Oh! I forgot about that one! We have the Switch Witch. :) She comes to kids with food allergies, and switches out their bags of candy for safe treats and small toys. One year we were at Great Wolf Lodge on Halloween, and they have a witch that will come to your room and deliver a bag of goodies. We told them about the Switch Witch and they played along! So my kids think they've actually met the Switch Witch.

We have a fairy door that looks just like our front door. A la UFO (Urban Fairies Operations, in Ann Arbor). Okay, we have several doors - inside and out. And the fairies decorate for holidays, too. :leaving:

:grouphug:

Not me, but FIL hated when DH and his sisters would get peanut butter in the jelly jar by using the same knife. So he told them that if you left peanut butter in the jelly jar, it would make poison. DH's sister believed this till she was in her 20s. :lol:

Here, no - they don't have our contact info. Everything goes through the SW. The visit seems very unlikely. It doesn't make sense.

DS has been binge-watching. :hurray: We met Bill Nye at a science and tech convention a couple years ago, he's like a rock star here.

Wait, you're married to my DH? :laugh:

Can you post a link to the pics? For the morbidly curious non-FB people? :)

I have a lot of thoughts, and not as much time, so will come back to post more. But if you haven't already, check out smoms.org. I haven't been there in a few years, but was one of the original members in 2000, and stayed till my skiddo became a young adult (he's 23 now). Cathryn, the founder, was a huge inspiration and help for me, esp getting through the teen years. Very supportive forum, and focused on creative problem solving. You may have to join to post, as I vaguely remember that we were all trying to find a way to make posting more private. Some of us had issues with skids and bio-moms reading our posts. But it's worth the time to join, and a great resource! More later. Step-parenting is hard! ETA: I just peeked at the smoms site, and it looks like there's a fee? Hmmmm. I'll be back with thoughts later, not sure when that happened, like I said - it's been a few years since I've been there!

I'm going to jump in here and suggest hiring a cleaner as well. You would be surprised how liberating it is. :) My DH and I have never had the issue that you're having, but I do understand the mindset that his time is worth X, and we can pay someone to, say, mow the lawn for less than that. The difference, I suppose, is that DH views my time as worth the same amount, so he hates to see me using my (limited due to health issues) energy and time on chores that we can afford to outsource. If you're both working, and you can afford it, please consider hiring someone to help out.

:lol:

It's more of a P & P. Poop and Pallet.

I hope she feels better quickly. It's been a bad year for strep.

What would possess anyone to publicly post such a pic?!

Is that a saw behind the baby? On the ground?

We did it. Worked fine. :)

Depends on what needs to be cleaned, but generally if the choice is mowing - I'll clean. :)

We foster, but in a different state, and have only had babies. The babies followed the recommended vac schedule. I don't know how it would work with older kids, though.

I hope CPS will update their shots, as part of their medical. Clearly, there's a tetanus concern on that property.

Gorgeous!!!! What a beautiful person!!!! A huge congrats to you, and hopes that it's all a smooth, easy ride to finalization! So, so happy for you. :) Sending out warm thoughts to his biofamily, and hoping that they all find peace and a path to a better, more stable life.

Once a week.

Goodness, I'm so surprised at all the responses. I love surprises. :) DH loves surprises. He has surprised me with trips to NM, UT, Boston, and many more. He gives me packing guidelines, and I know how long we'll be gone. Once he had it down so well that I didn't know where we were going till we boarded our second plane after a layover! He's so sweet, he'll even ship things ahead that I would want but not pack. And he schedules hair appts and manicures the day we're leaving, if he thinks I'd want that. :blushing: I have only pulled off a major surprise trip once - and that one I even managed to hide our destination by showing the airport cab driver a pic of the final destination. :hurray: (That trip was a special event at the Hayden in NYC.) So, yes, know your audience.

:svengo:

Thanks for all the sympathy. :) I over-ordered and will return what doesn't work. Went for a combo of modcloth and land's end suits, plus a long sleeve rashgard. Oh, the agony!

Don't tell him. Surprises are good!