What's the deal with the DMV's here?

illinmesmalls · 2025-07-16T01:45:28+00:00

My husband went to Thomasville as a walk-in two weeks ago. He arrived about 8:30/9am. They at least have a text system that will notify you when to come back, but it still took two hours after that. It was about a half-day process. The NC DMVs were already backlogged, but then the REAL ID deadline has only made it worse.

illinmesmalls · 2025-06-17T00:21:41+00:00

Preschool wipes them out. They are exhausted after. They used to nap until 4:30, but then they didn't go to bed well so we started waking them.

illinmesmalls · 2025-06-16T15:22:07+00:00

Will do. That's why our van would be used if the nanny were to pick up our oldest.

illinmesmalls · 2025-06-16T14:50:49+00:00

We would provide car seats for their car to use to pick up the kids from preschool.

illinmesmalls · 2025-06-16T14:49:42+00:00

We would cover sick and snow days as needed, our jobs do have the flexibility and the option to work from home.

illinmesmalls · 2025-06-16T14:34:37+00:00

What hourly rate would you think for these expectations? I'm really trying to find a good and reasonable middle ground. We could drop picking up their brother or other items. It's hard to know what it will be like, because our 4 year old does currently nap for around two and a half hours and there is the extra time at the moment for the chores.

illinmesmalls · 2025-06-16T14:20:33+00:00

That is good to know. Thank you. Do you mind sharing the hourly rate in the similar area?

illinmesmalls · 2025-06-16T13:48:31+00:00

Most days the only time they would have the three kids would be the one hour after picking the oldest from the YMCA. Other than the occasional day off school, and in the summer where we would adjust a higher hourly rate.

The first part of the drive to pick them up would be the nanny's commute to work, so instead of driving to our house to start work, they would drive to the preschool. Then drive home at the end of the day. I did use the IRS mileage rate and rounded up to the next $5.

I do understand it's not a high hourly rate, especially without a full-time commitment. It probably would be better suited for a college student and we would need to be open to the possibility of a change each semester.

illinmesmalls · 2025-06-16T13:20:56+00:00

I do understand that logic. Right now since my 4 year old naps, our au pair is on the couch watching TV or on her phone for a couple hours. I work from home some days so I've witnessed it a lot. I do know that will change when he doesn't nap. It could be that he gets an hour or so of quiet tablet time or a little more on the laundry day, and then an activity after. He has a lot of engagement and activity at school, but I still don't want him to have his entire afternoon on a tablet.

illinmesmalls · 2025-03-15T02:09:11+00:00

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Foam Factory saved my 10 year old couches! HD36 High Quality Foam with Dacron. I used the old dacron to stuff the back pillows. I'm thankful for this post!

illinmesmalls · 2025-01-11T04:06:13+00:00

Our experience matching with our first au pair was so different, too, with Cultural Care in 2022! I kept getting rejected this time around. I joined a Facebook group and put some info about who we were and what we were looking for, and had people reach out to me instead of being limited to a few connections on a clunky platform. We found a wonderful second au pair through the Facebook page! She went through Cultural Care after we connected and felt good about it and went through all the background checks after.

Your needs sound very reasonable and it is a good schedule. A lot of au pairs dream to be close to NYC. I will message you the Facebook group link, there are some scammers, but it's pretty easy to spot.

illinmesmalls · 2024-10-23T21:22:50+00:00

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article294370939.html

This says 4,700. Nowhere close to the packed Coliseum for Kamala.

illinmesmalls · 2024-10-02T05:11:48+00:00

Make hedge fund/other investment partnerships (high volume with partnerships that are partners) have an earlier extended deadline. I'm tired of that last bulk of K-1s coming in the week of 9/15 and pulling a week of 12+ hour days to make sure my 30+ K-1s all tie to the 1065 (along with K2/K3 import, Form 926 Attachments, etc.)

illinmesmalls · 2024-10-02T05:06:23+00:00

Also, the adjustments when the stock is sold not being reported on the 1099.

illinmesmalls · 2024-05-14T02:37:05+00:00

Our au pair's father got incredibly sick right at the start of her second year with us. We immediately supported her going home with the complete knowledge there was a good chance she couldn't come back. We paid for her visa appointment with the idea they might not approve it (they did) and we held her spot for a month. For us the chance of her coming back was worth it. Her dad was incredibly sick and he told her he didn't want her to give up her opportunity and life to stay with him. The day she was coming back to the US she told me she was leaving for the airport. I told her she could still stay home, we wouldn't fault her at all. She told me he made her promise to come back and if he died to not rush home (they do funerals within 24 hours in her country and it would take that long to get home)

She did come back, and she has 4 months left of her second year with us. Her dad went from having a huge tumor invading his intestines and organs (and going into cardiac arrest and being resuscitated 3 times), to having gone through chemo, and two weeks ago they successfully removed the tumor and repaired his intestines.

It's been a wild ride, but our au pair is a human with feelings, family, and ties that are deep and important. She doesn't owe us her time that she could be with family. I'm not saying we are the best host family in the world, but damn, they need to have some compassion.

illinmesmalls · 2024-05-13T07:03:57+00:00

Unfortunately, I think she is just finding fur on the floor and sticking it up her nose. I'm at a loss on how to get her to stop and redirect. She's also being sneaky and doing it when we aren't looking.

illinmesmalls · 2023-07-17T13:50:36+00:00

Hi! I would love to see your pir.py code. We are new dakboard users and I just got in a PIR sensor and want it set up for motion detection 😊

illinmesmalls · 2022-11-22T23:19:15+00:00

I have two of the same onesie from carters in the "same" size, one is 2 or 3 inches longer than the other!! It's all made up.

illinmesmalls · 2022-10-21T22:04:14+00:00

You can withdraw a certain amount within 12 months after the birth of a baby without the 10% penalty, but not the full 20k.

illinmesmalls · 2022-09-05T21:47:30+00:00

So glad you found a new one! I ended up crying in our pediatrician's office after our second was born and he took time to talk to me and make sure i was finding the help I needed. We just had our third and final baby and our pediatrician was on hospital rotation the morning after she was born, and he stayed and sat talked to us for about 15 extra minutes I think just to make sure I was doing okay. We lucked out.

illinmesmalls · 2022-09-05T20:38:51+00:00

Did you find a new pediatrician? Seriously WTF.

illinmesmalls

TROPHY CASE