I also agonized over my appliance decisions, both during our recently completed kitchen renovation and another one we did at our previous home, about 6 years ago. Last renovation (6 yrs ago), I felt certain that I wanted the most powerful, simplest all-gas range I could find, in the truest commercial style possible (for the best price, of course)! I chose the DCS all-gas 36" 6 burner range. While I liked the high heat of the range and some of its other features, it gave me many problems, similar to those that have been detailed on this forum. For our most recent kitchen renovation, I needed a 48" range, and decided to go with the GE Monogram dual fuel. I had somewhat low expectations, or at least, I knew not to get as excited as I was during my prior renovation, only to be let down like last time. I had started to think that all higher end appliances were finnicky and any one of them is bound to have issues. Believe it or not, the GE Monogram has greatly exceeded my expectations and is really wonderfully and surprisingly great. It has even better burner control from super high high to super low simmer than the DCS. The burners work beautifully and never give me that click, click, clicking during ignition. The burner flame does not go around my small pots, as it did w/the DCS. The gliding racks in the oven are a joy, and the oven (I've used it mostly with the convection feature) roasts and bakes everything evenly and to perfection (in my DCS, this was a problem as things came out unevenly). The only slight negative is that the electric coils for the broiler are not as awesome as the infrared that the DCS used for the broiler, but that doesn't matter much for me because I live in So. Cal, and we grill instead of broil most of the time. This is just a wonderful piece of equipment, and I'm delighted with how it performs. It was much less expensive than the other high end dual fuel ranges (around $7800), so I feel like it's a bargain for what you get (comparatively) and I don't know why more people who love to cook haven't discovered it. Like you, I wondered why I couldn't find more reports about it before I purchased it. Please keep in mind that I've only owned it for a little over a month, but I have to report that I really love it so far (and so does my husband and my daughter, who both cook almost as much as I do). Good luck!

Thanks for the help! IÂm going to leave it leaning there for a while so I can think about it, itÂs not like I donÂt have enough to do already! ItÂs very heavy so wherever I put it will have to be permanent; I will have to use more than 1 hole in the wall, and should make sure I have a stud. I did have another place in mind which is what I originally bought it for; not a wide expanse like the buffet space. The arch mirror was made in India. I bought it at a trade show a few years ago that had unusual home décor. It was next to a show I was attending and I just walked in and no one checked to see if I was qualified. Unfortunately it got corroded waiting in the basement and I had to use a lot of brass cleaner and scotchbrite on it. I did not want to risk scratching the glass. It still has corrosion in the corners and sides which showed up again as soon as it was dry. I have to solve that before I can put any protective coating on it and site it. When teacats mentioned on my lamp thread about a mirror, I immediately thought that I need a long low one for this space. I could put my too-small framed pieces over that mirror. I agree with dilly_dally that the arch leads the eye upward, though I could not have verbalized or realized that until she expressed it. But IÂm trying not to spend any more money right now but rather finish what IÂve started. I think I have to monitor CraigÂs list for one of the right shape, just like IÂm doing for a chandelier. By the time I find one maybe IÂll have gotten more stuff done. I do have a round one upstairs but I think that one also is too small. Getting feedback here really helps to clarify my thoughts. IÂve been plagued with indecisiveness lately too, I canÂt decide on anything to save my life. I think itÂs stress from knowing I have too much left hanging and a neatnik spouse who gets testy with bins stashed in the corners.

I think your husband needs to stop telling his sister things that get back to your MIL. Your business is private and nothing you say or do should be told to your MIL because she obviously takes that information and figures out ways to use it against you. Also, it would be very enlightening for your husband to hear both sides of a story in a way that he cannot refute. Have him listen in on a conversation with his mother but don't let her know he's listening. Then when she calls him to complain about "how you mistreated her again", he'll see that she is exaggerating everything. Men are fixers. I'm not the least bit surprised that your DH wants you and his mom to get along and that he thinks 2 weeks is enough. Men don't typically hold grudges or over-think things like women tend to do and I think he thinks it's been long enough. (I had a problem like this for years with my late MIL and the day DH figured it all out was an amazing day for all of us. lol She went off on him and opened his eyes forever. BUT, in 2 weeks, he was over it and things went back to almost normal. She was his mom and he wasn't going to cut her out of his life forever, even though she deserved it. She also never apologized or admitted fault, but he knew.) So my feeble advise- never talk to MIL again without a witness in the room, or if it's a phone call, have someone else on the other line, listening. Have a little voice recorder in your pocket if your words are constantly twisted around by her, until your husband sees the light. And avoid her as much as possible if the 2 of you are unable to come to an agreement. Let DH take the kids to visit her, but be careful because she may try to use your kids against you and she will bad-mouth you to them in ways that are subtle but effective. Good luck. I don't envy you at all. My MIL is gone now and my life is a lot less stressful. When she was alive, I was so thankful that I didn't have children for her to corrupt, like she did her other grandkids. Because we had no kids, I was able to remove myself from her drama and lies.

It sounds to me like you pointed out many more positives than negatives about your daughter's current class. I am sure she would make new friends at a new school, but it might be distracting to meet all new people, and by staying where she is she might be able to focus more easily on academics. I know what you mean about a burnt-out teacher, I had several of those myself, but as long as they are not mean, they usually do a good enough job. I think it is really neat that your son and daughter go to the same school and have lots of things in common to talk about. My brother and I went to the same school for years, then started going to separate schools, and after that we had much less to talk about and didn't know each others' friends very well, and we weren't as close as we had been. I think it is really important to keep your children in the same social structure that they have been in, as long as they are doing well. I also think that classrooms with a mixture of grades are great, and that being with the younger kids this year could maybe help your daughter express her empathetic tendencies by letting her help the younger kids. As far as the teacher not teaching reading, I can see how you might think that is kind of weird. But it is true that some kids can learn all the grammar and spelling they need just from reading and writing on their own. Others need more help. Just keep an eye on how your daughter's reading is progressing and if you think that she needs extra help, ask the teacher for suggestions.