I love the recipe on the container of Ghirardelli Sweet Cocoa…I add chocolate chips (don't remember if they are in the actual recipe or not). Very fudge-y!

We are using History of the Ancient World (along with three different Teaching Company Courses…took me awhile to make a syllabus coordinating all the Great Course lessons with the book chapters so they line up) so will continue with History of the Medieval World by SWB and add in the Great Courses I already own for that time period. Trying to do readings for Literature to go along with history…read Gilgamesh when studying that time period. Now working our way through The Iliad and next The Odyssey (along with the corresponding Great Course) as we study Ancient Greece. Hoping to do the same thing as we study medieval history. *edited to correct the autocorrect from typing on my iPad

Thanks, Luckymama. Maybe I'll let her do psych for an elective. Sigh. So much to learn and so little time.

Still working on next year (9th grade) but this is what we are considering so far... - Pre-Calculus~ (not sure which program yet) - English~ Continue with writing tutor, readings through Well Educated Mind or AP English Lit. (undecided yet if want to wait on AP until next year or not) - Science~ Chemistry or Psychology (my plan was Chem. then dd said she was interested in Psych. hmmmm) - Languages~ Irish Gaelic and French - World History~ Medieval History (finishing up Ancients by June this year) with art history - AP Music Theory - PE (working out at gym), continue music lessons

I work two days a week and the rest of my time is spent homeschooling and running kids (well, one kid as the others all drive themselves). This morning I was running through lists of things in my mind while driving to work and instead of going straight, I must have been on autopilot because I exited right onto the highway I take most other days of the week (to go anywhere else but work). I was about four miles down the road before I realized I was not going the right way and it took me a few minutes to realize what I had done. Ugh! What silly thing have you done when not paying full attention to what you were supposed to be doing?

Dd barters her music talents (doing music for her writing tutor's audiobooks) in exchange for tutoring in writing.

Only major purchases like large furniture or a vehicle or if it's something that is part of fixing up the house like cabinets or doors or whatever. I talk to him when planning to spend money on trips to Ireland but just because I talk to him about everything, not because he might veto it or anything. He knows I'm cheap and will find lowest prices for everything.

I agree. I think it is more an introversion vs. extroversion thing. I was fine having 1-2 close friends who I shared everything with and a lot of acquaintances in school. I tended to have more male friends than females because I couldn't deal with what I viewed as drama. I didn't hang out in groups and "party" in high school and still do not enjoy large gatherings where I'll be expected to keep up my half of a conversation. It is draining and I end up sitting with one other person or by myself listening to everyone else. My dh and kids can talk to anyone from toddlers to elderly about anything without changing a thing about themselves to do it. My dd when tested fell right in the middle of the introversion/extroversion scale. She doesn't seem to care about same age friends and enjoys her time alone creating, crafting, or practicing. She seems to see anyone who shares her interests as a friend. She has always been this way. She would say her best friend right now is a boy 3yrs older than her who she plays music with. They share a lot of the same interests and talk all the time.

None of them would bother me. I'm from the US.

So sorry for your family's loss. Praying for Baby Ray.

Praying for the little ones!

We have a gas stove. Not sure what you mean by unsupervised. If you mean parent home but not in the kitchen…my middle ds had his own omelet pan and cooked omelets at 10yo and dd began baking without me in the kitchen around 9-10yo. If you mean when parents aren't home at all, I think 11-12yo was when my kids started doing that with the gas stove.

:grouphug:

I know a little girl with Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD). It's a horrible disease but she has a great mom who is giving her the best life possible.

Looking back, I would not have put dd in a B&M school and I won't going forward either. My oldest ds started out in a private school for preschool. He ended up being the class clown (running out of the room, climbing to dance on tables, talking constantly). He preferred being sent to talk to the principal than staying in class because he was bored out of his mind. The school offered to put him in K a year early but I didn't see how that was going to be any different and it was very expensive so, after a lot of research and soul-searching, I ended up homeschooling. Later, I put both her brothers in school in 8th at their request. Her oldest brother went through high school in school for sports reasons and it was not a good academic fit for him. There was no pushing them to teach him at the level he was already learning and he had to retake a number of classes. He learned to skate through without doing much work and I think, lost his love of learning in general. Middle ds came back home in 11th and is finishing up school at home. I believe homeschooling dd has been instrumental in allowing her the freedom to pursue those areas she loves without any input from same age peers…telling her what is and isn't "cool." It has allowed her time to practice her music hours and hours a day without giving up free time to "be a kid" and have a life outside music and academics. Following her interests in academics has kept a love of learning alive. Dd has found her "peers" in the people who share her interests. Luckily as she gets older, we find more who are "closer" to her in age (rather than 40+ year old musicians in pubs...though there are still plenty of those). It takes work to find and a lot of driving but in the past couple years, there have been more and more opportunities for her to work with other teen musicians (and older musicians) on arranging, rehearsing, performing, and recording their music. Dd is a happy, well adjusted kid who knows who she is and what she wants in life. Editing to add: If there were an option for a gifted or school for the arts in our area, I can't say I wouldn't look into it for dd. I think she'd love it…or would love some sort of part school/part homeschool option if the right programs were available to her.

