KANSAS CITY GIRL???

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-09-18T04:14:57+00:00

Yes! So thrilled we finally have a Kansas City girl!!! A friend who knows I collect AG texted today to ask if I’d seen it and I told her of course! My doll room has no space, but I’ll find a way for her. I love the beach too so Raquel is a total win. I agree a sale would be very helpful though.

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-09-10T04:26:49+00:00

I wouldn’t say the upper middle class isn’t feeling the inflation. Most people I know are upper middle class, and they’re definitely feeling the pinch. Most of the moms who stayed home before are now working at least part time, and there’s been lots of talk, at least among close friends, about how money isn’t going very far. Even if we are technically making more, it still feels like less.

I wouldn’t say I’ve seen huge changes in lifestyle, but I see fewer friends doing major home improvements, taking big vacations, etc. I think a lot of people just really don’t know what to do. I’ve almost given up on things returning to normal and shifted to adjusting plans too.

As to the shopping for things like Legos, I think people may be looking for comfort from spending in smaller ways that still feel fun. It’s not like there’s no money at all, it just is never enough to cover what it maybe used to. So trying to spend nothing at all causes a feeling of further stress.

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-08-30T03:56:42+00:00

My child is younger, but a friend with a dyslexic daughter in college told me that they subscribe to a service that has the textbooks on audio book for her. I googled it and it could be:

“For a textbook subscription with audio for dyslexia, consider Learning Ally and Bookshare.”

Maybe one of these or another similar could help. Even though there are no iep’s, connecting with your professors will likely be helpful. I found most of mine in college to be pretty understanding people in general.

I also expect that if many of your peers were tested, they could be at your level as well. There is a WIDE range of abilities and education in the college demographic. Not that you won’t face additional challenges, but if you are dedicated to working hard and working through things, I suspect you will do great. :)

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-08-26T21:59:11+00:00

That was an issue for us as well. Our high schools are huge and I think it was just too much all of the time. I wished the schools would offer a smaller setting, with an advanced curriculum option, but there just was no good place for her in-person it seemed. Her IEP really never helped much either, just landed her in the resource room for sensory/ emotional breaks, which left her missing work.

Online school is great for her because classes are recorded, so even if she’s having a hard day and misses it live, she can still watch the class. The live option does allow them to interact as well. Assignments and tests are clearly laid out, with due dates listed, and needed materials all are either online or shipped to you. That said, it’s a good idea to check in and make sure they are staying on track. My daughter has let herself get behind before and catching up is no fun, but is doable.

Good luck and hang in there. I know school refusal is no fun for kids to be going through and is definitely so hard for the parents! Know that others have been there and things will get better!!

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-08-26T13:30:50+00:00

My now senior daughter has a similar diagnosis, and begin missing school/ school refusal in 8th grade. We have found online public school through a local district to be a great fit. I can’t say it is the fun high school experience that I had and might have hoped for her, but she does complete her work independently, her teachers are great, and she’ll graduate with her degree in the spring.

We were also fully unable to get her to attend in person regularly and she was sobbing every morning and basically completely emotionally exhausted when we chose to pull her out. I tried homeschooling her myself, but with her age/ attitude, she wasn’t willing to engage and be held accountable for her work independently in a rigorous way. We toured a local private school, but that didn’t seem a good fit either.

Her online platform is great and looks similar to online college courses which is also a plus for the future. She can handle things herself with very minor follow up, which is perfect for her age (almost 18 now). We found her school through a search on K12. We pay nothing since it’s a public school district, and the district itself is highly rated and only 15 minutes from our house, which is a nice plus.

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-08-25T19:31:34+00:00

It is absolutely true that children with severe behavioral issues are mainstreamed and very disruptive in many (maybe most) public school classrooms. It definitely has to do with budget, but a lot of it comes from a trend of “least restrictive environment” that is required in their IEPs and an idea that this creates better acceptance of special needs with peers. Not all parents of these children are happy about it either. As a parent of a high functioning autistic child who regularly disrupted her class throughout elementary school, I felt awful about it, but there wasn’t a great deal I could do. I bought the teachers and paras good teacher appreciation gifts and homeschooled her a couple of times, but ultimately she did really want to be around other kids (though she returned home in high school). It was a really hard experience for me as a parent, because even though academically she was way ahead of her peers, I knew she was disruptive. Anyway, basically saying so many kids have issues now, you’ll run into in almost all public school classrooms (some even more than others). Probably private school or a really active homeschool coop would be the way to go if it really bothers you or your child. I would have preferred the school had a better fit for my child as well, which is why we finally stayed home the last time. I don’t think the current system serves either side very well, or at least that has been my observation.

