I don't think so. At least, I haven't taken any antibiotic since the Doxy last Fall. I'm allergic to sulfa's, so maybe I got some of that at some point? It's a good point, though, thanks. I'm hoping that the specialist will just cross everything that didn't cause this off the list, and see what we're left with. To the OP: you did have your B12 checked, yes? That was in the thread a few weeks back, or am I mixing things up? I asked my GP to check mine, just one of those cross it off things. I'm kinda ticked that my B12 came back as high average, a B12 deficiency is so easy to cure (comparatively).

I'm confused. We're talking about the 4th grader, not the K'ers, right? For a 4th grader I would just keep doing GSWL every day. When you're done with it you can just move on to the next thing.

Does she maybe have an unmet emotional need elsewhere? Maybe its a Love Language issue. If you're not getting your primary love language met, then you fight tooth and nail for the secondary one. So "Thing X is really important, but is only met 4%, but thing Y isn't so important, but it is met 80%, so if I push really hard maybe I can bump that up to 175%, and then I'll feel better." For example, making and providing food is a love language to my eldest. It makes him upset when I don't get up and pour him a cup of milk, even though I am trying to get him to be self-responsible and self-sufficient. He will also regularly ask his grandpa to make him a sandwich that he can very well make himself, which looks very lazy and self-centered. When I ask him why he says that sandwiches his grandpa make taste better. Which is rationally false, but emotionally true - he feels love in every bite of that grandpa-made sandwich. If I cut off that love language his demands and pleas for other things, selfish silly things he doesn't really want, skyrockets. Now, my kid probably has no idea that he has a love language or that the way he feels even has a pattern. Most people don't. So if you ask your DD if she has an unmet need that she's trying to make up for with Lego's she'll probably say no. But that doesn't mean that the need doesn't exist.

FWIW - I verifiably had Lyme late last summer. Got the Doxy. Blood test says I'm "cured." But for the past few months I've had weird symptoms that originally got put down to tendonitis due to overuse. But I have "tendonitis" everywhere. Tendonitis doesn't spread. I'm pretty sure I have peripheral neuropathy. I have an appointment with a specialist in a few weeks. PN can by caused by Lyme. I had Lyme. But I'm not supposed to have Lyme anymore. So I feel like I'm in a huge medical black hole. Which is to say - Sure, you might have got Lyme at some point. But so what? You can take a load of Doxy and other antibiotics and maybe it will help a little. I'm "cured" and still have symptoms. Go to the neurologist, get the neurological disorder diagnosis. Neurological disorders are almost always caused by something. So then you can start working backward and eliminating causes. Lyme is only one of many tick-borne infection. You might be the lucky duck who got infected with something rare that isn't usually screened for. Even if you aren't diagnosed as having Lyme, maybe then you can get treatment for having an inflammatory infection. Which would be the same outcome as being diagnosed with Lyme, yeah, but you'll get treatment, and that's what matters.

I actually think it's supposed to be C. I'm conjecturing that the test makers are Romanticists, so you read the analogy as Nature causes Beauty. Similarly(! yeah, work with me here) trees cause forests. None of the others make sense. When I heard about this, I was hoping it would be something good for students who had read Cicero and were ready to show their grasp of philosophy, Big Ideas, and viewpoints other than Modernism. But it seems that the test makers have no idea what they're doing. How frustrating.

Why less red meat? Beef has tons of bio-available iron and B vitamins. Metabolic syndrome? Have you had your blood sugars checked? If you're starting to cross over the the "pre-diabetic" territory that could explain the fatigue.

They're under each chapter as the VC Master Plan. I think they only come with the paid version?

The nice thing about the extra worksheets is that you can print them off again and again. :sneaky2: Are you doing the lapbook from headventureland? We sometimes don't get around to it, then spend some time doing a couple chapters worth. It makes nice review. We just paste everything randomly into an old paper-pages picture album. Have you also done the reader? Just checking. I think that would work for review, too. I don't know about the minibooks. We just did the regular Minimus book. Another possibility to throw out there, Lingua Angelica from MP. If you've gone ecclesiastical latin route, that might be better than Minimus? It's grammar heavy, and not funny and colorful like Minimus. But it would be different.

