I don't have experience with aspie parenting but with teen parenting in general dh and I sometimes find it helpful to tag team. Like if one of us is persona non grata (or has become extremely frustrated or annoyed with a teen, and further attempts to communicate are not helping the situation) the other will step up in terms of parenting and communication. I agree that the relationship and your ability to communicate with and parent him (to the extent you can and ds needs) is paramount. Sounds like as a couple you've had more experience with dh staying connected and ds wanting distance from you, so it may be a little surprising to have the roles reversed. But if dh can take it less personally and you can both see yourselves as a parenting team I think that will benefit everyone. So first priority is to keep communication/relationship open. To me that means don't push attempts to mediate and reconcile too soon or too hard. But as time goes by there are some good suggestions upthread for gently exploring whether ds is ready to reconnect with your dear dh! When you talk about it as a couple you can affirm to dh what a great dad he is, and express your surprise & commiserate that he's the target of ds' annoyance/desire for distance this time, gratitude that you're still connected with your son as a parenting team, and hope that it's not long before ds will be open to shifting this.

Dd19 was referred by our dentist for an eval with an oral surgeon when she gets home from college. If her wisdom teeth need to be removed I want it to be done when she's home and we can care for her--I think it really helps to have someone who can drive, keep an eye on you, and make you soup and smoothies for a few days. She's planning to study abroad in the fall and I'll feel better knowing it's squared away beforehand, if she does need them removed. The same oral surgeon did my gum graft procedure and I trust his clinical judgment.

Whine with me! I think we're in the same area and the rain/snow/sleet hit us hard emotionally today. Life is a lot in so many ways right now and it would be so welcome to have something simple or mild or easier than expected, you know? Or even just average, instead of harder than usual. This breath in, this breath out I keep telling myself. I suppose it will be some consolation when spring finally arrives and everyone in a 100 mile radius is outside at the same time, gazing lovingly up at the sun 💛

I love chermoula sauce on Middle Eastern or North African inspired grain bowls. You need to like cilantro. This is my favorite recipe but I add more lemon, less oil, and more cilantro (like half a bunch for a double batch). Whir it up with the immersion blender. It's yummy on everything. Some recipes add fresh ginger, cumin and parsley. I agree with pps that something creamy like cheese, avocado or nut butter, something crunchy like nuts, seeds, shredded raw veg, fried onions or jalapeños, and some kind of acid (mostly lemon and lime-based dressings because vinegar doesn't agree with one kid) often make a good bowl. I recently discovered Trader Joe's crispy fried jalapeños--omg! Chermoula dressing ¼ cup fresh lemon juice ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons minced cilantro 1 garlic clove, pressed or minced ½ teaspoon ground cilantro ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 teaspoon kosher salt Pinch cayenne

I've read that maximal protection *from infection* after the 4th shot is 30 days. Not sure if that means for 30 days following the shot or the 2-week mark post-vaccine. I'd love more info on this too.

Thank you so much for your replies. It's sounding a bit like Bloomington, IN, where I lived for a few years, but much colder! Housing seems tricky coming from Cleveland. Lots of Googling and mulling and discussions ahead for us....

I'm also watching the numbers in northeast Ohio and hoping I can hold off on my second booster until mid-June, to maximize my immunity for our trip to Ireland in July.

Dh got a job offer and I'm interested in everything--diversity, cost of living, housing market, neighborhoods, local and state politics, weather, whatever you love or struggle with about the place. Thanks, Hive!

Two weeks after my 8 yo niece's school in VT lifted their mask requirement, she lost her voice and tested positive for Covid, along with 3 other children in her class. A few days later, the rest of her family is symptomatic and testing positive too. Everyone in the family was vaccinated and everyone eligible was boosted. We've learned nothing through this pandemic.

Brazilian sword skewers for grilling? Or maybe he really does have everything an outdoorsy guy might want 😂

I agree that limiting contact still matters, @elroisees. Dd coughed directly in my face the day before testing positive, when she had the mildest of symptoms. The same day she spent two hours driving with dh and dd19 in the car. The next day, after she tested positive, she isolated in her room, and no one else in the house got sick. From what I understand viral load matters for a number of reasons--whether you get sick, how severe the symptoms, and how likely you are to get long Covid. Even though you've had some exposure limiting viral exposure and viral load can still be protective.

Just wanted to sympathize with your questions of whether it's environmental allergies or Covid or something else. We have dust and mold allergies and in the past year have had several rounds of persistent sneezing/sore throat/runny nose/negative rapid tests, followed by extensive deep cleaning. It's hard to make the call on differential diagnosis when the stakes are so much higher with Covid. But all the baseboards and curtains are clean 😛

This makes me wonder if a J&J 4th shot would make sense after my Pfizerx3. Would love to see data on that combination.

