[Noise canceling headphones...do they work?]

I have a set of Logitech brand wireless headphones, which I use to talk on Skype and listen to NPR streaming. They aren't made for the sole purpose of noise cancelling, but it is a feature. Boy, does it work, and it drives my kids nuts (I can't hear the incessant "Mom, mom!", ah darn!)

 

I would say such a device would be a good investment.

[how often...??]

Whenever I remember that it hasn't been done in a while. Which is no where near as often as they should be changed.

 

Yes, this! I would say probably once a month :001_huh:. We don't have double sets of sheets, so they have to be washed on a day that I have time to make sure they get stripped, washed, dried and put back on before everyone is ready for bed. Due to different sheet colors, this means at least 2, sometimes 3 loads in a day. I also try to time it for when the corresponding color of clothes load is about half full, making each load full enough to wash when the sheets are added. All these variables falling into line approximate a lunar eclipse so, umm, yes, I probably need to buy extra sheets :tongue_smilie:.

[s/o How often...]

Hmm. Never thought about it. When I get out of the shower, grab my towel off the hook and realize it smells, I toss it in the laundry and get a new one. Dh does the same. I assume the kids do as well, but if I notice the same towel has been there for a while, I'll change it myself. Dh stays on top of changing the handtowels, since he uses them much more often than I do (I am inevitably washing my hands in the kitchen!)

 

As my mom always told me growing up, "Towels are for drying clean, wet things!" If this principle is adhered to, I see no reason to wash them, unless they begin to smell from not drying properly. I can see young children not respecting this rule, though :tongue_smilie:.

[Are there more financial drawbacks or benefits when married in college?]

I was 18 when dh and I got married, 1/2 way through my freshman year of college. Fortunately, my parents had saved enough for my tuition and I was living at home. Dh was doing temporary work, but nothing we could live on. Neither of us would have qualified for any assistance if we weren't married. Dh had no other way of financing his college education, so once we were married, he was able to become a student as well. I was able to use my grants and loans to allow us to live on our own. Once we graduated and found jobs in our fields, we put all of my salary toward paying off our loans, since we wanted to be accustomed to living on one salary.

 

So, all in all, it was beneficial, but most beneficial financially if your parents make enough money that you wouldn't qualify for assistance as their dependent.

 

Socially, being married while in college is an enormous benefit, because you can focus on your studies rather than on the "social scene" (which often contains immoral/ill-advised/possibly dangerous/possibly illegal behavior) which can derail a person's future in many ways. Having a person you are fully committed to sharing your college years goes a long way in helping to navigate what can be a difficult season of life.

 

All that said, don't forget another extremely important factor in the financial consideration: health insurance. Now full-time students can remain on their parents' policy until they are 26. If you get married, you're on your own for that one. However, most schools offer some sort of health insurance (possibly only catastrophic, but that is the most financially damaging), so as long as you both remain full-time students, you should at least have that coverage, but definitely look into it.

 

HTH, and best of luck in your decision.

[My 18 year old called me this week to announce that she is getting married . . .]

I knew my dh for 8 months before we got married, but we only waited that long because I had to wait to turn 18 ;)! Looking back, I was so head-over-heels that I could have easily made a big mistake in getting married at that point, but I believe God was guiding me, and choosing to spend my life with dh was the best decision I ever could have made.

 

I sincerely hope for the same blessed union for your dc.

[Do you make your own birthday cake?]

My wonderful children (particularly my aspiring chef ds13) always make my cake, sometimes with help from dh, or my mom if we are at her house.

 

My birthday was a couple of weeks ago, and ds made me his own original creation, layered in a souffle pan:

 

chocolate mousse

cherry pie filling

chocolate ganache

brownies

cheesecake

pie crust

 

Yummmm!

 

Oh yes, and rather than buy a couple of number candles, he actually put the correct # of individual candles all over the top of the cake. :glare: Needless to say, I needed some help blowing them out! :tongue_smilie:

[What would you call this?]

I studied both in PS highschool, and each course was one semester, half a credit. No reason why you can't do the same. ;)

[What's your breakfast ritual like?]

