I won't share all, because it would be too many details for my own comfort. 🙂 But the story in its entirety still takes my breath away... In 2004, after many many health hurdles for DH, we were finally ready to face the issue of our infertility. There were many bumps and false starts along the way, but I conceived in our first embryo transfer. We were so elated to have good news!!! However, my second blood test revealed stagnant HCG numbers. Several weeks later, when no fetal pole or heart beat developed, I was taken off all the hormones and went through the miscarriage process. I was gutted. After all we'd been through with DH, I was certain God owed me this one and I railed hard against him. I was so angry and I was honest about it with two very close older friends in my workplace (a church) who sat with me, held me, and prayed fervently for my heart. They adopted my husband and I for a time, and loved us so well. It was one of the hardest times, but it is also one of the dearest times for me to think about. Fast forward to 2005, we gathered ourselves and our paltry finances to try again. Again, I conceived. And again, after that second blood test, I was told to prepare for a miscarriage. I remember going in for blood tests every 2-3 days over a 2 week period where the HCG numbers rose very slowly, never making it out of the 100s. And then, the nurse called me with my last result saying, "Doodlebug, there was no rise... the number is exactly the same as it was two days ago. We are going to switch you over to oral hormones until the numbers fall, and then you can stop them..." It felt like I was floating through this period of time, but I remember praying and feeling a deep sense of peace that I had done this before and come out the other side, and that I could do it again. That life without a child could be a glorious and wonderful thing. That I had my husband, who was whole and we would travel and just find a new direction for our lives. We left for a week long vacation, during which I felt compelled to continue on the progesterone injections despite the nurse's advice to switch over to the easier oral delivery. After our week away, we came home and I called the clinic to tell them I had not begun bleeding. So they scheduled me for an ultrasound. I'll never forget my doctor coming into the room as we began the ultrasound, hand on my shoulder, trying to be encouraging in my second loss. His hand dropped. And that's when I saw it... something fluttering.... a heartbeat?! We were speechless. My doctor looked at my HCG numbers and said, "This is nuts!" It was incredibly wild. I still struggle to believe it happened the way it did. That baby is now 14. We went through another miscarriage 2 years after he was born and I'm sensitive to share this story in the context of our losses, because it was not a matter of what I did, how I prayed, or my ability to hold faith during a hard time. I did nothing but walk through it and accept the things which came, the joy and the suffering, the anger and elation. And though the baby in the end was a miracle, I still feel that the stranger and perhaps greater miracle was losing a child, facing the loss of a second and the hope of any others, and being able to see a life beyond it. Never would I have thought it possible.

As someone who has already navigated meno (early), I just wanted to say that yes... that inner irrational rage is incredibly familiar. However, as I read your post I recognized a lot of my own feelings (introvert) which are stemming mostly from the changes in our home since covid. DH now works from home. DS is at home without social activities. That means a steady dose of "Mom/ Hon, where do we keep the _____? " Love them, and... 👿 And then, there are my friends who are all at differing levels of political and masking reasonableness -- they aren't a harbor of comfort for me right now. Just last night, I found myself super irritable with the tech that came out to fix our wifi issues... She was an over-the-top personality all up in my personal home space during my wind - down time (three hours later than scheduled), telling me BS. Normally, it wouldn't have bothered me... but there is no "absence" right now in our home, and it makes those moments where I can retreat super rare and essential to my mental health. All that to say, it could be peri, the medication, AND a lot of other things all piling up on you. Since covid, I lose it with my DH once every 5 weeks, or so, but I've gotten a lot better about blurting out, "I'm irritable. I'm irrational. I'm overwhelmed and I don't know how to say what's bothering me! I'm sorry!" He hugs me, which just undoes me... because he knows my rhythm and for some reason, it does.not.phase him. Crazy!

Same. I saw the refund on Friday, just AFTER we returned home from the OMV to get the ID to get him into the test. Sigh. He's been putting in 30-45 minutes a day for 6 weeks, so I'm really bummed for him. We signed up for September's test, but who knows.

