:lol::lol::lol: Can you tell I watch a lot of HGTV? At least I didn't use the phrase "pop of color" :lol::lol::lol:

We never confront directly. We always call the game warden.

Your dining room print is beautiful, and although traditional, it would look totally hip paired with the coral. If you want a serene room, choose either of the blue fabrics. If you want "fun", go with the coral. The print you are looking at is the same scale and "feel", so I think it would pair beautifully. The way to pull it all together is to use some strong accents of the coral in both rooms. The dining room curtains will act like a neutral against the coral accents.

When I began homeschooling in the 90's, I could tell I was then part of a "new generation" of homeschoolers who were choosing this type of education for non-religious reasons. The leaders of existing organizations had been pioneers in homeschooling and were striving to retain the strong ideological underpinnings that had motivated them to risk breaking the law in order to homeschool their kids. Those organizations did not meet my needs. The OP is part of yet a newer generation of homeschoolers--those who have the chance to freely choose this form of education as a supported and viable alternative to the ps and private school options. Technology that didn't even exist when homeschooling organizations were established now opens the door to vastly different types of families. My suggestion is to be a leader--create what you don't see in the marketplace. The quote above is the way to do it--create a small, academic seminar (maybe even one day, one speaker), and go from there. You may find that it grows into the next generation of huge homeschooling conventions :D.

:iagree: I also found that somewhere between three and six months at my new job, I no longer had the same degree of mental exhaustion. By then I was no longer learning the job, the workplace culture, etc.--it was all comfortably familiar. Along with all the other great suggestions, just know that the overwhelm will improve with time. Hang in there!

I loved The Help on audiobook. The readers brought the story to life, but the book is beautifully written with incredible depth in the characters. It is a refreshing find among current fiction.

Will do! Thanks!

I am with my third and final dd. I think she will mainly be applying to conservatories with university dual degree options. We've begun the process this summer by having her attend several weeks of masterclasses with potential conservatory professors. Applications will be important, but for dd it's all about being on a professor's radar and then doing well at the audition. January through March will be brutal.

You've received many great suggestions! I want to encourage you from the position of having lived the scenario you described, "pushed" all the way through it, and ended up with my kids pursuing the arts. Oy! If I had a nickel for every motivational trick I've used or every time I've felt like a failure for letting my kids rely on my discipline rather than their own! When my kids were your ds's age, my goal was to keep them playing no matter what, until they had the capacity to recognize their ability and value what they had accomplished. That happened somewhere around age 14-16. From there, they knew they didn't want to quit, but they began to sort out how big a role music would play in their lives. Because they were then becoming capable of self-determination, I needed to step back and let them make the experience truly their own. Part of the letting go process is watching a child make the decision not to pursue music at a level that their "talent" might otherwise suggest. Two of my three have actually decided to pursue music at some level, while the third stopped formal lessons during her senior year, but transferred her passion into other artistic pursuits. It's a wonderful journey and sooooo worthwhile! Hang in there, mama!

Beautiful pictures, beautiful family! I love that you look like you're wearing your regular styles, not new duds purchased for the photo (even if they were ;)). Beth

Thanks for this thread. I've just logged back into my Weight Watchers online account and logged breakfast. I fell off the wagon about a month ago and have slipped back into some bad habits/ self-deceptions about food and need to start over. Why isn't this an easy thing to do?

Homeschooling rocks because it prepared me to teach others any subject. Now in my post homeschooling life, I have had an adult Somali woman ask me to teach her math. She did not receive an education in her country, although she is literate. I am honored and prepared! ;) I am also coaching an Ethiopian immigrant on essay writing for a college class. I am teaching him grammar, usage and structure while we go over his papers. We (:lol:) got a 93 on our last paper LOL! Who knew that my most important skill set would be due to my homeschooling adventure!

