If she had said, "There are photos but I prefer that no one saw them," I would have asked that she leave them for me in her will and to keep them in a safe place. I can respect her wishes. She didn't trust me with that. She lied, and continued to lie after the first photo came out. This is what bothers me. I'm not going to talk to her about them. I won't bother mentioning it to my father, either, as he is also not a share-my-feelings kind of person. It is going to take some time to deal with the fact that she lied to me. I just needed somewhere to vent.

This past Sunday we had a 90th birthday party for my grandmother (my mother's mother) and there was a video made up of old photos celebrating her life, set to period music. One of the photos that was displayed had my father in it, wearing a plaid jacket and a HUGE 1970s bow-tie. I was confused as to why there would be a picture of my father and by the time that I realized that he had been standing next to my mother and between her parents, the photo was gone and the next one was up. It took several more minutes for me to process that it was a wedding photo. A photo that I was told didn't exist. My parents were married in 1974 after they found out that my mother was pregnant with me. Any time that I asked, I was told that they got married at city hall and that there were no guests and no photographs. (They are still married.) When the video was over, I asked my mother if there were more photos and she said, emphatically, "No," and turned away. I spoke to my uncle (her brother), who had made the video, and he said that there were, in fact, a bunch more. He sent them to me today through facebook. There was the one with my parents and her mother and (now deceased) father, one with my parents and my father's (now deceased) parents, a pair of photos of them feeding each other cake, and one with someone I think was the best man, and the matron of honor (my mother's life-long best friend, now deceased). They all take place in my maternal grandparent's home, and there was obviously a celebration, with many other family members in attendance. I'm thrilled that I have these photos. I'm 44 years old and never new anything about my parents actual wedding day! At the same time, I am extremely angry at my mother for keeping these from me, telling me that there was no celebration and no photos. I can understand that she might have been embarrassed about getting married, 5 months pregnant and barely 20 years old, but that was 44 years ago! I guess I also feel slightly hurt, because they married because of *me*, and maybe she didn't want me to see them because she blames me for what her life has become? I don't know. My mother is not a talk-about-your-feelings type of person. I may not tell her that I have the photos, because I don't want to upset her. But, I'm having trouble processing my own emotions tonight.

I have this exact issue! My mother bought me a rocking chair that was too high, and always needed a foot rest for me to use it. I've had it 9 years now and it sits in my bedroom, holding clean laundry that needs to be folded. Ugh.

I bought the illustrated Sorcerer's Stone as a Christmas gift. (I also stacked my Whole Foods $10 credit, so it was only $11.55!) (Edited: Sorry, I didn't notice that this was posted on the LC board. I *am* buying it for my emerging reader 6yr old who would probably be labeled '2e'. We will read it together, even though he has listened through the series on audible several times already.)

I used my $10 Whole Foods credit and the $5 book coupon to pick up the illustrated Sorcerer's Stone as a Christmas gift. I also picked up some expo markers. My cart currently has two dresses in it, and I keep going back and forth over buying another Kindle fire 7 for $30 or a kids edition for $70.

SWB also has a flow chart that my phone will not let me link to, but if you Google the title 'Writing With Ease and Writing With Skill: Susan’s Updated Recommendations (Spring, 2014)' the PDF should come up.

SWB has a lecture on teaching wiring in the elementary grades that is excellent. I listened to it recently, and helped me to think about what DS9 still needs to learn before moving on from WWE3/4. https://welltrainedmind.com/p/a-plan-for-teaching-writing-focus-on-the-elementary-grades-mp3/ For what it's worth, DS9 of finishing up WWE3, and I'm going to try a combo of Killgallon Sentence Composing for Elementary and Memorial Press Introduction to Composition, plus continuing narration in history (SOTW), literature, and science.

You have a smilie! I haven't seen one of those since the bordapocalypse! That just made me happier than I thought it would...

What Matryoshka said! Super easy here (except if you are moving to Worcester - there seems to be a serious issue there suddenly). I write a one-page ed plan for each kid, and my end-of-year progress report is even shorter. My district has a form that can be filled out, but I only fill in name, address, and birthdate and then I staple my plan to it for the rest of the info. Good luck!

Is this a requirement of the college you teach at? I don't have a MS - I have a BS in math, an MEd, and am ABD in my EdD program (which is where I met my friend who offered me the job, and also my husband!) DH teaches high school physics/astronomy, but also adjuncts at a community college teaching physics with a BA in physics, an MEd, and his EdD. Most of the community colleges around here only require a BS and teaching experience... (edited)

Wow! I was not expecting everyone to be so... unanimous! Honestly, I spent the first hour after getting her text message having a panic attack that I'm no longer smart enough or capable enough to teach. I think the last 9+ years of sleep deprivation have done a serious number on me... Imposter syndrome is real, and it's terrible.

This course does not have an online section. It is a remedial course that requires students to be face-to-face with the instructor.

