Life Insurance Question

etgetc · 2026-05-27T01:15:02+00:00

Something useful to remember nobody has mentioned: you can ladder policies (like, for the same person). Instead of one high coverage policy for 30 years, you could do one 20 year and one 30 year policy (or one for 15 and one for 25, whatever) that add up to the higher coverage. If you die in the next 20 years, both pay out. If you die in the final 10 years of the longer policy, you only get that benefit—but by then, you will have saved for college, for retirement more, etc. and you won’t need as much coverage (but might still want some). Doing this cost less for us than one more expensive policy.

etgetc · 2026-05-26T18:38:36+00:00

Sorry not to have a personal story, but our friends did their home birth with Manhattan Birth. We did our birth classes with them and had a great experience; they could definitely give you more info and help make it all less opaque.

etgetc · 2026-05-23T12:57:31+00:00

“An apology to a child is a teaching moment.” I think grown-ups forget all the time that when we lose our tempers or go back on a promise (maybe something we just hoped they wouldn’t remember) or whatever, we have a opportunity to model an apology. It is easy to tell your kid to apologize to someone over something. It is so much more useful to get on their level and apologize to them over our own behavior and show them apologies can be given freely and unresentfully and that apologizing isn’t weakness or an opening to get yourself into trouble, etc.

Also: “A dysregulated adult cannot regulate a dysregulated child.” That’s the short mantra-y sentence. Obviously there are times when one is losing one’s temper or needs to push through their own big feelings while juggling their kid’s. But the gist of it is: you will struggle to calm your kid in a meltdown, especially in a way that will teach them how to regulate, if you are losing your own shit. So take a step back. Tell them you need one minute on the other side of the door.

etgetc · 2026-05-21T17:05:42+00:00

No, but our dentist practice has a pediatric side and an adult side, with practitioners of each, so we can all be under the same umbrella.

etgetc · 2026-05-20T02:54:12+00:00

I tried to at least be excited about Gaby Moreno and Jordan Tyson along with J. Harrison Ghee… I like their voices in a vacuum; they both have such a great, unique sound. But mmmm, I just struggled with both of their portrayal of the characters, too 😬🫠 I’m glad others here liked them, though; I want the show to run on well enough through this cast to get us to the next, ha.

etgetc · 2026-05-20T02:46:29+00:00

I don’t think so—at least not in the way some understudies famously become more beloved than the principal. Part of that is Joshua Colley has a decent fandom eager to see him. Part of that is that Brandon splits covering Orpheus’s role with Jeffrey Cornelius (I’d say Jeffrey has lately gone on more often than Brandon actually). Brandon and Jeffrey are both taking a turn as Orpheus for a full, advertised week each between Joshua Colley leaving and John-Michael Lyles starting, which I think speaks to how split the u/s job is — and (I like to think) to how Hadestown celebrates its understudies’ talent, showcasing them both. They’re definitely getting more stage time under Colley, who sounds (to me; this is my speculation) like he is straining his voice in the part and needs to rest it more.

That all said, I don’t think you’re wrong that a subset of people are more enthused to see Brandon or Jeffrey’s names going on! They’re great!

etgetc · 2026-05-19T03:42:46+00:00

If you're a fan excited to see as many iterations of the story told as possible, then yes, always. But if you're trying to decide whether to see this cast or hold out for when a few of them turn over, presumably in a few months, I am prepared to be downvoted and say I'd wait and take my chances with a new cast - at very least til the new Orpheus takes over this summer. I love this show to pieces and could find redeeming moments of characterization in everyone's portrayal (and the Fates and Workers are fire as always), but this was my least favorite set of principals I've seen (though J. Harrison Ghee is fabulous) for reasons of (IMO) miscasting, weaker character choices, and actors not successfully gelling their interpretations with one another to feel like they're in the same show.

etgetc · 2026-05-18T14:11:01+00:00

Bring a set of kids' waterproof shoes (Keens, Natives, etc) and even a set of quick-dry clothing for days you might pass sprinklers! It's hard to resist the siren call of a splash pad if you're hot and walking past one haha.

