We are spending a lot this year on outsourcing because 1) Sacha likes the community aspect of learning with other kids and 2) since I am in school nearly full-time now, I don't have the time that I once did to do the kind of teaching that I think he deserves. So, we have outsourced French to Language City Academy, Latin to Lively Latin Online (this one is actually free to us through our charter school since the author teaches there), math to AoPS Academy/Beast Academy Online (the biggest ding to our budget, but totally worth it), and Literature and Chemistry to Athena's. It's the most we have ever spent on school, but still at least 25k less than a private school in our area. We are most definitely not rich (we've chosen to forego saving for retirement and vacations in favor of education) and I don't think any of this is necessary to give an accelerated kid a rich homeschooling experience. In all likelihood, we will eventually switch charter schools to get more $$$$ for outsourcing (once Sacha outgrows the weekly onsite enrichment classes, which he still adores), We could be getting 3k per year in funding for outsourcing with another charter (versus the $1000 we currently get), so yes, I do think that the price of some of these classes has been driven, in part, by the charter school funding arms race that we see here in California. ETA: I haven't yet met another homeschooled kid at either AoPS Academy or CTY summer camp. This demographic is most definitely the wealthier, highly educated, Tiger mom crowd (with quality public or private school kids).

I don't know anything personally about autism services here, but can put you in touch with others who do. Feel free to PM about anything. Welcome to SD.

I read this morning that Equifax is waiving freeze fees. But, that still doesn't help you if they try to ping one of the other credit bureaus.

Downtown SD has been overrun with homeless. It is out control. And I say this as someone who grew up in LA and went to school in the Bay Area. You combine the regular homeless population of most large cities in the U.S. + year round weather around 70 degrees + close proximity to the border + the heroin/opiate crisis + a large vet population returning back home with PTSD + sky high rents/low vacancy levels = a disaster. I heard on our local npr station that the city is considering building tiny homes. If you drive around downtown SD today, it looks like a refugee camp. :(

I just monitor our credit for free with Credit Sesame, Credit Karma, Capital One, and USAA.

Sacha just finished rereading Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, which he adored, and has moved onto the sequel. For school, he recently read the Green Glass Sea and Wind in the Willows.

Greetings, The newest books from Beast Academy, Art of Problem Solving's elementary school math curriculum, are available now! Beast Academy 2A made it to our warehouse today, just in time for our anticipated August release! Beast Academy 2A includes chapters on place value, comparing, and addition. Read more about Beast Academy and check out samples at the Art of Problem Solving online bookstore! Beast Academy is a full, rigorous, and entertaining curriculum for aspiring math beasts in grades 2-5. Each grade is split into four units, A-D. For each unit, there is a Guide book and a Practice book. The Guide books provide comprehensive, rigorous instruction in a fully illustrated textbook. The Practice books include hundreds of exercises, problems, puzzles, and games to reinforce the lessons taught in the Guides. Grades 3, 4, and 5 are also available now. Stay tuned for the rest of the Grade 2 series and for Beast Academy Online, coming in 2018! Sincerely, Richard Rusczyk

We made it! https://www.facebook.com/monique.b.labarre/posts/10155019874023261?notif_t=like&notif_id=1504060949362264

Keep her at grade level. California is competitive enough, as it is. Btw, I got our charter to start offering MK two years ago, so it will be great to have another buddy. We also have a spelling bee and other competitions (writing, robotics, etc.). She's going to love it.

You and me both, sister. (Thank you, San Diego.) :coolgleamA:

I have a friend who quit nursing because she is the highest level of status with Younique. I don't blame her. She makes a crap ton more than she used to as a nurse, gets a free car, goes on expensive luxury trips care of the company. The thing with MLMs is that you have to get in early so that you are top of the pyramid. The top people in MLMs tend to go from one to the next because they bring much of their downline with them to the next one (with the promise of greater riches for getting in even earlier). If you can't get in early (or can't get past the icky feeling of profiting from the pyramid), don't bother. All those at the bottom of the pyramid (the 99%) are suckers (same can be said for large law firm associates).

ProctorU is not a test. They are a company that many online courses use to proctor their exams. I would assume that most schools would take Straighter Line credits if it is regionally accredited. Many 4 year universities will not take CLEP scores.

We had a great experience with EI, and now, at 4, my little one is doing great. If they come to you, I highly recommend it.

No problem not to speak French unless you go further into the countryside, and even then, you can still get around. People are generally friendly, IMO.

