KJB
-
Posts
746 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Blogs
Classifieds
Store
Posts posted by KJB
-
-
No AP for us. My kids take community college classes instead. Why spend a year preparing for a test to prove you can handle college material, when you can just take the college class itself?
(Not trying to argue with anyone who likes APs, but that's our perspective.)
Well, theoretically, you spend the year taking a free public school offered AP class instead of the college class *because it's free. You then are proffered the possibility of college credit through the test which costs considerably less than the cost of those three credit hours at an actual college.
I actually very much agree with you, and I think cc classes are the route we'll be taking as opposed to AP. I just thought I'd offer a possible to answer to your question.
-
The reason why they don't have a "buy the uniform" button is that parts of the uniform vary. In our troop, for boards of review, we do not consider the scout in uniform if they do not have the shirt and neckerchief. The neckerchiefs can vary by troop. The troop numbers are required. In our area, the troop gives the neckerchief and numbers when the scout joins that troop. There is usually a council badge that the troop supplies as well. I would go ahead and buy the shirt and sash. You probably want the shirt a little big because your son will grow. We always encourage short sleeved shirts because you can always put a shirt on under the uniform if it is cold. If it is warm, the long sleeved shirt would be a pain. Most troops will have a class B uniform (which is basically a troop t-shirt.) This is worn at events where one might be getting really sweaty or dirty and may not want to do that to the class A uniform. Also, per BSA regulations for insurance purposes, a class A is required for traveling done as a troop.
So, when you call the Scoutmaster, here is what you ask about ... Where to get the neckerchief, neckerchief slide,, numbers, council patch and book. They may supply them or may supply only some of them and tell you what to get of the other things.
Some troops are more persnickety about the pants. Belt and hat are usually not required and I personally would not spend money on the hat. I would rather spend money on a good boonie hat which offers more sun and rain protection on campouts and high adventures. My son could never wear the BSA pants because he was too skinny and we never saw them in slims. Instead, I bought him some olive colored cargo pants in slims from Lands End, which he only wore at Boards of Review and Court of Honor. Now that he buys from the mens' department, we may get lucky and find pants, but I am still concerned that they won't be skinny and long enough.
You have really helped me. My son is slim, too, and he swims in so many standard sized pants and jeans I've been leery to spend the money for the pants.
I have emailed the scoutmaster now and I feel a little better prepared to make the big purchase. I'm still going to make my husband sit down and confirm that my shopping basket is full of the right stuff.
Thanks very very much!
-
Shirt, hat, perhaps class B tee shirt for non-formal events. Def the shirt and hat though. He will need the sash for merit badges too.
Oh dear. I didn't even know about the sash.
My son was a cub scout for three years, but I attended those meetings with him so it was easy to see what he needed.
I think my husband is going to have to do the shopping this time!
Thanks!
-
You really need to get back to the leader and ask. Different troops make different decisions about what items are necessary - Calvin and Hobbes were both in an American overseas cub scout troop and they were only required to get the shirt and scarf. The troop leader ordered all badges. Your troop might be different.
Best wishes
Laura
I know you're right.
I just can't understand why they don't have a "buy the uniform" button on the website.
Ah well.
Thanks anyway!
-
My almost 11 year old has just joined a Boy Scout troop.
I am trying to order his "costume" as he puts it. (0;
My husband has been taking him to meetings but he isn't very good at remembering the details of what needs to be ordered exactly. He, like my son, say he just "needs the uniform".
I've been to the Boy Scout store online a few times and I get easily overwhelmed and confused. :D:lol:
Can anyone tell me exactly what I need to order?
I'd like to know which shirt he needs and how big I should order it? (He's pretty slim- he wears a very true to size 10 in pants.)
Also, does he need/want the pants?
What about a belt or neck tie thing? Socks?
Should I be ordering numbers for his shirt/patches or will his troop do that for him?
Which book?
Anything else he'll want or need?
I don't mind spending the money but I don't want to have to be ordering more or different stuff in a month or two. I'd like to get everything he'll want for the next two years or so in one shot. We live overseas and shipping is often slow and painful.
Thanks!!!
-
National History Day
Here's a link:
I've never used Windows Movie Maker, but most of the other kids at the competitions used it to make their films. I can say imovie is ridiculously easy to use, imo.
-
Fantastic! Is this her 1st year? This is dd's third - but she's done displays for the other years.
I'm likewise impressed by the entire program, and the level of scholarship they encourage.
Yes, it's her first year. She's competing in the junior division. The documentary is definitely ambitious but I think it's very rewarding.
