This. Until you've been without power for a week in your own home, I think you can only hope you'd remain civil. I would NOT be happy and probably be close to a nervous breakdown. The smell alone would be overwhelming. If I had my kids with me, it would be worse, especially if they couldn't eat. Then again, I began to get twitchy on a normal cruise, so... Lots of people, little control, not my kind of vacation.

We have a regular king Tempurpedic and looooove it. My in laws have the Costco split king adjustable and they are 100% happy with it!

Wait...you mean in two years, "Get your hands off your face," isn't going to work anymore?!? ;)

Thanks!!!

We went to a book making workshop last weekend. Not only did dd (who has LDs and struggles with writing, spelling, and speech) write a very long story, but then she read it to the whole group, and... it was in the local news!!! She is so excited. Here's the link. The newspaper article link is at the end of the post. That is her in the blue, reading to the group.

Beet juice, or just buy India Tree's dye (which is beet juice).

As adoptive mom, I agree with you. It's very unfortunate, but we have few rights and many agencies are out to make money. Some of the brochures we received for private adoptions were disgusting- telling us how money shouldn't matter if we got "the baby we'd always wanted." It's one reason we decided to go through foster care. There are some great agencies out there though. You just have to know where to look.

Ditto. Have a no gifts party and tell grandma to send cash. ;)

I'm sorry, but unless your daughter wants to dance professionally, there is no reason for her to continue in a studio where she is reduced to tears and berated by a teacher. None at all. Find a different studio or a new hobby. I had a ballet teacher (also the director) like this until I finally quit in 8th grade (to do high school dance team). I still have emotional scars because of some of the comments she made to me (including comments about my slowly developing body). I do NOT agree with the "learn to deal with it" approach. This is a choice and a young child does not need to try to manage themselves just because an adult can't behave. I would never make my child continue with a teacher who reduced her to tears on a regular basis. I would, however, help her see it through until the performance. She can finish her commitment and makes choice not to participate next year. Sometimes the studio directors are the worst with children. I don't think talking to her will make a difference.

Sometimes I overhear recommendations from the children's worker in B&N and I want to shout, "Noooooooo!!"

I started babysitting at 11, at night, for two kids aged 4 and 2. I was too young. But, we lived one street over and I new all the neighbors. It was a quiet neighborhood. We left our sleeping 8 year old girls home alone for 20 min at a time while we were at a party across the street in our very tight knit neighborhood. Now that we live in the country, our girls have never been home alone. They are 10. I don't foresee us leaving them home alone at all anytime soon, even though most of their friends stay home alone already. At 13-14? Yes, I suspect by then they'll be staying home alone in the evenings while we go to dinner or something. By that time I was babysitting regularly until very late at night.

Ugh! The one that is driving me crazy now is Bill Cosby. He's even posted on his website that he doesn't agree with the ugly things in it! It's called I'm 83 and tired. Bill Cosby is only 75. I've pointed that one out. Twice. I usually don't care, but if it sends the wrong message about the person's character, I'm going to say something.

Yes. I sent work to the babysitter for a week when the girls were in third grade. I realized I should only expect them to do busy work I don't care about. And because of that, I'll never send work to a babysitter again, unless it is something they can do 100% independently. I'd never ask my mom to supervise work, but that's our dynamic. I did have my MiL supervise work when they stayed at her house for a few days. In hind sight, it was probably just better to let them have time with grandma. Those few days didn't make a difference.

Wow! Good luck!

Ooooooh. I didn't know this!!

No nitrates at WF!

Oh yeah, and she had a problem with the scene where they talk about the butler needing something to do, so the cousin "allowed" him to dress him. I was trying not to listen... I like the show!

She only watched the first three episodes, but she said the entire way the entail (sp?) was handled was made for TV. Apparently it would have been a much bigger deal and not something that mom and grandma would dink around with like it was gossip. Something to that effect. I thought she was a party pooper. I don't care if it's innacurate. ;)

I just met a woman last night who actually studied this era in depth in graduate school. She said the show is so innacurate, she can't watch it.

We shop exclusively at those two stores. I like TJs for some packaged goods. Pasta sauce, organic pasta, jams, sauces, nuts, and any frozen foods like chicken potstickers. I like WF for all our produce, grass fed beef and free range chicken when I'm too lazy to get it from the farms, 365 brand of organic pastas, pasta sauce.... Corn tortillas, yogurt, eggs, frozen fish, feta cheese, parm cheese, sliced meats (without all the junk), sushi for a snack, sourdough bread, popcorn for the air popper...

Thanks Stephanie. It would be starting in July.

We're are you going already?!?! You just got here! did you buy a house?

YAY!!!! Thank you SO much for this site! It's exactly what I've been looking for, as VrBO is too expensive.

Ha! We'll be in the Tribeca with the roof rack. My husband will have his Legacy. He'll still have to work, so we'll need to be able to go somewhere with wifi during the week days.

Oooh, I just saw we can volunteer to be hosts at a campground. I wonder if there are other volunteer things we could do...