I voted! Can I get one of those "I voted" stickers now? I don't think any minds are going to be changed today and others are discussing valid points much better than I could, so I don't think I'll be singing "Up with People" or "Down with the Sickness." I do want to say the following statement has stuck with me. I'm not trying to single out any person/s, but I do have a problem with this statement and I'll try to explain why. I remember hearing this argument against interracial marriage. I didn't agree with it then, and I don't agree with it now. It focuses on an emotional appeal instead of a logical argument. If your main argument is "I think children do best with both a mom and dad," then focus on that. When you try to pull on our heartstrings with the first statement, you lose me because I feel like I'm being manipulated. (Support the troops! has become a way of shaming those who disagree with the Iraq war, and it's based on an emotional appeal.) There were still laws in the 70's prohibiting interracial marriages, and some of the arguments against it were because it would make things difficult for the children. Well, I think we've adapted. It's not so much of an issue anymore. Yes, kids need their moms and dads. Unfortunately, many kids don't grow up with both mom and dad in their family. Divorce, abandonment, death in the family, battering, drug abuse, etc., and then they're being raised by single parents, grandparents, extended family, foster families, etc. Not a perfect world, but we adapt and do the best we can with what we have. Others have mentioned that having both mom and dad doesn't necessarily guarantee an idyllic childhood. Is it more important to have the mom and dad figureheads regardless of whether or not they're responsible, caring adults? Don't limit their choices by demanding the standard mom/pop family network. Wish I could clarify more but I have to head out now. Sorry to just hit and run! Enjoy your weekend!

The year 1990 was memorable for me but not for the prom.

Thank you all so much for the wonderful replies. I'd love to reply to each one of you, but I think the board would get tired of my constant muchas gracias posting. ;) Kanga, I laughed when I read about your dd's Mordor comment. Too cute. Oldest dd wants LA because she has dreams of becoming an FBI agent and fighting crime in big cities. They change so often though: veterinarian, traveling physical therapist, or FBI profiler. Ds and dd (12) keep changing their minds, and our youngest just wants to be able to take ballet. Kathy in MD, we actually have friends in Monument and in Castle Rock. I remember a recent winter when Monument/Colorado Springs had a lot more snow than we did, and we usually get so much more. Thanks for the info on Leavenworth. I've looked into it more and discussed it with dh. He's worried it would just be prison duty though, so it doesn't look very promising. TN Mama, we have a couple of friends who live/d in Keesler and they have opposite views. One hated it and couldn't get away fast enough. The other loves it and retired there. Everything else we've heard about it though doesn't sound like it'd be something we'd want. I hope you get your top choice! valkett, I keep hearing great things about it, so I suggested to dh that we put it up higher on the list. He's changed his mind about it though. Shannon, thank you for that link! The levels were sure different from what I was expecting. I'm wondering how much it changes throughout the year and if there's a way for me to find out what it looks like during the middle of summer, fall, and winter. I'll keep looking. TraceyS/FL, now I want to go visit White Sands! Maybe if we get Arizona or Abilene, Texas, we can plan a trip there. gardenschooler, yes, I was really worried about the bugs in Florida. I've heard of the flying cockroaches. But I guess I'd just get used to them like we had to with the looong centipedes in Italy and the huge spiders in England. Tracy in TX, thanks for clearing that up about the weather and for the info on Abilene and homeschooling. We tested ds years ago and he reacted to so many of them I can't remember them all. Dogs, cats, timothy grass, and I can't remember all the trees. They just said he's pretty much allergic to most of the grasses, trees, pollen, dander, etc. I think the mold might be a big problem for him, too, because he was on a much higher dose of medicine when we lived in England and now that we live in Montana he's doing so much better and only on Advair. He's also had some major reactions in Wisconsin when we visited dh's family, so I think the mold and humidity is hard on him. Susan in KY, I suggested we bump Colorado up to the top of the list, but dh changed his mind about it. He's worried if he makes the next rank they'll move him back to space command, and he's so tired of it. And he says it's very expensive to live in Colorado. That's one reason we moved Beale down the list, too. JudoMom, after reading all these comments about Colorado, I got excited about it. But dh changed his mind. Oh, well. It's a popular choice. jmgconner, I looked into it a little more and asked dh, but he's worried it'll just be prison duty. He's not interested. Lorna in the boonies, I have a good friend in San Angelo! It would be great to see her again. I really appreciate the information about your allergies being better than when you were in MO, NC and LA. That and Mrs Mungo's info helped us decide to move Seymour-Johnson down the list. Dh is still very interested in Abilene, so your information was helpful. elegantlion, I knew there was another reason I wasn't jumping up and down for Leavenworth. Warm weather, warm weather, warm weather! :D mommylaw, thanks. Yes, I reconsidered CO but dh ix-nayed it. Which is fine by me, because it still gets snow and I think I've developed an allergy to that white stuff. kristavws, what? You haven't read the whole thread? DethPICKable! Now that's your assigned reading for the night and I want a 200-word essay when you've finished! :) Thanks for pointing out the differences. I'm a little worried about Abilene, but dh is still pressing hard for it so it'll be one of our top choices. CO and WA -- cold, cold, cold. I'm ready for some SUNSHINE! Laurie4b, just giggling here. Pam "SFSOM" in TN, dh and I discussed it. He changed his mind about CO and NV. He's worried after his next promotion he may get moved to a position he doesn't want, so he'd rather move them further down the list. His top choices now are Abilene TX, Panama City FL, and Phoenix AZ. I'm just a little worried about Abilene, but I'm fine with the others. Mrs Mungo, :iagree:. Bil once said he'd been to plenty of bases overseas and there wasn't much to see. My response was that you have to get away from the bases to see the truly wonderful sights. Shannon831, thank you for this info. We've reconsidered CA and decided to put it lower on the list. We really don't think we'd ever retire there, so it doesn't make sense to go there. And I'd really rather not have to fight to homeschool. Phoenix is still high up there, but Vegas went down because dh isn't sure the job would be so great if he moved up in rank. Your info on FL is very helpful, too. I was really worried about homeschooling there, so this is good news. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! It really helped to get my thoughts all down and to hear the different perspectives and points that I hadn't seen. I feel much better about the list we're turning in. Now it's time for the waiting game. Wish us luck! :thumbup:

