Much ~ma to your MIL, Laura. And calm~ma to you too.

Oh, I remember what I was going to say. Such beautiful children and mommies we have here on the board. Thanks so much for sharing the pictures!

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Much ~ma to Laura's MIL and Aimee's friend.

Seriously. I had several people berate me for having such a silly notion when I was attempting pregnancy. It didn't work when I pointed out that leaving all of the childbearing to the poor and uneducated wasn't really the best overall plan.

Personally, I find it a terrifying prospect. Have I offered my thanks to those of you who aren't letting the stupid people win, lately?

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Seriously. I had several people berate me for having such a silly notion when I was attempting pregnancy. It didn't work when I pointed out that leaving all of the childbearing to the poor and uneducated wasn't really the best overall plan.

This is the most ridiculous attitude. I'm all for people who don't want children not having children. I don't think everyone should either marry or breed. There are some people whose genes I think would do the pool some good, but I understand and support their choice. I cannot understand though, the not understanding of people who do want children? It is a pretty basic desire. It is not like it is either new or unusual.

Personally, I find it a terrifying prospect.

It is.

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Ask and ye shall receive: [link] (I'd uploaded some Mal-tography along with the big bug).

Surgery~ma to your MiL, Laura, and hurricane/tropical storm lack-of-problem~ma to you.

I made shrimp scampi for myself for lunch, as I've been craving seafood. This was one of the first two recipes I "invented" (the other was quesadillas) when I was little. I'd never heard of or had scampi, and was all proud of myself, until I served it to my parents. Then I found out I hadn't invented anything.

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oh, and:

It wasn't so much that I objected to people deciding that their talents were too important to spend on raising kids, it was that they were angry at me for wasting my time on such things.

Gotcha, and boy howdy do I agree with you!

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Awwwww...cutiehead Mal!

Then I found out I hadn't invented anything.

Bwah! Poor you!

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Oops, I missed that, before. Laura, health to your mother-in-law, and an easy, successful job to her surgeons. {{{hugs}}}

Oh Raq, I just love that Mallory! Thanks for the pictures.

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It wasn't so much that I objected to people deciding that their talents were too important to spend on raising kids, it was that they were angry at me for wasting my time on such things.

I find these people at least as annoying as those who tell me I'm wasting my time and skills not spawning. Folks who wouldn't be caught dead telling others how to spend their money or what church they should go to seem to find it fine and dandy to tell others what to do with their reproductive organs. <sarcasm>'Cause that's not personal or intrusive at all. </sarcasm> [yeah, like that tag closes]

Yay smart folks producing wee smart folks! And yay other smart folks with non-childed time and energy being on hand to help them out!

One thing I loved in Hrdy's book on motherhood was the bit on alloparents. Basically, she said that a very useful part of much primate parenting was that those with some genetic interest in the off-spring--the non-parenting-aunts and post-parenting-grandmothers, mostly--would increase the off-spring's survival potential because they had the time and energy to lend the mom a hand--either through caring for the off-spring or through helping the mom get more nutrition for herself (which, in a lactating mom means better nutrition for the off-spring).

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A lot happening all of a sudden. Much -ma and/or sympathies to those who need them.

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For the record, there are rich people in the third world who don't need to budget, just like over here.

Money issues are a normal people issue.

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