Just curious about what exactly you mean by this. What test did you do? Was it an achievement test or an intelligence test? What (except math) did she already know? She already knew everything in your history program? or your science program? Or are you talking about spelling/reading/writing? I ask because on achievement tests the "grade level equivalency" number can be confusing. And the number given in an intelligence test is hard to translate to a "grade level." If she knows all the content subjects, does that mean the non-fiction books in the children's section of the library hold no new information for her? But if you are saying her language arts are solid, and she is able to do more abstract thinking, then fine, you can bump up to some higher level courses where she is expected to do more than just regurgitate information and to actually do her own thinking and response and synthesis. Just keep in mind that, no matter what the numbers say, if she's not used to being expected to do that you may need to work with her to show her how it's done. But, she's still a kid. Bumping up to higher grade level courses means that you start losing the cute "kid stuff." If that doesn't matter to her, great. But you may want to think about keeping a mix of kid things in your day.

Minimus might be fun. Though the grammar is super light. I think there's enough crossover vocab with LfC to make it a fun reader. Have you done any of the extra free worksheets for LfC? You could slot in one of those in between Minimus chapters for quick grammar review.

There ain't much. I mean, unlike Spanish or French programs designed for kid, for Dutch you'll need to search and sometimes make do. Do you speak any Dutch? Or pronounce it okay? Not having to rely on audio support gives you more options. The first few lessons of Pimsleur are great for ear training and pronunciation. I'd try to get that through the library and start there. Duolingo with app is okay for kids and is an alright program. For actual NT2 programs for kids, you'll probably need to do an international order for one of these. According to my kid, the best thing is talking in Dutch with others and a bit of reading (alongside a Dutch/English speaker or a bilingual dictionary). Can your child speak Dutch with your family regularly? Can you get little, simple Dutch books and work through them together? My kid's experience learning Dutch was convoluted. But we basically just pieced together lots of different things. Pimsleur, Duolingo, old Dutch school workbooks, Dutch books, online videos, songs, etc. For language learning I think the consensus is that multiple programs and multiple programs is actually ideal, so don't be afraid to mix things up. Just make sure you're not standing still and you'll be fine. There's lots of Dutchies here, hopefully they can say more. Feel free to message me if you want. If you want something more easily available and that comes with audio support, the Hugo course is good. But since it's designed for adult learners I think you would have to take the step to modify it and add in the "kid stuff."

I believe ASD is being investigated. At the intake the psych did ask CP some questions which I thought were to get a feeling for his Theory of Mind. But this setup is odd, I think. We had the initial intake. The next thing is to do a lengthy interview with just DH and I. Then the intelligence research (onderzoek) for CP (this is what is getting 2 hours away), but that test is only scheduled to be 2 hrs long. And then another appointment with the psych with all of us. The psych did say that they could schedule more, if they thought more research was needed. We sent their office a written description of the issues we see with CP, but we haven't filled out any checklists or eval forms for him. Maybe they'll do those in the meeting with DH and I? The English, yes, that's something that we're thinking about. I'm not sure what the situation is further away, the psych only said that her office knew that it was possible to get English language tests done there. We could ask. Right now we're in a construction where these evals are being paid for by insurance/government something - mostly because the school sees that he has issues. Schools here take a more wholistic "learning styles" approach than in America, I think. So getting the IQ score is just gravy, they want to know if he can actually be pushed to have a harder workload, or if he just needs a lot more time to develop before then. Or if he needs a stimulant (I suspect he does, he told me yesterday that watching tv makes him feel relaxed and sleepy). We just need to pay for transport costs right now (including the 4 hrs roundtrip, which will be a pretty penny itself). So we're just seeing how this pans out right now. I did bring up the word "twice exceptional" during the intake, but I'm not sure the psych caught what I meant. Is there a particular Dutch word for 2e? During the parent-only meeting I can try to suss out how much they are looking at high-and-low. I think they are, the psych was very serious when I showed her the KBIT scores with the huge discrepancy between verbal and non-verbal. Saw, I'll PM you with details. But we are way up north, and most options are in the south, I know.

