We’ve never had any rules about food/drink in certain rooms. I didn’t have any rules about it growing up either. We eat and drink wherever we want. We’ve never had any issues with bugs or them leaving their rooms gross either though.

I can see all sides of it. I’ve had two distant cousins (I think that’s what they were) reach out to me on Ancestry but I just ignored them. I have no interest in connecting with long lost relatives I don’t know.

I would go for dh but would probably opt out of some of the sight seeing if that’s what makes me uncomfortable.

Yeah, I wanted no one other than dh in the delivery room or at home with me for the first two weeks. I had traumatic births with both and I really didn’t want to be around anyone other than dh (and babies, of course) at first. My soon to be DIL calls me mom. I find it a little weird but I’m rolling with it. I was also the one parent who went wedding dress shopping with her so I’m guessing there’s a reason she’s calling me mom as her own doesn’t seem too involved right now. Again, I’m just rolling with it and hope it all works out.

Yeah, the main reason he tried that first is because it was the only low acid coffee we could find in stores so it was easy.

My dh enjoyed Puroast when he had to go low acid for a while. https://puroast.com/

I feel like you’ve either watched too much TV or you need to meet more people. Almost every single male in my, and dh’s, family have served in the military (including dh and both our dads, uncles, cousins, etc.). None are the way you describe. Some have more to deal with than others but none are cavalier about those issues. I’m actually quite the pacifist but some of your words here are even over the top for me. They just seem very out of touch with reality. I don’t at all doubt those men exist but I don’t believe the military is making them like you seem to suggest. My dh, his brother, and both of our dads, would say the military ended up being one of the best decisions they made. I know many other, non family, people who feel the same.

My dc sees the PT for hypermobile EDS and they’ve done targeted massage therapy for the migraines. FWIW, youngest can’t touch the ground either but passes the hypermobile EDS test because of the other areas. Has she tried the test? ETA: The pain specialist we see thinks one of the reasons for youngest’s headaches is how long they went undiagnosed for EDS. They’ve been in so much pain and their shoulders and neck became so tight it was causing horrible migraines. They still get them now but it’s much less frequent.

Youngest dc’s headaches only went away with massage at physical therapy appointments. It’s made a huge difference here.

When we used a specialist for youngest that didn’t take insurance we first petitioned the insurance company to cover (they wouldn’t in network) but we could still file out of network and get some of the money back.

Yeah, we just bought a used Hyundai since I got a job. We’ve only needed one car for so long but it won’t work anymore. Adding the 2015 Hyundai was expensive and I was so confused as to why. We’re in Chicagoland and I know the thefts have been going on here but I didn’t even think about when we purchased it this weekend. It was just a good deal so we did it. We do park in a restricted garage so hopefully ours will be fine.

I seriously don’t understand the point of the police anymore. They can kill if afraid, and they can stand in hallways and not do their jobs while children are murdered because they’re afraid. I don’t understand how we got to this point where they can do whatever they want and I don’t know how we get out of it.

It’s awful. I’m so sick of the ones who continually talk of just complying. We all have valid reasons for being afraid of the police at this point. I know there are good ones, but it just doesn’t matter any more. The whole system is completely broken and things will not get better until it’s gutted and fixed.

I’ve had a couple of spots scraped and one that had to be cut out and received stitches. None of it was a big deal. This is a good reminder for me though that I really do need to go back for another check. I’ve always had a lot of freckles and moles so I hate going because they always scrape something and then I worry until the all clear.

Oh, I understand why it has become a thing and I’m sure many professors dislike it as well. I just think it’s crazy that we’re at this point where attendance in college is what it is.

Some people might have a specific date they want to get married because it’s special for one, or both, of them. I don’t think missing for a wedding is weird. ETA: I actually think having attendance policies in college is weird though so I’m probably not the best to ask. 🙃

Yes, dh was shocked when oldest went that there was an actual attendance policy. Dh graduated from Berkeley with an Applied Mathematics degree and missed a ton of classes because he had to work so much. He said he never would have made it to graduation if his professors cared about attendance. Ds rarely missed class due the attendance policies but he did miss a class when our family dog died (I’m sure many find that crazy) and he skipped two classes to go out of town to see an Elton John concert with friends. Other than that, I have no idea if he missed any and never asked him to.

I have a few cousins who have reacted to my son being trans by making their daughters the girliest girls and their boys the most manliest men. It’s ridiculous. I was a kid who hid the curling iron from my mom every single Sunday because I thought her doing my hair was torture. I don’t even own a dress anymore. I hate stereotypical girly things. I have never once thought I was a boy though. There is something very different going on with my son and I know I’m not equipped to tell others who they are or aren’t. I would never even begin to guess.

But who gets to decide who isn’t authentic? And why is it any of you here? I’m asking genuinely. I still believe it’s between those kids, their parents, and their doctors. I think every person is different and there is no one size fits all approach. I’ve been saying exploratory therapy should be available but I also believe other options should stay available - because not every situation is the same.

Ok, I don’t think I’ve known anyone who I think is pretending. Most of the places we’ve lived, it’s definitely dangerous and uncool to pretend to be anything other than straight. Where we live now is more open, but so much so, that no one cares.

I do agree with you on some things, but my reason for sharing what I did was to point out some of the language is not helpful nor warranted.

Appropriating the word, or being, trans? No. Am I misunderstanding?

Removed - too personal.

It’s definitely better than many have been here, but I’m not going to just ignore some of the words thrown at those who are trans. I ignored at first but it just got worse. I think many of us here have shown we can have a civil conversation about it. I just wish everyone that chooses to participate here could do so.

You’re probably the last person I would ever consider a jerk, Rosie. I’m just tired of the way some here discuss the trans community and think they could do better.