I agree with the others: Meals on Wheels, then an occasional meal from you. Your schedule is already so full, that it seems like you will enjoy his being closer a whole lot more if you can just drop by and visit with a few groceries rather than waiting until you have a full meal to take. He will enjoy an occasional meal, but will probably enjoy the quick visits now and then even more. It will also help him not feel like a bother--something all of our older family members have worried about. This is something he can do for himself that will not require extra work from you, and that will probably help him feel more useful, which is a big deal when you get older.

@Quill, were you able to stop things before any transactions took place?

I've never noticed my frozen cookies being more crumbly, but maybe that depends on the type they are and how long they stay in the freezer. My mom used to bake mountains of her chocolate chip cookies and freeze them. The grandkids would sneak them out and eat them frozen. If they'd been in there long, and she got out a container, they would sometimes be more crumbly. But for a short time (a few days), they never have been. These are crunchy chocolate chip cookies that were rather famous among my friends when I was growing up.

I think it was rude. I have some mixed feelings reading some of the other responses though. I never intended to be entitled-acting; however...when we got married, apparently one of the store owners in dh's little town must have decided we would like a certain pattern of decorative items. We received 3-4 things in that pattern. It was not at all in our tastes. They were items that were not useful (except maybe a pitcher--long time ago, so I don't remember), and were all or mostly just for display. I'm sure that there are those who would have really liked them. But dh and I are of a very practical mind. Not knowing the whole story (still don't, just assuming), we took the items back and exchanged them for two lawn chairs and an ice cream freezer, which we enjoyed using for several years, the chairs almost daily. We were students, and didn't have room for something we couldn't actually use. The store-owner seemed offended, which is what made us think that she had made the suggestions. So I really do appreciate registries. Many times, we didn't have space for things that were not what we really needed, so unless I know the person really well, and usually even if I do, I try to go by the registry if possible. If I couldn't afford anything on the registry, I'd either go with books (for baby), or something like dish towels in their colors (for bride).

This might not be easy "enough," but if you use some frozen veggies from the grocery, that will simplify it a lot. Our whole family likes this: Bake potatoes (in the microwave). Steam plenty of broccoli, carrots, onions, cauliflower, and mushrooms (if desired). Cut up the potatoes with skins on into either halves or smaller pieces and put them in a baking dish. Toss the veggies with a liberal amount of soy sauce and layer over the potatoes. Add any additional salt or pepper if needed. Sprinkle liberally with grated cheddar cheese, and put in the oven until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream if desired. So yummy.

With the support of everyone else who has seen her and you've talked to, I would just keep doing what you are doing unless she seems in distress. Which is what it sounds like you are doing. If she started getting anxious or seemed uncomfortable, I'm sure you would look at other options, but under the circumstances, I'd just try to keep her as comfortable as possible, and her surroundings as peaceful as possible (well, except for the TV shows she is wanting to watch, lol).

I saw this while you are in your interview. Prayed for you that you are able to express yourself clearly and well.

When I posted that I feel for his wife, it had nothing to do with any of this stuff. I'm sorry she has suffered such devastating loss in losing both a husband and a child. I'm not a sports fan, though I catch things here and there when dh and ds watch things. I don't follow celebrities of any kind very closely, and the more people are idolized, the more I tend to shy away from them. It has really bothered me how little focus has been on the others who lost loved ones in the crash. On their behalf, I keep wanting to say, "But my child/spouse/friend died too, and they were important to people as well!" I did actually see a quote on CNN this morning that voiced a similar response, and I was so glad that CNN included it.

His poor wife. To lose her husband and daughter both; so tragic. And it looks like their youngest isn't even a year old yet. I didn't know this before--just looked up their family.

Personally, I would claim it. Depending on how you are assessing the damages, there might be more than you think. A deer hit me last year--tried to jump over my car and landed full-on on the windshield and hood. I was pretty much stopped by then because there were other deer in front of me. Yet, the damage was about $3500. Of course, if your damage has been fully assessed, and your personal finances are able to cover it, that might be different.

I had always heard that about people in NYC. Interestingly, when I went on a visit and was out-and-about by myself one day, every single person that I stopped to ask a question as to where I might find something, etc., was nothing but kind and helpful. Not one brusque or rude person among them, and I know many of them probably didn't need my interruptions to their activities. Yet, they helped me and not one of them made me feel like I was an annoyance. Just like anywhere, I'm sure there are those types, but I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't find them.

Velvet ears, soulful eyes. ❤️

Gas, restaurant (esp. fast food types), coffee shop, etc., gift cards are popular around here for college students, both for dorm students and those living at home. If you don't want cards, dri-fit shirts are well-liked, too. ETA: And SmartWool socks.

I've had bad readings from those machines before. I had to get all twisted up to get my arm in it right and it raised my numbers. It would probably be much more accurate at the Urgent Care, unless he can sit in the right position.

