Life on the Road

Lots of giveaways going on in the world… From me, and from others.

Here are a few worth mentioning:

• As For My House is participating in the blog-hopping Carry Me Please! giveaway, winner’s pick of an Ergo or Pikkolo baby carrier. Ends 5/26.
• Simply Stacie is giving away a Keurig B70 Platinum Brewing System ($169 Value!).
• Dear Crissy has a giveaway running for a KitchenAid Stand Mixer.

And we’ll be doing a fun children’s book giveaway over at As For My House next week, so stay turned!

Image from fathergeek.com, with appreciation.

One of my favorite sites, now that we have an i-Thing in the house, is giving away 4 brand new iPad 2′s!

Just head over to Smart Apps for Kids and enter using the handy-dandy Rafflecoptor form.

If you are a new “Like”-er of Smart Apps for Kids on Facebook, please leave a comment on the giveaway post letting them know that I referred you, then leave a comment here letting me know – I’d sure appreciate the extra “referral” entries!

Good luck!

My kids really enjoy dressing up, so I was happy to have another opportunity to review a costume from WholesaleCostumeClub.com.

Jewel has had some challenges when they decide to play pirates, since we only have accessories, and none of her clothes seem to lend themselves to that.

Then came the “Girls’ Deluxe Caribbean Pirate Costume”

In addition to a fun dress that’s part “pirate” and part “princess dressy”, it includes the fun accessories – armbands with pink laces, and a sparkly pink bandanna (the sword and boots are hers).

Now they can dress up for adventure on the high seas together… In style!

It’s a great time of year to pick up a costume just for fun. Head over and check out all the fun options; you can also follow Wholesale Costume Club on Twitter, to keep up with all their deals.

.

It’s been quite a while since I had any news to report about Goldster, although the comments have continued to pour in on my two previous posts:

Goldster, You’re Fired
Goldster Follow Up

I have had a couple of back-and-forth emails with the BBB, as well as the Attorney General’s office there, about my complaint, but nothing that really warranted a blog post.

Today’s Inbox surprise, though, was of a different caliber entirely.

It was from the BBB, but contained a “response from the owner of the business”. The letter read, in part:

Dear Valued Customer,

We are aware of a payment issue regarding the jewelry that you mailed to us. We also wanted to assure you that although you may have experienced a lengthy delay, we would like you to know that we are taking quick action to resolve your issue. Attached is an official claim form, that we kindly ask that you fill out and send back to us with as much detailed information as possible. The more documentation and details you can provide, the quicker the claim process will go. Please complete and return the form if 1) you have not yet received payment, or 2) if you have returned your original payment, and have not received a new check. *Please note that returning the claims form and documentation via the email option will result in a faster resolution time. Thank you.

**Please note this is a standard notice sent to all customers, please disregard if you have already completed and returned a claims form.
Please disregard this email and claims form if you have already redeemed payment for your gold, or a refund check.

It goes on to make reference to the notion that they’re cleaning house “as they wrap up their operation,” and asserts that you may make a claim whether or not you have any concrete documentation of your gold’s value.

I did, in the end, get my gold back, as described in my previous post, so this doesn’t apply to me.

But I hope all the many unhappy commenters will make sure to contact the BBB (email nbrewerton @ bbbwestflorida.org) or Goldster if they haven’t gotten this already, and apply for just compensation.

Calling all military folks!

Head on over to the SargesList Blog, and enter their Operation Sweetheart sweepstakes.

If you’re together in CONUS, you win a dinner date (up to $150). If your Valentine is deployed, they’ll ship out a special Deployment Cake to let them know you care.

Enjoy!

And check out SaresList while you’re there, if you’re not already familiar with it… Something like craigslist, but created especially for the military community.

And who doesn’t need that, right?

Head on over to Life in a Shoe, and enter to win a “Cansolidator Pantry Plus” organizer from Shelf Reliance. (Ends December 9th)

Or, you know, don’t go enter, since that makes my odds better!

Aw, I’m just kidding, go ahead…

As you have probably noticed, we’re talking a lot about a more whole food, traditional diet, both here and over at As For My House.

One of the foundational books on getting back to this way of eating is the cookbook (but so much more!) Nourishing Traditions.

What better way to check it out than to WIN IT! And better still, you can win one copy for yourself, plus a second copy to give away as a Christmas present.

Just head over to the wonderful blog Butter Believer, and enter the drawing – ends on Dec. 17th.

Good luck!

I like to include photos with our family Christmas letter, but that has always left me with a bit of a dilemma.

Naturally, everyone doesn’t look quite as life-like in black and white, but the cost of printing a lot of copies out in color really adds up. And, of course, printed on paper is not as nice as a photo in the first place.

One solution I’ve used in the past, and I’m in the process of ordering again, is Christmas photo cards from Shutterfly – sent alone, or with the text letter, depending on the recipient.

