Hang in there OP. I will keep Happy Thoughts for you guys that you get it all worked out without too much more stress. I had to help my dad get his birth certificate copy when he turned 65. He had no clue where he was born and there was no one left or ask and his memory was not so great. Google was super helpful as was a clerk at the VA. Turned out his mom had lied about his age so he could go into WW2 with his older brother and we would never have figured it out. Hang in there, OP!

I never did it. It ventures a bit too close to cannibalism for my comfort. i have never met anyone who ever did it - not even in pill form - but I have read that it is done occasionally. I am not convinced there can be much physical benefit from the practice. I have never met or even read about anyone who ever admitted to being a practitioner of Lotus Birth. I suspect most medical practitioners - even very organic and crunchy ones - would be deeply opposed to the practice as being reckless and dangerous. I am pretty sure keeping my lovely new baby attached to a decomposing hunk of flesh for 3-10 days would send me mentally over the edge and I’d be hacking it loose with a kitchen knife. Yuck.

Yes - ages 9-11 is when “I” had to start working s lot harder to get social stuff set up for DD17. Before that, she was happy playing with other kids at the park. What I did was to sign her up for Everything for a while and see what stuck. Battle of the books, art classes, even tutoring (which she didn’t really need). Classes at the museum and on Saturdays. Library programs and science center. OP - I would check yourself to make sure you aren’t limiting your more social twin’s outings to fit around her sister’s needs. I apologize if that sounds harsh, but they are probably at the age where It’s OK to do separate things and you need to encourage that. Maybe she needs a sport or activity that she can do that is Just Hers and that takes her out of the house 2-3 days a week. When DD was that age, I found I had been doing just that - tailoring our activities for her older brothers needs for routine and quiet. I had to make a conscious effort to get DD involved in things outside our house - in her case skiing and music - where she could be with other Non-sibling kids.

I tipped $20 each to the guys who carried our heavy bedroom set and set it up in the upstairs bedroom. I did not tip the appliance delivery guys who just dropped off the boxes in my garage.

Priorities for me in a house: More than one bathroom Storage for seasonal gear (like my skis) Garage parking for me (the others can fend for themselves) thats really it. Everything else can be worked around.

Our company moved from 1st/15th to biweekly because it matches the standard accounting practice for our industry. There could be a variety of reasons, but for the most part these types of changes are driven from a financial point of view.

We just went through something similar a few months ago. Changing from 1st/15th pay days to binweekly. Our company offered sessions for employees to help them plan how to change over bills and to adjust to the new pay cycle.

Our dental insurance paid some - maybe the first $1000. It really varies depending on your coverage. Our dentist offered a budget-billing plan that let us pay off the remainder over a period of time. I opted to pay half the remainder up front and pay the rest over the next six months. I put it on autopay and budgeted to cover it. Total was about $5000, but that was four years ago.

What breed? Or is the little darling a mix? i would probably name him Spot. DD17 prefers household objects for pet names and recommends Hammer. What a cutie!,,,

It would depend on what she was escaping from by being in her room all day. You know your household - I would work on figuring out what benefit she is getting by being alone in her room. My kids did go through a phase where they wanted privacy and to be away from their siblings. They were not unhappy - they just needed to be away from the noise. Talk to her and find out what is driving her into seclusion - but if it makes sense and she is happy, then my advice is to let her be.

DD17 drove my truck last year to prom with her two girl friends. But if we had the situation you describe, I would have put on my chauffeur cap and driven the three of them. Then hung out in a coffee shop with a book until they said they were done. Bad or scary roads? Meh - why take chances?

@SKL your girls are adorable! And I also believe that double strollers like yours do not cause issues in the parks. My negative experience was with the oversized ones with the metal frames - and mostly with their drivers. For the record, Disney has stated that the rule changes on strollers and stroller wagons do not apply to the accommodations they provide for guests with disabilities. Adaptive strollers and other devices will still be welcome in the parks.

Due to some business trips, I just did DisneyLand and DisneyWorld in the same week. The worst thing in both parks? Not the lines. Not the crowds. Nope - it was the huge strollers. They clog up the path ways and run into people and stop in the middle of the road and block traffic flow. Parents get tired and lose track of their manners and social cues and get distracted. And no - this is not a problem with wheelchairs, just strollers. Personally I would outlaw all double-wide strollers in the crowds as a danger.

If you are set on a bug eater, how about a nice lizard? On the other hand, Second hand snakes are a real thing. Often kids are heading off to college, etc and need to rehome their pet. That’s how DD17 got started - she found a corn snake being sold for $50 with all its gear. The snake has always eaten F/T (frozen/thawed) and had been handled on a regular basis. - important things if you are looking to have one Most days, Sneaky Snake hangs out in DD17s sweatshirt pocket or hood. He has outgrown his original tank and is over 5 foot long with a new big setup that takes up a big chunk of my living room.

