This scene is actually a reference to the original "The Five Orange Pips" story. It was about the KKK. This is also a scene in the Young Sherlock Holmes movie.

This show contains a lot of references to the original Sherlock stories. You are definitely missing things if you haven't read them. In the original story, Sherlock AND Moriarty go off the waterfall ledge. The author was trying to end the stories but there was so much outrage from the readers that he was pressured to bring Sherlock back from the dead so the stories could continue.

As stated, SS has your earnings history. Now, your mom may not be bonkers; she may have needed to provide her own earnings history if her SS records were incorrect. They do make mistakes! This is why it is recommended that we review our SS statement annually to be sure it is correct. If you trust your SS statement to be correct, you do not need to provide additional earnings documentation.

From the Colorado School of Mines webpage on admission requirements (http://www.mines.edu/NewFreshmen): 4 years of college prep/advanced mathematics (including trig)

This can vary widely depending on state, school district, or even individual school. You should contact the school you are considering and ask these questions directly.

dp. sorry!

I'm sure that you aren't alone. *I* am a freak in that I actually rather enjoy things like filling out the FAFSA, doing our taxes, etc.

Thank you!! I had not seen and now the whole family is excited for tonight.

The forms from the college are often incorrect. You should check it carefully and compare it to your own records.

I want to emphasize a few points for clarity: 1. The IRS doesn't care if the scholarship went directly to the school or was a check made out to you. They only care about which expenses the scholarship was applied to. 2. Scholarships used for "eligible expenses" are not taxed as income. These expenses are spelled out in the IRS publication linked in the PP but generally include tuition/fees and required textbooks/supplies. It doesn't matter where you buy the textbooks/supplies. If they are required by the courses taken, they are eligible expenses. 3. Scholarships used for expenses that are not listed as "eligible" are taxed as income ON THE STUDENT'S tax return. These include room/board, transportation, etc. Folks often think that it should be included on the parent's tax return since they are the ones footing the bill. 4. You can often CHOOSE how much of a scholarship to apply to eligible expenses. This can be advantageous because the American Opportunity credit is generous ($2,000 credit for the first $2,000 in eligible expenses and $500 for the next $2000 in eligible expenses). In other words, if you choose to count more of the scholarship as paying non-eligible expenses and thus including as taxable income on the student's return, the PARENT can count up to $4,000 of eligible expenses on their return and get $2,500 more as tax credits. So, the student return includes the "income" from the scholarship and the parent return gets the "tax credit" from eligible expenses paid out-of-pocket. 5. TurboTax does a great job leading you through this in a simple interview type format. I haven't used TaxCut software so can't comment on that. 6. Did the summer program credit count towards a degree? If so, part of the expense should be eligible. However, you would need to request a break-down of the total cost since it also includes non-eligible expenses. If this cost can't be broken down to differentiate between eligible and non-eligible, I would either seek professional tax advice or just not try to get credit for it. Seems like a fuzzy area. 7. Do keep good records and receipts. You won't send them in with your tax return but if the IRS ever comes back with questions, you will need documentation to support your returns.

Looks like you have a couple different questions: 1. Does 4 required credits in a subject mean that a student must have 1 credit per year of high school? No. A student could double-up on science one year and take none the next. This is fine. Some subjects are a bit more sequential so you wouldn't want to take algebra I and algebra II simultaneously. It's still possible to complete them in a single year if the student does them at double-speed (algebra I first semester and algebra II second semester). 2. Can I count middle-school courses for high school credit and will this satisfy the number of credits needed? Depends. There is usually some restrictions on what can be counted for high school credit when taken before 9th grade. English, foreign language, and American history are ones I've often seen as not allowed as counting for high school credit if taken earlier. When taking college courses as dual enrollment, keep in mind that it is common to count a one semester course as a full high school credit. They add up quickly this way.

I'm sure you meant "mitten" but I busted out laughing at the thought of wearing a kitten. It must work since I don't suck my thumb and I usually have at least one cat sleeping on/near me at night.

Don't stress over eating "enough" carbs or calories. Make good food choices and eat until satisfied (which is a little bit less than "full"). There are essential proteins and essential fats. There are no essential carbs. Even with a NO CARB diet, your body will make the glucose that your brain needs. That said, if you are eating plenty of vegetables, you are getting the nutrition and fiber that your body needs. You do not need to add in grains or other high starch foods. Eat moderate protein, get your veggies in, and allow plenty of fat to satisfy your appetite. Fruit should be included modestly.

