[Party favors - as controversial as cupcakes?]

2 minutes ago, bibiche said:

I’ve never seen markers that aren’t in plastic… 😉 

 

True. I assumed she meant the silly plastic party favors (e.g. spider rings).  😃

[Party favors - as controversial as cupcakes?]

What's your budget?
Maybe a pack of markers?  Pack of colored pencils? Candy (allergy-friendly)?  

[Sound machine for guest bedroom?]

10 hours ago, PeterPan said:

 Or is the fan so widely preferred/superior that I should go fan for all?

This is going to sound bizarre, but any sound that is on a loop is going to bug me because I can hear the transition.  So this is probably really personal.

We used to use an air purifier that made a lot of fan noise--it is huge. That worked for me also. 

I noticed that our counselors use the Dohm sound machine too just outside their offices to muffle the voices.

[Fun new classes at Aim Academy for 24-25 FYI more added 2/22]

Architecture for High School 10th-12th

Board Game Design 10th-12th

Media Literacy 10th-12th

Graphic Novels by our own @Farrar! 10th-12th

 

More new classes

Intro to the US Legal System (grades 11-12)  1st semester

Intro to Criminal Law (grades 11-12) 2nd semester

 

Maybe not fun, but available 😃

AP Precalculus

U.S. History: From the Pre-Columbian Era through Reconstruction

 

Not new, but we are liking Graphic Design

[Sound machine for guest bedroom?]

40 minutes ago, mmasc said:

This ^^^. We have several and they are by far the favorite. No birds, waves, etc for us! In a pinch, we will just use an actual fan, but I have this exact one linked above in my room, one in  DC’s room, and one available for guests. I also take it in my suitcase every time we travel. 

We have three 😃 and I feel like I want another one for the guest room.  😃

[Dr hive: extremely long stomach bug?]

31 minutes ago, busymama7 said:

I tried but she wouldn't drink it.   I watered it down and she had a couple sips but she thought it was the grossest thing she had ever tasted 🤣. I mixed some powder up the Dr prescribed (I think miralax brand name) and she drank some of that last night and had a large movement.  She's still in some pain this morning so working on it still. 

I was going to ask about Miralax.  Unfortunately when you get that backed up, it can take time to clear everything out.  

Definitely lots of fluids will help too.

 

[Sound machine for guest bedroom?]

We actually love these.  It's just plain white noise, but it doesn't play a sound clip so there is no looping. Also it is small enough you can pack it in your suitcase for trips.  

https://www.amazon.com/Yogasleep-Original-Soothing-Cancelling-Meditation/dp/B00HD0ELFK

[How long/deep should my dog be stoned?]

Add me to the list of people confused by the title. I wondered if it had something to do with his weight but then that didn't make sense either.

My dog has been sedated a few times. Even the time when they didn't completely pull him out of it on purpose, he was never that out of it.  He definitely recognized me. So I would think that your experience was not normal. I would probably say something to the vet about it. They might not have reversed his sedation properly.

ETA: He also could really have injured himself while he was that out of it. Even jumping in and out of your car. 

[Help --adopted child (for parents who understand this chaos)]

@Dmmetler Do you have any insight?

 

[Can you help me think through a high school decision?]

1 hour ago, desertflower said:

Wendy - where did your son take forensic science?  One of my daughters is interested in that course.  Thanks.

It sounds like he is taking it at their high school.

We are using Oak Meadow's Forensic Science this year with additions to make it a full year course. You can PM me if you are interested in more info. 😃

[Help --adopted child (for parents who understand this chaos)]

Gently, you sound so very exhausted and burned out.  I just want to sit a moment with you in these ashes and acknowledge that what you are doing is so, so hard.  

I know this is a post about school, but can you share a bit about any therapy she is receiving for her past trauma? 

Do you know at this point if the learning issues are all trauma-based or if there are any other learning challenges (ADHD, dyslexia, etc.)? 

Do you have any support at all beyond these boards? Friends that understand and can help you on the hard days?  

I don't have personal experience with all this, but I have watched a friend navigate it.  The trauma affected brain is just different. Learning is different.  And some days it just can feel impossible. 

[Can you help me think through a high school decision?]

Based only on the high school's choices versus yours, it sounds like you can craft an educational plan that better fits his actual interests by using the dual enrollment options available to you.  