It's interesting to me since making the documentary requires writing an essay/narrative(like the essay option), visually presenting information (like the display), becoming adept with the software necessary to make the project (like making a website), and it requires a performance by the student since they read the narrative (like the performance category).
It really is all of the other categories combined into one.
I am really impressed by NHD and plan on encouraging my daughter to participate through high school.
Your competition must be held later than ours. The first level for us was in January, last month was the district level, and April will be regionals. My daughter would love to get to go to Washington, but I'm just thrilled she's made it this far.
-
What is the limiting factor for you with regard to international travel? (A rhetorical question....)
Depending upon your occupation(s) and your interests, travel may be well within the reach of your family. So, off the bat, I wouldn't have the attitude that actual international experience is impossible.
For example, if you/dh are certified to teach, there are many opportunities to live abroad. If you're in health care, there are lots of places that want you. If you can build, farm, or work in finance, there are opportunities.
For your children, there are also many possibilities beginning with being a foreign exchange student. There are also mission trips, camps, and volunteer opportunities. And of course, there are many career paths that can lead to a life of cultural nomad.
Now, if you have littler children and/or just don't feel up to the major life upheaval, you can learn a lot just by traveling to many larger US cities. NYC, San Fran, Dallas, Chicago, etc., are very multicultural. In any one of those cities you can eat at authentic restaurants from all around the world and meet people who speak their native tongue often in addition to english.
If travel is out of the question, then starting a multicultural event/club asking people of different cultures to come together is a great way to sample the international flavors of people, music, and food. You could ask the library to hold such an event or to offer a meeting place for a club.
Don't discount a fun afternoon at places like Epcot either. The resort itself is a taste of the world of course, but the international tourists will really drive it home that you are in a world bigger than you.
Americans have tremendous multicultural opportunity because of all of the immigrants that make up our country. Diversity is truly at your doorstep.
-
I think you can use Pet Air from/into Germany. We live in Germany and we were considering using them to ship our German Shepherd to the US. Search for petair.de or use the .de suffix to find businesses in Germany.
Also, try these guys:
http://www.airanimal.com/index.php
Now, it doesn't look like our pup will need to fly. Our dog is very happy to hear that. (0;
-
Yep! It was for NHD. She learned so much from the project. I was thrilled with all of the different things she picked up from not only the research itself but from the process. It has been an incredibly rich and rewarding experience for her. She's done well with her project so far!
I've heard really good things about Windows Movie Maker if that's what you end up using.
Good luck to your dd!
(And p.s. We (dd and I) can totally relate to the pulling your hair out! Trying to finish her project reminded *me* of late night college cram sessions. Actually, I think that experience of being up to the wee hours tweaking her project was great preparation for the demands of college. I must admit, it was kind of fun to watch!)
-
I think this is a good question to pose to the Goethe Institute:
http://www.goethe.de/enindex.htm
They offer testing and they are very helpful when I've had questions in the past. My daughter attended one of their summer workshops but they answered loads of my questions before she had enrolled.
-
Not sure exactly what you want to do, but my daughter made a documentary incorporating still photos and video clips using imovie on her mac and she learned how to do it really quickly. It came together really nicely.
I think Windows Movie Maker is similar for a pc.
-
If his friend can meet him at the gate, that would be the easiest on your son.
He needs what he would have if stopped by the police for a traffic violation: registration, proof of insurance, and of course his driver's license.
They also do random vehicle searches/inspections so tell him not to be insulted or surprised if they search his car.
-
I changed my guy while he was standing at that age. We had a window with a very low ledge, just the right height for him to play with cars etc while I did the change.
Yep, we do this too. I also give dd a wipe to help clean herself.
-
Do many people have 2-3 year olds going to the toilet entirely alone, either at home or when out?
Also, for me, the advantages are more than just the lack of changing diapers at an earlier age. But again, to each their own. I'm not trying to convince you that I have a better way! It's just a better way for me, and I like to suggest it to people so they can consider their options. :)
All my three year olds have been able to go to the bathroom without notifying me if at home or with escort in public, undress, relieve themselves, wipe fairly well, and redress.
At home, I am pretty much out of the process. In public, we have to find the dreaded public restroom. Where I live, a public toilet often costs you about a euro which you pay gladly because at least then you know it's in theory sometimes cleaned. The free toilets you often wonder about. :D
OTOH, men and boys urinate freely roadside. A funny thing to type, but true....:lol: Nothing more hilarious than to drive by a business suit jacketed man with pants at the ankles when driving down the autobahn. But I digress....
I respect you are just suggesting your own opinion. Me too. It's good for everyone to have many choices and it's excellent to post about what works for you.
-
Also, it has been my experience that it's much easier to find a potty when out and about than it is to find a suitable changing space. (I won't leave a child in a dirty diaper for any length of time.)
