In this area the US is a mess. You will not find any country in the world that thinks that the gun laws here are good. They all hit their head against the wall and don't know what in the world is going on here that they can not regulate that mess properly or at least try it.

I agree that the US is so gun infested that it would be hard at first to control it properly but it needs to happen. They need to do something. It's going to get worse and I don't know if only I have the feeling but my feeling is that the US is getting passed by most countries when it comes to safety and they are going more and more backwards and this is a sinking ship right now because things don't change and stand still.

I also think regulation is the only way. I sometimes get goose bumps when I read on our neighborhood group about people that say "Should somebody enter my garage/yard etc they could not run anymore. We are armed to our teeth." or something crazy like that. Seriously? The chance that you shoot some innocent person that accidentally walks in your yard or the chance that you shoot some pretty harmless criminal that wants to steal your lawn chair is 10 000 times bigger than that you shoot a serial killer. How messed up is that thought process? Lots of women also say "If my husband is not home, I have the gun on my night table. " also here I am like "the chance that your kid accidentally shoots himself or that you misinterpret a situation and kill somebody harmless is so much more likely than that you shoot a serious criminal that comes in your house." I do not get this mentality and there needs to be a ban on guns for normal people. It's scary and crazy and it's not normal to think like that. If somebody wants to steal my car for example I don't want to shoot this person. I rather let that person go as a human life is more valuable than my car.

I think it's mainly the laws why it keeps happening and not only the people. I don't want to talk bad about a certain group but in the country my family lives we have the half Middle East. Mostly young men that grew up around violence and don't have the best outlook into their future and lots of them with mental issues from bad experiences. They are not bad people but they grew up in a harsh enviroment. So yes, some of them turn quicker to violence and hurt somebody but I would not like to know what would happen if some of them had access to guns like they do in Texas. One person could hurt a lot more people in a short amount of time. We do still not have lots of murders. Laws need to change. There will always be people with mental issues and the access to guns is just too easy for these people in most states here.

I have no words. My husband is from Texas and he changed his view on guns long ago and is against guns in every house now. He loved guns when we met and even wanted to take me shooting and I refused. I do not want to touch them, I don't want to have them, I am not a police officer or soldier and don't have any use for them. I am so so much against guns in private hands. My husband's family are gun lovers. All of them. "People kill people, not guns." is what they say. Well, it doesn't happen anywhere else in the world that often and on a daily basis like here that people get killed in shootings. Why don't they see that? It makes me so angry that they are so scared of change and that they glorify weapons that much.

I feel it always depends on the situation. One case where I would not do anything because I would be worried it would escalate the situation is of somebody is extremely aggressive and drunk. If I would feel like the person is still in control of himself I would probably say something. The last time I was shocked by other people looking away was during Covid in a zoo. Masks were mandatory and an older man asked some middle aged men to please put on their masks. They started aggressively yelling at the old man and walking towards him and my husband ran back and stood before the old man and told them to keep in going. He did not discuss with them the mask issue or anything else but stood calmly in front of the old man and we sat afterwards with him a little as he was shacking. They went on but everybody else saw it and walked by very fast. One time a woman in a grocery store started yelling at me because I talked German to my kids (3 and 5 at the time) and I had a 10 day old newborn with me. She told me that I should talk English or go home and while in that situation I was very calm and friendly and told her how good it is to speak two languages but afterwards I started crying. I blame the hormones because usually I feel sorry for narrow minded people like that and it doesn't bother me at all. It also usually doesn't happen. I was glad that my husband wasn't with me because he would have caused trouble if somebody yelled at me like that.

We are looking into going back to Europe, too. All my kids and me have German citizenship and my husband could just come with is. We could basically settle everywhere in the EU and I really think my husband would easily find a job as he works in aviation. We will see how we feel about it in a couple of years. My husband is not sold yet on the idea but also not completely against it. I don't think it's too settle down in Europe. Some countries are very cute most people don't have on their mind. Czech Republic has really cute cities and places. My friend comes from this bigger town but there are also lots of smaller towns like that without too much tourism https://alittleadrift.com/cesky_krumlov/. If you like it easy going and more colorful and louder Italian and Spanish towns are charming (not tourist towns). Austria has cute farm villages where you have everything you need and of course Switzerland. A lot of times people are not too excited how they get treated by the people from Switzerland though and it's hard to get a visa. Slovenia is the poorer neighbor of Austria but you can live there pretty good with an US retirement. If you don't mind the cold Skandinavian countries are great to live in too and not as crowded as Germany for example.

