On a side note...when I was pregnant with my oldest I chopped all my long hair off in a hormonal haze. It was the worst cut...basically just 2-3 inches long all over, with straight across bangs. I had gained 80lbs too. And had ugly glasses. I think I was the most hideous pregnant lady...lol!

It is all over the place here. I have a version of it myself, more of the inverted bob. It is the only way my crazy hair looks "put together" without a ton of work. Although, I don't porcupine mine usually...I just straighten it for work or let it go natural when I'm home. My hair is having a mid-life crisis. My hair has always been curly, but with a straight section right at the crown in the back. Now, all my gray is coming in straight. As a result, my hair tends to be a frizzy hot mess when left to its own devices.

The coach needs to step up and put a stop to it. There is a case here locally about a sports team that had the normal culture of hazing, boys will be boys behavior. It escalated into a boy getting raped by several of his team members with a pool cue while they were at a cabin for a team event. The boy ended up needing surgery. The attitude from many that were involved in these kids lives? It was just boys being boys and it got out of hand. A boy was raped and it "just got out of hand"?!?! There is no good reason to let that kind of behavior go unchecked, regardless of whether or not it has always happened.

If you want something caffeine free, but tastes more like tea you are used to, try Rooibos. It has a slightly sweet taste and smell. It is also good as a chai.

Cabinets that go all the way to the ceiling. I love my large deep drawers. I have one that stores all my plastic ware, one for all of our baking goodies (we have a LOT of cookie cutters, measuring cups, etc.) and big wide drawers for utensils. I have a big cabinet above my fridge that comes out to the edge of the fridge. I use it for platters, big serving bowls, etc. Make sure you plan your drawers and doors so they don't conflict with dishwashers and ovens. Full depth corner cabinets. The soft close feature is nice too.

I have a similar stress dream a LOT. Especially at the beginning of a new semester. Mine usually involve a sudden and inexplicable remodeling of the school, and an incomprehensible schedule. Sometimes I also lose my clothes.

Since I'm in college right now, they've all seen mine a lot lately..lol. They've also seen the F I got when I was 19 and just stopped showing up for a class, and how that mistake is still following me. (I've drummed into their heads to make sure to WITHDRAW from a class if needed, don't just not go)

I was excited to hear that! I'm still waiting on the marker for identicals, because I'm convinced there is one. Both of my grandmothers had a set of identical twin sisters, and I have a set of identical twin girls. My oldest also had a twin that never developed past 6 weeks or so. I think there is something genetic about the likelihood of an egg splitting.

Sounds like you didn't get a great realtor. If your comps are showing your house to be mid-range, then I wouldn't lower the price much...if at all. It sounds like SHE is in a hurry to get it sold. I would try to renegotiate the contract. Go through it with a fine tooth comb and make sure she is following it to the letter. Three weeks isn't much time.

((Hugs)) It sounds like it was a stressful day for everyone. Everyone had high emotions from stress, pre-teens can be notoriously teary (I had a couple that would cry if you looked at them sideways), and Mother's Day expectations/memories/emotions just suck sometimes. It was the perfect storm. I'd call MIL and apologize for hurting her feelings, and explain that you were stressed too. Then let it all go.

((Hugs)) There is no way of knowing what personal demons he fights. Addiction can look very different than the typical meth-face. Gambling, money, hoarding, porn, are all addictions. Not to mention that not all drug addictions make you look like a meth addict. Also, I have to second what someone upthread mentioned: Once you've served jail time for something, getting back into the workforce can be extremely difficult. And you always have that lure of "easy" money taunting you as you are struggling to find employment. And some people are just prone to making bad choices, no matter how they grew up. Dh has a cousin that was a golden boy growing up. A little on the wild side, but everyone loved him. His family was super supportive. He came from good people that did the right things while raising him. He still became a meth addict, and it ended up killing him. His family tried everything in their power to pull him out of that mess, and he would just sink right back in. It's SO hard to climb out of.

How about an email address instead?

Nothing really going on here either. I admit, I'm still holding out hope that one of my three adult-sized kids will have pity on me and at least clean up the kitchen, but since they all disappeared upstairs, I won't hold my breath. I, too, wasn't feeling to bad about it, as it is the norm here. Then I got on FB...bleh. I did guilt the kids into taking a photo with me. I'm not a fan of this holiday either.

When we've moved to a new state/area, the best thing we've done is rent for 6-12 months before buying. You really are able to take your time and get to know the area.

An architect or in archaeology. With no kids, no husband, a large dog, and an apartment in a big city. (yep, I had it all figured out until I met my dh! lol) I think I could still enjoy either, but with my lifestyle and location now, neither would mesh well.

Well, if it is a problem, then I have one too. My oldest considers me one of her best friends, and I feel the same. We talk about everything under the sun, and she texts me quite a bit too. She's not socially hindered (she has a gazillion friends, a good job, does well in college and has a boyfriend). We are just close. Our personalities mesh well. I don't have that same sort of relationship with my younger two. We have a good relationship, but they are pretty typical "Mom is embarrassing sometimes, and I can't wait to move out" teens.

When you freeze them, sometimes the expansion will stretch the plastic, making it a little puffy when it thaws back out. I've had it happen several times, with no ill effects.

Could be the veggie increase in general, or it could just be how you guys react to the squash. I'm in week one of Whole30, myself, with a few extra days of "mostly" W30. The uptake in veggies has definitely increased gas issues. But in the past, I've found it is usually temporary and decreases after my body adjusts. Avocados are the worst offender for me.

It is enough, IMO. It helped my younger two polish up their writing quite a lot before high school. They've both taken outside classes in which they've had to write papers, and have made As across the board.

Yes, there is money out there for older students. I was surprised. I have grants, and two scholarships right now.

I'm getting my CPA (hopefully). I figure that will get me in the door at a lot of different corporate businesses if I want, or give me the opportunity to run my own accounting business. It isn't dependent on physical ability. It is something that doesn't drive me crazy to do. I have some experience in accounting/finance. I will be around 45 when I graduate...that gives me 22 years until I hit retirement age.

I'm living it, and that is why I'm back in school for a degree. The only jobs I can get right now pay less than what I made before I quit to stay home with my kids, 12ish years ago. My experience doesn't mean a thing, and I can't even get my foot in the door somewhere decent without a degree. I'm working part-time right now, while in school full-time, for barely over minimum wage, mostly just to network and get current experience on my resume.

Racism is alive and kicking where I live. Interracial marriages are still pretty uncommon in my little pocket of the world, and unfortunately the few couples I do know get flack for it. And their kids get picked on for being biracial. It is awful, and part of the reason I really dislike where I live. There are several rather racist family members in our close family. They, thankfully, are learning to keep their opinions to themselves around me and my girls. So, yeah, I can see some idiots here locally getting themselves in a froth over it. They probably had residual froth from the Target "controversy" that spilled over :glare:

Beauty and the Beast..lol. I don't know why we picked a Disney movie...but it was pretty good.

I started yesterday officially. I had been doing it mostly last week, but allowed myself a junk day on my birthday, and restarted yesterday. My girls are mostly doing it with me. Two are whole hog, one is just doing no sugar/dairy and mostly no grains. Tried to get dh on board but he got cranky and quit before he even started. Our favorite snacks are roasted pumpkin seeds. The girls like to put curry powder on them. Dd roasted some cashews in coconut oil that turned out surprisingly delicious. Breakfast has been veggies (potatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and/or sweet potatoes) and Aidelles sausages. Dinner tonight was good: shrimp, peppers and onions cooked fajita style over lettuce, with salsa and avocados.