General Thoughts - Thursday Thinking?
Seems like everyday has some kind of "theme" around the blogosphere... How do you feel about "Thursday Thinking", hmmm?
I'm thinking about one of the comments re: Financial Peace and investment debt. Dave's plan definitely supports investment debt. He does recommend you pay down debt as soon as you can, to put the interest savings in your own pocket. HOWEVER, he also is very aware that you have to borrow to invest in large ticket items. So, he's pro-investment, he counts houses in that category. Then again, I've not heard him in recent years, not sure how he feels about houses with the current downturn in real estate. I wouldn't be surprised if he's in a "buy" mood personally - just think about all that CHEAP business real estate out there, and he's a very wealthy man these days.
Thinking about our kids...
- There is a really, really wonderful lady and her husband that are "kin" to my family by marriage. They are so sweet to our kids and they remember them with gifts at birthdays and major holidays. My kiddos unfortunately only have 1 set of grandparents living - hubby's Dad recently passed on, and I never met my MIL - she passed several years ago. So, I've been thinking about broaching the topic of "adopted" grandparents. Does that sound odd? I just so wish that my kids had another set of older-generation people to love on them. I don't think I would consider it, but these folks have no grandkids of their own, and I'm guessing they never will at this point. It's sad - they'd make the greatest grandparents, and my kids need grandparents. Seems like a match to me...
- Miss M. is starting to want to sit up while being held. It's really cool! She's all about trying to hold herself upright. :) She's still not much into playing with toys and such, but she will bat at hanging rattles if you'll hold them for her.
- Jim is a trip as always. He's always coming up with the neatest things to say.
We were in a parking lot and Jim pointed out that there were lots of "big buildings and stores" - it was a strip mall.
Me: What kinds of stores are there?
Jim: Food Store
Me: What do you get at a Food Store?
Jim: Groceries!
Me: What other kinds of stores are there?
Jim: French Fry Store
Me: What do you get at a Food Store?
Jim: Hamburgers and Chicken Nuggets!
Me: What other kinds of stores are there?
Jim: Happens Store
Me: A Happens store? What do you get at a Happens store?
Jim: Happens
Me: Really? OK, when would you go to a Happens store?
Jim: When you've had an accident. You go get Happens.
Me: You get Happens, when you have an accident?
OHHHHH! Accidents Happen!!! You are sooo wonderfully Wonderful Jim!
- Ms M has been getting a bit of a flat spot on one side of her head. I'm quite familiar with Torticollis, since Jim went through some issues with it. His head is actually not very round. So I've been working on keeping Ms. M's head round by being diligent with moving her position/head/propping her/etc since she was born.
Week before last I picked her up from her cradle and found that her head was very suddenly quite mis-shapen. I freaked out a little. Ok, a lot. It was like having 3 months of effort yanked out from under me.
I stormed into the room with hubby and told him we needed to talk. I was soooo mad, and needed to address it with the daycare - they were obviously leaving her to sleep in one position ALL the time. I had told them to watch her and it wasn't happening, obviously.
I won't get into all the details... sufficed to say, the daycare now has an action plan for how to take care of Ms M. They now know more about Torticollis. As I understand it the Director shared some pics around to show what happens if babies aren't managed for this condition.
Do know, this condition isn't one that you are taught to watch for, and I know plenty of people (including me) had their kiddos get pretty flat-headed before realizing there was a real issue. However, I was shocked that our daycare hasn't ever dealt with it. Too weird. Then again, maybe that just means they don't let their babies lay around untended too much. We'll see.
4 comments:
Re: investment debt (because I think it was my comment) - my understanding is that you want to be averse to taking out loans on depreciating assets (often necessary for big things like cars, for eg - but try to take the smallest practical loan), and that you should feel more comfortable taking out loans for appreciating assets, such as your home (but pay it off as quick as you can to reduce expenses and try not to go overboard).
But then there are some areas where you should welcome debt - if you are buying something that will earn you more than it costs you in loan fees and interest (a good business, some educational expenses, certain investment portfolios). Then, and depending on the situation and which tax laws you are subject to, you may want to either pay off the loan ASAP or you may want to pay it off more slowly - even down to interest-only - and use the loan expenses to reduce your tax burden and/or your spare cash to invest again elsewhere. (Cue financial planner with access to your own, personal financial situation, tax laws in your area, and a reasonable reading of risk and market conditions.)
But yeah, certainly it's not the case that all debt everywhere is bad and must be avoided/got rid of as fast as possible. I am actually quite averse to debt - I don't like taking it on and I am keen to get rid of it ASAP once got - and I am always getting chided for this folly by people who are, at the end of the day, both right in their arguments and bound to end up richer than me in the long run. Ho hum.
I find it strange that the daycare aren't more aware of flat heads in babies. Luckily they are now.
Conversation at Jim's age is so precious.
I think adopting the couple you mention as "grandparents" is a sweet idea. They're even family! Would you have to make some sort of formal (I mean openly verbal, obviously not legal!) arrangement, or just start treating them as such?
Bea
Elizabeth labels the stores too, but she's not quite as good at it as Jim. She likes "doughnut store" particularly well.
I have an "adopted" grandmother. She is my cousin's grandmother and we've always been friends. She started signing her letters to me "Grandma" Mary and I declared it official. (All my grandparents have long died. But she was friends with my actual grandmother and she doesn't want to step on toes, hence the quotation marks.)
I love the idea of adopted grandparents.
Thank you for your kind words you left me on my blog.
I like 'Thursday Thinking', my interpretation of it allowes me to not think at all until Thursday.
Aaah! Feels good. Thanks!
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