Me too! Everyone says Oh I wish I didn't like chocolate. Really? Every Christmas holiday gathering is nothing but chocolate. Halloween is mostly chocolate. Stores are filled with it at Valentines Day. Every candy dish in places I have worked is filled with chocolate. I never got a cupcake in school when I was little when moms would bring in cupcakes for their kids birthdays because all chocolate. Eating muffins at group gatherings is annoying with mini chocolate chip muffins look very similar to mini blueberry muffins-found that out the hard way and now always have to find the person that made them and ask. Even the smell makes me feel sick. I have asked coworkers to leave my office while they were eating M&Ms. Dh was a little concerned when we started dating about dating someone with such a hatred towards something he loved but now he sees the benefits. He never had to share (until ds was born) and every time I was given chocolate guess who got it? I remember being in college and my church sent out care packages to the college students at Christmas. Really sweet of them. But out of a huge basket of individually wrapped little gifts and treats I was able to keep a pencil. Every single bit of it was chocolate. My parents and sisters loved that care package! Please people remember that not everyone loves chocolate!!! :D Whew, glad to get that off my chest :lol: Yes I am super picky. No chocolate, seafood of any kind, no condiments including salad dressing (why must every salad in restaurants come covered in dressing?), chicken is iffy and liable to have me gagging if I hit any bit of grisle or fat. Yeah I can't do the meal planning programs. All of them use something I will not eat. And its not that I am trying to be rude but I will start gagging and vomit everywhere and isn't that worse?

$8.60 which is strange because we buy quite a bit of ebooks for our Kindle. We buy a LOT from amazon in general, must not be buying the right things! Still its $8.60 more than we had before... I haven't heard about this lawsuit, what was it about?

My very tiny Christian private college became a dry campus when I was a sophmore. Up until that point, there was one or two floors in certain dorms that had kids that were of age to drink and they could have alcohol in their rooms. Becoming a dry campus meant they went somewhere off campus to drink. Not the safest idea. On the other hand, knowing it was a dry campus probably dissuaded potential students that would be inclined to binge drink. Note that it didn't stop everyone from having alcohol in their rooms, they just became more adept at hiding it. But I do think/hope that it helped to curb some of the drinking. I think in theory a no tolerance policy sounds like a great idea just not sure in reality how much it works. I hope that ds chooses such a college actually.

Hope its ok if I jump in here. Ds will be starting Kindergarten. -4 weeks total of camp at his former preschool. The first 2 weeks are in June and will focus on science. Doing fun experiments, learning about animals, even building a pond and learning about pond life. The other 2 weeks are in July and will focus on arts and crafts. Singing, painting, learning about famous artists. He is much more a science kid but I think he will enjoy those weeks too. -VBS -Summer league swim team -lots of time at the pool -continuing AAR Level 1 we started a while ago. He was more than ready to start reading and I want him to have a very solid phonic foundation before starting school where they will depend on sight words and using pictures to guess the words (grrrrr). -if we have time and he wants to, continue to work on math and handwriting. A while ago, I bought Singapore K and we are on book B and Handwriting without tears (just the book). -Kumon workbooks when we are at restaurants or having to wait somewhere. They have spatial reasoning and logic books we are working through now. That sounds like a lot but mainly we will be at the pool or camp this summmer.

Quite honestly, I have never understood the desire to get that drunk. Granted I don't drink as I can't stand the taste. But what is the point of it? I am seriosuly asking. Why would anyone want to go through that? The hangover, the not knowing what idiotic things you did or said while drunk? What about that is fun? I can understand having a drink at a party or with friends of course. But falling down drunk? I am not judging anyone who has done that, not at all! I have certainly been judged for not drinking at a party or a girls night out. At least I can always be the designated driver! Just trying to understand the appeal. I graduated college in the late 90s and I do think things have changed since then. I can't think of many that got that drunk. Tipsy yes, drunk yes. Falling down, black out drunk? No. Hook ups didnt happen or if they did, it was kept very very quiet. Our school had a crazy gossip problem and it would be around the entire school before you got home in the morning. Neither situtions were celebrated or expected when you went out.

Several benefots of being married to a librarian is he brings the books to me, he renews our books and keepa track of them for is and no library fines. No late fees has saved us significantly;) Cons is working with the public who can be very rude at times and he has to work late a few nights a week and some weekends. Overall he enjoys his job.

