Jane, we are considering doing exactly the same set-up for exactly the same reasons! The only available spot (!) for our MW is next to the fridge. We also don't want to sacrifice counterspace with the built-in version Advantium, and we are wary of flirting with warranty problems by mounting it undercounter, even though other posters have here. So the OTC model it is!

No, this is not cyber bullying. This is, unfortunately, typical social behavior of nine and 10 year girls. One day girl A is on the outs, the next it's girl B, and so on. It just happens that email is the communication method for this current round of drama. What you need to do is teach your daughter to handle it on her own. As you've both seen, when she stands up for herself things work out fine. When my D was that age I found it best to ask her a series of questions to help her come up with appropriate responses to inappropriate behavior. It not only helped her at that time, but as she became a teen. It also helped her develop good values. ie--the recess thing. (really kind of a simplistic exchange for illustration) Mom: Why do you think they said that? D--because they want to play with "x" also. Mom: What you can you do or say so everyone gets to play together without being mad? D--eventually, "Say I'm sorry. Next time you should come over and play also." Your goal can't be to get the behavior to stop. You cannot control the other children. A call to their mothers MAY worsen the situation. What you can do is help equip your daughter to handle it. I understand how painful it can be for a parent to watch their child be worry about being excluded. Our natural instinct is to make it better for them immediately. It's more difficult, and better parenting IMHO, to teach them the social skills they will need throughout life. Ask your daughter, "What would happen if you didn't play with x, y, and z?" Would it really be the end of the world if she learned to make other friends? You also didn't ask for this piece of advice, but a nine year old is too young for an email account unless it's to keep in touch with a family member. Then only the family members should be permitted to know the address. Most of them have only been writing for a few years and few are able to effectively communicate via writing. It's kind of like me not buying my 19 YO beer to fit in with some of her college friends. (She doesn't drink anyway.) I wouldn't let her have an email at 9 or 10 just for fun either.

Folks, if you must sell in this market...it's all about price. That's normally true anyway, but especially now. I moved to a fairly transient (military) area, where there is a fair bit of new construction. There wasn't much of a bubble but we feel the slowdown. As a result, the builders are dropping and dropping prices, BUT they're moving houses, while most private sellers sit on high prices unsold. Maybe those sellers can't go any lower, but they're not selling either. Many places have come up for rent. My equity from my down payment has pretty much vanished (shh don't tell my lender, they might insist I pay PMI!). But the market is moving again (ok maybe it's the normal seasonal effect too).

If you are talking about pendant drum lights like this over the island, I wouldn't do the same over the table, but rather something like the second light for the table: pendant drum light Something like this over the table, perhaps (probably smaller)? drum shade chandy