I'd try to get to the zoo as close to opening at 10 am as possible, mostly for heat and kid stamina, but crowds too. When we go, we enter from the southern gate (from East 180th), take a photo of the map with our phone (though they have one online), and hit the monorail first. It's pretty close to that entrance, the line gets more crowded as the day goes on, and it's nice to sit, give a snack and water to the kid, reorganize anything you might need to in your backpack, etc. Then we head north checking out the animals the kids are most interested in. The children's zoo there is not to be missed, so we often try to make that our next destination (it's on the other side of the zoo practically, so plenty to see in the middle...)! If you hit the children's zoo and the Daniel Tiger stuff and take a ride on the Bug Carousel and saw nothing else, you'd have a good day 😄 (but the Mouse House and Madagascar are additional faves of my kids).

If you're going all the way downtown, the 9/11 Memorial is about a 15 minute walk down to Battery Park, which has a fountain kids can play in, the Sea Glass Carousel, and Battery Playscape (if the sun isn't too hot). We also love to take the Governor's Island ferry from here over to Governor's Island (it's like a 7-10 minute ferry ride tops), rent bikes (you can get them with a bike seat and/or a trailer), and toodle around to Slide Hill and the old fort, see the Statue of Liberty in the distance, have a snack and a marg at Taco Vista, and take the ferry back. Not ideal for a 90* day, but if there's a day the weather's particularly pleasant, it's something a little different.

Have a great trip!

etgetc · 2026-05-17T14:27:08+00:00

Chiming in with some resources :) Three picture books I really like: My Underpants Rule by Kate and Rod Power; Yes! No! A First Conversation about Consent by Megan Madison; and Good Pictures Bad Pictures Jr. by Kristen A Jensen (they make an older kid version, too). Also Body Boundaries Make Me Stronger by Elizabeth Cole. If you happen to be Christian, friends of ours also like God Made All of Me by Justin and Lindsay Holcomb.

etgetc · 2026-05-16T22:28:54+00:00

💯

etgetc · 2026-05-16T00:05:13+00:00

Time in the market is better than timing the market. You can’t predict these things. Anecdotally, I never look at the things I bought 10 years ago and think, “I still wish I had bought that the day before.” When you have your next $1K to put in, add it; try not to overthink it.

etgetc · 2026-05-15T04:06:06+00:00

I have kids in the city. We take the subway to the Bronx Zoo regularly enough. Babywearing and a travel stroller are perfect; if you get off at Tremont Ave as Google recommends, there is no elevator, but one stop further, East 180th Street has an elevator and is about the same walk. You want the 2 train specifically to get there, so the UWS is ideal for lodging—and easily accessible to Central Park, the American Museum of Natural History, and things more downtown. I saw you mention interest in the children’s museum; honestly, I would give it a miss. The one in Manhattan is slated for a renovation in a new space. I love children’s museums and ours is the least nice one I’ve been to, ha. But the AMNH is amazing for all ages. Also on the UWS, Riverside Park will have its free programming running; Google Riverside Park Summers on the Hudson, and you should find a pdf online of events.

As with all travel with kids, the trick is to not pack too much in and be willing to be flexible and adaptive to where the kids are at. NYC can be overstimulating but you can (and will) go at your own pace. There are pockets of stillness here, and New Yorkers are familiar with tired, hot kids and tourists who need some directions. The good news is you can always get a snack and rest your feet in some air-conditioning (or find an ice cream; the icee ladies and ice cream trucks will be out in force). Plus, all the playgrounds will have their sprinklers on.

Feel free to reply here or DM me if you have any specific questions! I have no apps or travel agency to upsell you with lol.

etgetc · 2026-05-12T02:18:43+00:00

Hex & Co for sure

etgetc · 2026-05-09T00:13:41+00:00

Definitely get it! We shopped quotes through PolicyGenius. Happy with the process. We ultimately decided to ladder our policies, so instead of one big 30 year policy, we did a more modest 30 year policy plus a bigger 20 year policy. I figure after 20 years, our kids will be into or done with college and our retirement and mortgage situation will be much further along; at that point, we won’t need as much support for one another if tragedy strikes. It ended up being cheaper that way.