There are different positions and requirements. For instace, to be a library clerk at dh library, you need a Bachelors degree. For dh job and others including heads of departments you need a MLS (Master Library Science). They also have part time workers, volunteers, etc. I worked as a shelver part time in high school. Minimum wage but I had good, stable hours in a safe location. Much easier than working at a fast food restaurant many of my friends did in high school. I enjoyed it :)

Dh is a librarian. Reference Librarian in our county public library amd has his MLS. What would you like to know?

Ds will be starting kindergarten in the fall. After years of thinking we would be homeschooling, he will be going to a new magnet school. I am conflicted about this-we had decided on a wonderful private school that offered lots of financial aid but when he got accepted in the lottery to this new school we switched. The savings is just too much to not try it for at least one year and the private school will be there next year if he hates the magnet. I am prepared to pull him out mid year and homeschool until he starts the private school if needed. I want to be sure he continues to stay ahead academically and doesn't fall through the cracks since he is ahead right now. I worry that he will basically be put in a corner and given worksheets while they teach the other kids their letters. I have been assured that will not be the case by multiple people with the school system but won't know until he is in there for sure. Do you do something every day? Just in the summer? On the weekends? How much and what do you do? I plan to read aloud the Sonlight books from Core A at bedtime this year. I know that in 3rd grade I will teach him cursive (probably with Handwriting Without Tears) since they don't teach it in public schools here and its something I feel strongly that he needs to know. The private school teaches it so if he starts there in middle school he needs to know as well. Suggestions? I know that I don't need to do anything for Kindergarten but I am trying to think ahead. Thanks!

We used one of the bear backpack things when we went on an Alaskan cruise when ds was 2. A few weeks before the trip we went to a zoo with some friends and he tried to run off more than once. Even with lots of adults watching, holding hands,etc. Thankfully he never got far, we managed to grab him before he could make a full eacape. But I had nightmares about that happening in a busy airport while trying to juggle luggage and bought one asap. He loved it and handed it to me the first thing every morning since he loved being out of the stroller. It was just a way to make sure he couldnt get too far from me. Total lifesaver. We only had positive comments. First day on the ship someone said it was their first bear sighting :) Lots of people saying they wished they had one when their kids were little. After he ran to another aisle today in Target despite very firm warnings/threats about keeping his hand on the cart at all times, I wished I had one for 5 year olds. Kid is getting too tall to sit in the cart and he is curious and got excited when he saw a Lego display. I think that is the last time he will go to Target with me till he is an adult!

I love my EC planner and I know they recently added an hourly format. I am not sure how well the hourly format for them works though, maybe check out some Youtube reviews of them? I use the vertical format broken up into 3 segments per day. Top section is appts and things we are doing, middle section is my To Do list, bottom section is things to do for my part time WAH job. So that format works great for me. I will say that the 2014-15 seemed to have better paper than the one I got at the beginning of this year. This years seems a little thinner. I think they have corrected the issue but it was disappointing to spend so much on a planner and have my pen bleed through. As for whats so great about them-the personalization is great and they are colorful and fun. I like the format. But there are other planners out there that might fit your needs better. I have heard good things about Plum Paper for instance.

I saw this post was shared on Facebook from a former zoo keeper: The friend that shared it mentioned something similar almost happened to her son years ago. It was very crowded, the crowd knocked him away from her and in the 5 seconds it took to find him, he was close to climbing the fence to the lions. She is an excellent mother, very attentive but the combination of the crowds and a very curious toddler almost led to tragedy. She was holding his hand the entire time, was not on her phone, but all it takes is a second. It can happen to anyone. It sounds like from this post and other experts I have seen and heard, the zoo did the right thing. It is unfortunate but there is no way that child would have survived.

I agree. I live the same distance from the NC Zoo as another zoo in a bordering state. I know many people go to the one in the bordering state because its not as much walking. Its not as much walking because the enclosures are SO much smaller. It makes me so sad any time we have been there with friends so we go to the NC Zoo when we can. Yes that means you may not see the animals or may only get to a part of the zoo and not be able to see it all in one day. Fair trade off. Its not a perfect zoo of course. But the size of the enclosures is massive compared to other zoos, even well known zoos.

It works because the husband and wife have decided together that she will be a SAHW. There are many, many reasons they may have decided to do this. They both find value in her being at home. He loves his wife and so shares what he makes with her. They have found a way to live on one income. It works for them. Its really as simple as that.

