There are pictures out there of the bra and undies found that originated from the 1400s. The design is so incredibly similar to today's uncomfortables that it's unnerving. My faves right now come from Sketchers (yes, the shoe company). Boy shorts, full coverage, seamless, and cheap. I grew up with seamstresses that didn't understand sensory issues and seemed to have patterns modeled after the 1400s. The first thing I did as an adult was look for ones that fit properly and were flat. Every time I find something I like, though, they get discontinued and I have to go on a new hunt all over again.

Italian beds are often very hard. If you can pack a thin mat or air mattress, I absolutely would. Or some muscle cream. It can be a significant change from an American pillow top or memory foam mattress.

I got to sleep late, too! grocery shopping violin laundry email parent bake brownies for this evening take ds to potluck dinner/get together

700 miles? Let the moving company do it. They should pack a box or two in their car, though. We carried air mattresses, bedding, toilet paper, towels, pots, pans, dinner ware, and seasonings. Things we needed more immediately and didn't want to have to dig through boxes for.

Saxon is very procedural. Not nearly as bad as Life of Fred, but the hammering of rote work without fully working on understanding how something is working in the 4th-8th grade years is a drawback. It can hinder a lower student or one that isn't provided side by side conceptual learning opportunities. That said, when paired with adequate high school science, a student is getting both the procedural and the conceptual in side by side classes. For many kids, Saxon works just fine, all the way through from the Nancy Larson sets up through high school. The average student cannot be anything but competent with math just due to the amount of work and repetition. It's a really solid program in getting kids to be able to do math. And their high school books are quite a bit better than what is used in a public school classroom. At home, though, given all the options, I honestly would choose Dolciani, Jacobs, or AoPS as a preference and Saxon as a second choice. They're just friendlier to students overall.

I'm feeling similar. Dh taking ds to practice might be really nice. I'm not looking forward to a cold rink.

1. I take ds to school every day, he rides the bus home. It is less gas weekly than getting him to violin, p.e., and book group with homeschooling (and I'm not counting field trips.). He also gets p.e., literature discussions, and art at the school, so I'm not paying out of pocket for those (he dropped violin) 2. Lunch is free for all students here. I also pack ds lunch and he buys an extra lunch/drink because he ate his home packed lunch during second period. He eats breakfast at home, but breakfast is also free there. I spend about $35 every two weeks to supplement above what the school offers for free. He brings a metal water bottle, there are water filling stations all around the school, and the front office/advisors keep water bottles on hand with the school logo for any kid that might need one. 3. My supply list is way down. Each year I put together bags for the teachers with kleenex, boxes of pencils, dry erase markers, clorox wipes, and extra supplies they ask the kids for. In the spring, during conferences, I bring in more kleenex and pencils. Ds uses a Chromebook, backpack, binder, folders, pencils, and about 300 sheets of paper. I don't buy books, usually, though I do buy him personal copies of the Latin text and English class literature. It is much cheaper for me to send my child to school, and my time is money, too. The trade off right now is HUGE. DS is getting some really great teachers who are passionate and love their subjects. I could not have asked for better Latin and science teachers for him. I have time to go back to school, tutor other kids, work on hobbies, make nutritious meals, and still get ds to intensive after school activities. I am not spending 20 hours a week during the summer familiarizing myself with lessons, trying out science experiments/tweaking instructions, developing cohesive lessons that meet ds's needs..... I loved homeschooling, but it's a lot. It takes time, money, and energy and some years, it sapped my desire to spend that much time with my kid. Tweens can be hard. They're not the easiest to spend 24/7 with and stay patient. I'm a firm believer in doing what you can, when you can, and when it's the best option. Right now I pay less and send my kid to a school that is meeting his needs very well. I wouldn't have said the same thing when he was younger (options were awful or expensive), but right now - yeah, I'm good paying the price and getting a kid who enthusiastically tells me what he's learning about.

I had coffee and a bagel. Dh woke up while I was practicing violin and was pleasantly surprised. Usually I play when no one is around because I am awful, but I guess I've made significant progress. Dump run is completed. Up next: assess luggage for vacation. We don't usually all go and those that do share suitcases. Well, I'm the smallest in the house now and sharing might be out.

DS worked scout camp. His most used items that summer were these. I'm not going to link things because his is 15 years old/bought in other countries. A good camp chair. Something with support that doesn't sag. Youngest ds had his eye on one that also came with a matching table (roll up top of hard slats, not fabric) A silk sleeping bag insert. It gets hot in the summer. The silk was breathable enough for him to be comfortable but also retained just enough heat. It was quick wash, quick dry. Microfiber towels - 3 of them. Again, quick wash, quick dry. One for bathing, one for swimming, one to alternate if they were being washed. Mosquito netting. Especially if she has a bunk or wants to create an extension of the tent as an outdoor spot, it's really useful. A thin welcome mat. I think ds got his at one of the dollar places, but we use a berber carpet style one for family camping inside the tent and a more rubbery one outside. There needs to be a place for muddy shoes that's not in the weather and not getting the tent filthy. Organizational containers. I bought ones like this from Ikea a long time ago, except ours are red/blue/green. They're about the size of shoe boxes, zipper bottom to lie flat, and are nylon to help keep from absorbing water. I bought them about 12 years ago, they're still going strong. In fact, they'll be used quite a bit this summer: family vacation and two different summer camps. It's nice to have something to store all the little things and keep the floor neat, and not have to drag out the trunk or bag each time. Lights. ALL THE LIGHTS. Bonus if you can get some solar power in there, too. The garden stakes with solar lights? They're perfect to mark the lines of the tent and keep folks from tripping.