Cambridge Latin is still free online till the end of the month, if you want to get a full preview.

Lol. Yes, that occurred to me after I posted, that for most boardies 2 hrs would be within the range of normal. But here in NL, people really don't make long trips like that regularly. There's also the fact the gas is horribly expensive. And stopping at McDonald's on the way home is incredibly expensive, too. And DH's family already thinks we're overdoing it. The social skills class itself is thought unnecessary. Going completely out of our way to get the eval done is even more strange. There's no way to hide these things from them, unfortunately. I'm just trying to figure out whether the VR score will make a vital part of the overall diagnostic conclusion. Justify it in my own mind, I guess.

I don't know. The psych didn't share the name of the tests she was thinking of scheduling. And I don't want to look conniving by asking. Oh, too bad. Your remarks are usually helpful!

Yes, pretty sure he's 2e. He was doing algebra up on the whiteboard in the psychs office in between rolling somersaults across the floor and randomly interrupting with "hey watch this!" :o I've been wondering if there should be a 2e subforum here somewhere. I try to make a good judgment call where to post topics. But I know some of you here on LC are dealing with extremely challenging issues. Sometimes its awkward. He was held back a year this year because of the language. So the grade level discussion is about skipping him back to age mates, or whether or needs to be skipped further. Or maybe not at all.

It is weird. But in my book, the incident would be closed for me. Put the book on the shelf and try to forget about it so you can sleep peacefully. But lol, I'd totally be snarking for the whole next year "DD, go get your criminal chemistry book and do your homework." :lol:

:grouphug: I understand feeling vindicated. Because of all the NPD talk here, I did consider for a while whether or not my mother was NPD. I decided she was not (unless it's possible for someone to be NPD but just be exceptionally bad at it) but when my brain clicked together her behavior with the word "bully" it all became clear, almost peaceful. I didn't need to question whether or not I was a bad kid (I wasn't, seriously, I was pretty angelic, just not angelic enough, but I don't think those perfectly angelic children my mother wants actually exist). I didn't need to wonder why I went out of my way to avoid interacting with my mother. I didn't need to wonder why I was so anxious around her. Labels can be coping mechanisms, labels can help me find resources to keep my own mind healthy. The label helps me understand why I emotionally flip out when DH says something that sounds like a criticism to me. Labels help me take a mental step back if I'm starting to rage at my kids. The label helps me understand if I have done something wrong and apologize. Labels are not excuses. But to the OP's point, lots of labels can be used as excuses. Yes, I have met people who honestly don't parent and then wring their hands over their "wild kids." But labels are more than just psychological disorders. There's also the Defiant Teen label. The Persecuted Mother label. And also apparently the Preteen Girl Shouldn't Mourn Her Dead Father label. :huh: I've heard people excuse my mother's behavior more times than I can count. "You should talk to her more, she's your mother." "I know she's difficult sometimes, but she's had a hard life, and she's your mother." "Your mom really struggles, she's not that smart about some things, but she wants to spend time with you." "I know she can be a bit harsh, but she's your mother, I'm sure she cares about you, why don't you just forgive her?" :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: I swear, the next time someone says "But she's your mom" I'm going to exclaim, "Really? I had no idea! I was always wondering why she was hanging around me as a kid!" :001_rolleyes: Maybe a straight-up label similar to NPD would help people realize that they don't need to try to rationalize away her unhealthy behaviors. Or maybe they would prefer to rationalize than realize that something is actually wrong there? I don't know. I do know that my mother could have used a lot of help as a child. I know she still needs a whole lot of help. I also know that her behavior is still wrong.