I am the first one up at around 7:30. I do last night's supper dishes (I know, but we eat between 8 and 9pm, and I just can't bear to do dishes at that hour!), then I get my breakfast of cereal, oatmeal or a bagel and sit down to check my e-mail and this board in the peace and quiet.

dd10 usually comes down between 8 and 8:30, then we wake up ds13 at 8:45. They find/fix their own breakfasts (could be toast/cereal/poptarts, or pancakes/eggs, whatever they feel like) as I start a load of laundry and enjoy a few more blissful moments on the internet ;).

 

While they are eating, they almost always watch TV. It's not a great habit, and I managed to break them of it for a year or so when they were younger, but it doesn't really bother me and I pick my battles. They either watch PBS or some other kids' show (they LOVE the old Berenstain Bears!), or pop in a family video, which they finish during their lunch break.

 

We start school at 9:30.

 

Dh usually stumbles down between 9 and 10am, and makes his own breakfast. He admits breakfast is his favorite meal of the day, and he creates quite a ritual out of it, eating a little cereal while his coffee is brewing, then having bagel/toast/baked goods while he works away at his laptop. Needless to say, he drags his breakfast out so long, that he doesn't usually get around to eating lunch until 3pm!

 

So, I guess I would say breakfast in our house isn't really a meal so much as everyone's personal pleasant beginning to the day, enjoyed in whichever fashion s/he prefers.

[Feeling so bad for my poor mother...]

I'm so sorry for your mom, Kate. My mom and I both had our purses stolen off our dining room table about 15 years ago (rural area, light was on above the table, back door was unlocked, teens hitting easy targets in the middle of the night for cash).

 

It was very scary to know someone had been in our house, no matter how briefly, but it can be devastating once you realize all the personal and irreplaceable items that were in there.

 

In our case, it was a happy ending. A hiker found all the purses that had been stolen from our area on a trail several towns away. They apparently just took the cash out of them and left everything else. My only real loss was a single French bill, I think 20 Francs, which had been the last bit of cash I had on me when returning from my high school graduation trip to France. I had kept it in my wallet as a souvenir, and these fools thought it was actually worth something and took it :sad:.

 

I do hope they manage to track down her personal items, and that they phone company may be able to retrieve her messages. How terrible about the notebook; I have often wished I had kept such a record, and to know she did and now it's gone, it's just so sad and terrible for a woman who has been through so much lately.

 

:grouphug:

[Quickly - would you let your son give a friend a Webkinz for his 10th bday?]

I would definitely give him something else, like a ToysRUs gift card, and let your ds give him the Webkinz when they are on their own (one on one playdate, etc.)

 

I am in a similar situation, dd10's male cousin just had his 10th birthday, and while I'm sure he would have enjoyed a Webkinz (or more specifically, the online games that go with it), I would not have embarrassed him (the birthday boy) by having my dd give it to him in front of all his (male) ps friends.

 

In your case, since the boys present will know the birthday boy but not your son, you could be setting him up to not only be picked on by the other kids, but put his friend in the awkward position of wanting to be polite to your son, but caving to the mob mentality so as not to be ridiculed himself, and therefore shunning/downplaying/even making fun of the gift to save face.

 

No sense in putting either one of them through that. Unfortunate, but boys (at least ps boys) will be boys :tongue_smilie:.

[Recycling S/O: Do you wash out bottles, cans, and jars before recycling?]

I wash everything until there is no food stuck on it. Juice and milk containers, I just rinse out quickly and crush. Tomato cans, salsa jars, yogurt containers, etc., I rinse until clean. Really awful items, like peanut butter jars, I fill with water, put the cover on, and leave it on my counter for 24 hours or so, before draining and rinsing (this softens the stuck-on stuff).

 

We also toured our local recycling facility, and not only was there no washing process, but we watched the poor workers hand-sorting every single piece of recycling, with gloves and masks, but it was still quite smelly. They did a good job of driving home the point that dirty recycling is a health hazard, not to mention just nasty and disgusting, for the workers.

