I grew up next to an aggie high school in Chicago that I really really wanted to go to but couldn't get in, and it was not academics, because I was honors. Back then, there was a lot of competition to get in, so I'm guessing it's the same now. http://www.chicagoagr.org/

I think you should be okay. We've rented for over 20 years all over the place and have found something under similar parameters. I will say there would be very few people in our area that would make 3x the amount of rent though. The jobs available don't even support that compared to what the going rate for a two bedroom is around here. Most renters are paying over half their income in rent and there are tons of applicants. We were one of something like 45 it it was def. not our income or credit score that helped, it was my husband's job as something traditionally low paying but generally well respected and long term.

Thanks, everyone. I am going to start taking pictures of the rest of the boxes. I did take a shoddy one on my phone of the last one to post to family and ask their opinion, but I mostly got a lot of, "Well it's your fault for trusting someone!" Which is ridiculous, since I've participated for a long time now!

Some weeks we get a list and some do not, but what is on the list does match. Last week we got three small patty pan squash, three golf ball or less sized beets with green tops, three green onions with little bulbs at the end, and and a ziplock sandwich bag of green beans. We do pick up at the market but the boxes are prepacked.

I have been doing Singapore up to 5B and then jumping to Saxon where ever the child tests into. Maybe I'm in a rut, but it works.

The whole point of a CSA is that you share in the farm's ups and downs. I've been a member of various shares over the years and understand that. I just recently tried a new one that is very local. Prices ran about $800 for a 1/2 bushel organic share for 18 weeks + weekly eggs. We are near 10 weeks now and have yet to receive a share that covers the bottom of the box. It was a bundle of sad, shriveled kale the size of my fist, two green tomatoes, a few zucchini, some green onions with little bulbs, a few potatoes- and a lot of empty box. Now, I'd understand if the farm was having trouble. However, They frequently post pictures of their produce. I see what they offer at the farmer's market where the box is picked up. I see photos of their other farmer market locations featuring produce I never see in the box. I see them sell large kale and chard leaves, but only small, wilted leaves are in the box What would you do? I am non-confrontational, but I feel like the CSA has taken the members' money to improve their farm, they are putting the choice produce for sale, and only including what's left in the share. Is this common? I can also understand that if you have 100 shares, but only a few bushels of herbs or green beans or tomatoes, you can't put that in your crop share. It's just that in four different parts of the state in four different CSAS prior, I have never had this issue. I've had a CSA go out and harvest wild purslane from their yards to fill boxes if they didn't have enough produce. I know I will not reorder this next year and will not reccomend them. However, I am unsure if I should complain to them or even complain on localharvest.

we are in a situation where rent for a three bedroom is SO much money that there's just no way we will be able to save up for a downpayment. Homes in this area sell for $150K or less. Homes in this area like mine rent for $1500 or more. It's insane. We have three jobs between us and still cannot make enough money to overcome the debt ratio to get the loan, mostly because of my husband's student loan. And it's not gargantuan, but it's big enough so that we just cannot buy a house. It's very irritating and defeating because it makes me afraid I will be old and alone in a bad neighborhood one day because it'll be the only thing available to me.

After #4 I started getting that, and my #6 and #7 were c-sections, and I specifically picked a Catholic hospital and based OB/GYN practice so I wouldn't be asked that question. It's part of that any-more-than-3-or-4-means-you're-nuts mentality. Also, congrats! I will be 40 in a few months and deciding if I want to jump into that water again, so I'll probably watch your journey if you share it here!

I used to do 6 weeks x 5 days each and then a week off between year round (and all of July off) but that just ended up a mess for us once I started having some kids home and some in public school. I am debating this now because this summer was so busy, we just got no bookwork done. I have a public high schooler and now one homeschooled is entering public high school, so he wasn't about to do anything but scout stuff this summer. Also, I've run into a lot of people that just basically take the entire month of December off of heavy book work and just focus on holiday related things (Christian religious holidays and pagan holidays mostly) and do volunteer work or focus on 4H stuff. I don't know if I could do that.

This is timely for me as my youngest is 3 and we are deciding on TTC one more. I actually drew up a list of pro-cons a while ago because I love babies and know I will grieve the end of those under 5 years old years, but it is kind of cool to hop into a car with my older kids and hit some event I've heard about last minute. There are some things that are just 3 xharder with a younger kid.

I am soooooo sick of the "post-9/11 world" stuff that is being used as a justification for everything. The entire planet has civilizations that are post some horrible tragidy. Shall we profile every human of every race that ever existed for the remainder of time? There has to be a time to stop. My great aunt still lives by the mindset of WWII rationing becuases it's post-war. She can't let go. There has to be a time that we retain the information learned so as not to repeat and use it to move on and not dwell. Instead, we are taking the information and "just in case!"ing everything, especially if that person is not white.

