Kate L. Mary

I filed my return on January 30th just like I do every year. Typically, it only takes 3 wks to get my money back, but now it's been almost 2 months and I still don't have it. I filed with Turbo Tax (like I do every year). It was a married filing jointly return and we get the EIC every year because my husband is active duty military and he has non-taxable combat pay. It's never been a problem getting our money back before, but I've heard that it's taking longer this year due to some new software the IRS tried to use that didn't work. But I've also heard that they're double-checking anyone with an education credit or EIC since there's been so much fraud. I'm not sure if either is true because I can't find anything online. Whenever we check the IRS website it just says that our return is still being processed.

Anyone have an answer?

I'm working on a query letter to for a YA novel that I wrote and want feedback:

Dear Ms. Agent,

I am querying you because of your interest in YA steampunk novels. I have really enjoyed your blog and have found your posts very helpful. I thought that you may be interested in my novel since I've seen you mention on more than one occasion how much you appreciate strong female protagonists.

Complete at 78,000 words, MOONCHILD is a YA futuristic steampunk novel.

Eighteen year-old Scarlett Moon had to learn how to be tough the hard way. Being orphaned at the age of eleven, she’s spent most of her time since then on the streets, willingly resorting to violence to defend herself on more than one occasion. Living in a time when pirates rule the skies, Progressionist and Luddites fight over the cultivation of technology, and coal mines have been reopened and turned into prison settlements, Scarlett has seen more than her fair share of evil and corruption in her life. Despite all that she’s made a decent life for herself, even if it is on the ruined streets of Athens. She managed to escape the mines and remain at-large for five years, making some pretty good friends in the process. It’s still difficult at times though, especially since her best friend, Rory, was captured and returned to the mines, making Scarlett the only girl left in her little group.

The first time Scarlett meets pirate Asher Kimura, she almost puts a throwing star between his eyes, just so she can wipe the condescending smile off his face. But since he and his men saved her and her friends from being captured she controls herself, something that isn’t typically easy for her to do.

But she’s furious when she finds out that he’s taking her back to Columbus, the one city she never wanted to see again, and to make matters worse the more time she spends with Asher the more irritated and confused she gets. He has her constantly torn between the desire to kiss him and punch him, and sometimes she even wants to do both.

When he tells her about a group of wealthy men who steal girls from the coal mines, auctioning them off to the highest bidder, she enlists Asher’s help. Working side by side with the pirates, Scarlett and her friends set out on a mission to break-up the auction and save Rory before it’s too late.

I plan to write a series of books based on the characters in MOONCHILD, and have already outlined ideas for several more stories. I would compare my novel to the 2002 FOX TV series Firefly. It has sci-fi/steampunk elements, is set in the future, has diverse characters with big personalities as well as elements of the past.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration, I have included the first twenty pages for your review. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Kate

I got a corrected W-2 in the mail the other day from my husband's employer. This is the first time this has ever happened so I just want to be sure that I am filing correctly. On the corrected the form only 2 boxes (1 and 12) have numbers in them. The other boxes are blank. Does this mean that the numbers on the original for all other boxes are correct? I'm assuming that is the case but just want to double check. Thanks anyone for advice!

My husband and I have 4 kids and I'm a SAHM. My husband is fantastic and understands that sometimes I just need a break. He never complains about watching the kids and often encourages me to go out. Recently I went out to breakfast with some other moms and most of them had their children with them. When they asked where my kids were I said, at home with their dad. One mom said, "Wow! I feel bad leaving 1 child with my husband!" I seem to get this response a lot from other moms, that husbands are just unwilling to watch their children or feel like they are doing their wife a favor by "babysitting." I just don't really understand this mentality at all-he's their father too. Why is it okay for me to stay home and watch 4 kids by myself all the time but not for him? What do other moms think about this?

Just wanted to ask a question and get an idea of what other people's opinions are on the subject. My oldest just finished kindergarten so he is now at the age where he is getting invited to birthday parties that my other kids are not invited to. The big problem is that my husband is away most of the time and I have 2 (soon to be 3 other kids). The baby isn't an issue right now, I could take her and it wouldn't be a big deal-but I also have a 3 1/2 year old. If my husband were home I would just take my son and the other kids could stay home-but I can't count on him being home because that pretty much never happens lately. So, what do you think? Ask the person throwing the party about bringing my 3 year old also or ask about just dropping my son off for the party and not staying? I don't want to pay for a babysitter for a birthday party, but generally people don't drop kids off at parties at this age. What does everyone else think about this? What would you think is appropriate if you were the one throwing the party? I know birthday parties are expensive and sometimes the parents may not have enough money for one more or enough space if it is at their home so I don't want to just assume that it's okay to bring an extra child.

I recently started using a new baby sitter and she told me that when the baby cried (she's 4 months old) and she tried to get her the cat jumped at her and hissed. We've had this cat for 7 1/2 years and he's never hissed at a person (other then the vet). He's very friendly and playful usually. This is our third baby and he never acted protective before, but it is someone he doesn't know and things are a little different since my husband is deployed. I've never heard of a cat being protective of a baby, but I guess it's possible. I know dogs do that kind of stuff, but cats usually just don't care enough.

Anyone heard of this happening? I can't figure out why else he would hiss at her.

I want to take my son to see the movie tomorrow but I wanted to be sure it wasn't anymore violent then the first one. He's 5 and he likes the first one, but I just wanted to be sure that it was similar to that first before I took him. Anyone seen it yet?

