This offer is good through September 30, 2008. To participate, simply click go here, enter your zip code, select the theater and showtime for the movie you want to see, select the number of tickets (at least TWO, and one will be free), then use your Discover Card to pay. The price of one of the tickets will automatically be deducted from your order.

Terms and Conditions:

This offer is only valid for Discover® Cardmembers who purchase at least one movie ticket on Fandango.com. The one free movie ticket must be used at the same time as the first movie ticket purchased on Fandango.com. This offer is valid from a limited time from 07/01/08-09/30/08, while supplies last. The one free ticket is up to a $12.50 value, including a convenience charge. Limit one free ticket per customer.

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You can get their 3-at-a-time movie plan for one month plus the $25 gift card in return for just $10 for the first month ($19.99 thereafter). Moreover, unlike Netflix, you can exchange your movies in their stores which gives you more bang for your buck.

Click here to apply.

*You have to remain a member for six months to qualify for the gift card

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But now we live much further south, and snow is an extreme rarity. While I don’t miss shoveling it, and I don’t miss driving in it, I do miss having it around. I have such fond memories of playing in it as a kid, and I really wish that it wasn’t so foreign to our kids. Sure, they sometimes get it when we travel in the winter, but it just isn’t the same when all of the Christmas lights in your neighborhood are bracketed by brown grass rather than snowbanks.

Of course, if we were to move back to snow country, I’d probably grow tired of it very quickly. But, for now, I miss snow.

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Here’s the message:

Dear Amazon.com Customer

Because you pre-ordered an eligible edition of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” here is your $5 promotional certificate from Amazon.com. The certificate is good during the month of August toward the purchase of $20 or more of merchandise sold by Amazon.com. See complete details, including how to apply your promotional code during checkout.

Here is your promotional code:

XXXX-XXXXXX-XXXXXX

Thanks again for helping us make “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” the biggest pre-order event in the history of Amazon.com!

If you’re expecting a promo code and haven’t received it yet, you might want to check your spam folder.

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Inspired by the list of five reasons that boys are better than girls (and vice versa; see below), I wanted to create my own version, broken down into phases: Pre-Puberty and Post-Puberty. Here’s the original list:

Here’s a quick rundown of the top five reasons why having little boys is better than having little girls:

1. No whining (or less, at least)
2. No pink
3. No ballet
4. No make up
5. No growing up to be teenage daughters

And just for the sake of balance, here are five reasons that girls are better than boys:

1. No testosterone – ’nuff said
2. More than just sneakers
3. No Little League
4. No frogs, snails, and puppydog tails
5. No daughter-in-laws

Since I’m an Engineer, I had to take a “scientific approach” to this.

First, I created categories that worried me (I took a lot from the original post). Each category has a “maximum worry points”. Those are just abstracted levels of how much I worry about each category.

All I had to do then was to assign points to boys vs girls in each of the two phases and analyze the results.

Click here to see the spreadsheet that I created.

From the graphic linked above, we can “scientifically conclude” that little girls are easier to raise than little boys, but once they reach puberty, daddy’s little girl is “gone” and teen boys are easier to raise.This worries me, because my kids are still toddlers, so I know there’s still a *lot* ahead of me.

This article was originally published at Journey2Retirement.

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It’s time I said something. I have to stand up for all the mothers of little boys out there.

We want adorably outfitted children, too! Yes, there are cute clothes for baby boys, but compared to the selection and cute-itude of baby girl clothes, them’s slim pickins. How many department stores have you been to where the infant/toddlers section has maybe three racks of boys’ clothes and 400 square feet of girls’ clothes?

Easter is the worst. Not only are we innundated with frilly pastel dresses, but even the boys’ selection seems to be all pink and purple—perfectly camouflaged with the girls’ clothes. (I think Hayden could pull it off, but I don’t think Ryan really wants him to!)

And then there’s the hair. Don’t even get me started on the hair.

So today, after Hayden fed himself breakfast:

I fixed his hair:

THERE, mothers of girls with adorable curls, precious pigtails, and beatiful bows and braids. Boys can have their mommies do their hair, too. And it can be perfectly manly.

The best part? His hair stayed like that the rest of the day. I’m telling you: applesauce + yogurt is the next big thing in hair products.

This article was originally published at MamaBlogga.

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Since we began dating, my wife Stacie and I have agreed that, if possible, we would adopt a child and also give birth to a biological child. However, we never decided in what order or when. Now that we’ve been married for a number of years, we think we’re almost ready for children. But we’re not heading into parenthood in the normal way.

We’re researching adoption before we even know whether or not we can conceive a child.

Normally, prospective parents only think about getting pregnant, and actually think it’s very strange to want to adopt before knowing whether they can “have their own.” They think it’s just a “last resort” when they find out one or both of the parents is infertile. For us, however, we both feel “called to adopt,” and we’re glad we’re on the same page. But we’re also facing quite a few pressures and complications heading into the adoption process.

Knowing if Adoption is Right for You:

Adoption isn’t for everyone. If you’d like to know whether adoption CAN be right for you, I highly recommend reading “Is Adoption for You: The Information You Need to Make the Right Choice” by Christine Adamec. The book was written in 1998, but the only outdated references were regarding adoption credits and tax deductions (they’re much higher now). The book lets you know many of the things you can expect from the adoption process, as well as what parenting an adopted child can be like.

Basically, you need to be patient. Perhaps even more patient than if you two were pregnant, because the process of applying for, and then WAITING for, a placement can be a substantial endeavor. It could take 3 months from starting the process, or it could take years. Most agencies will warn you that the average time to adopt is 1.5 to 2 years. That’s quite a bit longer than 9 months, isn’t it! Most adoptive parents will tell you that the most difficult process of adopting is “The Waiting Game.” You never know when that next phone call will be the agency or lawyer with a placement for you.

