This is exactly what we have done as well. We pay tuition, room and board, insurance, and cell phone. Dd pays for books, daily needs, gas, and extras. For the upcoming year, she's buying her own food as well. She's not a huge eater, didn't particularly care for the dorm food (though she works in one of the dining halls--maybe that's why!), and we found after freshman year that we really didn't get our money's worth out of even the cheapest dining plan. So she has a larger than dorm-sized fridge in her room, a floor kitchen down the hall, and will be buying her own food to prepare and eat. We paid for her to study abroad this summer and losing the dining plan pays for a big chunk of that. This was actually dd's idea--I was going to put $1,000 on her ID and let her cash pay in the dining hall, but she didn't even want that. She is very careful with what she spends--more so when it is her money.

Let me just say I'm pro co-op. But I wouldn't do a two-day/week academic co-op for elementary ages. I'm more of the elective co-op type, especially for the younger grades.

Just ordered a set of these pens on Amazon. The set I ordered actually has BROWN! Nobody ever has a brown pen, and sometimes you just need brown. The things you learn on this board . . . thanks! Staples has a red cap eraser that I have found to be decent. It's their own brand. Not great, but better than the cheapie colorful ones at Wal-Mart.

I would, but I live in an area with long hot summers and very mild winters, where a pool can stay open all year (though it's too cold to winter swim without expensive pool heat). Many, many people here have pools, and there are so many safety devices and procedures to keep little kids out that I wouldn't hesitate to have my own backyard pool. But if I lived in the north, where it freezes and you actually have to winterize your pool, or where there are only a few months of warm weather swimming, it wouldn't be worth the hassle.

30 wasn't a big deal. 40 was harder. 5 more birthdays till I hit 50--Yikes! Seriously, I hit my stride in my 30's. For me it was actually around 35 because by then I had all the kids I was going to have and loved being their mom. I was exactly where I wanted to be and finally comfortable in my own skin. Sounds like you are already there, OP. Just sit back and enjoy your 30's!

At dd's college there is not enough housing for all students. So they have a "late application triple" to accommodate those who applied late--they get stuck with 2 others in a room originally meant not for 3, but 2. I have a friend whose son was stuck like this. They did reduce the rent by a bit, but not by a lot. Kid hated it and ended up leaving the school after one year (for reasons other than that, but the dorm situation certainly contributed to his dislike!) So it does happen, but dd had no such problems at the same school.

That is completely and utterly appalling. Why even have a teacher? Based on the demographic of the kids, I'd venture to say they need MORE joy, MORE excitement, MORE personal attention than the average student. To speak everything in a monotone at the instruction of those who don't even know the students? That goes against everything I am as a teacher. I can't believe the school district paid good money for this "training." Sounds like the net result was the loss of some really good teachers, and a bunch of kids who saw right through the facade.

College Algebra in my area isn't Algebra I in one semester instead of two, it's "Algebra 3," or basically the first half of Pre-Calc. But I think the OP was asking about a true Algebra I class, offered at the CC for those who didn't test high enough to take college level math (or those needing high school math the first time around, like the OP's child).

I've heard College Algebra referred to as Algebra 3. It's not to take the place of Algebra 2, it's the next step. College Algebra was dd's first dual enrollment course. She took it in 11th, having completed Algebra 2 in 10th. Not that it wouldn't be possible to skip Algebra 2 and go right into College Algebra, just that they aren't generally meant to be the same thing.

I bounced. The ETC books are pretty short, so we'd finish one of those and then work for awhile in one of the MCP books before moving on to the next ETC book. I didn't try to coordinate them, just saw them both as phonics practice.

On their own? Probably never. But they have weekly tasks they are assigned, and though they get a small allowance regardless, they get a bonus for completing their tasks. They've been taking out the trash for years--this is part of the allowance, as well as keeping their stuff picked up. For extra tasks, younger ds cleans the windows and dusts. Older ds vacuums the rugs and sweeps the floors. He's a detail-oriented kid so he actually does a better job than I would. I clean the bathrooms and the kitchen. So on Saturday mornings, there's something for everyone to do and they know the electronics aren't turned on until the tasks are completed (we're a weekend-only electronics family, so they look forward to this time). They also have started doing the yardwork, which is a huge help to me since dh travels and it was my job when he was gone. Younger ds picks up the sticks (we have a ton of trees) and older ds mows. They also get an allowance bonus for this. But just looking at the yard and thinking, "Oh I should probably mow?" That doesn't happen. Keep giving direction, and assign tasks if you want help, OP. You have a lot of littles--your pre-teens can be given tasks to help you out. Don't expect them to just do it on their own. And don't expect them to not complain about it or to do a perfect job. It's a process.