God bless you for this public service! Hey, WA drivers, listen to the nice lady from Vermont! ;) My apologies, OP, for the derailment. I agree with the others that Quebec is a lovely place to visit -- Quebec City especially -- for a little of the flavor of Europe without having to leave North America. Since I am a So Cal girl, the winter is a bit too difficult for me to really enjoy (although the ice festival and Tremblant have been on my bucket list for awhile). If you do visit in winter, Quebec City is quite a bit colder than Montreal. Montmerency Falls and the Chateau Frontenac (in Quebec City) are favorites of mine. If you want to go way off the beaten path, Forillon National Park, which is in Gaspe, is supposed to be really beautiful. In Montreal, I really enjoyed the Botanical Gardens. Mount Royal, and the Jewish Quarter for bagels.

It would be a super long drive from San Diego to Oregon, so we will miss it, sadly. I think we're only getting around 50% of the eclipse this far south. :(

Maybe you guys just drive really slow in your area of Vermont? I can spot a driver from WA a mile away because they are a good 20 mph slower than the general flow of traffic here in So Cal. Some parts of the US have very aggressive policing on highways, so people tend to drive slower. To get a ticket in So Cal for speeding on the freeways, you truly have to be an obnoxious driver. Anything 80 mph or under is really pretty normal here. I know that would not be true in many other areas where policing is more aggressive.

I have to agree. From a Southern California perspective, I've never noticed anything out of the ordinary about Quebec drivers. If anything, they tend to drive slower than we do in So Cal. (My husband is from Quebec, and I've spent substantial time there.)

I wanted to post the email that I got from the head of our local AoPS Academy in San Diego to let others know what is in the works. Also, during our meeting with the director, I put in a plug for financial aid a la CTY, and he mentioned that they are working on it. So, hopefully this will mean more opportunities for people to attend AoPS courses in the future. Ok, here is the email: Dear AoPS Academy families, We’re looking forward to the start of our academic year classes! Our first classes will begin on September 5th, and you can find our 2017-18 schedule here. We have some changes for the upcoming year that we are excited to announce: Beast Academy Online (Grade 3-5 math classes) The students in grade 3-5 math classes will use the new Beast Academy Online system for their homework. This system is not yet available to the public, so AoPS Academy students will be getting a sneak preview of the system! This engaging platform offers students a variety of problem and activity types as well as a wide range of challenges, providing more practice and review to students who need it, and a greater challenge to students who tend to speed through the material. Online Message Board and Office Hours (for math classes above grade 5) This pilot program for 2017-18 is available only to non-Beast Academy math classes (Prealgebra and beyond). We expect to expand this program in the future to our other courses. Each of the classes included in the program will have an online message board on which students can post questions about the homework. The AoPS National Office will provide live support on the class message board 4:30pm-5:30pm PT each weekday (Monday through Friday) as Office Hours. Any questions asked outside that time will also be answered during the next Office Hour. Middle School and High School Contests The Middle School Contests and High School Contests courses will feature all-new content in 2017-18, so that students who took either course last year may take the course again without repeating material. These courses will also feature new practice contests, and will offer many more practice contests than last year’s courses. Please let me know if you have any questions about courses in the upcoming year. We look forward to working with you and your children this fall!

Wait. She questions plate tectonics? Seriously? Very disappointed.

This post is timely for me as well. Count me among the other lawyers who didn't want to go back to practicing law. I've been knocking out prerequisites for nursing school since January, and I can tell you that going back to school and homeschooling has not been a walk in the park. My husband especially is having a very difficult time with me being away, or otherwise occupied, with school. Like you, we own our own business, and, although I am not an employee of the company, I normally do quite a bit to keep our household and business running smoothly. Because I am taking difficult lab sciences (for which online courses are not an option), and have to make high grades in all of them (nursing school in my area is ridiculously competitive), our family life has definitely suffered because of me. And, it will only get worse once I actually start nursing school and have to do 12 hour shifts in the hospital for clinicals. So, take my experience for what it is worth. Faster isn't always better. (I am honestly having one of those days where I am about to throw in the towel altogether -- a 16 week anatomy course smooshed into 6 weeks was not one of my better ideas. It might be my undoing).

I bought my nursing shoes at The Walking Store, but I have also heard really great reviews about the Skechers that have the memory foam.

And LACs. I never had a class with more than 25 people in it, never had a TA, never had to compete with grad students for research/internship opportunities, never had a problem getting the classes I wanted... I could go on, but... I'm currently taking prereq nursing classes at my local Cal State, and, thus far, I am not impressed. It's night and day different from my previous schools, and cheating in the sciences is rampant. :(