Nadia, Congratulations to you and your dd! What a great feeling it must be for you both. I'm curious, though. She is 16? (your signature....) If so, double wow.

Here are two ds used: http://www.ibiblio.org/obp/electricCircuits/ Book and worksheets http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/index.htm Accompanying website It's a series of books and worksheets written by an electronics teacher that didn't like the textbooks he was using in class. He wrote his own stuff and made it free online. There are lots of experiments, and the worksheets are like self-quizzes with detailed answers included. There isn't any difficult math (some algebra). Ds thinks they are easy to understand (used them independently this year as a junior) and extremely thorough.

Sorry, but I just had to use your name in the title line! And I love how your pic doesn't look like a "dirty Ethel" at all. As far as the guidance counselor goes, I think it's my favorite part. Yeah, there's a lot of grunt work involved, but it's always rather startling to speak to my friends who have publicly schooled kids in high school. The parents know so little of what's going on or what their kids need to or should be doing (on average, of course). I think I even know more about stuff than our local high school counselor, though I believe he was hired as a coach and got the counselor job to boot. But all the kids at that school are depending on this guy to know something and help them get where they want to go!?! I really love knowing exactly what my kids are doing and when, how they need to prepare for X,Y,Z, and all those things. Not that there's any great secret there, or anything too difficult. But I like being in charge of all that, and helping my kids learn to be in charge of themselves and their education. I think we all "own it" a little more that way. Can't say, "But my counselor didn't tell me I needed that...." Still, I do hear what you're saying. It can be a little scary when you begin to think in terms of your child's college/future. But get off the ledge! You can handle it if I can!

Yes, he did both in one year. He spent between 1-1/2 hours a day, not counting labs. I don't know if that's realistic for most kids or not, but he loved it and didn't count it in minutes and seconds ticking by, KWIM? :)

I just love baby signing! It's so cool to see a non-verbal baby expressing a thought in such a clear way. I was so excited, just had to share! He signed "more", by the way.

Cassandra, Oldest ds, the science/engineering nut, has used nothing but Apologia science--biology in the 8th grade, chem/adv chem in the 9th, non-Apologia computer science in 10th, and this year physics and adv. physics. Simply put, he loves these textbooks and has learned much and well from them. He passed the AP chem exam with flying colors and we have similar expectations for the AP B-level physics exam (Apologia is not calculus-based and will not prepare students for the C-level exams.) Ds cannot say enough good about them, and he's as engineering-minded as you can get. People always disagree about these books, but as Percytruffle mentioned, it's probably more about fit with a particular student. If you have a kid who is a science person, they can certainly learn enough to be competitve with high school peers. If a creation perspective is important, then it seems to me a worthy choice. By the way, the only teacher ds now loves more that Jay Wile is Ed Burger, of Thinkwell calculus. Ds used Saxon up through adv. math, and then went into this. He's very impressed.

Ds here is junior, shooting for tip-top engineering/science schools next year. I can only agree with what everyone else said about math/science. If it's any encouragement to you, my ds has been able to work through all his math and science on his own very successfully (ie, no tutors). While this isn't ideal for everyone, or even desirable, it has been for us. Just in case you're worried about how you'll possibly teach him calculus or advanced physics! It can be done. In looking over scholarship info, there seems to be a lot out there for kids who were involved in FIRST robotics. That's my imipression, anyway. As he gets older you might also check into USAMO, or the science olypiads. (Short list here.) There are plenty of camps, up to 6-8 weeks long, that focus on math and science, and some are free to qualified students. Tough, but maybe something to shoot for. However these are all things pretty far down the road. For now, you might check into kid-level engineering camps. They offer these all over the place for girls; unfortunately, I don't know how many are for boys. But your local universities might host something or know of something. Then there is space camp...keep in mind that many, many people in the space program are not astronauts (and who might be able to help ds see the many options)...and also remember that not all astronauts are pilots. If I may inject my opinion on one other thing, though....I wouldn't worry so much at this point about turning him off the astronaut thing. Why? As he matures and ages, it is likely that he'll finally see these things on his own and let his dream go or change if it in indeed a bad fit for him. Ds planned to be a fighter pilot until this year--and he is 17! I never thought it was a great career path for him, and I put in some food for thought over the years, but finally it was him who came to the realization that it wasn't what he truly wanted in life. Until he reached that decision, we supported him fully in his efforts because it was a real passion for him. I think that to discourage him would have made him resentful; he couldn't have come to his own decision freely. Don't narrow him just yet. He'll find his path, whether it's aerospace related or not. Research all you want the various engineering, astrophysics, aerospace major options, then you'll have something to say if he wants to know. But don't try to convince him of what he cannot do. Is it realistic your ds will be an astronaut? Maybe not. But if it is his passion, it can motivate him through a lot of the hard work that he'll be facing in the next few years like nothing else will. Plus, who knows? Life takes interesting twists and turns that none of us can foretell. It's a fact that many people who have discovered and done so many great things were once told, "Never!" People who have a strong passion manage to go places, even places they didn't originally set out to go. Not trying to slam your parenting, just a thought to consider. :)

