There are a few really good NCAA threads here - and on The College Board forum. You might use google and google NCAA welltrainedmind and see what comes up. You do not have to use NCAA-approved courses (we used only a couple) - but for online or co-op courses, you will want to list yourself as the primary teacher and the online-class provider as a supplementary instructor or other similar title. Community College classes are easy peasy and always approved. The NCAA wants to be ensured that: a) high-school level (or above) textbooks were used. If, in any class, you use a middle-school text as a supplement to a high-school course, leave it off the textbook list. b) high-school level coursework was assigned. I wrote some of dd's class descriptions and used other descriptions from online providers or curricula providers to supplement that information. This wound up being helpful for her Common App anyway, and we included a full four-year class description addition to her applications. c) that the student was, indeed, homeschooled. Hence it being simplest to list yourself as the teacher-in-charge of most of the classes. HTHs and good luck to your daughter!!! It felt like a really scary process at the time we went through it - but in hindsight, what the NCAA wants is pretty basic. Just dot your i's and cross your t's on the paperwork so they don't have to think too hard and make it more complicated than what it is. Use standard titles for your courses (English Comp I - Introduction to Literature, for instance, vs Ferris Beuller's Day Off and His Effects on Modern Literature). Algebra II vs Mathematics 102, etc. Just K.I.S.S. edited to add: DON'T sign up to the NCAA until you absolutely have to. There is no reason to start the process early. Waiting gives you more control over the data.

Boy, howdy - isn't that the truth? We had a nearly decade-long group/multiple friendships that was wrecked when one single girl was added to the mix. It was truly flabbergasting to watch everything go down in flames in the manner in which it did. We're all still a bit scarred, to be honest. lol To the OP - good luck. Hopefully they're just having adjustment issues and will adapt to the group dynamics soon.

The Musical Instrument Museum offers no discounts (there was a whole discussion while we were there about it). But it was worth every penny. Simply astoundingly amazing. Go!! :) Have at least 4-5 hours to mosey around. I’ve heard the cafe there is great (but they close early).

We stayed at our first air bnb recently and did so without ID. Then I went to reserve another spot for the tail-end of our trip and the OD was required. I think air bnb lets the first one slip by - and then they pop in the requirement. I really really don’t like it. I would have preferred to undergo a background check from a well-established company vs sending in a copy of my ID. But I did it anyway. The owners of the homes have nothing to do with the requirement. It’s totally an air bnb requirement.

I remember when DD1 was applying early to several schools and the deadline was... what... like October 15th? I showed up to a senior parent's meeting (homeschool) while DD1 and I were in the midst of total stress and chaos trying to figure out application stuff, counselor letter, etc. I sat down and expected to commiserate with at least a COUPLE of the parents. When I mentioned that DD was up to her neck with college essays and I was fretting over the homeschool "school report" for the Common App - I got 100% blank looks from the other parents. None of them had any idea what I meant. I said that some of the scholarships and honors programs she was applying for had very early deadlines and a mom said condescendingly, "Oh, no. You must have read that wrong. The <local public university> takes scholarship applications until March. There's no way a school sets a deadline this early." And they all tittered at my silliness. :glare: She was even wrong about the local public U - they DO take late applications for scholarships, BUT that's only if there's $$$ left in the pot. Late applications aren't guaranteed a darn thing! I didn't bother informing her of that, though. Figured if she didn't want to read the fine print... then... whatever. Her kid (perfectly bright - always intended to go to college) hasn't started school yet. He's still working at his "temporary" job 20 hours a week. Yes to this. Several of my kids' friends planned to go to college, but haven't yet because they had no idea how to go about the process. This is why I didn't go to college. My parents had zero interest, and I didn't know how to go about it. :/ Everyone. E.v.e.r.y.o.n.e. told my DD1 how scholarships would just be rolled out like a red carpet for her for both academics and sports. In the end, she WAS offered a LOT of significant scholarships - but every single one of those was a result of she and/or I doing the legwork, connecting with people, staying on top of deadlines, asking questions, etc. The offers certainly didn't show up on her doorstep with an offer like a Publisher's Clearing House check. She was a recruited athlete, and still... LOTS of work on our part to keep everything juggled properly. In the end - we do what we HAVE to do. Paying OOP for our 3 kids to go to college just isn't an option. We have to look for financial aid, scholarships, etc and do a ton of research to see which is not only the best "fit" but also financially viable. At our financial level, funnily enough, often the "fancy" OOS schools are cheaper than the local universities.