The Costs of Adoption:

In addition to patience, another difficult hurdle for most prospective adoptive parents is the cost of adopting. My insurance fully covers all pregnancy and birth costs, and many of your healthcare programs probably cover 80-100% as well. For a normal pregnancy and birth, that 20% would probably run you under $5,000, and that’s before any out-of-pocket maximums set in. How much does adoption cost?

Private adoptions, or adoptions directly through a lawyer and birth parents, cost under $10,000. Domestic adoptions through agencies run between $10,000 and $15,000 (give or take a few grand). International adoptions run between $15,000-$50,000, depending on the country AND your adoption agency. The cheapest countries currently are in Latin America, but mostly due to the lower costs of travel. However, some other countries have low “country fees,” or fees charged directly by the country’s government, that decrease the total cost of adoption (e.g., Ethiopia and the Philippines). But keep in mind that governments can change their policies and programs at any time, so always request the most recent materials from your agency.

However, don’t let the costs of adoption make you throw out your desire to adopt. You have numerous financial benefits at your fingertips. For example, the current federal adoption CREDIT is just shy of $11,000. That’s money that comes directly out of the federal taxes you’ve paid, and it can span multiple years. Additionally, many states now offer CREDITS or DEDUCTIONS against your state taxes, such as here in Maryland. Just expect to do a bit of digging to find your applicable state tax laws.

Lastly, more and more employers are offering adoption reimbursements. My first employer paid up to $10,000 towards adoptions (too bad I left!), and my wife’s current employer offers $7,500 towards each adoption. There are also state grants, special loans, and private programs available to help with adoption expenses. This all means that we could do a domestic or low cost international adoption before just a few grand out of pocket. And now my final point of discussion…

Choosing an Adoption Type and Agency:

By “Adoption Type,” I mean some of the following:

» Domestic or International
» Special Needs (i.e., physical, mental or emotional)
» Open, Semi-Open, or Closed
» Race (caucasian, bi-racial, African American)
» Age (infant, under 1 year, toddler, older child)

After thinking about the type of adoption you’d like to pursue (notice I didn’t say “decide the type”), you need to begin researching adoption agencies. Agencies come in all sizes and flavors. There are agencies that look out for your interests first, agencies that look out for the child’s interests first, agencies that look out for the birth parents’ interests first, and then there’s agencies that just look out for their own interests first. There are secular agencies, state agencies, Christian agencies, and more.

There are so many agencies available, but there are a few key things to look for in an agency:

» Are they licensed/certfied to operate in the state in which you live?
» Do they match the “type of adoption” for which you’re looking?
» Are they experienced? Can they prove it with reliable numbers?
» Are they cost effective? (see previous section) Do they provide an itemized price sheet? (very important)
» Do they provide the adoption choices you want?

Summary:

Adoption is a daunting process, but that does not mean you shouldn’t push forward with your desire to adopt. Don’t let money and time hold you back, because once you feel that urge to have a child, it’s almost impossible to hide from. Also, don’t think adoption needs to be your last resort. I highly recommend looking into the process now, so that you’re fully informed when you’re ready to meet with an agency or attorney. Use your bookstore and local library for research. Talk to others who have already adopted, or plan to adopt. Attend information sessions and conferences. Join discussion forums.

And talk with your spouse. Do what you feel is right for your future family.

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I’ve been dealing with sibling rivalry issues at my house lately. The problems of normal brother-sister-baby squabbling are compounded around here by my sister’s three kids, who are here so much that they’re included in the bickering as normal combatants. The seemingly endless combinations of battle options provided by three girls and three boys, all 2 years apart, can have me at wits’ end faster than a Ferrari can go zero to sixty.

The most effective method I’ve found is a little hard to tell you about: I have to listen to myself. It is painfully embarrassing to admit that I often hear Georgia, my seven year old, yelling at her brother in exactly the same tone I just used on her. I’ve noticed that the worst fights seem to break out when I place some sort of stress on the kids. Usually it’s a command to clean up their rooms. This usually inevitably brings about the “He’s not helping,” “She threw something at me,” arguing that escalates into us ALL yelling. If you want your kids to stop yelling at each other, you have to stop yelling at them. This includes that tone that all mothers have, the one you use when you’re saying “Don’t mess with me, go on and play, I have to get this done.” (You know the tone I’m talking about.) Hard to do, but it’s the only way to stop it. If you maintain the demand that everyone will be treated respectfully, eliminate the angry and dismissive tones, and you maintain your composure, the fighting will stop. (Or at least be quieter.)

Another thing that can help is easing up on the pressures you put on the kids. I like to think that we homeschooling moms are not serious offenders in this area, but as single parents sometimes we can’t control the stress our kids are under. I don’t mean that you should let them skip spelling or math, but if you’re taking more than two different types of lessons, you should think about cutting back. Kids need unstructured time to play outside, lie in the grass and count bugs. Kids who have to suffer through the hassles of dual-households need this time more than most. Also, if you’re carrying on an ongoing battle of locked horns with your ex-spouse in front of the kids, don’t be surprised if you see them re-enact it in your living room.

In short, if your kids are fighting, your first step should be to look to yourself. The way you treat your children affects how they treat each other. A change in your attitude can work wonders that a time-out can’t. How are you causing or encouraging their behavior? It’s a difficult admission to make, but often when there are behavior problems in my household, it’s primarily my fault.

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