Thanks so much Carmen. Just what I was needing to hear!

Maybe we should have a poll: If you loved Napoleon Dynamite, when did you grow up? 70's? 80's? 90's? I'm so an 80's girl (like, totally!) and I swear I lived some of those Napoleon scenes. I think my friend actually drew me a liger. At any rate, he drew me a lot of things very similar to a liger. And those photographs hanging on Grandma's wall, with the front view and the side view up in one corner...what the heck were those called? All my friends had those made. The movie was so our lives. Except for wierd Uncle Rico.

Well, I voted "other" before fully reading your post so I'm sorry to skew the poll results! You wanted to focus on racial bias only; I voted other because I do know that they are very anti-Catholic and prejudicial in their materials in that regard. I guess that doesn't make them guilty of other prejudices, but it certainly makes me more inclined to believe that of them.

I do enjoy this movie, but at the same time I can't ever quite get into the full mood of the period because Stands With a Fist (Mary...whats-her-name? McDonnell?) has the most superb and unIndian-like mane of flowing locks that I've ever seen. Of course Indian hair in general is very beautiful--thick, straight, dark. But no Plains Indian ever had hair like Mary's, who always looks like she just stepped out of a salon with a perfect "messy-do". So I watch the movie and keep getting distracted from the plot by thoughts of her hair.

Lisa, that's wonderful news for you! Congratulations!

Thanks, Kareni. There is one college library that I might be able to check, and I hadn't considered that option!

Ha, well I always try to jump on the trampoline or jump rope! Then I have to quickly excuse myself, run to the bathroom and totally empty my bladder, then go back and try again. I have resorted to a pad before, just because I want to jump on a trampline, dang it!! I'm only 39; my jumping days are not over. Of course, I'm nursing and have bigger bOOks that normal so jumping isn't so much fun right now anyway. My big bOOked sisters, I feel for you. Thanks again ladies!

I wanted to (belatedly) thank all of you for your replies! Very helpful for my embarrassing problem.

I've actually been wondering if you were still on the board; maybe I've just missed you. At any rate, glad you're still here! I'm looking at physics (AP C-level) books for ds and have some of your posts from the old board that I've copied and saved. At the time you had mentioned Halliday/Resnick/Walker, Serway and Fishbane. Would you care to elaborate on these at all? I hear lots about the HRW book, and that it's pretty "dumbed down". Then others rave about it. I don't have access to a copy, so I'm relying on other opinions. There is also HR & Krane...but maybe you've never seen that one. Fishbane *sounds* like it would be my first choice, but I'd really like to know what Taz liked, found most helpful, etc. Ds will be self-teaching, with a solid physics base. BTW, congrats to Taz on going to St. Thomas in the fall!! My niece will be heading there as well!

My grandpa quit school in the third grade and went to work. His family needed the help. He later started working in the oilfields and worked his way up to foreman of a crew. He probably never made much over minimum wage, but had a nice (modest) home, a little land, and is one of the best men I've ever known. He could not read at all. A second story--one that is still in progress: A friend has a dyslexic son who always struggled with reading. He began taking CC classes when he was 14 or 15. He got accomodations--note taker, untimed tests, etc. He turned down the note-taker, used Dragon Naturally Speaking for his written work, and used some textbooks from Books for the Blind and Dyslexic. He's now getting an associates degree and transferring into a large state U. It's an alternate path than most. And he never had to take the SAT!