Ahhh, see, I really needed to know about the allergies and all. That would be a deal-breaker for us. We've been very lucky so far, and we knew it was coming. I think that's also why he's seriously looking longer-term than just the next duty station. He's already thinking about job prospects after the service and where we should be to start this new chapter.

Dh doesn't think we'd get the academy slot, but it doesn't hurt to try, eh? Yeah, I'd love to be near enough to a city with a major airport and plays, concerts, etc., but not have to live right in the heart of it all. Abilene's pretty far away ... His No Way, José list is the same as mine. That definitely helps with the decision! Thanks for sharing!

Makes sense. I mentioned to Mrs. Mungo that dh just wants to get outta dodge because he's sick of this command and wants to try something new. But we also know that anywhere we go he'll be deploying more often, so he's not completely wedded to the job prospect at the new base. Plus he figures everybody's going to put in for those select positions and his chances of getting them will be slim. I guess I need to check into Ft. Leavenworth more because it's sounding not so bad anymore. I'm so glad to hear that about homeschooling in Nevada! Hey, good point about CA! How else could we live there? ;) I've heard that about NC, but I think we "done busted the budget" for furniture for quite a few years. :glare: I keep reading that about allergies near the ocean. Definitely a plus! Which base was it where you encountered that nasty reptile? Er, the alligator, I mean. Ha! You've been very helpful! Thank you,

The only thing holding me back on Phoenix is the size of the city. And maybe the desire to live closer to the ocean again. Now, see, I didn't know it got that cold in Abilene. I thought Texas was hawt. I don't think Panama City is that big. Maybe 38,000? I'm not keen on NC either. Originally I did chunk that list, but dh said we had to submit a list with all of the choices on it. Thanks for walking me through them again. Good points!

Yes, yes, yes, everything helps! Several friends had recommended San Antonio, so we'd really hoped to get there someday. Not an option right now though. We've also heard wonderful things about Colorado Springs. Not so many good things about Vegas or Biloxi. We've driven to Wichita a couple of times to visit family and just couldn't see ourselves living there. I'll have to look into Kansas City more now though. Thanks for the info on KC. With regard to dh's job, he's just so tired of this command here so he's ready for anything else. We already know that wherever we go he'll be deploying more often. So ... that'll be his job no matter what base we get. It was funny because he sent the list to me and told me to rack and stack it so we could compare our lists. They were identical! Originally I wouldn't have put North Carolina on the list because he'd always said he didn't want to live on the east coast, but when he talked about the beach I changed its position on the list. He figures there's no chance we'd get Colorado Springs or North Carolina anyway, because those are popular choices. So maybe that's why he put them lower on the list. Thanks for hashing it out with me. It's helping me sort it out.

same here

Oh, no! Why, why, why? Must have details. Don't leave me hanging, please!