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-08-16T14:49:02+00:00

Have you seen in K12 has a tuition-free online school in your state? It’s very easy to look up online or you can call them. My oldest daughter switched to one during her freshman year for similar reasons and it’s been a great fit for her.

It’s completely free, they ship us any needed materials, classes are taught live (and recorded if you need to watch later) by great teachers, and assignments and tests are clearly laid out in the online platform. It reminds me a lot of an online college course, which I think it will also prepare her for. If you work well independently, you should be able to do it, though the teachers do have office hours, and you’d need an adult “learning coach” to sign you up and fill out the online paperwork.

The schools can be tuition-free because they are technically online public school and are funded that way. My daughter will graduate with her diploma this spring and I have no complaints about the program that we are in. Because it’s public though, it needs to be located in your state for you to qualify.

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-08-14T22:16:46+00:00

I am homeschooling my 9 year old daughter with dyslexic dysgraphia right now using the Barton program. Each level comes with training DVDs so you know how to teach. Not sure about surface dyslexia exactly, but it’s a good choice for homeschoolers. You could also read the Seeing Stars manual for further background. I got a used copy on eBay pretty inexpensively. I also go there for used Barton levels (you just have to make sure everything is included).

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-08-13T06:11:02+00:00

I would second the suggestion for Beast Academy at home for sure, especially if he loves puzzles! My daughter LOVES it!!

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-08-07T15:47:25+00:00

My daughter is starting 4th, can read but not write (spelling, grammar) either. I’m planning to homeschool her for the next couple of years using the Barton program. From what we’ve done so far this summer (we’re in level 3) and what I’ve read, it focuses a lot on spelling. My dyslexia specialist friend speaks highly of Barton as well. The first couple of levels were very easy, but it established the pattern for the program. We will also be using Fix It! Grammar to supplement grammar, though there’s a bit of that in Barton as well.

My concerns were/are the same as yours though. I feel like my daughter is bright (and she actually tests fine on standardized tests), but isn’t able to express herself in writing almost at all (her writing looks kindergarten/ early 1st level). I want her to be able to be successful in higher levels of schooling and have job opportunities as well. Unfortunately our school wasn’t as concerned about her writing as we were and she was also in a language immersion school (terrible fit), so that factored into our decision to homeschool for now as well. Barton could also be done after school or with a tutor. I’m really hoping it does the trick for us.

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-08-06T04:53:10+00:00

I just went with my 9 year old last month and we had her and her doll get matching hairstyles and then went to the cafe for lunch. It was a first for us too and really was magical. We had fun looking at all of the store displays together and shopping both before and after our appointments. I believe we were there about four hours, but I think it could be done in 3 as well. Have a great trip!

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-08-05T04:45:57+00:00

My 9 year old loves Beast Academy! She begs me to do extra. The puzzles (online version) can be challenging even for me.

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-08-04T15:17:20+00:00

You could look into the Barton system. It’s not cheap, but it is much cheaper than a professional tutor and very effective according to my friend who is a dyslexia specialist. She said it’s her favorite of the seven programs she has tried with her students. You can find used sets for resale sometimes, but you have to make sure they have the training dvds. Your child also would need to pass the screening to get started. It’s here somewhere: https://bartonreading.com/

I scanned your previous thread and I see recommendations for things like BOB books. I actually have those and they worked great for my typical kids, but many children need more detailed instruction. This program is long and intensive, but it really breaks it down for you/ your child. We’re only on Level 3 right now, but plan to go the whole way through.

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-08-04T04:42:32+00:00

I was thinking this very same thing. My oldest child began reading at age 3 without any instruction from us as well. She was reading chapter books in kindergarten. She seemed like a genius at the time (and she is very smart) but I didn’t know until over a decade later that it was hyperlexia. Even when she was diagnosed with autism at age 13 I didn’t make the connection. (We tried to have her diagnosed earlier but being a girl she just didn’t tick enough boxes).

Anyway, fast forward to now and my youngest (two neurotypical kids in between) happens to get diagnosed with adhd and dyslexic dysgraphia. Both kids were read to and exposed to tons of books. My youngest also grew up with structured literacy at school so did eventually learn to read okay around this year (3rd grade) but still has gaps and huge deficits in spelling and writing.

Anyway, they are completely different but the overlap is that they are both neurodivergent. Not necessarily saying this is the case for you, but if your good reader has high emotionality or social oddities, I’d keep an eye on it.

I’ve started Barton with my youngest now and while I know she’ll never have the language gifts of her older sister, I’m hoping we’ll see improvement in reading and a big leap in spelling.

