I think $15 per kid sounds kinda high, but I wouldn't expect it to be less than $10. I guess it depends on how much she's spending on goody bags - you could be getting a bag of crap or maybe she's trying to do something nicer/bigger. That's probably the only part that would bug me - paying for goody bags too.

With a lone star tick, you also have to be concerned about alpha gal. I would be as proactive as possible - DH has alpha gal and Lyme. It's been really hard for him.

Congratulations to your daughter! It sounds like a great fit for her. If it's a corporate recruiter they may get an annual bonus based on different metrics such as how long it took to fill the positions throughout the year, etc, so this one placement is a piece of the puzzle. If it's a headhunter, the company may get up to 25% of her base salary as a fee, which sounds huge. But, the companies typically invest in expensive tools such as Linked In, Monster, etc to identify talent as well as salaries of the recruiters and the actual recruiter may only get a small piece of that fee.

Thanks everyone for the replies. I really appreciate it! After reading through the responses and thinking a bit more about it, I'm going to go to the visitation and probably not the funeral. They are on separate days - not sure if there is a reception after the funeral but I wouldn't have stayed for that. I'm feeling like the funeral will be more "intimate" - such an important part of the family's grieving process. DS said he may want to join me for the visitation - I've told him it's his choice and was really touched he would want to be there to support his friend / former teammate. If you are inclined to pray, please lift this family up in prayer. He was the same age as my DH and reflecting on what they have been through in a few short years is just heartbreaking.

My heart is so heavy today. There is a family that we know through sports - their son and my son played on a sports team together two years in a row and the DH was an assistant the first year. From one year to the next, the DH had lost his hair and he looked weak. We found out that right after the first season wrapped up, the DH was dx'd with cancer. I am FB friends with both of them and he seemed to do better for a while. I would run into them from time to time, but not close friends. I found out today he just passed away and the visitation and service are next week. I would like to go to at least one of the gatherings next week, but don't know if that's appropriate or if one is better than the other. When FIL and SIL passed away (not at the same time) I appreciated any one that came to anything, but am torn because I wasn't super close with either the husband who passed or his wife. WWYD?

The email has put your husband in a tough spot, but since he has been asked to lie for them, he really shouldn't stay silent. It sounds like your DH wouldn't have sought out the school administration to proactively tell them the students weren't showing up, but if he stays quiet, I feel like he is condoning their behavior if the school doesn't have the bandwidth to confirm they did the work. And yes, the students will tell their friends (they may already be bragging about blowing off the assignment) that they didn't do the work and there was no immediate consequence. Your husband could also choose to reply and cc school admin with times this next week / two weeks the work could be completed so that they stay in compliance with the project even though they didn't show up the first week. But, I wouldn't reply to the student without the school copied.

Oh my goodness. I'm lifting her and her family (and all of you!) up in prayer. What tough news. :(

So precious! Congratulations!

If your DS wants the sleepover, and you have a good amount of confidence that she will follow whatever dietary guidelines you all have established for him, I would allow the sleepover. I expect my kids to be a little out of sorts after a sleepover whether it's at a friend's house or with family. It's kind of the gift that keeps on giving, lol, but it just is how it goes :)

Moonhawk, I am praying for you and your family. I have followed along and continue to be amazed with your grace and fortitude. Saying this gently, I would suggest being as honest with the oldest two as you can. Not knowing the personalities of your kids, I would hesitate to say anything that they could interpret as "their fault". *To me* hearing "Daddy is overwhelmed" could translate to "we are overwhelming Daddy and need to act different/better/etc". I may be totally off base. I like the PP's suggestion that his brain / mind is having some trouble and he needs to be somewhere else for now. I don't know what I would do in your situation besides pray a lot and come to the Hive ;) but just wanted to throw that out there.

DH was constantly getting strep and it turns out his immunity was tested and he had no immunity to strep. It became comical in the doctors office because the rapid strep always came up negative but the sent out culture was always positive. I would have your immunity checked. It became more manageable when he started working from home. His old company had a lot of sick people "pushing through" and coming to work for a variety of things - strep, flu, pink eye.

Thanks, everyone. DH said it went okay. He had a hard time reading the interviewers but he's hopeful!

Sending you many, many hugs and prayers. What a heavy load you are carrying right now.

He is in an interview right now. It would be a great job and he's excited about it. I promise to come back and update after the interview :)

I'm so sorry. Praying for you and your family.