The spring is over and that semester is now closed out. That's clear to me. However, if this is normally a dependable family, you may choose to ask if there was a crisis in the spring which prevented them from responding to your emails, just to be kind. I did have one family ask for a refund in the spring, despite the options I offered. I was happy to honor a prorated refund in the spring. But I would not offer one at this late date now that I've closed out my invoices. Do you have an agreement for parents to sign this semester re pandemic related transitions? The spring was a surprise. This fall won't be -- there will be disruptions. I think all reasonable people know that. But that's why the paperwork... because it's never the reasonables. 😄

I don't know. As in my case with the notary form, it might work. It might not. But personally speaking, that murkiness isn't worth us losing the testing seat, so we'll get the state ID which solves the current problem and satisfies all future id issues.

If your student has a government issued ID or student ID that's less than a year old, you're good! Students need a valid form of ID to confirm they are the tester named/pictured on the testing ticket. If you don't have a government issued ID or student ID, there's a form provided which you can have notarized to confirm ID. The notarized ID form is weird, though. A notary isn't asked to verify any other documentation (birth certificate, SSN card, etc) to confirm that the person signing is actually the kid pictured/ registered on the form.

Oh that is incredibly frustrating. The notary said this is regulated by each state. However, I think there are some interpretive issues going on here which I don't have time to fool with. I googled for ten minutes with no specific info about my state. Ce la vie. The state ID is a good thing to have anyway. Take mine as a cautionary tale, ya'll, and just get the ID. 🙂

Well, you can't beat free! I'm thankful we figured it out this week and didn't wait -- due to covid, our office of motor vehicles is doing appointments only. So, to get DS a state ID before the test in two weeks, I had to make an appointment with an OMV outside of our county. Once he has the ID, we'll be better off anyway for future testing, so it's all good.

Any experience with this, or thoughts? DS and I went to a notary today to complete the SAT and ACT ID forms. The notary informed me that he is not allowed to witness the signature of a minor, so he had me sign next to DS's signature, indicating I am the parent. Under the notary's signature he wrote "witnesed (doodlebug's) signature only." Forty dollars later, I'm thinking this is no good and that I need to scramble to get a state issued ID for him. Thoughts? Thanks!

Thank you! Of course I'm not counting it wrong... that was the point of asking a fun chewy question on a topic I'm not super confident in. (To your point of forgetting all those axioms after we step away from them.) 😄 I don't "dance" in geometry, but I work really hard to understand it and present only the ideas I can support. Our text does cover informal as well as formal logic, so we'll get a taste of both. And it's always helpful to hear from people who are better "dancers." 😉

Thank you, forty-two! This is how I proofed the problem. And now that I've had lunch, I think you're right! His only problem was not stating his use of the addition postulate -- he assumed it was "given information" because it was provided in the visual. To further complicate matters, the definition given for deductive reasoning in this chapter says that we reason using postulates/axioms, theorems, definitions, and given information. It left me scratching my head as to what can be assumed. Thank you so much for working through that. I love seeing how others come at these problems... 🙂 Doodlebug

We are beginning our work on geometric proofs. See DS's proof below. 1) m<SRT = m<STR; m<3 = m<4 Given 2) m<SRT - m<3 = m<1; m<STR - m<4 = m<2 Subtraction property of equality (**this is incorrect**) 3) m<SRT - m<3 = m<STR - m < 4 Substitution 4) m <1 = m<2 Substitution So far, we've only been introduced to the angle addition postulate, which is why he felt confident in step 2 of his proof (applying the inverse operation off the bat). But he doesn't have the terminology to substantiate it. I think he must begin with an angle addition postulate, m<1 + m<3 = SRT, as I don't see an "angle subtraction postulate" 😉 upcoming. My gut tells me there's a foundational principle here that's critical. But he's my first geometry student and I need to "chew" on this before I declare the way forward -- and I want to affirm the ways his thinking is right on. Thoughts???

