of help or interest to you. 😉 Wishing you and DS all the BEST! Warmest regards, Lori D.

While I don't doubt this is entirely possible, for some majors (like Engineering) it really is a "daisy chain" of courses, where earlier courses are foundational and absolutely needed to take first for understanding the content of later courses -- and that doesn't work to take simultaneously. When DS#1 was going through the Mechanical Engineering program at his college, he had 3 levels of Calculus that were required (plus several later vector math courses), and they built upon one another -- so that's a minimum of 3 semesters right there. Further, several other foundational physics/mechanics courses depended on having completed the first 1-2 levels of the Calculus, and then further Mech Eng. courses built on those foundational courses -- that was at least another 2 semesters minimum. So, for the first 2.5 years of the program, it was critical to take courses in a certain order to make sure you COULD graduate in 4 years. Even if a student had knocked out all the required gen. ed. courses early via DE or CLEP, the Engineering degree programs at DS#1's school required a minimum of 128 credits, compared to the minimum 120 credits of some other degree programs. So early completion of gen. ed. courses meant that instead of the typical 16-18 credits per semester required for Engineering students to graduate in 4 years, students could drop down to an average of 15 credits per semester. 😉 What IS possible in our area is for an advanced high school student to take DE at the community college of not only the gen. ed. courses required for the Engineering degree at the local 4-year university, but also enough of the early math and engineering courses to knock out up to 2 full years of the degree before graduating high school and transferring those credits and continuing at the university for a shortened amount of time.

We used the Garlic Press Discovering Literature challenger level guide for The Odyssey. It works with 4 different translations -- Fagles, Fitzgerald, Lattimore, and Rouse. Very meaty, with a summary of each "book" (chapter), and actual discussion questions (rather than comprehension questions) for digging into the work. A number of units with teaching info on various literature topics, each with examples from The Odyssey. Also suggested writing assignments, ideas for projects, and a list of other resources. Answer key in the back of the guide. Available through the publisher (link above), but also through Amazon and other sellers. Alas, they did not also have a guide for The Iliad. I've heard good things about the Vandiver lectures on The Iliad and The Odyssey from The Teaching Company. I've also heard great things about the videos for Roman Roads Media Old Western Culture: The Greeks -- video lectures + workbook with discussion questions. From a Christian perspective. It includes a full year of study on Ancient Greek literature, so: The Iliad and The Odyssey, plus works from Greek tragedies and selections of Greek poets; Herodotus' and Thucydides' Histories; and selections from the philosophers Plato and Aristotle.

DH got to do the one in Santa Fe when he was doing a residency. It sounds like each branch is different. The one he went to had no restaurant or cafe, if that's what you mean by food. It was a series of rooms, and each room has a different theme, look, activity, or things to explore. There is no "one way" to go through it. He said there were TWO space-time portals (it literally looks like you're crawling through a space-time portal that takes you to a completely different set of rooms), each through an appliance in one of the rooms that was set up to be a complete 2-story house, where you tried to solve the "mystery" of what happened there. But, you don't have to try and follow the storyline. No one in his group did -- they all just enjoyed experiencing all of the different rooms. One small space was a darkened room where you reclined and saw eyes of different kinds and sizes light up and fade out. Another room had beams of light running floor to ceiling, and as you ran a hand through the light beam, it triggered a musical note so you could create music. Everything is completely different in each new space/room. Occasionally, a "performer" wanders through and sort of adds to the ambiance through "performance art", lol. He went through with the group who were all going through the residency, one of whom is a friend. She said it gave her a headache, as there is so much to look at, and some things you look at are in motion. I think she tapped out after 1 hour. DH wasn't inside for longer than about 2-3 hours, as I recall, when he talked about it.

The Truth Project was created for adults in church small group settings, although it is certainly accessible to teens. It is a series of videos to watch together as a group and then discuss together as a group -- so, not much that would be done at home as a solo/independent program. Understanding the Times is part of set of three courses that are designed so you can schedule each to take one year, or one semester. - Understanding the Faith = apologetics and teaches foundational Christian worldview -- core beliefs of Christianity), and questions related to common questions about faith, God, and Christianity - Understanding the Times = survey of worldviews; how Christianity compares with: Secularism, Marxism, New Spirituality, Islam, Postmodernism, in 10 areas (such as theology, ethics, philosophy, history, etc) - Understanding Cultural Engagement -- encourages students to bring their faith and serve in issues such as poverty, community renewal, politics, s*xual brokennesss, etc. Starting Points is a one-year program that also includes reading several other books, and has the focus on encouraging doing all of one's reading critically, and comparing with a developed Biblical worldview. The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog (James Sire) -- a stand-alone book (not a curricula) that compares Christian worldview to a variety of belief systems, such as Deism, Nihilism, Existentialism, Eastern Pantheist Monism, New Age Spirituality, Postmodernism, and Islam. There is no workbook or teacher guide, so you would have to create your own material to guide classroom discussion. You might look at the Stand to Reason podcasts, as they reviewed and discussed this book, chapter by chapter. See the Cathy Duffy review. Truth Total Truth, study guide edition (Nancy Pearcy) -- another stand-alone book -- you could do Universe Next Door in the first semester, and this is the second semester. I linked the study guide edition, which includes discussion questions. See the Cathy Duffy review

