[So, why aren't you dead yet?]

I would never have been born. My mom had a kidney transplant as a teen, without which she wouldn't have survived long enough to have a child. She turned 60 last month :)

 

DH's appendix burst 10 years ago, and he didn't go to the hospital for almost 24 hours because we thought it was food poisoning. He was very sick for several days and needed surgery, but he's still here.

 

DS had the cord wrapped around his neck at birth and needed to be aspirated due to meconium. He's now 6'3" and learning to drive.

[Why? Why? A vent about bras.]

Wow. I'm floored by these prices. I think $10 at Wal Mart is too much!

This! I have been wearing Hanes or Fruit of the Loom cotton sports bras from Wal Mart for years, $8 for a 2-pack. I buy 6-8 of them (about $30) and they last a year or so.

 

Lately I've been thinking about getting a more supportive, better fitting bra at least for high-impact exercise, but I was considering Bali and Jockey to be "expensive, fancy" brands to look into. How did you ladies even discover the existence of $60 bras?! Mind blowing.

[If someone said, "We will get that back to you by the end of the summer....."]

Sounds like the borrower is taking longer to finish using the item than anticipated, and is using the calendar technicality to buy them some extra time.

 

Still, I would expect the calendar to be mentioned in a light-hearted, self-deprecating way, something like, "Oh gee, I'm not quite done with it yet. But, you know, summer's not technically over until Sept. 22, so I've still got some time left, right? (he, he, chuckle)."

 

Giving the lender the impression that it's "too bad" and she's not getting her item back until the borrower is good and ready is just unfair and unacceptable.

[Where were you on 9/11/01?]

I was with dh and dc (4 and 1.5 at the time) and several ILs at the beach on the Mediterranean. We all came in for lunch and happened to turn on the TV. It was a live feed from CNN, but voiced over in Spanish, so I wasn't really paying attention until I saw written at the bottom of the screen, "Under Attack: Targets hit in NY and DC". What?'! Then I started trying to read the anchor's lips and make out some of the Spanish at the same time.

 

My mom called later on our cell and filled me in. It was so surreal, she was very upset, trying to describe the chaos, turmoil and uncertainty everyone was going through back home, but when I hung up the phone, I was surrounded by calm waves and gentle ocean breezes, largely unaffected by the incident.

 

Extended family members and neighbors, knowing I was American, all checked in to make sure I was OK, that my family back home wasn't harmed, which was very kind and reassuring.

 

We were blessed to have the choice to deal with the tragedy in our own time and our own way, and when it became too much, to turn off the TV and our minds and bury our heads in the (beach) sand. Of course we had plenty to deal with when we returned home, but it was a relief to have a couple of weeks to process things first.

[Where were you on 9/11/01?]

dp

[did you do something special for your daughter's 13th birthday...]

I got her an iPod and my mom took us all out to get our nails done!

[Being overprotective or just using common sense?]

I'm 40, and I'd be uncomfortable in that situation. Not the driving, but the walking to the car alone in a dark deserted parking lot or street.

 

If I knew there would always be someone I could trust to walk me out (preferably a large male), that could be a solution. More likely, if he was available, dh would accompany me.

 

If it were our daughter, no question, it would be dh and not me who would stay to watch the game and bring her home, no matter her age. Two women together is safer than one on her own, but having a male in the group is even safer, especially when protecting his own family.

[I want the new Kindle Paperwhite <sigh>]

I finally broke down and bought a Paperwhite from Best Buy last weekend. This thread is the first I had heard about there being a "new" Paperwhite. Now I'm wondering which one I got.

 

The model numbers on Amazon for both the original and the new model don't match any numbers I can find on the one I have, and I didn't keep the box.

 

It's not a big deal, but I would be pretty annoyed if I paid full price for a discontinued model. Any idea when these came out and when they stopped selling the old version? I bought mine on 8/30.

[How (obsessively) frugal are you?]

