Thanks for the additional comments everyone! While there's no doubt that the Maris is a great looking toilet, it's really important to me that it functions well too! It sounds like the clogging issue might have beeen isolated to the floor-mounted Maris, but the streaking issue might affect both the floor-mounted and wall-mounted versions. Another issue I've read about the Maris is that "men don't fit it", meaning that a man's special member can touch the inside of the bowl while sitting (which would be plain gross). Is the bowl really shallow at the front? I'm going to get a second quote using the Aquia instead of the Maris since I don't read of the same problems related to the Aquia. numbersjunkie, when will your reno be complete? It would be great to hear your first-hand experience that can directly compare the Maris and the Aquia. My biggest fear is that the Aquia will suffer the same issues as the Maris :S Thanks!

All parties are ultimations...be there or miss the party :) Come on now, that does not mean "be there or miss the party and I'll never speak to you again" it just means the party is on Saturday and I'd love to see you, but if I don't we'll see you another time. :) The party takes place on whatever date it's set. I wouldn't call that an ultimatim, but maybe that's just me. I too cherish time with girlfriends W/O kids. I rarely get it (two days to date since my son was born) so it's a big deal for me. Just last night I invited my bunco girlfriends to come down for a bunco retreat at our new house sometime. I'll be leaving them and would love to have them come visit, but I didn't offer to foot the bill. It didn't even occur to me. And as said above, had it been reverse, me being invited, I'd almost have been insulted to have someone pay my bill for me unless there was a logical reason (and friends traveling to a casual party is not a logical reason). I know that of the twelve ladies I invited last night that maybe six or eight will attend. They are busy, and timing is always a challenge, and perhaps expense as well, but I won't be offended if someone does not join us for the weekend. I just want to see my friends and enjoy sharing my new home with them...not much different than wanting to share a special weekend (birthday) with friends really :) and nothing to get upset about.

Lord, I remember those kids parties. and how hard it is to get a RSVP answer. The best parties my two girls had came in the summer, when I opened our home and pool to their young friends. I remember once, inviting everyione in my daughters class plus several girls from her dancing school, and planning on 30-40, yet only five or six showed. We had plenty of food (pizza), cake and a pinata. I had scads of leftover take-home "goodie' bags (little favors for the girls to take home. I let my two girls keep the extras.One thing I always did-invite the kids for a Friday night to Saturday morning sleepover, and decorate the house and yard. I made everyone a big breakfast on Saturday, then had the "family" party on Sunday afternoon where grandparents, aunts and uncles came over. I left up the decorations till after the family party was over. One Grandma used to bring food, no matter that I begged her not to. I remember once she brought a half-tray of her homemade lasagna, there wasn't enough for everyone. I was so embarassed, but I managed to fill-in with cold cuts and salads and lots of fried chicken. Glad those days are long over. My two daughters are now 20 and 21. Parties are all over. Your Nicks looked like fun.

My oldest is 8. Most of the time, I'v stayed. Once I left when it was 3 blocks from my house. If the party didn't include my other children, I left them home with DH. Like Mommabear, when the party is at a public place, I definitely stay. I think I would til DS is, oh, maybe 10. When I've stayed, other parents stayed, and we didn't expect to be fed. If the party was at someplace like Chuck E. Cheese, I would never expect the host parents to pay for my food or my other children if they were with me. Wouldn't dream of it. It would not occur to me to offer to pay for the parents who stayed if it were my kid's party, either. The party we had at home, I offered parents who stayed a soft drink and chips and a piece of cake (but most decline). It has been the same when I stayed at someone else's party, adults weren't fed and didn't expect to be. They don't stay because they want to be part of the party, they stay because they don't want to leave their children in an umfamiliar home or in an unsecure place, like Chuck E. Cheese. And because they are wise to want to know the children their child plays with and the parents of those children. I am 31 now. I don't have detailed memories of my parents dropping me off or not at parties at that age. Just don't remember. But even if they did, I can't make my choices based on what my parents did with me. There are a thousands things my parents let me do that I would never let my children do now. I do remember riding my bike all over town alone at age 8. My son is 8 now and I wouldn't let him go further than around the block on his bike. I'm sure most of us have similar experiences. Sadly, we can't let our children have the same freedoms we had at that age.