We’re still planning on taking our trip that is end of September/beginning of October. We do have an overnight on a train (I can’t fly) but I booked us a bedroom with bathroom, so unless Amtrak cancels we’re going. Honestly, if Amtrak were to cancel we would just drive ourselves. I did purchase us a travel air purifier for the train and hotel rooms. Most of everything we’ve planned can be outside except the days we are staying at in laws house. We haven’t seen them in a few years and they want us to come no matter what so we are going.

When we lived there we always went to the beach at Anastasia State Park. It’s a small fee per car to get in but it was never as crowded as the other beaches, so would be easy to stay distanced.

Update I just wanted to update this since there is so much discussion out there regarding vaccine injuries, but dh’s issue is actually his spine. The doctor finally ordered several MRI’s after nothing was working but the pain was getting worse and includes most of the arm now. Poor dh’s back has always had some issues but it’s actually a mess. The timing of the vaccine was just a weird coincidence. We’ll find out soon if he has to have surgery (of course, Covid might delay it) but it’s looking that way.

Our plans haven’t changed. We’re still planning on taking our trip this fall and we move both dc into their college apartments in less than a month. Our trip is to see in laws that we haven’t seen in over two years. They want us to come no matter what so we are still going. Both college dc really need to be back to in person classes, especially Ds who is a senior. Hopefully, nothing changes in regards to in person classes on campus. We are masking when indoors again (we had stopped for a bit) and aren’t eating inside anymore, but other than that nothing has changed for us. We’re all vaccinated and rather healthy though.

It’s wild there is so much fluctuation. We’ve had several houses here sold in the past two months and we’re putting ours on the market the end of September. Ours is listed as 315,000 (Zillow), 270,000 (Realtor), and 290,000 (Redfin). Based on what’s been selling, I feel ours would go for about 300 so Redfin is closest. I guess so much of this is area specific and what/how much has been selling there.

Redfin has been the most accurate for houses selling in my neighborhood. I think it’s pretty accurate for our home too and seems to be in the middle of Zillow and Realtor.

We had a lot of trouble finding non conservative homeschoolers where we lived. One group thought those play stick on tattoos were the mark of the beast. 😳 It was lonely, which is why we stopped after fifth grade and they started ps for middle school.

Ds thinks homeschooling was an awful decision but he still told us the above. I worried a lot about how he would perceive things as an adult but as he’s gotten older things have actually been great.

The last time I was in a room with my brother and his adult child, she skipped over introducing her boyfriend to my dc and instead introduced him to the family dog. She never acknowledged my dc at all. That was honestly the beginning of the end with my family because I haven’t seen my brother since. Then, things went south with my sister. Then, my mom got upset that I don’t have a relationship with either sibling so things are over with her too. I don’t get how people can be so cruel and expect no fallout.

Ds had something scary happen this past week. He’s fine but it did spark a conversation where he told us that he was so thankful that he had “home”. That he was able to be 100% himself here and he knew no matter where we all ended up that he would always have “home”. It made me realize I never had that until I met dh. My parents and siblings were not a group I could ever truly be myself with because nothing I did was ever right or good enough. It’s obviously why I packed up my car at 20 and moved 1000 miles away. So, I’m glad that we were able to at least give that to our dc. I’m not sure if most kids grow up thinking they can be themselves with their family of origin but I sure didn’t. I didn’t really ever have to tell my dc anything about my family because they watched it all happen. Dh and both dc have apparently hated how my mom and siblings have treated me for as long as they can remember. I just took a bit longer to catch on.

Ds had one at urgent care about two weeks ago and it was fully covered. We only paid for the office visit.

I’m excited!!! Both dc were supposed to be off at school this past fall but Covid changed things. They will both be moved into their own places by mid August this year though and dh and I are ready. We are all close and we will still see them super often but we are excited to just be the two of us again.

I don’t think there’s anything healthy with a generation of people who stick by their parents no matter what just because they’re family. I’m from that generation and grew up super close to all of my family. I played that game for so long and all it’s done is damage. Now that I’ve been able to actually step away from my family, I’ve been able to be honest about them and they’re not great. There’s a whole list of things at this point that I know weren’t ok but I’ve always just let go because she’s my mom. Nothing shifted for me until she started treating my dc the way she treated me. I was able to instantly know it wasn’t ok and as a parent I wasn’t going to allow it. There are many things I can write off as her just doing her best and not knowing better but there are too many things that she definitely knew were wrong and hurtful and just didn’t care. She seems to be all about an image she’s created at this point and I’m supposed to keep quiet on family things cause they’re private, and that’s what I was always told growing up. Now I think there was more to keeping quiet about many things because she just knew they were wrong. Are this point we have no relationship solely because my adult dc don’t want a relationship with them. They’ve tried to guilt me into manipulating my dc to talk to them again. There’s nothing healthy about that. They also apparently don’t actually care about me at all if they don’t want a relationship with me that doesn’t include my dc.

