Our CC has an "Elementary Chemistry" class which I plan for my dd to take before taking college chemistry there. It is for students with no background in chemistry. Homeschoolers pay for DE here, but our CC has discounted rates which makes it easier. My dd is a rising 9th grader and is taking Spanish at the CC. My plan is that she'll take a few more classes in her sophomore year and then go full time for junior and senior year. We'll see. One of my sons went full time in his junior and senior year and it worked out very well. He did start with the Elementary Chemistry class before taking college chemistry.

We got my FIL a gift card to a local restaurant he likes. For DH, we got him snacks, socks, a t-shirt from the company where two of our sons work, and a baster because he always complains about ours. I'm sure he will be surprised by the baster! The best gift of all will be having all four kids home for the weekend. We have three adult sons and this will be the first time our entire family has been together this year! So excited!

Our kids are also authorized users on one of our credit cards.

I'm so sorry. :(

My daughter is 13 and is taking her first DE class. She does not have a smartphone but, because of her age, I drop her off at the door when class starts and pick her up at the door when class ends. Once she's driving, she will have a phone. Our community college does have wifi for students.

Me too! I have one at home this summer, but he has one year of college left and is doing a paid summer internship while working at home. I don't know what I'll do if he ends up living at home and working after graduation. I like the idea of having him contribute towards his food - he's a bottomless pit!

I am so sorry.

I'm 48 and haven't had a period since January 1st. My cycles were a little irregular before then - maybe 7-10 days late at a time, but now nothing. I'm afraid of what's going to happen if/when I start again - I don't want to be like the earlier poster who couldn't leave the house. I'm constantly worried about when it's going to start and how heavy it will be. I need to get to the doctor for some bloodwork and see if this is normal or not.

I'm all for having cereal for dinner when it's hot, but my sons prefer big, hearty meals.

I agree! My older three children graduated from public school and had some classes where they did absolutely nothing, but colleges didn't question their credits.

Thank you! Very interesting. She does do a lot of research and reading online and I didn't think to include that even though she does a lot of reading that way.

Thanks. I'm not even sure what to include. For example, she reread all of the Harry Potter books for fun. Would books like that go on there?

Is it necessary to keep a reading list for our teens? I am finalizing my daughter's school year with course descriptions and a transcript, but don't know if I really need to document her reading for the year for college admissions later. I have the titles/authors written down, but don't know if I should type them and save them with everything else.

I also think gift cards would be very much appreciated.

I am so sorry for your pain and about this terrible betrayal.

My daughter (rising 9th grader) took the CAT test for the first time this year and found it to be very easy overall. Some parts were ridiculously easy for her. Erica

My son was 18 when he started dating his girlfriend who was 15 at the time. I was VERY uncomfortable with it - actually embarrassed by it. He had just finished his senior year and she had just finished her freshman year. Everyone told me the relationship wouldn't last because he was leaving for college. Well, three years later they are still together and very much in love. She is 18 and he is 21. I had some serious discussions with my son about respecting her age, abstinence, birth control, sexting (especially since she was under 18), etc. I know they are sexually active now, but I don't know when they started. My son is a really good guy and he is smitten with this girl. I was also very careful to never have them at our house unsupervised. But, her parents are divorced and neither of them seemed to care about leaving their daughter unsupervised with my son. Not only did they not care about it, but they actually allowed her to spend the night at my son's college apartment numerous times. He doesn't live alone, so they allowed her to sleep in a home with college boys they didn't know. It just baffles me. Even my son is baffled by it. I met my husband when I was 18 and he was 21, but we were both in college then and 18 is a lot different than 15. We've been together for over 30 years now. Erica

When you donate, do you feel weak for a day or so like you do after donating blood? I'm just wondering because I'm a runner and don't know if I'd need to time that around running. Thanks!

My daughter is taking Spanish this summer for DE and finishing up science since we got delayed when we switched curriculum in November because what we were using wasn't working. Erica

That sounds perfect to me! Erica

My daughter is entering 9th grade (she will be 14 in August, so young for her grade) and taking Spanish at the community college for DE. We spoke with the professor ahead of time and he said he thought foreign language is fine for a younger student, but he didn't think younger students are ready for the English classes, humanities, etc. because their maturity level isn't high enough for the thinking involved in those classes. Yes, those kids are smart, but most still need time to mature before being ready to take on the classes that require higher level thinking. Erica

This is our favorite: http://couponcravings.com/casserole/ Erica

My oldest son has it and loves it.

It's appalling how this mother has been attacked. I don't understand it. A friend of a friend of mine lost a child in a swimming pool accident. This is what he posted on this matter: "There was a time when I myself was one of those "I could never let that happen to my child" It was a lack of remembering Like the time my first born fell out of his crib I never even thought he could do that at 1 years old Or the time my 4 year old daughter got bit in the face by our dalmatian I never in a million years would want that to happen to her but it did Those things i didn't remember about being a parent that happened on my watch When I read stories about kids getting hurt or that are put in danger I used to say "what is wrong with that parent?" I know a mother who was trying to get home after she picked her kids up from daycare They were hungry She was tired from working She went to go around a school bus that was broke down on a two Lane highway A truck pulling a horse trailer came from the other direction She steered to the left ditch trying to avoid being hit She didn't make it All three of her small children died She somehow carries the incredible guilt People said of her that she was careless and in too big of a hurry But Since we lost our son My empathy level may be higher than most I'm really glad that woman at the zoo didn't lose her baby I hope in my heart the publicity of the negative comments she sees does not settle in her"

I think that would be fine. Erica