Good morning! It's a lot of rain going on today, but I'm hoping that won't affect things too much. coffee violin take recycling/trash to the dump tidy up the house laundry bake cookies tutor dinner: pecan crusted chicken, wedge potatoes (or mashed), green salad with apples take ds to practice

I don't even like Saxon, but I'd be hard pressed to find anything wrong with it for high school. One of the things I have noticed more with my own son's tests is the heavier reliance on reading comprehension: careful attention to details like consistent measurements and being able to sketch out what you think the question is asking. Any student who is competent with the material can add in more of this part to their lessons through something like AoPS' Alcumus (free online supplement) or a practice ACT/SAT book. I would not worry about having to ditch Saxon if it works for you and your kids.

It depends on where the cough is - chest or throat. Alka-seltzer Cold & Flu works for chest coughs here. It helps to break up the mucus and tastes like a cold orange drink. I don't know how low it's rated for, but I was comfortable giving it to ds at age 9. Cough drops work otherwise if it's coming from a dry/scratchy throat. We end up eating a lot of Chinese food, too, when kids are sick, because I can load up noodles with ginger, chilis, etc. and balance it out with a honey-sweetened stir fry dish.

Same. It was nauseating having the news on this morning because it was replayed every 5 minutes. Then every other person on Facebook linked it. I don't want to hide my head in the sand, but I really can't take the constant coverage and repetition of death. Everyone there, they were somebody's person.

DS has decided to do activities tonight, but not all. We'll skip scouting. The day has been slightly derailed and that's okay. Tomorrow is a new chance to get things done.

$65 at the grocery store, but I actually planned out for the next few nights and got everything plus some lunches and dh's meals at work. Dinner tonight: pork chops with peppercorn pan sauce, green beans, roasted potatoes. Tomorrow: roasted veggie bowls with barley and grilled haloumi cheese Thursday: honey mustard pecan crusted chicken, apple and greens salad, lemon potato wedges & tzatziki sauce for dipping

I don't like them together. The pants are warm, but the shoes have more of a grey tone. A white or a cream, maybe, instead?

I'm not so sure about this major time shift, but.......😄 Today: school work grocery shop (because I never did yesterday) tidy house And I'm not sure what else. DS may or may not do his activities tonight. He is still in a lot of pain.

It is a horrifying video. My heart goes out to the community.

My dh doesn't like the idea, either. It is a guarantee to start a rant about the IRS making taxes more difficult than they need to be. I hope yours finds a solution that works for him!

First day of astronomy is done. It's a condensed course, so the material is more than enough to do each week: 1-2 chapters, 2-3 activities/labs, 1 quiz, and 2 posts of various topics. I noticed one of the weeks has the due dates adjusted to account for the K through 12 schools' spring break, which is rather nice.

Yeah, school ends soon and it didn't seem wise to send him back to sit on a wooden chair. I'll email his main teacher this afternoon and let her know that he might prefer standing tomorrow. He says nothing helps, but also, he's a teen boy who is moody about his body not feeling right and missing ice time, on top of a sleepless night, so I'll take his complaining with just half a grain of salt. Hopefully he can start feeling better by the morning. I wouldn't be surprised to find him asleep this afternoon after the ibuprofen kicks in.

I spent the morning at walk-in care with ds. And if this was any other community I probably would have sounded like the crazy parent asking, 'yes, but can he play on Saturday?" But all the docs know him and have kids in sports/played them when they were young, so even though we were there for his spine they did a basic neuro test and kept making sure he didn't have a concussion every time we saw another person. Good news: he's cleared to play. No fractures. (and no concussion!) Bad news: he's going to be in pain this week. He can't be given much for relief, so he just has to deal and stand as needed. I'm going to take a few minutes to enjoy a cup of tea before moving on to what needs to happen at home.

I remember it being variable, but averaged about 45 minutes.

Good morning! DS14 may have broken his butt yesterday in the game, so I'm waiting for that call to tell me he just cannot sit in class today. Other than that... figure out dinner grocery shop first astronomy class RSVP our potluck dish tidy the house

Match to the top, or pick a pair of darker brown shoes that match the tone of the beige. I think black shoes, beige pants, a black blouse and a beaded necklace would look sharp. Same with taking out the black and doing a nice white for shoes/blouse. Any other color, go with a brown or white shoe (or something strappy and multicolored).