I think it’s slightly itchy but preferable to plastic.

Actually that wasn’t double-blind. When they did a double blind study they found artificial sweeteners do not spike insulin and keep blood sugar and weight lower. I’ll find the link.

Wow. I’m so sorry. In terms of making peace, I’m guessing your parents want to keep the property together, as one, and is rewarding the child who’s trying to do that. Getting therapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy, might help. That teaches you to think differently about things that are bothering you. It’s generally a short course of therapy. Personally I’d also question, 1) if they need nursing home care how that would possibly be legal. 2) If sister could even afford the taxes and maintenance on a property like that and afford to keep it.

Social promotion is a policy at my kids district because, “there is no evidence that holding kids back helps.” Ie: they argue that holding children to be accountable to entirely inappropriate standards will only make them feel inadequate to learn anything and drop out. Which will lower district ratings and also make a very crowded and rapidly growing district population more difficult to predict. This led to a large minority of teachers to open enroll their own children to a different district to force a “redshirt” against district policy. Once the child has enrolled in K in another district, they can transfer back and our district is forced to keep them in their current grade by state law. Honestly if I’d known any of this I would have done the same for my 5 & 6 year olds. The standards are ridiculous. Even the teachers agree it isn’t age appropriate in any way. At any rate, next year there is at least one in-school, full day alternative kindergarten class in every elementary because the district was losing so much money to a neighboring district that had to offer a more age-appropriate program. And that’s after forcing summer and early fall birthdays to enroll at 4. Neither of my younger kids will be 18 before they graduate.

Wow!

I go no more than 10-11% over the speed limit, which is usually the speed of traffic here. DH & I don’t comment on each others driving and we correct the kids if they comment. He has much faster reflexes than I do but his depth perception is terrible, and he didn’t have much city driving experience as a kid. When we were younger I preferred for me to drive in cities. He’s much better on country roads, ice, and that weird loose-rock gravel that’s common in the Midwest than I am though. And he’s gotten better in cities too.

The jokes on social media… Kelly Manno did an Instagram story setting his 1996 police chase set to the song, “Highway to Hell.”

I had it at an oral surgeon. I didn’t have a choice as they were all impacted. I got all 4 dry sockets, had to take several weeks off work. I would have done it sooner. I don’t recall a price difference with my insurance.

I’m so sorry. I hope you feel better soon and rat-beast is uncharacteristically calm.

Even if the state had an insanity plea, his own writings and drawings would have shown he knew it was wrong, which would stop the ability to use that plea. The fact is, all across the country, something approaching 30% of inmates would likely be better served by being in a mental hospital than they would in prison. I may have that statistic slightly off, but it’s in the area. We got rid of federal funding for such places in the 1980’s due to horrific and pervasive abuse. And instead of reform, we replaced them with for-profit prisons in most states. We only put criminals in prison. The rest of that population is often drug addicted, homeless, reliant on family, or some combination. It’s controversial because mental health care (and all health care) funding is political. As are ideas about who gets to decide what kind of freedom or help the non-criminally mentally ill have a right to.

I could not disagree more. I want to include cause of death so no one is left whisper-asking what happened or worse, trying to google it.

She should call her insurance agent, who should be able to walk her through local law and whether it will be worth it to involve her insurance or not. Such things are probably too personal & local to make blanket assertions. Especially without knowing her claim history, deductible, or what local tree removal services typically cost.

I’m so sorry for your losses. Take his advice, don’t let her push you around. Her opinion is irrelevant.

I’d opt for 3. Or forget “events” at all and invite my old friends to my home when I felt like it. Leaving out the people who cause drama.

I didn’t follow it closely. DH did and filled me in.

I have friends with minor children on high school skeet shooting teams. And others who teach high school kids how to hunt. I don’t think the problem was simply a minor having access to a gun. It was that particular minor with his history of all kinds of warning signs. But ultimately I wish constitutional gun rights would get overturned. I realize I’m sitting in an extremely privileged position of living in a safe place with a well-staffed police department and rapid response times, and little dangerous wildlife though. Everything is so complicated.

DH loves meat. Smoothie ingredients for me. Diet soda for adults. Packaged snacks for my kids.

I got a migraine, and my kids were weirdly hungry. But the dog seemed fine

Congratulations! Praying it works out the way he wants. Curious what he studied that he’s had so much interest already.

My stepmom usually used sharp white cheddar and a bit of cream when I was young. When my dad had a heart attack she switched to the instant kind because it was less tempting to him.

Wait or drive for vehicle 2 in the trim package you want.

That’s not the Midwest, that’s the federal government. There’s a fascinating YouTube video I watched on it last month. FTR, I don’t remember if there’s bad language in this video. But he was an enlisted guy who usually does military videos, so I’m betting that his language is terribly offensive.

Go to google. Enter their address, then click the option to get directions from their home to Target. If it’s less than 5 miles or 20 minutes, get them a Target gift card. If not, I’d send cash and write in the card that the money is for parents. It could be spent on diapers, emergency Starbucks, or takeout when both of them are too busy to cook. Not to be put in a savings account for the baby. An alternative would be a door dash gift card. It’s the equivalent of a meal train.

DD5 (on the spectrum) reliably eats 5 foods. Luckily all but the chicken flavored ramen noodles are fairly nutritious. Her pediatrician complimented me on keeping her on her growth chart curve. Apparently the wait list for feeding therapy is a few years long.