I always wonder this. Do people think snow shovels are disposable and throw them away after every snow? I had to stop in a grocery store for a couple items for a new recipe I wanted to try this weekend and to get some extra snacks because ds and his band are recording in my basement all weekend. Bad idea. The stores were mobbed! We are expected to get 12-18 inches and high winds so I will fill the bathtubs with water so we can flush and will start chili on the stove in the morning in case we lose power. We have no water when we have no power and we lose power regularly with any sort of bad weather plus are in the country so are the last to be turned back on. Hoping we don't lose power with the extra people in the house trying to record music. The roads here will be clear a day or two after the snow stops…by the next day on highways but a little longer on the back country roads. I have no idea why people need to run out and empty the grocery stores.

One night a few weeks ago, I was falling asleep and heard a loud banging sound like someone banging into a door trying to get in. I was immediately wide awake and listening for any other sound and my little dog sleeping next to me was standing up on high alert. Dh was asleep next to me. I got up and checked on the kids upstairs. Ds woke up when I opened his door because I kinda banged it when I opened it. I asked him if he had heard a noise and he said he was asleep and didn't but he did get up and check downstairs and outside with me. All the doors were locked and none of the motion detector lights were on outside. It took me awhile to stop my racing heart. I would have thought the sound was part of a dream except my dog would not have heard a sound in my dreams? Weird.

I picked Ireland. I love Ireland, the music, and the people. I'd take my kids, though…like I do every summer. Each year, we pick a different area to tour.

He can just check to make sure there is no one actively urinating at a urinal then take her in to do her business if she is too young for him to stand outside the woman's room to wait for her. Of course, if there is a family restroom that would be a better option but those are not found everywhere.

The brother lives with the grandparents at least part of the time now. I think brother and gps have talked about the problems and for some reason decided not to tell. To me it sounds like enabling. My dh has dealt with alcohol issues in the past and has not had a single drink in over 4 years. (The family history of alcohol abuse runs back through at least his great grandparents on both sides.) DH admitted he had a problem and quit on his own. He has told relative the mother and father need to be told. Keeping the secret is not admitting to the problem. As of today, he told the relative she has until the end of this week to tell or he will. They are all angry at him and have stopped communicating with him but dh will stick to his guns. He and I are appalled they want to keep the secret...which was my reason for the post in the first place without giving my complete opinion. I wanted to be sure we were thinking clearly and not just overreacting.

See this is just the thing…I do not know for a fact that they drink while caring for the child. The relative does not call intoxicated while caring for the child…don't call at all when caring for the child. The relative calls intoxicated at times when they are home alone. We live 10 hours away so do not know for a fact what does go on.

I know for a fact that the drinking issues are relatively new…as in at most in the last few years (two maybe three). Sure, there was a glass of wine here or there and a couple beers on the weekend but the amount of drinking has increased as their own dc grew up and left the house to go to college. This year their youngest went off to college and the problems with the marriage have increased and the relative just recently admitted much of the issue was due to drinking.

Yes, if it were my child, I would be furious if no one told me. My husband is actually the person related to these people so I am in a very awkward spot. They may not be alcoholics at this point but it is difficult for me to know that and family history especially of the relative, suggests the relative (the spouse probably not addicted but a weekend stress/binge drinker) is most likely headed that way if they aren't an alcoholic already. My thinking is that if the relative is truly serious about getting help and quitting, then honesty is the first step and coming clean to the people around you is very important because it brings things into the open. The relative claims they never drink when the child is around. I know addicts lie and I have no way of knowing because they live about 10 hours from us. They have 3 dc and I know their ds knows and he along with both parents are purposefully keeping it from his sister. I also know their other dd (who lives across the state from them) knows the relative drinks because she mentioned it to us when we last visited a couple months ago. I do not know if the mother of the grandchild knows they drink or that it is a problem. I have to believe if she thought it was an issue, she would not leave her child with them as often or for as long as she does. (They live 2 hours from the relative.) Relative claims they do not want to tell the parents of their grandchild because they will keep the grandchild from them even though they do not drink around the child. I believe the parents have the right to decide whether they will trust them or not.

Sleeping until 7am is sleeping in for me and a rarity. My kids are night owls and would sleep what I consider to be "most of the day" away. My dd usually gets up around 8:30 or 9am and will eat breakfast then get right to practicing and schoolwork. She often does "the next day's work" in her bedroom the night before because she doesn't like to go to sleep until 10:30 or 11pm. Schoolwork is done whenever we need it to be done…morning, afternoon, after supper, or late at night depending on our day's schedule. We have no set "school time." Sometimes we do school on weekends, too, if we are home.

Thank you all for the input!!