Redemptive-themed classics: - The Hiding Place (tenBoom) - Till We Have Faces (Lewis) - The Lord of the Rings (Tolkien) - A Christmas Carol (Dickens) - Silas Marner (Eliot) - Crime and Punishment (Dostoyevski) - Cry, The Beloved Country (Paton) These past threads have book ideas with inspiring themes (so, maybe not redemption, but other great positive virtues and themes): - Uplifting high school literature suggestions? - High school literature which is encouraging A few more titles with powerful Christian or inspiring or positive themes: - CS Lewis' space trilogy: Out of the Silent Planet; Perelandra; That Hideous Strength - The Golden Key (MacDonald) -- short story - The Man Who Was Thursday (Chesterton) - Leaf by Niggle; Smith of Woottan Major (Tolkien) -- short stories - Something Wicked This Way Comes (Bradbury) - To Kill a Mockingbird (Lee) - Watership Down (Adams) - The Goblin Emperor (Addison)

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Similar mixed feelings about Agricola. Great game, but SOOO confusing initially, and SO.MUCH.SET-UP! After playing it a few times, we realized we were all extremely frustrated with the "bottle necks" that are created at several rounds when only ONE player can get access to a certain new resource. We instituted a house rule where we do some rounds twice so that eases the "bottle necks". Really, it was just no fun for any of us playing a game where the first person who could jump on that scarce new resource was the person who won, because they got the advantage of getting that resource a whole turn before anyone else. Especially when it takes you 2+ hours to play the darn game... 😉

That is what I don't like about Catan. It is easy to get boxed in and stuck. Also frustrating to me is when you can't accrue resources because the dice aren't coming up to give you those resources. (Power Grid is another board game where it is easy to get locked in and feel like you are just powerless and railroaded the whole game.) While we bought (but never got around to using) the Seafarers Expansion, I would imagine that would help, as it opens up the ports a bit. You might read about what some of the other expansions do, as well, and see if that would improve enjoyability of the game. Catan was an early game for us when we got into the board gaming scene, and we have moved on to other kinds of resource-management board games that we far prefer: - Takenoko - Fantastic Factories - Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition - Castles of Mad King Ludwig Also engine-building games such as: - 7 Wonders - Wingspan - Space Base Also, DH has been hitting the Kickstarters for new games and we are LOVING these (which game with lovely bonuses for having bought them as kickstarters -- but still, they are lovely without the bonuses): - Meadow (set collection type of game play) - Flamecraft (engine builder/resource management type of game play)

Agreeing with above posters -- to avoid spending a fortune, start with the base game of Catan (originally called Settlers of Catan), and if wanting to play with more than 4, get the matching 5-6 player expansion. The basic setup of the game: gather resources in order to "pay" for building settlements on the board which is a map of the fictional land of Catan. You earn "victory points" (VP) for building settlements, and for achieving several other goals The person who first reaches the goal of 10 VP wins the game. The board is a set of hexagonal pieces that you put together differently every time so you have a "fresh" map every time you play. Different combinations of resources (wood, stone, lumber, wheat) are used to pay for developing roads on the map and building settlements. On each turn, you accrue resources, trade resources, and build.

Not a Catan expert, but from this very comprehensive and clear web article it looks like: • yes, you need the base game to play any of the expansions -- each expansions is an add-on to the base game -- it adds additional elements, game pieces, and literally expands what you can do in the game • the main game expansions add new elements to the base game; they are usually for 3-4 players; • extensions are identical to main game expansions but allow for 5-6 players; you still need the base game • several of the major expansions are compatible to play simultaneously with the base game (example: base game + Seafarers extension + Cities & Knights extension); however, some of the major expansions are NOT compatible to play simultaneously with the base game (example: base game + Explorers & Pirates expansion works, but the Explorers & Pirates expansion does NOT work to also add in the Seafarers or Castles & Knights expansions, unless you make tweaks to the rules to resolve conflicts of how things move or are used in the different expansions) • several of the smaller expansions add on to the base game + 1-2 other of the main game expansions (example: Helpers small expansion works with Settlers of Catan and with the Seafarers expansion) • editions means what year it came out with, so artwork or little bonus items that mark later "printings" from earlier "printings" of the game (you would not need more than 1 edition of the base and 1 edition of an expansion, and editions are interchangeable) • variants are card deck games set in the world of Catan; no base game is needed, as these stand alone; 2 players, sometimes up to 4 players • spin-offs are stand-alone games set in the world of Catan; no base game needed

