It is petty to say that NO ONE should have received a bonus. Wells Fargo has more than 270,000 employees--not a single one of them deserved any kind of bonus? Even if they personally had a record best year and earned the company millions? How does that make sense. The bonus structure in Wall Street is different than most other places. It in the contract and almost always based on personal or division performance not the performance of the whole firm. It is exactly like commission. You make a certain amount of sales? Reach certain set benchmarks, you get paid. Its like telling a lawyer who has billed 2400 hours that there won't be any bonuses right before Christmas. The firm can reduce pay going forward; they can say no bonuses next year but they shouldn't take away compensation that had already been earned. The financial planner who works a couple buildings away from DH is no more to blame for the financial crisis than the real estate agent who lives down the street from us--maybe even less to blame.

Just a thought. Have you made any installments on the payment plan yet? Maybe if you paid the $50 early then your account wouldn't show as "in arrears" and you could make an appointment. At the very least, it would show a good faith effort to clearing up your account. I have an PPO now, but when we had regular insurance, my OB had an agreement with the billing agency that anyone whose accounts that were 90 days past due would not be seen except for emergencies. There was a block in the appointment software so that the office couldn't schedule anyone. However, once a small payment had been made the accounts no longer would show past due--even $20 was enough to reset the clock. Maybe it would work in your case. Hoping for an uneventful pregnancy and a happy birth. Christine

:iagree: Sorry.

Any experience with XIL.com or Dreambox Math for an advanced first grader and a non-mathy kindergartner. The kids like the games and rewards on Dreambox, but XIL seems meatier. This would supplement Singapore. Thanks, Christine

The bulk section at my WF is actually pretty decent: different types of lentils, chickpeas, raisins,GF flours, local honey, grind-your-own peanut butter. The bakery is yummy; the produce is beautiful but I only buy when it is on-sale because it can be pricey. Visit. Have fun.

I love the beach. We lived within 15 minutes of Venice Beach for 7 years and I miss it terribly. Not as much of a mountain person--though I did have fun at Mammoth once we all adjusted to the altitude--altitude sickness in an 18 month old is horrid. I've never experienced the east coast beaches though. My mom wants to do a family vacation to Jekyll Island next June, Christine

:grouphug::grouphug:Totally stinks. I wouldn't presume that the potential buyers did anything wrong. When we bought last year, we were pre-approved months before we had made an offer on the house (and they provided an up-to-date-pre-approval letter specific to the offer) but the loan provider didn't approve the loan until 2 days before we were due to close. They kept asking for more documentation up until the day they approved; it was a huge headache. We had to close a day late because the title company couldn't get the work done in time. At least here in CA, it isn't all that uncommon. A realtor friend missed an annual bonus b/c a house that was supposed to close on 12/15 didn't end up closing until the end of January because the bank held up the approval. As far as the earnest money goes, if they hadn't waived the financing contingency, you are probably out of luck.

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: It's ok to be frustrated that your parents canceled vacation plans at the last minute. I'd be mad too. I do think, however, that you are mad at the wrong people. Your parents are choosing to overextend themselves to help your sister. No one is holding a gun to their head and forcing them to buy toys and clothes for your sister's kids. They could always tell your sister, "No, money is tight this month; we can only do x." It's their money, it's their choice. They like being the hero and keep enabling their daughter's poor choices. It sounds like your parents are already aware of the housing allowance and just don't factor it into their calculations. No one is deceiving them or trying to pull wool over their eyes. Reminding them of BIL's true income wont' make a bit of difference. Christine W

What do they want to do with their law degree? What is the local reputation of the third-tier law school? Who recruits on campus? What is the bar passage rate? Free is good, but Third-Tier can definitely limit your options. DH is a lawyer in a medium-sized boutique firm. They only recruit at Tier-1 schools. Period. Even for lateral associates. Big firms will recruit at UCLA interviewing the top third of the class, but a top 5 student at Chapman might not even be able to get his/her resume considered. On the other hand, the local Catholic Tier-3 law school in my home town places very well with local firms. If I had wanted to stay in town, I probably would have taken the nearly full-ride offered to me. However, I wasn't sure so I picked the better school that offered me a 50% scholarship. I live halfway across the country now so it was a good choice. Big law isn't everything. Aside from firms and some of the more prestigious federal agencies (DOJ, FBI and EEOC come to mind), your law school isn't going to matter once you get a couple years out. Christine W ETA--Nonprofits are also notoriously picky about pedigree.

