Erm.... I REALLY hate to say this, but that sounds exactly like bats to me (having lived in a house with a bat problem before).

I am suddenly extremely grateful to have been born at the time I was. Was anyone else silently cheering just a little bit at her rebellion of not sending him all the letters he asked for?

Gosh, you guys are being so hard on poor Rachel. You gotta admit, she really puts some effort into her relationships. That girl calls me more than my own mother, let alone any of my other friends. It's a little flattering that someone wants to talk to me THAT badly. ;)

I think it's polite to ask it as a question, even there is an expectation that it should be done. I am not my husband's boss and I don't get to tell him what to do with the assumption that he has to listen. Even if I EXPECT him to do something, I should still ASK. He's free to say no (and he's also free to enjoy the consequences if he does that often enough to annoy me, lol). I asked my husband and he looked at me like I had two heads. He wants to know how one would phrase a request without it being a request, lol. His words were "The other alternative to making a polite request is to make demands instead. Why would anyone prefer that?!" He seems genuinely baffled by your husband's reaction.

I made that response assuming you already knew about the huge sale going on today, that is. If not... click that link, and click it fast, they're selling out SUPER fast!

No, this sale is by far the biggest of the year. GO GO GO!

When a board full of people, many of whom come from the same background and parenting ideology as yourself, are HORRIFIED at what you're saying happened, maybe it should give you pause instead of being written off as an "oh brother". ESPECIALLY since you explained it as well as you could. We all understand your reasoning perfectly; we just think it's horrifying. Not that it matters; you're so sure that you did nothing wrong here that you're unwilling to listen to anyone anyway.

We don't punish for accidents, but we do make them deal with the consequences themselves. If you break something, you get the chance to learn how to repair it, or you pay for it. etc etc. I wouldn't say we get angry when that happens, but depending on the nature of the accident, we can be stern. I'd say that acting stern when spelling out the consequences only happens when it's more of an "accident" than an accident, lol. Eg, if the kids have been wrestling around the living room and bump into things which then break. If it an "oh no, I tripped and dropped this" kind of situation, we'll be more likely to help offset the consequences a bit with the understanding that sometimes accidents happen and it stinks... but we do still need to responsible for fixing the problem.

I think it can SURVIVE, but very rarely can it thrive. I believe that it's far more common for a couple to not divorce afterwards simply because it's too overwhelming (or scary or financially impossible) to split one household up in to two, for so many different reasons.

"In order to maximize academic accomplishment, no time can be wasted and anything that’s not academically targeted, that’s not geared to what the students have to know, is time wasted. So there is almost no opportunity for play, for relaxation, very little time for extra-curricular activities. The day is jammed with academics, especially math and reading because that’s what gets tested. The view of time and strict discipline are related, by the way; in order to get these kids to attend over very long hours—they have extended days and extended weeks—you have to be tough with the kids, really severe." Wow. This may be one of the saddest things I have ever read. And WHY? Because that's what gets tested. Holy cow. Is THIS what so much standardized testing has done to us? Never have I been so glad that I am able to homeschool.

Lack of emotional intimacy. We just don't have much to talk about (I find his interests obnoxious, he finds mine boring), and there's just not always much a connection.

If it's not too far out of the realm of ordinary, I think they're just a pretty odd. It seems like they've both been at this point mentally for years without degrading, so they just (okay "just" probably isn't the right word, lol) lack any common sense or social filters.

They'll probably use the garage. And you can be a little mean mom about this. This is your organizational space. You've got papers, bills, etc, to work with here. Cluttering it up with random stuff is not an option. Since it will probably end up as a landing space for keys, at least, you may want to put a small basket on the corner of the desk as a designated space for that type of little stuff, so they have somewhere to put it and you don't have to feel like it's cluttering up your area.

If it gets too tiring to run laundry up and down the stairs all the time, just have the kids do it. Goodness knows with 3 kids and 2 senoirs living with you they should be willing to help out with something as minor as that. I would take the opportunity and enjoy having a lovely, peaceful spot for yourself.

