I find it a PITA even on my smartphone. For that matter, also from my kids' iPads.I just don't do well with that touchpad format, in any size, even though I can type quickly. I try dictating my texts, but Suri, Siri or whoever she is doesn't listen well for punctuation and the English major in me can't stand it :laugh: . And frankly, I don't like text messages that read like novellas - go ahead and email me those. I like to think of texts like I do the old pager system, or Twitter - just a brief memo plus or minus an emoticon. Anything longer than "Need anything from grocery store?" or "Sent agenda for tonight's mtg, check email," then for the love of all that is right and holy in the world just leave me a voicemail or send an email.

We had a split household, the first since the last USA-Japan match-up four years ago for the (Men's) World Cup. It's the only time we're a house divided. Half are celebrating, half are doing dishes and cleaning up, per house rules if you pick losers :lol: . (I didn't actually watch the game, I went shopping LOL. I hear it was a great one, but am not sorry at all to have missed it!)

What a lovely idea, 6pack! I'm going to bookmark these suggestions, and offer my own: Worn (accessories): http://www.wornforpeace.com/ Homeboy Industries: http://www.homeboyindustries.org/shop-homeboy/ Sewing Hope: http://sewinghope.com/purses PS: The Taaluma Totes, wasn't that a Shark Tank thing? I loved the look of them, if that's indeed who I'm thinking of. Thanks for the review!

He had lied to her about his (humble, embarrassing) beginnings. She didn't know where he grew up or went to school, and he wasn't about to disclose it to her at that point! He had a façade to maintain, one he had been building long before he married his wife.

Any other Asians here? I read the thread thinking this sounds like something old aunties tell their kids, and then when I clicked on the video I started laughing. Because I was right - it's Asians, doing what Asians do :lol: The comparison to a (really poor) Aesop is pretty much true of every one of these types of fables we grew up with (minus the dramatic music and video accompaniment).

I love voicemail. That people don't is news to me LOL I learn so much here. I don't need a complete message, just a "memo" of why you're calling and when you'll be free for me to return the call. That gives me a heads up as to what the call was about and when you'll be free again to address the matter. I prefer it to a text because many people seem to want me to confirm receipt of their text. Which I understand on one level, but find horribly annoying and inconvenient because now I'm being interrupted 2-3 times for a single matter (the initial call, a follow-up text, and sometimes a looking for confirmation of receipt text). And if I were able to devote time to the matter, I'd have just answered in the first place. But in general, I view the phone as an incredible inconvenience (to me) and a great convenience (to others) in being able to get ahold of me whether or not I want them to. So that definitely colors my opinion on what phone etiquette should entail. It puts me at great opposition to most everyone else in my life, who expect a Pavlovian response and immediate acknowledgment to every ding and tone they send my way. Those closest to me have fallen in line, but many continue to remain frustrated with my "lack of" phone and social etiquette. Visual voicemail sounds like a win-win, especially if your phone supports a transcript format. Mine doesn't LOL.

I used to stretch. If I had to stay seated, it'd look like those airplane stretches on long-haul flights (i.e., not pretty). If nobody was looking, I'd hum a song and dance in place :lol: It'd get my blood flowing, heart beating, etc. (also not pretty!) I tried to stay away from caffeine because I wanted to be able to fall asleep when I got home. But sometimes I needed the hit and downed some. The key for me was to try to be home, curtains drawn, and in bed before the sun came up. If I managed that, I'd sleep decently. If the sun came up on my drive home, I was screwed. I'd usually stay up another hour or so (utterly exhausted but unable to sleep well) until I crashed. And it'd screw up my entire next day, as well.

What an amazing high! I'll bet he floats on this for a very long time :hurray: . That's an awesome accomplishment and the immediate feedback for his efforts!