I agree lots of montessori activities. Barbara Curtis has some great books especially Mommy Teach Me. Christine

Tell me more. Baby #4 is due in December. This is the first baby where I start as a SAHM and I'd never considered cloth. However, after DD3's horrible reaction to Pampers and our new found avoidance of dyes and fragrance (gives all three rashes to various degrees). I'm thinking cloth might be the best option But how does cloth diapering work. How many covers and how many prefolds? What brands are good? Do you use Charlies soap to wash or do you prefer another brand of detergent? What do I do if the little one needs a change at tee-ball?

I used to love Pampers especially the Swaddlers but then they changed to the Dry Max and it gave my youngest DD a horrible rash--like a severe burn. I won't buy Pampers for the new one b/c the dry max is also in the swaddlers. I'm hoping that Huggies works for him; otherwise I've had good luck with Seventh Generation (haven't used it on newborns though). Target did not contain the newborn blowouts at all. Christine

I'm with you. The past two days were in the triple digits and we don't have air conditioning. Typically, we have a few weeks in the low 90s and that's it so it isn't worth the thousands to put q/c in an old 1940s house. I'm 20 weeks pg and miserable. I can't wait for it to cool off. At least today its only 96. Christine

:iagree: Emerson is a family name on our side (grandma's maiden name) but I've seen it used for girls so I'd only use it as a middle name. I love the name Benjamin but my DH doesn't. I'd go with Ben or take a fresh look at the names on your Dh's list.

:iagree:

Don't low-ball too much. I'd probably price the knit dresses around $8-10 (8 for short sleeve and $10 for long) and $12-15 for the fancy dresses. Usually that's what I'm willing to pay when shopping for my 6 year old who lives in the stuff. Christine

DD was born early in the morning on our 5th wedding anniversary.That evening, DH brought in flowers, a nice dinner, cake and champagne. It was a total surprise and one of my favorite memories. . Christine

I actually like the idea. They can be reasonably sure that the guests have vacation and lots of people travel to the tropics for Christmas. I remember in my temping days, one of the key managers was having a meltdown because it was early November and he couldn't get a flight to Hawaii for the week before Christmas--all the seats were sold out.

Bet its his insurer and not the doctor. And unfortunately even a waiver of liability isn't likely to help. Are there any medications which might help which aren't on the Hale's list? Christine

Does her insurance cover mental health? She might be able to include him on her health plan through the Affordable Care Act (the regs haven't clarified whether coverage must extend to stepchildren so it varies by health care plan). C

This article in Slate (hardly a bastion of conservatism) seems to indicate otherwise http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2012/07/single_motherhood_worse_for_children_.single.html Aside from the inflamatory title, I found it fascinating. We might consider that educated, affluent families who are less likely to get the tax goodies associated with marriage are the least likely to have children out of wedlock.

I agree. Ds6 is only starting first so I can't address long term, but we're really happy with our experience of the school. Last year he had art, PE, music (real music with real instruments) and the stereotypical kindy experiences such as making apple cider, Thanksgiving Feast, hatching chicks, watching silkworms' metamorphosis, etc. DS also needs to be with other boys. He did complain that school was too easy but that is why we afterschool--I can't expect them to put a 6 year old in 3rd grade math.

I keep them until we're done with the paperwork on our HSA for the year. Sometimes the explanation of benefits comes months before the actual bill. Yes we can get the insurance company to send us a new one, but its a pain.

I don't know where you live but for families with dye sensitivities Trader Joe's is awesome (no artificial flavors, colors, limited preservatives). DS and DD2 have dye sensitivities and I try to get most of my processed food from there. Christine

:iagree: If you qualify for food stamps, use them. In my mind, taking government aid that you qualify for is no different than taking legitimate deductions from your taxes. If in good times you would take a mortgage interest deduction off your taxes, why is it different to get SNAP? Both take money from the federal coffers. Christine