You have enough chips & Soda? Don't forget the brownies... No brownies as the range was already in the dining room. They brought some pop and a few goodies, and I also had chips and pretzels and dip, and hard candy, and leftovers to heat for lunch. I think a good time was had by all. The girls had no problem being entertained by TV (I have satellite and they don't), the computer, some hand held games, and we even played a couple of board games. Initially I was pretty stressed by 2 loud radios, the loud TV, and a loud saw. I was surprised that I soon settled down and the stress left. Did you argue yet over grout color? No. He and I went to buy all of the material yesterday and picked out and up the grout too. We kind of had it narrowed down to a few colors and I asked the clerk in the Tile Dept what he suggested. He gave 2 different options, and my tile man and I chose one of them. Surprisingly, no biggie. I told my tiler (Mike) yesterday that I just wanted simple tile, no borders or anything busy. Today he asked me if I wanted them all in rows, or if I wanted them staggered in the rows, or maybe even wanted a diamond pattern. Sheesh...I was frantic about making the right decision, as I was sure there was a way that was more right than the other ways. He dry laid out samples of all ways. I took pics and planned to post them on line for opinions. I then called a good friend, that I trust making decisions like that, and she said that for my house, it would be best to go with straight. Thank goodness I didn't have to decide for myself. Whew...what a day. I still have to rip the carpet out of a hall and a bathroom tonight. I'd best get busy.

Funny you say that talley sue! I delegated dishes to him last night, so we'll see how that goes. I got a response of "I work all day" I asked exactly which housework fairy he thinks will be stopping by, once we're both working out of the home then? He said it will then be 50/50. I told him lets make it 50/50 now so I have incentive to get in gear with my schooling. So we'll see what happens. I know if I leave it for a day or two, he'll do it no complaints. I just need a little self control! I do plan to take care of kids forever, but not out of my home forever. I would like to run an actual day care. He's also agreed to help me this weekend with the last of the organising. I'm at the point where I can't do it myself anymore. Too many big things, and too much of it is his stuff for me to be able to weed through it. So that helps, he's coming around. I think I try to get a lot done, because it amuses the baby. Vacuuming is the funniest thing he's ever seen. He loves to swiffer the kitchen and entrance way. Though I always have to go over it, lol. The noises the swiffer mop makes, excites him. And clanking and crashing of dishes, is also quite funny. But some days I just dont feel like cleaning all day for his amusement, or theres just no time. Or he's sick or cranky and I can't. I think the boyfriend knows how much work the housework is, but is completely oblivious to how much work it is with the baby. And how much work the baby is on its own. Doesn't realise that simple tasks like vaccuming take twice as long, or dishes, or whatever because I have to alternate between catering to babies needs and doing the task. He's been around on days I've had the baby and he's been home, and the baby has always been good. He doesn't realise kids are much different when they're with the same person all day, every day, than with two people. If I leave the room, baby is alone. If he's home and I leave the room, baby isn't alone, so he's happy. He'll understand someday, when we have kids. Until then I can't expect him to understand or sympathise if he hasn't experienced it.

Squirrel was very helpful to me about a month ago with a bathroom update...I have the cabinets primed, and paint determined, but we've had 2 deaths in our family since then, an out of town family wedding, and I can't forget the solid week of 2 kids with h1n1...And now I have my 81 year old father staying with us for 2 weeks. Then comes Thanksgiving with a boat load of company here...so I'm hoping by December to have the room done and will post pics then. So I haven't been purposefully neglectful ;) ...I just haven't had time to paint and be done! I will though...I am looking forward to it very much! And I promise to post pics when I'm done. Crossing fingers for Dec with no other chaos interfering!! I'll be back soon hopefully!

Elizabeth, my comments were based on my experiences. Not too many years ago, I offered an old CRT large screen TV we'd decommissioned to the salvadoreño who does work in and around our house. He chuckled and said in half Spanish and half English that his extended family had pooled their money to buy a big screen TV at Costco for the men to watch futbol and for the evening shows for the women in the family. My last visit to the cable store was to return a settop TV box (after I'd switched to DISH). The people in front of me in line were modestly dressed Spanish speaking women who paid their bills in cash, using mostly singles and also coin change. When people are spending extended time at the counter because of the need to count and recount cash, it's not hard to see what's going on. As you said, you and most others pay these bills with autopay or another online means. Those who are illiterate, or who don't have the credentials to get a bank account, pay bills in cash. And such people are typically hard working folks of very modest means. That was what I saw.