We used that book in seventh! We did no labs. DS just read it for enjoyment and shared with me the things he found interesting! He loved that textbook. He looked forward to reading it. That experience led me to try out Novare's Accelerated Studies in Physics/Chem this year. Looking forward to it!

I came to this realization about two years ago. I was struggling my way into a new season of homeschooling (after an unhappy season at a classical school) and went back to my old standbys (Circe, Kern, Pudewa, etc) for inspiration. That's when I found that what had inspired me in my initial homeschooling days very clearly spoke the same rhetoric of the classical school. A lot of puffery. Celebrated disdain for parents who asked honest-to-goodness, and sometimes stupid, questions. Three piece suits and beards talking classical model schools as though they were old as dirt. It didn't sit well. I don't believe it was always this way. At one point, these guys were new in their role and pioneering just like all of us homeschool parents -- there's a universal appeal there. But in the past 10 years, the market has spoken... it clamored for classical schools and these individuals filled it. No harm no foul. And yes, it made me more thankful for voices like Susan, Cindy ROllins, Angelina Stanford, Pam Barnhill, Schole Sisters, etc. I don't listen as much as I used to, but there is a time we all need the encouragement of those who are/ have been in the trenches.

Honestly, this description fits me. It really is a flying leap of faith here, based on the understanding that my competency, his motivation, and our collective desire to understand is enough. When it isn't, I'll find what is. DS came out of Foerster with a 90%, fair and square. So far so good.

Yes, I did. And yes, it was far pricier than what I'm accustomed to. I scoured ebay and other used curriculum vendors to no avail. But, I was looking for something specific to the needs of me (teacher) and my student. 😉

Wow! Congratulations to your son! We worked a bit more yesterday on fleshing out what he can do this year physically and it looks like marathons/swimming is what we can count on. First marathon is in January. He can even create a training group locally and get others students involved. It will be tricky this year, but doable. And thanks for the offer of help!!! I know we will have many questions in the days/weeks ahead and I will take you up on it! Thanks, Lanny. He'll continue participation in CAP and is thinking about the Billy Mitchell. I'm learning all about summer seminar. Unfortunately, he was supposed to attend encampment this summer, but it was cancelled... and it is a prereq for other summer leadership academies. Thanks for the recommendations... going in my files! He takes the SAT at the end of August. We're hoping he can get in for the September ACT. Both will be our baseline testing experiences. I understand USAFA doesn't require an essay, but would love to hear thoughts on whether it's a good idea anyway. Doodlebug

Oh, and I may need to change the original post because I realized in the light of morning that DS will be 17 turning 18 the spring of his senior year. So, he could obtain the pilot cert prior to his application process with USAFA. I KNEW something was off in my calculation, but I counted and recounted. I'm chaulking it up to researching stupor! LOL!

The sports component is what's making me sweat, LOL! DS is a reader who has been a recreational baseball player for 5 years with swim team in the summers. He loves baseball, and he may have the opportunity to play on a homeschool high school league when those activities reopen, but so much is unknown right now. Academics and test prep are clear to me... but we are really needing to think about how he can begin meeting physical and leadership requirements during a really weird year! Thank you so much, Elizabeth! I am going to have DS read your recommendations. As we research, we are seeing leadership emerge as the character trait they're looking for across athletics, volunteerism, and scholarship. The path is more clear to me with regard to scholarship, but I'm recognizing this pandemic will require that he get creative in the other areas (that's where the piloting thing became a consideration). I don't think we can count on team sports this year, and as a lover of baseball who is not a baseball star, he may be missing a freshman year opportunity to warm the bench and work his butt off. So I'm encouraging him to think about what IS available (swimming/ running) and what HE might be able to make happen. Thank you for this recommendation! It's going in my files! Thank you so much for weighing in with your personal experience. So far, I've just been a homeschooling parent doing the next thing well. It feels like we just entered an entirely new season and it is so encouraging to hear from others who have been there and done it! Doodlebug