My best friend texted me to ask if I was interested in an adjunct position teaching college algebra in the fall. She's the head of the college's math dept, and they had to add sections and need more adjuncts. I used to teach high school math, but I haven't worked since DS6 was born. The logistics aren't great - it's likely an hour+ drive in traffic, and it would be opposite the nights that DH teaches a course at a different college, so we wouldn't see each other much during the week. However, the pay is nothing to sneeze at (even factoring in the travel time). Also, it is only one semester (with the possibility of more), so if I don't like it it has a definite ending date. This could be a plus on my resume, as I am expecting to go back to work at a public high school at some point in the future when my boys are older. We've been talking about it all morning. Here's my question - How do you know if it's worth it? (FWIW, the salary could definitely be useful, but won't make or break us. I in no way mean to offend those who don't have the luxury of turning down a job. I used to work multiple jobs. I know that I am privileged in my current situation to have the option to say 'no.')

It was uncomfortable. But, the cranky neighbor wasn't there, just her husband. After hearing that we would be severely limiting our ability to sell our units with an animal/dog ban in place, he agreed to allow dogs. We went over the penalties and remedies afforded to the unit owners in the Master Deed in the case of terrible pet owners, and he seemed satisfied, if a bit unenthusiastic. Now, I have to type up the meeting notes, the amendment to the Master Deed, and file it with the State. Lucky me!

Woke up this morning and my stomach is in knots. I seriously don't want to have to vote at this meeting. I'm so averse to conflict!

She's been there for 30 years! Her mortgage will be paid off soon, and she's recently told me that she will die in that house. She's been there so long, she feels that she can do whatever she wants. She used to make my kids cry by yelling at them out the window while they were playing in the yard. She's...not the nicest human being. (Also, she's a bit of a hoarder - I can't imagine her trying to get her unit in the market!)

The owner of unit #3 has been very vocal about her unhappiness with the dogs downstairs from her for years, but only to me and her own family. She will not speak to the owner of unit #1, and hasn't for years. She also complained about my tenants, but I did the best I could to remedy those issues, and my tenant's dog wasn't loud, just stinky. She just never knew that the dogs shouldn't have been there at all; if she had known, she would have insisted that they be removed. With two units going up for sale, we all took out our bylaws and skimmed through them, which is when we noticed that we weren't obeying them. The original intent of the meeting was to amend the bylaws to grandfather in the cats in unit #2.

(long and convoluted, sorry) We own a condo in a 4-family condo association. I lived there for 10 years, and it's been rented out for the last 2.5yrs, since we moved (literally around the corner). My tenants (I'm unit #4) moved out last week, and we are in the process of getting it ready to put on the market for sale. Another unit in the building had also been rented for the last 3 years, and the owners have recently put it up for sale. (This is unit #1.) They have at least one offer but, there's a catch... Currently, our bylaws do not allow any pets. Her offer is from someone with a 60lb dog, and she has asked us to hold a vote to change the policy. Here's where it gets tricky. We *just* realized that the bylaws say no pets. Unit #2 has two cats. My tenants had cats and a dog, and the renters that just left unit #1 had two dogs. The woman in unit #3 is adamant that there be NO DOGS EVER AGAIN in the building, though she's fine with cats and other indoor animals. We are having a vote tomorrow night. I'm torn. If I were actively still living in the unit, I would vote no dogs. I'm highly allergic, I'm not a pet person, and DD9 is petrified of dogs. However, I want unit #1 to sell before mine goes on the market, and I also don't want to have to turn down any offers we might get on our unit because of the dog issue. Husband says that it isn't right to tell the owners of unit #1 that they can't accept an offer and deny them the ability to sell. Either way I vote, I'm going to upset someone. My husband says to vote to allow dogs. Sadly, I can't send my husband in my place because I'm the secretary/treasurer of the association (and his name isn't on the condo). Maybe I can come down with a communicable disease by dinnertime tomorrow so I can push the meeting off... Ugh! Edited to add: the owner in unit #2 doesn't care either way, and will likely vote to allow dogs.

It's your house and your money. Have it done the way you want! FWIW, I agree that the giant spaces between slats would scare me with a toddler.

I'm taking my kids to the movies today, to see Incredibles 2. The last time we went to the theater ended BADLY. We had attempted to see Moana, but my DS9 (who was 7 then) was at the end of a PANDAS flare-up and had a panic attack just as the previews began. That set off DS6 (then 4), who has always been very sensitive and already wary of the volume of the theater. That freaked out DS4 (then 2), who didn't know why everyone else was screaming and crying, but figured something terrible must be happening, so he joined in. We left before the first preview even ended. *sigh* The kicker was, we had already been to the movies twice that summer! Everyone is two years older now, and DS9 hasn't had a PANDAS flare-up in over a year. Keep your fingers crossed that everyone can keep their calm! We are going to skip the previews and spend the day talking about the noise levels and what to do if we get overwhelmed. Also, I reserved the seats closest to the exit, just in case...

I just saw a promotion about wish lists (win $300 in audible credits for adding to your wish list), so maybe the system is overloaded right now?

Awesome, thanks! Just placed my order.

Does anyone have experience with the Stanford 10 online test? DS9 is finishing up 3rd grade, and will probably go back to the public school in 5th grade. I don't need to have him tested (I'm only required to send in a progress report at the end of the year), but I think it would be best for placement in the correct level of classes, so he should definitely be tested towards the end of next year. I'm considering doing it this year, too, just for my own information.

Sounds like an excellent plan to me!

He hasn't complained about the width of it. It is nice and light -both my 4 and 6yr olds took turns helping to mow this afternoon. We bought him the weed whacker that has the same battery/charger and he loves them both.