I think dh and I had this in late December. DH was more sick than he has been in years with a fever that tipped 103+ at times. He went in to the dr on day 2 or 3 and they tested him for the flu and it came back negative. But we've had that happen before (a flu test say negative and a couple days later says positive). A day or so later, it hit me. Dry coughs, every single muscle ached horribly, fever, exhausted... DH was unwell for 2.5-3 weeks. I was "sick" for about 3 days, and felt crappy for another week. The kids were also sick, but with a milder/shorter version of what we had. So now I'm walking around, unsure if we are still capable of catching this flu or if we've already BTDT! Ugh! Wish I'd gone in or sent DH to go back again a day later just so we would *know* for sure. But, I sure don't know what else it could've been. It sure as heck wasn't a cold!

Agreeing totally. This was/is a huge reason I really can't talk to fellow local-moms about this topic. They genuinely have no idea at all at the costs of things. And if I try to infuse some knowledge into the conversation, I am dismissed or scoffed at. So, I gave up, smile, and move the conversation to other topics.

Congrats to your daughter! That is so exciting!!! My poor dd missed the deadline by one day - and it was totally my fault (long story, but the fault was completely mine). She can enter next year, but it won't be the same. *sniff*

I'm replying just so I can have a good laugh later at how much the plans have changed! Not that we have it narrowed down all that much yet. Ugh. This is a tough year to juggle - it's tricky to figure out which classes are best. Original plan was for DD2 to take a ton of CC classes... but... the classes she has left to take aren't her strongest... so I'm thinking it'll be best to head the AP way except for English or Spanish (where she's strongest). DSs sophomore will either kill him or make him stronger. lol But, it's essential that he has a tough sophomore year in order to allow for some breathing room during junior year and senior year. So, he's diving in head first. He'll also tackle at least one CLEP over this summer. DD2 (senior year) AP Calc AB (Derek Owens) OR AP Statistics (PAH) AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism (PAH?? Maybe? I need to look at options) OR AP Chemistry (PAH) AP English Lit (Blue Tent) OR Blue Tent Senior English (depends on her narrowed-down university choices... if she might get additional credit for Lit, she'll take that... or CC Comp II) AP Music Theory (PAH or private instruction) Spanish III or CC Spanish there will be 2-3 more classes that she'll take in short "bursts" throughout the summer/year to take some CLEP exams DS1 (sophomore year) AP Calc AB OR AP Statistics AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism + Mechanics OR AP Chemistry Blue Tent Honors English II AP Music Theory (PAH or private instruction) Spanish III US History (CLEP) US Government (CLEP)

I have one enrolled in WTM's Intermediate Music Theory class. I've been very pleased. Informative classes, the workload seems just about right (not too intense, but covers a lot of material). My kid's intentions for this class are that they are a musician already - BUT have a very informal theory background. So they wanted to take this class before taking AP Music Theory to help fill in gaps of knowledge - and this class is doing exactly that. Some things my kid already knows... other things they do not. It's working out great. I have another kid taking music theory with their instrument teacher. The time available for this teacher didn't work out for the other kid, hence the fact that one is in an online class, and the other in a private class.

We rented all of dds textbooks this semester - a first! They ranged from $12-$30 each to rent. She does need two codes for a Calc and science class - but has a math one "left-over" from last semester (the website said we NEEDED the code - professor on day 1 said they didn't... grrrrr). So she'll have to buy the code for a textbook she already owns (dropped this class last semester, so just needs to renew the code since she "spent" it last semester, apparently. UGH).

gawd, yes. 2017 was a nasty beast of epic proportions for a multitude of reasons that I don’t *think* can replicate themselves in 2018. 🤢 Good riddance 2017, ya sorry excuse of a year. May 2018 be a kinder, gentler experience. 💛

Is she closing immediately, or finishing out this school year? I can only imagine the stresses of being a one-woman show as an online provider. I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about Lone Pine and am sad to see her go, but wish her all the best in her new endeavors.