I voted "give it to another family member", but in reality that would mean just leaving it in the shower, hoping someone else would use it when their regular conditioner runs out. If they announce that I need to buy them more conditioner, I would reply that there is some in the shower. If no one complains, hopefully that means it would be used. If after several months (6-9) the bottle is still there, then I'd throw it out.

[Is this a normal hospital experience?]

Dh had an emergency appendectomy about 10 years ago. He stayed in the hospital for 2-3 days after and was on a morphine drip for the first day. He wasn't allowed back to work for 2 weeks, I think (desk job).

 

I gave birth almost 3 years ago, no complications, but they let me stay in the hospital for 3 days simply because baby wasn't nursing well (I was fine).

 

Maybe it would be different now, but yes, your experience does sound extreme.

[Who uses Google Talk?]

Nope, no video. We use it all the time to call places of business, etc. As long as you have gmail, you're all set! I think you do have to set it up (dh took care of that), but after that, it's just always on the sidebar. Just type in the phone number and go!

[I'd really like to know when you grocery shop!]

I usually go 2x/week, once on Sat. after I drop dd at a class, and once on co-op day while the big kids are doing classes.

 

Sat. is a function of being out anyway, and I go alone. I actually kind of like shopping, especially alone! On co-op day, we are 45 minutes from home and the kids have classes all AM, so I have time to kill with the LO.

 

DH has never grocery shopped. He would have no clue what to buy, so I would have to write an extremely detailed list, with brand names and container sizes, it just wouldn't be worth it. Besides, grocery shopping gives me a reason to get out of the house!

[Poll: How many of your kids know who Roy Rogers is?]

I don't know who Roy Rogers is!! So I'm guessing my kids don't know.

This. I'd never heard of the drink, either. I am vaguely aware of there being a restaurant with this name in some other part of the country.

 

As for the man, I feel like he is a cowboy actor from way back, but that's all I've got. Or maybe I'm thinking of John Wayne? Either way, I never watched any of those type of shows.

[if we want to go grain free...]

I'm on a reduced calorie diet in addition to avoiding grains ( although I do very occasionally have whole rice, quinoa, etc. but no flour or pasta, no wheat).

 

My basic daily meals are as follows:

 

Breakfast:

 

Fruit

Egg

Veggie sausage

Kefir

 

Lunch:

 

Steamed veggies

Meat or bean-based entree

 

Supper:

Large salad

Soup or veggies

Kefir

 

So, I'm getting some carbs from fruit, dairy and a bit in the veggies, but just don't eat grains. It really isn't a big deal.

 

Just this week for entrees I made:

 

- butternut squash topped with ground beef, onions, peppers, garlic and a bit of cheese

 

- chicken breast with creamy dill and capers sauce

 

- Mexican tilapia with salsa and guacamole

 

- puréed white bean and garlic soup

 

Instead of serving these types of meals with bread or over rice, just eat them as is with tons of veggies to fill you up. If potatoes aren't an issue for you, occasionally add mashed, home fries and sweet potato fries.

 

I find any combo of fruit, dairy (yogurt, cheese, etc.) and protein for breakfast much more satisfying and longer-lasting than a grain-based meal. It is also much easier to cut out sugar by avoiding baked goods and cereals that are typically packed with the stuff.

 

HTH!

[For those with family 2-3 hours away]

Once a month, usually. Dh's family is overseas, though, so we don't have to split those visits between two families. I get to visit my parents every month, working around special occasions so we can be there for parades, festivals, etc.

 

Most of the time, the dc and I go without dh, since for me it's "going home", while he'd rather have peace and quiet home alone than a weekend with the ILs.

 

Could you take turns so the entire family doesn't have to travel every time?

[Irritated to death at non-refundable co-op fees and local Spanish class less than advertised]

We participate in a small co-op with 4 families, Jr. high and high school level. We all teach, and it is held at one of our members' home. The only cost is reimbursing each other for photocopies and purchasing any required texts.

 

Our goal isn't to have our kids taught by professionals, but for them to benefit from class discussions and collaborations that aren't possible at home.