Messes and clutter make me twitchy, so when my kids were little there were only a few things they had constant access to. Most of the toys were organized by category and kept on shelves out of their reach. When they wanted something down, they had to ask for it. When they were done with that and wanted something else, they had to put away the first box before I would get something else out. If they wanted to have a little of this and a little of that, fine, but it was never everybody into the pool at once, so to speak, with every toy dragged out all over the house. This was our system from the time they were little. They are big now, can reach everything whenever they want, and know to put stuff away when they are through. Sometimes they still forget (so do I), so we all pick up after someone else once in awhile. So the short answer is--a system of organization for the "stuff" and when it is accessible works wonders. So does getting rid of a lot of the stuff.

My list could be pages long because I am a picky eater, but it really comes down to three things: onions tomatoes mushrooms This means I only order certain things from restaurants, and decreases my lack of desire for cooking, because so many recipes have some combination of these ingredients in them. Of course they can be omitted, but that sorta leaves them flavorless. I'm not opposed to flavor, I just don't want onion/tomato/mushroom flavor. Amazingly, in spite of me never cooking with these items, the only one my kids won't eat is mushrooms. When my 11-year-old loads up his sandwich with onions and tomatoes, I am amazed. As far as octopus and liver go, those wouldn't even make my (long) list of "foods I don't like." One is a marine animal and the other is a bodily organ. Why anyone would even consider them food is beyond me. :confused1:

My son plays Minecraft and mods on my old 2009 4 GB MacBook. He doesn't have any problems with it, though I will say that if you are coming from a PC background it's a little trickier to get the mods started on a Mac, due to the fact that the folder where they go is hidden. We had to watch a lot of YouTube videos to figure it out. Machine-wise, however, an older MB with less memory has been fine for Minecraft. We have bought several of our Macs used on eBay and have had no problems, so that's definitely a cheaper way to go. I've also heard good things about this site.

Was recently visiting my dad in Indiana. The local paper had pictures from a recent July 4th celebration, including the winner of the Baby Crawl. It was a cute little 15-month-old boy named, get this, Silver Ware. I would have thought it a mistake, but there was another picture later in the article. Same baby, same name, this time with his dad, Sonny Ware. I thought Silver Ware was bad until my kids and I started to think up other funny names to go along with the last name Ware. One of my sons mentioned that they could have named him Under, and that definitely would have been worse!

My dd just finished her freshman year. It was refreshing to see her take charge in areas where I felt like all I did was nag while she was in high school (Did you turn in that essay? What's the deadline for that application? Did you search for more scholarships? Etc . . .) About halfway through her freshman year she decided she wanted to study abroad for the summer. We told her she would have to contribute financially if she were to go, so she applied for the program, paid the deposit, spent time submitting searching out and applying for scholarship opportunities, and got an on campus job. All on her own time/initiative and without any input from me. During this time she was also taking more credit hours and getting better grades than her first semester. She spent six weeks in Spain, had the time of her life, and can't wait to go back :-)

My rising 9th grader has processing difficulties and very poor working memory. He was getting new words each week to learn in his English class, dutifully looking up the definition and using them in a sentence, but he wasn't able to commit them to memory using this method. Neither were many of the other kids in the class, as indicated by quizzes the teacher would give. So she started having the kids draw a picture to go along with the word and it helped tremendously--it gave a little image for the brain to hook onto in relation to the word. At home we started doing picture flash cards as well, like these: Vocabulary Flash Cards. We learn a couple of new flash cards during lunch or dinner time every few days, and review the cards we've already learned. Again the image helps, along with a little story if necessary. The card for gregarious has a picture of a group of meercats (since they are social animals), so we named one of the meercats on the card Greg. Not all kids need that much help with vocab, but it has helped a lot around here.

At our group we have an all-group Assembly time that begins 20 minutes before the first class. During this time we do the pledge, a prayer, announcements, getting-to-know-you type activities, and/or presentations by classes or visiting individuals. It is supposed to be mandatory, and since we are a multi-aged group it's a great opportunity to get everyone together and have a chance to get acquainted, but really its main purpose is to get everyone there on time. Because if they think they have to be there by 9:40, they will almost always get there by 10, which is when the classes start. There aren't many families that miss the assembly time, but it is always the same families, and they are the families who were always 20 minutes late to class when we didn't have assembly. It's much less disruptive to have them "only" miss assembly, but of course I don't tell them this. We also often do really fun stuff at assembly that they will only catch the tail end of, so they know they are missing out on something and hopefully try to leave home a little earlier next time (wishful thinking!). We've tried other methods (like "classroom doors will close 10 minutes after the start of class--please wait until the next class if you arrive after the doors close"), but people still came late and ignored the requests, because surely it didn't apply to THEM. It was also too difficult to monitor--we are a large group with a lot of classes all over the building. It's much less stressful leadership-wise to have them missing a fun group activity but more assuredly on time for classes. I don't like it when people come late, but I don't stress about it anymore because it's not disruptive like it used to be. Field trips are another issue altogether. ETA: we have classes at 10 and 11. You sign up for both hours or none, so we never had an issue with people coming late for the 11:00 class--they were already there. It was just the first class of the day where lateness was a problem.

