I know Oakland well... My advice for everyone is to stay out of downtown while the protests are going on, especially at night.

Sounds to me like he was really wound up waiting for his birthday. I think eve the best behaved child might get impatient when he has to sit through sib's birthday first. Wound up=impatient=cranky=bratty. I bet he will enjoy the toys once he calms down. If it were my DS I would use time out and quiet time liberally until the party. I wouldn't take anything away. And I would consider whether some years it might be possible to celebrate the birthdays together, or his first.

:grouphug:

Cashmere & wool sweaters Set of spools of thread

There was a study recently about decision-making and how you use energy when you make decisions. So, being out & about, you're constantly choosing to buy this or that, or refrain from buying this or that, it uses up your glucose. To me errand days are easier now that I plan a coffee break in the middle!

Our house is only a little brighter than yours-- for us there's a break in the tall evergreens on the south side. What I like is that the landlord had installed lights in the kitchen over the counter space: under the upper cabinets and under the over-stove microwave, so I always have good light where I'm working. They are plug in ones you nail into place under there. I have blankets available in every room. And we do keep lights on more than I ever did before we moved here.

:grouphug:

I think it means their heart goes out to you, and either they don't pray or they don't know if prayers are welcome.

:001_smile:

I can't see not allowing it. I imagine they'll feel too old for it on their own.

What about taking her license # and writing to the college president?

:grouphug:

Congrats!!

Sorry, I am not technically savvy enough to post photos! But DD has a Dorothy blue gingham apron and DS has wings and headpiece sewed onto a sweatshirt to make a flying bat. Thank you all!

I got the sewing machine to work and I sewed!!! I made DD's and DS's costumes (simple and very homemade-looking, but still)!!! here is my Sewing Song: (with apologies to Hello Dolly, the musical) My heart is about to burst, My head is about to pop, And now that I'm SEWING Who cares if I ever stop????

Washington State is lovely.

Question though-- if pastor's wife invites people over, aren't all the people in the church community going to expect an invite also in their turn, and won't their feelings be hurt if you develop close friendships with certain people and not with others? Sounds like it could be a complex situation.:bigear:

Interestingly, I just had a discussion about this with DD5. She says, 'not until we are teenagers, but skip the first two years' which means, 15. I agree!

I would love to take it back to the store, but it was a gift. It was shipped to me. I can find a store nearby though. :001_smile: I'm going to try again tomorrow.

What is Old Lady Candy?

By the way, pancake mix is not a good thing to store long-term because it goes bad and you can have a severe reaction to it. DH is from earthquake country so we have lots of bottled water, crank-powered radio, and a food barrel-thing from Costco. Flashlights. Candles & matches. We learned how to turn off the gas and water in case of emergency.

I'm just a step ahead of you. I received a Brother sewing machine as a gift. It has a computer and tons of stitches. Wednesday I went to sew with it for the first time, I went to wind the bobbin, the thread wound itself on the post under the bobbin about 100 times and, now that I got all that thread off, the bobbin does not want to wind all the way. I have no idea how to make it work correctly and the booklet doesn't say. I may have to take it to get repaired, and the warranty is over (I had it for more than a year before daring to touch it.) On the other hand, maybe I made some stupid mistake, but I really did just what the booklet said. I guess I need lessons on how to use it. So, my advice would be to get a machine that has less bells & whistles, and just can sew without breaking down.:001_smile: ETA: the one I have is Project Runway Limited Edition PC-210.

Trifle?

:grouphug:

:grouphug: I would like to talk to Auntie now. And I would still ask her to Xmas. I agree with PJ and MD.