The proper foundation garments are important so your clothes drape properly. I proudly fly my dated freak flag by wearing hosiery with closed toe shoes. If I am wearing open toe shoes I will wear some sort of spanx,

Ah, this is similar to the "But how will you know how they compare to their peers?" question. My answer satisfies both: "Why do I care how they compare? Everyone has gaps in their education."

No, homeschooling is legal in the United States of America. "Aren't you afraid he will be a sissy?" said my friends brother when I was discussing the bullying my ds was experiencing and why we decided to try homeschooling.

I recommend you avoid the chains and find a local dojo. When my kids did karate we belonged to an okinawan shido kan karate dojo. You want a dojo that is not about a bunch of trophies in the window. One that teaches that earning the next belt is the reward. I loved the philosophy at their dojo. It was about respect not winning.

Yes, that is what a lot of the rec leagues have become. My ds played little league when he was 5/6/7. Then he decided to swim. At 10 he wanted to try baseball again and he couldn't. He was too far behind. He tried basketball around 8 and he was already behind in that, too. Fortunately, he loves swimming.

You and my cousin. And when I point to blueberries he says they are not really blue. More of a purple color.

Since I have been taking my kids to museums since they were little and they have seen all manner of naked statuary and paintings I can not imagine this being an issue at the high school level. The human body is beautiful.

I rarely have junk food in the house because I have no self control.

I have told both my kids that the point of dating is to meet the person you are going to marry. However, one should date different types of people because it is as just as important to find out what you do not like in a potential partner for life as it is what you like. I have also told them that they have plenty of time for dating and their focus at this point should be on their studies. Any young person coming to my home to pick up my child must meet the parents (or at least one of us) prior to departing on first date. To my son: Always go to the door and greet parents when picking up date. Escort date to the car and open door for them. Do not honk from the curb. That is disrespectful to date, parents, and neighbors. To my daughter: You do not run from the house when summoned by a horn. You are not a dog. I think some dating during high school is okay. Group outings 14/15 individual dating 15/16. However, my oldest had a summer fling when he was 13 and again at 14. They would meet at the pool. Walk to Dunkin Donuts for a snack. That was about as serious as it got. Last year he had what I would call his first serious girlfriend. It lasted a few months. They would talk all the time, facetime, etc. She came over our house a couple of times and he went there a couple of times. But alas, summer came. She went away to camp and then family vacations. When she returned things were not the same. She was always too busy to get together. My darling boy felt neglected. He broke up with her. Very tragic.

This is a huge pet peeve of mine. There is nothing more frustrating then trying to plan something and having a whole bunch of no shows/late shows who then say "oh, sorry" all while looking annoyed that you are annoyed by their rude behavior.

I wish I had thought of that. I am quite tired of saying "I didn't ask who left it there, I asked you to put it in the dishwasher."

Pet stores make me sad. What happens to those cute little puppies and kittens if they don't sell?

I think New Years Eve Parties are over rated. So much pressure is placed on this evening and getting a smooch at midnight. I would much rather be home in my jammies.

No, you can elect to have the subsidy sent directly to your insurance carrier and that lowers your monthly premium or pay the higher premium and get a tax refund. Questions and Answers on the Premium Tax Credit The Basics 1. What is the premium tax credit? The premium tax credit is an advanceable, refundable tax credit designed to help eligible individuals and families with low or moderate income afford health insurance purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace, also known as the Exchange, beginning in 2014. You can choose to have the credit paid in advance to your insurance company to lower what you pay for your monthly premiums, or you can claim all of the credit when you file your tax return for the year. If you choose to have the credit paid in advance, you will reconcile the amount paid in advance with the actual credit you compute when you file your tax return.

I love my Clark's, Merrells, and Grasshopper. I agree with pp about the Clark's. Not all models fit my foot comfortably.

Keeping it local with a couple of other families. Sometimes I do miss when we did not know anyone in town and we would bring in chinese, be in jammies by 8pm and I was asleep before midnight.

I'm sorry, but I think you might need an intervention.

I recommend that anyone who is enrolled confirm with the insurance provider that they are enrolled and everything is good.

I get a lot of recipes from these sites: http://www.elanaspantry.com/ http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/recipes (This one is vegan and all about desserts-but everyone needs a treat) http://nomnompaleo.com/recipeindex We are not strictly paleo but aim for a whole food diet.

I say "totes adorbs" and "cray cray" to my kids all the time in the hopes they will realize how ridiculous they sound. They just roll their eyes at me and tell me how ridiculous I sound.

I agree that there are a lot of things that could have been done better but overall I know more people it helping then hurting.

To answer the affordable to whom question.....Affordable for me. The plan we will be enrolled in come January 1st is significantly less then our current plan. As for the original poster-the best thing to do is call the marketplace and give them your info and they will let you know what you are or are not eligible for.

I tend not to air that we often do not eat as a family. As a matter of fact, when the kids were younger, the occasions where we are all at the table together inevitably ended with arguing and someone in tears. When the kids were little my dh had unrealistic expectations as to how the family meal should go. There was a script in his head and the kids were not following it. Now that the kids are teens we can eat together but the kids have swim practice most nights so they eat early. Dh is a night owl and he eats later. I eat when I am hungry. We have plenty of family time, just not at most meals.

If you are friends I would tell them what is going on and work together for a solution.

Oh, that made me laugh. Yes, that is exactly how I feel.