How can someone use my own email? It was a yahoo address if that matters. Jo

I laughed so hard I cried the first time I saw that music video. I remember putting in that movie and thinking, "if the rest of this movie sucks it is okay because that video is worth the cost of the rental!" Actually I don't remember much about the movie itself...oh well. Ahhh. The 80s......

We have gone through some challenging times of disconnect. Once when we had a newborn and dh was teaching at a college full time while getting his MBA we barely saw each other. That was our cell phone phase of life. :D He would call between classes and when he was eating. We snatched time when we could. We were also dirt, dirt poor and never got babysitters. We would have "in-house dates" that consisted of putting on the fireplace or candles and have dinner and conversation after the kids were in bed (we often had a baby swing going in the background). We took walks with the kids. One other suggestion might be that you start writing each other quick notes. Just little encouragements. When dh is at sea those emails and letters, no matter how brief, keep us going. Sometimes the imperfect results of honest effort is enough to connect. ;) Jo

See? Now I forgot about the collar grab. Dagummit. I had the speech correct though. ;) Jo

Thanks Amy. This sounds like a reasonable plan. If he can't get along...he can be by himself. Jo

This is quite possible. We are still unpacking our house and school hasn't started up yet. He has been doing a lot of "babysitting" as I run around preparing for dh's deployment. Still. He needs to treat his siblings with respect. Honestly? He has been in his room all day (by his choice after our talk) and the atmosphere among the other five children has been much better. :confused: How could this pre-teen logic stage attitude cause so much havoc? He needs some emotional tank filling. Jo

No, no, no. The "best wishes" statement could go either way, right? :D I hope it turns out just like you hope. It is amazing how knowing just one person has changed my impression of the vasectomy. Apparently the percentage of reconnection is something like 0.2%. More frequently people get pregnant because the vasectomy wasn't complete and there was still sperm present. Jo

My friend's dh had a vas. reconnect. She is currently pregnant with their surprise third-----she was over the top freaked out! You should have heard the things she said to me. "I'm 37! I don't know anyone having babies at this age! I don't want my daughter to have to give up her youth to help me with a child!" Ahem...the friend you are venting to is 37, and majorly preggo! Give up her youth? Good gracious--my poor children. ;) She has finally accepted the change and is looking forward to this child, but it was rough for a while. I can completely understand the shock. Best wishes to you my dear. Jo

Is he just this way with his brother? My son never seems even the slightest bit interested in teasing friends. It seems like a power thing. Would you agree? And in my situation I see that as equivalent to bullying- as sad as I am to admit my son might be a bully. I am past the point of "talking" to him about it. It does seem to be escalating a little, and more importantly it is making one of his brothers miserable- truly frustrated to the point of tears. :glare: I'm done. I need to see some change. jo

Help me out with consequences, please. My oldest has had a pattern lately that I must address. He tricks, teases, and generally thinks it is funny to make his siblings squirm. Much of this behavior I have ignored (bad mommy) and chalked it up to boy stuff. Bringing the bug to make the sister scream, jumping out and scaring his brother, etc. This morning he tricked his little brother by putting yogurt on a chip and feeding it to his brother after telling him it was a nacho. It made his brother gag and it made me furious. What is up with this child? He is usually very sweet. He seems remorseful when we discuss it, but he continues the behavior almost as if he can't help himself. Help. Please. Jo

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey Will I love it as much? Jo

Oh, perfect timing. I needed to put a new flick in the cue! Thank you. Jo

Side dishes, that is. Rice, Potato, bread, vegi? Thanks. Jo

Colleen- My dh and I are cracking up reading this post!! Thanks for keepin' it real. You are absolutely right- it really is just therapy. I know it is normal when you have active kids. Like the club fort that has been set up in the Plumeria trees next to the house- including, but not limited to, a blue tarp and folding lawn chairs. I cringe everytime I look at it. I will never have "Yard of the Month" but the neighborhood kids love being here and I always know where my kids are- but I have lost track of the little one in the garage. It is *that* bad right now. :glare: Anyways, your post had me truly laughing out loud- and my dh too, since 40hr weeks aren't, and never will be, his reality. ;) Jo

