Thanks for linking that story. I read it a few weeks ago, alternately bawling and clutching my one year old. I think about it every time I buckle him in his car seat.

Wow, good for you! I'm dying to know, though: did they behave from then on, or were they too embarrassed to show their faces there again?

What did she wind up tipping?? It's not often you can write your own ticket like that.

Omg, that is beyond embarrassing. I had a couple of friends in college that just flat out stiffed servers because they didn't have the money to tip (yet could still buy cigarettes). I way over-tipped on my own check and tried to never eat out with them again.

I'm the same way. When the story first broke a couple weeks ago, I read all the details and then the old 2009 hyperthermia article that people kept posting, alternately sobbing and hugging my one year-old son. I kept thinking about it every time I buckled my baby into his car seat. And I know what you mean about…

Ha, yeah. We have had to make a concentrated effort to eat out less and buy less wine (sob!) due to other expenses. Side benefit being that my husband has lost a LOT of weight. (Me, not so much. Life isn't fair.)

I think people may be jumping down your throat a little on this, but I see what you're saying. Some people (maybe a lot of people) just sort of fall into parenthood by accident, but I've wanted to be a mother for years. It's not just about a biological drive to reproduce, either. It's the urge to actively nurture…

I got my first IUD before I was pregnant, and they were careful to schedule an appointment during my menses. It goes a lot easier when you're on your period. My second IUD was done after I had my baby, but apparently I waited too long to schedule it. When I went in, they tried and tried and couldn't get it in! …

I had Mirena for a year before I decided I wanted to have kids. I chose it because I had one too many oops moments after forgetting the pill three days in a row. I really loved it, but I had it removed when I decided to try to conceive. For me, there was no downtime, either. I got pregnant pretty much immediately,…

Never used Nuvaring, but I'm on my second Mirena IUD. I feel like I have more of a sex drive than when I was on the pill, but my husband says he hasn't noticed a difference.

It might be just one tablespoon, now that I think about it. It's definitely a liquid, though. I followed the recipe at HowToHairGirl.com.

I saw this right under your response to my other post in re: cars and babies, so I will follow you on the Now, For Something Completely Different route.

Having a baby has made me feel a little dumber, actually, which could explain your Facebook friend.

No, silly. Jesus' birthday is the FOLLOWING day, so no need to include him in the song! (Plus, he's already got like, a zillion and one happy birthday songs.)

At least two were married in (an in-law and a step-sister), so it's not like a freak of nature, just a hell of a coincidence. The birthday song is a MESS.

In my extended family, there are at least 4 people with Christmas Eve birthdays. When we used to do the big family Christmas thing, we would have a cake and blow out candles to acknowledge them. Now it strikes me as a little sad that not only is their birthday already overshadowed by baby Jesus, but they also had to…

Are you doing it for the gifts? I don't know how old you are, but I haven't gotten birthday gifts from non-parental relatives (even the money-variety) since I was like, 10. It might be different depending on your family's culture/traditions, though. (My family is not big on presents in general.) I think a…

I can be somewhat of a hermit who actually prefers going days without speaking to people. If you want to get yourself out and about, look to see if your local library is offering any cool classes this summer. Or check out some yarn stores or craft stores that may be offering knitting circles or sewing classes. (The…

Sometimes it helps to fashion a shield for yourself out of a pot lid. Sometimes.

There's this thing I do as a Spanish teacher in one of my units where kids make Salvadoran food in class. I have them volunteer to bring in the ingredients and the electric griddles & blenders to help us set up our kitchen. Other than blowing a circuit one year, this has always been a good lesson.