I have no advice or help, but wanted to congratulate those of you with enterprising children! And to applaud your (very active) encouragement of their efforts and dreams, it's fantastic to hear. Best wishes to all on your individual ventures :)

I'm not sure he'd learn anything "new" from my suggestions, other than improved strategy, but they meet our varied needs: my kids' need to play games, my need to have these games not be Monopoly or Monopoly-long, and our combined need to have it be portable and convenient. We play a lot of: Othello (aka Go) Backgammon Chess Mancala mahjongg and various card games (blackjack, gin, basic poker, Singapore rummy, hearts, etc.) We do also enjoy some of the games already mentioned (Axis & Allies, Carcassonne, Catan, etc.) but I'd rather play several, quick games throughout the day (in between chores, while waiting for meals or siblings at extra curriculars) than set aside the time for one longer game. I get bored after about 30 minutes, though, so YMMV! I think you're passing the point where you might feel you need to let him win. I never did that with my kids but I also didn't need to with many of the games on my list; they pick up pretty quickly on the different strategies. I'll be honest, I didn't let them win at tic-tac-toe either. Instead I'd walk them through my thought process (by thinking out loud as I contemplated various moves) and they'd pick up on my strategy and later employ it themselves. You might take advantage of your older kids by bringing them in on a Monopoly game to play against you and your 8 year old - you can mentor him through various decisions/strategies so you no longer 'need' to let him win. Or play a completely dumbo game of Monopoly where you play your part and mentor him through his; this is how I taught my kids to play chess. It took a few months of (boring) investment on my end, but was well worth it. They now win, and lose, on their own accords and it's much more fun for me!

It's hard to say without knowing what the kids will ultimately pursue and how their lives will turn out. But I do have confession-worthy sentiments, more directed at myself about them than about them directly. E.g., my teenager is completely baffled by my ability to read him and to know things he's trying to hide. I don't read minds. I don't have security cameras in the home, or eyes in the back of my heads. I'm just well-read and that's led to a fairly good intuition, backed by award-worthy acting skills to make it appear (to him) that I'm confident in my assertions when I'm really just guessing. It drives him mad, he can't figure out why he's unable to keep a secret - no matter how large or insignificant - and he's convinced I'm omniscient. We're to the point I don't even have to guess aloud, but simply a well-time eyebrow raise will have him confessing before I can even garner a guess as to what's going on! So I'd confess that really I'm a fraud. But maybe by then he'll have figured it out and will be employing the same methods with his own children. That's pretty much how it went in my family. When I had my kids, the light bulb clicked on and choirs of angels sang as it dawned upon me that my own mother was a fraud and a well-read good guesser with passable acting talent all those years!

Typical sides to me are chips or fries, so healthy sides in that texture realm would be: crunchy raw veggies fresh fruit/fruit salad sliced cucumber, tomatoes, mozzarella dill, radish and cucumber salad grilled corn on the cob Asian coleslaw soft roasted root veggies (sweet potatoes, rutabaga, zucchini, squash) grilled asparagus grilled pineapple steamed broccoli with parmesan sweet potato fries garlic green beans - the long ones, not short mushy ones :)

A few years ago we moved from 250 sq. ft. per person to 1,100 sq. ft. per person. The former was pretty tight, the latter is too much. My ideal is somewhere in between, maybe 400 sq. ft. per person. I think that gives everyone a decent bedroom/bathroom space (~ 200 sq. ft.) with some additional square footage in the common areas to spread out as needed or necessary - for hobbies, to entertain, or just to be able to hide out and recharge. I grew up in a large family and we didn't have that kind of space so I really crave it now.

My dream job at age 12 became my reality at age 21, upon college graduation. I married a year later. My 12 year old self didn't think about a marrying age, but assumed marriage would happen. I had my first child the next year. My 12 year old self didn't think about having kids, but assumed they'd happen. Life in my 30s is pretty much what my 12 year old self imagined it would be, but with more gray hairs. Oh, and early retirement. My 12 year old self thought I'd work that dream job until forced retirement in my 60s.

I'm another one with wanderlust :driving: and there are only two items on my homeschool bucket list for each kid. We're Catholic, so the first item is to take each (just the two of us) to see "a place of interest" relating to, or relics of, their patron saint their 8th grade year (Confirmation year) - which I've done, so far. The second is to spend a summer abroad (as a family) at some point during high school to solidify the language studies of each; a different place per kid to keep it interesting for me. This has been a bit more challenging to do with extracurricular interests, and will likely turn into a summer or semester abroad for just each student. But I plan to visit a lot because the experience was also supposed to be the icing on my "we're almost to the finish line" cupcake!

