No, because she's a dependent. She does do taxes (since she has worked over the summers), but there is a hole in there from age 17 to claiming yourself on the 1040.

I don't understand why Congress keep ignoring college students and other adult dependents. Trust me, I'm outlaying cash for my college-aged DD.

Good to know about Raynauds. Maybe it is COVID toes. Middle and I tested 5 days after her ortho appointment (Sunday Nov 22). College girl was tested 1 day before coming home (Thursday Nov 19). DH tested too soon (in my opinion) after going to Alabama to get DD (Tuesday Nov 24). Middle, Youngest and I had no outside exposure after ortho appointment (and youngest didn't go) except to the other 2 family members and we did quarantine them for a good week after they came home. Youngest went to doctor for the blisters on November 30, and they didn't look like COVID toes at the time. Now they do. Podiatrist said it really looked like frostbite - he was afraid we were homeless and living in a car or without heat. Since we have heat and a home and she's not running around barefoot outside, he decided COVID toes. It's so weird. Edit: DH came home on the Saturday before he tested on Tuesday, so not a crazy short period after, but a little quick. Testing was very slow here at the time, so he and College DD were quarantined until the Monday after Thanksgiving, which was the day Youngest went to the doctor.

I don't know about the COVID. No one in the family has had any COVID symptoms and the 4 of us were tested Thanksgiving week. Youngest was first seen on the 30th. However, it really does look like COVID toes from the pics I'm googling - it didn't though on the 30th. The blisters hurt pretty bad at the end of November, now they don't bother her at all. Maybe she's developing Raynaud's - it looks similar to that as well, and MIL has that in her hands pretty severe. 🤷‍♀️

I have been having trouble buying the correct sizes on Walmart's online. I have gotten a huge bag of milk powder back in March, and last week I got the little teeniest ham ever. No way it's gonna feed us all for Christmas. So, I ran into Aldi today. 85 cents per pound for spiral sliced hams! I got 2 - one for the freezer, one for Christmas day. The teeny ham will go in the freezer until we need some lunch meat. Youngest has had some blisters on her toes for a couple of weeks. The NP at her doctor's office wanted her seen by a podiatrist, but she assured us it wasn't COVID toes. Today was the podiatrist appointment. Man walked in, asked about 3 questions, and told us it was COVID toes. Ugh. It's probably been too long for the test to come back positive although he did test her. The other 4 of us all tested negative around Thanksgiving. I can't imagine we all had false negatives. We didn't test her at the time because she's the least exposed of all of us. No one has had any symptoms at all, so I'm very confused.

I dated an Albert in college. He always told me his name was Albert, not Elbert. Um, I never heard a difference in his pronunciations, and he couldn't fathom that I couldn't say it the way he said it - it all sounded the same to me.

Way to work in the kitchen. I've been lazy in there this past week and need to get back to it. We have Hulu because it's super cheap with DH's school email. We do have some cable bundled with the internet as well as Amazon Prime. We did do Disney+ for a month when Hamilton came out. I don't think we've ever had Netflix.

Merry, Mary, Marry are all the same (IL born & raised). They rhyme with very, carry, fairy, berry. Paw is like the first syllable in Awesome. Pour, Pore and Poor are the same, though I can make Poor sound different, but I usually don't. Don and Dawn are different. Lora rhymes with flora, but Laura is Law-ra.

I think it's pretty common to call such things benefits. Whether or not they should be is a different question. When I worked, my selection was often just an option to purchase - life insurance, disability insurance, Aflac, FSA, HSA, those are often not subsidized, but companies call them benefits. DH's company gives him some life insurance, but the extra is just the right to purchase. If we used the high deductible plan, the HSA is just available, the company doesn't put any money into it. FSA is just an account where our own money goes through.

I don't think they subsidize it. The website (petsvoluntarybenefits.com) says $0 cost to employers in its "Why you want to offer this insurance". Link to the $0 cost: https://www.petinsurance.com/employee-benefits/

DH's company has a pretty standard set of benefits. 2 levels (high deductible with HSA or low deductible with high premium) of health insurance. Amount of salary life insurance premium free with option to buy more. FSA for child care or medical. Standard prescription, dental, vision care. Short term and long term disability available for purchase. 401k & Roth 401k with matching to 3% New this year: hospital indemnity, pet insurance, telehealth including 5 mental health counseling sessions, and smoking cessation program. The one we've taken full advantage of though is tuition reimbursement. 100% for a C, must be approved by manager. DH wanted to know more about IT security. Even though he has a BS in IS, he went and got an AAS in IT Security paid 100% by his employer over the past 3 years. During COVID, they set up medical clinics in the factories. I don't know if those are still there though.

My oldest is 18 and hard to buy for. Her stocking has the usual candy, Little Debbies, and chai tea mix. She's also getting a key chain, a new wallet, a gnome figurine, a steel straw with carrying case, and a multitool.

FWIW, my kid told me that the hospital was only 1/4 full in the adolescent psych wing when she was there in July. Usually it is full and she is waiting for a bed. My theory is people are doing more to head off an in-patient stay - talking more, more time together to notice mood changes, family dinners/game nights, etc - so people are probably getting teens needed help as outpatient rather than it being a crisis situation.