If 2015 numbers are likely to be very different than 2014, then use your best estimates for 2015 (last paychecks in 2015 should be a very good starting point along with the most recent statements for any bank/investment accounts, etc.). You should plan to file taxes as soon as you reasonably can but you can and should complete the FAFSA before worrying about getting your taxes done/submitted. The estimates you put in FAFSA should be reasonable but do not have to be exact/perfect. Once your taxes are complete, submitted, and processed by the IRS, you will have the opportunity to reconcile your FAFSA with the official IRS submittals. It is more important to "get in line" for financial aid by completing the FAFSA early than to wait for your taxes to be complete so that your first FAFSA submittal is perfectly accurate. Finally, the urgency to submit the FAFSA is ONLY for families that need/expect to get need-based financial aid besides the direct student loans. If you are only doing the FAFSA in order to be eligible for the direct student loans, or because FAFSA is necessary for merit aid at your school, then there is no early-January urgency; just complete it by the school's deadline.

The general recommendation is as soon as possible after January 1 if you need and expect need-based financial aid besides the direct student loans. That's because much of the financial aid is given out on a first-come-first served basis. No need to wait for actual 2015 numbers. You can use 2014 numbers or estimated 2015 numbers. Regardless, you will need to later update/reconcile the FAFSA with the actual IRS submittals for 2015.

I politely disagree with some of the recommendations already given and agree with others. It is NOT necessary to "take as much math as possible" and is much more important to be completely solid on math skills through precalculus. I would much rather a student go into a freshman engineering program having solid math skills through precalc than a student who had done calculus in high school but was shaky in algebra or trig. So, no rushing through math. Take the opposite approach and take your time, ensuring solid understanding as you go. Your student will be thanking you later. Yes to the writing skills. My current job requires little true engineering from me; I'm too busy reviewing and re-writing the technical reports and publication manuscripts of co-workers who lack this ability.

As mentioned by a PP, the 30 college credit hours earned in high school was spread out over 5 semesters. Some of the classes were more time consuming than others but none were what I classify as "very intense" and when she was taking 9 credit hours, we didn't add on any other coursework at home, so it was not too time consuming. When I went to university, I remember hearing the guideline to plan for 2 hours of studying for every hour of class. This never proved true for me. I did know a few students, especially in graduate school, who seemed to spend several hours on a single set of assigned problems but it seemed to me that they would hit a wall and then just continue to beat their head against it. Not productive.

It was 100 acres of wooded family-owned land in rural Tennessee, not a publicly accessible primitive campsite. We first started camping there when we lived in the same state but continued the tradition every summer for the 12 years we lived in South Dakota. I'm not saying that it makes sense; it is just what we did. :huh:

This may make you feel better. I've continued to work full-time since my DC were born (DH became a SAHD) and I'm trying to plan for what I'm going to do once the DC are grown and I'm able to stop working. The happiest retirees have a strong network of friends and purposeful activities. These are things that I've let slide during the hectic work and raise family years and will require time and attention to build.

I'm fine with aging. I'm not vain. I'm embracing my gray hair and added wrinkles. Really, what's the alternative? Why be unhappy about a natural progress that is coming whether you fight it or not? Aging does not have to come with weight and health issues. Since turning 45 (almost 47 now), I've lost weight and gained health.

Not ridiculous, IMHO, but targeting upper middle income people who spend without careful consideration and then don't have anything to save. Still, ALL income levels could probably do better, being that we are human and all, and MMM is really all about being conscious of where your money is going.

This made me laugh. I actually really like avocado. I've found I can eat a very small amount occasionally and avoid symptoms. It just can't be a daily part of my regular diet.

The 1970's era VW van was designed for 7 passengers. Every summer, my parents stuffed it with 9 people, the family dog, and enough camping gear to manage 3 weeks. No one wore seatbelts and car seats for young children were not yet a thing. We then drove almost 1,000 miles with no air conditioning and no overnight stops. We camped on wooded privately owned land, in the middle of nowhere, with no water, electricity, or outhouses. We hauled drinking water from a spring, bathed in an ice cold stream, oooked on an open fire and a campstove, hiked for miles, and fought off clouds of mosquitoes. Strangely enough, these are great memories. :laugh: Please share a memory of your own of something no longer done.

It took me months to figure out why I was getting mysterious stomach pains. I had changed my diet drastically and thought I was on the right track with healthier eating. Part of my routine was having 1/4 of an avocado every morning with my breakfast. I would sometimes have another 1/4 at either lunch or dinner. Several months after eating this way, I started getting stomach pains. I tried lots of different things, like not drinking coffee, avoiding artificial sweeteners, etc. but never could make a clear determination of what was causing the stomach pain. Then one day, rather randomly, I ran across a blog post where someone described their stomach pain and how they determined it was caused by the avocados they were eating. Wow, I thought, could my problem really be this simple? As soon as I stopped eating avocados, my stomach pain stopped. *whew* If you google "avocado stomach pain" you will find lots of information about this phenomenon. However, I wanted to post and share it here because I never would have associated the two if I hadn't run across the blog post. Hoping this ends up helping someone else.

Wow! Very impressive for a high school freshman. Please pass along congratulations to her. Nothing like this sort of achievement to grow confidence and lead to further success!