A couple of years ago I took ds for his routine, every-6-weeks haircut. The hairdresser took one look and said, "When did he cut his hair?!" Apparently he'd cut a big chunk off the top of his head and I hadn't even noticed. ETA: ds does NOT have long hair!

I would book now, if you are sure of your dates. AirBnB refund policies are often pretty strict.

Christmas decor. I bought a star made from tobacco sticks last year and hung it up on our fireplace, but it didn't show up well against the stone. I'm going to paint it a pearlescent white -- hopefully today. I bought spray paint yesterday but it's COLD out! I also want to make a new Christmas wreath. I know how I want it to look but I haven't had time to hit the craft store. Maybe next weekend.

Not really quirky, but I designed courses in Eastern Civilization and Asian literature for this year at dd's request. Last year we did Dragonlore, which was a huge hit, but that was 8th grade, so we won't be counting it for credit.

We use MM as a supplement to CLE. I like it for that purpose, but it would never work for us as a primary curriculum. The biggest issue is how crammed the pages are; it's too much for my ds visually, and there often isn't enough room for him to write. (And I don't feel that his handwriting is unusually large for a 3rd grader.) It is much more conceptual, and that makes it more difficult for my ds to process. But he does great when he learns the more standard procedure first and then extrapolates to the concept. It definitely pushes him to think harder than he does with CLE. The biggest problem I run into with supplementing is figuring out how to match CLE's spiral. Since R&S is a mastery program, that might actually make it easier.

Yes, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. They re-published Saxon with fairly substantial changes, I think.

Great news! Good luck!

DH wanted to watch Living with Yourself on Netflix. I acquiesced but was surprised that I actually enjoyed it for the most part. It was darkly funny in an insanely weird kind of way.

I think you're hitting on something important here. Funding is a major issue, but not the ONLY issue. Our educational system is broken at so many levels.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/how-lawsuit-over-detroit-schools-could-have-earth-shattering-impact-n1072721?cid=eml_nbn_20191103

I use Zzzquil, sometimes occasionally, and sometimes more frequently. Depends on how I'm feeling. I often take only a half-dose. I don't know that it's better than any other sleep aid, pharmaceutical or traditional, but it works great for me.

When I've needed to submit writing samples for a job, I've usually submitted entire pieces. But mine aren't terribly long -- <1500 words typically for the types of writing I do. If it was very long, I might send an excerpt instead. Chances are they won't read the entire thing anyway, but if they do, that's a GOOD thing! My personal thought on the travel is to bring it up after an offer has been extended but before acceptance. Think of it as part of the negotiation -- you've both decided this is something you'd like to make work, but here are our terms. It's no different than asking for a slightly higher salary or a consideration on schedule. An employer who has decided they want you will be likely to agree, but one who's still on the fence might be put off if you bring it up too early in the process. I'm sorry the position you were hopeful about didn't work out, but good luck on the new one!

For the clothes, check and see if there is a God's Closet ministry anywhere near you: http://www.godscloset.com/

I would also suggest getting a sample of Revere Pewter (HC-172). It is a really good color that morphs depending on the light. etc. We have it in our living area, where it appears like a gray-taupe, and also in our basement, where it dove gray. It's a very versatile color, but definitely get a sample and see what it does with your flooring and trim. We used Benjamin Moore's Solitude (AF-545) in our hall bath. The cabinets are Hale Navy (HC-154). Wouldn't do navy on your cabinetry since you have a navy countertop, but those two colors work really nicely together if you want to do an accent wall or something. I think Hale could be a good complement to your countertop.

I always differentiate. I've never heard anyone "stove" when they mean "oven." Except maybe a little kid? Even though our range includes both cooktop and oven in one unit.

What classes does she need? How does she do with independent study? Although we plan to dual-enroll in a couple of years, right now we are doing all her subjects in house. That's the way she likes it. Would something like Great Courses lectures work for one or two subjects? Maybe combined with additional reading and/or papers or projects?