And of course, even beyond Christmas cards (or other greeting cards), Shutterfly is a really simple way to make gorgeous photo gifts of all kinds.

We’re currently designing Nick’s photo graduation announcements. They don’t have the 2012 graphics up yet, but since Nick had his Senior Portraits done, it’s fun to see them laid out.

What do you think?

Okay, but those aren’t until Spring. Here’s the Christmas Cards I’m working on:

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

.

Who would have thought it possible!

After a really bad experience earlier this year, it was with trepidation that we set out to buy another vehicle. But it was largely because of that experience that we needed to — it’s no fun driving a truck that doesn’t work wonderfully, isn’t what you wanted it to be, and reminds you of the ongoing stress and strain.

In the process, we discovered that we could get a Suburban with third row seating for about the same price as we’d pay for a Tahoe (since we’re in both cases looking for a 1999 with barn doors on the back). Yay!! Since our family exactly fills the Tahoe, it’s been a source of frustration when Grandma comes to visit, or we want to bring a friend home from church, etc.

Having done a great deal of research and shopping just six months ago, that part of it was much easier. Wolf quickly found a few vehicles not too far away that looked potentially like good buys.

It was our intention to trade in the Tahoe, plus some cash as needed, to get the truck we wanted.

Various combinations of “we” had gone and looked at a couple of trucks, but it just seemed like they wanted too much money for them relative to the condition they were in. There seemed to be a great deal in Tampa – but who can go to Tampa on the CHANCE of making a deal?

Then Wolf found another one on a dealer lot close by – at Jason Pilger Hyundai in Gautier.

He went to look at it after work, and called me to say he was ready to make a deal!

WHAT?

He’s really not that kind of guy. And besides, I had the Tahoe all the way across town at Jewel’s ballet lesson, and he had driven there in his little Bronco. How was he going to manage the trade-in?

Well, it turns out that Charles and Todd, although they were selling pre-owned vehicles, were not “Used Car Salesmen”. If you know what I mean.

The Suburban had some definite issues – a few cosmetic, a few mechanical, and a few “functional” (broken door handles and the like), plus bald tires. After riding with Wolf on the test drive, Charles was in agreement that the price they were asking was too high.

It was Charles’ suggestion that we keep our Tahoe to sell private party (hopefully for a higher price than they could give us), and he made a deal on the price that fit our budget, with the help of the finance manager, Todd. They were even willing to re-do the paperwork when we came back in the evening to pick up Wolf’s Bronco (he’d driven the Suburban home), to title it in my name.

So, Clyde is my new buddy.

Clyde? Well, see, my previous white Tahoe was called “Horse” (my shining white steed). So this is like a BIG horse… Something like a Clydesdale… See? Okay, never mind.

The point here is that there are still some helpful, honest folks out there selling cars.

If you’re looking for a used vehicle, or want a new Hyundai, we can’t recommend Jason Pilger Hyundai highly enough!

So, picking up where I left off with the first half of this saga…

I was going through the obstacles that we faced in transferring Nick’s credits (two years of public school in Florida, one year of legally registered homeschooling here in Mississippi) to the local public High School.

It occurs to me to mention also the fact that when I called at the end of the last school year, not all the staff was in the office, and I spoke to the Head Guidance Counselor. As we approached the beginning of this year, I began working with Nick’s actual assigned Guidance Counselor.

Both had long conversations with me, and reviewed all the documentation. Both gave me the exact same answers.

Nick’s counselor mentioned that she was new to the district, having worked for quite a few years at the school district “next door,” so perhaps her information was the same because it all came straight from asking the Head Counselor. But this does not change my opinion that either or both of them could have and should have done more to try to find solutions, and to advocate for us.

Anyhow, off soapbox, on with the list:

• Returning to the closing point of my previous post – transfer credits are not necessarily calculated or applied correctly. A final thought, on which I touched on in that original introduction.

I understand that transferring is going to cause some disruption, and that things don’t always line up…

But almost every High School I have ever heard about or attended has a six class period schedule. Every single one, except Biloxi High, which has seven classes daily.

No big deal, you might think. But consider the implications…

Nick spent two years at a public school, earning 12 credits that were gladly accepted here. The students at Biloxi High, though, during the same time-frame, earned 14. Correspondingly, the Biloxi graduation requirements are based on having a possible 28 classes before graduation, as opposed to the other schools’ 24.

Thus even a student who has completed every requirement and carried a solid class load at his former school will find himself “behind” in his requirements upon arrival!

Really, each credit from a six-period day ought to count as 1 1/6 credits transferring in to a school with a seven-period day. Or… something! You can’t fix the fact that there will be unmet required classes, perhaps, but this would at least address the issue of the “total credits required for graduation,” and could be applied to the generic “electives” credit area.

