Two people who were on the same tour as DD in NYC have tested positive and three more were tested but are negative. It is hitting closer and closer to home for us. We have been home for a week and hoping to stay symptom-free for the next week.

No. We've all been the same places. If one of us came down with symptoms, we would isolate that person in a bedroom. I am cleaning and disinfecting more. We are all mostly healthy. I am concerned about dh who has asthma and he is the only one who is out and about as he delivers groceries/food through delivery services.

My youngest is over four years younger than her next brother and she was passing him very early on. He was also very smart but about things not looked at scholastically. His strengths lie in working with his hands and music. I definitely used different curriculum, had them chose their own extracurriculars, and praised them for things that had nothing to do with performance (how hard they worked, a kindness they performed, etc...). One thing I thought while reading your post was maybe allowing your dd9 to pick an instrument to learn that does not have a set curriculum/order like guitar. I love the Suzuki method and it worked beautifully for my dd17 but the one thing I did not like was the obvious order and hierarchy it created. It seemed everywhere we went for violin activities, people's first question (parents and other students) was "what piece are you on?" My middle ds learned guitar (not Suzuki method) and there was no order so he could learn at his own pace with no pressure to compete or perform.

I agree with others that individuals doing small things can help change the world. Being generally respectful and kind to people. Trying to see other people's point of view and realizing even views that you don't hold can be completely valid--we all have different experiences and world views. Realize having views that don't align with yours does not make someone evil. Greeting and giving small compliments to people you meet can make a huge difference in someone's day. My family went vegan a little over two years ago for our health and to do our part for the environment. Avoid single use plastics and plastic packaging. Buy locally whenever possible. Compost and keep a greenhouse/garden to grow food...give extras to the neighbors. Donate unused items to charity. Shop at antique and thrift stores for some things. Do volunteer work.

I just read and loved Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

I have a good sense of direction. If I've been somewhere, I can find my way the next time I go there whether it was days or years ago. Sometimes I know things or predict things before they happen...not everything but random things will pop in my brain then later they happen. Dd has a crazy good memory. She remembers the tiniest details of things that happened years ago...what she ate or what everyone was wearing. Almost like she has everything in a file cabinet in her brain. She can learn a new tune on her fiddle/violin after hearing it once or twice and has perfect pitch.

We use cloth grocery bags, mesh bags for vegetables at the grocery, metal straws, bamboo flatware for travel, glass water bottles, glass containers and mason jars with lids for leftovers, silicon mats rather than parchment paper on baking sheets, and KeepCups for coffee/tea when out.

I have a chair that they tend to get thrown on. If I'm in a hotel, I'll hang them on the hook in the bathroom.

I must be a dinosaur, too. I'm with you. Stay and support all the children doing their recital. What about the poor kid who goes last?

Does her area have a shopping delivery service associated with the grocery store like Instacart? You could send her healthy snacks like fruit, nuts, veggies and hummus. (I'm vegan and would love that.)

Dd17 just flew internationally by herself for the first time on Monday. She is a very experienced flyer (I think we've flown over 10 times in the past six months alone) and once I knew she'd be flying on her own, I had her do the navigating in airports and I followed along. She flew from our tiny airport (only 3-4 small plane flights go out a day) so I did not walk her to the gate but I would not have even at a larger airport. Things to know...Look overhead for the signs...they will tell you everything you need to know about where to go. Check the board listing the flights as you are going to the gate to be sure there has not been a gate change. Get her there early enough she doesn't need to rush. Take an empty water bottle to fill at the airport and snacks if it's a long flight. Do not be afraid to ask airport staff questions...they are generally very helpful. Dd is always carrying a violin so will always politely ask to board early so she is sure it fits in the overhead--if your dd will be taking a carryon, she may want to do this as well so her luggage is not aisles away from her when she goes to get off the plane.

I just realized I do not have any big picture goals for 2020 so I'll put this here... Dd just finished her last two DE finals yesterday so is now officially finished high school. Yay! She is taking six months off school to tour North America with Riverdance. During that time, she is going to continue working on learning Irish (kinda going to be immersed in it with a fellow band member who speaks Irish) and she'll figure out how much free time she has so she will know how many credits are do-able when she begins at University of North Carolina Wilmington in the fall. She found an online program in International Studies with a concentration in Arts and Literature and was accepted as a transfer student. She can continue to tour while she earns a degree.

Thank you!

Dd only applied to one school and was accepted as a transfer due to her dual enrollment credits. She is graduating this month to do a 6 month tour as a musician for a major production and will begin at University of North Carolina Wilmington in the fall. All her DE credits will transfer and they have an online International Studies degree so she can complete college (studying something that interests her) and continue touring as a musician. Seems to be the perfect option for her at the moment.

Dd did one AP her freshman year of high school but as soon as she was old enough for dual enrollment in previous state, we went with CC online classes for the same reasons some others have mentioned...credit is earned over the course of the semester not dependent on one big test with a very broad range of possible material (dd tends toward test anxiety). We moved to NC a couple years ago where CC classes are free for DE kids so it was a no-brainer that would be the best course of action.