Ah. That’s reasonable for you not to want to hash it out. 👠Now that I think about it, I think the younger students who have been in dds’ classes have come “up†through their honors courses and are not new enrollees. DS might not be taking AP Lang next year after all. ;) lol (He will be relieved because he’s doing AP Calc or Stats and AP Chem next year so he’s been fighting me on the English thing. I’ll take it as a sign he’s right & wait til 11th. lol)

Have no experience with the two you’ve mentioned. DD1 used Blue Tent for AP Lit due to the reading list at that time. DD2 is taking AP Lang with Blue Tent because we loved the first experience so much. I simply can’t praise Brigid enough. The every day morning notes the PAH English teachers seem to favor we’re just too much for *us*. We want the whole week at once and Blue Tent fits that bill. 👠DS will enroll in AP Lang with Blue Tent next year for 10th.

:iagree:

It varied wildly for dd (hs class of 2016). In the end, she received Portal Notification, Email, AND Written Confirmation of acceptance from 100% of the schools - but the order in which they were received was all over the place. One university in particular - when reading College Confidential posts - seemed to be all over the board as to how they notified students. Some received a letter in the mail first, others were notified in their portal - it was impossible to predict which method a student would receive firsthand. IMHO, nothing beats the snail-mail notifications. Those envelopes were exciting to open. For dd to have the letter in-hand, along with other promotional information about the school, registration info, scholarship info.... hands-down the best.

No advice - but {{hugs}}.

:mellow: for real?This is a Thing? ummmm, can the bridesmaids opt out? I simply cannot imagine! I was a MOH/bridesmaid in... lemmee think... eight (maybe nine?) weddings. None of these were relatives - just friends. I'm just sitting here... dumbfounded... if I'd have had to go shopping with all 8 of them while they tried on dress after dress after dress?? I'd have asked them to just shoot me now, please. No way, no how. Just thinking of all the bridesmaids offering their varied opinions and disagreeing with one another on which dress is best... omg. What a nightmare! :rofl: I can't think why a bride would want that kind of cacophony! :svengo: I'm glad my kids are still years away from this phase of life. :D I, apparently, have a lot to learn about how "the young'uns" do things these days!

agreed! It shouldn't be the organizer's responsibility, especially when said organizer is already offering two methods of ways to receive the information! BTDT. A friend was so self-involved that she just couldn't be bothered to check group emails. Ever. She often skimmed texts, even. I would email AND text her when "big deal" deadlines were approaching so that her son wasn't left out of the event. At first, she was "thank you so much!" and eventually, it was "You didn't email me about such-and-such event!" :cursing: She received the very-same emails to her email box that I received, but I would take the time to copy/paste ONLY the information that was relevant to HER and send that to her. Of course I wasn't going to do that with every single email. It often seems that I am the single human being in several groups who actually reads emails that are sent out. It's exhausting - the amount of texts and emails and phone calls I used to get from people asking questions because they knew I would know the answer. We've since quit all of the homeschool groups (my kids are involved in too many other things), and the quiet has been heavenly. :D

