Definitely!!😳

Our whole family (18 of us) stayed in a VRBO summer before last for a few days. It was perfect for our needs. However, when we left, despite our doing everything they had on their list for us to do, they rated us badly. (?) And we never knew why.

I kind of picked up on that!😂

Recommendations for laundry sheets? I have been toying with the idea of switching over to something better for the environment and better for us. However, dh is a runner, and sons' clothes get stinky, so it needs to really work.

No, we both had it in early 2022.

Dh and I both have covid. We got boosters in September when the latest ones came out. I feel pretty miserable, but bad-cold type miserable, not I'm gonna' keel over miserable. He has a pretty deep but productive cough. I have a lighter irritated throat type cough. Lots of congestion, sneezing, drippy nose. No fever. I've had bad headaches off and on. It hasn't gone to my chest at all right now, and I think he's okay too-he's outside raking leaves.

I second The Dangerous Book for Boys, and for the older one, there are SAS survival handbooks that one of mine devoured (wilderness, urban, etc.) In addition, simple but real tools and/or survival-type equipment. If tools, some project books to go with them.

Me too!❤️

Ooo, I really like that! It looks like it would be a great top for nursing.

We don't give each other anniversary gifts either. We try to find funny cards sometimes, but mostly we go out to a nice restaurant.

I usually wish the couple a happy anniversary through text, but we don't give them gifts. We have enough to deal with handling Christmas and birthdays. If we lived close by, we'd keep the grandkids so they could go out, but we don't. And next spring, we will keep the grandkids so the oldest couple can go on a little trip for their 10th; it involves us traveling about 12 hrs. or so to get there, but we can do it, so we will go.

I'd probably fly there by myself for a visit, in spite of it not being lots shorter. When I visit family members by myself, I fly, because I don't want to do the long drive by myself; I'm afraid I would fall asleep once it is over 4-5 hrs. The other family members "just couldn't get away this time, so I decided to come on by myself rather than wait any longer." That's a pretty normal stage of life anyway. This Christmas, our two youngest who are young adults but still living at home, are doing their own thing. One is traveling with us and visiting a few days, then flying out Christmas Day to spend time with another sibling. The other is staying at home to work and spend Christmas Day with a friend's family. Ideally, I'd really like that one to go with us. Realistically, it gets boring for him after a day or two, and he will probably be a lot happier with his plan. My kids do like kids and are good with them, so it's okay for our family's circumstances (in this case, it is the nieces/nephews). But in your situation, to expect the cousins to be best buds with the differences in ages and personalities seems very unrealistic. Even if your kids loved little ones, it's a lot being around them constantly, especially when you aren't used to it, and my kid-loving kids would at some point say something like, "I'm going to go to my room to read by myself now. No, you can't come this time." And my kids are neurotypical. As much as I love my kids and grandkids, when we are together, I take little breaks by going to my room for a rest here and there. When we used to stay at my in-laws, with the cousins coming and the TV blaring, etc., I'd slip upstairs for breaks. It was just a lot, and I am neurotypical.

Huh. I have never heard this. I really like them, but have never bought them/eaten them outside finding one here and there in a can of mixed nuts--which I rarely buy. Thanks for the warning!

I'm sorry. I hope she understands, though.

I know you said your sister works full-time, so this suggestion is just a suggestion. But if you haven't already, you might talk to her and let her know that you just can't cover this stuff right now (if you feel there is that expectation).

No, I don't think this is your responsibility. Asking questions that might make her think about her choices would likely be as far as I would go. I'm really not hard-hearted, but it sounds like any help you might give would involve your having to push and pull against her resistance. So if that is the case, then I would leave it to her. If she were asking for help and asking questions for what she might need to do, my response would be different, keeping in mind that your main thing right now would still be taking care of your own treatments and recovery. I'm sorry. That's a lot, especially on top of everything else going on right now.

It's too late for us to get this year, budget-wise, but we talked about how those fire blankets would be good to have on hand. Make sure you read reviews first, though, as apparently, fiberglass slivers can come off and get in your hands.

This may be a totally ridiculous suggestion, just so you are forewarned, lol. Could you do the flat-type style of craftsman trim, but 2" instead?

Yes, I do this. I sometimes buy the big packs of breasts and just throw it all in a pot, then cut it up into bite-sized pieces. I will put two cups of chicken with a little of the broth in quart ziplock bags, and then pull them out as needed to use in various recipes.

I actually kind of like this. I mean, I wouldn't do it in place of a regular tree, but I think it would be a very interesting store display or something.

I have their My First Cookbook in my cart as the potential one.

It seems clear to me, but I don't have the personal emotional involvement. Dh says something, because he does know it won't be a good fit and feels responsible to at least give a warning. SIL does what she does. FsSIL gets the job and Aide quits, and before long SIL has to figure out something else. Which is going to happen at some point, because she doesn't want to do what your ILs really need.

We are giving our grandkids a Montessori-type set of kitchen tools to share with similarly-aged siblings. https://www.amazon.com/Montessori-Kitchen-Toddlers-Kids-Cooking-Real-Toddler/dp/B0B6HQHW8B/ref=sr_1_1?crid=Q5WW7BITIJEX&keywords=montessori%2Bkitchen%2Btools&qid=1699550173&sprefix=montess%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1&th=1 For the one set of kids who can read/almost read (7yo and 5yo), I would like to include a good kids' cookbook. But every one I seem to find either uses lots of processed ingredients, or doesn't have many photos, or the print is too small and the directions too complicated for kids, etc. They don't have to be able to do everything by themselves, but I would like for the oldest, at least, to be able to look at the pictures and ingredients and know if she wants to try it. Any suggestions for a good beginner's cookbook for kids that is also for using healthy ingredients? ETA: They eat lots of variety in their home, and there are no food allergies/sensitivities.

No, none of us has one.

I was just going to say that. So, same.