Thanks for the thoughts. Who knew there were so many moms of theater majors here? :tongue_smilie: We (dh and I) don't think a marketable skill should be the ONLY outcome of a college degree. To that end, we're willing to pay the big bucks for dd to attend the seminar-style honors program based on Western civilization at this Christian university. BUT we also feel that once she graduates with this fabulous education - she'll need a job to support herself. And we have personally met too many theater majors who doing things like running insurance agencies or waiting tables for a living. (Jane mentions business majors being too commonplace now, but I've never chatted with a waiter who informed me that he holds an accounting degree) We don't want to force dd to major in something she'd hate (nursing! accounting!). But we want to strongly encourage her to look at majors that would give her a marketable skill while still allowing her to do what she loves. For example, in addition to the singing-acting-dancing that she loves, she spends a ton of her free time on photography, drawing, and blogging. And she's GOOD at those things; why not look into something like graphic design (as a pp mentioned)? A double major wouldn't be practical - it would add at least a semester or two, because of the heavy courseload required by the honors program. I don't know if the new department would allow for a minor (there's such limited info available on this b/c it's new). Lots of thinking/investigation/praying about this to be done in our family over the next few months (and years).

For most people who love theater, it's a hobby. I haven't minded funding her dance & theater hobbies over the years, but the thought of spending $100k to fund it seems insane.

My dd just found out that the college she'll be attending in the fall is starting a theater major. And she is interested in it. :001_huh: She has a merit scholarship that covers 1/3 of tuition. But we are still on the hook for more than $100k over 4 years for tuition, books, room & board. I am not, not, not willing to pay that amount of money for a degree in theater. No way, no how, never, full stop, period. (can I say this more emphatically? I thought about using all caps but that's so obnoxious). What say you? Since we are paying for this (I can't imagine dd would earn more than about $20k toward it over the 4-year period) is it reasonable for us to say, "You cannot major in that"?

That's what I thought when I read the thread title - Why on earth is she rubbing it on her skin??

I think limits are a great idea for a church or community oriented event. When my dc were 3 & 6, we attended a church Easter egg hunt and they collected exactly 0 eggs each because the older kids sprinted across the field ahead of the younger kids. I don't think an Easter egg hunt is the right venue to teach the younger kids that life isn't always fair. Someone mentioned it's great for teaching older kids to "share"; that might work in a family, but in a large church not so much (we didn't know any older kids, and nobody offered my disappointed kids any eggs). I think giving limits to the kids is great, especially if they are then encouraged to help younger kids. We attended a friends & family hunt last year. The teens hid the eggs, and although we didn't place any limits, the older kids and moms were right there helping the littler kids. But I don't see that working at a large event.

I don't understand the wording of your poll. "tried it and like it" ??? How about "tried it and loved it so much that if I had to choose between dh and bread pudding, dh would be history". (Note: dh feels the same way. He would choose bread pudding over me). Honestly, we'd eat bread pudding every day of our lives if I didn't think it would kill us. So we eat it about twice a year.

I'm not sure what you mean about doing "all the lessons" with your 8yo - I thought most/all of them were high school and college level? Do you mean the arithmetic section? My teens really like Kahn. Dd used his lessons to prepare for the math portion of the SAT, and ds has used some of the algebra, geometry, and biology lessons. He is in geometry this year and sadly, Kahn has very few geometry lessons. :(

I wouldn't say that to the other mom at this point, because I wouldn't trust her to return Monday night even if she promised to.

Thanks for the advice. Dd, dh, and I have all agreed that she will drop the class. We will look into whether there can be a hardship or medical withdrawal based on my condition, but otherwise she'll just have to take the W.

I'm reading Four Fish this week. Only about 20% into it, but I'm enjoying it. It reminds me of Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food and Botany of Desire, so if you liked those, you'll like this one too.