I've found this thread interesting and bothersome and kind of all over the road for me, ha. American here, who lived many years overseas in several different countries. I've seen the ugly American and cringed, especially when I'd lived overseas awhile and understood how they'd be taken in the particular context I was in. I've watched the news and felt embarrassed. I've resented it when I overheard a person native to the country I was living in discussing with someone else how he'd become an American citizen because of Social Security, and made it clear (through other comments I'll leave out here) that he was just taking advantage of what he could, with no real affection for our country. I've been both treated better because I'm an American, and been treated hostilely for the same. I've developed my own stereotypes of groups and nationalities based on observations and interactions, right or wrong. I'm sure I've contributed to some stereotypes as well, hopefully good, but no guarantees. I've probably had some habits either due to my being an American or due to my own personal quirks, that felt disrespectful to those in my host countries. I've been asked questions that clearly reflected stereotypes built upon television shows. There were times my frustrations (culture shock, anyone?) outspoke my common sense and patience. I love my country, and am so happy to be living in it again, but I also cringe sometimes at the type of patriotism that has changed tone since I was a kid. Or maybe I just see it through the overseas lens now. So a few thoughts: There are arrogant and obnoxious people living all over the world. There are selfless and kind people living all over the world. Sometimes those two groups get confused because: There are lots of misunderstandings that happen due to both large and small differences in culture, even within our own country. Having grace toward one another's maladaptations and misspeaks is helpful. I'm thankful people had grace toward me. When you travel or move to another country, you go as a humble learner. There are things that I (internally) scorned in my early travels, that later I understood and even adopted as my own, feeling shame at my earlier attitudes. Don't be surprised that people really do actually live differently than they do in your country, in what they do, how they eat, how they speak, what they think, and so on. I mean, you know it in your head, but when you are actually there and encounter it, you are still surprised sometimes. When you are the host country, respect the visitor. And now maybe I'm coming across as the American know-it-all. But I've definitely made more than my share of cultural mistakes. I'm probably still making plenty as I readjust to the U.S., and to a new-to-me part of the country. I'm so grateful that people have been patient with me and let me learn and be enriched by their cultures and themselves. As to this board, I do some "talk to the WTM forums" speak, especially when starting a thread, because I have trepidations about where it might end up. Sometimes it takes a completely different path, sometimes a simple question receives answers that are way more than what was asked, etc. Just some meandering thoughts I've had as I've read this.

Given this information, no, I wouldn't have them do this.

Good for you! I'm sure you will do great.

Would a rebounder for kids help? If you have a small house, it might be hard to find a place for it. But if you do have room, maybe you could have him jump on it to "get the antsies out" when he gets too unruly.

Wow. I never heard anything about any of that. That's a little confusing to me, because I never heard of them being associated with anybody else. 😞

I have some outdated experience with them. My oldest ds used them for one year quite a few years ago. We actually met the founder and had some personal conversation with him. Back then, their teachers were very engaged with the students, especially one of them who took a lot of personal interest in ds (not in a creepy way, but he just seemed to "get" ds). The work was meaningful work (not busywork). Teachers were responsive, student community was active, questions were thoughtful and challenging, and materials were meaningful. All that said, at that time, the quantity of work was, imo, just too much when all the classes were added up together. It was a lot. The student HAD to be very on top of things and very organized/industrious so as to not get rapidly and irreversibly behind. Ds did get irreversibly behind. He had some executive function issues that were becoming more obvious by the minute, so Northstar was a terrible fit for him. For the right student, it could have been an enriching education. We were overseas, so were part of their original target audience, and knew some kids for whom it worked beautifully, and others who crashed and burned like our ds. I don't know how it might have changed in recent years. This was around 2001-2002 or so, so our experience is very outdated.

I've seen a similar thing with my dh's family. He has several brothers and a sister. So all the dils in the family (and the daughter, I suppose--we live a long way off so I don't know the details) seemed to see the parents' decline much more clearly than the sons, and kept mentioning how bad things were getting and how this or that needed to be done. The sons would discuss changes in them that they saw sometimes, but never seemed to take it as seriously or be in much of a hurry to change anything. They would get defensive if pushed on it. The parents now do seem to be getting the care they need, but if the dils had been in charge, it would have happened more quickly.

I don't carry. I don't have a problem with others doing it, but I personally don't want to. If I did, I'd want to feel very confident in my skills with the gun because I'd practiced regularly and had good training. I'd feel better if others who carried had that too, but I'm afraid many people overestimate what their skills would be under pressure.

My 10th-grader doesn't, at least not over Christmas or spring breaks. I am so glad. We and/or ds often travel over those breaks, and it would make it hard to enjoy the trip when there are assignments hanging over his head--or to even get them done. Dh and I aren't too happy about sport games planned during the breaks (other than training or summer), because it affects all of us and any plans we'd like to make during the break.

I do sometimes look with regret at the past; things I wish I could change, things I wish I had known, etc. I've made mistakes, of course. But I have to remind myself that life means growth, and you can't know what you don't know; that is, I have grown and changed and know things now that I didn't know then. So...onward and upward, asking forgiveness for the past mistakes/sins, and looking to the future.

Well--staying home with my kids, raising them, and homeschooling them was something I enjoyed immensely (for the most part). It was what I had wanted to do for years, and I loved that being my focus. It's been a couple of years since I moved out of that stage, and I am trying to embrace the present and look to the future. While some of that future has been out in front for awhile--thinking of my children's future, for instance--I have found myself needing some time to re-orient when it comes to myself. Because I enjoyed that part of my life so much, and it isn't available anymore, it left me feeling a little anchor-less for awhile. Fostering or caring for others' children isn't an option right now for several reasons, and I don't think it will be in the future. One of my hopes for this year is that I will be able to find a better grounding in where I am in the present, and become more disciplined in fulfilling some personal goals of more intentional studying and writing, as well as some other things. But I find myself wiped out mentally after work, so it is hard to make myself focus in the evenings. I'm still trying to get a picture of what my life needs to look like now and in the future. So in answer to the question--present and future, with fond feelings toward the past. Hope this makes sense.