I have no doubt that a baby can tell an adult that he/she has a potty need a certain percentage of the time. My baby tells me verbally when she needs a diaper change. In her eloquence, she says "Poo-Poo" when any event of interest occurs in her diaper. TMI, I am sure.
Needless to say (I would hope) I also won't leave a child in a dirty diaper for any length of time. This comment seems kind of silly to have to make, but I'll make it anyway for fun.
Your standard for suitable changing space must differ from mine. I find my car, outdoors in the fresh air, and pretty much any safe surface covered with my changing blanket to work just fine for a quick diaper change.
OTOH, I find public restrooms often gross and I can't imagine hovering a tiny bottom over a toilet meant for an adult. I travel frequently and I can't afford to be on the road with a urine soaked carseat which I can see all too frequently if my little one was out of a diaper.
IME, IMO, for me, etc. etc. I strongly prefer my child be mature enough to be self-sufficient when I consider them potty trained. Otherwise, you're really just a potty-team. And it's OK to be a potty-team, but to me it's not much different than changing a diaper.
-
He hates it because of the turtle on its back factor.
Who wants to be put on their back and restrained, afterall? People want their freedom. The boy wants to roam.
I personally wouldn't start potty training him yet. (I have an 18 month old and have successfully trained her four sibs by just before or right at 3, fwiw.) I think failure and regression can have a far reaching effect whereas waiting a bit until he's really ready makes it pretty easy. (Can he dress himself? Is he in a bed or will he have to climb out of a crib to use the potty? Is he really capable of cleaning himself up post-potty yet? Do you really want to rely upon him when you grocery shop to tell you he needs to use the potty?)
When I potty train, I expect to be able to be hands-off after the process. I don't want to still participate in the potty process when I decide it's time to train. If you're still going to have to be involved in the process, you might as well be changing a diaper, imo.
Besides, when a baby is in diapers, you can travel much easier than when you have to worry about finding a public potty.
Oh, and just to be really controversial, I HATE pull-ups. The only thing I admire about them is the brilliant marketing scheme their producers can be credited with for their invention. They really are just a diaper with bells and whistles and feel good "we're potty training" emotions attached to them.
Hold out for the big boy pants and give the little fella some time.
JMHO. Everyone has an opinion. This is just mine. (0;
I don't hold it against anyone who loves pull-ups and doesn't mind holding a baby over a toilet. These things just aren't my bag.
-
This is a timely question for me since I just returned home from a weekend in Pisa, Italy where my 13 yo daughter attended a Girl Scouting conference.
My daughter wanted to sightsee (we were in Pisa, and an hour away from Florence!) and many of the other girls wanted to fix their hair, talk about Italian boys looking at them, gossip about other girls from other troops, and just in general be teenagerish. Many argued with their mothers (one kept hitting her mother and wiped her mouth on her mother's blouse!) and my dd was the only girl who put her sleeping bag beside her own mom's when it was time to sleep.
We went into Pisa and the other girls bought brand name knock-off purses with their money where my daughter spent her money to climb the tower. In Florence, the other girls wanted to visit street vendors where my daughter wanted to go into museums and take photos. The other girls seemed annoyed that my daughter wanted to go into the Cathedral and museums.
Overall, my daughter read her book a lot. She ended up meeting some girls from the Netherlands and befriending them, but the vast majority of the other girls had radically different interests.
My daughter isn't really shy, but she isn't typical/normal. She is different and she is quiet in these types of groups. She doesn't want to talk boys, hair, pop-culture, etc. Unlike some of the girls we traveled with, my daughter won't just go along with the group when the conversation/activity turns to something she isn't interested in. My daughter will withdraw and isolate herself and do her own thing instead.
After my recent experience looking at her in comparison with her peers, I have a better understanding of why. I guess I tend to do the same thing, although I am capable of speaking forever about inane topics if forced. :D
FWIW, I think learning to go with the flow a little is a good skill to have even if the crowd is boring you to death. I know some of her behavior was anti-social. I'm just not sure how to work on this with my dd. Frankly, I kind of like that she doesn't care if she doesn't fit.
-
I'm sorry, I obviously hadn't understood at all what you were getting at.
Can I still add something? Whenever we are in Turkey I'm surprised by the amount of Turks with stunning German (local German accent and all), which I shouldn't be, but there you go. I have to say that this is usually in the more touristy areas of Turkey. They might be passing on their German skills to their kids, since it helps so much to find a job.
We've also got friends who sent their kids to a German gymnasium in Istanbul. For that to be feasable to run there must be a fair amount of German expats there.