[Selling my iPad]

I'm no expert, but your apps should be saved in your iTunes account, which you will link to your new device. Just make sure you plug it into your computer and sync it so everything will be saved.

[Do you do anything special for round number anniversaries?]

Usually a piece of jewelry for me (that I pick out).

 

A small anniversary band for our 1st (didn't have an engagement ring), a family ring and a bracelet for our 10th, a larger anniversary band and gold watch for our 15th, and a proper engagement diamond for our 20th.

 

Every year, we go out to dinner, sometimes alone, sometimes as a family.

 

Dreaming of a trip for our 25th in 3 years (since I can't think of any more jewelry I could need :). If we can't afford a trip, we'll ship the kids to grandma's and stay home alone!

[How did your doctor handle exercise-induced asthma?]

My ds has an albuterol inhaler that he keeps in his sport bag in case he needs it.

[Do you know who Marlo Thomas is?]

I know her face, know she's famous, probably an actress, so I voted yes. I'm 39.

[New England zoos: Southwick VS Roger Williams]

I've never been to Roger Williams, but my ds absolutely loved Southwick when we visited (he was 9).

 

The big hit by far was the deer sanctuary. The deer roam free and people are also free to walk through. The deer can come quite close, and ds was able to cautiously pet one! In fact, he recently wrote about the experience for 10th grade English, so it obviously made quite an impression.

 

It's a smaller, low-key zoo, with a good amount of shade. We really enjoyed it.

 

Of course, I'd make sure the zoo hasn't changed in the past 7 years.

[Siblings of opposite gender sharing a room?]

Mine shared a room until they were 10b and 7g. Really, their room was a place to play with their toys and to sleep. Dressing was done in the bathroom.

 

Now that they're teens, it wouldn't work, but for ages 10/11 and under, it really wasn't an issue.

[What would you do?]

I grew up with 2 Aunt Sues (wives of my paternal uncles) so they both had the same 1st and last names. Big deal. In private, we differentiated between them based on where they lived (different states), but we could just as easily said "Bob's Sue" and "Joe's Sue". At gatherings, it really wasn't an issue.

 

Come to think of it, I also had 2 great-aunt Suzannes (same situation, both married into the family. We just referred to them as "Pierre's Suzanne" and "Jean's Suzanne". It's not rocket science.

 

It sounds like this family goes out of it's way to marginalize you. I know some people play favorites, but to do so publicly and blatantly is in fathomable. Hopefully your dh continues to stick up for you, because that is ridiculous.

[Cloth diapers for overnight potty training]

Motherease Bedwetter pants! They are a bit bulky, but really work, no leaks. Love 'em!

 

http://usshop.motherease.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=15&cat=Bedwetter+Pants

[In a moment of desperation I called our state online academy (K12)]

Wildcat, just FYI, Keystone completely revamped their courses last year. More of the coursework is online, more variety and more frequent assignments, virtual labs, discussion boards, etc. we actually preferred the old basic "read and test" format, so we won't be using them again, but I wanted to let you know Keystone has changed a lot in case you wanted to look at them again.

 

We ended up preferring American School. I was afraid it wouldn't be challenging enough, but we have found its easier to supplement than to deal with completing someone else's extensive busy work. Ds likes the no frills, clear and straightforward lessons and tests. Their essays ask the student to use and apply what they learned to a new situation, without requiring hours of searching through the text trying to figure out what exactly they are expecting as an answer (his experience with Keystone). They are also very student-friendly rather than money-focused. For example, most distance schools I researched charge $50-100 per course for extensions of a few months, and after using the maximum number of extensions, you have to pay for the course all over again in order to complete it and receive credit. American School charges $25 for a YEAR extension, which extends ALL courses currently taken, with no extension limits. Most courses are text-based, but they are continually adding more online classes, and even the paper classes can submit exams online (rather than snail mail) if desired.

 

Anyway, it sounds like Jean has things pretty well pulled together, but I wanted to mention our experience for Wildcat and any others who are still researching.