Thank you all for your sage advice. He really is wanting to play guitar, so I will explore that option further. I appreciate your input.

Ick.

This is so so important. Years later, I could go through my undergrad and law school friends on FB and tell you what their hook was because these passions were intrinsic to who they are as people (even today). Tiphanie: obsessed with virology, worked in a frightening (to me) infectious diseases lab at the CDC Kate: played in the WNBA, future bb coach Carolyn: the German lit PhD and national security expert Jake: the Mandarin-speaking journalist in Beijing/pro-democracy activist/part-time J Crew model Andy: politics, politics, politics, worked extensively on the Hill and for the Gov of AZ Christian: the astrophysicist, constitutional law geek Me: the Russia, Army Special Ops, feminism girl Dmmetler's daughter: the snake girl EoO's son: the enviromentalist High grades and test scores are not a hook; they are a given (but minor variations in stats do not play as big a role as people believe). To be competitive for elite schools (to the extent that this is the goal), help your child to develop their own deep and abiding interest. It doesn't have to be the cure for cancer, or something that costs tons of $$$, but an adcom should be able to sum up your child's unique hook in one phrase. Like it or not, that is how these classes are assembled.

I didn't see this posted yet: http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/01/pf/college/stanford-financial-aid/ ETA: Also discusses similar policies at Harvard, Princeton, and Yale.

I can definitely talk to my friend. I just assumed the guitar classes were for older kids (based on my apparently ill-advised Googling). :)

Just Googling about age for guitar, and the consensus seems to be age 8 at the earliest. But, I played the violin, so I'm clueless.

Our charter has free weekly guitar classes, beginning in 3rd grade. My friends own a wonderful community music school, which runs homeschooling classes. Classes are $100/month for 30 minutes of weekly group theory + 30 minutes of private instruction in either piano, drums, uke, or guitar. The homeschool class (and the school generally) get great reviews. My son would like to learn guitar. He is 6 and fairly small for his age. Everything I've read says that 8 is pretty much the youngest age for guitar. Would you 1) Start now with the music school on either Uke or Piano and then switch to guitar when my son is older, or 2) Wait and just take the free guitar class in 3rd grade with the charter? If choice 1, which instrument would you choose and why?

Considering that most law and bschool employers start interviewing before you even have a semester of grades to hand them, this does not surprise me.

This is helpful. Thank you, Coco. Just to clarify, we don't school over the summer. My son goes to camp from 9-3:30, which he adores.

We've been lax about SSL1 this year, but I'd like to continue with SSL2 in the fall. Do we need to finish SSL1 or is there review? Would playing in Headventureland over the summer suffice? We didn't use the DVD or TM this year. What say thee for SSL2 -- DVD and TM helpful? Thanks!

I read this as 'I have 5 kids, so I go through a bottle of Makers Mark every month.' :)

Are their classes secular?

Their Open House was very religious. How much religious content was in the actual course you watched?

These comments are super helpful. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. We enjoy audiobooks -- for all the reasons that have been articulated -- so I think we will stick with it. We will be starting SOTW3 on audio next year, so I wanted to leisurely work in the History of US to give greater detail. Thank you again everyone!

I believe that Sky Mountain is one of the higher $$$ charters in CA. I wish they were in San Diego! Good luck, and welcome to CA!

I used Kerastase or Alterna when my hair was long (it's curly, coarse, and super tangly). But now that I have medium length hair, I use more natural/eco-friendly/cruelty-free products (I voted mid-priced). My hair just isn't as tangly when it is shorter, so I cheap out. But, when it is long, I absolutely need a heavy duty conditioner.

My doctor discussed prescribing this med for me, but I am still uncertain about the potential side effects. Anyone have experience with this med?

2 month update: I lost 2 pounds this month, for a total of 8 pounds. Weight loss is very slooooow and frustrating. This is from diet alone. Hoping to up the exercise in the summer months, when we will take a break from school.

I would be surprised if most 3.5 year olds could properly put on/take off a car seat. For what it's worth, my 6 year old only recently started doing it himself. He also still frequently puts his clothes on backwards or inside out, and there's no way he'd be able to tie his own shoes. Perhaps, you may want to rethink your expectations.

Does anyone have an opinion on the History of US in the concise (K12) edition vs. the audiobook (of the 10 book series)? My son has enjoyed SOTW in audio, so I am wondering if we should just go with the audiobook format (which I can get free through our public library), even if it is the much longer version. I've listened to a sample and the narrator seems pleasant enough. On the other hand, our charter school will probably pay for the concise edition of the book in hard copy, which I've read is the recommended format by many folks here. Thanks for any thoughts/experiences.

I take Effexor daily and Ativan as needed. Naturally, I also treat MTHFR with methylated folate and B12, SAM-e, and fish oil. They also seem to help my anxiety.

My husband cooks; I clean the kitchen after. He does the laundry; I put it away. He vacuums; I dust. He takes out the trash; I put a new bag in. You get the gist. :)

5 starring your awesomeness.

Can you elaborate on how Minecraft helped?

Do Minecraft and Pokemon count?