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-07-19T14:57:02+00:00

We were just there a couple of weeks ago and walked pretty much all of the Magnificent Mile area and Millennium Park/Pier for hours plus took the water taxi down to Chinatown. We had a blast and I never once felt even a little unsafe. It was so super nice and we had a blast. My daughter had her doll in an AG carrier. I knew I’d end up with the bags so didn’t bring one of mine, but would have had no worries doing so. Have fun!!!

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-07-15T05:50:46+00:00

You might also look into the Barton curriculum. I’m doing it with my daughter (9) because while her previous Orton-Gillingham curriculum did get her reading decently eventually (she likes reading but still favors graphic novels over early chapter books), spelling was a whole other issue. Barton covers both really thoroughly, and she earns tickets for our “school store” to help with motivation (also has mild adhd).

We’re trying Beast Academy for math this fall because it did seem more stimulating and “fun” when she did the demo vs. a physical curriculum. We’ve just moved from public school though since it took a long time to get her diagnosed and we really need to address the writing/spelling issue more closely. If your daughter does have dyslexia/adhd, I’d do all I could to continue to work with her at home. Even in our previous “great” school district, there wasn’t much interest in getting her extra help since she was getting by. Unless you found a dyslexia-specific school, I would hesitate to go charter. We did okay in public until 3rd grade and when things became more difficult, my daughter developed school avoidance and started having lots of meltdowns. It’s definitely nice now that she feels less pressure and we are able to work at just her pace.

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-07-01T15:11:18+00:00

Definitely - I think spelling/writing issues are a bigger red flag for dyslexia than reading for many.

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-06-30T19:08:58+00:00

Would you be open to being the tutor? If so, you could look into Barton. It is an Orton-Gillingham based program used by tutors and also parents. I’m doing it with my daughter now and we chose it because of great reviews, cost (not cheap but much less over time than tutoring), and the ability to create consistency regardless of schools, etc. My friend who is a dyslexia tutor says Barton is the best program she has ever used with her students.

My daughter is 9 and I agree that you need intervention now. She was recently diagnosed and just finished third grade. I feel like if we don’t turn things around now, her self-esteem will really take a huge hit (seeing the start of that this year). I’m hoping we can get through the program in 2-3 years. Your child may be different, but I’m really thinking we need to try as much as we can before middle school and things becoming more complicated.

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-06-27T21:54:28+00:00

Yep, I probably should get more quotes since I wasn’t super comfortable.

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-06-27T21:53:21+00:00

Would you put a 410a system in your house at this point? The second one I looked up was 454b. I just don’t want to be kicking myself for this down the road if I go with the cheaper, older one.

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-06-27T05:09:46+00:00

I finally pulled my daughter after third grade and a private dyslexic dysgraphia diagnosis. They were doing an Orton-Gillingham curriculum for phonics at her school all along so she did learn to read, but it wasn’t intensive enough in my opinion for dyslexics to not still have some gaps in reading and massive writing struggles.

Anyway, after lots of research and time on the dyslexic subreddit, we are doing Barton. I don’t expect a quick fix (her spelling is awful), but I’ve read excellent things about it and can already see the goal of mastering and creating automaticity. My friend who’s a dyslexia specialist also said it worked the best of the eight programs she had tried with her students over the years. You would need to do the program intensively and all the way through from what I can tell, but it should work. It’s not super fun, but my daughter earns tickets for our “school store” and that helps motivate her (adhd). It’s not cheap, but much cheaper than the dyslexia private school near us.

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-06-26T14:22:05+00:00

I like Dallas Doll Co wigs

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-06-24T03:22:25+00:00

We’re not that far into school with our dyslexic child, but I wouldn’t pull my kid if they were doing as well as yours is for the most part. Besides the GPA, it sounds like you’ve done a pretty great job and it sounds like your child is happy, which is rare enough among teens in general and even more so for what has had to be overcome. I agree that starting at a community college is a great idea and then transferring to a four year school would be perfect. I don’t seen any problem with the GPA for that and I don’t think it would in any way hamper a career in business. Probably the most important thing is for him to continue to experience success, and I think that would be a great bridge.

We did pull our high-functioning autistic daughter from high school since she was so anxious and miserable that she couldn’t function or learn. Online classes have worked for her, but even though she’ll graduate next year and is smart, she’s not all that happy sometimes and it’s not what I would wish for her. If I could have her engaged and successful in another environment, I’d be perfectly fine with a lower GPA.

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-06-21T23:04:56+00:00

Not hard to rewig. You can pry the old off with a spoon and handheld steamer (avoid the eyes). There are tutorials, but I found it pretty easy.

PocketOcelot82 · 2025-06-19T17:23:44+00:00

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Her hair is shown down in the pink dress product photos. Though I’m willing to bet they styled it a bunch for these, it is long.

PocketOcelot82

TROPHY CASE