When I was a kid my dad worked on some big mansions out in the Hamptons -- and I got to briefly meet Ralph Lauren, the designer, and Cheryl Tiegs, the model. I think there were a few others, but I don't remember the details. Recently I've gotten to meet/chat with/share an elevator with a number of people famous in classical music. I love that feeling of shortness of breath I get when I turn around or look up and unexpectedly see the recognizable face of a famous musician -- right nearby. Does that mean I'm a groupie??? LOL

Teachers should definitely get involved in a bullying situation. But, for various reasons, they don't always. My oldest went to a small school the year he was ten and the teachers didn't stop a boy from intimidating other kids with a stick on the playground. I didn't find out about it until afterwards, when my ds told me what he had done. He thought I would be mad, but I was so proud! Ds had taken the stick from the kid, who was holding it in a suggestive position and saying what he was going to do to ds with it, and broke it in half and threw it away. (I suspect there may have been some waving and yelling included at this point, which is probably why ds thought I would be mad.) The kid never bothered him again. I was shocked that my ten year old had to be subjected to this (he said it had happened for regularly for a number of days), but I was more shocked that the teachers didn't stop it even when kids asked for help. So, I agree with the PP who suggested a way for your dd to stand up for herself. In the end, adults won't always be around to stop this nonsense, so it's a good idea for your dd to try shutting it down if possible. Plus, she'll feel empowered, instead of helpless, if she can do something about it on her own. No harm in trying, anyway!

OP, Jersey City can be expensive. I think I'd look in Secaucus (also on the PATH line). How far outside of Boston do you want to be? Framingham has affordable hotels. It's about 20-30 minutes depending on *where* in Boston you're heading (and that is not during rush hour). It would be good to stay near a "T" stop. Perhaps Allston or Brighton? But I don't know about hotel prices there...

A copperhead that small??? Does that mean there's a nest around nearby??? Ack!

That is very cool! Good for him!

Oh yes! I remember a few years ago a professor at a CC in my state was offering to arrange a non-credit history-discussion class for homeschoolers. It would meet *at* the community college, but would be open only to homeschoolers and there was no pre-requisite. He also stated that he would not require college level output of the kids. Some of the parents I knew who took advantage of this class proudly exclaimed that their children were "taking a college class!" My ds, who was 12 at the time with a long-time, passionate interest in the topic (WWII-era history) was adamant that he did not wish to take the class. He had found out that some younger kids, with whom he was familiar (he knew something about their maturity level and their reading interests), would be taking the class and realized that the class would not be taught at the level that he was looking for. At that age I am sure he would have been able to handle an actual college-level class on this topic (based on his many years of deep interest and the amount of reading and discussion he had put into the topic *and* based on his writing ability/output level at the time). I remember being awed that certain parents had the... chutzpah... to go around announcing that their kids were now going to be taking a college level class. I so badly wanted to denounce them! LOL But I just kept my mouth shut and walked away. I realized that this group was not going to be the right social fit for me and my family.

My older two have been doing accelerated coursework (high school level work at younger ages and college level work in high school), but not all at once. It's been subject-by-subject. Then there's the question of "what IS high school level work?" and "what IS college level work?" because there are high schools out there that offer a level of challenge often found in colleges and middle schools out there that regularly teach what some high schools teach.Then there's the question of "which country's level?" My 11 year old enjoys his sister's geometry review for SAT prep... but not sure if that's really high school level (he has been using Singapore Primary Math, which in grade level 5 and 6 teaches three quarters of what the US teaches in a one year high school Geometry course). Earliest for us: Ds took a college level engineering class his freshman year of high school (age 14) and actual college classes in science, history, English, and math in high school each year after that. Dd advanced to conservatory level music theory work in middle school (age 13). Music is her only college level coursework. Everything else is still high school level. Ds 11 has been using a high school level Latin curriculum since age 10 (or perhaps at 9, a few months before turning 10). He does beginning Algebra 1 and Geometry, but I'm not confident that should be considered high school math as it is commonly offered in middle schools across the US and is commonly taught at the middle school level in other countries.

I am reading through this now. It certainly makes sense that there are more factors at play than just diet.

Call her regular doctor (who has experience with her RND). Perhaps there is more to consider than a typical allergist would be familiar with? Perhaps the regular doctor can recommend an allergist and would be willing to work closely with that person due to your dd's medical complications. Edited to add: We have lots of allergy experience here. Two of my kids have EpiPens. When we did allergy testing, it opened up a whole can of worms we didn't even know were lurking beneath the surface. Glad to have found out, though!

Not yet, but we're considering the idea...

Has anyone read The China Study by T. Colin Campbell? If you have, what are your thoughts??? I just started it and I have to say it is convincing -- Whole Food Plant Based eating. And I never ever thought I would consider eating a vegan diet. This book has a companion cookbook. Of course.