I'm reluctant to give specific examples, because everything I'm doing is based on the unique dog that I'm working with and her issues. Behavior modification is a whole different ballgame from obedience training, and I think it really requires some help from a trainer. The stakes are really pretty high--someone could get hurt, or a dog might have to be put down if the behavior doesn't get better. Our program is based on my dog's need to be able to stop worrying about everything she doesn't understand and to give up her quick (negative) reactions to new people, places, and animals. I have had to work very hard to get her to trust me as the leader and know that her job is to work for me and let me make the decisions about taking action. All of the things I do involve giving Lucy meaningful "work" to do in situations where she might otherwise think that it's her job to take control. The specific things I do with Lucy only make sense in the context of this overall philosophy, so none of them would be very effective (or might become counterproductive) when used in a stand alone fashion. Every behaviorist will have his/her own ideas and tricks for what works. A good handle on dog "language" will be important, and consistent methodology is key.

I foster a dog who is roughly the same age and began this behavior after a period of time in my home. I have worked extensively with an animal behaviorist to get a handle on this problem. I'm not going to speculate as to the "why", just know that it does happen. It doesn't mean the dog has to be put down. A lot of consistent work and teaching is what will turn this situation around. After a year and a half of working with my foster, things are much, much better. (Bad behavior toward people was one of the earliest issues to improve--it didn't take 1 1/2 years ;)). Fixing this problem will only happen with commitment. If your friend expects it to improve with "love" or due to the dog's own breed characteristics, she will be disappointed. It's work, and change might be slow.

I think it might be Smoke of Ambergris by John Singer Sargent. The picture doesn't touch its magnificence. It is hanging in The Clark in MA.

I agree 100%!!! Even wallpaper with wonderful, professional prep can be hard to remove after it's been on the walls for a decade. If your daughter wants pattern on an accent wall, consider these vinyl wall decals at Etsy. Even if a particular decal is shown in a color other than black/white, they can often be made in black only. It might be more expensive than wallpaper to cover a whole wall, but I'd "spend now to save later" on this one. (sssssh! Don't tell Dave Ramsey!)

Impatiens "spread" by creating a big mound from the original plant. They don't send off new plants or shoots like some perennials do. You will want the hole to be big enough to allow for a clump of stems to attach in the center and thicken the original plant. I think the main issue for impatiens being planted through plastic is water (are you using actual landscaping fabric that lets water through?). Water is also the issue regarding the two hours of direct sun. In Ohio, impatiens will tolerate the sun if they stay moist. They will get bigger, but not as big as if they had shade with some diffuse light. I would guess that impatiens would not tolerate the sun in more southern states.

Sam's adds substantial discounts on certain drugs if you have the next to lowest membership (around $100 per year). Before I joined, I priced the additional discount and found that for my family's maintenance prescriptions, the lower prices more than paid for my membership.

I think it's entirely possible that nothing you would have said would have changed this outcome; however, if you would like to have some tools other than to gracefully ignore, check out these books: Crucial Conversations and Crucial Confrontations.. These books teach you how to decide when confrontation is the best approach and then give you skills for how to handle the conversation. Even if the outcome isn't positive, you are at least not left with the feeling of everything having been beyond your control.

Bravo!!!! Congratulations to your daughter. Wonderful performance.

go to pinterest and search for family photo clothing--I just saw a great post over there that showed about 25 different coordinating outfits. No matchy matchy.

You didn't say where you would be living if you were not required to live in a dorm, but colleges can often be more flexible on this requirement than the financial aid piece (for the reasons other posters have mentioned.) Since you are a good student, and especially if you will be living with your parents, I would try to get an accommodation for this requirement. If you are in an honors program, talk to your advisor. Honors programs are often helpful in gaining flexibility with university requirements.

We did this with youngest dd for 1 1/2 years, and it was wonderful! Our school was strong academically and has been around for awhile, so it was a stable situation. We moved on after that time in order to help dd achieve her goals, but it wasn't for disliking the part-time model!

Try Overstocks.com

Made one today :D. It's this Cinnamon Roll Cake recipe, but I substituted this cream cheese glaze for the powdered sugar glaze. Waaaaaay too much butter to be a regular treat, but oh how yummy! It was actually pretty easy to make, too.