Wow, our oldest dd was born in Naples! I can still remember the sulfur smell. We were stationed at San Vito Air Station down south near Brindisi. Have you been to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast yet? And bruschetta! Oh, delish! How about Taormina? Beautiful! Hope you're lovin' it there! Yes, dh would love to go to Colorado Springs. I'm trying to get away from the snow though. Lived in it most of my childhood and have spent countless years trying to get away from it. Funny I should meet and marry a four seasons-loving kinda guy whose idea of a great vacation is hunting and fishing but who never camped in his childhood. Here I spent a lot of my childhood fishing and camping, had a lot of good memories, but today would consider a great vacation a stay in a nice hotel in a foreign country! I hear you on picking someplace you've never been. We've been to Spokane and, while we enjoyed it, I was ready to move on. I'm not sure I'll ever be ready to settle down somewhere. Every four years I get the itch to pick and go. Must be the military brat in me. Thanks for sharing!

EASY?! :lol: Okay, most of the family is my side of the family and that doesn't necessarily mean dh would want to live near all of them. :D Right now we live near my parents, and they're not happy about our upcoming move. Dh chose to move back here and they were a big reason why he wanted to. Now we wish they'd come with us. But you've given me something MORE to think about. Thanks, I think! ;)

I know, I know. LOTS of choices, and they're pretty darn good ones, too. We're so used to seeing only one or two choices (usually Minot, ND; FE Warren, WY; and Moody, GA), so this is a treat. And also overwhelming! I know now another reason I was hesitating about Florida. You have to test annually and you have to get someone certified to test, right? Plus a portfolio and I don't remember what else. Hassle, hassle, hassle? Or it sounds worse than it is? This from someone who lived overseas when we started homeschooling and never had to report anything, and then moved to a state where we only have to file notice of intent annually and keep attendance/shot records. I've read some great things about Panama City and then some not-so-great things about it. Pretty small and a little behind in the times? A little out of the way from anywhere for some goings-on? Yet invaded each spring break by crazy kids going on binges and extracurricular activities. Hmmmm ... But the gulf coast! Beaches! And the fishing! Ahhh, sounds heavenly. Thanks for the encouragement!

It's an assignment list. Dh is in the military, and we have a list of available bases in his career field/rank from which to choose. We're supposed to submit our choices in order of preference. And then we sit anxiously awaiting the results and hope that we get one of our top choices. Otherwise, we get an assignment to whatever's left after the other military members have been assigned to their next duty station. I don't know if it's from lack of sleep or from my reluctance to going through this process again, but I can't seem to get my head straight about this. We're being rushed to submit our choices, and I keep changing my mind. I've been reading online and checking city-data.com for information about all these places, and once I think I've got it I read something and then think it's a mistake. It's all a jumbled mass of information! Yeah, life in the military. I've been reorganizing this list ad nauseam. I started out with our favorites and then added in the homeschooling difficulty factor. But it's hard to decide which place to put in for if you've never been there. You can't really get a feel for it from reading about it online. I'm hoping if I put our choices here, some of you can give the positives as well as the negatives to living and homeschooling there. If you know anything about these places, please share what's good about it and what's not. One of the things we're looking for is warm weather. We also need to look for a place that isn't difficult for our allergy/asthma sufferer ds. And, yes, I admit, we're wusses because big cities scare us. We'd rather live a little outside of a big city, so we can have access to all the great things in a city but not have to live in it. And, finally, we're thinking about job opportunities, housing, and college for dc when dh retires from the service. Would this be a good place to settle down for good? The first group is our list of possibles. The second is our not-so-sure-about-it list. Dyess (Abilene, TX) We've been considering moving to San Antonio after dh retires from the military. Dh has lived in TX, but I haven't. We thought this might be an opportunity to decide if we'd like to stay or not. Beale (Marysville, CA) family nearby in Sacramento, not sure we'd want to retire in CA though -- too expensive Luke (Phoenix, AZ) family and friends nearby Creech (Indian Springs, NV) family nearby in Vegas, I used to live in Vegas when df was in the service and loved it as a kid ... didn't really want to raise dc in Vegas though, dh thinks the job would be great Tyndall (Panama City, FL) beaches? water sports? sounds fun, but ds has asthma/allergies so we're not sure if this is a good idea or not Seymour-Johnson (Goldsboro, NC) same as above, pretty far from family though AF Academy (Colorado Springs, CO) sweet job for dh Hill (Clearfield, UT) family and friends nearby Fairchild (Spokane, WA) we used to be stationed here, and it was nice -------------------------------------------------------- Holloman (Alamogordo, NM) so far down south and small, small, small town Laughlin (Del Rio, TX) so far down south, issues with running drugs & illegal aliens? Los Angeles (LA, CA) might be too big of a city for us Fort Leavenworth (Kansas City, KS) might be too big of a city, we'd probably miss the mountains Keesler (Biloxi, MS) haven't heard much good about it Ellsworth (Rapid City, SD) homeschooling restrictions too prohibitive? Thanks for any help you can give me. Any and all comments, points, questions, suggestions, tips, or clues are welcome!

