i always say that part of the brain that gets a perfect score on the SAT is not the same part of the brain that remembers to do laundry. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. The practical sorts of things can be taken care of by a personal assistant/mom/spouse. As a mom I'm trying to teach directly to those weaknesses, so they won't be a burden for a spouse 😊. Mostly I teach by modeling the behavior desired, and having child work alongside me, doing all the steps they can. Sometimes it's just a matter of me getting the ball rolling, and then they take over.

We got the preferred laptop for ds's major, huge screen, lots of processing/memory. And then he changed majors! So do ask the college, especially for technical majors like engineering, but also be aware of portability. A 'good enough' laptop might work if they have access to a desktop too.

My 2 college students have an Acer and a Lenovo. They started college at the same time so we made the same mistake, times 2. We first got them laptops with pretty good specs, larger screen, etc. By Christmas they both could not haul the things around one more day. So they both got as light weight one as they could that still had the processing/memory that would be adequate. Hence the current Acer and Lenovo. Another thing ds did was to have a regular keyboard and monitor in his room so he could hook his tiny laptop into that and use a standard size screen and full keyboard when typing long papers or reading a lot. It worked fantastically and a standard keyboard and monitor only are pretty cheap.

Thank you. That helps so much.

My dd, 16, is required to read one of these 3 books-The Kite Runner, Grapes of Wrath or By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Cried. I am reluctant to choose Kite Runner because of graphic violence. Grapes of Wrath isn't much better. By the River... sounds weird spiritually. Would anyone like to give me some pros and cons for each book, and what would be your ultimate pick. Dd is in PS. We're conservative Christian. Thanks!

I have been very disappointed buying used books from Amazon recently. All of them have not been in the condition they were listed. I didn't used to have this trouble. Has anyone else found this? Are there any online used book sites that you have found reliable?

I second the protein with every meal or snack, and to eat meals & snacks on a schedule. Dd was in ER with blood sugar of 40. She was unresponsive. They had us monitor her blood sugar over some weeks and she was diagnosed with hypoglycemia. She doesn't have any give in her eating habits. All meals are always eaten at same time. Snacks too. She's now teen in public school and has a 504 (like an IEP but for a medical condition). She can eat in class, can leave class for stash of food in office. She has an administrator who is her advocate. Stress tends to worsen symptoms. Hope you get some answers. Ours came when they were looking for something else, so keep on having them look. I know it's not as easy in military.

There are downsides to the pill. My oldest dd did use it for a while, the benefits outweighed the risks at that point. Long term use for convenience warrants careful consideration. Oldest dd now says that exercise has been the best thing for lessening cramps.

Similar heavy flow problems here with extreme irregularity. Pediatrician didn't know much, and thankfully said so. Gyn said she was anovulatory and once she began to ovulate it would be better. It was 2 YEARS before that happened. But a blessed relief and much improvement. Aleve was also recommended.

All good info from those responding. Just another point on the curve. We did chose an accredited homeschool high school. We weren't sure what that child would be doing next and we wanted to keep the most number of options open. And open with ease. By that stage I was tired of fighting the system. Many places say they will accept a non-accredited diploma, but in reality, they make it pretty hard. Also, for one dc, goals at age 15 were RADICALLY different than goals at age 19. I mean, different as could ever be imagined in wildest dreams. (You can tell I'm still processing!). So now I try to keep all options open, cause you just never know...

Ds and his girlfriend are graduating college. We're getting her something on her need list for apartment at grad school. Will be in the $30-$50 region. I think this is a serious and lasting relationship, so I want to err on the side of generosity (it's the same amount I'm spending on our own ds)

I'm taking a class on grant writing in the fall. Does anyone here write grants? How does it pay? Could I make a pet time job out of this?

Professors are hoping to raise awareness of the inequality in pay for professors versus administrators. I think even in K-12 schools this is a problem.

I would like to download some podcasts to listen to while I'm walking. Please share your favorites. Nothing sad. I'm not into politics. But I am wanting to expand my horizons. So I'm hoping to get a good mix of ideas from you. Thanks!