• Required coursework for a “typical” student is not necessarily sensible when applied to someone transferring in as an upperclassman.

1. They said the he could not be tested for U.S. History, since that was a State Tested subject.

This simply makes no sense to me, still.

Had he taken U.S. History in the Florida public school, they would gladly have accepted it. He still (as now) would not necessarily have covered every line item on their state-approved agenda, and he still (as now) would not have taken the State of Mississippi standardized exam. But they would have accepted it. Without retaking the course; without testing for competence in the course; without taking the state test.

Why, again, are we as homeschoolers being discriminated against?

He is not only not given credit for the course outright (not expected, since they “don’t do that” across the board), but there is no option to take the subject tests to be awarded the credit for his work, to take the State Test in the Spring when it is administered, or any other reasonable solution.

2. There is a two credit Technology requirement, which assumes the student receives credit for an introductory course taken in the 8th Grade.

Yep, that’s right. Middle School courses are now being counted against my son’s High School graduation. I was stunned.

Once again we would have benefitted from more active help and support from our school counterparts. In the back of their own Student Handbook, I found some intersting information from the Mississippi Department of Education.

Evidence of proficiency in Keyboarding and Computer Applications is accepted in lieu of the required courses if the student earns one unit in any of the courses listed in the Business and Technology Framework (academic and vocational).

Meaning that if Nick takes one Technology course, he should be granted a second Technology credit if he can demonstrate proficiency in some basic skills.

3. MS History and the Social Studies requirement

Students at Biloxi High have specific required Social Studies courses all four years:

- Freshmen take World History, which Nick took in Florida as an Advanced Placement class (passing the class and the AP test with flying colors).
- Sophomores take one semester of Mississippi History and one semester of World Geography; Nick took Advanced Placement Psychology (again easily passing both class and AP test).
- Juniors take U.S. History, which Nick also took last year in homeschool.
- Seniors take one semester of U.S. Government and one semester of Economics.

So Nick was already required to retake U.S. History, for the perplexing reason of “State Testing.”

The counselor then informed us that he would also have to take Mississippi History / World Geography, since Mississippi History was absolutely a required course.

I hoped that someone else had some common sense about that, and the Mississippi Department of Education documentation came through for me again. They had a long paragraph about how this requirement didn’t apply or could be changed for students transferring in under various condition, concluding with

An out-of-state student who transfers after the junior year may substitute any other ½ unit social studies course.

Whew!

But why didn’t the Counselor find that?

• And one more issue that these all lead to: There’s no good way to make up credits.

Summer school is only for students to retake classes that they took and failed. So neither the summer before nor the summer after could Nick take one or more classes to finish up.

There is apparently a program where you can concurrently enroll, and take a correspondence course through Mississippi State (I believe that’s where it was). But this is only allowed to be done for a single class.

Virtual School exists, but is little used, and apparently limited and costly. Vaguely, we were told that in the past they have, if they had room, allowed Seniors who were in danger of not having enough credits to graduate to take their required course(s) free… But no word on if or when that might be offered, and what classes would be available.

So, really, someone with a 1 1/2 credit deficit could be in serious danger of having to attend another full year of school!

I wrote all my concerns up in a lengthy letter.

Since I had specific concerns for Nick’s credits, I addressed it to the Biloxi High School Principal.

But I truly feel that there are bigger issues here – some issues that should be addressed by the School District, as well as some that have implications for the entire State of Mississippi. Thus I also sent a copy of the letter to the Biloxi Superintendent of Schools, and our U.S. Congressman, Steven Palazzo.

The Guidance Counselor called me back later the day I dropped the principal’s letter off, to set up a meeting.

In said meeting, the principal proved to have that rare and precious quality – common sense.

Quite a competent and caring individual. I was impressed. I don’t think I’ve ever held such an opinion of someone in a public school administration roll.

Anyhow, without further ado, she walked through the adjustments I had suggested.

U.S. History was untouchable. State Testing is a strange, big deal.

But she readily concurred that Personal Fitness was the equivalent of Health, Psychology fulfilled the credit normally requiring Mississippi History and World Geography, and that a second Technology credit would be awarded by proficiency demonstration (to be performed by the teacher of the Technology class he would take).

Yeah, just like that.

Now, rather than not being able to graduate on time, Nick had six required courses, and was able to pick an elective for his final class!

Yeah, I’m still holding my breath just a little. The Technology credit still has to be written up, and I would like to see all the rest of it in an official transcript, as well…

But, truly… Thank God for keeping things under control!

And I did get a call from Congressman Palazzo’s office. I spoke at some length with a young lady there, explaining that while my son’s situation had been resolved in a way we found satisfactory, there were still underlying policy issues that I hoped the Congressman would seek to address.

For now? Off to Back-to-School night!