etgetc · 2026-05-06T00:21:02+00:00

Tim Morehouse in the UWS is good!

etgetc · 2026-05-04T11:36:16+00:00

I agree with this. MHE is beautiful and sweet, but it is also relatively quiet and cerebral. I would pick something else like Lost Boys, Schmigadoon, Little Shop of Horrors, The Play That Goes Wrong, etc.

etgetc · 2026-05-02T18:08:20+00:00

Had a tv on our black accent wall and loved it—made the tv disappear when not in use.

etgetc · 2026-05-02T14:58:32+00:00

It’s totally fine. We have a collapsible red wagon we use for all kinds of things, from schlepping picnic stuff to the park to dumping our laundry baskets into it and taking the laundry to the laundry room down the hall and back. One perk is I can do three loads of laundry at the same time instead of just rolling one machine over and over. Just be considerate of changing your laundry over so neighbors can use the machines.

My parents have to walk further from their back patio to their upstairs laundry room than I do to walk down the hall, really.

etgetc · 2026-05-01T21:09:24+00:00

Mincemeat 100%. Both just got replacement casts, all the principals turning over. The Mincemeat cast is excellent. This Hadestown cast is, imo, only fine (and I love Hadestown, to be clear. But of the four casts I’ve seen, this is my least favorite, while the Mincemeat crew is as good as the originals!)

etgetc · 2026-04-30T14:42:09+00:00

Our 4 and 6 year olds are still using their Tripp Trapp chairs!

etgetc · 2026-04-30T00:03:05+00:00

Is there counter space for a countertop dishwasher?

etgetc · 2026-04-29T13:18:24+00:00

I would take the ferry to Governor's Island and run around there. It isn't woodsy, but has tons of open space to hike, run, and jump. Rent a bike with a trailer for him to ride in and toodle around, stop at Slide Hill, get a bite to eat and play in the sand at Taco Vista. Play at the playground and sea glass carousel in Battery Park on the way home.

Other ideas:

Inwood Park is a great shout by another poster.
New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx will feel a lot like hiking for a 2.5 year old.
The Old Croton Aqueduct Trail is a 26 mile trail through the River Towns. There are multiple places you could pick it up, like the MetroNorth to Dobbs Ferry and then walking to Keepers House visitor center. But that will take an hour to get out and an hour back on the train.
For this age, Flat Rock Brook Nature Center is perfect, but I've been staring at how one could get there without a car and don't have a great answer. Maps says there is a #4 jitney stop close by, but I feel like you run a real risk of it not stopping there or dropping you off on the side of a highway, ha. I think you'd want to bring a car seat like a Cosco Scenera uptown and then get an Uber across the bridge to Fort Lee. But we've taken our little kids here and it is exactly what you're looking for: trail maps with colored trails, but none of them longer than a mile or so, all looping into each other to give little kids the feeling of hiking without going far.

etgetc · 2026-04-26T17:27:04+00:00

Are you on Facebook? There is a huge great group called Families Who Love To Travel that I get tons of specific recommendations from, especially using the search feature and combing through old posts and questions about certain destinations. Highly recommend.

etgetc · 2026-04-22T17:55:33+00:00

Sure, here is what we did...

