I agree -- sounds too easy but at lot of times that's really what it boils down to. In many ways, I think it's just as important (if not more so) to find a person whose understanding of marriage matches yours as it is to find one who makes your heart go pitter-patter. Not that I don't want both for my kids, but as a parent, my hope is that their future spouses will see marriage as something bigger than the two individuals that comprise it.

This reminds me of a study I saw recently about these decisions and their effect on Millennials' financial success: The Millennial Success Sequence: Marriage, Kids, and the "Success Sequence" among Young Adults

Post-high school, I'm really ok with whatever. My main concern is not wanting my kids to feel that they have to have their lives perfectly arranged before marrying. I want them to take the commitment seriously and soberly but not be afraid of it. There is still plenty of room to grow after you're married.

My mom picked us up from school in the 80's and 90's, until I was old enough to drive. It was pretty common here then, and even when my mom was in school, she often bummed rides from older friends in order to keep from having to ride the bus. The routes are long and spread out, and you could easily be on the bus for two hours. We are over 5 miles from our assigned elementary school, on roads with a 55mph speed limit and no sidewalks. Almost no one walks to school here.

That's ridiculous. I would complain -- LOUDLY. But then I still hold a grudge against the stupid teen boy who cut in the pick-up line at the middle school every. single. day. when I was in high school. (We were both there picking up younger siblings.) I despise people who are too good to wait their turn. :rolleyes:

Well, maybe. She obviously knew who he was and what he was capable of from before he was born. The wine thing would have seemed like an odd request if he hadn't been inclined to do such things before, privately. But she may also have been nudging him to go ahead and reveal himself publicly. He kind of chides her about that, a little. If Mary had tried to tell the people in their hometown that Jesus could do miracles while he was growing up, they probably did ignore her. But I'm not sure it was because she was a woman. When Jesus himself taught and actually performed great works there, they not only didn't believe in him, they were downright ticked (cf. Mk 6). And none of his brothers believed in him either, until after the resurrection. Jesus' miracles all seemed to be particularly selected to highlight Jesus' identity and mission. He never appears inclined to do miracles just for heck of it, or even just to help somebody out. So I'm not convinced that he was going around as a kid turning stones into bread or anything. Obviously, the church accepts Mary as a reliable witness. Almost everything in the first couple of chapters of Luke, for example, pretty much had to come from her. But historically speaking, she certainly would have been excluded as a legal witness within her community on the basis of her gender.

I know the blog Get Your Pretty On and author Alison Lumbatis have been mentioned here before in discussions about capsule wardrobes, etc. Through 7/31, all her style challenges (basically capsule wardrobe plans for various seasons) are 50% off. http://stylechallenges.com/stylist-challenges/?inf_contact_key=8005755479ef3bade3a22b978d762189a01cab742af4936a1fd8e1085d2edbfe Just thought I'd share in case anyone is looking for help shopping for clothes!

Used to be Oct. 16, but I believe now it's Aug. 31.

Yep, file it as needed. If it's a bad tear I'd probably treat with antiseptic before (just let it dry thoroughly). It will usually deteriorate on its own. On my worse ones, I've had to reapply at times until the break is grown out.

I have used the tea bag trick several times and it works great. But you need nail glue, not polish. Polish isn't strong enough. I usually do several layers, alternating directions of the tea bag fabric.

Absolutely! After much prodding from me, dd finally joined a troop last year at 11. Turns out to be one of the best things she ever did. After the first meeting, she came home all smiles. Turns out there were three other girls her same age, and all were reading her current fave novel series. They even went on to write a screenplay based off the series for one of their badges. The girls all knew each other from school and previous scouting experience, but they welcomed dd with open arms.

I haven't read all the replies, but just wanted to say that I get it, OP. Really, I get it. When I reach my frustration limits, I tell DH that I am overwhelmed because I HAVE TO THINK FOR FOUR PEOPLE. All the time. I have to remember EVERYTHING. He is always more than willing to do anything I ask him to do, and he does have a set of chores that are his sole responsibility (which he does reliably and well). But when it comes to *seeing* things that need doing and taking care of them, or thinking through the details of a task (particularly things that involve the kids, or any kind of long-range planning or logistics), he needs everything spelled out for him. And quite often, it's easier just to do it myself. I try not to become frustrated with him because he genuinely wants and is willing to help. But the executive piece is just not his forte. So I try to find ways to maximize our strengths. In a lot of ways, this boils down to him doing "physical" tasks, while I handle "mental" ones. Sometimes it looks like he's handling more than his fair share, because his tasks are visible in a way that mine are not. But I think the important thing is for both partners to realize that division of labor is not limited to physical chores. Maybe try approaching it from this angle: Assign him as many things as possible that are ongoing, repeatable tasks that don't require much executive planning. If the dishwasher needs unloading in the mornings, he does it. Or perhaps he does the dishes everyday. When it gets done is up to him, that way you don't have to worry about whether he has to leave early, etc. Managing kids beyond the basic, most obvious tasks (getting dressed, being fed, bathing) is yours. So if you have to leave early in the morning, you put out the sunscreen and bug spray and remind the kids and dh to use it. You pack backpacks and lunches, etc. You make doctor's appointments and write a list of questions for the doctor, even if he's the one who physically takes them to the appointment. If you and he are both in agreement that responsibilities are evenly divided, it doesn't matter if some are more visible than others. And you can still mange the things you do well, without being overloaded.

That's an amazing offer! Want to make it for me next?! :)

How disappointing for everyone! Is there any way the organizing group would be able to arrange to extend his stay (if he gets to come) or let him come at a later date? The good news is that he is young and probably will recover quickly, so maybe there is a chance he will still come!