Is there room in the garage for anything else? Bikes, scooters, skateboards, basket/soccer balls, coolers, dog kennel, tools.............. What. Do. You. Do? As an a aside, I'm highly suspicious of people with garages neat as a pin that also have children. ;) It isn't normal. Jo

It certainly isn't the norm for business these days. My dh and I bought a gihugeous outdoor storage closet at homedepot last weekend. My dh asked the check out lady if they had rope to tie it to the top of our Suburban- she said, "yeah, over there but I don't have anything to cut it with." :001_huh::001_huh::001_huh: It's a *hardware* store. I literally went around the corner and got some pruning scissors. Then when we rolled it out to our Suburban by ourselves a total stranger who was just going in to shop came running over and said, "you can't lift that" to me- it must have been the 8 1/2 month protrusion from my middle. He helped us get it on the roof. Awwww. See? some people are polite, it just isn't encouraged from business anymore- which is a great pity, because it is so rare people would probably cater those stores that made it more of a priority.

Is there something special about the paper that comes with the beads? Has anyone done this with disastrous results? Warn me now. I have a kitchen full of kids (neighbors mostly) playing with Perler Beads and the iron is heating as I type. Jo

We (you, dear readers, and I) all know that real Projects, capital "P" ~ things that involve a great deal of thought and attention or making a mess or whatever ~ are simply too difficult to achieve with a posse of young people underfoot. Yup, yup, triple yup. This is where I am. one step forward, three steps back. There just isn't enough of me. Plain and simple. I have reached the place where I know I can't juggle it all so I have to decide which ball I'm willing to let fall. I don't like it, but that is where I am too. Jo

I like Nat'l Geographic, and I let my kids read it. Having said that, I wish it were a little more Geo and a lot less Geo-socio-political. I have to review the issues before I turn them over to the kids- remember the "Art of Love" issue- argh! I have assigned articles for science class and the photography is unmatched. Some of the articles are just plain against our personal beliefs and I have to be prepared to discuss that with my kids- but that is all part and parcel as far as I'm concerned. No worse than watching the news etc. Jo

"Don't speak ill of the dead" used to be the standard because generally recognized that it is unclassy at best and a cheap shot at worst. I think it is insulting no matter what his feelings about Jesse Helms. So, no I don't support what he did. He would of been the bigger man to rise above his personal miffs and honor the human being. Now if this non-flag-lowerer were to have passed away prior to my reading the story....I never would have posted. ;) Jo

Hey- and to all you Oklahomians! Keep Drilling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D (Cyndi- I don't think ya'll are in the oil business, but your lovely state certainly is- keep up the good work)

I hear collector plates are an awesome deal......

And the only thing she left to my dh is a Hummel plate with the wrong birth year and an Encyclopedia Britannica Birds of Your Garden Collection plate (cardinals). I despise collector plates. They never come out of their boxes. But they are the only thing my dh has from his Grandma. I really don't think my dh has strong feelings about it, but I feel guilty getting rid of them. Would you get rid of them? Jo

Envious: Of those who have a husband home every night. Have the ability to make decisions together, raise children together, and generally not feel the weight of all household matters alone. Those who have family nearby. Being able to drop roots. Thankful: Oh my, so much. A bulging squirmy belly. Healthy children. My current geographical residence, the view out of my military-issue, unalterably cramped quarters. A street full of friendly neighbors who would come to my aid if needed. ****Btw- I have let more people visit in my partially unpacked, crowded, cluttered, disorganized home in the last month than I could have ever imagined myself willing. My pride be darned! People are generally curious about what exists on the other side of our neighbor's front doors. It has humbled me and comforted me to see how relieved my new neighbors and friends are to see a "real" home with cluttered counters with 3x as many children's cups on the counter than children I have borne, cereal under the table, and dishes in the sink. I may be momentarily impressed by seeing photos of beautiful kitchens, but I am endeared and invariably allied to those who post it like it is-in its "lived in" state.**** Jo

I was thinking the same thing. They are a business. Am I suppose to rant when B&N doesn't carry books on coping with military deployments or large family logistics? I just know that I am a minority and a mainstream bookstore isn't the place to find it. Have you tried Amazon.com?