So we have finally begun the evaluation appointments for Crazypants ( :party: ) Only problem is, we're not in an English speaking country. And while CP has picked up Dutch very well, his main language is still English. So the psych doesn't want to run a test on him in Dutch. But her office does not do English language tests. For background, when CP was in K he was administered the KBIT-2 and scored 89 on the verbal reasoning. Now, I question whether that number is accurate, but a large discrepancy between his verbal and non-verbal reasoning seems accurate. He got an initial diagnosis of SPD and anxiety last year, and it's very possible he has ADHD. There's definite issues with working memory and emotional regulation. The school recommended the eval, and we would like the results to help us with grade placement next year. So the psych has given us an option. 1. We can travel two hours away to have the full test done in English at a different (new and unknown) location. Or 2. We can have the test done at the place we did the intake which is 45 mins away, but it would only be the non-verbal portion, with working memory and processing speed evaluated in a symbolic test. I'm leaning heavily towards option 1. Just get it done. Don't have to wonder about his verbal reasoning development. Everything will be there to discuss grade placement with the school. But then, he brought his report card home today, and yeah, he got high scores in reading comp (in Dutch). Maybe he is a really good test taker? Maybe things finally clicked together for him? Maybe being in school got his butt in gear? (seriously, remember how I was wondering last year whether he had dysgraphia? The teacher says he has very good handwriting. hmm-mm. :closedeyes: ) The real issue making us all hesitate about grade placement is social skills. We found a local social skills class (not through the psych, but an organization willing to work with the psych and our evals). I'm not sure what the psych can recommend if it turns out that his verbal reasoning actually is low. Is there even a clear relationship between verbal reasoning and social skills? Or am I turning myself in circles here? But two hours to a strange city, a long test, two hours back. Ugh. :mellow: Would it be worth it, do you think?

Ugh indeed. My oldest is not NT either. Anxiety, SPD and probably ADHD. He's quite sensitive and fearful. My mother is not good even with normal children, there's no way I'm exposing my child to her. We were talking to my mother on skype after he got glasses and she thought it was funny to make fun of him over it. He was so confused. We had told him not to pay attention to kids who said mean things to him about wearing glasses, so why was grandma doing it? In retrospect (like when I'm in the shower and think up all my best lines and witty retorts) I wish I had said "Mother, I realize you have a lot of issues stemming from your own childhood, but I am trying my best to prevent them being passed down yet another generation, so could you please just shut up?" That would be so satisfying. But if I did say anything like that it would just confuse and upset her, and then I'd get criticized for not understanding that she was just joking and how she didn't actually mean anything by it and then she would apologize for hurting his super-sensitive feelings, and.....ugh, sigh. Extremely infrequent skype calls is the best solution I have right now. Blerg. :grouphug:

Fanfiction has had this conversation for years. There's no clear answers here. Yes, you can use a system roughly analogous to MPAA, with all its pitfalls. You can do a general rating and then tag certain themes (violence, death, etc.) like Archive Of Our Own has tried. You can try to stick certain stories in certain places (different webpage, with password) and hope that's enough. Everything has pros and cons. I would like a general rating like MPAA - my kid likes graphic novels and some of the teen ones are appropriate for kids and some are NOT. So I would like to have a quick label to weed through them at the library. I wouldn't follow the rating slavishly, of course, but it would make my life easier. I also wouldn't trust everything with a "G" rating to match my values. But as a quick heads up - sure.

Yes, and I expect that the credit card company will still be paying CBD. Unless CBD proved to me that the credit card company was refusing to honor the payment, I'd hang tight to the book. I also wouldn't consider giving up the book until the original payment was refunded to me. Yes, the OP might end up with a "free" (stolen) book. But the OP has already had to deal with a major headache over it and time straightening it out.

I've done versions of this. It's hard, because my kid has inattention issues (really, he's in the middle of being evaluated for it) so CM-style 15 min lessons seem like a good idea. But for him personally, he found too many transitions tiring. He just wants to work on something and then be done. Pulling out the next subject got whines like "What now! How many MORE things do I have to do! This is taking FOREVER!" I'm the same way, really. I want to really get mentally into something, and then let it stew a bit. Doing Latin and math every day, and then rotating everything else around those 1x or 2x a week, worked well. And if I had a lot of kids, I'd totally do 1 afternoon a week of history, and another afternoon of science, etc. The thought of having to pull out multiple levels on a subject, run everyone through it, and get the full range of age-level responses more than once a week gives me headache.