The one doctor who monitors Vit D (and there is only 1 out of all doctors) was deliriously happy with 46 a few months ago. I'm assuming she'd be happy dancing with that one.

I really shouldn't still be reading this thread as it is triggering for me. I have a kid who has dealt with suicidal ideation long before COVID came around. I am sick of people saying, "It's for the teen's mental health." with "it" meaning sports, birthday parties, game nights, etc. when they didn't give a flying fig about my kid's mental health for the past 3 freakin' years. Now, all of a sudden, they're posting suicide hotline numbers on FB and saying "It's OK to not be OK." as well as justifying teens doing X,Y, and Z because they'll all kill themselves otherwise. Uh-huh. For an example, the church is one of the biggest offenders right now - they're holding in-person Christmas parties and planning a weekend retreat because "the kids really need it right now - mental health you know" when they banned her from attending for several months last year due to her mental health troubles. I'm trying to think well of people and believe they really are trying to ward off struggles, but to me, it rings false in many cases.

Awww, bummer. I am so sorry. That is a sucky day; I hope your day gets better.(hugs)

My 15 year old informed me last night after her ortho appointment that her waterpik grew mold while she was in the hospital (note: she was in hospital in September!). She just hasn't been using it. So, new one ordered this morning. But after that, I asked her if there was anything else she needed that she hadn't mentioned. Apparently, she's been wearing leggings with holes in the crotch because she only has 2 good pair. Therefore, I'm ordering new leggings today as well. Good thing it is payday today. I picked up school lunches this morning, and we went through our usual conversation. I have 2 kids. Any extras? Sure, I'll take 3. Thank you. Well, the lady sent me home with 6 bags containing Th & Fr's meals in it. I need to see my brother today because he has a gasoline coupon I was going to pick up, so he's getting some. MIL will get some pre-cut celery, carrots, and apples. She had surgery on her thumb earlier this year, so it's hard for her to cut veggies. Purchasing some puzzles for middle DD this afternoon. She has gone through our stash several times during covid, and these are glittery LOL.

This is where I keep going back to the budget idea. If a kid is in the cafeteria every day then maybe don't add the possibility of passing it or getting it from wrestling as well. We are doing almost nothing except doctor appointments because we have so many.

Note I have a teen who has not done TKD in 10 months AND spent 3 weeks in a psych hospital for suicidal ideation this year. The bolded above is why kids' sports that are not safely distanced can't be done. The virus is spreading - why would we do things that spread it more?

I added you to my feedly page. Here's hoping it helps me - I can follow a recipe, but I honestly don't know how to cook the most basic things.

What about this one? She actually says she wants you to think you're doing a Jane Fonda workout.

We won't be breaking for Christmas - I'm seriously thinking we'll take Christmas Eve and Christmas off. We got a very late start because one child was in the hospital during the month of September, and I am taking College DD back to school first week in January. I will probably isolate due to the hotel stay when I return, so they won't get teacher intensive school then.

Mine has been the same, but we are utilizing school lunches as well as the Farmer to Family boxes, so it should be higher. Part of the reasons: no shopping for sales, I order from Walmart pickup only - no Aldi, no loss leaders. DD has developed a baking habit whereas dessert was a special thing before now we always have cookies, breads, and/or cakes. I have a much larger store on hand than usual due to my not wanting to run out of extras, so no spreading out the expense - we use one up, I replace it immediately. DH is at home for lunch almost every day now and he isn't just eating sandwiches.

In DD's case, her psychiatrist was a longer appointment the first time and then about every couple of weeks, now every 2-3 months. DD's psychiatrist did do some blood work at the first appointment - vitamins, anemia, food sensitivity, thyroid if I remember correctly. We've had better luck with nurse practitioners as DD has some fear of male doctors. She sees 2 therapists currently weekly. Both a trauma therapist as well as your everyday run of the mill therapist. The two therapists work together, but I don't think they talk much to the psychiatrist unless DD has been hospitalized. DD started an anti-depressent during an inpatient psych stay when she was 12; she's been a little bit of a conundrum for meds resulting in several more inpatient and partial hospitalizations, but she is stable for the moment at age 15 with an anti-depressant coupled with Lamictal and an anti-anxiety med. A different DD's primary care physician put her on an anti-depressant after DD brought up the topic of depression during a physical. The meds have worked so well in her case, we have never taken her to the psychiatrist as her PCP seems on top of it. She does talk to a therapist every so often (she is in college so it's not weekly anymore). Edit: And big hugs to you, SquirrelyMama; mental health issues can be very hard on a mama-heart!

I use Facebook. I have a google docs that has the author and title and date finished. At the end of every month, I publish my reading list with any thoughts on the books as a post on Facebook. Thoughts can be a quote I jotted down or my favorite or don't recommend anyone should ever read, etc. It sometimes starts a nice discussion on a book; sometimes I only hear crickets, but I can always find my reading lists. At the end of the year, I post my year's list, so I know to look at the end of Dec/beg of Jan for book titles read. I didn't keep track this year, and I miss it. So, 2021 I am back on Facebook listing my books.