I'll PM you with contact info for OCA. Here's a link to Veritas Academy, which is a private classical Christian co-op. My dd attended for 7th and 8th grades, and while she did all most of her classes with them, you don't have to take a specific number of classes. I don't recall whether they had a statement of faith: http://www.veritasacademy.org/ I'm pretty familiar with the classical music scene in Columbus and can definitely get you some string teacher recommendations. My dds were extremely involved in Chamber Music Connection, and I would highly recommend it. It is an organization filled with hard working, interesting kids, and my dc have made lifelong friendships there. http://cmconnection.org/

There's also a free K-12 classical school in the works through Hillsdale's Barney Charter School Initiative: Mission Statement It is our purpose at Ohio Classical Academy to provide a classical education that will instill a love for learning in our students, enabling them to become masterfully competent in the humanities, the sciences and the arts. Our curriculum includes not only a classical education, but also instruction in the classical virtues. These virtues are taught to our students by our culture, mentors, discussions and literature. Our hope is that with a rigorous education in content-rich subjects and instruction in the classical virtues, the willing students will become articulate problem-solvers in all of their learning endeavors and will master habits of character, such as honesty and discipline, that will create excellent lives. Our ultimate aspiration at OCA is to instill the great principles of human history into our students to create citizens capable of upholding the highest virtue, and develop leaders who will inspire, innovate, dream and challenge the world. Classical Education The classical education provided by OCA will assist students in developing the ability to think and articulate thoughts and ideas, along with the ability to support those thoughts based on a strong foundation of facts and knowledge. A classical education, based on the ‘Trivium,’ develops the skills that are essential in higher education and throughout life: independent learning, critical thinking, logical analysis and a lifelong love for learning. The Trivium is based on the three classical stages of development: the Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric stages. The Trivium coincides with a child’s cognitive development and traces how children acquire facts, reason about them and relate them to a broader worldview. Hillsdale College’s Barney Charter School Initiative The Barney Charter School Initiative is a new project of Hillsdale College devoted to the education of young Americans. Through this initiative, the College will support the launch of K-12 charter schools. These schools will be based on a classical liberal arts model and have a strong civics component that will equip students to understand and defend the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. How You Can Help Be a friend of OCA by spreading the word. We’re looking for parents who desire a better educational alternative for their children. We’re looking for teachers and administrators who would enjoy working in such an environment. We’re looking for passionate leaders who could serve on our governing council. We’re looking for volunteers who have skills in management, finance, grant writing, law or technology. Email us to find out more.

While you're brainstorming the fun part, add some thought about the practical strategy, too. I'm currently working full-time as a job developer for people with some barriers to workforce entry. In a weak economy, being over 40 without any meaningful work experience in your field will create a barrier to employment. (I realize that the economy could certainly improve, but why not plan for the worst case!). Strategize about how you're going to get some entry level experience (even a shift a week) before you are suddenly ready to make a full-fledged entry into your field. While all of us here know the incredibly valuable life experience a homeschooler will bring to the workplace, the world of employment simply doesn't recognize it. :tongue_smilie: Good luck!

:iagree: My observation about therapy is that its "usefulness" and "success" are really best measured by the patient and the therapist. Everyone else has their own agendas, and sometimes they don't like the results of another person's therapy. Live and let live.

I will answer this question, because I'm nerdy (and kinda picky) about such things. Times New Roman, 12 point type.

I've been hearing about this shortage for awhile, now. I'm not going to answer your question about being affected by it, because I don't want to jinx myself ;).

Excellent article. Thanks.

Thanks, Jane. I totally would have missed the GB post. I suspect from her description that her music might fall into the "dreaming about more time to play" category :-).

Hi Faith-- I always feel a kindred spirit when I read your posts, since all of my dds have grown up intensely connected to classical music. You mentioned having gone to a Tier 1 LAC in piano performance. Do you mind telling us which school? Dd #3 is a junior this year, and we're gearing up for those senior year auditions. Although we'll be looking at flute professors, I'm always interested to hear how others have walked this path. I'm also interested to hear about the role piano plays in your current life. Are you performing? Teaching? Dreaming about more time to play? Guiding your kids toward (or away :)) from music? I was exposed to the arts growing up, but I followed a very linear academic path toward law school. My dds are all involved in performing arts. I'm just interested in your story. Others? Please share, too!

I'm with the others who like the Corelle bowls from Wal Mart (although I only have bowls--not the dishes). Our favorites are these berry bowls because they are smallish. It helps us control cereal portions :001_huh:.

Al Roker says it works :). Try it out and let us know how it goes. The video from the Today Show was certainly convincing!

Thank you for your helpful post. This is one of those I Love Technology moments.

I really like: Smashbox Photo Finish. It makes my foundation go on sheer and smooth. I also like: Stila Smudgestick Eyeliner. This eyeliner pencil is soft so I can control how much goes on close to my lash line. (I'm too old for smoky eyes!).

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:iagree: We brought my oldest home just before 5th grade, and the other two came home the following year. We lived in a small town, and despite doing swim team, soccer, ballet, 4-H, church, and music activities, we never established strong friendships for dds in our community. It was very isolating for all of us. We allowed dd#1 to enroll in high school for 2 classes per day so that she could be around friends and participate in the only high school extra curriculars in town. When she graduated, we moved to a large city 60 miles away to create opportunities for dds #2 and #3. We were simply out of step with folks in our town (where dh grew up) in many, many ways.

It's not very easy. I just gave up :-(. Go to the overdrive website for instructions.

The two most common piano "graded" annual events are Piano Guild: pianoguild.com and the Royal Conservatory of Music exams: http://examinations.rcmusic.ca/academic-resources/general-information. One typically accesses these programs through a teacher who uses them with his/her students.

:iagree: I have found this to be true for all of my important, close relationships. I am also learning to be who I am and let others own their disappointment in me. I can't fill all of any person's needs.

Every spring my neighborhood does its own version of this event: Precycle Day. It begins at 6:00 pm on Wednesday before the Friday trash pickup, so it's easy to get rid of things not taken. We've done it for the past two years in May, and people now watch for it.

My only suggestion is to eat it all right away :lol:

If you cannot get your price through a local sale, you might want to check into UPS pack and ship and include the cost in your ad. I arranged shipping for a box of fine china. It was pricey, but well worth it. They had a guarantee against breakage up to a certain amount, then I bought insurance for the rest.

Here's my 19 yo Dr. Who lover's find: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ModernStylographer. It's an Etsy shop with original artwork posters for Dr. Who episodes. Nice graphics. Also, does she have any friends in NYC that she could stay with if she flew in for a show? My dd's went to Sleep No More this past summer. It's a theater major "must see". If there's any way to swing it, you'd be a hero.