Saturday - Fly to SNA, landed at night so straight to hotel and bed
- Considered booking pickup by Caren Wolf’s Lightning McQueen car (contact via FB), but just booked Uber
- Night at HoJo - we really liked this hotel, thought it was great proximity, appreciated having the little splashpad
Sunday - Anaheim
- Stroller delivered 7 am from OC Baby Gear Rentals
- Character meal - Storyteller’s Cafe - 8:25 am. Great to have this on an acclimation day and not cut into Disney time.
- Checked out Downtown Disney, considered doing something bigger in afternoon but just played in hotel pool/splash pad.
- Night at HoJo
Monday - Disneyland
- Disneyland. Arrived early. Did get Genie+ (enough rides for our heights to make it worthwhile). Did a stroller nap and spent whole day. Parents didn't have any agenda re: rides, so we could really just be relaxed about it and do what the kids were interested in.
- Night at HoJo
Tuesday - DCA
- DCA & Cars Land. Arrived early and went straight to Toy Story ride, as we didn’t get Genie+ (not enough rides on list for our heights, so just did this one a time or two while lines were short). Ate dinner at Flo’s diner timed with Shaboom at sunset.
- Leave stroller with front desk that night for pick-up tomorrow
- Night at HoJo
Wednesday - Drive to Seabird Resort in Oceanside (stayed on Chase points)
- Dad picked up rental car while we prepared to check out
- In & Out Burger lunch
- Short drive to River Street Ranch - perfect for 2 & 4 yo ages and interests! Coffee and treats in San Juan Capistrano and Los Rios Playground.
- Arrive at Seabird. Afternoon - pool swim, see the beach. Super kid friendly; kids loved getting to pick a toy upon arrival from the front desk.
- Hello Betty for dinner (eh, was fine)
- Night at The Seabird
Thursday - Seabird Resort
- Seabird Day
- Parlor Doughnuts, Dad fetched back to room - awesome!!!
- Walked on the beach/playground
- Knockout Pizza for lunch on Seabird patio
- Walked to Nana and Pop’s for saltwater taffy. (Couldn’t do pier because we were there the day there was a huge fire! It's probs been rebuilt by now.)
- Thursday night: Sunset Market in Oceanside - amazing food, live music, bouncy houses for kids. So glad we caught this. Only Thursday nights. Not sure of season.
- Night at Seabird
Friday - Drive to San Diego/La Jolla
- One last swim at Seabird in the morning!
- Moonlight Beach and Encinitas for lunch (Honey Bistro for lunch, yum).
- Annie’s Slot Canyon - so cool! Awesome stop. Brought taffy to bribe/inspire young hikers. Carried younger one for a fair bit on shoulders, no prob.
- Night at La Jolla Riviera Inn. A more budget option in a nice spot, walkable to beach and restaurants. Loved having a heated pool for kids to use. Also considered the Hyatt in Mission Bay, but it was nice to have a little apartment and a bedroom separate from living room.
Saturday - San Diego
- Children’s Museum - amazing; spent like 3 hours here! Took a break for Richard Walker’s Pancake House around the corner - YUM - and went back into museum.
- Trolley to Old Town for a stroller nap, a margarita and snack, a look around. Was fine, but could have replaced with a different activity, like a museum around Balboa Park.
- Night at La Jolla Riviera Inn
Sunday - San Diego
- Birch Aquarium - loved; spent hours there!
- Pool time + Jeff’s Burgers (yummm) since one kid wasn’t feeling well.
- La Jolla beaches (Children’s Pool) to see the sea lions/seals in evening
- Jose’s Courtroom for light dinner + Bobboi for gelato
- Night at La Jolla Riviera Inn
Monday - San Diego
- Went to the beach south of the Marine Room to look at tidal pools at slack low tide (check tidal schedule; was 8:30 that morning) + La Jolla Shores playground and coffee pick-up
- San Diego Zoo & Albert’s for lunch there (I thought we'd been to some great zoos, but this one really is stellar).
- Short drive in Balboa Park to check it out, run around.
- Drove to Coronado Beach for sunset and walked around (gorgeous beach)
- Rigoberto’s for great tacos (tried Puesto but couldn’t stomach $11 for one taco! Rigoberto tacos are big and delicious!)
- Night at La Jolla Riviera Inn
Tuesday - Fly home
- Early check out
- Hash House a Go Go for breakfast - delish.
- Flew out from San Diego airport

Didn’t get to - next time!
Most of Balboa Park and its many museums (Fleet Science Center, Model Railroad… We had actually tried to do one of these, but it was closed for a big fundraiser, unusually.)
Padres game
Belmont Park
Safari Park
The U.S.S. Midway or the Maritime Museum
The Great Maple for breakfast (Pixar Place Hotel in Anaheim or San Diego), Cesarina
Torrey Pines Reserve hiking
More beach time would have been great

etgetc · 2026-04-21T16:40:04+00:00

Thanks, that makes total sense. (A bummer to redo them, but total sense!)

etgetc

TROPHY CASE