I broke my finger trying to keep a jar of honey from spilling all over the counter. Jammed my pinkie right into my quartz countertop. It's never been the same and I doubt at this point it ever will be. I didn't have to clean up the honey though. 😉

Not sure if it is still legal in schools here. It's not used often, if it is. I remember there being rumors in elementary school that this or that kid got a spanking when he (usually it was a he) was sent to the principal's office. But such punishments were never carried out in the hearing of other students, if they were at all. My fourth-grade teacher had one of those giant paddles like they hold up at golf tournaments hanging on the wall. Those usually say something like, "Quiet, please," but hers said, "Hush, Y'all." That's what we called it too. But it never came down, even though occasionally she would teasingly admonish a mischievous kid that she might have to use it. Unlike most folks here (or so it seems) I am not anti-spanking by parents, and I don't think it should be illegal. It's not a form of punishment we have used often in our home, but that is part of its effectiveness. Like most forms of parental discipline, it works best when not administered in the throes of anger or frustration. Almost any form of discipline can cross the line into abuse if the parent loses control. I don't think that spanking is inherently abusive, nor do I think it necessarily teaches kids to hit, etc. Children aren't stupid, and they understand the difference between loving discipline and lashing out -- provided those differences are shown to them. And as SKL pointed out, some non-contact punishments can be even worse. Which makes me wonder... how much of our opinion on a subject like this is shaped by our own experiences? Both dh and I were spanked growing up (him probably more than me, lol). But both our families administered corporal punishment (and any punishment, really) in a controlled manner and followed with assurance of love and forgiveness. We never questioned whether our parents loved us, or thought they might want to hurt us. Not that our parents never lost their tempers, etc. And not that we've never lost ours. We certainly have. But overall, we were never afraid of our parents or worried that they would spiral out of control. And I don't think our kids are worried either. Now that they are older, we haven't spanked in a long time. I can certainly see how the memory of other children pleading for a spanking to stop would leave a person with a different perception though. And I'm definitely not comfortable with allowing adults outside the home to spank.

This is what I do as well. I only grade homework for completion, and I expect all incorrect problems to be reworked to correctness. We usually go through those together because dd checks her answers in the answer key (which gives answers only, not solutions) as she goes, and generally reworks them herself if she's wrong. We only go over the ones where she can't find her error. The curriculum we use is known for its spiral and often introduces variations on a concept in the homework exercises. So I feel that practice without undue pressure is important. I'm not sure I'd reset multiple choice questions. More likely I'd have the student rework them on her own, assisting as necessary, and have her check her answers with me instead of the program. Assuming that's possible? I don't know how TT works. I dislike multiple choice questions for math for this reason.

I don't personally believe the Bible teaching tithing as such for Christians, but cheerful giving. Different churches teach differently about this, of course. Some say gross, some say net. Some say any church mission, some say all 10% must go to your local congregation. I think you can safely go with your conscience on this, since it is not specifically mentioned in scripture. But if you aren't sure, I would ask your pastor for advice.

As ds8 starts to become a fluent reader, I'm realizing that he can decode a lot of words but has no idea what they mean. To some degree, that's normal, I'm sure. But ds has always seemed to struggle with learning new vocabulary. We have to reeeeally reinforce science words, for example. And he doesn't seem to be picking things up from his reading like I'd hoped. I'm not sure if I want a formal vocabulary curriculum like Wordly Wise, or something less intense like some type of game or building a word wall somewhere in the house, or what. Any suggestions? Ds is very visual and likes workbooks fine, but he's also a slow (read: perfectionist) writer.

I would consider it for my dd14, if she was comfortable with it. But I am 99% sure she wouldn't be comfortable staying alone overnight, so that more or less makes me a no. I don't worry about her; she is very responsible. But like others have said, the aloneness bothers me. There is no public transportation here, so she would be stuck in the house until we got home. And I would not want to ask her to be responsible for her younger brother for multiple days, even though they get along great. Again, no worries about her abilities to handle it, but I don't think she'd be happy and I wouldn't want to put it on her.

Awww... that's great news! Here's to many more great teaching days!!

I'm sorry. It's so tough when we are doing our best but still can't make our kids happy. Is there something she'd like to do otherwise that you could make happen? Something she wouldn't be able to do if she was in school? A mid-week spa day or trip to an amusement park? Chances are things will improve when everyone settles into their routines and she starts making new friends at the new co-op. But I know it's hard. (((Hugs)))

Pit-smoking fundraisers are big around here as well. Most of what I see done is chicken. (We are in a big pulled-pork area and my guess is that wouldn't sell well since there are literally a dozen restaurants within driving distance that already do it.) My parents' church does bbq chicken at least once a year and adds sides like baked beans, potato salad, and rolls, along with homemade dessert, for dine in or take out. A lot of churches around here also make homemade chicken pies. Youth groups often sell Christmas trees and pine needles in the spring or fall -- they will often deliver and/or spread them for you for an additional fee. (For some reason, churches are apparently what pop to mind when I think of fundraising, but these would translate to other groups I think.) I am most likely to participate in a fundraiser selling some type of food that can replace a meal, either immediately or in the future (like a chicken pie or lasagna that I can freeze). If I'd be buying it anyway, I'm usually willing to buy from a good cause, even if it costs a little more.