No, Pen did an X-post on both Gen Ed and the High School board, so they're about the same 9th grader. Maybe there's another thread as well, but she did get quite different answers on HS than on Gen Ed.

This site looks interesting: https://plus.maths.org/content/teacher-package-series

Speaking of the ASVAB, how about getting him an ASVAB prep book? Obviously he wouldn't be taking it yet, but he'd be able to see what kind of stuff the army tests for (and it's an adaptive test, at least back when DW took it, and she said that they ended up asking her some pretty complicated questions (she says she thinks they asked her some stuff about mitochondria and what-not - stuff she hadn't expected on the test (she didn't realize it was adaptive going in))).

My big toes are hairy. Now I want to go get a pedicure and see how the person doing it will react. :lol: My legs are also not shaved.

I think most pregnant guys don't breastfeed. For one, top surgery is fairly easy to get, which would make breastfeeding impossible, and even if you haven't had top surgery (yet), I think a fair number of guys feel that breastfeeding is emasculating (not entirely sure about the latter). ETA: I meant guys after they've given birth. Obviously they would typically not breastfeed *while* pregnant, unless they're having the second twin of the Irish twins or something (or they breastfeed a very long time).

Happy Birthday Bookie and Lynn's son! :party:

DW can't stand Hyundai commercials, because they DO mispronounce it for the American market.

52% of math majors. Almost a third of all majors do. (haven't finished reading the article yet, that just jumped out at me)

Right. It does sound like maybe you're not as strict and they're more independent than previous posts in this thread made it sound like (which is why I put that disclaimer). So, do pat yourself on the back some. :) Is there any opportunity for martial arts or something nearby? It might make your wife feel better, plus I think it's a good thing for girls in general to do that for a bit (for boys too, for that matter, especially if they're not big strong jock types, but even more so for girls). I would practice using the bus *some* before sending them abroad or w/e, but that's a ways off.

Also, I thought colds and the like were supposed to linger *afterwards*, not prelinger. (I think I just invented a word - not sure if there's a better word already in existence).

I Linear Algebra'd. And now my ear hurts (only slightly thus far). I don't know what's up - I've been wheezing a ton this entire week, the tiniest bit of coughing, and the occasional sore throat, the tiniest bit of needing to blow my nose, so it's like I'm getting sick, but it's staying right at that superficial level (other than the wheezing - there have been a couple of times that that got pretty bad). I wish I'd either just actually get sick and then better, or (preferably) that it'd just go away, instead of just lingering.

Other thought: what if you were to ask her to write a song about nature? (thinking a lot of teens might respond better to that idea, but I have no clue)

Maybe I should change the text above my avatar to "renowned writer and poet", huh?

(I know it was bad - I wasn't just being humble and self-deprecating or anything... but I was still secretly hoping somebody would say that it was worth a C+ or maybe even a B for 10th grade English... I mean, I can't imagine the standards are all that high for that).

Hey people, you don't have to agree too enthusiastically with this. :lol:

I wish we'd have flowers tomorrow. Or sun. I'm not even sure we'll have the latter, and the flowers will have to wait a few months.

In case anyone is wondering, I'd normally make sure to stay on some sort of meter as well, but was feeling uninspired, plus, just helping Jean find samples of bad nature poetry.

I'm with Krissi - have her use what she's already got. I like Krissi's poem. Also, maybe you could find some examples online of bad nature poems to show her, just so she can see you don't need publication-worthy stuff - that stuff like that will do. I don't know that it's a hill to die on though, especially since it is so hard to find a legit real-life purpose, and she did manage to come up with two roses are red ditties. When I was a kid (circa K-1st grade), we had poëzie-albums (poetry albums), which we mispronounced as poezie-albums (kitty albums), and which you'd have all your friends and family members write a poem in, along with some pretty stickers. of course, many kids had their parents write stuff, or copied a poem, since in NL they don't even begin to teach writing until 1st grade, but anyway... it was neat. not sure that's related, other than as something popular from about 1989/1990 that could maybe have a retro resurgence moment at some point. Very poorly written poem I just wrote using the "just start with something and then think of words that will rhyme"-method... obviously not a recipe for great poetry, but it will do the job for an assignment like that (or I think it will... I mean, it's obviously not worth an A, but it can get a C, right?): It is dark out. The wind howls. Please don't pout Put away your trowels And have a pint of stout Tomorrow is another day To work out in the garden So please go put the tools away And let the plants harden In the wind coming from the bay Come morning the many birds will sing The sun will shine so bright The flowers'll bloom and vines will cling When it no more is night Displaying nature's own bling-bling.

So, I can't help but notice that you're the same person who started the college abroad thread... Unless I'm misinterpreting the thing about your girls not being allowed to have sleepovers yet, and you meant in the past but they currently are allowed to, or you meant no sleepovers with boys, or w/e, 12-13 seems definitely not too young to have sleepovers, especially in the grand scheme of sending them to a different continent when they're 18 or so. Also, while I don't see a need for watching lots of intense action movies, the MPAA is pretty conservative already, so just beginning to let a 16.5yo watch PG-13 rated stuff is, uh, extremely conservative (I know that R is 17+, but in NL the highest rating is 16+ (short of porn, which is obviously 18+), and a fair number of R-rated movies are rated 12+ there and a fair number of PG-13 rated things are rated 9+ or 6+ (most South Park TV episodes are rated 6+... not that I think 6yos should be watching South Park, just illustrating how the MPAA is rather conservative). So, have more conversations. Make a list of things the kids should be able to do by the time they graduate high school - how to use the bus to go places alone (your girls can start working on that one now - you can send them together at first), how to cook dinner, staying home alone for increasing lengths of time, give them an allowance and make them buy their own clothes, etc*. Because right now, it sounds like maybe you are on track of making your biggest fear come true (though it does sound like you are taking some steps with your 16.5yo). And yes, it's scary, increasing kids' independence... you never know for sure that things will go right, but such is life - you won't know for sure those things will go right if you wait till 18 either. *It's of course possible that I'm completely misinterpreting things, and all your kids already know how to use the bus to get anywhere, and that they are already chefs, and that they already know how to stay home alone for an entire day or evening, in which case, please disregard and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

(((Jean & family))) (((Slache and Joslyn's family)))

I'm not entirely sure what your problem is in getting them on your feet, but the ones I have, I just stick my feet in and push down - I don't use my hands, I don't have to bend over, etc. Actually, I think both pairs I have work that way, though the second pair involves pushing down a lot harder with my feet. (the first pair is a boy's size 6 from Target 1-3 years ago (not sure), the second is a girl's size 6 from Columbia, iirc, but iirc they have basically the same pair in women's sizes too, just for like $50 more or something). I generally don't use my hands getting them off either (again, easier with the Target ones).

No clue, but the internet and library books can tell you oodles about astrology. It's been quite a while since I've last heard about Mercury retrograde stuff, but I went through a phase where I read a bunch of stuff like that for fun, and it's not super obscure (as far as astrology goes). ETA: no, I don't believe in Mercury retrograde or w/e.

Maybe if you ask him to. But no, none of mine are autographed. And I've got Apples through Trigonometry, Financial Choices, Chemistry, Linear Algebra, and Five Days (I think that's it).

I thought you meant how much money worth in resale value of Fred books you have. My piggy bank called "Life of Fred" books is quite extensive... :svengo:

People here do outside lights. And snow. Though we only have a dusting atm.