Definitely stroller / system. She will be so happy to know that large need is taken care of. What types of things do you usually make that are gender specific? You could make simple rag burp cloths in neutral colors if you are a sewer, or neutral thank you cards for her to send if you are a papercrafter, or an IOU for something specific once the baby is born once you know the gender.

Also, you mentioned you had foundation covered but for what you are looking for, you should try the IT Cosmetics CC cream. It is corrector, concealer and foundation in one. Nothing else gives me the smooth surface or evenness that product does!

Urban Decay has eye shadow palettes n 3 or 4 versions - the colors are amazing and blend very nicely. There are tons of You Tube videos / tutorials - you could find a couple you like the look of and buy that palette to replicate.

LarlaB, your post is very timely for me. I run several days a week and have been in a good running routine for about 10 years. 4 years ago I did my first Whole30 and had excellent results with weight loss. I didn't change anything with my running schedule. I have eaten mostly whole30/Paleo since then but bad habits / habits of convenience have crept in over the last year. The last two years have been extremely stressful in my house...job losses, IL passing, my NPD mom, and more, the scale is creeping up. Blood work has shown that my thyroid is not off, but B12 and Vit D have been low in addition to anemia and low Ferritin. I suspect my adrenals are fatigued and there are days I just do not want to adult. I'm rooting for you that you can find a plan to follow without negative affects on your health. I dread getting dressed these days and running into friends I haven't seen in a while. I can relate to so much of what you wrote. Sending you hugs and encouragement!

I recruit for IT and non-IT pt and if it was my spouse, I would encourage him to list both universities / degrees and omit the dates. Depending on what level job he is going for, he will have to decide if he wants to include all of his experience or only after X date. If he's going for a Director level or above, he should include most if not all his experience even if it was before X date. JMHO

I'm sorry. I totally feel your pain. DH started a new job beginning of 2016 and we found out when we did taxes that his job majorly under withheld and we owe a huge chunk. The irony is we won't have to fix his deductions with the company since he got laid off from that job earlier this year. I pray the money is replenished in your savings quickly from the bonus or promotion!

I work pt from home and my oldest is 13. I work because it keeps my household "whole" in terms of what we need $ wise each month, so I really like my boss and working from home, but I work because I need to not because I love to work this job if that makes sense. For me, if the money won't change your life in a tangible way - staying solvent each month, making activities that your children dream about a reality, etc - I wouldn't do it. I feel like I have the worst of both worlds - constantly on a tight timeframe to drive the "get school done train" and hurry up and get work done train. None of my other HS'ing friends work PT or FT, so I feel like an outlier in that respect and feel like it is really hard to have any cushion of time for a fun spontaneous day or fun activity because I have a paid job to do.

My ferritin has stayed at 4 for the last year despite trying to improve it. I'm also anemic and borderline low on B12 and Vit D. I've started B12 injections in hopes that it will help and I have felt better overall. Doctor didn't even want to test my ferritin at first and asked me if I knew what ferritin was. I run 15-25 miles a week and he told me if my ferritin was low, I would want to run 5 miles but wouldn't be able to run 1. Mmmkay.... The range my tests indicated as normal was between 18 and high 300's, so OP your 11 may not be as close to normal as you were told :) I don't know the impact of ferritin before surgery but I'm praying your doctor can get a plan together for you.

I'm early 40's. My most favorite color is Edgecomb Gray by Benjamin Moore. It is not really a gray - maybe greige is better description? But very neutral and pretty. LOVE it. Revere Pewter is also pretty, but a shade darker. Kitchen is medium cherry cabinets with New Venetian Gold granite counters. Appliances are stainless steel. Wood color is Gunstock, but in a wider plank. For upstairs flooring, are you trying to decide for bedrooms or hallway? We have hardwood in the hallway and carpet in the bedrooms. If cost wasn't an issue, I would love hardwood in the bedroom or that super cool tile that looks like weathered wood planks. Love that!

Agree with all the PP's that DH *needs* to help more. His work schedule doesn't sound unpredictable and the hours don't sound too bad. He can't work his 8 or 9 hour job, punch out and have you pull a 13 hour + day each day, just doesn't work. I would break out daily and weekly tasks into a list and sit down with him to divide it up. Really, break them down. Not just "clean bathrooms", but "clean master bathroom" "clean hallway bathroom" etc. DH also needs to take ownership of his lunch unless you make lunch ahead for everyone and it isn't any extra time to portion food for one more person. I agree it sounds like you need some help, but what would be the most helpful to you? Someone to play with / watch your kids? Help you clean? Help you cook? Based on what tasks are the most meaningful to you, I would then look around. Sorry you couldn't find someone before. Is care.com available in your area?