I think each child should be considered as an individual and a plan made with, and for, each of them. My oldest was encouraged to get her permit at about 16.5 and the plan she & we made was that she would have her permit for a year. She was tentative and all that practice was exactly what she needed. She got her license after one year, and she drove around our small town only for almost another year. Ds got permit at 15.5 and license at 16. He will say that it's a problem when your mom has to drive you to college. Next dd got permit nearer to 16. She was gung-ho to get license exactly 6 months after. But a classmate was killed in a car accident and that has slowed many kids in her class. She plans to get license sometime in summer. A plan is good, it can be changed, but at least there's some intentional plan to start with.

I know there are Spanish programs overseas, but I would love to find one in the US. Does anyone know of any? I would like to learn Spanish quickly and find the Community College classes dull and not practical.

American eagle has long and extra long jeans in 0 and 00. (I didn't used to know that was a size!). If you are picky at old navy you can sometimes find good things. I often sewed a strip of elastic across the back of dd's jeans. Both dd's are 5'11" and between 105 and 115 lbs. we are always on the hunt for skinny and long.

I read endlessly that we should be replacing regular bulbs with CFL or LED bulbs. I would love to save on the electricity bill. I hate the fluorescent bulbs that we do have. I can only bear them in the hallway and my husband's office. We have LED Christmas lights outside, but I don't like the blue cast that they have. When I look in the stores there's 'daylight' and 'soft white' LED bulbs, but I heard somewhere that the 'bright white' are the least objectionable. Please share what type you have and what you like/dislike about them. Thanks!

Our ds wanted to grow his hair while in college, and we agreed. He rightly said that it was the last time that how he looked really didn't matter. It grew past his shoulders and in ringlets. My mother called it 'magnificent'. At times it didn't smell that great. He got a passport while in that phase. Now he's heading into military and has a regulation haircut. He recently looked at his passport picture and asked when he was up for renewal :001_smile:.

We charged phones and laptops in USB ports in UK and France. Worked great. The adaptor/converter is what you need for hairdryer. If you just get adaptor, your hairdryer will die. Walgreens has nice adapter/converter for many countries and it has the country it works in printed on each of the different attachments. That's what we used successfully in UK and France. Weather in UK is changeable with enough rain that my girls gave up styling their hair while we were there😊

We will be needing to stay in Las Vegas as we pass through. Is there a part that one would see less in the way of gambling (advertised and actually happening) and other objectionable things? Is there any place outside of the major city that would be better? Has anyone stayed anywhere nice (and cheap) and wouldn't mind sharing where? Thank you! I have only passed through the airport there and am a bit nervous about driving through the city.

Land girls. Any Miss Marple Lord Peter Wimsey Call the Midwife. All Creatures Great and Small? Just brainstorming. I'm from England :001_smile:

Also agreeing to do it with estimates and link to 2015 taxes when they are done. Get the estimates in asap. My husband always does it Jan 1! I have been told by college advisor that the date is changing and submissions for 2017 will begin in October of this year. So not Jan 1 like it has been. We just keep on submitting, we have 2 graduating this year and one starting next year.

I'm looking for a book on tape that high schoolers (girls) and adults would like to listen to. I don't like dramatized performances. Lord of the RIngs type is OK, but no Harry Potter type fantasy. We lean much more toward the classics. Nothing scary. Need something to do on long dark evenings!

Men's Wearhouse! We have bought suits in high school from Penneys, but we took ds to Men's Wearhouse for his Marines interview suit. They did a fantastic job. Showed him different shirts for casual, business, and formal, what length to have your shirt cuffs showing for different occasions, etc. Lots of good info for young man starting out. We paid for the alterations, and then he gets free alterations on that suit for as long as it lasts. That was a big one for me because I knew ds would be adding a lot of bulk in the coming months. Ds has been back to Men's Wearhouse on his own since that time, he watches for the buy one, get one free sales on shirts. Too bad nice shirt with french cuffs was left in hotel after his last business travel!