I don't think recognizing an underlying problem excuses behavior. My mother is mean. Not as in not nice, but MEAN. She's a bully, she demeans others constantly (she also name-calls inanimate objects, which is sadly funny), she has a sadistic streak. I also know that she has a LD, she was abused in school because of it. She was abused by others as well (emotionally, maybe more). She likely has lower than average IQ. She had to care for her mother slowly dying of cancer as a teen while her dad ran around with other women. I can understand it now, but it doesn't change how much I suffered as a child who bore the brunt of all her emotional frustrations and problems. What was even worse than that, however, was how much my pain seemed to be invisible to others. I'd overhear my mom complain to other women at church about her "dirty rotten kids" and she'd get hugs and advice to just crack down on us harder. I'd try to tell people how I felt, but as a kid how do you process that you are being bullied by your own mother? I'd say "Mom is mean to me" and I'd get patted on the head and told "Oh, every kid says that, just wait till you're older and see that she's right." How incredibly invalidating, and how incredibly psychologically insulting. Now that I am older, I see how troubled she is. I also will never leave my children alone in her care, no matter how many times she offers to take them for a week to "straighten them up" with her belt. Yeah, she's one who believes ADHD, ASD, and etc. are just "excuses" for sin, and can be cured with "a good beating" (her words). I just want to yell YEAH, BECAUSE THAT'S OBVIOUSLY WORKED OUT WELL FOR YOU, HASN'T IT!!!!! Deep psychological issues there. FWIW - not everyone at church was fooled by her pious "bad kids" spiel, but enough people were willing to enable her, and allow her to frequently teach children's classes, that I now see that she was the source of some major tensions in that church. But no one was willing to say anything supportive to me, parental rights, stay-out-of-other-parents-business, not my problem, don't get involved, don't rock the boat, etc. were more important, I guess. And yes, she did go to counseling for a few times, though only to select Christian counselors (psychology=evil in her world). But she never got past the first few sessions. My DH (who has done work in psychology and counseling) says it's probably because at the 3rd or so session is when the counselor says "Ok, so everyone else is bad, but what can you do to change your behavior?" Yeah, that probably didn't go over well with her. So it is a both/and. My mother is highly troubled in her head. She has also resisted developing a healthy mind. I myself have to deal every day with the psychological problems she dumped into my own head (so does DH and my kids, but I try to keep that from being daily). I live on a different continent from her, and that makes me a bit happy. I can tell people either version of her - She's a mean bully. She's psychologically troubled. Both are true. But it's complicated.

dd currently wants to be a naturopath/herbalist. The week before it was a housewife (which I poo-pooed, despite the fact I was one for 16 years....I told her it would be a waste of her gifts.) Exploring herbs....for 5th grade science, I suppose. Problem is...next week she'll be ready to move on to something different. I don't understand why you would wait until "5th grade science" to do something she's interested in now. She says she likes herbs - get her to the library and check out every single book there about herbs, and growing herbs, and uses of herbs, and history of herbs, and how to make essential oils. In two weeks when the books are due, ask "Sweetie, do you need to renew any of the books we got out last time? Is there anything else you want to get from the library today?" Maybe she'll take all the books about herbs back and check out every book about manga, the history of manga, how to draw manga, Japanese, etc.. It doesn't matter. Just do it. If she does say, "Oh, I want to learn more about herbs, do you think there's a better book about growing them?" Then you can start researching it with her, and ILL'ing some more books, and see if there's a gardening club in your area, and so on. And about the fanfiction - she can write up stories during the week in a notebook, and then on Saturday morning type them up and then decide whether to post them online. I would just log in to her account once a week to make sure she's not being bullied/trolled, it's the internet after all.