Russian soldiers raping Ukrainian women. They are still horrible. My dad was born 1940 in Germany. After the war they had US, French and Russian soldiers everywhere. All the people I know that lived at that time said the same thing. US and French soldiers helped feed the people, gave kids breakfast, helped building up the country. Of course stuff happened but it was never ever accepted by their leadership and soldiers got in trouble if they did wrong things. Russian sodiers stole everything even from the poorest and before they left even shot all their animals so they could not eat and raped the women and it was completely accepted by their leadership. It seems like not much has changed. It makes me so sick to my stomach.

We had one man growing up that was kind of handicapped mentally but he was friendly. He tended to just come into houses, look around, say hi and then run away. As nobody locked their doors it just happened sometimes that you were sitting there and suddenly he came in and everybody was like "Hi H., how are you. Are you looking around again? Ok, time to go home now." and he just said bye, left again and nobody talked about it afterwards People giving out old candy to kids they had in their handbag for ages was also a very normal thing and it was very rude not to take and eat it right away. Sometimes it was just a sugar cube loose in a handbag and they just wiped off the dirt around it. I think I am immune to anything today We do have tons of festivals there as it is a tourist town.

I need to know that, too. I told my husband that I want to retire in a town that is like the one from Gilmore Girls . I come from a village in Europe where you can walk to the bakery and grocery store amd any other store or business that exists there and they are all family owned. Kids 5 and up go shopping alone with a little piece of paper written by mom and the baker or budger gives them what they need. There are old buildings and weird people and everybody knows everybody and talks about everybody. There is an ice cream shop owned by an Italian family that serves house made ice cream and the best cappuccino. Time goes slow and I want that. When you go to church (and everybody is Catholic ) the old ladies kick the kids from the back if they talk and church is anyways the biggest gossip place . The town offices are open twice a week and they are very confused if people really show up to apply for a passport or anything else and when I married my husband they were confused and tried to talk me out to marry something so exotic like an American I miss all the weirdness and love there so much and I wished my kids would grow up with the family owned bakery, the mean old church ladies, the slower time and the teachers you invite for coffee if your child was bad.

I never heard anybody promote formular. My mom said in her time it was the thing to feed formular but when I had babies all doctors, moms, nurses recommended breastfeeding as the number one choice. Did that change again? However, there are just women that can't breastfeed for whatever reason. I just really thought breastfeeding was the cheapest, easiest and most convenient thing but not everybody can do that.

I breastfed all my 4 kids until they were 3 years old. However, never in my life would I judge anybody that can't or doesn't like to breastfeed. I honestly don't see any difference between my kids and my friend's kids who decided not to breastfeed for whatever reason. By the way, I only experienced support in the US with breastfeeding. Even when I did it longer than the average mom. I experienced more judgement from Germans (especially older ones) and even doctors there who think breastfeeding is good but after 12 months it's suddenly weird. Everybody has different experiences but I only had supportive experiences in the US to do what I think is right for my kids and me.

My oldest was the last couple of weeks in middle school to make the transition to high school easier and she always told me that most of her friends she made have boyfriends and that they already do stuff with them and that the kids constantly talk about sex and send each other nude pics. I did not really believe her. I mean, they are 13/14 and that is when slowly the interest in dating starts but they are far from ready be relationship ready usually. This week at graduation I was so shocked how young my girl looked compared to the others. Almost all girls were dressed in skinny, short dresses with high heels, lots of makeup and everything screamed that they want to show what they have and be sexy. I always thought that I am the most liberal mom on the planet. I do not even have any problem with nudity or anything. My parents took me to nude beaches at an early age and growing up in Europe I am used to nudity and feel the US is so much more conservative but that sight this week shocked me. I am not ready for this. STD are a big thing still. My old neighbor worked at the hospital here and and she said it is very common left and right. I worry about that sexual overflow for my kids. It seems very modern and fun but I feel it puts the magic of a relationship away if everybody is all the time available. I grew up very liberal and I feel that I am a little hippie at heart while my husband grew up very conservative and old fashioned. I also fell in love with him because he just treated me so careful and gentle. First date only a hug. Some dates later a gentle kiss. He was a young man and tried more but accepted immediately my signs to wait. He opened doors, he treated me like a princess and I wish so much for my kids that they experience also real love one day and that they wait because this first kiss is magical and stands on is own. The game of waiting and getting to know each other in an innocent way is an experience I don't want them to miss. Sex is overvalued in society. Yes, it's fun, but it's only part of the picture.

