As far as pain with the apple cider vinegar option -- YES, YES, YES. At least for my dd it was extremely painful -- as in she was not sleeping at night because it was hurting her so badly.

Bless you and your family! I will be praying for you and your son.

"Could you download one of the free photoediting programs to your working computer and offer a simple "back to school" deal for local homeschoolers, like a nice basic school photo sort of thing?" THIS!!! I wish you were near me. If I got notice that there was another homeschooling family in need and the mom was a professional photographer offering a deal for pics for homeschool families I would do it to help out! I think this is one of the best ideas for you. Do you have other homeschooling friends in your area who might be more connected who could get the word out for you?

Big Lots furniture is Ashley furniture, so if you are good with Ashley then it is just fine. I would buy it.

My dd used VHSG this past semester for Chemistry and LOVED IT!! Seriously, she RAVES about VHSG. She will be doing Biology & Advanced Biology with them this year and my other dds will be doing Physical Science. We are happy to answer any specific questions you have regarding Chemistry with VHSG.

Thanks for the responses ladies. I think we may be near a place of interest the first week of September. Maybe we could stop by. I realize that may be a very bad time though, so possibly not able to jump in on any tours. Still, I'm happy to hear that it may not be so very odd. We would have a 9th grader, 2 7th graders and a 7 year old with us -- so definitely people would notice that we are a family unit.

This may also be a bit of a strange question, but it's something I've been wondering. Can a family just stop by and walk all around a campus, go in and out of buildings and generally peruse the area without anyone from the college actually being aware of it? Back when I was in college there was nothing that would have kept people off the campus, out of walking into buildings or even into the lobby areas of dorm rooms (not even dorm floors themselves). I realize that was eons ago and security may be different now. Our family goes on vacation and at times we are very near or could make our way to some of the colleges that my daughter/s may be interested in. My oldest is just going to be in 9th, so I don't think it's time yet to have any real scheduled visits, but if we are near a college it sure would be nice to stop and check it out. Any thoughts or experiences?

Crystal Creek Media just started offering film camps. My daughter attended the one in St. Louis and loved it. Here is a link to their DVDS that your son may find helpful. http://www.crystalcreekmedia.com/store/film-camp-dvds

Oops, forgot a couple. . . As part of her American Govt she will be doing the Constitution 101 Course from Hillsdale College I just signed her up for CurrClick Live Newsletter Class

For High School this year here is what my dd has scheduled virtual online: FreedomProject Education Advanced Economics 1 & 2 FreedomProject Education Logic 2 (Material Logic) Veritas Press Academy Omnibus 3 Primary Memoria Press Composition 1 (2nd semester) MyHomeschoolMathClass (Jann in TX) Algebra 2 Spanish 2 live online with a friend of mine who taught Spanish 1 last year.

Is it bad that I find this funny because it mirrors my own life so very well?

Does anyone else find it ironic that I am reading this thread as I sit on my couch eating kettle chips straight from the bag and drinking my diet Mt. Dew. I could have stuck to my low carb/high fiber/whole foods diet today (or any day). I could step outside and get on my bike and go ride 30 miles, go for a walk or run, or go swim laps at the pool that is less than a 1/4 mile from my house -- all readily available to me by a fabulous paved trail system that connects right here in my neighborhood (less than 100 yards from my doorstep). I could just walk downstairs and get on the treadmill or do some sit ups, jumping jacks, lift some weights or jump rope. I AM NOT DOING ANY OF THOSE THINGS!! Why am I not getting rid of the last 10 pounds that I'd like to? Why do I struggle keeping the 15-20 lbs I lost a year and a half ago off? I believe it's due to everything you are all talking about. It's ALL of it -- at least for me personally. The scientific realities, the GMOS and chemically altered foods, the expense of trying to eat nothing but whole foods, the not having my own garden and raising my own food, the fast food and packaged food access, the portion sizes I've been raised on, the eating just because I feel like it because I'm bored . . . and the fact that I am sitting on my butt and not doing anything. No argument from me here about any this. So many days I do wish there was no such thing as fast food restaurants, that I had my own garden & raised my own livestock, that there were no chemically altered foods, and that I couldn't just go into the store and buy the kettle chips and liquid poison like I just did prior to sitting down on my couch instead of being active. For me, my weight issue and health concerns are based on everything that has been talked about in this discussion.

Incredibly sorry about your family's loss. :group hug: HSLDA has the Home School Foundation Widow's Fund that you might want to check into.

Tragic. So very sorry for this loss! :grouphug:

Not sure if I'm allowed to post this or not. If not, I will delete it. Just wanted to let anyone who might have interest know that FreedomProject Education http://www.fpeusa.org will be having their live open house on August 7th from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. (CST). I have 3 of my kids signed up for some courses and I am also teaching for them this year.

Not sure if I'm allowed to post this or not. If not, I will delete it. Just wanted to let anyone who might have interest know that FreedomProject Education http://www.fpeusa.org will be having their live open house on August 7th from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. (CST). I have 3 of my kids signed up for some courses and I am also teaching for them this year.

Well, unfortunately I'm not going to be of much help to you then. :001_unsure: Sorry! When we went we camped in the state park and didn't really leave that area at all. Hiking Mt. Baldy is worth doing and definitely play on the beach there at the state park. We didn't get in the water at all.

Hi, we're in the Indy area too and have been to the dunes. We actually went 5 years ago. We went in the fall and absolutely loved it. Had a lovely time and plan to go back again. The first question would be where are you staying? Will you be camping? We camped and stayed in the IN Dunes State Park. It was very nice -- they had just update/redid the modern facilities when we were there. What do you like to do? Hike? Play in the sand? Swim in the water? The answers to those questions will help me give you more specific info. Feel free to pm me if you'd like.

I was going to say Independent Baptist also.

No and I don't think I will. My kids are older so it just didn't seem as useful for me right now. It did look pretty neat though.

Wyndham Vacation Resorts Great Smokies Lodge. Indoor/outdoor water parks. Very nice, but we use my inlaw's timeshare. You can see if you can get in there.

Do you by chance mean this? http://www.lifecubby.me

Ooh . . .RobinLK can you help me if I need some assistance? They don't have tutorials up for everything yet.

This is what I've recently found and am planning to use this year: http://www.homeschoolskedtracker.com

I've had my MacBook Pro now for exactly 1 year. Prior to that I always used PCs. I will NEVER, NEVER go back. PERIOD. I love my Mac laptop and there is just no comparison. I hate when I have to use a PC now -- it's just . . .harder. In one year I have had NO problems with my Mac. I can't say that I even utilize even a minute amount of what I could actually do on it. Love, love, love it. For all of the reasons that everyone else has already stated. We are considering shelling out the money for another one this fall because we love it so much.