My mom, who is in her 80s, got her first booster early because her doctor recommended she get it asap as Omicron was ramping up. Hopefully the 4th shot probably works the same way--certain immune conditions or doctor recommendation.

Pesticide and herbicide exposure would be a dealbreaker for me. My sister lived next to a flower farm and had a baby with a congenital malformation not compatible with life. This particular congenital issue is known to be associated with pesticide exposure. When she first moved in we thought it was so beautiful to see the colorful fields out her windows but she later learned that farms that produce non-food products can use more harmful chemicals not allowed on agricultural fields. I don't know what golf courses use but after this heartbreaking experience I would not risk the potential environmental exposure.

Honestly I feel like “One and Done!” and “Known Vaccine Technology!” was used to entice people to get vaccinated with J&J but there’s been little to no follow up on the relative protection of mRNA x 3 vs. J&J + mRNA. So far what I’ve seen much better protection from mRNA x 3 but would love to see additional info.

I think San Francisco is offering third doses (ie, a second mRNA booster) to J&J folks. Is that possible anywhere else? I'm triple vaxxed with Pfizer but have several family members in New England who had J&J and one mRNA dose. We're all feeling like they could use more protection with Omicron BA.2 coming. Open to hearing any creative potential approaches to a third dose for J&J folks.

Well, I'll chime in and say Omicron BA.2 is different enough from the original Omicron strain that many people have argued it should be named as a new variant. That and low vaccination rates with Sinovac and Sinopharm, which in themselves are much less effective than Pfizer and Moderna. I think China stuck with their less effective vaccines for nationalist pride, and overconfidence in the effectiveness of other mitigation measures. Plus protection from currently available vaccines does wane. Hard to say exactly how BA.2 is going to hit in the US, because we have more natural and vaccine-induced immunity than China. But it's here and spreading. Nations that have opted for limited Covid response, ie, mostly vaccines (US) or mostly mitigations like masks, surveillance/contact tracing/lockdowns (China), eventually find limited success. It's clear to me that we need to use all the tools we have available, and probably what will get us out of the pandemic eventually is a different vaccine technology that confers more lasting immunity.

I heard cooking oil could be in short supply, so I stocked up on our favorite neutral cooking oil when it went on sale last week. (Extra Light Filippo Berio) Camp stove fuel, TP, dog food and meds are on my list for this week. I do love the extra pantry shelves I set up in the basement during the pandemic, so we have a backup of everything that's shelf stable. For the most part I'm not stocking up in large quantities, just making sure we have backup supplies.

Background: We're all boosted and both our teens had Covid toes early in the pandemic. This December, before dd15 was boosted, she had symptoms and tested positive. The rest of us were already boosted and no one else got sick. Dh and I are still masking indoors. Dd15 masks at school except for lunch, distanced and behind a plexiglass barrier, and when running indoor track races, so she's our biggest household exposure. She actually has a sore throat and runny nose now, 3 days after Indoor States. She rapid tested negative. On Twitter I've seen hospitalizations rising in the UK, and the epidemiologists I follow attribute it not to the BA.2 variant but to vaccine protection waning. In the UK 75+ will be getting a 4th shot, but as far as I know there's no plan here for 4th shots. Another factor in my cautiousness is that my 92 yo uncle is dying, one month after being hospitalized for pneumonia. I don't know and don't feel like I can ask my cousins if it was Covid pneumonia, but my guess is it probably was. So even though cases in my area are low I don't think the pandemic is over. We're catching up on preventive health care, finding creative ways to meet with friends, and went to a couple plays where masks and vaccines were required. But we're still avoiding indoor dining in public and anything else unmasked, except for school lunch and track events for dd15. Her birthday is coming up in April so we'll need to figure that out--hopefully the weather cooperates for having friends around the firepit. Basically, I'm not spending time worried or afraid for my immediate household and we're living our lives, but masking in public.

Interesting insights on why some Russian soldiers are refusing to fight.

A scene from Zelensky's role as fictional president before he was elected--worth the watch!

The title is clickbait, but enormous insight and context here from Russia expert and Putin biographer Fiona Hill-- https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/02/28/world-war-iii-already-there-00012340

Amazing window into Putin's propaganda machine. Thanks so much for posting.

This. It may seem that not putting Putin's name on the list exempts him but I think all his assets are held by other people or organizations. So I don't believe sanctioning him personally would actually be an escalation. But undermining his support could end his regime.