Yeah, after our winter (last snow gone on May 1) I've been thinking that too. We're testing and playing outside. When it get's really sticky-hot, we'll do some more inside!

My hair used to be a nice sort of blonde, but gradually turned what I call "mouse colored". I began coloring it using L'Oreal Preference. The first time I guess I used the wrong shade and my hair came out peach-colored. I switched shades and now I fluctuate between overly-ashy (greenish tinged) and brassy (orangy). I've been really struggling with what to do about it. I can't do the salon thing; too much money too often! Pay $50 or more every 6-8 weeks? For someone who generally cuts her own (and everyone else in the family's) hair, I just can't justify doing it. So I'm either switching brands/colors or going natural again. I think brassiness is very hard to overcome, so I don't have much hope. :confused:

urinary incontinence? :blushing: After six kids, things just ain't the way they used to be. If I jump rope, go on a trampoline, sneeze, cough or just let my bladder get too full...uh oh. Now I know I should do Kegels, but there are a few problems: 1. Never sure I'm doing them correctly. 2. Feel rather silly and ineffective. 3. A hundred or more a day? If anyone has successfully conquered this difficulty with Kegels...or something else...please do share!!

Another great resource are books by ISI, mentioned above by Plaid Dad. Choosing the Right College is one. The only drawback is that they only talk about so many.

Ha, the one course I did find that ds may take is econ! But maybe it will have some issues, too. I totally agree with the canary in the coal mine thing. Smart move!

Pmegan, PSFSOM, I agree that the issues I mentioned in the OP are (sometimes) part of literature. I'm not opposed to discussions of gender, sexuality and religion, per se. I'm not that naive. What I am opposed to is injection of gender, sexuality and religious (or anti-religious) agendas into the discussion. Here's what I mean. Let's say, for the sake of a silly example, I'm reading Cinderella in my college English class. My professor carefully leads the class through a detailed analysis, in which we discover that the only reason Cinderella had to sit among the ashes was because she lived in a male-dominated world--a world in which (male, Christian) bishops dictated the role of women and opressed them. Cinderella's step-mother and sisters were only able to escape the same fate because of their wealth--obtained through s*xual favors which eventually led to marriage. In fact, this s*xual subjagation was the only reason that Cinderalla's father married Cinderella's step-mother at all. This "forced" marriage (out of necessity for financial survival), inspired Cinderella's step-mother with intense hatred for her husband's beautiful daughter. It is also suspected that the step-mother was of a sado-m*sochistic nature, thus further intensifying her need to punish Cinderella. But she cannot be harshly judged, for women of her era were forced to choose between a life of luxury (in which their ideals were compromised) and a life of slavery (in which they were opressed even further). In fact, the step-mother might be viewed as heroic, in some respects, for daring to defy the Christian "virtue" of chastity--which had been instituted for the benefit of promiscuous, yet controlling males--in order to lift herself and her daughters from the miserable life with which they were faced. As for Prince Charming, well, I'd better not mention him too much here, but let's just say he didn't like girls at all and was just going along with societal norms in order to avoid persecution. Ok, so this is rather a farce, but not so much different from things I've read in the news about actual things being taught in college clasrooms. So now do you see what I mean? Of course this happens from both sides (as Pam pointed out), but that does not justify it happening at all. Just wanted to add, I'm not trying to be snarky or antagonistic or ... whatever other negative words might be appropriate. I'm just using this example to make a point, not to direct animosity at Pmegan or Pam or anyone else in particular other than irresponsible college profs.:blush:

I was looking through some courses for ds to do next year via the state U. I tried to pick things that should be innocuous, as far as content goes, such as "Historical Survey of British Lit" and "Greek and Roman Mythology", and "Shakespeare". Am I so naive? All of these managed to incorporate gender/sexuality/religious issues. Sorry, but can't these professors just let the literature speak? Ugh. It really makes me mad. Thank you for listening to my vent!!!

Michelle, Thank you SO much for your answer. Making a switch from something comfortable and familiar is difficult for me, especially since I am math-phobic and not great a helping the kids through tough spots. This dd has been such a worry for me! You really went over everything well. It makes me feel more secure having some of these specific concerns addressed by moms like you (unlike Jann!) who aren't math teachers. Thank you, thank you, thank you!