I don't think they invade right now. The US is back and strong again. After a couple of years where the world (especially Europe) was wondering if the US is still a reliable, morally strong ally, half of the world is now standing strong behind the US again. China can not be without the European and US market and I think they would not risk it for Taiwan right now.

Oh ok. I misunderstood the discussion then She is very cute

That is a lot but what always helps me on overwhelming days is to count my blessings. Nobody died, you and your family are safe, they are all here, you have a roof over your head and all that other stuff is not that important. You will get through that and everything will be alright. Go one step after the other. Hugs.

A friend of me is together with somebody that went over there for a private military company and he said there is no way that Russia can win or be successful. However, he is really traumatized. He believes that the NATO should go in to avoid further destruction but I really hope it won't be necessary that they go in. I am grateful that the US military is there and secures the border to Poland and other nations. It is very very scary and Putin is completely crazy.

It could be a Border Collie. Border Collies out of working lines can have all kind of colors, they can be short hair or long hair, hanging or pointy ears, weigh 20 lb or 70 lb. There is not one type of Border Collie. Mine has short hair and has hanging ears. If you get a show line they have certain characteristics however like long haired. It also depends where you are from. The US allows more colors than Germany. However, for me it looks more like an Aussie as well. That's our boy

I would not isolate at all and would make the whole family stay away from high risk groups and possibly stay home or at least take daily tests. When my kids had Covid they even slept in bed with us and we never got symptoms. That is just my opinion. Everybody handles it differently but I would never isolate my kids from mom and dad or their siblings unless it is absolutely necessary because one of them is high risk.

If it would say to bring these gifts I would feel obligated to bring them. I don't know if other people feel the same way. That is why I would never write down to bring gifts. Even if people ask I tell them first that there is no need to bring anything. If they insist that they want to get something I say what we would like to have. I feel it's less awkward to ask which gift to bring than showing up with less gifts than expected.

Oh, that's where the name comes from I did not know about baby showers before I came to the US and assumed it was to celebrate the expecting mom. When we just came here my neighbor threw one for me. We were all pretty poor and we had some folding chairs and smores (the first time I had them). The neighbors that showed up all gave me something small like a chocolate or some diapers and some did not bring anything. It was super fun. The other ones were fancier then but I honestly liked the first one the most and it was such a wonderful surprise thar my neighbor did that for me even I did not really know her that well.

For my baby showers I got a book all my friends got together and each wrote a little note in it. That was really cute. I personally would never request any gifts and especially nothing specific. I would feel rude asking for stuff and assuming everybody wants to spend a lot of money. I grew up that way. However, it is different everywhere.

Thank you so much. I have a very good feeling with the school but of course we move in October and they will go to another school and I hope they will be good there, too.

I seriously think I have that too. I could never sit still and my parents could not even take me anywhere as a child and my mom keeps saying when I die they need to kill my mouth separately because I just talk and talk and talk especially when I am nervous. I can not even stay still while putting on my clothes. I was always good at school though. But my son probably has that from me because my husband is the calmest person on earth.

The school told me not to worry and just see how he does in a school enviroment. I was so nervous. I called the Middle School counselor and asked him to get him in the class of the teacher with the most patience and that they should please tell me if stuff is going wrong and not putting him in a corner. I told them I rather pull him out again before he will be treated that way again. The counselor was very sweet and told me to relax and they have lots of challenging kids and they are looking forward to having him. We are working on getting am evaluation appointment but it seems that this won't happen before school starts.