scrappyhappymama
-
Posts
1,487 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Blogs
Classifieds
Store
Posts posted by scrappyhappymama
-
-
We own a home about 2 hours away from where we currently live. We've only owned it for a few years, so when we moved away for DH's new job opportunity, we were in no position to sell the home yet. So we've rented it out and are fortunate to have wonderful tenants. It is a nice home and had been remodeled by the previous owners, so we are committed to keeping the home in as good of condition as possible. Ultimately, we hope to sell the home once the market improves. Our current tenants are in a similar situation- they own a home in another state and aren't able to sell it in the current market, so they rent it out and are renting our home. At some point, if their home sells, we're hopeful they will decide to buy our home.
A few weeks ago, our tenant calls and says the AC is not working properly and the inside unit is frozen. Our AC unit was 16 years old, so this was not entirely unexpected eventually. :glare: Still, it's pretty rotten timing for us, because we are currently paying out of pocket for our new baby due in the next few weeks. But, obviously, as landlords, we have to take care of this right away, especially here in TX.
So, we had the option of replacing just the inside unit, or replacing both the inside and outside units. Our outside unit was fully functional still, but the whole system uses the old freon, so if we replace only the indoor components, we'll still be on the old freon and it would cost more in the future to upgrade the entire system whenever we do decide to replace the outside unit. But, we really weren't prepared for the full expense of replacing the entire system, so we decided to just replace the indoor unit.
The entire transaction was completed over the phone as well as with overnighting paperwork back and forth, spelling out the work we authorized and with signatures on both sides. The AC company coordinated with our tenants and the work was scheduled for last Monday, on Memorial Day. I spoke to our tenants a few days ago and they were delighted with the new equipment and said everything is working great.
Then, I got a phone call from the AC company yesterday afternoon. He sheepishly explained that they'd replaced the indoor unit & coil as we agreed upon, but *somehow* they'd ALSO replaced the outside unit. But since it was on the holiday, it wasn't communicated properly & he'd just found out about it yesterday. Our old unit has already been sent to the scrapyard, so there's no undoing what they've done. He was calling to ask if we'd be willing to work something out with them, even if we were willing to partially pay for the unit. He admitted that there's really nothing they could do to force us to pay for it, but that he was hoping we'd be willing to do something. I told him I'd discuss it with my husband and that we'd get back to him in a few days.
So now, to decide what we should do. Unfortunately, there is no way we can just pay for the unit outright. We already had to finance the part we agreed to replace. We're still catching up from months of unemployment last year and haven't even finished paying our taxes from last year. So paying several more thousands of dollars is not an option right now. We did intend to *eventually replace the outdoor unit, but we were thinking several years down the line, after we'd paid off this part and could hopefully pay cash for the outdoor unit. I honestly don't even think we could get financed now for the cost of the outdoor unit, even if we wanted to. The AC company rep indicated that they'd be willing to work something out with us in-house financing-wise.
But ultimately, we're trying to decide what is the right way to handle this. We don't believe in taking advantage of other people and do believe this was an honest mistake. But on the other hand, it was a mistake and we don't think we should be completely liable either. My husband is sick and so they know he won't be calling back until next week, so we have all weekend to figure out what he should call and offer to do.
What would you do?
-
Answering before I read any responses...
1. Do you understand the reference about sleeping (or waking up) next to a pod? Nope, but I have a nagging feeling like I should. But, nope.
2. If yes, do you think it is a culturally important reference (ie. pretty widely known/common knowledge) or not? Apparently not. :)
3. What country do you live in? Texas. :)
4. How old are you? 38
5. And just for fun 1956, 1978, 1993, or 2007? :D If I had my druthers, I'd look like I did in 1993. 20 years old. Aww the memories! (this may not be what you're asking :lol:)
-
I am currently 37 weeks (hugely) pregnant with #5, our fifth boy. I am used to the comments about "four boys!" all the time, but being very obviously pregnant again and "worse" yet with another boy seems to set people off even more than usual. I took them all to Sams today and I couldn't count how many people did double takes when they saw me. One woman asked the regular four boys questions and then said "please tell me that one is a girl?" When I affirmed it is in fact another boy she blessed my soul and walked off telling everyone she saw that the woman back there has four boys and expecting another one, can you believe it? Lord'a'mercy! I could hear her still several minutes and aisles away! :lol:
I think I've mentioned this on here before, but, with my two boys (same father), one is blonde/blue, fairly light skinned; one is brown/brown, fairly dark skin.I feel your pain! My boys all have the same father and they *are* all half mexican. However, only one of my boys has brown skin, hair, and eyes! The rest all have lighter brown hair and green or grey eyes and two are as fair as I am. We've decided I just have very aggressive genes. Our darker son is my husband's mini-me, and it definitely confuses people when we're all together since he's the third child, so the different father's theory doesn't work properly. :D
We fit into a Suburban with 6 kids, so I think the Van doesn't happen until 7.We are squeezing this baby into our Grand Caravan with absolutely no room to spare. My husband says we need to be done now... unless I want to have to drive The VAN. I keep telling him that a Suburban would do nicely, but he keeps threatening me with the VAN instead. :lol:
-
So happy for you! You deserve for something to go just right for a change!