My 17yo senior has almost 30 hours of credit from the local CC. About 20 hours or so of the credits will transfer in to the university which she'll attend in the fall. She's currently taking 6 credits; 3 online and 3 on campus. Getting her to and from campus is just.not.working. It is 20 miles away. She and my ds also each take an afternoon class at a different site which is 10 miles away (in between us & the college). Here is how her day worked yesterday (typical of every Tues & Thurs): Get up at 6AM (she has late rehearsals on Monday nights so doesn't get to bed until after 11) 35 minute commute to campus with dad 90 minute hang out at Starbucks (also wasted $7 & 1000 calories on a scone/mocha breakfast) 80 minute class 45 minute wait for the bus 40 minute bus trip 45 minute wait for me to pick her up at bus stop 60 minute hang out with me & ds eating lunch, running errands All that hanging out, waiting, commuting, etc. just so she can attend a 1 hr 20 minute class on campus. The class does not meet any gen ed requirements nor major requirements for her likely majors. Yes, she uses the time somewhat wisely, reading school books and listening to audio lectures. But it's inefficient. No, I can't pick her up any earlier - it would waste gas money ($3.89 gallon!) plus cut into ds' school time at home, and we still wouldn't have time to come home; we'd have to hang out at the library. And to add insult to injury, the instructor has canceled class twice with no notice in the first 5 weeks of class; what a colossal waste of time on those days! Oh, and did I mention my recent cancer diagnosis, the surgery, and the stress it has been causing our family - we still don't know what sort of treatment will be involved going forward for the rest of the semester, definitely radiation & maybe chemo after that. The only reason I'm asking is: Does the withdraw passing grade hurt her transcript which is otherwise 4.0? Will it teach dd a bad lesson about dropping a class when it's inconvenient?

I usually just take a pic of the huge pile in the back of the van. I think the detailed list is what's key. Look up IRS pub 526 for more info.

I have had to fill out a form 8283 every year for years - our non-cash donations always exceed $500. (We haven't had a garage sale in 20 years -it's just easier to pile everything into the back of the van a few times a year and be done with it). We've never been audited, but I try to keep good records. I take a snapshot of the pile of stuff that's about to go to Goodwill, plus make a detailed list. I staple the photo, list, and receipt together for each donation. Then I either use the donation values suggested by Goodwill/Salvation Army (you can search for these online) or the It's Deductible values if I'm using Turbotax that year. I always used to fear that the 8283 was a red flag for audits, but it's apparently not.

This is why women have historically fared better in times of famine than men - we have more fat. But the problem with this approach (intentionally gaining weight) is that you are betting your life that there WILL be a famine. If the famine starts next year and you have intentionally put on an extra 40 pounds in that year - great - you are better off than your skinny neighbor. But if the hoped-for event (famine) doesn't come for many years, and you have been accumulating and carrying around a lot of extra weight during that time - then your skinny neighbor comes out ahead because you are dead from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc. Famine is the least of your worries.

I am praying for you. :grouphug::grouphug:

I assumed you meant bOOks and I was going to say, Eat a low-fat diet, exercise, and get mammograms. :D Sorry I can't answer your real question.

Thank you so much for the prayers and well wishes after I posted last week about my breast cancer diagnosis. I am feeling a little better now, emotionally - I'm on day 2 of no crying! Here is the update I promised. The tumor is non-palpable (couldn’t be felt by me or the doctors) and was found through a mammogram. From all the testing, it looks like a small stage 1 tumor and the prognosis looks very good. I am scheduled for a lumpectomy on 2/22. After that, the recommended course of treatment will probably be radiation therapy and anti-hormone drugs, but that will be finalized after the surgery when they have more details about the nature of the tumor. Some of the WTMers have also sent me info on holistic cancer treatment, and I am researching that, too. I have already made HUGE diet changes and am being pretty radical about it. For example, went to an event today that provided pizza & cokes for lunch - I brought my own brown rice salad, fruit, and water. Honestly, this is the first time in my life that I haven't felt tempted to "cheat" on any form of diet change. Please keep me in your prayers. I am praying for a miracle…that the radiologist would not even find the cancer before the surgery, or that after the surgery the doctors will say it does not require further treatment.

Praising God with you for answered prayers!

Yes. You should have them every 1-2 years. I was diagnosed last week with a non-palpable (couldn't have been detected by me or the doctors) cancer. It was found on a mammogram. I have no family history of breast or ovarian cancers, or other high-risk factors.

How lucky she was to have you guys home to help direct the EMTs and get your mom what she needed. I am praying...so now you can tell her like 201 people are praying!

Thank you for the continued prayers. Dh and I saw the surgeon yesterday afternoon and were very encouraged; it was mostly good news as far as the prognosis and treatment. (I still dread it, of course). I will post more details after I have gathered my thoughts.

:grouphug: to you. Are you OK now?

I'm so sorry to hear that so many WTMers are in this sisterhood. :( I had heard the statistic about 1 in 8 women...so it shouldn't surprise me.

Yes! Mine cannot be felt - it was only found through a mammogram, compared to a mammogram done 21 months ago. Please, ladies, get your mammograms done every 1-2 years.

That's everything that I'm feeling. I have faith that God has a plan in this, too, or that he has at least allowed it - so I am trying to rest in that, but it is hard.