Yes, we have had a wood pergola for years. The top is covered with wood slats and a natural fiber mat, and vines grow over that, so no issues with water collecting or with mold. Also, our pergola is very firmly attached to the side of the house and bolted down into the concrete patio slab. Since it is not free-standing, and because it is covered with wood slats that are nailed down to cross beams (rather than a cloth canopy or shade sail, there are no issues with wind. We have a canvas cover over the patio table and chairs, and yes, that does collect water, and yes is has developed mold spots. It has also stained from where dead leaves collected on the cover, and then the rainwater puddles over the leaves and leeches out the tannin in the leaves, causing stains. However, since the pergola you linked has slits to allow for water runoff, water collection may not be an issue for you. Yes, I would be concerned about wind if this pergola was placed out in the middle of the yard and not securely anchored into a concrete slab or against the house. Also, depending on where you live and how hard the sun and weather are on metal, I would be concerned about how long the aluminum frame would last before the powder coating wore off. I got a garden arch/trellis from Wayfair about 10 years ago, and within 3 years, the powder coating was wearing, and now the arch/trellis is completely rusted. Granted, we live in an area where the sun bakes everything, and you do have to refinish outdoor metal every few years if you don't want that to happen, but still... I would say that the powder coating makes it take longer, and depending on your climate... but the aluminum frame WILL eventually rust. I would look at the purchase of this pergola as a temporary thing, and then it's a matter of: is it worth it to you to spend $500 for a few years worth of enjoyment? If it lasts you 5 years, that comes out to $100/year. If it lasts 3 years, that's a little over $160/year. If it lasts 8 years, that's a little over $60/year. Would you be more able to buy something more permanent in a few years? Would you be okay with not having a pergola after a few years when this one breaks down? Just throwing out a few questions to muse on... 😉

Thought of a few more inexpensive games that are quick to learn: Quiddler -- cards; spell out words; plays up to 8 My Word -- cards; compete to spell words as letter cards are laid out; plays up to 6 Super Lucky Mega Box -- choose which number on tic-tac-toe like cards to mark off to score points; plays up to 6 Five Crowns -- cards; build sets and/or runs; plays up to 7 Fill or Bust -- dice rolling with cards as goals/bonuses; plays up to 10 Farkle -- dice rolling for points; can risk going for more or losing what you rolled; any number of players

It's a long-existing saying in the Southwest, and it is a polite way of saying "let's change the subject," especially when the conversation is moving into an awkward or heated direction. I've heard it since I was a kid, long before being on these boards. It's a lot like how these expressions are used: "How 'bout those Red Sox?" "What do you think about the weather; is it going to rain?" Or: "By the way, weren't you going to tell me about ....[other topic]?" "On a completely different subject..." or "On a completely different topic..." "That reminds me of... [insert completely different topic]" And, your bean dip recipe looks super yummy, @Miss Tick! 😄

Party games for many players Board games for 5 or more players

Ack! DON'T paint your cabinets unless they are in bad shape -- so, so, SO much more difficult to keep clean and in good shape than wood or laminate. And SO difficult to make painted cabinets LOOK GOOD, unless you have a professional do it. I agree with those suggesting the simple and inexpensive changes: - molding painted to match the ceiling - colorful/patterned curtains for some accent - colorful area rug on the floor to break up the wood and add accent - colorful appliances or one or two accent decor pieces on the counter for color - change out the drawer/door hardware to black to stand out from the wood, and to match the black accent on the stove

Totally agree about ruling out arthritis. Also agree about stretching, yoga, and movement exercises. Glucosamine sulfate, or glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, can help some people with joint pain, depending on the root cause.

Guest speakers -- that's an awesome idea, especially if you can bring in a guest who specializes in some of the tougher topics, like drug use. Maybe... - for the nutrition chapter -- as a "hands-on", make a nutritious meal all together in class; or, if you have a small class, do a field trip to a grocery store, and walk the aisles and discuss looking at labels and making choices between fresh / frozen / canned produce, etc. - for the fitness & exercise chapter -- as a "hands-on" practice, do a series of beneficial basic stretching exercises, or bring in a fitness instructor to run a 30 minute session - for the mental health section -- bring in and use in class examples of things that help with reducing stress/anxiety, such as: • listen to an audio of a guided relaxation and put it into practice • mindful breathing, deep breathing, slowing into deep/slow breathing techniques • the technique of tightening all muscles, then relaxing coupled with breathing • a super assignment that I heard a Christian college professor give to her class (to be done outside of school hours) was to pick a tree, and once a week for 30 minutes set everything aside, turn off all electronics, and sit with the tree; meditate or pray, carefully/mindfully look at and take in the tree, etc. -- and jot down their thoughts, insights or observations; the purpose was learning how to sit in silence for a short while and be mindful of God, through his creation, with the same tree as the special focus; initial student observations were how hard it was and how long 30 minutes was, but as the semester progressed, they came to really look forward to and embrace that time, and they found that they came away with meaningful insights and observations as a result of their "tree time" • compare the different noise generators -- white noise, pink noise, brown noise, as different frequencies help different people; actually do in class Christian meditation (because Total Health is by a Christian, I'm assuming you & your class are Christians, but if not, then practice general meditation) - for the First Aid chapter -- bring in a First Aid instructor, and have the class get CPR/First Aid certified -- that may require scheduling an extra-long class, or going to a place that offers this training as a field trip