Similar situation here with a dd who is always around people who are older than her...the people she works with, hangs out with, (her DE in online so not really interacting in-person there)...except now dd is not below the age of consent in most states so things are a little murkier "law wise." I told someone a few weeks ago the one pitfall to dd's lifestyle and maturity I've recently discovered is she has no interest in boys her own age. Dd is confident and knows what she wants for her life. She does not have a rebellious attitude or feel the need to go with the crowd to gain their approval. This summer for the first time, I felt I needed to tell her I would love her no matter what choices she makes for herself and she can talk to me about anything....even if it means I need to keep my mouth shut and listen unless she asks for my input. She is heading off on tour for six months without me beginning in January and I won't be there with her every day but she knows my stance on these issues and knows the repercussions of certain choices. No different than if she were going away to college except her "peer group" are, for the most part, a bit older than she would be around in college.

Dd does dual enrollment so no AP.

We really enjoyed...How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World, and all the courses by Elizabeth Vandiver. We read the books (Odyssey, Aenid, and Iliad) as we did the courses. My ds liked two photography courses but thought one was better than the other (I cannot remember which was which now).

My dd currently has one of those "dream" jobs people going to certain music schools come out trying to get so she has decided not to apply to music school...high costs (mostly living expenses as she was offered paid tuition at the program she was looking most closely at) and essentially taking herself out of the business for 3-4 years to complete a degree to do what she's already doing being the main factors in her decision. She wants a degree eventually and has other interests besides music but we have always been realistic about costs. She knows she does not want to take on debt and limit her ability to pursue her music because she needs a full-time job to pay off that debt. She did a lot of research this spring/summer and found a degree program completely online allowing her to continue touring while pursuing her degree and through a state university so she will have in-state tuition which she will be able to cover. She can tailor her studies toward her interests (arts and literature) and what she learns will (loosely) apply to her music career plus her touring experiences will be part of the program as it has a travel/experience component. She has been in the music business for years and has observed adult friends/colleagues closely noticing and discussing with me those who succeed in making a decent living and those who supplement with other full-time professions. She knows she will have to be multi-faceted in her approach toward developing her career and is prepared. She once had a violin teacher who told her she should only pursue a profession in music if she couldn't possibly see herself doing anything else...so keeping her eyes open to the difficulties and realities has always been foremost in my mind as she moves through this world.

Usually dd's teacher got in touch about a month prior to restarting lessons in the fall. She'd send an email with a couple options and we'd chose. There may have been a year or two in the eight years dd was with her when something unexpected happened and times/days had to be reconfigured at the last minute.

Dd17 is already pursuing her music professionally. I am in Ireland with her as she performs a tour with Riverdance. She is currently putting in between 4-8+ hours a day with rehearsals and shows six days a week. Her DE courses begin next week in the middle of the tour and she will complete her schoolwork in the mornings. She has taken a rigorous course of study throughout high school while also maintaining a rigorous practice and touring schedule. I don't think she believes there are only so many hours a day she can be productive. Her music is all hers and has been for years. When she was younger I was her enabler. I researched resources for her and drove her all over the country but I have always given her the freedom to interact with her musical peers (usually adults) so she would have those skills. Because she is a minor I have to be here. I walk her to the theater for work then go back to walk home with her after for safety reasons. We have decided to graduate her from high school in December because she will be doing a six month tour on her own and I want her to enjoy it. She has found a program of university study she can work around her tour schedule so is applying for that to begin next fall. Even if she decided on a non-music career or course of study, I would not regret the time and money we have put into her music. She loves every minute of it and has worked hard to achieve her own goals, met interesting people who have become like family, and learned a lot about life and herself. I think it is empowering to know with hard work and practice you can achieve great things.

I did my dd's transcript by subject then noted where she took the courses if they were DE or outside provider.

Actually, I am with you on this one. I am such a light sleeper and I have trouble falling asleep. Some nights I feel like I forget how to fall asleep and I lay there for hours and hours with my brain thinking about everything all at one time. No matter what time I fall asleep, I wake with the sun in the morning. So frustrating. So, yeah, I envy those who can sleep and especially those who can sleep in.

1. How difficult was it to make sure all classes were accredited? Meaning, the online school our son attended last year was fully accredited. Many courses were created by me at home so not accredited. Dual enrollment courses through the community college courses, credits will be accepted as long as dd attends a non-private college. 2. How hard was it to create a transcript for your child? Not hard at all. I found an online template that worked for our situation and filled it out. 3. Did your child have a hard time getting accepted into a college? Well, she started dual enrollment at the community college at 15 (the earliest she was allowed). She just tested at the college to ensure readiness. She will begin applying to four year institutions this fall. 4. How did you keep up with everything? Meaning, what was or is the most efficient way of making sure all is completed as it should be throughout these years. We kept a weekly assignment log for the day-to-day stuff. I wrote assignments in (until she started doing dual enrollment, then it was up to her to write them in) and she checked off when completed. I kept a planning worksheet for myself of what she needed to cover throughout high school and we checked off boxes or edited as we went along.

My dd has a very time intensive extracurricular (actually more of a vocation at this point). She generally takes 9-12 credits dual enrollment and does another course at home. She works in spurts or when she finds time, often late at night. The time she spends per day is very variable depending on the week and the assignments (heavy weeks include large writing assignments or studying for exams). Some days she'll spend 8 hours and other days 2-3 then catch up work on a weekend. She tends to work efficiently and writes easily. She would probably spend a lot more time if she weren't so. I cannot even put an average number on commitment outside academics. It is definitely more than 15 hours a week but, again, depends on the week and whether she is on tour or in a recording studio, with whom she is working (is there planning and arranging to be done), and how much she is practicing.