 

Although both our trash and recycling is paid by the municipality, we recycle everything we can. We usually have one trash bag per week, but our recycle bin needs to be emptied at least twice a week. It's just the right thing to do, IMO.

[Relocating - rent first or buy?]

I would say it depends on your situation. We have done both ;).

 

When we chose to buy:

- We intended to stay in that area indefinitely, or at least 3-5 years

- The housing market was good, so a profit was expected

- We found an area to buy in that we had no doubt was perfect for us

- The house we bought kept our kids in an atmosphere/lifestyle similar to what they were accustomed (what was available for rent would have been a culture shock)

- dh's relocation package paid the realtor to sell our previous home and all our moving expenses, so it made sense to put our profit on that home into another, rather than "banking" it

 

When we chose to rent:

- We had no idea what neighborhood we wanted to be in

- We were unsure how long we would be in the area, and if we would want to change neighborhoods once we became accustomed to the area

- No relocation package to help with expenses (we needed our savings for living expenses, couldn't afford to put it into a downpayment)

 

Of course, we only stayed in the home we purchased for 1 1/2 years, and have now been in the same rental in the neighborhood we originally selected in our new area for 3 years, so you never know how things will work out. Still, we didn't regret either decision, because we did make a good profit on the house, and enjoy the freedom renting gives us, since we still don't know how long we will be here

 

My primary concern right now would be the housing market. In most areas, it is much more difficult to sell a home, and much less likely to make a profit in the short-term (unless you buy a bank-owned property). I would think long and hard about the possibility of being stuck with a home you can't sell if and when you want to leave the area, or change neighborhoods. However, if the rental choices are terrible, and you are confident in your choice of neighborhood, intend to stay in the area, and the housing market is healthy (or you can get a great deal), it might be worthwhile to buy.

 

HTH,

[Job update...Thanks for sticking with me!]

I personally love it, when faced with a difficult life-changing decision, I feel I have done everything in my power, and then find it out of my hands. I know it is an enormous burden to feel like a huge decision is resting on your shoulders. You are in the enviable position of having put everything on the table, and the decision will now be made for you, no guilt, no regrets. Just sit back, wait to see what happens, and feel confident that, whatever that is, it was meant to be.

[If you don't take the kids trick-or-treating...]

We turn off all the lights in the front of the house and curl up in our king-sized bed upstairs watching movies in the dark. No one ever comes to the doors of houses with no porch light on, but it's fun to feel like we're "hiding" from the costumed bands outside.

 

Then we hit all the drugstores/convenience stores the next day and stock up on 50% off candy (we do the same for Valentine's Day and Easter!)

[Top 10 Things NOT to say when asked "What?! No school today?"]

I have actually used a form of #3!!

 

I ran out to the store early on a weekday morning before we began our work for the day (we start at 9:30), and dd10 insisted on coming with me. I didn't think much of it until the clerk asked, "What, no school today?" I answered, "Yes, not yet", looked at my watch, and acted flustered and in a hurry to get going, insinuating that we were headed to school but just running late (which was, in fact, the case :001_smile:).

[What is your favorite pie to eat on Thanksgiving?]

We always have pumpkin and pecan, but my personal favorite (which my grandma used to make me) is chocolate cream (you know, chocolate pudding in a graham cracker crust). It is easy enough to make, so I can always do it myself and bring it along if I really need some.

 

BTW, one year I made a delicious tofu version, and my grandfather went on and on about how great it was. We all chuckled under our breath since we were sure he had never eaten tofu, and likely wouldn't have if we had told him :lol:.

[Guess what I'm doing on Thanksgiving?]

I consider myself well-versed in 80s music (it's what I grew up on), but I must confess I haven't heard of a Bret Michaels (George Michael, yes but not Bret). Are you sure his music isn't even OLDER than the 80s? :lol:Sorry, I just had to get that jab in, it was my birthday over the weekend, and it's fun to delude myself into thinking I'm not thaat old!

 

Back to the original question, don't most women spend Thankgiving afternoon/evening shopping, and men watching football? If your evening of entertainment was taking you away from valuable family time, I might raise an eyebrow, but compared to the alternatives, I say do what you enjoy on your day off.