I'm so glad to hear this. I've spoken to a few people who live near where we'll be and they tell me there are language schools, but I'm betting they are mostly for adults.
Unfortunately, we won't be too close to Istanbul where most of the big city options exist. Otoh, we'll be close to the Mediterranean which will make up for it!
Thanks again for your comments!
-
This is more or less what I'm looking for, except for German is our target language.
Here's one possibility:
(they support many languages, not just German)
http://www.verbalplanet.com/learn-german.asp
And another:
-
Very cool. I will look into this.
I am mostly looking for live real-time conversation instead of curriculum, but this is very interesting.
It really drives home that the US is behind in what is offered in the way of foreign language for young children, relative to other countries.
Thanks!
-
You know, this is a good idea. It's growing on me.
The expat and even military community is a definite possibility. I don't know why I wasn't thinking along those lines.
Thanks very much for posting.
-
My biggest joys won't necessarily be applicable to someone who has just pulled their kids out of school.
If you have pulled your kids out, presumably something wasn't working. There must have been some negative to be survived until finally home school was the only or best answer.
In other words, the starting point isn't the same.
Because we have always home schooled, our family has developed an educational focus and culture. We are all devoted to getting the work done so we can move on to the next fun thing. We know how to work, how much work is necessary, and when it's OK to be done.
New home schoolers have to figure those things out.
For now, I would suggest your friend not try to find the joy. It's time to figure out a livable workable schedule so that they can get the work done without overshooting and trying to do to much. They have a learning curve to conquer. Now is the time for ground work and foundation.
Once they get past that, they can focus on the joy.
I'm not trying to be discouraging, rather, I'm suggesting that telling someone who has just pulled their kids out about the joy might just make them feel frustrated that things are so doggone difficult right now. Ironically, it might actually be discouraging to hear about everyone else's joy.
Joy will come.
-
That is a great idea if we end up back in the US. I am encouraged to hear you've been able to make it happen!
However, it looks like we'll end up in Turkey. I think most Turks are focused on teaching their children English as a second language, although I'm not sure.
I will certainly consider the option as it would be better than online!
How do you help a 4 year old understand death?
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
My Dad passed away 8 years ago. My family took care of him at home until he passed away. At the time, my two oldest children were 3 and 5. They were in the house the day my Dad died.
The Hospice nurse gave me this story to use as a tool to help them deal with their grief and to offer an explanation that might satisfy them.
(The story assumes a belief in God and heaven.)
The Dragonfly Story
Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of water bugs. They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun. For many months they were very busy, scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of the pond. They did notice that every once in awhile one of their colony seemed to lose interest in going about. Clinging to the stem of a pond lily it gradually moved out of sight and was seen no more.
"Look!" said one of the water bugs to another. "one of our colony is climbing up the lily stalk. Where do you think she is going?" Up, up, up it slowly went....Even as they watched, the water bug disappeared from sight. Its friends waited and waited but it didn't return...
"That's funny!" said one water bug to another. "Wasn't she happy here?" asked a second... "Where do you suppose she went?" wondered a third.
No one had an answer. They were greatly puzzled. Finally one of the water bugs, a leader in the colony, gathered its friends together. "I have an idea". "The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to come back and tell us where he or she went and why."
"We promise", they said solemnly.
One spring day, not long after, the very water bug who had suggested the plan found himself climbing up the lily stalk. Up, up, up, he went. Before he knew what was happening, he had broke through the surface of the water and fallen onto the broad, green lily pad above.
When he awoke, he looked about with surprise. He couldn't believe what he saw. A startling change had come to his old body. His movement revealed four silver wings and a long tail. Even as he struggled, he felt an impulse to move his wings...The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from the new body. He moved his wings again and suddenly found himself up above the water. He had become a dragonfly!!
Swooping and dipping in great curves, he flew through the air. He felt exhilarated in the new atmosphere. By and by the new dragonfly lighted happily on a lily pad to rest. Then it was that he chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond. Why, he was right above his old friends, the water bugs! There they were scurrying around, just as he had been doing some time before.
The dragonfly remembered the promise: "the next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk will come back and tell where he or she went and why." Without thinking, the dragonfly darted down. Suddenly he hit the surface of the water and bounced away. Now that he was a dragonfly, he could no longer go into the water...
"I can't return!" he said in dismay. "At least, I tried. But I can't keep my promise. Even if I could go back, not one of the water bugs would know me in my new body. I guess I'll just have to wait until they become dragonflies too. Then they'll understand what has happened to me, and where I went."
And the dragonfly winged off happily into its wonderful new world of sun and air.......
Thank you God, for the story of the water bugs and the dragonflies.
Please remember________who left the pond we live in...and remember me...