I love the "idea" of gifts - but hate Christmas gift buying and giving. So stressful. I prefer to just see something someone needs or wants, buy it, gift it to them on whatever-old-day it happens to be, and ride off merrily into the sunset! So Much Easier!! The in-laws are the worst. MIL insists on a list each and every year. With details. I include prices, where to buy, links to purchase, colors preferred, sizes needed, etc. ALL THE INFORMATION ONE COULD POSSIBLY NEED. Not because I had the "Free" hours to spend doing this - but because she nag, nag, nags about it until I finally send the darn thing. And I HATE making the list because it feels so gift-grabby. Blech. This year, they said they'd bought dh this awesome camping backpack he's longed for all year. I'd sent the exact specs for the exact pack he needed - exactly as requested. DH opens it up, comments on its enormity, and FIL pipes up (proudly), "YEAH! This is the biggest one they make! Now you can fit anything you could possibly need into this bad boy!" OMG. The description on the website explains that this pack is pretty much for extreme backpackers who are hiking and living off the land for weeks at a time. NOT day-hikers, like dh and ds, who haul the heavy stuff in our van, and then just haul the essentials when they go to climb and hike. DH and DS spent many hours visiting stores, talking to lots of peers to choose out the exact right type of backpack they wanted. The smaller one works in conjunction with other bags they already own and want to continue using - not a honking, incredibly heavy, one-bag-to-carry-it-all setup. So, now dh has an enormous $250 useless backpack and I have to try to figure out if it's even possible to exchange without a receipt. UGH. Whyyyyy couldn't they just have stuck to the lissssst? Why even ask for a list at alllll??? Harrumph. (MY list to the in-laws contains things like printer ink cartridges and random pieces of Fiesta Ware. I think they're 90% of why I still HAVE Fiesta Ware - it's an easily findable thing to put on the list!)

I do not want any ceremony of any kind. I’ve told my family that if THEY need that - then I certainly won’t complain (lol), but they know my strong preference. In either case, I want to be cremated and certainly don’t want a viewing.

We saw it today and I agree fully with the two spoiler-y comments here. The plot was twisted to serve character development - so the plot clunked around more than a little bit. With that said - I barely even care. There was so much that I loved!! My thoughts: Visually - stunning. Best one yet, imo. But yeah - Laura Dern's character's silence was just... :glare: . Everyone there knew Poe would do something impulsive. Who were they keeping this Grand Plan a secret from, exactly, yk? Telling everyone aboard wasn't a bad idea and would have saved an awful lot of lives in the end. Rey - love her, but felt that she just sort of ... waited around ... on that island. Seemed like wasted time somehow (in what way did she improve anything about her skills while on that island? Fighting rocks?) Missed having Finn/Rey in scenes together. They lit up the screen together in the last movie! Only reunited at the end in this one. :/ Boo. IMHO, Kylo Ren is the best villain this story has ever had. I think a lot of it is the actor - I think he's gifted in this role and exhibits the struggle that Young Anakin was supposed to show (but unfortunately, Hayden Christensen just didn't have the acting chops to pull it off...). Loved the scenes with Rey and Kylo together. I think it's the first time the Force has been so concentrated to this absolute Yin and Yang scenario - I like that dynamic. Benicio del Toro was a joy to watch. I wince a bit, though - as he seems the inevitable Han-replacement in the next movie (coming in to save the day). If they don't have him back in the third movie, then his purpose in this one was weird and wasted - but if he's just gonna be a wannabe Han in the next movie... I'm not on board with that idea either. Frozen, flying Leia was bizarre. She looked like a witch flying through outer space and it amused me more than it was supposed to've. It was the strangest thing. But the other scenes with Leia were wonderful. Her wardrobe in this movie was magnificent! Made me so sad. :crying: The ending with the little boy pulling the broom to him (without seeming to realize what he'd done) was perfect. :001_tt1:

You are correct - the baby is American :) Dad has the Italian family. The name is actually a family one - but rather distant (no one is alive who knew the original family Violetta - but she’s in the family Bible and on the family tree) :) Luckily for them there was a Vincent also on their distant family tree. What luck to have two V names (which is what they were hoping for :) ) This is Grandbaby Number 5 (and six... lol) on both sides of their families so they started out looking for a V(5) boy and girl name before they found out they were having b/g twins! I’d thought Violetta was a French name!

Thanks! The parents-to-be were wondering how frequently they would have to correct the pronunciation - and from the looks of the poll and reading the responses - they will be correcting people frequently. It hadn’t occurred to either that Violetta could be imagined any way other than Vee-o-letta. :) One help is that he has a very Italian last name - that might put people into an Italian-pronunciation frame of mind if they were to see first/last name together? They’re planning to name her Violetta Marguerite, which is simply beautiful. I think - due to feedback they’ve gotten - they’re going to call her Letta or Lettie - at least in the beginning. Their boy (twins) name is much simpler: Vincent Michael. (names shared with their permission)