Congratulations! It's hard when people in your own extended family give you flack about a baby announcement. I had that happen to my last baby announcement and then discustingly, had all sorts of horrible positive reactions to my miscarriages last year. (maybe that'll teach you to stop, etc.) People can be heartless. I hope you have a happy and healthy pregancy, safe delivery, and that the HG doesn't drag you down.

hahaha. I went through that with a house in Illinois about 4 years ago. They kept the deposit and wanted something like $2000 more. I asked them for an itemized list, and instead, upped their figure to $10,000 with a list of ridiculous things--- (wood window frames needing replacement due to warping and dry rotting, even a drunkin frathouse cannot warp wood in three years) and that we should pay the $2000 extra or go to court for the $10000 + fees because they had video taken prior to our move in. We called their bluff and told them we'd see them in court. IT's been 4 years and we haven't heard peep. Though even if they did suddenly decide to do that, we took move in/move out pictures, sealed the envalopes and had them noterized. ANd really, the stuff they were trying to charge us for in their 'scare' letter, any judge would have thrown it out! (built in wall air conditioner leaked and dryrotted framing forcing them to therefore install central air, I mean, come. on.) There's more.

thanks for sharing this because I never knew what it was but I'd see it in random places growing up in Chicago.

I need to read stuff like this right now, thanks. I am having trouble accepting that my body might just be done with babies and my youngest is now 3. All those poems and 'spend time with your babies, it goes by so quick" things make it seem like the second your kid turns 12 they are done with you and don't need you. But I know I would have liked my mom to visit on weekends and take me out for ice cream in college. Heck, I would like if mom stopped by on a rough day with a frappachino and a hug at my age now!

I needed a gratuitous kitten picture today, thanks!

I am chuch shopping to and I totally get the whole confusion of all of it. I'm a lapsed Catholic looking for just a bit more liberal than what I grew up with and not finding it. It is very frustrating. Plus my two teen boys are agnostic and athiest right now in their spiritual journey so I need to include their input for the family, though not for my own.

At times, but usually widely divergent. I can't exactly be a dragonriding magic weilder, a lonely painter out in the backwoods, an x-wing or jet fighter commander and work in the west wing all at the same time, but I really really want to for about two weeks after I read something awesome.

honestly, Catholic families in my 'hood and my parent's generation somehow were able to get though life on the southwest side of Chicago without a reality show with nearly as many kids, so maybe they need to start looking inward at their family life and choices instead of going willy nilly about $$$$$$$$$$$$$$. But you know, my husband's dad only has 15 brothers and sisters instead so maybe those last few kids = reality show... : insert eyeroll smiley that I can't access on this phone :

For us it will also depend on if they have a clear view of a career or if they are still in the exploring stage. For some careers, I would be more concerned about grad school. The school atmosphere would be a huge influence. I attended multiple colleges due to only being able to attend near where my DH worked. I actually experienced the most oppourtunites and major-related clubs/activities with things like guest speakers or alumni connections in the field from a medium ranked state school. School A might have looked better on paper or rank-wise, but school B gave me massive networking connections, contact with people in the field already, and opportunities to participate with students who basically geeked-out on the same subject material. Our kids will need to rely on scholorships, loans, and their own savings becuase we will barely be able to contribute, so this will be a huge factor. My two accelerated kids are also the type that would need scholorship paperwork stapled to their forehead to remember to complete it, so that is a factor as well. Honestly, we have a few excellent schools within a short drive that would be excellent options with room for opportunities if one decided to persue them.

Our kids pop in and out of school every few years becuase we have the same policy of including them in the decision, plus, we had to enroll all of them in school during a particularly hard year for me. We really haven't had any problems, in fact, the issues we do have are personality based and happened whether they were in a classroom or a co-op or 4H event etc. I do afterschool everyone who has chosen school. Once I get a feel of what they are covering (and I do touch base with the teacher at the beginning of the year to get a feel for what they cover) I pick out some subjects not covered. Honestly, if they are starting at the beginning of a school year, nearly every kid there is just totally discombobulated with back-to-school and routines and switching over. Some take longer to adjust than others, and that includes kids that have been in a school/daycare setting since birth! And every teacher does things differently, so they will all be learning the new routines together.

I will send some good health vibes your way for him. My own father had something similar happen and it was touch and go there for nearly a year. He had drainage tubes and things and had to be in the hospital half the year and home for the other half just on the couch. However, he eventually went back to work and went on for another ten years, though as a diabetic. His recent loss had nothing to do with the pancreas stuff. So I hope everything goes well for your dad. It is definately not fun to be younger without your parents.

I think I need to reassess our situation and prep for these things. After moving a few times and throwing myself into getting services for some kids with special needs, I think I've neglected things in this area. I don't even know if we still have life insurance! That's not good. I'll take this thread as a nice kick in the bottom.

I am sending one boy off to camp next week and one boy was supposed to go and do their fast track to first class program but cannot now because of an undiagnosed heart condition. I am going to reread that post for new scout moms so I know how I can help him catch up a bit until next year.