-
I co-sleep with my infants while they still wake frequently at night. We keep a crib in our room (with a Moses basket in it for when they are tiny) and usually they will nap there. Once baby starts sleeping longer stretches at night, I'll usually start them in their crib and they'll end up in my bed at some point in the night or early in the morning.
We usually have our baby's crib in our room until they are around two. That way it is easy for me to tend to them during the night, if necessary. I also just like having them close by and being able to hear them breathing during the night. :)
Both DH and I are big advocates of co-sleeping and expected to co-sleep for longer than just the newborn stage. But I have found that I do not sleep well with a baby in bed with me. I have a bad back and if I don't sleep in a certain position, I always wake with a backache. It's worth it to me when baby is waking every few hours anyway, but once they sleep a little longer, it's easier on me for them to be nearby but not actually in my bed. So the crib in our room has been a nice compromise for us.
I voted nursed and co-slept full time, because I consider in our room and welcome in our bed anytime to be co-sleeping. We don't even have a nursery or baby room.
-
I have a bunch of different Homeschooling boards, so here's my general Pinterest link and you can follow what you'd like. :)
-
Here's my Home Organization board: http://pinterest.com/scrappyhappy/home-organization/
Most of my homeschooling specific organization pins are in my Homeschooling Rooms board: http://pinterest.com/scrappyhappy/homeschooling-rooms/
-
We try to avoid euphemisms like 'heck' in our house. But we do tell our kids that it's our own family rule and that just because someone else says it doesn't make them BAD.
Some things I just think sound uncouth coming from sweet little mouths. Several of my boys have started saying "What the..." with nothing afterwards. I think they picked it up from Cars. But I discourage it, because it just encourages the listener to fill in the blank. On the other hand, my two year old says "what in the world?!" and it's adorable. :001_smile:
-
I don't think you're going to get the prices you're looking for at a yard sale.
For nice toy sets like these, you'll have better luck selling them in lots on Craigslist. Especially the Geotrax. People know how much those cost.
But at a yard sale, folks are looking for a bargain, not to spend $100.
If your Little People sets are complete, I'd separate them out and price them by the set. On the Geotrax, it might be easier to sell as a lot, but you'll not get as much for them that way.
We have Geotrax that are 6 years old or more, and they are still compatible with the brand new Batman sets and the Cars sets from a year or two ago, so I wouldn't worry about that. The tracks look a little different, but they all still fit together.
-
It's so funny. I read this thread yesterday, and had never previously heard of "flipping" classrooms.
Now this morning, I read this article about Khan Academy and guess what's happening in some classrooms?
"Last year, a number of schools began "flipping" their classrooms, having students study Khan videos by night and do homework with teachers by day.In the process, Khan has fueled the debate over tech's growing influence on education while garnering the support of powerful friends."
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-05-30/sal-khan-profile-khan-academy/55270348/1
So, rather than teachers creating their own podcasts for students, some are using the Khan videos to the same purpose. Interesting!
-
I've had good luck finding ladies sized rash guards at Academy.
-
I know you already got an answer, but for next time... :001_smile:
Scarborough Faire Chicken
Potatoes on the bottom (I like unpeeled reds in chunks, but sometimes do peeled sliced potatoes instead)
A layer of sliced carrots or mini carrots
Chopped celery if you have it
Could add onion or corn or squash, but I usually just stick with the veggies above.
Add a layer of frozen chicken breasts or thighs. There are a bunch of us, so I usually add about three pounds worth. It's okay if they overlap.
