Allyson, how old is your nephey, now? Are you going to be going to see your family over the holidays?

I pregrind. Because coping with electronics and thinks that chop and make a racket at 7 am is not going to end well.

What trappings define adulthood for you guys?

Well, for me alone (I'd probably not apply these standards unilaterally): Not being able to do a 500 mile move in two wee carloads. More than one place to sit that isn't a folding chair. Spare sheets for guests. Not using milkcrates as furniture any longer. My own bed.

What trappings define adulthood for you guys?

Being able to pay my bills without intervention from my parents. Investing in my 401k.

It's not likely I'll be owning property or a vehicle at any time soon, but I've arranged my life so that I don't need it.

Oh! Also, hiring movers. Also also, not moving every year.

He'll be three in March! I'm going home for two weeks in December.

OK, here's my question, all you spoon-avoidants: how do you get the ground coffee into the filtery thing in the first place?

Pour it straight from the bag.

Not sharing a hotel room with my parents. Sorry, no can do.

The people across the street from us are having a baby grand piano delivered right now. Which is only weird because they were having a yard sale a month ago, and selling a sofa and matching chair that the woman said was "too big" for their small living room.

I'm thinking they might have gone with a spinet, but whatever floats your boat, I guess.

AmyLiz, bless you for mentioning this.

MUSIC TYPE PEOPLE: I was just dithering on whether to ask the above here, or not. I'm going to sign the children up for piano lessons. My mother is going to buy us either a full sized electronic keyboard or a spinet piano. Both are reconditioned or refurbished, or some such. The keyboard (Yamaha) is going for around $400. The piano is going for $900 something. The guy who sells the pianos says they take up about the same space (which makes sense) but that the spinet will last much longer. I'm dithering.

Any opinions.

We lose knives more often than spoons or forks. Pizza and Entenmann's danish box syndrome.

Yes! Knives! I know it's the Entenmann's. We do lose spoons though, too. I like to blame my husband.

I would totally go piano.

I don't know where our knives go, but they do go. We've got 6 of everything else, and only 3 knives.

Cindy, I'm probably the wrong person to ask -- I grew up with a baby grand piano, and I adore the sound of a true piano. (I don't care -- I never think the electronic keyboards sound exactly the same.)

I would totally go for the spinet, especially if you're signing all of the kids up (or plan to). That said, you might wait to see if one or any of them are really going to stick with it, because it's sad to have a piano in the house that no one plays.

One of my dreams is to buy a piano and take lessons again. My dad played beautifully, and around thirteen I rebelled and stopped practicing (because, you know, I had to think about boys more). I would love to play again, and I would love the kids to learn, too.