Well you can TRY to bring it across the border if you're driving; I've gone across numerous times and never gotten stopped, even holding snacks in my hand, so I don't think they care much. But there would be a chance you might get pulled out to have your vehicle searched, in which case there's a risk you could lose it all. If you're into Asian food I've heard Salad King is excellent. Never been there myself, but various friends in that area love it. I think it's not too far from the ROM, but I'd double check that just in case. It's close to the university so it's got a cafeteria vibe (though it IS a sit-down place even if it doesn't look like it from the pics), but the food's supposed to be great. http://www.saladking.com/ As far as local greasy spoons go, The Stockyards are close to that area as well and have AWESOME food, but be warned that they pretty much only do heart attacks on a plate, lol. Fantastic food... because it pretty much all tastes like it's been marinating in bacon fat, rofl. If you don't have heart problems you'll love it. ;) http://www.thestockyards.ca/

If you're with the kids and like museums and similar things, you may want to carve out some time to check out the Science Centre; depending on the ages of your kids they (and you, it's a fun place) may prefer it to the ROM. For restaurant recommendations, what sort of food do you like? And what do you consider "crazy expensive"? There's a huuuuuuge variety options, especially in the area you'll be heading to.

Honestly, if you're considering it as a name... I would take the time to at least watch some of the movies with this character in it. Not because they're awesome movies, but because people will INSTANTLY associate the name with the character and you may want to know exactly what that means for how it may cause her to be perceived.

There's no option for both, lol. I think it's cute AND a little wacky. Definitely be prepared for the instant assocoation with Luna Lovegood, though that's not necessarily a bad thing.

For once posting a personal picture of myself for the crazies of the internet to peruse has worked out in my favour! Maybe I should take it to Tinder next. Or I could, you know... not. Think maybe I'll got with that option.

That going outside with your hair wet will make you catch a cold. Can't count how many times my mother would mess up my hair trying to get it dry with a towel, or make use late by trying to get all our hair perfectly blowdried before stepping out on a cold day. That's just not how viruses work, mom.

Well of course they are, who isn't? Mandylubug, this is the sort of thing that you can expect to happen when you so brazenly wear yoga pants. Let this be a lesson to you. ;)

Call me crazy, but... I actually like some of those ladies outfits (none of the men's, lol), or at least parts of them. Specifically: the tunic & belt in 3 the dress on the bottom right of 8 17 (in pretty much any other colour, lol) 19 (without the fringed 'sash') 20, with a different shirt I think those ones could actually look pretty modern with a few minor accessory changes. Someone tell me I'm not alone? Pretty please? :leaving:

I think so too. Someone who's confident with the way they parent and is looking for ways to improve will see the list as just that. And in that respect it's a decent list. "What can I work today? Have I missed anything that I should be trying to instil in my kids?" etc. But when the list gets shared on facebook like the OP said it was, there will be a lot of people who are struggling, who are already questioning everything they're doing, feeling not good enough, etc, and articles like these are just more fuel on the fire. For it's intended audience it's great, but the problem lies in broad sharing on social networks with those for whom the message is definitely NOT productive.

While I wouldn't go nuts about the article, I find it a little unrealistic. And the closing paragraph makes it clear that it's not just about self-improvement, but that you're not modelling the right behaviour for your kids. "If you’re not modeling positive behavior, it’s never too late to make a change. Where do you need to improve your behavior so you can set the right example for your children?" From that list it appears one is barely able to be human lest they set a bad example for their children. You're not allowed to dislike your job, or even to like it but talk about it's negative aspects. If you aren't consistently happy with your job, you're not being a good role model If you're out of shape, you're not a good role model. If you lose your temper, you're not a good role model. If you get upset and eat too much or liek to have a beer after a hard day, you're not a good role model. If you struggle to make ends meet, you're not a good role model. If you don't have the time/energy/resources to volunteer places with your children, you're not a good role model. If you like having nice things, you're not a good role model. If you're content with your life as it is and not pushing for more, you're not a good role model. If you're not confident in a variety of social situations, you're not a good role model. If you treat a problem like an actual problem, you're not a good role model. If you've ever said something negative about someone else, you're not a good role model. If you don't have time to be involved in ALL the activities for ALL your kids and use that lame old excuse that you actually can't be in 15 places at once, you're not a good role model. The article is a bit overkill. No human being can do all those things, and they certainly shouldn't be expected to and then told they should improve themselves if they don't live up to that list. It doesn't make me upset because frankly I'm confident enough about our lives that I don't care anymore when someone tells me that I should do more/be more, but I can see why some people would be annoyed by that list, yes. Edited to add: I'm not saying the article outright says people are bad role models if they don't do XYZ, etc. But to anyone who's anything less than totally confident in their parenting (which should probably be, um, everyone), that just reads like a list of why they're not good enough.

These have already been mentioned, but with your names I'd probably go with Lillian or Evelyn. Pretty and classic.