The big three in Orlando (Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld) are requiring and enforcing masks for all guests ages 2 and up. There are no exceptions. They also are checking temperatures prior to park entry and have social distancing markers/reminders throughout the parks. Neither Orange county or the City of Orlando requires masks, but use is encouraged. We attended SeaWorld's reopening last Thursday. It was our first outing and first time to use masks. The temperature was in the mid 90's and with the humidity the "real feel" temperature was 100+. We lasted an hour before heading back home. As much as our local economy needs visitors to return, I do not expect we will see them return any time soon due to reduced experiences and the mask requirement.

I second the notion that there is no such thing as permanent birth control. My husband had a vasectomy after the birth of our 14 year old, and this morning I am eating breakfast with our 9 month old daughter. When I talked to my OB, obviously stunned that I could be pregnant, she told me of several cases of failed permanent birth control in her practice (including one involving a tubal and vasectomy). It does happen. I have since learned of other people, either themselves or people they know, who have had the same experience. Personally, I think long term failures are underreported. Most failures happen within the first year or after 10 years. Never underestimate the body's ability to heal itself! With that said, I never regretted my husband's vasectomy. I knew I wanted to done. Obviously the universe had other plans for us. ;)

I don't want to discourage you from The Potters' School because I believe they offer quality classes with quality teachers. However, I want to caution you to make sure the classes are a good fit for your son. My son is also an engineering, construction-minded,likes to build and work with his hands kind of guy. And while he is bright, his freshman year with TPS was a complete failure. My biggest mistake was moving from one online class in 8th grade (Writers' Workshop at TPS...excellent class and teacher!) to 5 online classes in 9th. Also, the workload in TPS classes can be overwhelming, especially for boys who do not like to sit at a desk all day reading and writing. This year has been much better. We scaled back on the number of online classes. We also chose classes carefully. I absolutely recommend Jann's math classes (myhomeschoolmathclass.com). And Landry has some semester long writing classes which have been a much better fit...take a look at Intermediate Composition. Hope this helps! Embarking on the high school journey is intimidating. But after listening to stories from my friends who enrolled their kids in high school this year, I am convinced that we can't do any worse.

We just went through this with my 12 year old 15lb terrier after an encounter with the neighbor's German Shepherd. She had surgery, drainage tubes, and lots of staples and stitches. Thankfully, she had no internal injuries. It took her about a month to get back to her feisty self, but she has made full recovery. Sending lots of positive thoughts your doggie's way...

I graduated from Spring Hill in the mid-90's. My mother forced me to apply and then drug me to Scholar's Day. My protests stopped as soon as I set foot on the campus...it just felt like home. I feel like I was challenged academically and spiritually and have many fond memories of my days there. FWIW, I don't remember it being ultra-liberal and I came from a very conservative Catholic family. But that was 20 years ago...

Does anyone know at what rate Veritas plans to produce these courses? Will Omnibus II be available in a year?

There are lots of homeschoolers in the New Orleans metro area. We live on the northshore of Lake Pontchartrain, where many families choose to live. You can join the yahoo group for this area (St. Tammany Parish Homeschoolers: groups.yahoo.com/group/STP_Homeschoolers/) and the ladies there can answer any questions you may have. If my memory is correct, a few of them are members of southshore based groups and can point you in the right direction for information if you plan to live in New Orleans. Good luck with your move!

You can also buy a 10 day ticket. The prices for the 7, 8, and 10 day premium tickets : 7-Day Premium ticket is $179.11 with tax 8-Day Premium ticket is $185.73 with tax 10-Day Premium ticket is $195.22 with tax. The premium tickets include park hopping privileges and the water park/Disney Quest option. They are a great deal!

I took my guys to Disney last September and this past January for Homeschool Days and did it very inexpensively. First, you need to decided if want to stay on Disney property. We typically stay offsite because we own a timeshare. We enjoy the extra space of condos and not having to eat Disney food every day. Yes, you must pay to park at the 4 theme parks, but it is still significantly cheaper than staying onsite. There are lots of timeshares and privately owned condos in Orlando which can be rented very cheaply, especially when you consider that some/all of your meals can be prepared there. We very rarely eat at Disney anymore, even bringing lunch/snacks in an insulated backpack that I found at Target. Take a look at disboards.com...there's is a sub-forum for offsite stays and the people there are very helpful. With that said, I was unable to book my January stay completely at our timeshare because it was a last minute trip. I was able to pick up a room at Pop Century for $60/night with taxes through Expedia. Disney wanted about $15/night more. And September is the lowest season of the year, so I would expect that you could pick up a room at a value resort in the $50-$60/night range. As for tickets, if you book a package, only get the 1 day ticket that is required for the package. Disney's Youth Educational Services (Y.E.S.) offers a steep discount on park tickets. Also, the Y.E.S. tickets are all one price...no separate price for adults and children. In January I bought 8 day park hoppers with the plus option for $190/each. This gave us 8 park days at any park, the ability to hop between the parks, and 8 visits to Disney Quest and both Waterparks (in reality, that's 16 days of admission). The tickets are valid 7 days prior to your arrival date and 7 days after your departure date, so you can spread your trip over a longer time frame as well. We spent 16 days in Orlando, and were able to use our tickets during our entire stay. We've visited Disney World at least 25 times in the past five years and never have we spent $2000 on a 4 night trip. Granted, our accommodations are "paid for" with the timeshare, but it can be done much more cheaply and with just as much "magic" than Disney wants you to know. If you have any other questions, or I can be of any other help, feel free to PM me.

I live in Slidell. There are several active homeschooling groups in the area. There is also a homeschool store, Homeschool Cottage, that can be a great resource. As to an area for living, it's hard to say without knowing what you're looking for. What size house are you looking to rent? What kind of yard do you want? Price range? I'd be happy to help you with any other questions. Feel free to email me at amymclose@yahoo.com.