Hi, everyone... I have a 9th grader who found his passion in Civil Air Patrol this past year and wants to be a strong USAFA applicant. I am trying to wrap my mind around the requirements and how to help him be competitive. His idea is to get his part 61 pilot cert in high school to beef up his homeschool applicant status. He can complete most of the flight training while he's 16 in his junior year, however, his solo flight hours would not be complete until he's 17, which will be at the close of the USAFA application process. I'm wondering if this is the best place to focus our energy. Any experience or thoughts? It's so exciting to watch a kid find what they love! Thanks! Doodlebug

It seems you feel you must respond even though it is causing you frustration. I'm familiar with some motives that produce that feeling... I want to be kind, to be loving, to prevent conflict, and sometimes out of concern about my mom's information resources. The absolute honest to goodness truth is that you don't have to respond to these kinds of emails. Where you are feeling a frustrated obligation to respond to your mom, that's the time I know I need to press pause and consider: she is an adult and I am an adult. We are both in full knowledge of the others' views. It isn't her job to police me. And it is not my responsibility to police her or her information sources. It really is more a boundary issue than a covid-19 misinformation issue. I'm not saying you should never engage covid-19 issues, but intimate relationships give us a front row seat to others' anxieties, and we typically have family patterns in motion that compel both parties to react in a certain way. It's okay to call intermission on engaging this issue with her. From personal experience, my absence in these conversations with my mom has produced far more thoughtfulness on her part than had we continued engaging in the same way. Wishing you all the best as you push forward with your mom! It is hard!

I loved the practice problems provided in Foerster Alg 1. It allowed a student to work step-by-step, and that was helpful. Jurgensen offers "classroom exercises" before students launch into the written exercises, however, I'm not certain where I'll find solutions to the classroom exercises just yet. My solutions manual (1994) and teacher's edition doesn't arrive for a few days. My one concern with Jurgensen is the resources. Though they are available, it seems each resource has its pitfalls. We will make it work, however, that's my next step... to figure out what resources will be helpful, and where I'm likely to need to leap to a different resource. I am cringing at the amount of money I spent for the Jurgensen teacher's edition. Whew! That was painful. However, DS is insistent that our work together at the table is the best approach for him. And I suppose I've still spent less than 1/2 of what an online program would cost. So... My line-up of Jurgensen Geometry teacher resources thus far: Solutions Manual Teacher's Edition askmrh youtube videos --if these videos don't cut it, then I will consider subscribing to Homeschool Connections' Jurgensen Geometry recorded course. (Single Access subscription is about $12/month). Homeschool Connections Using this as a place to organize my thoughts! But if you have experience with any of these and want to share your experience/recs, I'll gladly take them!

Yay for making a decision. Being a competent swimmer was a requirement of mine in early childhood, which meant lessons early on and participating in a recreational swim team for two summers -- so I understand why you would be locked in to that idea. If your daughter is a competent swimmer, I think that's something you can check-off and let her move on to diving (where she'll still be swimming). The goal I communicate to DS now is that he must do a summer sport. I really don't care what he does, but he usually chooses swimming for lack of a desire to run in the heat. LOL!

I just updated my previous posting in this thread to reflect that there ARE updated resources in the pinned math thread specific to Jurgenson. Thanks to all those who updated and shared! I think Jurgenson it will be. 😉

Thanks for the recommendations! In looking more closely at Jurgenson, it seems many of the video tutorials are no longer available (Duke's TIP program) AND the answer key isn't great. If I had the videos, I could make it work. If I had a great answer key, I could make it work. But to not have either? Yikes. ETA: I found updates to the Jurgenson resources in the high school math thread pinned at the top (specific to Jurgenson). Memoria Press Lesson Plans, Homeschool COnnections video tutorials, etc! I'm thinking this is the one!