Looking for gift ideas for a little boy who is turning 1. Anybody found anything cool lately?

We used Elemental Science for Astronomy/Earth Science this past year. It wasn't The Greatest Thing Ever! but it was fine. DD enjoyed it.

Yes, it's called AirPlay: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204289

Every spin instructor I've ever had says this is typical, and every person I've ever known who just started spinning has gone through this. It is not unusual. At all. Perhaps if you are an experienced cyclist outside the spin room, it is less of an issue? I could see that. What the OP is describing is not muscle pain and won't be alleviated by squats. (Trust me, I'd done hundreds if not thousands of squats before my first class. It's not a strength issue.) It's caused by not being used to the pressure and shape of the seat. It feels like bruising, not soreness. Honestly, it felt to me similar to the way my nether regions felt after delivering two babies. My favorite instructor tells every person new to her class to expect this discomfort, but it does go away after a few classes. Honest. (Do make sure the instructor has fitted you for the bike, however. That's important. But it won't fix this problem.)

Yes, and you can buy a padded seat cover as well. Sometimes that helps.

Totally normal. :) It takes about 6 sessions for your bum to become completely adjusted. ETA: At our first class, dh rode for about 20 minutes biting down on a towel before he gave up and left. Now he loves it. It gets better, I promise!

I understand. I can't tell you how many hours I've spent crying and saying, "I just want to be NORMAL." By which I mean, a person who naturally eats relatively healthfully and doesn't have to spend every waking moment thinking about food, along with at least an hour a day in the gym, just to maintain a decent weight. And that kind of energy does not even get me anywhere close to thin. I will never be thin. The best I can hope for is overweight instead of obese or morbidly obese. On my good days, I realize that this is what it is and I just have to do the best I can with it. On my bad days, well... not so much.

I'm right there with ya. For me, it's key to take one day at a time. If I have a "bad" day or even a "bad" meal, I am tempted to write it all off as too hard and quit. I have to start over at the next meal and keep going. Once I chain a few days or meals together, I gain confidence and it gets easier. In our house, if Mom can't have self-control around it, it doesn't come in the house. Period. The kids get plenty of treats for special occasions, at Grandma's, at their activities, etc. But we don't buy stuff that *I* will be tempted to binge on and keep it in the pantry. So my kids get fruit and cheese for snacks instead of Goldfish crackers. It's good for them. When I start feeling guilty, I buy them a cheap snack from the vending machine at the Y. ;) Along the same lines, we do not make multiple meals here (at least for dinner). Everyone eats the same thing. I go for an all-around balanced approach (lean protein/small serving of fruit or starch/large serving of veggies) for meals so that makes it easier, but still somebody complains about dinner most nights. If I really don't feel like dealing with it, I let them make their own sandwich or whatever. They get to choose their own breakfasts and lunches usually, so I don't feel bad about saying they have to eat what I make at dinner. Also, I find it MUCH easier to choose healthier options if I am drinking plenty of water (seriously, it feels like I'm drowning myself, as I am not a big drinker or anything) and getting lots of hard exercise. A stroll around the block doesn't do it for me (or wouldn't, if we had a block to stroll around, which we don't out here in the boondocks). YMMV, of course. I've been fighting this battle for years, and my best advice is to do the best you can. Take advantage of the days when you feel strong, and give yourself grace on the days you don't. Just remember on those days that taking one small step, even when you feel completely unmotivated, can be enough to get you over the hump. If it doesn't, well, as my mother says, "Tomorrow is another day, Scarlett." You can do this!!

THIS.

I don't want to speak for winterbaby, but I think we have a similar perspective. The water is holy because it is attached to the promise and Word of God. That's what a sacrament is -- a physical element to which God has attached his promise. It is not the water that saves (otherwise you'd be baptizing yourself every time you take a shower, LOL), it's the Word of God ATTACHED to the water. That is not to say that baptism is the only conveyance of faith. Certainly one can have faith prior to baptism as well. But faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. It's the Word saves, but in baptism we have the comfort and promise of that Word applied directly to US, as individual beloved children of God. Faith is, in essence, grasping on to the promise God has made us and trusting that He keeps His promises. Arctic Mama, because I know you are interested in theology, I think you would find a study of Lutheran doctrine fascinating -- not trying to change your mind, but just saying I think you would enjoy the different perspective. (Maybe you've done that before, I don't know, just a friendly suggestion from a fellow Bible geek :).)

Not exactly, at least not in the Lutheran tradition of infant baptism. We believe that baptism is God's work, not ours. As such, it's not simply a symbolic profession of an existing faith, but it actually confers faith upon the recipient. Or, rather, the Word/promise of God that's attached to baptism (that we are raised from death to life, called God's children, and given his own name) accomplishes the regeneration. We simply accept and believe those promises that are attached to the sacrament. That's the very definition of faith -- believing what God has said. The rest of what you said is accurate as well, though. Faith must be nurtured and cared for; the child must be nurtured and grown spiritually just as he or she is nurtured and cared for physically, and that is the job of the family and the church. Faith left without spiritual care CAN die -- and the promises of God be rejected -- which is why Lutherans do not believe that all who are baptized as infants remain in the faith as adults. I used to be very much against paedobaptism for the same reasons some other posters have cited, but once I understood the Lutheran view I saw that it is the only one that makes complete sense with a monergistic theology. ETA: Just to reiterate what's been said above, Lutheran and Reformed are NOT the same thing.