Salt and pepper over the top. Then sprinkle dried parsley, a few pinches of sage, some rosemary and a few pinches of thyme. Pour a can of chicken broth over the top.
Cook on high for four hours.
This is one of my go-to Sunday morning, ready when we get home from church, crock pot meals. Yum!
-
I made a turkey for my husband and I on our first Thanksgiving together. I knew to clean out the main cavity of the bird, but had no idea there was also a neck cavity, which is where the neck and bag of giblets is. So I cooked the turkey and it came out dry and overcooked and with the distinct taste of burnt giblet bag. :blink:
-
I'm a pretty picky eater. But I often try to disguise it because I don't want to contaminate my kids. :D Almost all of them will eat more foods than I will, which I love.
My number one food aversion is definitely ONIONS. I've never been able to tolerate the taste but especially the texture. I've tried many, many times, in the interest of politely eating at someone's home and in gratefulness for someone bringing us a gift of food. I just had to deal with this while sick with bronchitis/pneumonia and church folks brought us lots of food. I didn't want my kids turning their noses us at the foods with onions in them, so I'd eat a little with them, but then I'd beg off and eat soup instead since I was sick. No matter how it's cooked or how finely it's diced, onions always ruin the dish for me.
Texture:
Tripe- This is the main ingredient in Menudo, which is a specialty of my husband's family. So I tried it the first time it was offered, and NEVER again.
Shellfish, Calamari, any fish that is still looking at me
Spam
Beef bologna or hot dogs
Oatmeal or pasta that is overcooked. I love both, but have to cook them al dente. If they are slimy, then no way!
Texture and Taste:
Raw Tomatoes- totally agree with some previous posters. I love cooked tomatoes and sauces, but raw is just gross.
Cooked spinach by itself- love it raw and am fine with it in dishes, but by itself- gag!
Taste:
Anything Pickled
Miracle Whip
Bananas
Bell peppers or uncooked hot peppers
-
I'm going to nitpick the thread title a little bit...
If it was a man I could *never* love, then I'd picture him as someone who would have to be racist or hateful or abusive for me to know I could never love him, and in that case the answer is an emphatic NO.
But, if the question is whether I could marry a man I don't currently love or feel particularly attracted to, then I think the answer is maybe, depending on the circumstances.
My great-grandparents had such a marriage. They were both widowed young, both with children, in the midst of the Great Depression. Their marriage was one of convenience, she to have a man to support her and he to have a mother for his children. They freely admitted they did not love each other and I don't know if they ever grew to have a strong romantic relationship (although they did have a few more children together, so there was that), and they did grow old together. By the time I remember them, they were both crotchety older folks who constantly picked at each other, but with an undercurrent of mutual admiration. They also died within two weeks of each other, and that seems to indicate they cared about each other.
I think, depending on circumstance, marriage can be more about mutual benefit, and that the partners can grow to love each other. But I do think it would require marrying someone that I at least respected and with whom I had some life philosophies in common.
-
The Riverwalk of course, but we also enjoy the Marketplace, which is an indoor/outdoor replicated Mexican marketplace. It has lots of booths of kitschy souvenirs, but also some nice authentic decorative items and clothing. There are also two Mexican restaurants there worth checking out. Mi Tierra is a fun atmosphere and worth a stop in even just to buy from the Mexican Bakery. The other restaurant is La Margarita, where we prefer to eat.
-
The Crazy Cajun is a fun place to eat. They have butcher block paper on all the tables and dump your food on it. The kids love that! Pretty tasty and a festive atmosphere too.
-
I am so very sorry. :grouphug:
-
One of the best things about homeschooling are all the options available. :001_smile:
Another possibility would be taking a "gap" half year instead of a full year. This is what we did with our oldest son and now his school year tracks the calendar year instead of the traditional school year. So one year, rather than advancing him a grade in September, we waited and did it in January.
For us, it was not an academic decision, but more of a maturity and size issue. Our son has a summer birthday, so he was already one of the younger students and he is also quite small for his age. We also had some family events that affected our homeschooling for a short time period, so it gave us the extra time we needed to get back on track. It also allowed me to standardize our homeschooling a bit more, since our second son was already on a calendar year school year.
