They were rather close. Know how I know I have too many males in my life? My first thought was... wonder how many poots to the face the back row takes on any given practice.... :p

:blush: Oh my. I agree :D

Actually, most of the doctors we've had experience with have been happy to hear we were homeschooling. Dd's gastrointerologist (sp) was a hs dad and had a great deal of fun discussing logic with dd (his dd had used the same course). I noticed that the doctors directed more of their questions to my children once we started hsing and treated them with more respect. One doctor was a real jerk. He asked how the dd was socialized and she burst out laughing... we didn't go back to him.

:iagree: I don't know what scrum is, but it sounds delicious.

Push come to shove I say, "We actually pronounce it [insert name here]." I don't know why, but people don't get as angry about that.

Have you looked at Singapore math? They lean towards mental math and it may be right up his alley. You could find the standards of learning somewhere for math in his grade and use that to guide you, if you decided to go free style. Virginia's SOLs are pretty specific. My youngest is the same. One day he'll do five pages of math, the next day he only wants to do math with rods. As long as he stays on track to finish I'm fine with him flitting around.

Seems like not getting the job was the point.

I prefer common courtesy. Can't we just use the name the person already uses? I don't mind nick-names. My name is Juliana. I go by Julie, Jules, Julia, Lian, Juj, Juju, and Judy (people misunderstand "Julie" pretty often). I don't care, it doesn't bother me, but I am a little surprised at how quick other people are to own my name and make it whatever they want. :lol: Sure. When I was naming my children, my first thought was... will people take this name and alter it however THEY see fit? I chose (with one exception) names that have nick-names, because it makes identifying 'official' mail and phone calls easier (if they're using my full name, then they aren't friends or family). All the same, the shortened versions the kids prefer is the version I expect other people to use. Jocelyn is Jo. She doesn't answer to Josie or Joc. She is not a cat and will not just run to whatever you say in particular tone. Andrew is Drew. He will not acknowledge Andy, no matter how cute you think it is. It's their name. That's what irks me about someone else choosing what to call them. They aren't your pet, they aren't a stray. They have a name, they told it to you, respect that.

I second the graph paper. We love it. ETA, I have him rewrite numbers that are not clear (my 5th grader). The graph paper helps with collumns, but when it comes to deciphering sloppy numbers, I just mark it wrong and make him rewrite it all. Wish I could offer more help.

I love hsing high school (so far) and I love hsing elementary school... logic stage/middle school................................. well, I love hsing high school and I love hsing elementary school :D

Spelling Workout That's what we use and it works for us :p

I don't have Math Rider :D Thanks!! See links above. Searches should result in links for the other two I mentioned :D

Tux of Math Command Numbers Munchers (which teaches factors, multiples, and primes) Timez Attack All three are free (or have a free version) and can be downloaded from the web. They're games that require quick responses. Ds learned his math facts, but these games cemented him and sped him up. For us, introducing a special class would've just caused more problems. These made math 'fun' and there's no complaints when I order a half hour of game playing.

If money wasn't a factor... This is like, "What would you do if you won a billion dollars?" Of course, dd would continue to look at art schools (so, schools that focus on their interest). We would demand a higher quality of school (right now online/mail schools are possibilities). We would be a lot more stringent about the school's party reputation (as it is, we just try to look away from affordable 'party schools,' but have to keep them in mind, because they ARE affordable). We could look further away (distance is a factor, because closeness to home means lower tuition, less driving, more reliance on coming home to do things than spending more money). If we had the money, dd would be off to Savannah in three years.

You're right! Someone that was a high schooler in recent memory would have no insight whatsoever into what a high school student thinks or feels, or what sort of problems they might have, or explanations that might help. I mean, you can't really know anything until you've been in charge of it. The drones, well... they're just drones. Only the queen truly knows how to train a drone.

Wow! People get dressed? :lol: My youngest gets dressed, but he also tend to wears a tie when we go out... IOW, he marches to a different drummer than the rest of us ;)

:iagree: I hs and I don't do half of what a lot of those that hs from birth do with their littles. No gym classes, no Kindermusic... However, by locl standards what I do (read, count, color, &tc but without any schedule/formula/plan) is considered above and beyond. We own books, lots and lots of books, and most people think we're strange because of that. They don't understand why we own so many books, what could we possibly be doing with them all?!? I agree with your last statement as well. That is the prevailing attitude here as well. I have friends that just can't understand why their children don't/can't read. When I suggest reading together they point out that the school doesn't send books home :confused: The idea of choosing a book leaves them looking like a deer in headlights. They don't know HOW to choose a book. :lol: When people ask what I do anymore I answer, "Nothing." I've stopped explaining or justifying why I don't really work. Now, I just look them in the eye and say, "Nothing." It's so freeing and what's crazy is... I get less carp for answering that way. When I would say I'm a hsing mother of three, or a stay at home mom, or a volunteer (anything besides nothing!) I would get a patronizing response (of course that's important) or an eye roll. Now, they look vaguely confused and move on to another subject. It's amazing. You don't really count until you've done it longer. Longer than what? Well, longer than the person you're talking to. From what I understand you can pad that resume by saying you've been hsing 'since birth.' :lol:

Oh boy do I know what you mean.

I started off having dd read it herself too, and realized I had to read it to her, because she would correct her mistakes in her head, so she never really heard them. The questions are important too. Sure, your dd will roll her eyes and act like you're a total moron for not knowing who "she" is (mine did that too), but eventually she'll get the point that the reader is not psychic. Keeping it up is the hardest part... that and the eye rolling. ETA, if you can't be this hands-on, then a bright red pencil will help. Underline issues and write questions in the margin. She (in margin, She who?) fragment sentence (Is this a sentence? Where's the verb? Where's the subject?)

This is how I've dealt with this. I read their paper aloud to them stopping to ask questions. While I'm reading and asking, they are writing their paper a second time. So... "She... she who?" "Emily" (for instance). "Okay, Emily left a few things out in her first draft. There are more details when... There are more details when?" "Were." "Ah. There were more details when she talks about judo... There were more details when she talks about..." "Talked." "Alrighty. When she talked about judo benefits your body. Hmmm. When she talked about judo benefits your body?" Eventually, my oldest starting reading her papers aloud alone and really listening to herself. Having them read the work aloud will help, but only if they listent to themselves and DON'T correct their work mentally as they read it. IOW, they will fix problems while reading, without realizing they've edited their work so they never actually correct the writing. With fragments, if they can't seem to 'hear' that the sentence is wrong I will flat out ask, "What's the verb in this sentence? What is the subject?" I hope this helps you out. No worries :grouphug:

sigh I prefer to dash their hopes and dreams immediatly by telling them that my children were all premed by nine months. Then, when their screams of horror and weeping begin to subside, I tell them, "It's alright. If you start now, you may have the laundrey done by the time your dc graduate college. Good luck, fellow parent, may your internet be reliable, your library well funded, and your dh willing to cook dinner every once in awhile." and then I flit away

Reward yourself every time you don't look :D :lol: Pam, I so understand exactly what you mean ;)

It seems to me that Revelations says we all come back from heaven to live on Earth with God. But then, :shrug:, I figure as long as we end up with Him it won't really matter if we're in the Bahamas or strolling streets of gold :p

I think she was secretly pleased that so many students read their homework and so many of their parents became involved.

I think it's called self-control, but I'm pretty sure it's just a myth. :lol: I haven't mastered it either and I can't find anything for the computer to do it for me.