If it's not this kid now, it'll be another kid later! Ages 7-10 are great ages to navigate this, especially if the friend is otherwise "okay" and your friendly enough with his "nice" parents. I'd try to keep working on it the way you are, even though it must be incredibly frustrating. My son had a similar friend. His parents were older, financially comfortable, siblings out of the home, and he was a generally good kid so they had zero problems affording him the things he wanted. He wasn't a brat, but he was accustomed to hearing "yes" more than he did "no" or "not now" -- and that made sense because of his family norms as compared to ours. It took a few years before my son realized the whole Same Church, Different Pew concept, and there were some frustrating conversations and outbursts during that time. There were times I absolutely needed this friend to give us (me) some space, and I took that space, unapologetically. But I wanted to help the kid, too, because I saw a number of other parents increasingly frustrated with him and withdrawing. I guess I was sympathetic because he seemed a predictable (if stereotypical) product of his situation, as opposed to some intolerable turd like Veruca Salt. So when I could handle it (and sometimes I had to have liquid assistance in the form of caffeine or vodka, if not before then definitely after) I invited him to spend time with our family. I wanted him to see OUR dynamic, to be exposed to a situation where he could learn different ropes. And he did. As I said, 7-10 is an age still receptive to this. So from third grade until now (high school) we've seen this young man grow and mature so much. And there are times my son still comes home from their house a bit big in his britches, but he's also learned how to navigate their ropes. He's better for being a bit spoilt over there :) and definitely better for continuing to learn how to switch from one environment to another. As for me, I still drink. :ph34r:

I wasn't sure what constituted the different classes, so I googled and found this article: http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0912/which-income-class-are-you.aspx I retired two years ago, but worked a non-traditional schedule of 3-on/4-off away from home. It ranged from 65-75 hours per week, included an interstate commute, and according to the article earned lower middle class wages. It was typical of my colleagues, even across the industry, but not for my friends in other industries at lower middle class wage jobs. They worked less hours, for sure. My ex-husband is considered our breadwinner, I guess. When he switched from active duty to civilian, his pay went up enough to where he could match my former salary - which he does, in the form of spousal support, and which allowed me to retire. The article puts him at upper class income. He works a standard 40 hour work week, at a job he can't bring home with him. He's not typical of our friends in the same earning bracket, though. They all work 8-10 hour days, and intermittently at home in the evenings and on weekends. We were talking about that the other day, how I'd hate to feel tied to my job (emails, texts) but how companies are increasingly expecting it and are blurring the line between work and home - while we not only allow, but unwittingly encourage it through (over)use of and Pavlovian responses to technological advances.

I don't know that there's anything you can do to ensure that, unfortunately. Personalities come into play, and short of going the Stepford route .... what could you do to ensure any one child sees your efforts as you'd like them to? I come from a large family. So did my mother, and we lived in the same city as all of her siblings. At the time it didn't seem important, but since becoming a mother myself I realize that this afforded my mother a significant level of self-care. When she grew frazzled, she had people to turn to; heck, she had people who could see she was in need of respite and who'd pro-actively relieve her. It gave her time for something outside of the home that mattered to her - sports, volunteering, etc. And she provided the same to her siblings, in return. This made a huge impact on her ability to parent a larger brood. It truly did resemble a village raising its children as such. If this doesn't reflect your current geographical situation, see if you can create an extended 'family' through a network of friends, or of other larger families. My mother has always loved being a mother, and it's what she always wanted to be. It was her calling, her vocation. But even though she loved to make her children her life, and still does, one can't deny the reality that everyone needs a chance to re-charge. The way one re-charges will vary, but the need is a biological one; a necessary one. It turns out that my mom re-charged by volunteering at the church with other people's kids LOL and by playing on the church softball team. My aunt re-charged by surfing. They supported each other, and their other siblings, and that made them calmer, more centered parents. Other than that, I suppose I'd say to validate everyone's feelings on family size, even the resident complainer's and even if his/her reality doesn't match yours. That's true of - and important for - families of all sizes, though.