PS Benedryl is dosed by weight. Do you know his weight? Also, you can safely give a double dose if needed, but you don't want to do that regularly.

It can't hurt to call the pediatrician and ask for their advice. My ds got stung yesterday. Sigh. More than 4 times, for sure. Ended up with swelling in places he wasn't stung (including his lips/nose), all over rash and itching, and hives. We gave him a double dose of Benedryl and rushed to the ER. Now he, like his sister, will carry an epinephrine pen for a sting allergy.

Oh come on. This totally depends on the kid. Some kids read outside of their textbooks. Some kids watch PBS specials at home with their families. Some kids' families have stories to tell from their ancestors' experiences IN the wars. They know there's more to the story than what they hear in class. Some kids make the leaps AKA connections in all of their classes and in life. Some kids aren't told the whole story, but always wonder about the details that aren't included in their classes/textbooks (figuring that the world is too big to fit in a textbook where everything is "cut and dried"). Some kids question EVERYTHING and even argue with the teacher...

Yeah... they didn't realize right away. A couple of days into the festival one of them asked where she went to school. When she answered with the name of the conservatory, she tagged "Pre-college" onto the end, like she always does. She told me they were surprised, and yes, asked about her age.

I remember letting my 16 year old take a Greyhound from our home state into NYC... and meeting him at Port Authority. That did not make me nervous. I hate to say this, but I think it is easier *for me* with the boy. I feel like the girl is more likely to be a target. (Also the boy is tall. He makes a visual impact. I think *I feel* that people with negative intentions are less likely to mess with a bigger male?) One more thing. The boy is cautious. He's not a risk-taker. (That is easier on mom.) The girl loves adrenaline. Heh. (Thankfully so far she has not made any stupid choices. I know... I know... this will not always be the case.)

No danger of inhibiting her social success: I generally only wanted to know where she was going to be during her hour break (off to lunch) and where she was headed after 5pm. I don't consider that helicoptering. My entire goal was for her *to* be able to hang out with this social group... but it was hard for me because the group was older. (Also, it wasn't older like, we're all grown-ups and you're a kid so we'll watch out for you. It was two days before they even realized she wasn't a college student. She was clearly just fitting in as a peer.) But I get it: you guys think I am over-sheltering. Okay. But would all of you *really* send your 15 year old dds off with a group of new-to-her 20-25 year old guys (and some college girls) around a new city with no knowledge of where they were or when they'd be back? Really??? If that's the case, then I guess I am really a bit heavy on the supervision... but most of my social group is likewise and those other high school students had supervision... so I don't feel *so* weird being anxious about dd's taste for independence. I think you're right: I think her behavior *is* age and stage appropriate. But it's just too fast for *me!* I guess I am just not eager for her to grow up and away... Sigh. She's so eager. (She should have been expected to handle the regular communication protocol, right? Hence my yelling.) I don't think I would have yelled had it been a high school group. I think I was more anxious because the group was older and because I knew she was so comfortable with that. I bet that makes no sense to you all, right? LOL It just really made me feel nervous. But I let her do it anyway, thinking the whole time that I was insane in doing so... Edited to add: This thinking ("I am insane for letting her do this") is becoming repetitive. I have been thinking this a lot lately.

I know you grew up in Germany and I think that, even today, the culture there is more "free-range" than most places in the US. My parents were raised in the US during a time when it was usual for a whole neighborhood of kids to run around everywhere after school together. I was raised in the US, but it was different. My little brother and I were the *only* kids in our town going out everywhere and anywhere whenever we wanted without adult supervision. We went riding our bikes everywhere at 7 years old unsupervised all day long. Mom never knew where we were and I had a couple of close calls at that young age with a highway. (I was young and stupid and had no supervision. What can I say?) At 15 I was taking 3 public buses to and from school every morning and every evening when the other kids my age were on a school bus or being driven by their parents. When I was 16 mom didn't come home for two weeks (I cooked and cleaned and went to school). I was also at college at 17. But I am raising my kids differently. We live in the country, on a farm, so they do go outside without me. They have time and space for themselves. Dd goes to music school in the big city and walks blocks to get coffee and whatnot with her friends. I'm cool with that. I only ask that she tell me before she goes -- where, with whom, and when, approximately, she'll get back. It felt really different, this time, though. Different city. And I know it's the age of the people she was hanging out with that made it feel different for me -- and the fact that she was so comfortable in that group, comfortable enough to totally feel "one of them" and just not "get" my concern. I know that she may very well go off to college at 17. I am NOT ready. Edited to add: It was also obvious to me, at the time, that many kids older than my own were required to travel in groups with a chaperone... and here she was gallivanting around with the college group. But, like I said, she's honest and usually makes good choices, so I was willing to go with that (with the same limits we always have -- text me where, when, and with whom). But it was hard for me. I'm very thankful these people were all very serious, low-key personalities. I know it will not always be that way.