So much of this resonated with me. My relationship with my mom was so much better when we lived 1000 miles apart. We would visit each other and spend intentional time together but now that we live close it’s all messed up. Also, the texting! Not with me, but with my young adult dc. She wants to text them whenever and whatever she wants and expects a reply immediately, then gets upset when they don’t. It’s weird and doesn’t help things for her with her grandkids. And, my mom isn’t that old (still works full time, travels, etc) and knows better.

I’ve allowed myself to be cut off from my mom and siblings. My childhood was fine but we don’t get along at all as adults. I finally stopped being the family doormat this year. My mom called me a month ago to yell at me and then hung up, and we haven’t spoken since. I know they are all waiting for me to reach out and make amends (to keep the peace because that’s what I’ve always done in the past) but I’m not doing it this time. I’m also 100% positive that the story they are telling isn’t the truth and is probably something like the OP - that I’ve cut them out and they are victims. I don’t care enough to set it straight and have decided anyone worth having in my life will reach out to me for the truth. Also, I’m not saying the OP story isn’t accurate just that I know my family is probably saying something similar.

Our state tracks breakthrough cases on their vaccine dashboard. Vaxxed are .095% of cases and .005% of hospitalizations. We broke 1000 new cases today for the first time in a while and the dashboard says 86.7% of our cases right now are Delta. We only have around 46% of people here vaccinated and I really don’t understand why so many are still choosing not to have it. Some schools here start this week and I’m just hoping it doesn’t get truly awful.

We’re going to get ours the beginning of September this year because dh and I are planning on traveling to visit his parents the end of September. So, with everything else going on we thought we’d do them a bit early this year. In the past, it has depended on where we lived. In FL, we waited until Nov/Dec (the only time I’ve had the flu was in FL in May). Here in the Midwest, I usually get them late Sept/early Oct.

It seems to be an age thing here (it’s really conservative overall here). The largest population age group shows to be the 20-29 year olds but their vaccination rate is just above 30%. According to age groups, we don’t even hit 50% vaccinated until the 50+ groups. Our 12-15 years old are the least with under 20% vaxxed.

My dh’s boss, in his late 40s, has been fully vaxxed since April (Pfizer) and currently has Covid. It’s mild, he hasn’t needed any medical attention, and he hasn’t spread it to anyone in his family, who are also vaxxed. He was on a road trip with his kids when he started feeling sick but still none of them have caught it. He also had just gone back to work in the office, no masks because only vaxxed employees are allowed back, and so far no one has tested positive.

We’ve been the only ones masking inside stores here for the past few weeks. At first, it seemed more were masking after the mandate ended but now no one is (not the employees, elderly, or young kids). Our vax rate is still below 50%. Schools here resume over the next two to three weeks (it’s early here) so it will be interesting to see what happens. As far as I can tell there is no mask requirement at all anymore in the schools. My dc return to college next month, but vaccines are required and if you are exempt you have to continue masking and testing.

I don’t see us locking down again. There are definitely some things that make me uneasy after the past year but I’m trying to push past them. Dh and I actually went to Chicago for the weekend (rode the train, dealt with crowds, etc). We met up with friends who live there for drinks and were out late, which was a first since this all started. It was so very needed! Both dc are headed back to college in the fall and will be fully participating in campus life. We’re all vaccinated and I hope we don’t get sick but I do think we have to figure out a way to live with Covid because I don’t think it’s going anywhere.

I would want my mom to have my back. The interesting thing is I know my mom would always take her mom/dad’s side. Part of the reason I am the way I am with my dc is because of how I ranked with my mom in regards to her parents. This is actually really interesting for me at the moment. My mom probably thinks I’m supposed to have her back because she would have taken her parents side over me. I don’t know what to do with it but it’s definitely something to think over.

So, things have been a bit weird for a few months but I thought my mom and I had hashed things out three months ago and were moving past it all. We just had lunch together a week ago and things seemed back to normal. Then, a few days ago she called and brought it all back up and ended up hanging up on me (first time that’s happened). She’s angry my young adult dc don’t want a relationship with her right now and somehow it’s my fault. They have valid reasons and she of course has valid reasons for being upset. But none of this is actually about me! She won’t even talk with them directly about this, she just calls me and gets angry. I was hurt months ago but this time I’m just really angry. She’s my mom and I love her but I’m ticked off that my relationship with her seems to hinge on her relationship with my kids (who are both adults now!). Has anyone else had this issue? I don’t know what to do next?!? Do I just wait for her to contact me or do I reach out. We live less than 10 minutes away from each other. We moved here six years ago to be close to her. Is this just it? I’m not going to apologize because I have nothing to apologize for so I’m not sure how to proceed. I go back and forth on even wanting a relationship at this point but that makes me feel like an awful person.

Housing is tricky at dc’s university as well. They’ve had a lot of trouble with older dorms so off campus housing has been going fast. They signed their lease for this August last year. It’s crazy.

Yes! The first time dh and I got into an argument (while dating) I walked out to just avoid it. When I came back, dh was like, “No, that’s not gonna work.” I learned then how to “hash it out” but in a productive way. We also let a lot things go because they’re so trivial but we definitely talk out the important ones.