Yes, yes, yes! I learned a lot from this book, and I second it with MUCHO GUSTO (said in a Stitch voice from Lilo & Stitch)! I'm sorry you're suffering. I don't know much about migraines, but after I read this book I understood a little more. It helped me with my headaches. I still get them, but now I know more about dealing with them. I can't remember who recommended this book, but I know it was someone on these boards. Thank you again, whoever you are! (I'm terrible with names. That's why I need all the word association and visual cues to help with my memory.) Anyway, it sounds like you've been dealing with this for quite a while and you've probably read about migraines ad nauseam, but in case you haven't here it is: Heal Your Headache Feel better soon!

Here's a link to the first segment: Sneak peek at missiles in Mont. and to the second: Al Roker gets top-secret clearance

Dh is going to be on the Today show tomorrow morning with Al Roker. They're doing a segment called Access Granted. 7:45am! He's nervous because it's live tv. Wish him luck!

Thank you to all who responded, especially for clarifying about duvets, duvet covers, top sheets, et al. I was really looking forward to trying this whole new duvet experience, but it sounds like it'd be too warm unless I looked for those lighter-weight covers. I'm not anywhere near an IKEA, and I'm a little leery about choosing colors online. They don't always look like it appears on the screen. Plus I kinda wanted to see and feel it before I bought it. So ... it's back to the drawing board. Thanks again for educating this newbie in virgin linen territory!

I can't help but giggle here. A friend just had a baby and posted pics on her site. I commented on them, but I usually like to put something a little different besides the usual, "Oh, s/he's adorable! Beautiful! Gorgeous!" etc. I've used some "Look Who's Talking" lines before but not this time. In one of the pictures, the baby's got her hands balled up into fists right beside her cheeks and it reminded me of those boxers that keep their gloves up high to protect their head. So I searched Rocky quotes and found one that I thought was cute. I think it's entirely fitting for your story, too! "You're gonna eat lightnin' and you're gonna crap thunder!"

The Alienist?

I remember reading some WTM'ers rave about their duvets and how they'll never go back. Something about it being easier without the sheets getting all tangled up? I must admit I've never gone without sheets. I feel like I haven't lived! It's time to experience the whirlwind romance with the duvet! But, but ... now to the nitty gritty details. Duvet covers? That means I'll need a down comforter? No sheets? But I'll need a fitted sheet? Ummm, help please? Has anybody ever gone the duvet way and decided it just wasn't meant to be? ;)

We bought the Osterizer Classic on sale at Target after our last one flatlined. Here's a review on blenders: Best Blenders

This reminds me of a conversation I had with a mom at the pool when dc were on a swim team. Somehow we got onto the topic of homeschooling and I remember her saying something about the unfairness of homeschoolers being able to finish high school before their peers. It had nothing to do with their ability or whether or not they'd succeed, it was just that she didn't think it was right that they should finish before kids their own age. And I remember thinking, "Wow! Let's just hold them back because we wouldn't want other kids to feel inferior or anything." Kinda like some people who don't mind if their kids are standouts and accomplish great things, but it's not okay if somebody else's kid does a stellar job. Well, then, they're just showing off or must've had a little help on the side or the right connections. And isn't it ironic that we were discussing this during a swim team practice where competition is quite heavy? Should we change the standards for winning competitions because it wouldn't be fair for someone to finish before another who's the same age? It's nice that this is the only thing she could come up with as a disadvantage of homeschooling. Notice it's not a disadvantage for the homeschooled child. It's irrelevant because even if it is the case that a homeschooled student outshines a non-homeschooled student, it's not your responsibility or problem to fix. Or even to feel guilty about! You're doing what's best for your kids and your family. If they feel their dc are being outperformed, then they need to do something to adjust it -- not blame you. That'd be like Ford complaining that Honda (or some other foreign car) outperforms them and expecting Honda to lower its standards so Ford doesn't get left behind in the dust. (Not that I really care about Ford or Honda or Toyota or whatever. Just using it as an analogy.) Try not to let it drive you crazy. You've got enough going on to accomplish that goal, eh? ;)

KitchenAid KHB100ER Hand Blender I think we got it at Target though.

Okay, not really wicked, but it's about Wicked. I know some of you have been lucky enough to see the musical, but has anybody read the book by Gregory Maguire? I'd like to read it and am wondering if dc would enjoy it as well. Or is it written more for adults?