 

BTW, I just couldn't resist: Guess what I'm doing on Thanksgiving? Hopefully having a baby!!!!

[I feel like I am becoming more like hubby!]

I have always been better at working "in series" than "in parallel" (I know women are supposed to be great multi-taskers, but I have always been more "masculine" in my approach to work ;)).

 

Dh, on the other hand, says multi-tasking is the way of the future and I have to work harder to do so. :glare: However, I don't really view what he does as "multi-tasking", but more like jumping willy nilly from one task to another, never thoroughly addressing or completing any of them :tongue_smilie:. I have even come to call him "ping-pong head", because that is what his thought seem to be doing all the time :lol:.

 

Age, personality, circumstance, nature vs. nurture...I don't know. Just do the best you can with what you've got!

[Are Sweet 16 parties (for girls) common where you live?]

This is interesting. I have always thought of "Sweet 16" as a Southern US or Mediterranean/Latino immigrant thing. I would be curious to know in which regions this is common, and among families of what cultural backgrounds. I believed the original purpose of a Sweet 16 was as a type of "debutante ball", where the girl makes her debut as a woman in the community, and therefore as a marriage prospect and open to courting. This would explain the huge, extravagant, well-attended party. Is there another reason I am missing?

 

I, also, have only heard of Sweet 16 parties in books and movies. While 16 year olds have the right to drive, 18 is a much greater milestone in our modern culture, since it marks entry into legal adulthood, so this is the birthday that I am accustomed to being celebrated in a big way (but definitely not as big as you are describing; that's a wedding!)

[WWYD? Dh's Grandmother's funeral 6 days before due date]

I am planning to give birth at a hospital 2 hours away from where I live, near my family. My intention is to pack and go to stay with my mom 10 days before my due date, but if the baby decides to come early, I expect to just hit the road and get there in time ;). At the same time, my 1st labor was 40 hours, and 2nd labor was 14, with no complications.

 

Like everyone else said, follow your Dr.'s advice and go with your gut. If you are leaning toward not going, perhaps you could nudge your Dr. in that direction, so you can tell dh and his family "the Dr. told me not to travel". I am surprised, considering the location and your history, that dh is pushing you to go, but his thinking is likely clouded by grief. Personally, I would have to balance my feelings if I were to go into labor at an inopportune time and/or deliver at an unfamiliar hospital (anger/resentment?) and how I would feel if I stayed home, nothing happened, and I missed the funeral (guilt, regret?)

 

If it helps, my great-grandmother passed one week after my dd's birth, and I did not go. I was exhausted and did not feel ready to make a 2 hour round trip with a newborn who would need to be nursed and comforted constantly through a service. Everyone understood. Personally, I am in much better shape (and mental state) pregnant than post-partum, but that's just me.

 

Best of luck with the decision!

[How long does your 5th grader do school daily?]

My dd10 spends 3 hours 1 on 1 with me, plus another hour or so of homework, so about 4 hours total.

[Socialization vs socializing]

I typically assume they are referring to "socializing", as in, having friends and activities.

 

If the question came from someone who truly understood the definition of "socialization" (in which case, it would be a politically- and idiologically-charged question) I would be tempted to respond with:

 

"I've seen the village, and I don't want it raising my children." :lol:

[Do you finish after lunch?]

I work 1 on 1 with my 5th grader from 9:30 to 12:30, and we're done. She usually has some "homework" to complete on her own in the afternoon (spelling workbook, math exercises, typing, etc.) while I work with my 8th grader (who was working independently all AM).

 

HTH,

[If you were forced to cook from 1 cookbook for the rest of your life, which one? Why?]

Saving Dinner, no question. I have planned all my weekly dinners based on this for the past 5-6 years. I have used both the cookbook and the online subscription version. I cannot imagine trying to get through the week without it!

[I think my sil might possibly be insane]

Why?:confused:

 

Judging from the PP's mention of a "maid", unless it was tongue-in-cheek, I suspect the answer is:

 

Because he wants to, and they can afford to.

 

Awaiting further details...