I'm stressed about all holidays, and I think it's because I do feel responsible for making them special. We don't even do that much, but I feel that if I half-ass it, everyone will be let down. This is what I get for being so damn good at it! :) Chocolate turkey? What did I miss? I'm all about chocolate. I love chocolate oranges. YUM!

Is it bad that I kind of hate the holidays? They are so freaking stressful. Why do we make them so stressful? We should be relaxing, not freaking out.

And this is why living thousands of miles away from your family isn't always a bad thing. ;) It will just be the 4 of us, but I kind of hate cooking a big meal for us. It's not like I don't cook for us every day. It's a lot of work. In Germany, everyone was in the same boat, so we all got together, and nobody had to do everything. We all just decided who would bring what, got together at one house and had a great time. I miss those days.

OMG, I'm not the only one who confuses them.

Unlike celebrities?

He's not dead because he pickled himself on the inside, therefore cannot die.

Thanks. Cooper told me not to tell anyone, because they might think I have "the ebola" and try to quarantine me! As for the surgery. Ugh. I wasn't thinking the other day and reached up to grab something off a high shelf, and pulled the skin apart. I've been in crazy pain since. Crap.

Ugh, no! I woke up with a sore throat, and the news that Benedict Cumberbatch is engaged. This is not my day.

Voted! It's more exciting than the actual elections.

That's so exciting!

You are correct about the lack of subtlety. It's like there are anvils falling all over the place. OMG, spoiler whore. That's hilarious. Normally I am too, but I don't want to know, because then I would be looking for clues (Sherlock fans: cluing for looks!) the entire show to see if I can find out a tell or give away. This is a huge part of our problem with society today. On TV and in movies, unless it's a supporting character, there are never any normal looking people. Everyone looks like a movie/tv star. Yes, they are talented, but I'm fairly certain there are some talented imperfect looking people. I don't think they get the roles though, because they don't look perfect. IMO, watching all perfect people in movies/tv is part of the problem with body image issues we have in this country. Where are the moms with the muffin tops and hair that doesn't look like it was styled by a team, the teens with a zit or two, or the dad's with a slight pot belly?

I would say we're arguing, but discussing how people say it, and the point of putting it out there. I post about my kids all the time, the crazy stuff they do, how much the make me laugh, and how much I adore them. If people don't know I'm grateful for them, then they're not getting me. I don't need to say "I'm grateful I get to stay home so I can see all this crazy stuff," implying that those moms who aren't at home are missing out on their children's lives by working. That's how a lot of those grateful posts come off. Yes. This. I'm glad I don't have to work and can stay home with my kids (implying those who work are missing out) Instead: I'm so grateful that I get to be home with my children. I'm glad I'm not poor and can afford to take my kids on vacation (implying if you are poor, and CAN'T take your kids on vaca, your kids are missing out) Instead: I'm grateful for the family time we get to spend with each other when we're on vacation. I'm glad I'm not one of those moms who looks like she just rolled out of bed when I go to the store. I got nothing on this one, but I have seen it posted. Etc.

I want to come hang out with you! Sounds like a blast! Plus, WINE! Im so going to have my neighbors get together and do this with me. There might not be any wine left over to hand out though! FYI, I wasn't serious about giving the teens the bad candy. I may not give them as much as I give the younger kids, but I only have one bowl that I pull from. As the mom of a toddler, I try not to give the little kids lollipops though, and I hate them. They cause candy drool, get everything sticky, and usually fall on the ground or whatever. When Indy was 2, we went to Paris for a few days, and after dinner one night, the people at the restaurant gave him a huge lollipop. Of course they opened it and he popped it right into his mouth. I was fine with it, even though I don't like them. It's not like I was going to rip it out of his hand. Anyway, we were walking along when it fell out of his mouth and onto the sidewalk. Before James Bond or I could get a word out, Indy reached down, picked it up and stuck it right back in his mouth. It was on a sidewalk in PARIS! OMG, the things that must have been on it. I swear I thought I was going to pass out. Ew, ew, ew!!!! JB and I joke that Indy is rarely sick because he got a dose of every germ in the world from that lollipop. Oh, Han Solo calls them wallycops, and it's the cutest darn thing ever.

Maybe we could suggest this to Zuckerberg. Of course he'd probably say it was his, because he's Mark Zuckerberg, and we're just crazy homeschool moms, and who would believe us over him, and take any money it generates. I'm kidding. Sort of. Urgh! Yes a million times. Mostly because it makes me feel shallow. Guess what? I really AM grateful for high heels, and dishwashers and indoor plumbing. I'll bet they are adorable! My dad (65) posted a selfie and I think it's adorable, because he's my dad, and who would have ever thought he'd post a selfie? Any selfies I post have one of my boys in it with me, and we're being goofy.

