DC and DH are here both ‘somewhere on the spectrum’ in our household. When dc hit puberty we explicitly used DHs experience to explain how to navigate as an neurodivergent adult in a neurotypical world. It bond them very much together, knowing they were not alone in this world full of aliens :). And yes there is a lot to teach explicitely. I was used as interpretor / bridge to the neurotypical world.

I think movies starring Sandra Bullock are a good and safe choice which are funny too. Military Wives is one I like, Beatrix Potter movie (about her life), Jane Austen bookclub.

Looking backwards I have regrets for myself. Homeschooling was great for our kid, not for myself. I should have taken better care for myself. I should have protect my personal boundaries against our child. Those are the things I regret.

If google translate, translated the link well. Then it is in Romania, like in several other European countries: you have to pass the national or regional tests to be able to keep homeschooling. That takes a lot of hoop-jumping to pass those exams. Those tests are not general easy knowledge tests. But very specific in what to learn and what to know. Those tests are (obviously) also in the language of the country or region. One can’t take them in English. If your current curriculum fits the Romanian test standards, and your child is fluent in both English and Romanion, then it might work (we have used curriculum from USA and UK to pass Flemish exams, having Dutch as native language) If you want to use an USA orientated curriculum, in English, with no adaptions or Romanian supplements, I doubt it will work, and it might be a better idea to continue homeschooling in the USA, if the use of that particular curriculum is that important for your family. Wishing you all the best for you and your family.

We hoped for a travel to Vienna or Salzburg, but I got seriously ill. So we were happy that we reached that 25th anniversery and went out for dinner (what we rarely do)

Snow is becoming that rare that if it snowed in the late evening our child and I made a midnight walk in the snow (and the dark) just case it would melt away before we woke up. Of course we skipped homeschool when it snowed to make a snowlady how small it became. We knew our priotities in live. And if ever somebody complains about snow in my area I always say they should be generous and allow the next generation their fun of a few days of snow..

So glad it is so cold outside, then coming home feels like warm again (without needing to put the heating on high) Pianotuner was also glad with the cold, because the air is dry now, and that is better for the condition of piano’s. We are glad having a medium priced piano, so the revision of the piano is also a ‘medium priced’ revision. A more expensive piano has apparently also more expensive revisions… Who knew that?

I am glad for the heavy raining this week and before, as I have now the opportunity to learn to appreciate to walk and to cycle in heavy rain or to learn to appreciate to walk in dark when it is finally, finally dry.

Fitness blender? It is the only thing I keep returning to on fitness area

Until next medication intake time = 6 h max I am happy if I can sleep that as a whole.

I redefine walking distance on the size of my audience. 5-10 min. for elderly people and toerists 15-20 min. for locals as we have a lousy bus connection to the train station and it is a straight forward walk , I say we live on walk distance from the train station (as that is what we often do if we don’t cycle) but then I mention it explicitly it is a 30 min. Walk.

Living in Belgium, we homeschooled our dya through a Latin-Modern Languages track. They had to pass exams in Latin-French-English-German-Dutch (native language). (And other subjects like Math, the 3 sciences, history etc) Of course this not in an 1 hour - per subject - per day system. (History is an 1 hour per week subject here). To create depth in a language we added TV series (police / crime / detective series have been preferred here), a lot of reading both not only in children level but also for young adults and excerpts (or even full texts) of adult literature. Being able to understand a newspaper and being able to discuss it is a goal here. (Obviously for the modern languages 😉 ) With only 2 years left I don’t know if Latin will become usefull enough, but it might interesting to study a language with a different lettertype and to feel how that changes the learning curve. Besides the official languages our dya dabbled in Greek, Hebrew, Spanish… (DYA studies now General Biology with a major in Toxicology, and is very happy with the 6y of Latin under the belt)

Where I live November is the month to put bushes and trees in the ground. I ordered in September several local bushes and trees and am able to pick them up half november, so afterthat the wintertime will start gardenly wise. I bought quite some indoorplants this year too, so my challenge will be how to survive them through winter with all the indoor heating..

I finished homeschooling just before COVID came around, finding a job was during Covid a problem, and still it is. I am voluntary receptionist at the local social services now, I sing in 2 choirs, and run a small bookclub. I became serious ill this year, so chances for a paid job are even smaller now. I’m trying to be content with the above, although I would love to have a bigger social netwerk.

I don’t think I would fill the middle of a walk through room. I maybe would add some plants in corners for cozyness, I would look for a bright but warm lighting plan, and maybe (depending on size) I would put 1-2 chairs with a small table before the window as reading / crochet / knitting corner.

You know youtube? It is FULL of videos with people showing how to crochet, you can replay a video 30 times and they are still happy to see you and willing to show how to crochet… The only teachers who are never tired to show it one-more-time 😉 Yes, I admit, youtube taught me crocheting…

In the Netherlands these are more common brands. Grocery stores sell them, but also other selling point with candy corners like petrol stations and drugstores.

The latter one, digging at the appropriate time The pause is because of the noise tearing the silver paper and sharing the mints. After that a pastor got everybody’s attention 🙂 One bring ones own, and there is a link between certain mint brands and certain dominations. Although it is not a rule or law 🙂 This is an other brand, and according my father they were used in churches with shorter sermons, but this brand has also a les strong mint taste..

Being Dutch these are the ones of my childhood, my father shared them within our family before sermon: Different churches use different brands mints so the length of 1 mint // 1 sermon

I opened a bankaccount for my specific goal, and all the books, toys, games etc. I sell are for that goal.

I am not sure what your definition is of a homeschool diploma. The Netherlands accept quite some diploma’s of other countries, but most often they are governmental or institutional diploma’s. (I)GCSE and A-levels are accepted, the German Arbitur also. This site gives quit some information about what diploma’s give acces to which level of education: https://www.nuffic.nl/en Universities and HBO’s have different admission requirements. We are Dutch, homeschooled in Belgium, our child passed the Belgian State Exams to get a diploma and had to get additional subject certificates to be able to enrol the university and study of the choice. Be aware that most Dutch Universities and HBO’s don’t have much general subjects anymore (unless necessary in the program).

Specialized outdoor /hiking socks can be expensive but worthwhile as they dry fast and don’t cause blisters. If she is a lot of outdoor she might appreciate it, and fits her minimalist life?

Not at the moment, but if there will be something available in the (nearby) future I’ll post again! 🙂

No, I'm not.. But that's okay 🙂

We have won our dream! (a workshop about podium performance)