The issue wasn't that I didn't want her hanging out with them. The issue was that I could deal with that if I knew "where, when, and with whom." In advance. (And there were a few times she didn't answer my texts. Nothing awful. Just didn't have the phone on her body and as usual had the ringer off. But it bothered me because for that hour I honestly had no idea where in the college or in the city my child might be and she wasn't where I expected her to be.) She's honest with me. And she usually makes good choices. It's just that she's a heck of a lot younger than the rest of the group and I want her safe. Because I love her. That's all. Edited to add: The high schoolers who were dorming at this festival had to travel in groups together with a dorm chaperone when they went out for meals. My dd wasn't dorming, so she didn't fall under their supervision rules.

Hmmm... does your 14 year old hang out with a bunch of college guys (20-25 year olds) she barely knows? Walking around a city she doesn't know? Would that change things for you? And if not, I respect that. But it was too much for *me.*

I don't mean in a reckless or risky way. No. And no real rule breaking. But she seems to be in such a rush to grow up! Last week my 15 year old spent a very full five days at a small chamber music festival that was about 50/50 high school and college-aged musicians. Dd's group was a college group (half were master's degree students). Of course it was natural that, after spending many hours a day rehearsing with them, she would want to hang out with them during down time as well. So they frequently walked to local restaurants for lunch or dinner together By the third night I found myself yelling: "You must text me BEFORE you go! You must tell me where you are going, who you are with, and when you expect to be back! No, 'some place about four blocks away with some people' is NOT good enough." I told her if it happened again I was going to literally walk her from place to place all day long and she would have to spend every meal with me. Tomato-staking anyone? LOL Thank God these musicians are all incredibly serious, mature, "goody-two shoes" types, or I'd have had a coronary! It's crazy: she's just so comfortable hanging out with them that she seems to easily "forget" her young age! (I sure hope THEY don't!) She is eager to head off to college and I do believe, when she does go, that she will not look back. Sigh. Do you find your older accelerated learners tend to grow up faster than typical? Do they burst out of the nest like racehorses out of the gates? How will I survive this???

In my current town the cutoff is Dec. 31. Most of the towns around us are Sept.1. Where I started school it was Dec. 31. We moved often and most of the places I lived had Sept.1st cutoffs.

I think it depends -- what do you want her transcript to look like? I have just started dd's transcript, as she has just completed her "freshman year." The first thing I did was ask myself what sort of transcript I wanted her to have. If she was in school, what type of school would it be (in my imagination -- but I did have her older brother's school transcript to go on, as he just graduated). And in that type of school, how would those types of activities be tracked (what sort of credits)? Dd has a ton of friends who attend schools (public, private, and professional children's schools) as well as a few who homeschool, so I spent some time this year chatting with other parents and finding out how their kids' schools track these things. As it turns out, kids who take a few hours of ballet as week and go to school do not have this activity listed on their academic transcript, but do list it on the applications as an extracurricular activity. Same thing with piano lessons, practice, and singing in choirs (unless the choir or orchestra meets at the high school daily, during a class time, and many do - then they get academic credit for that). Many kids in school do take a year of art or music theory. They get academic credit for that. For my dd -- I'm currently designing two transcripts because I couldn't decide which way I wanted to design it. Ha! Well, I will sort that out when she graduates. *First version does not list her music education at all. It will be an extracurricular activity. Her Saturday music school, though, provides a transcript with grades and will award her a diploma upon graduation. This transcript will accompany her academic transcript. *Second version of the academic transcript gives one credit for music theory. I'm also giving an art credit based on artist studies at home, art techniques she practices at home, and "field trips" taken to art museums. FWIW Dd's music education looks like this, so far-- (at her Saturday music school) four years of ear training four years of music theory -- currently beyond the AP level four years of weekly orchestra rehearsals plus three orchestra concerts a year four years of weekly chamber music rehearsals plus four concerts a year four years of weekly lessons with hours of daily practice choir, additional classes such as psychology of performance, music history, etc. (outside of music school) 6-12 performances a year with a community outreach organization, including mentoring underprivledged and inner city youth chamber music festivals (weeks at a time of all day rehearsals, lectures, workshops, masterclass participation, and performances) I think you have some flexibility with this. While you want to make sure to give her credit for her hard work, you also want to make sure her transcript doesn't look padded (she should get similar "credit" as schooled kids would get for the same activities/time and effort). Good luck!

Yikes! Three years ago dd had those symptoms (the red spots on her thighs!)... and wicked sore throat and double ear infections... pediatrician said she didn't know what it was. We treated for the throat/ear infection with antibiotics and then watched symptoms go away... but it took weeks! I remember how tired she was... She was never tested for Lyme! I wonder if I should talk to the pediatrician about this. She has no symptoms now, but what if she were to test positive?

Yes: we found ticks on our dogs after walking along the side of the road (mounded with snow) in January in New England. Egads they are everywhere!