I am a naturally messy person who learned to be neat. DH is a naturally uber-neat person who has relaxed his standard as over time, lol. My two cents - mess happens because of out-of-sight, out-of-mind. Mess stays around because it’s more overwhelming to clean it up than to ignore it. I had to force myself into new habits of Right Noe - get up from a chair and put my dishes in the sink Right Now. Take off clothes and put them into the hamper or hang them up Right Now.. When I clean a room, I break it up into physical small pieces and do one small piece at a time. But learning this stuff was HARD. Pick one thing. Maybe dishes - work on it together with the whole family. Build one habit together and when a whole day goes with no dirty dishes left out, then have a celebration. Start Small and build on it.

You have asked a question that is very dependent on Corporate Culture. The labor laws surrounding paying exempt (and non-exempt) employees vary from state to state in the US. i have worked for companies that were Butt-in-the-Chair Culture. Salaried employees were expected to be visible doing their jobs 8-5 with no more than 2 breaks and an hour for lunch (preferably eaten at their desk while they work). Every hour had to be accounted for, usually in 15 minute blocks. Your example person would have had to use their sick leave. i have worked for companies so fiexible that it was hard to tell who worked there. Salaried employees wandered in and out during the day and only tracked vacation time if you were gone more than 3 work days in a row. Your example person would have just got paid their normal amount on pay day. My current employer is somewhere in between. We flex time hours here and there as needed, have a very generous leave policy, and just let our boss know if we are not in the office. If someone was being a jerk about skiving out of the work load, as manager I would have to talk to them. If I need to step out, it’s on me to find someone to cover for me while I’m not available - my boss or another manager - and in turn, I do the same for them. I like it - having the flexibility to run out to a dentist appointment when I need to during the day makes it easier for me to concentrate on my job. At my company, the example person would probably have ended up using a Half Day of Leave on their time card. More than one answer can be correct here, depending on the company culture and accounting rules.

I’ve made this suggestion before, but rashguards and board shorts have changed our lives here. Forgiving on a variety of shapes, reduced area for sunburn problems and they Look Cool. We live in the land of Winter Darkness, but DD17 travels a lot in the summer and is in and out of pools and lakes and oceans most weeks. Quick-dry is a great thing. We just order them from Amazon.

I hear your pain. I suppose one course of action would be to figure out if you owe them any money at this point and send them a letter with a check. Then find another contractor to finish the job. Or - if it is worth it to wait another year to get this project done, then just keep on the current path. In my experience, contractors are generally good for one major job. Then, their attention is gone off to new horizons.

Ear piercing on a kid (boy or girl) who is old enough to do the after care themselves? No problem. I think it looks fine. My family has some tradition of girls having ears pierced very young (like infant) but I skipped that because I’m too lazy to do the aftercare on the ears. Diapers were enough work.

Not just ratio of dollars spent vs dollars returned, but they also consider replacement orders made within a short period of time as well as whether you handled your return without contacting an agent. Returning a shirt and ordering a different size or color or style shortly after? That’s sort of a wash in the ratings. Returns on electronics - definitely Bad. Try to return electronics very often and you WILL be terminated as an amazon customer.

I have these Skecher Mary Jane style walking shoe. Super comfortable if I a, on my feet all day or waking 25K steps at a conference. Works with skirts, slacks or jeans. Definitely 4 season though I have some snow boots for getting to-from the car when we get lots of snow. https://www.amazon.com/Skechers-Sport-Womens-Breathe-Lucky/dp/B01B64AOHC/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Skechers+Mary+Jane&qid=1552920439&s=apparel&sr=1-2

Both shoulders (not at the same time). To echo some others: Sleep in the recliner - sitting up reduces swelling ice machine. Oh I loved my ice machine. And do the PT if you want your range of motion back you have to work for it Floor grabber - or have a smal child handy all the time - to pick up things off the floor for you. Bending over can HURT!! Slip on shoes and other clothing that is easy to do. Bras may be an issue for a while if they press down on your shoulder. I moved to layered tank tops during this time. Good Luck!!!

Been there done that with 4 teen drivers. If i lived super-rural with no one on the roads? Maybe. But we are urban/suburban and my teens followed the laws or didn’t drive. Including the No Untelated Teens in the Car law. Distraction is a dangerous thing.

Fruit of the Loom Breathable undies. These work great for (sweaty) workouts and stay put without sliding around. They are also quick-dry for hiking/travel. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VTVEXFC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

We do soup and sandwiches, breakfast burritos, spaghetti and meatballs, tacos, take-and-bake stuff like pizzas and lasagna. lots of fresh fruit for snacking. Oatmeal, pancakes, fettucini alfredo (with sauce from a jar).