Of course we aee called to care for the poor and the sick as Christians. One thing has nothing to with the other. We care for the poor, the vulnerable, the ones that cannot care for themselves in many ways. Donating to charities, volunteering, helping out a friend by cooking meals for her family when she is ill, taking food to the local food bank. We also have federal programs to serve as a safety net. A SAHW is in a partnershup with her husband. They share things equally. They love and care for each other. You love and care for your kids. Do you only do it if they meet a certain standard? Make this grade and keep your room clean or no food for you? Of course not! You do it because you love them and want the best for them. The same should be the case in a married relationship. You are wanting a list of activities that your coworkers wife does and a dollar value placed on them to determine what she is worth. We don't have a list. None of us, nor you, knows what she does on a daily basis. Nor is it our business. Her worth is not tied to what she does or does not do. It does not matter if you or anyone else agrees with their lifestyle. It works for them and that is all that matters.

That is awful anyone would say something like that to you. I certainly don't feel that way nor does anyone I know. And its not related to politics. And my goodness, I do not fault anyone in 3rd world countries for the way their country is run. What a strange thought. And very sad that you believe many Americans feel that way. That is not the case, even among the most fiscally conservative of us. I lean right (not this election year though!) and I am also a financial aid counselor. I work hard every day helping students attend college. I have fought for students to get more than they were offered. I implemented policies in our office to get the most money to the most students possible. I have bent over backwards helping families find additional scholarships. I also applied for financial aid without hesitation for my son to attend a private school next year. I did not feel ashamed or less than by asking for assistance. Some are able to contribute more financially, we are able to contribute in other ways. Both valid and worthwhile. This couple is ok with the arrangement and it does not matter what anyone else thinks about it. It is not even remotely shocking.

I think its not as black and white as you feel it is- earn money working=you have value, don't earn money working=you have no value and society looks down on you. That is not the case. If a couple is struggling to put food on the table and the wife refuses to work because she doesn't want to, then yes, maybe it would be a good idea for her to find a job so no one starves. But in the case you mentioned, they appear to be doing fine. They have structured their life so that they are able to live on one income. There could be any number of reasons she is not working, this thread has listed several. The thing is, its a valid and socially acceptable choice for her and her husband to make together. It is not shocking or illegal or stealing from him. They don't owe anyone any explanations of their decision. It is no ones business. Even if you don't understand or find value in what she does, her husband finds value in her and is happy with the arrangement. Who cares what she does all day? Only she and her husband have the right to determine if what she does is enough. Unless you are by her side every minute of every day, you have no way of knowing what she does with her time. Of course you have value and deserve to be here! Not because you have a job, a house and own a car. Not a single one of those things determines your value. Your value is that you are a human being created by God. Are you saying that people in 3rd world countries that don't own a home don't deserve to be here? You can hold your head high even if you didn't have a single one of those things and I am truly, truly sorry that anyone ever made you feel less than immensely valuable.

Thanks all. A few clarifying things. The school is K-5th so no option to stay through high school. Due to the number of people applying to get in, the school board said they got the message loud and clear that our county wants more school choices. It is a longer day (ugg) and I think probably more technology than the other parts of STEAM. He is an AL-although I think probably garden variety bright and I am concerned about how they will accelerate him. The private school is through 12th and has great systems in place to help AL kids. I intend to ask about homework, recess, curriculum choices, discipline, and acceleration. What else should I ask? I wish I could go in and see it in action before the deadline. The open house is not till August. I toured a very popular charter school several months ago and knew right away it was not for us. Crazy amounts of homework even in Kindergarten. They brag about giving homework every night and every weekend. Some other issues. The new teacher I spoke with is his swim team coach. She is a wonderful coach and probably wonderful teacher who will be teaching 5th grade. She had wonderful things to say about the principal and they are really working hard to make it a team effort and a great school. The only real advantage to the magnet is its free. But that is a BIG advantage... This private school is twice the cost of other private schools in our city. They offer great financial aid though otherwise its not even in the realm of possibility.

I have a black dress from Talbots that has lasted 6+ years and still looks brand new. Wear it to church, funerals, parties, pretty much everywhere with various accessories or tops in all seasons. My son poured an entire bottle of lotion on it, dry cleaned it and still looks new. Its about the only thing I have from there and splurged buying the dress but I have certainly gotten my money's worth!

