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Powered by LifeTypeI switched to Capital One after being with Citibank for years (decades, actually). Citibank started a poor security practice of sending you a text message that says "never share this with anyone", and then they ask you to repeat that code over the phone (even after authenticating me with security word, address and phone number verification).
We had stuck with Citibank mainly because they have Virtual Account numbers, which I don't understand why all companies don't do that - it makes things so much more secure - I can confidently use insecure means of communication, like email for one-time use credit card numbers. And we love that feature, but Capital One now has it as well, and arguably, their system is even better - you need to download a browser extension, but it will auto-detect I am on a shopping page and pop-up a prompt to generate a new number and it pastes the number and CVV code into the fields automatically. They also have very long running expriation dates (Citibank is limited to 1 year) which means I can use unique credit card numbers with services that I don't want to have to update every year, like Comcast and USPS, etc.
Capital One has a referral program, where I'll get $150 if you use this link. Thanks!
Since I'm on a roll of typing out the insulation we've used, I figured I might as well post about our heating systems too.
We have five different heating sources for our home, and someday we'll get a sixth...
Someone just asked for advice on Facebook, and I figured I should save it here so I don't need to type it again when someone asks later.
We've had just about every kind of insulation in our house. So, more than you asked for, but hopefully useful. Also, if you don't know about it, you should go to nhsaves.com and have Eversource pay for 50% of your costs - a great program, we paid $3500 and save ~$1000 a year in fuel, plus the house feels warmer. Air sealing is the most important (one reason spray foams are better; the R value of cellulose and fiberglass goes to something around 1 or 2 if there is air movement)
In honor of the end of World War I one hundred years ago today, I post a picture of Joy hugging the tree that was planted in memory of her great-great-granduncle Harry Faulk.
See my mom's Armistice Day post for a few more details of my family's involvment in the war.
There are, of course, many examples of why Jon is a great Dad, but this is a particular one I'd like to record.
One evening, Jon and I were resting together in our bed. Suddenly, from the other room, we heard a panicked cry, "Someone help me!! AAA-AAA-AA-AAAAA!!" Jon jumped up and ran to the rescue. Jeremiah was clinging to the top molding of a doorway. He had climbed up the doorway to the top and then his feet slipped and he couldn't get his foot-grip back again.
But it didn't end there. Unlike many parents, Jon did not reprimand Jeremiah. Instead, he helped him "get back on the horse." Jon showed him how low his feet actually had been and reminded him how he often jumps from that high in other places. So after a few tries, Jeremiah discovered that Daddy was right, and now he happily climbs up doorways without fear and sometimes even jumps down from the top on purpose!
I am posting my backlog of pocket notes. Sometimes details are sparse.
6/29/16 - Noah's party, kids building brick fort, all the kids at the party working together. Yellow jackets
end of June, Nathaniel stepping up stairs, holding rail or wall
7/7-7/10 - Balloon Festival, hosting Richard, Jeff, Becky. Rain, parking
7/7 - Jeremiah calls grizzly bears, "jiggly bears"
7/16 - Jeremiah, "If Nathaniel is gonna die, you call NINE ONE ONE!!! before he dies."
7/19 - Joy, "72 hours! That's tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow."
7/24 - Jeremiah, when he saw Faith and Joy putting on shoes for church, "*I* want special shoes!"
Or: How This Mom Started Playing Minecraft
They say that a good way to show love is to take an interset in what the other person is interested in, even if you wouldn't care about it on your own.
I'm a busy mom and wife of an entrepreneur, right? I don't have time for video games. I have a house to clean, school to teach, dinners to make, diapers to change, invoices to prepare, bills to pay, laundry to wash ... blah, blah, blah.
But one day, my little Joy asked me to try Minecraft. All my kids love it. They play nearly every day, they collaborate, they watch each other, they coach and help each other. I have already put in the effort to be interested in their creations. But there is only so far you can go with intelligent questions without jumping in yourself.
I started in creative and peaceful. Joy and Faith taught me some things, and my generated world was interesting to explore.
Then Jonathan asked me to try survival and coached me through the steps. (Though I still insisted on peaceful at first.)
It has been fun to play around and discover things, build a house to my own liking, raise a rainbow flock of sheep, etc.
My questions now come from experience. Jonathan remarked, "It's so fun that you are actually interested in Minecraft now!" How to connect to your pre-teen? Maybe try Minecraft.
On vacation, I let them and myself do extra. We discovered the collaboration of multiplayer over wifi. We can be a team. I also see the different personalities of my children coming out. Each one approaches the game differently. Jonathan works for speed and efficiency, mining carefully in the right places. Noah thinks mining is mind-numbingly boring and avoids it when he can, preferring to get his treasure by killing monsters. Faith is matter-of-fact, cautious and deliberate. Joy makes beautiful, patterned structures. Jeremiah likes digging and building, digging and building, digging and building (and he is getting more deliberate, too.)
I also discovered the phenomenon that some other part of my brain works on real-life problems while I play. In a conversation with my sister, she remarked that I had been doing a lot of thinking. I replied that I thought I was just doing a lot of Minecraft. But she's convinced they're related. And that gives me a deeper appreciation for Jon's game playing as well.
In Minecraft, my kids are the teachers (even my five-year-old: "Mom... your inventory is full, that's why you can't pick that up.") I am the one learning, making novice mistakes, disregarding wise advice to my peril, and taking advice to my advantage. This is fun for them and it's fun for me. I'm glad I decided to take the plunge.
And now excuse me. I have to go shear a yellow sheep.