We own several and find target practice to be an enjoyable family activity.

The good news is you are beginning this process NOW and thinking about the big picture. Just like you didn't have to know everything about homeschooling when you started with your 5-year-old, neither do you have to know everything about college admissions for the homeschooler when you hit that 8th/9th grade mark. But if you get an idea of what's coming, you can focus on what to do now and at each stage of the process. I've graduated one, and I tell people that learning the guidance counselor role was definitely a challenge, and not one that I anticipated. My middle child is a rising 9th grader, so I'm about to begin this process all over again. Because this child is a completely different learner than his sister, it's going to be a very different ride this time, but because of what I learned the first time around, I'm ready, I'm excited, and I'm only a little anxious. :) The high school years are the transition, the final training ground for your student to take this thing called life and really run with it. For my daughter's senior year I felt like my official title was "nag," since most of my time was spent saying, "did you study for the SAT," or "have you finished that college app essay yet," or "what about that scholarship?" Somehow we made it through, and when she started college it was a relief to be through with that role. It was also exhilarating to see her take the reigns for herself, make things happen all on her own, and succeed with flying colors. It was a long road from the beginning of high school to the end, but it went by so quickly. Homeschooling high school was different than the early years to be sure, but rewarding in its own right. You can do it--one step at a time! Just keep learning right alongside, like you have all along.

Co-op is weekly from September - April. Park days are monthly, field trips are usually 2x/month, social events like parties and such are random according to season and the motivation of the person planning the event. Events are usually scaled WAY back in the summer, with people traveling, entertaining guests, etc. Our calendar is most active during the school year.

I am in a similar climate, but our rec soccer season ended a month ago. By the last few games it was crazy hot, I can't imagine a tournament in June temps/humidity. I don't think you're a hot-weather whimp, I think you're hot-weather smart! Hope it's over soon and all is well.

If offsite is not an option, get two rooms at a value. If you don't want to worry about food, get the dining plan--just the quick service one unless big meals are important and you are willing to put some time and planning into making reservations for table service meals (more info on dining plans here.) However, considering that for the same cost or less of your two rooms at a value you could get a 3 BR, 2 BA townhouse offsite in a nice resort community, I think you should at least look at what your options are and not rule out offsite entirely. It's really a great way to do Disney on a budget. The ages of your kids in 1.5 - 2 years are ideal for a Disney vacation. One of my favorite years was when my kids were 11, 7, and 4. Our favorite time to go is early December--after the Thanksgiving rush but well before the Christmas one. The parks are decorated beautifully, the weather is great, and crowds are generally low. The new fast pass plus program has added a whole new layer of planning to a Disney vacation. But you've plenty of time to look into all that.

We saw it last night. There were plenty of little kids in the theater, and dh and I remarked that it was a pretty intense movie for the smaller set. But if your 4-year-old has seen the other 3 JP movies and they don't bother him, he'll probably be ok with this one, too. Though for me there's a whole different element to seeing it in the theater. I had my fingers in my ears for the dino attack sequences. Soooo loud . . . I liked the movie.

Well ideally there are recreational level sports leagues that an 11 year old new to the sport IS able to just jump onto a team and play. I think the beef comes for areas or particular sports that don't have a strong rec program and the only option are the competition teams that require tryouts and the like. Only having that type of program available would make it very difficult for a child who did not have either prior experience, access to private lessons, or who was just generally very athletically-inclined to make the team. Similarly, many, many school children start musical instruments in middle school with band or orchestra having nary a lesson prior. No, they might not pass the audition for the city's youth orchestra, but there are still options available for them to perform with a group, even without private lessons. Plus there are instruments that lend themselves to solo performance, like piano, that never require group participation. There are probably more little kids taking piano lessons than any other instrument and yes, nobody bats an eye. But lessons to learn how to kick a soccer ball better, for a year, just so you're good enough to play on the team? Sports just don't translate as nicely into individual performance, unless it's something like swimming or track.