There is just no way for you to know the exact particulars of their situation. There may be 1,000 reasons when she is a SAHW and those reasons don't matter to anyone but the actual couple. If it works for them, its no ones business why they do it that way. I believe you said he was happy with the arrangement? I was a SAHW for a while before I got preg with ds. Those times were anything but relaxing and involved many many Dr appointments to the fertility specialist, blood draws, painful shots and a lot of stress. I had a miscarriage during that time as well. This is not something my husband talked about at work. After I got pg with him, there were still lots of appointments, ultrasounds, shots and crazy anxiety. We lost his twin. I spent the first trimester on the couch praying I would not lose him as well. I went back to work at another company part time in the 2nd trimester. I work from home now part time. I do not intend to go back to full time even after he is out of the house. She may be going through infertility and is not working due to the stress, she may have elderly relatives she helps, she may find lots of fulfillment in volunteering, the job field she trained for may involve long hours and lots of travel and prefers to spend that time with her husband, they may both find it works for their family better for her to be at home to take care of the house, run errands, take care of all the little details so he doesn't have to, there is any number of reasons. If it works for them, that is all that matters. The belief that because she doesn't have kids and doesn't work outside of the house means he is only giving her food and shelter out of the kindness of his heart is disturbing. And if that meant I didn't get a say in where we lived? If my husband said anything like that to me, well, we would have words. You have one belief system. They have others. Neither is better or worse than the other if it works for your family. I heard someone say recently that it was awful that a mutual acquaintance of ours doesn't work and has a housekeeper. Well, this friend that doesn't work is on the board of several charities, helps her husband run their very successful business, is always there to help out a friend (took a friend to all her chemo treatments and stayed with her the entire time), and helps care for her elderly mother. She uses her time in those ways while providing a job for someone else and paying them well to clean her house on a weekly basis. Should her housekeeper lose her job and income because some in society look down on her and don't see all that she does behind closed doors? Of course not.

The local public schools are not very good. I had planned to homeschool until the private school became an option. Our son is an extroverted, only child with 2 very introverted parents. He loves school now (preschool) so wanted to give him the option. I am fine with homeschooling if the school does not work out. You are right, it is probably more of a gimmick to use the STEM designation at this age. They say they will incorporated more of those subjects than the public school but I know the local schools do shockingly little science to begin with. They will utilize a lot of technology in the classrooms (smart boards and such) but that is not a huge draw for me. Its the first magnet school of its kind in our area so someone pointed out that all eyes will be on it so they are more likely to do what they can to make it a great school. It should would be nice to not have the stress and worry every year that financial aid won't work out and we would have to pull him from a school he loved...

DS will be in Kindergarten this fall. We fell in love with a fantastic private school that will be right up his alley. We were offered financial aid that brings it into reach. We were all set. Then he was admitted in a pure lottery to a brand new STEAM Magnet. Because it hasn't even opened yet we can't tour and see what its like day to day. I have spoken with people that were hired as teachers for the school and they don't have any more info than we do. The only advantage to the magnet school is its free-but thats a BIG advantage. DS has a science/math brain so it could be great for him or it could be awful. Someone suggested trying the magnet school for K and then transferring to the private school for 1st if we are unhappy. I am concerned that either he won't get in because they don't have room or they won't offer the same level of financial aid. On the other hand, I can think of a LOT to do with those thousands of dollars.. The private school would be a sacrifice for us-one we are willing to make-but is it necessary? There is no way he will get into the magnet school if we give up his spot there. Over 1600 people applied for 300 spots in the entire school. The contact person that should be able to answer my many questions about the magnet school is on vacation until next week. We have till June 30 to decide. Thoughts?

Every time I take the test it comes up as INFJ, but then I read the description of INTJ and that one sounds just like me. So I guess depending on the day or circumstance I hover between the two.

Please ask questions! That is what the finacial aid counselors are there for and most are more than willing to explain anything you need. I didnt understand it until I started working in it. Basically, a school has to offer the full amount of Subsidized Loans before offering other loans. The full amount depends on grade level, cost of attendance at a school, EFC from the FAFSA and other aid the student receives. Freshmen can get a max of $3500, Sophomores $4500 and Juniors and Seniors $5500. Thats for the Subsidized Loans. If you are not offered that amount, call the financial aid office and ask why. They will explain where they got the number if you are curious. You dont have to accept any or all of the loans offered.

Could be. Unsub for a dependent student would be $2000 so very possible she got them confused or looked at the award letter quickly and didnt realize the difference between the 2. Plus and Unsub can replace the EFC as well.