For us, it's been ideal because we have flexibility each year with how to calculate his grade level for various activities. Most sports go by birthdate rather than grade, so we sign him up based on birthdate. With scouts, since he was involved before we made the change, he uses the grade level he'll advance to in January and it works out just fine. When we made the change, we did NOT frame it as being "held back", because it was not done for academic reasons. We simply explained to him that we had decided to adjust his schedule to match his brother's and that it would give him some more time to finish the work we were currently doing. When kids or adults ask what grade he's going into in the fall, he'll usually either just answer his current grade or say he'll move to the next grade in January. It doesn't have to be a big deal.
Academically, it doesn't have a big effect on us. We've always schooled year round anyway and continued on in each subject regardless of grade level, so in some areas he works ahead of grade level and some on grade level. There are a few areas where we've changed curriculum and so we're technically behind grade level, but each child works at his ability, so I am not terribly concerned about the grade level labels.
Another benefit to switching to a calendar year grade level is that our oldest is no longer on track to graduate at 17. For him, I think this is a good thing. He is the type who stresses out about growing up and was worried about "having to leave for college as soon as he turns 18," even though we reassured him that there are many different ways to approach college and we have no intention of kicking him out the door on his 18th birthday. Of course, I am sure his perspective will change as he matures, but the way we are structured now, he has the flexibility to go either way. If as a teen, he decides he wants to work more quickly and "catch back up" to his original grade level, then he'll have only a half year to catch up on, and since he already works above grade level in several subjects I don't think this will be a problem. On the other hand, if he is content where he is, then we'll use the extra half year in his senior year to allow him to take more classes at the local junior college or pursue additional educational interests, and be able to transition more easily into college that way. Either way, I like the idea of having that flexibility down the line.
For the OP, I think whichever way you decide to proceed can work out well. Most people recommend a cooling off period between public schooling and homeschooling, so taking some gap time to get adjusted to homeschooling is not only common, but often recommended. Obviously, that has to be accounted for somehow, and I think you can see that there are pros and cons to the various options. But as a homeschooler, you have the flexibility to choose what works best for your family!
-
Also, on a warm summer holiday weekend, it isn't all that unusual for us to just be putting something on the grill while the kids play on the swingset at 7:30/8:00ish.It's a Friday night at the start of summer, and still daylight at 8. My kids were usually in the pool with friends as young pre-teens/teens til 9 or 10 on summer nights, especially on the weekends. I figure they have a strict schedule enough of the year, so they can cut loose a bit in the summer.
:iagree:
When I read the post title, my first thought was "Awwwww! Summer!" Some of my fondest memories are of spending the evening and twilight hours running and playing with friends, eeking out every last bit of the summer day fun. My kids may not get to experience riding their bikes to school or catching a cross-town bus on their own or taking off first thing in the morning and not coming home until dinner like I did as a kid, but I am happy they'll at least enjoy this bit of idyllic childhood. A knock at the door at 8pm wouldn't faze me in the least.
Full disclosure- we are night owls year round and my kids generally go to bed between 9-10, often even later in summer. I can see being annoyed if we were a 7 or 8pm bedtime kind of family.
-
Thinking of you today!
-
I really hope that investigators are able to corroborate this guy's story and that he's not just attention seeking in a twisted way.
For me, the lack of motive and the fact that someone else has confessed to molesting the little boy, but not killing him, the same day makes me a little skeptical.
I pray his parents can truly be at peace! I can't even begin to imagine.
-
As a mother of 4 going on 5 boys, I can only commiserate!
Have you seen this? (It's a mom's blog in cartoon form. Not p*rn, I promise!)
-
Well, ok, but it is a PRINCIPLE worth mocking. That is the principal's wrongly-held principle that she has any right to control what 17 & 18 year olds do before they get to school.
;)
So true! Too bad that's not what they were talking about. My head would be much less explode-y. :lol:
Stupid camping question...but WHAT do you do next?
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
After setup, we usually kick back and relax in a lawn chair and enjoy the scenery and maybe a good book and let the kids explore our campsite and the area nearby.
In the following days, we explore the hiking trails in the park, and spend a lot of time enjoying the water by swimming or boating or fishing. If the park has any Letterboxing or Geocaching, we'll usually do that. Sometimes the park rangers will have short presentations or activities for kids. We tend to have lazy mornings and cook big breakfasts on the grill and relax in the cool of the morning. In the evenings, we build a campfire and roast hot dogs or marshmallows and talk around the fire. During the day, we'll often find some activity to do, but mostly camping for us is about relaxing and enjoying the nature around us and lots of tech-free, low-key fun for the kids.