Family is frustrating. Dh works from home. He has supported our family for years working from home, and makes pretty good money at it. He has "office hours" in which he is actively working and cannot be interrupted. We STILL have family that think he's available any ol' time for any ol' thing.

My above mentioned daughter read the OP. She just nodded, and kept going...yep. She said that was her to a T. Bless her little non-directional heart.

I think either you have it or you don't. My oldest daughter doesn't have it. She gets lost SO easily, and giving her directions is next to impossible. We ended up getting her a smart phone for that very reason.

Nope. The cows across the street don't really care ;) We did water some in Texas, but we lived in a nice neighborhood then and felt like we had to.

If driver's ed in TN is teaching them to hang out in the left lane, that certainly explains a lot of the driving around here! lol. I'm pretty sure it isn't in the manual. My 15 year olds love to inform me of every minor driving infraction I make now, so I'm sure they'd have "corrected" me if that was in the TN manual.

We bought Penguin toilets when we built the house. They are on the cheaper end, money wise, but they work very well. You just have to know up front that you'll have to buy upgraded toilet seats. The ones that come with the toilet are horrible. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Penguin-Toilets-2-piece-1-28-GPF-Single-Flush-Elongated-Toilet-with-Overflow-Protection-in-White-524/205081701#customer_reviews

Beans, roasted meats, salads, lettuce wraps, rice, fruit. Eggs and bacon/sausage for breakfast with potatoes. Fruit cups. Lara Bar type snacks.

Oh yeah...that totally.

I would never tell my kids how to dress. :lol: My mom harped on my clothing choices all the time. Then I was gifted with a child that defaults to the homeless look. I didn't realize pre-kids how much judgement the PARENT gets for how their kid looks..lol.

Definitely don't rule out dealership loans. We just bought a Nissan. Although we were pre-approved for a good rate through our credit union, the dealership was able to offer 0% financing for 6 years. Payments are low, and we still have the option to pay it off early. We've not had a car payment in nearly 10 years, so it hurt a little to have one again. BUT the ability to have a car that has no repair bills is worth it to me. We buy beaters for the kids and for dh to knock around in (he works from home, so doesn't drive much), but we've always tried to have at least one newer car.

All three of mine have sleep issues (something they inherited from their father). When it gets particularly bad, we have a bit of a routine to get their bodies back into rhythm. Get up early. Get outside into the sun. Move a lot (walking/hiking/biking) Eat well, take vitamins (Vit D especially) Epsom salt bath in the evening. Magnesium supplement an hour or so before bed. No screens after 9PM. Melatonin with valerian right before bed (but only for a week or so at a time) The exercise and sunshine help immensely. These things don't always work completely, but they at least seem to get them in a better mindset. I'm sorry...not being able to sleep is tough.

Not my step-dad, but I was terrified of my mother. She had mental health problems and threatened to kill us in our sleep several times.

I have heavy periods as well. My GYN offered a hysterectomy whenever I decided I'd had enough. :/ I can't do hormonal drugs because they wreck my body. So yeah...suck it up is my only option at the moment, because I'm not ready to have an organ removed.

I did for one year (well, two really, but the second year we had a new school and we were spread out over two buildings.) It was the best school I ever attended. I started school as an 8th grader, and had absolutely no problems being accepted. My brother was a 2nd grader. Being SUCH a small school, you couldn't go unnoticed as a new kid. The high schoolers were rather protective of the little ones, and there was actually very little bullying there. The entire school was very close knit. They did have a decent basketball team...mostly because the school was blessed with several very good athletes. Most of the teachers had family ties to the school and were very invested in their students. Being a successful student was strongly encouraged. I went to a total of 4 different schools in high school, and I would have loved to have spent my entire 4 years at that school.

I like it much better than swiffer. The mop heads are washable. I have three that I rotate through. The mop squirts the Bona solution on the floor and you just mop it up. Leaves the floors shiny.

Oh, I have some of those thick rug/mat type things that are cushiony and easy to wipe up in several areas in the kitchen. In front of the sink, in front of the fridge, and in front of the stove. It helps your feet, and catches a lot of the drops and spills. Our hardwood in this house was pre-finished Bella wood in oak. Love it. Our other house had a dark wood that was finished in place. Fewer grooves, but the dark wood showed dust and dog hair like mad. I would avoid laminate if at all possible. My SIL has it in her kitchen, and it was ruined rather quickly due to water.

This is the second house in which I've had hardwood in the kitchen. I love it. You just have to be sure to mop up spills when they happen. In this house we have even had the dishwasher leak, but caught it right away...so no damage. You will have some nicks and scratches from dropping things, but that is just par for the course with hardwoods. I use Bona to clean.

That would be hot to me. I've lived in TX, MN and TN. (born and raised in TN). I could ride bikes in 110+ weather in TX. Much lower humidity. Here in TN where the air is so thick you can see it, 90 is near misery sometimes.

In this instance, I would chalk it up to just forgetting. IMO, it is a teeny bit different than not showing up for a typical job. (not that it makes it ok, but I can see the different mind set) That said, unfortunately not showing up for work is becoming rather common. My daughter had to cover for other people a lot this summer at her job.

I love my upright. We've moved it across the country and back, a total of four times! My inlaws have a huge chest freezer, and you can't find anything in it. They have no clue what is in there..lol. Mine, you can get in and out of very quickly and always see what you have. I write on the front with a dry erase marker to keep a list of what is in it. (I even keep it updated occasionally)

Usually mound, but depends on the lunchmeat. If it is sliced deli thin, then definitely mounded. If it is in thick slices like bologna, then just lay it flat. (suddenly seriously craving a fried bologna sandwich on white bread with tomato and mayo....none of which I can have..lol)

1. "Dad, please, not the mole joke" 2. "Don't lick me!!"

That I must be wrong about not liking cold cheese. I must not have tried it. Surely I don't mean CHEESE.

The ones that seem to be on every corner: Wendy's McDonald's Chick-fila Burger King Zaxby's Bojangles and Popeye's (these have been popping up everywhere suddenly) Sonic Little Ceasar's Hardees We also have a lot of: Salsaritas Pizza Hut/Papa John's/Dominoes Arby's Krystals Steak and Shake Buddy's BBQ Fewer of these: Denton's Petro's

Yes. At this point in my life, it is about 90% of the reason I'm ready for my kids to just be adults already. (I know that isn't popular among moms to say, but I am READY). I'm tired of making decisions for 5 people. After 20 some odd years of it, I'm TIRED. FRIED. I don't know the answer. I DO know that it becomes overwhelming about once a month...ahem. The rest of the time, I'm just mildly annoyed when my people that have brains don't choose to use them. Oh. And I hate food. I want someone to present me with a meal at dinner time, with no thought whatsoever needed on my part. What is 23 times 365 times 3? I have figured out what to feed us, that everyone will eat, approximately 25,000 times now. I don't wanna anymore :(