Honestly, when the feces hits the oscillator here and I start feeling like that, I hole up alone as often as possible and let time take care of it. Me, myself, and I sleep, read, and stare at the walls. So that's my advice, but that isolation might not work well for everyone.

I can be a PITA and pull privileges on my kids (one is going into high school). But a previous commitment where others depdended on her? Nope.

Have your DS choose the science topic (or have him give you a handful of topics); then you just have to implement it. If he wants physics, have you considered Conceptual Physics?

I don't think a young kindy child, not reading at the end of kindy, is a big deal. IOW, in the absence of additional information indicating another problem, I don't think this indicates an academic difficulty. However.....current school expectations are such that she will need her to be reading at the end of kindy or she will be put in the lowest reading group in first grade and it will be very difficult for her to meet expectations as she gets older because she will be perpetually "behind" the school's expectations. Ridiculous, but IME, that's the way this will play out. I would hold her back; I held DS back for far less than that (he was reading slowly by then) and it was a fortunate decision for him. Alternately, I would work on phonics with her *if the child had the interest* and see where that takes her, If the phonics is really successful over the summer, she can pop into first grade. But as it stands now, no, I would not send her to first grade.

If money were not a factor (and assuming it is a 4 year scholarship and not a teaser scholarship), where would he want to go at this time, all other factors considered? I'd start there.

Oh, Lord, I've got one of these; I sympathize! All I can say is that it is exhausting and has nearly killed me.

Odd.

Oh, hell no, we don't play in floodwater! We live in an urban area and we have severe contamination, even if it is of a different kind than you might have (knew a kid who wound up hospitalized because of it).

This issue just hit the newspapers today and was a problem in New York State recently. The only news that I read was that they are investigating the problem now; apparently it wasn't supposed to work out that way.

DD took the Intro to Latin exam and got an outstanding and purple ribbon, as well!

Yeah, we have to pay Navy Federal for those ugly green checks.

Bridal shop sizes are complete fiction.

Some people are genetically prone to HBP and need medication. Often, those people need 2 or more meds to control that condition. I have an aunt who has weighed under 100 pounds and been in great shape her whole life, but without meds, or her head would pop off with a stroke.

Oh, I am sorry about your pet. It appears he went peacefully in his sleep, which is comforting.

Me neither. For the first time since I have been voting (I am 53), I have no one in the major political parties I will vote for. First time ever that I will either write in a vote or go to a minor party candidate.

No, I don't agree with the bolded. You can have a relationship where you can discuss many things, but not *that* thing, and there just has to be the discipline to not go there. Spouses don't have to agree with each other, and issues are not politics or political aprties. I think the more troubling matter is him belittling you for your beliefs, but that's a whole 'nother ball-o-wax.

DH and I have always been in this place. We just don't discuss politics in our house. We were polar opposites when we married and are now just slightly apart politically, but there's nothing to discuss, really - we don't usually agree. *Shrug* I don't need a clone of me, so it doesn't bother me. ETA: You could just yes him to death, don't engage any arguments, and then vote as you wish. That doesn't give him much of a chance to argue or belittle.

It's just some survey, probably, and she blathered on about HIPAA because you weren't her target. I used to work for a survey company long ago, and there were tactics such as those for getting the proper target on the phone. Where I worked was legitimate and a no selling thing, but they don't want to waste their time with someone whose answers they can't use for their survey. The health care company (or whichever company) hires these survey companies to do market research for them. Here is an example (where I once worked, and they were actually a very good company to work for): http://www.issans.net/ But I agree that you owe her no information.

Just take progressively longer to return phone calls or texts, until the time is so long for all practical purposes you're not returning calls. The friendship will fade away that way.

I'll not comment on the school situation, because it seems your post was more geared more to social information. But I do think it's important for kids to have social interaction, and I think that is *especially* true when the child has discomfort or awkwardness in that area. But I don't think the social interaction has to be formal; it could be something as simple as playing at the park. But I do think regular social interaction is important. My own DS was one of those toddlers who didn't like social events and was terribly uncomfortable around others, but I did push him to those things because I didn't want him hamstrung by poor peer group interaction when he got older and I felt he needed to learn those skills as a youngster. It is difficult for a child to not have adequate social skills when dealing with their peers. DS is still an observer, mainly. But at least he knows how to approach peers and what do in social situations with his peers. I think it's a skill that needs to be introduced and practiced early.

I think you're justified in refusing to pay dorm costs if finances are tight. However, I do think that there is a benefit to children living in the dorm even though his reason for living in the dorm is totally jacked up. I would cough up half the money required for him to live in the dorm and he would have to cough up the remainder. Be prepared to lose the money and see nothing in return, however, because with his poor attitude towards school and not attending for the right reasons, it's very likely he will not be successful.

My mom forbade my siblings and I to hang out with a teenaged neighborhood boy and would always say she "just didn't like that kid". It infuriated me. Said person is now on a sex offender registry list. Listen to your gut.

This and stuff like this regarding social security benefits is something HSLDA is always dealing with. SS routinely denies benefits to homeschoolers, but HSLDA has had luck in getting the decision reversed. In fact, it's on their legislative agenda for the upcoming year. Contact HSLDA.

I didn't even know they made something bigger than super plus.

Never mind...I see today went ok!