I don't know about this city, but I am aware of some parts of the country (Palo Alto, I'm looking at you...) where investors--many of them overseas--are buying up real estate and letting it sit vacant just waiting to sale at some future point when it has appreciated. That is a trend that I find very disturbing...

I don't think this is a bad idea, as long as the physicals and dental checkups are funded for families on a tight budget. I do wonder how tracking and enforcement would be accomplished. Personally I would need multiple reminders and probably a grace period--I've got too many kids to remember when each one last had a physical. The dentist sets up automatic appointments and sends us reminders, I could work with a system like that :)

Unnecessary because I'm already educating my children and meeting their medical needs. Proving it to someone would be extra work for me and wouldn't actually benefit my children. Of course, for all I know you would consider my rather laid back approach to homeschooling to be educational neglect... ETA I forget sometimes that not everyone finds record keeping to be burdensome. It is extremely difficult for my ADHD brain and yes is a serious burden. Being actively engaged and creative in meeting my children's needs is something I am very good at. Documenting it is something I am very bad at.

I think certain reasonable regulations could serve to protect homeschooling freedoms for the vast majority of families who are not abusive. I'm not going to lock my kids in a basement for weeks on end regardless of whether or not I am required to submit a portfolio or testing or to get them to a doctor for a yearly checkup, and I agree that such regulations (which are nonexistent in my state) would be an unnecessary burden for me and would not likely prevent situations like the one above. But if regulations were in place then it would be much harder for someone who was homeschooling legally to hide the kind of abuse in this story; the family would have to go "underground" and legal homeschooling could not be blamed for allowing the situation.

LOL

One thing you might try is having her alternate review of the two languages in the evenings. There's some research indicating that what we are learning/thinking about in the hour or so before sleep is best processed and consolidated in the brain during the night. Language learning is pretty intensive, I'm thinking it might be beneficial if she studied/reviewed Latin before bed one night and Spanish before bed the next. As for French, maybe give her some time to make progress with the other languages and then add it in if she wants; seems to me if she is self-motivated your involvement can be minimal.

With regard to female hormone replacement, I've been reading a book called "The Other Brain" that is all about how glial cells in the brain function; one surprising research finding is that these cells respond badly to female reproductive hormones after a certain age. I can't remember the details at the moment but it was almost like their response was reversed, and what had been good during youth became harmful past middle age.

This is kind of the direction my thoughts were going. The Dr. actually mentioned "wanting to feel like I did when I was 18" as a reason for doing weekly testosterone shots himself. Um, it's normal for 18 year olds to feel 18 and normal for 40 year olds not to.

Dh's doctor is pushing this, but I get the impression that it is a pet intervention of his (i.e. that he would recommend it for pretty much every male over age 30). Dh's numbers are within the normal range, just a bit on the low end. The stuff I've read regarding hormone replacement for women indicates a variety of unintended side effects. I haven't done the research yet on testosterone but would be interested in hearing educated opinions or experience from others.

Honestly it doesn't look bad to me; it's a private space, the bathroom area could be curtained off if desired. I've seen similar setups in European cities where real estate is at a premium.

Go for it! Students often study more than one language at a time. Occasional language mix-ups might happen, but Spanish and Latin can also reinforce each other.

I look forward to hearing and seeing how it all turns out! I went to Lowe's today and purchased some insulation for the garage door; I'm going to start with that.

This is one of those policy things that I roll my eyes at. A saxophone can be played in a worshipful way, and an organ can be played in a raucous way. (for non-LDS folks listening in, there is nothing at all in LDS doctrine that forbids saxophone or any other instrument in worship services; we just have a centralized church structure in which general policies are often preferred and someone or other decided to make such a policy regarding instrumental music in church.)

This is a 14 year old? I think I'd pick out two or three options for each slot and have her choose between them; too many choices really can be daunting so it might help her to have someone else narrow things down.

We need Lanny to jump in and vote for South America :)

Given that I have always pumped my own gas, cold, fumes, and all--rolling down a window seems like a super minor thing and yeah I think rolling it down most of the way to simplify the transaction is polite to the attendant who doubtless stands out in the cold and fumes all day for a not too generous paycheck. ETA it also just seems kinder/friendlier to interact face to face not with a layer of class partly between you.

I think you mean the words by Van Dyke. And that would only apply to someone who has been raised with those words; most JW kids for instance would not have been. I've never even heard them other than one year in high school choir (totally secular school that has no issue with the choir singing religious music). The first words I ever learned for Ode to Joy were about brotherhood.

My kids are growing up with a dad who has chronic mental health issues; they've experienced some of the dark side of that but they've also seen what working to manage a disease of the brain looks like: medical care, therapy, attention to physical needs such as exercise and diet, etc. They know that mental illness is not a moral failing but a real physical illness and not something to be ashamed of.

I think it would be hard to give too much information as long as the information is presented in a developmentally appropriate manner. In trying to teach my children to be pro-active about mental health as our family also has a history of mental illness. It is great that your son has learned to seek out phyical activity; you might also look into books that teach skills such as mindfulness, recognizing and challenging unhealthy thought patterns, and maintaining good nutrition. And absolutely make sure he knows what resources are available if he is struggling mentally/emotionally--parents, therapists, doctors, crisis lines...crisis text line is a great one for kids who may be more comfortable texting someone rather than calling about their concerns.

These stories are encouraging!

Is it bad that I'm totally fine with going on a trip by myself with kids, but when dh suggested taking several of the younger kids on a cross country trip alone I was not at all enthusiastic? I just didn't think his particular plans were realistic, it wasn't something I would have done.

I'm really feeling like our family could use more space--we have not quite 1700 square feet and soon to be nine people. My kids were trying to play soccer yesterday in our smallish living room and it made me think how lovely it would be if they could have a big room just to run and play in. It's been super cold here lately so really not ideal for outdoor play. I'd really love to add on to the house (or move to a bigger house!), but dh panics over the financial burden so I'm looking for less expensive options. We have a two car garage that could potentially be turned into a play room. Has anyone done this? How hard would it be? What kinds of things should I consider?

Colleges can provide support and accommodations. What kinds of support does she currently have? Is she on medication for the ADHD?

No one from Nevada yet?

Perhaps the person who commented just feels anxious alone in new circumstances. But I wonder if their response would be the same to a man traveling alone for a business trip?