I would think, but cannot prove, that classes that appeal to his interests would in general contribute to a more positive school experience for him, and that might (possibly!) correlate with less disregulation and depression. 

Honestly, as a parent of a 2e kid, I feel like all I can do is make the best decision among the choices I have in front of me, and then deal with the outcomes.  So I say this knowing that there are not guarantees. 

 

[Math- What do I call this year, and where do I go from here?]

Can you please tell us what the prior years of math are transcripted as?

Does this student have a transcripted year of Alg I and Geometry and Alg II?

[Logic courses at Schole Academy]

@By Grace I think?? your kids took these classes? I might be confusing you with someone else.

 

[FAFSA Releasing as "soft launch" ETA: FAFSA release to colleges delayed until March]

I don't know if this will help anyone, but I saw it linked.

 

https://thecollegeinvestor.com/43805/student-aid-index-sai-chart/?fbclid=IwAR3Z6jcn_zZ8NILYfL7kWR8MTmadCzYLduBvKU-O3O5PjwXBdGUgZT_3w_E

[Dr hive. What would you do?]

2 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Testing starts end of this month then all though March. With cardiologist appointment at end of March when he receives all the results

That sounds exhausting, but I hope it gives your doctor the info he needs.  

[FAFSA Releasing as "soft launch" ETA: FAFSA release to colleges delayed until March]

5 hours ago, Sneezyone said:

We finally got our SAI for this year and it was…insane…more than 2x what it was the year before. It certainly made clear why we needed to use other means this year and pick a school with guaranteed terms. We’ll have an extra dependent next year so that will help for DSs baseline year.

I don't know if this is correct or not but on the FAFSA forums I have been on they said that you should disregard the SAIs until all FAFSA apps are processed and the stuff is sent out.  @MagistraKennedy I would make sure you filled out the 2024 FAFSA.  

[I'm decluttering, but I can't get myself to purge...]

I have really struggled with getting rid of some things. I try to remind myself that paperbacks won't last forever. Sometimes that works.

I have held onto some homeschooling curriculum with the idea my kids might want it one day (All about Spelling) but as it is, now all the tiles are an electronic app and who knows what the rest of it will be like by the time they have kids? I don't even know that my kids will live close to us, or that they will have kids.  

 

[I'm decluttering, but I can't get myself to purge...]

1 hour ago, Rosie_0801 said:

 

What do I do with the 1986 Childcraft encyclopaedias?

I still have ours too. My dad gave them to me. I don't know what to do with them. 

[Medical Cost Sharing insurance]

46 minutes ago, Halftime Hope said:

 I'm still using some of their cost-cutting strategies. For example, I order needed labs from a lab company on my own and save $$$, then I submit that to the insurance company to have it denied as I haven't met the deductible, but it whittles down my remaining deductible, in case I have something catastrophic happen. And then I get it reimbursed from my HSA. 

 

I am not sure I understand how this works--so instead of getting a lab order from the doctor you do this? Or you take the lab order from the doctor to a different lab?  Thanks for clarifying. We would be grateful for anything we can do to cut costs. 

[Would you have your son finish his Associate's in high school if he had no interest in attending college?]

I'm really late responding and don't have real advice, but wanted to share about a situation I am aware of.  My cousin's daughter likes to barrel race, and she ended up getting a vet tech certification and a pharmacy tech certification.  She works part time at both. The main reason she has the vet tech certification is that she gets discounted vet care for her horses, plus she can do some care herself because of the training.  It sounds like vet tech is a 2 year degree?    

[The Class of 2024 College Acceptance Thread]

@historically accurate and, if your sig is still accurate, you are like me, and are already commencing the stressing over the junior, but wishing that somehow you could wrap up the senior first.  😃 And since I have no idea day to day if my junior will be going to a 4 year school or not, we have not narrowed down schools or done school visits for my junior yet. I refuse to panic.  🤪

[Prayers and good thoughts]

I am so sorry!! Praying for your medical team and for you!

[Dr hive. What would you do?]

I meant this thing.  https://www.stopsarcoidosis.org/patient-navigator-program/  But if it is too much, I totally get it.  It's the double-edged sword of feeling awful--in some ways you want more help but you also have zero energy or time to do it. 

[Medical Cost Sharing insurance]

When I have looked into it, the ones I looked at had a look back for medical issues of 3-5 years so that automatically disqualified us.