Who really qualifies for Stimulus?

Since the Krall kids are numbers people, they have been watching the discussions of the Stimulus Package with some interest. On the one hand, the designation for who gets what seems fairly clear. On the other hand, there appears to be a long list of ways people don't qualify, might qualify, might get something more than nothing but not everything, might get it in three weeks, or maybe three months, will get it but probably don't need it, won't get it but definitely do need it -- the possibilities are endless.

In our household, we think Tim and Caroline will get checks without any further action on their part. They have both filed taxes for 2018 and 2019, with direct deposit, and are over 18. While we are fully supporting our college students at home during this time, those checks will replace the income lost by them when they left campus. All of our kids have campus jobs through the Federal Work Study program. Not only did they lose that employment by leaving campus, their jobs in the restaurant industry at home are not exactly begging them to take shifts. So, no income from working, potential stimulus checks, looks like a zero sum game for them.

Sabine qualifies for nothing. She is 17, and while she will file taxes for 2019, with direct deposit, there is nothing she can do about her age. 17 years old is in the no man's land of no stimulus, as the dependent checks only go up to age 16. I'm not precisely sure what message we are sending to the 17 year olds of the country -- you are too old for money, but also too young for money? Is age 17 the year where it costs your parents nothing to support you? Because I have some receipts tucked away in my files that would suggest otherwise . . .

Now for Linnea . . . you knew there had to be an entertaining story ahead involving her, didn't you?

Linnea did not file taxes last year, but was to file for 2019, and is over 18. In fact, as far as we knew, she had already filed, since we heard rumors of when it was on her list of tasks. A couple of days ago, as the stimulus details began to emerge, we had this conversation:

Mom: "Linnea, you filed your 2019 taxes, right?"
Linnea: "NOOOO!! Was I supposed to have done that already? I didn't do it, and you aren't helping me! I don't know what to do!!
Mom: "I thought you said you were going to get Caroline to help you when she visited in February? Or over spring break? I mean, I can answer questions, but we don't help Tim and Caroline do their taxes."
Linnea: "NOOO!! I haven't done it! Is it too late?" (March 26)
Mom: "Of course it's not too late, but you need to get it done, in case you qualify for the stimulus check by doing it. Plus, April 15th is coming up." (I know there is an extension, but really, Linnea can't get it done in the regular timeframe? Of course she can!)
Linnea: "How do I do this? I need help! Can someone help me this weekend?"
Dad: "We'll get Tim and Caroline to help you. You'll use Turbo Tax, it will be easy."
Linnea: "Are you sure it will be easy? Turbo Tax is on the computer? They will help me?"
Mom and Dad: Sigh.

Saturday morning, Linnea has her computer, her tax documents, and the help of both her older siblings. Her parents are in the next room, because, trust me, we did not want to miss this!

Linnea: "Okay, I'm ready. Are you ready? What do I do?"
Tim: "You know you are lucky, you get to use Turbo Tax. The first time I did mine, I used paper forms."
L: "Are paper forms better? Should I do that? How do I find Turbo Tax?"
Caroline: "Google"
L: "Okay, I found it, what do I do now?"
C (feel free to insert an eye roll with any and all statements at any time): "Click start"
L: "Okay, I did that. Now what?"
T: "Read the questions and answer them."
L: "Wait!! It wants my social security number!! I can't type that into the computer, it isn't safe!!"
C: "Well, you can't pay your taxes without putting it in, so . . . "
L: "But what if someone steals my identity? This is bad, this is very bad."
T: "It's going to be fine, type it in."
L: "Okaaayyyyy . . . "

I'll spare you every detail of the personal information section. You can let your imagination run wild. Then we come to the real questions . . .

L (reading out loud): "Are you a veteran? No, right?"
T: "Right"
L: "Are you a citizen? Yes. Did someone else claim you as a dependent? No? Yes? DAD!!!! Have you ever blah, blah, blah, filed under a different name blah, blah blah, committed a crime, blah blah blah, claimed something about something, blah, blah, blah. I DON'T UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS!!"
C: "You know, if you don't understand the question, the answer is probably no."
L: "Really? Are you sure?"
C: "I'm sure."
L: "Are you blind?"
C: "Did you just read that question?"
L: "Yes"
C: "Then, no. You are not blind."
L: "Phew."

There was much continued angst about entering things like email addresses and bank numbers, because Linnea is sure her identity is about to be stolen. Then, quite a bit of exasperation from her siblings about what constitues a very strong password. And, this . . .

T: "Okay, you've done Federal, now you have to add Minnesota and New York."
L: "WHAT?? I have to do this THREE times?"
T: "Well, no, it is the same thing, just a little extra info for the state return."
L: Sigh.
C: "State is pretty easy, I can help with New York."
L: "Was any of your income earned in Yonkers? Yonkers? What is Yonkers?"
C: "If you don't know what it is, the answer is no. There is something weird about local taxes in Yonkers."
L: "But where is it? And how do you know this? I'll never know everything I need to know about all this stuff!"
C: "You are doing fine."
L: "It's BROKEN! It says I owe 43 dollars!!!"
T: "Yeah, dude."

Finally, the questions in the preparer section . . .

Linnea: "Are you filling this out for Linnea who has died?"
Caroline: "No. But I will be . . ."

It's Puzzle Competition Day!!

We love puzzles here. One of Tim's favorite toys as a toddler was a wooden state puzzle, which he called the "Texas," since that was the biggest piece. Everything is bigger in Texas! As these people are excessively competitive, they have, of course, developed a puzzle competition. Originally done with a set of four 300 piece American Girl puzzles, we have moved on to 750 piece Thomas Kincaid Disney ones. While we now own about ten different options, the puzzle competition involves the first four we purchased. The current tournament is in Round 3. Each person has to do each puzzle, and there is some complicated math to determine who will actually be the winner. Place plus time plus degree of difficulty plus some ratio developed by Tim? I'm confused by the whole thing myself! Round 3 was initially scheduled for Memorial Weekend, when everyone was going to be home between college and summer jobs. Imagine the excitement when it got moved up to today!