While I knew their political views, FB has made me realize how very polar opposite I am from much of my family. Urgh. Unfollowing means you will never see a post by them, and aren't a "friend" on their page. They can see that you unfriended them. Hiding them means you're still technically friends, but you won't see their posts until you unhide them. You can hide people during the political season, and then unhide them if you want to see their posts after. Also, they won't know if you hide them. Urgh. Photos like that would make me ill. Somebody recently posted a HUGE plate of biscuits and gravy that just looked foul. Stuff like that should NOT be on my page. I have a couple of friends who are really great cooks, and I don't mind seeing what they've made. One of our dearest friends just retired from the army and is now in culinary school, so he posts his class work all the time. It's beautiful. Having been lucky enough to eat his creations before he retired (he's always been an amazing cook), I'm sure the stuff he makes in school is outstanding. I'm sad I can't try it. How his wife stays so thin is beyond me. When we were in Germany, he cooked every night. We ate with them many, many times, and it was always amazing. While he was in Afghanistan, she commented on how she hadn't realized how very spoiled she was until she had to start cooking every night.

Hmmm...I love soup. We haven't had it in ages. I don't think I have the stuff in the house to make it tonight, but I need to go to the store tomorrow, so maybe then. Soup and homemade bread! Yum!

I was thinking exactly this. The Hive will all have different opinions, but the majority seems to be against this. Different strokes, but if people don't want to hear things contrary to what they think, they shouldn't post it. Oh, good grief. Here we go with the "You don't do what to play the way I want, so I'm taking my toys and going home."

I know! That priest creeps me out big time! I don't like him AT ALL. *shudder* I have about a million theories about who did it. I cannot make up my mind. They're all shifty, IMO. This! I kind of don't want to watch it though, as it was stated somewhere in this thread, IIRC, who the killer was in BC. That's no fun. James Bond and I love Selfie too. It's weirdly hilarious, and sadly too true. I saw that it was in danger of being cancelled and it made me sad. There are very few really funny sit-coms on now. They're trying to keep the old standbys, but some of them are getting stale. BTW, another favorite of ours is Blackish. That is HILARIOUS. Lawrence Fishburn steals every scene he's in.

Oh, I hate this! I don't care about your political views. If I know you well enough to friend you, I'm pretty sure I know which side of the political line you're on. Quit jamming up my page with it!

I have heard as the husband as the head of the household, but I am absolutely horrified by the thought. James Bond and I are partners. As a general rule, we respect each other's decisions, but there are times when we absolutely do not agree, and it comes down to who wants it more. If it's something I feel very strongly about, and it's not that big of a deal to him, I get to make the decision, and vice versa. I am not subordinate to my husband in any way. This! Kids, especially teens, need to learn to make their own decisions. That's not to say they get to decide everything, but some things, so they know how to make decisions when they are adults. Your daughter is not 18, but she will be in 2 years, and it's time to let her learn how to make good decisions. I'm still curious as to what the objection to TorTing is though. You've not really said. You said you and your dh both did it as children, and clearly neither of you are hurt by it.

Oh, I love grits too! Are they trendy now? I wasn't aware! Dang, now it's almost 10pm, and I think I need to make grits.

Driving is an issue for my parents, because the roads in their subdivision aren't wide, and there are many kids on foot. There is so much traffic on the road that kids could get hurt, and the people who live in the neighborhood can't get in and out of their houses, and the people who are driving aren't exactly slow. Their neighborhood is almost entirely older people without kids. There might be 15 or so kids in the entire neighborhood, but they get hundreds. Some of the homeowners do have their grandkids come over and take them out, because all the neighbors know them, but that might be another 15-20 kids added to the kids that live there. The majority of the kids that are driven in live in a neighborhood that isn't too far away, and isn't as nice. If you drive past that neighborhood, there are no kids out. He HOA is considering putting up gates with entry codes, and Halloween is one of the reasons. I know it sounds bad, but hundreds of kids wanting candy is a lot. They even come really late (after 9 pm), and even if the lights are off, and there are signs outside or on the doors, people still knock. Exactly. A lot of the parents don't even come to a full stop when the kids hop out. I would never do that with my kids. It's freaking dangerous.

I do this too. If we're out of candy, I make a BIG sign. Yeah, I want to know too! My mom and stepdad live in a really nice neighborhood, and people actually drive kids to their neighborhood to go t to t'ing. I mean A LOT of kids. They get a couple hundred kids a year. Seriously. They spend a FORTUNE on candy. One year we were there, and we paid for half. That half was $75, so they were spending $150 on candy. The past 2 years, they've gone out on Halloween, and put a sign out in their yard that reads "Sorry, No Candy. Happy Halloween." My mom loves handing out candy, but with more and more kids coming every year, it was getting too expensive. Several of their neighbors have started doing this as well. The houses aren't that far apart, but a lot of parents drive up and down the street, the kids hop out at every house, get candy, hop back in the car, and drive to the next house. It completely clogs their streets, which really ticks off the home owners, because they can't get in or out of their own houses.

I've dropped mine on hardwood and pavement, but not tile. I'm not prone to dropping though. ;) If you are worried, then I'd get the one with more silicone covering. I think this are far less likely to break. I just happen to like the smaller spout of the one I have. BTW, I bought mine for less at Target. I know they carry a bunch of them with more silicone covering, so you can try them out there. Pick it up and drop it to see what happens. :) BTW, they're not with the regular water bottles, but near the dishes.

Hahaha! You're my kind of person! I have a friend who makes wine (some have even won awards). I don't know how she's not blitzed all the time!