Okay, does anyone have a child who went through a phase where they were scared of monsters and didn't want to go to bed at night? My daughter has had this problem the past 4 nights and I don't know what to do! She's 2 1/2 and she tells me she doesn't want to go to bed because she's scared of monsters. As soon as I put her to bed and close the door she's immediately up and out of bed opening the door, when I put her back she cries hysterically! On one hand, I hate to hear her cry and I feel awful that she's scared, but I can't do this every night! After 20-30 times of picking her up and putting her back in bed I start to get mad. Her poor brother is getting neglected because it's taking me so long to get her to bed every night that I can't read him books or anything because I'm still trying to get her to sleep. The only way I could get her to sleep tonight is by sitting on the floor next to her bed until she fell asleep. I need some way to reassure her that she doesn't need to be scared. Anyone have an tips?

Oh, and she has two night lights in her room now and a CD player for music but she doesn't want it on at night. I've tried talking to her and telling her there are no monsters but I guess she doesn't believe me.

Seriously, I come on here trying to find someone else who may have gone through a similar situation so I can get some advice and I have a bunch of 16 year olds answering my questions! I want other mom's who have have actually raised kids! I don't want some kid who watches their 5 year old cousin one a month telling me what to do! Sorry, pregnancy hormones suck!

It doesn't happen all the time, but occasionally my cat will go through a phase where he goes around licking random things in the house. He won't do it for awhile and then suddenly he wakes us up at night licking the wall or something else in our room. It drives me nuts when he does it because we yell at him and tell him to stop but as soon as we go back to sleep he's at it again! What exactly is he doing when he licks the baby bouncer or a bag that I left out?

We had a new house built and they finished in December so when they laid the sod it was dormant (we live in South Carolina). I started watering it as soon as it started getting warmer but it looks awful. Mostly what we have in our yard are patches of dry dead looking "grass," weeds and patches of dirt. There are also many areas where you can see the green netting very clearly. We put down fertilizer twice and weed killer but it just doesn't seem to be coming back. I think that the company that built our house should replace my sod, but I wanted to check the internet before I had them come out to take a look at it. We have one strip in our backyard that looks okay-there's actually grass-but the rest looks awful which makes me think that there was something wrong with the sod to begin with. I do know that the day they put ours down they also did another house down the street (their yard looks fine) so I didn't know if maybe our sod was done last and was laying around for awhile if it may have died before they put it down. Any suggestions?

I was just reading Coach's bio on CBS.com and I was wondering if he wrote it himself or if someone at CBS did? I just don't believe a lot of the stuff he says and it's on his bio! It also says that he holds the world record for the longest solo Kayak trip at 6,132 miles. But I found a site that says a guy named Paul Caffyn kayaked more than 9,000 miles in 1980 and 1981. (According to Jeff Moag, editor of Canoe & Kayak Magazine) So what's the truth? Does anyone know if they lie on the Survivor bios?

I can't believe there is actually a book but there is! He did not write it like he claimed on the show, but the book is out there written by someone else based on Coach's journals from his trip. It doesn't make me believe his story any more then I did before, but it's pretty funny that someone did. The reviews are not good and most of the people who read it and left a review didn't believe his tall tales either. I found this pretty funny!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1432712349

I just found this article about Coach that tells how he was fired from his coaching job for not telling the school that he was leaving for 2 months! He said he would be gone for a week and then never came back! Now he's saying that he's going to get into acting and have his own TV show! This guy is seriously insane!!

http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/-survivor-tocan...

The last paragraph in this story is so Coach!!! He sure thinks a lot of himself, he's definitely not acting on the show!!

http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/s...

I know that I'm going to get some negative comments for this, but is anyone else just tired of American Idol? I used to like it but now it just doesn't interest me anymore. I tape it every week, watch the singing, fast forward through most of it and I'm jut not impressed most of the time. It has gotten really boring. I don't think I'll watch it next year at all. Anyone else tired of it?

Every time they show that Andrea is 30 it shocks me! She looks so old! I'm 29 and she looks about 10 years older then me. Does anyone else think that she looks really old? I would have guess around 40.

Every time they show that Andrea is 30 it shocks me! She looks so old! I'm 29 and she looks about 10 years older then me. Does anyone else think that she looks really old? I would have guess around 40.

When Coach told Sierra (while she was begging for her life) that everyone on the show had lied but him, did anyone else find that funny? I mean, this is the guy who was air dropped by a military helicopter into the amazon and captured...and he hasn't lied?

I also found it funny when he said that he could bench press 300 pounds...I find that hard to believe. For such a strong guy he sure sucks at challenges. If he can bench press 300 pounds he must be all muscle because he's almost as skinny as Tyson!

What an idiot!

What the heck!? Don't people read the questions before they post? How many questions are there on here asking who went home and who you want to win! It's driving me insane!

Was anyone else annoyed by what Kristin said on the Biggest Loser before they went in to the vote? She made the comment to the camera about how Mike could take the "coward's way out" and vote for her, or he could "be a man for once in his life" and keep her in. I thought that was ridiculous! First, be a man for once in his life, he's 18 years old! He's still a kid and maybe one day he'll look back and think he should have made a different choice, but he's a teenager still and teens are usually pretty selfish. Secondly, there were several times on the show when she voted base on who was the biggest threat, so why is it okay for her to vote that way but not for Mike to? I was just annoyed by the comment.