What I love tends to be way off the beaten path, so I'd go with something more tame and buyer-friendly. My taste would probably be a deal-breaker to most buyers. But if my taste was pretty much in line with the rest of the world, I'd customize the new kitchen to my taste - if not completely, then at least in part.

Mine was a '92 Honda Accord coupe that we drove until 1999. At that point we gave it to a younger sibling because I was pregnant and wanted a four-door.

Like Quill, I really enjoyed when my kids became old enough to have awesome conversations about great books, movies, and even solid debates about local news, politics, etc. Even when we don't agree, to see how their minds work, to be awed by their idealism - I love it. I've always loved the teen years when my sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews hit them so I knew I'd love it when my own kids arrived there. And again like Quill, I'm a sports fan. I found the younger, recreational play to be a major snoozefest. I loved when the kids got old enough to play truly awesome, competitive, and smart ball. (Okay, I read this and feel horrified that it sounds like I liked my kids when they proved more entertaining for me :leaving: but really I think the best is seeing their minds and ideals evolve, sometimes with my influence and sometimes despite it. To watch them grow into their own selves is amazing.)

I'm from a working class, heavily Catholic area - families of 4-5 seemed small, families of 6-8 felt normal, and families with double digits of kid were LARGE (those being the ones larger than my own.) Rare was the only child or sibling set of two. I'm now living in the Bible Belt, and my area in particular is mostly professionals who waited to marry and/or have kids. So my kids are friends with lots of only children, or children from families of 2-3 siblings. The Catholics among them generally have 4-5 kids, which seems HUGE to our non-Catholic friends. I still think families aren't large until double digits, but the norms here are more like: 1-2 is normal; 3-4 is large; 5+ is Keeping Up with the Duggers territory. There are a handful of us families who are a spectacle out and about town, even at Mass trying to find a pew large enough for us all to sit together, if we're all together. But back home? Nobody blinks, it's totally normal; small, even! LOL

I think you know what you need to do - you maybe just need 'permission' to do it. SBGRACE had very good insight, and Plink's reminder to remember it's not a forever decision was great. Very true. Is there some form of compromise where you outsource some or all of his education, but without sending him to public or alternative school? Maybe online school where you retain more control but he's still ultimately accountable to outsiders? Or a university model school where he's gone 2-3 days a week, and you have more flexibility to work with his outbursts at home? In a very similar situation my friend sent her 14 year old to school after 2 years of battling it out at home. She really needed the respite, and by that point couldn't even focus on his academics or their relationship because she was so emotionally drained and physically affected by the situation at home. Surprisingly, he DID rise to the occasion with regards to grades and pulled high 90s in all classes, after months of refusing to do seatwork at home. He was written up four times between September and December, for behavior issues, and did three stints of in-school suspension. He realized that no matter how bad he thought he had it at home, the rules at school were way more stupid (a necessity for managing a herd, versus a couple of kids). He realized that he had left a good thing at home. It truly gave him perspective, not that he'd admit that to anyone but it showed in his actions. There was a situation just before the Christmas break, and my friend ended up pulling her son from this school at that time. All told he spent one semester there. Having seen the grass on the other side, he improved considerably once brought back home. There were still chaotic, tense days but in between there were really good ones - it was a roller coaster, with high highs and low lows that lasted through to summer. It was a journey, for sure. An awful one in the moment, but super in the bigger picture. This kid now attends a university model school and is at school 2 days a week. My friend has less control over curricula, but the trade-off is she has guaranteed days of respite to spend with the other kids and days off in which to 'fight' him to do schoolwork (not just a few hours in the afternoon after a full day at school). It's working for them, and may be a temporary solution for you as well. Good luck to you, it can't be easy. :grouphug:

I like the aforementioned carrot ginger and miso soups. But I love borscht in summer.

Baked Potatoes (Frozen) Meatballs in the crockpot - use with pasta one night and in subs another Deli Spread - put out a few types of sliced meat, sliced cheeses, crackers, and raw veggies Chinese takeout :) Hope you feel better soon.