Two of my dd's are pursuing music in college, and that interest began young--by age 5. I will add that for a number of years, though, I had to provide the "self" discipline for them so they could keep moving forward. Their interest never waned, but their ability to make themselves practice sometimes lagged. :laugh:

Trust your gut. At the end of the day, it's the only thing you can do. You and your child will have to live with the consequences of any decision you make, so pick the one that you believe will have the best outcome in your particular situation. And have a Plan B ready if things don't go as well as you expected. We faced this choice. I'm glad we chose the way we did. Whether we made the right choice didn't become clear to us until upperclass years in university.

You ask " how much land is too much to keep up?" The answer will depend on your definition of "keep up." When we mowed 5 acres, we planned on abour 1 hr. per day on a rotational basis for most of the summer. We had a zero radius golf course mower, so we mowed fast. If you are mowing around trees/saplings, landscaping, etc. it will take longer. If you just want to let the grass get long and rough mow, you'll need some sort of tractor and pull behind mower. That type of mowing works best for open space.

Agreed.

I went back to work 2 1/2 years ago. My best words of advice are, don't be afraid to start over. You have acquired skills during your homeschooling years that will make you a very valuable employee. You will find your path quickly once you are employed in the first job, and you will move up. It is easier to find a good job from the vantage point of an entry level employee--think retail clerk--than it is to find a good job from outside the paid workforce.

Dd is in a dual program between two colleges, and she doesn't feel like she if firmly planted in either one. On the other hand, she knows that her soul would wither if she gave up one or the other. Her remedy? Get rid of Facebook so she doesn't have to confront the general self-promotion that goes on there (be it achievement, lofty interests, or social nirvana.....) She's ready for a break. :001_cool: Edited: because I don't know the difference between whither and wither LOL!

Claritin in the am; Benadryl at night. Chlor-Trimeton 12 hour, but I don't think you can find it anymore. Here's a generic. Zyrtec works well, but I never get past the drowsiness.

Same. Sometimes they (team of 2) work extra hard and finish early. Same total price.

I just want to say welcome to homeschooling and to TWTM boards! Re-posting your question on the curriculum board may get you a quicker response.

A bio mom and a bio dad created a child who has some serious health problems. They need to be mature and make that girl's situation their first priority--whatever they agree upon. IMHO, neither parent should have moved on to new family configurations if that made them unavailable to the child they already had. Both parents owe it to their bio daughter to walk through this enormously difficult time with her. With professional help for all involved.

YES!!!! Years ago, my 3 dd's and I were sitting on the kitchen floor finishing this book as a read aloud. I could barely speak the words through my sobbing, and my sister-in-law walked in. :huh: What a scene--she thought something horrible had happened (IRL)! Always! And.......adding Les Miserables. Ugly cry.

Hang in there, Susan! My violin dd went through this, and it really stunk! DePaul wasn't the school of her dreams at the time, and she was really struggling with it. The teacher comments were so out of line. Our story has a happy ending, and hopefully yours will too! Dd is graduating in June, and she is continuing on at DePaul for grad school in violin performance. She said, "I don't feel done with classical music yet, and I still have a lot more I can learn from my teacher." Haters gonna hate! Pooh on them!

I have learned a lot about hotel housekeeping since I help create employment opportunities for refugees. As you probably all know, hotel housekeeping is a common entry level job for limited English proficient speakers. Here's what I have learned about housekeeping: It is an incredibly physical job. Lifting many comforters per day (Including wrestling with duvet covers), bending, stooping, and reaching really can take a toll on your back and body. The pay for these jobs is low given the physical demands. In our city, the going rate is about $.50 per hour over minimum wage. Our clients do this job as a primary source of income for their families. Most, but certainly not all, housekeepers are women. Rooms are assigned daily to a housekeeper in a mix of "stayovers" and "checkouts". Housekeepers are given approximately 15 minutes to clean a stayover, 25-30 for a checkout. These time amounts include the time it takes to travel from room to room, including between floors, and to keep checking back to see if rooms have removed their "Do Not Disturb" signs. Housekeepers have to be excellent managers of their time. Most hotels assign between 18-24 rooms to each housekeeper per day based on the mix of stayovers and checkouts. I believe that tipping housekeepers is money well spent. It brings their pay in line with a proper rate for the hard labor they do, and it helps support families who are trying to make ends meet.

Comfort bikes typically have seats that spread your weight over "ahem" a larger area. Ask a bike shop what they sell. (The seat on my comfort/hybrid bike is very comfortable.)

The program that will be the most beneficial for college is the one that she is the most passionate about and will help her learn about herself and the world around her. When applying for college, your dd will list this program on a form without much explanation. Both programs are very impressive, and colleges will acknowledge that. What will set your dd apart is what she gains from the experience and is able to convey through an essay. Colleges want to enroll students who grow through experience, which is hopefully what the college itself will do for a student. I forgot to add, "Congratulations !!"

Yep. And if you're going to go through that pleasant experience, you might as well follow it with a colonoscopy. Can't imagine any other reason to suffer.

Agricultural inputs are capital intensive. Make sure any program he considers provides a healthy dose of economics, accounting, marketing and finance.

Encourage her to trust her own judgement in all things. She's a fully functioning adult with a fine brain and is capable of making good decisions. She may have to learn to view herself that way, and it will be a necessary step before she will be able to become healthy.

I have found that by walking through life with my adult children when they are making independent choices (some of which I do not support), God has given me the chance to grow in unconditional love. It is sometimes a much harder concept to put into practice than I ever imagined, but I am thankful to have had the chance. :)

My kids are musicians, not dancers; our goals for music included working on something challenging over a long period of time to develop discipline and skill. I was a mom who coached them through daily practice. I let them borrow my discipline until they were old enough to develop their own. Activities for recreation were solely up to the kids.

You may have trigger points in your soleus muscle (the lower part of your calf). They don't necessarily cause leg pain, so you may be unaware of them; however, if they are there, they can cause bio-mechanical problems in your foot. Learn to roll them with a tennis ball or foam roller. Get rid of the trigger points, then do regular stretching for the lower calf.

Another strong vote for The Help. I've done a lot of audio, and this book is really, really well done.

I am involved in a situation with an 18 yo who lost both of his parents in the past year. In this situation, the extended family was not close, and the 18 yo is not living with relatives. His aunts are working now to re-establish a connection. Things that seem to be working..... Communicate with the adults--ask for ways in which you can help, and let them know what your thoughts are regarding the girls. Give them information about your family. Try to connect with the girls on Facebook--it may be welcome. Try texting. Remember birthdays and holidays. Think about how this changes your family and how the girls will fit within the new configuration. They may be open to it; perhaps not. Follow the girls' lead. They may or may not want to increase their relationship with you and your family. Respect their wishes. I don't know your specific story, but this is pretty traumatic stuff. You are doing the right thing by reaching out. It may take years to establish closeness, but that doesn't mean your efforts won't be important to them.

I learned an important lesson this past week--always Google your make, model, and year for manufacturing defects. Our 2008 Honda Civic suddenly began overheating. I towed it to the mechanic who told me that I had a cracked engine block!!!! We've owned 7 Hondas, and we've driven them all to 250,000 miles without major incident. Needless to say, I was shocked. After a Google search, we discovered that Honda had created an 8 year, unlimited mileage warranty on the engine blocks of 2006-2008 Civics. It was a known manufacturer's defect. A dealer is replacing it under warranty :) . I will always check from now on.

Dd #2 did two grad school auditions this past week. It was easier on me, because I wasn't involved like I was for undergrad; however, I think they were just as stressful for her as they were the first time around. Performing arts continually challenge the thickness of one's skin.