After two rounds, the current standings seem to be Caroline in first, or maybe Linnea? That puts Tim in third, but maybe he's in second? Sabine is last. She is usually last. She has a good attitude about it, which is pretty amazing, but the whole game seems to be set up against her. Back in the day, her American Girl puzzle was definitely the hardest. And she was the youngest and least experienced puzzler. And she usually had to do hers sitting on the floor because we didn't have enough table surfaces. Add in a little chronic pain, and a really strange -- to the rest of us -- puzzle doing method, she is in a tough spot. And in Round 3? She has to do Tangled.

No one wants to do Tangled. Love the movie, and Rapunzel is my personal favorite fairytale, but the puzzle? So, so hard. A dark sky, a dark lake, and a plethora of yellow lanterns. The contest started by drawing the puzzle choices out of a hat.

Tim -- " Nooooooo!! I got Tangled! Nooo!! I have no chance!" Then later, as he psyched himself up -- "Alright, this is good. Tangled first. Get it out of the way. I can pick up my ranking with Beauty and the Beast later. No problem!"

Caroline -- "It doesn't matter which puzzle I get. I will win. I am the best puzzler."

Linnea -- "No! I'm the best! I will win. Caroline is not the best. And I will prove it by being first every round. Caroline will not beat me. Ever. What? I have to do Tangled in Round 2? Nooo!!! I will not win that round! I have to winnnn!!!!"

Sabine -- "I'm going to come in last. Give me Tangled next. It doesn't matter. I will finish last. Let's get it over with."

60 minutes in, at the first break? Sabine has the border done. That's it. Poor kid.

House Rules vs. Real Rules

7 Day a Week Rules

House Rule #1 -- Parents will be respected.
Real Rule #1 -- Parents will be acknowledged as being parents, with some level of older, wiser insights leading to occasional sensible requests, thoughts, plans or ideas that may or may not be accepted as reasonable by the adult age children. Also, the parents own the house and cars, and have funds available for any and all purchases, so if you want anything, maybe they do actually get respected. Most of the time.

House Rule #2 -- Projects will be completed if requested.
Real Rule #2 -- Sure. If someone else can't be convinced to do it first. Or, if I remember. And don't have something else pressing to do first. I guess.

House Rule #3 -- Meals will be prepared if requested.
Real Rule #3 -- Wait, cook enough for everyone? Like, right now?

House Rule #4 -- All rooms in house will be kept at a reasonable level of cleanliness.
Real Rule #4 -- In all fairness, have you been to our house? It was never meant for this many adults to be in it all the time, trying to work, relax and eat with no way to escape. It's nuts. Plus, Sabine is used to having a whole floor to herself, and she does not lean towards tidiness!

House Rule #5 -- Dish/kitchen clean up assigned by day
Real Rule #5 -- Not too bad so far, except 6 people for 7 days . . . "Team" dish day is a struggle. See above under Real Rule#2.

Monday thru Friday Rules

House Rule #1 -- All family members will appear on the first floor by 9:00 AM
Real Rule #1 -- All family members will appear on the first floor by 9:30 PM. Plus, why Friday? We don't have class Fridays, really it is Monday thru Thursday. But, yeah, okay, I guess. What? 9:00 AM? Not 9:30 PM? Really? Are you sure?

House Rule #2 -- All family members will shower and dress as per normal
Real Rule #2 -- You know that thing in college dorms where 27 people share 3 shower stalls, and one drain is always clogged so it is really 2 shower stalls? It turns out that shower per normal happens at some strange times . ..

House Rule #3 -- Family Breakfast sometime between 9 and 10, Family Lunch around noon, Family Dinner sometime after 5.
Real Rule #3 -- Are you kidding? These people eat! Right on schedule!

There are things more important than toilet paper

When staying at home with a family of six adults, toilet paper has its place in the list of necessities. It is not, however, the only necessity! In no particular order, here are a few things that must be rationed, shared, increased, created, fixed, found, or encouraged  . . .

Faster internet

A good vacuum cleaner

Dishwasher detergent

Positive attitudes

M & Ms (see the 2014 blog entries!)

A bigger house

Bathrooms 

A plentiful yarn stash



Then there are the things we don't really need . . .

More than one car

Bickering

Things you hear in my house

"Who finished the puzzle already? I only got to put in a few pieces!!"

"I'm picking the next puzzle!"

"Who picked that puzzle?"

"I hate that puzzle!"

"How is that puzzle already finished? We just started it!"

"Did you wash your hands?"

"But she never has to . . . do the dishes, laundry, trash, vacuum, set the table, go to the store . . ."

"Use headphones!"

"It's my turn to pick the movie!"

"No one wants to watch my movie!"

"Why do I have to sit on the floor every time we watch a movie?"

"Wash your hands"

"We are out of . . ."

"Put it on the list"

"But, I got up early to go to the grocery store last time!!"

"Shh! Dad's on a call!"

"Dad is always on a call"

"Is Dad on a call?"

"MOM!!"

" YES! I washed my hands!!"

"Woohoo, I won at Solitaire!"

"How much longer do you think we'll be stuck here?"

"I got another update from Villanova...St. Lawrence...Rochester...SPPS..."

"Did you just come inside? Wash your hands!"

There is Good News . . .

My kids all know how to grocery shop!

I wonder how they learned? 😂