What a fun experience! I'm totally jealous-- major K-Drama/K-Pop fan here. Keep posting so we can live vicariously through you and your DD (especially for the Christmas Eve event!). Pictures welcome too!

Sugar or colored sugar is fine to go on before baking-- Sprinkles are better after (brush on a light glaze first to help hold them on)

We are hoping for on-campus PT as well. Her new Dr has one of the top PT programs in the USA-- but it is 1.5 hours each way! Their facility is awesome-- this is where all of the college athletes and pro-athletes (Denver Broncos) go... She said all of the people in the waiting room were 'buff'-- the original Dr's waiting room was filled with geriatric patients...

Thank you all so much! DH is on his way to the airport-- I was going to drive him but 3yr old had a meltdown.. The CT scan was clear of vascular damage-- we are still waiting for MRI results (hospital was seriously backlogged on those). They are monitoring her for the compartment syndrome (she is at high risk) but they think things are OK now --if anything changes with her leg then she goes to the nearest ER. DD spent night at DH's coworkers house. -- DD has accommodations already in place on campus as she has a severe chronic pain disorder--full body CRPS (she is majoring in Neuro biology so she can research her condition!) She will file an additional request before classes start. Her professors were more than accommodating the past 2 weeks so we feel confident that if she can get through surgery and the first 2 weeks of recovery she will be fine on her own (with her dance group friends and roommates around to help). I'll find out Monday when I'll need to go up. I'm preparing to be gone 2-4 weeks. Since I teach online I can do that from just about anywhere! DD's roommates will be gone most of the break-- one will come and go due to her job. DD's room is on bottom floor (again due to her other health condition) but there is not a ramp to the door. DH and I will look into having one put in at the 'front door' (they always enter at the back but front has only 1 step instead of 4...)... the handicap parking for her building is just outside her apartment-- she should get her sticker on Monday.

DD is alone in a hospital ER in Denver (it has been a BAD day)... they are running tests to rule out compartment syndrome... Prayers appreciated. One of DH's coworkers lives in the area and is on the way to hospital-- DD will spend night at her house if she is discharged!!

Update Friday We were able to get DD into an Orthopedic Surgeon in Denver this morning. They are extremely concerned as her injury is more serious/extensive than what other Dr thought (last Dr just looked at MRI and x-rays-- never even saw her and next appointment would have been pre-op at end of January!). DD is now driving herself to a nearby hospital for additional CT and MRI scans-- ' and they told us that one of us (parents) needed to get there as soon as possible (not going to mention what they think might be going on)... her next appointment is Monday morning-- unless they need to get her to surgery sooner. DH is flying up Saturday morning-- I have a medical condition and will not be able to fly until Monday--plan is for me to go up for surgery and to stay for a week or two after (I can stay at her apartment as DH will need to get a hotel). -- Did I mention that her BF of one year broke up with her this morning because she was 'taking too much of his time due to her injury'... we really liked this guy (and they were talking marriage just 2 weeks ago!). I want to hug her so bad!!!!!!

OK-- I went Momma-Bear on a few receptionists and FINALLY got a response... DD has a torn ligament in her knee that will need surgery. That particular surgeon could get her in in late January-- the week after classes begin for the Spring semester... she would have to miss a minimum of 1 full week of class-- not a good way to end your 3rd year of college! Tomorrow she has an appointment in Denver (an hour drive) to see a different Dr-- there is a chance he could get her in sooner. Ideally it would be great if she could have surgery at least 2 weeks before classes begin... In the mean time they said it was OK for her to start putting weight on her leg and for her to 'try' to start bending her knee. DD has CRPS and it is not letting up-- she has not been able to bend knee or ankle since injury (nothing wrong with ankle). So we wait until tomorrow to see when/if I get to travel to Colorado...

I'm just trying to be patient a bit longer -- I really just want to know what is going on... all we (DD, DH and I ) have heard are bits and pieces and it has been over a week since the fall... The ER Dr said that Ortho would explain the injuries-- DD said Ortho just walked in her room and said 'you need to schedule an MRI' and then left--she thought he would come back in but he never came back and she left without asking!! So now she is being passed to surgeon-- hopefully they will tell us something. DH said that the message surgeon left for her today mentioned that she was "not stable" and that she was NOT allowed to fly. DD's BF is local-- long story here but in short we will not know until after his last final on Thursday if he will be available to help-- or if he and DD will still be together.

She cannot sit in a car that long-- plus there is winter weather between her and me! Safer for her to stay there.

She signed the HIPPA form-- our issue is that the first Ortho would not return her calls or ours and did not have a patient portal available. If we cannot get through in the morning we will pull our PA card again and have him do it then let us know that way.

My youngest dd (20yrs) is away at college in Colorado-- about 17 hours away from me. DD has a chronic pain disorder (CRPS). Last week she injured her left leg/knee during a dance practice-- she is part of a K-pop cover dance club (largest non-academic club on her college campus!). She was lunging forward and her knee snapped and dislocated then she fell hard onto her knee. She knew immediately something was very wrong. Her BF took her to the ER and they stabilized her leg and referred her to an orthopedic Dr. She was able to get an appointment 2 weeks out! DH remembered that one of our new neighbors had a SIL who is a PA in dd's college town... one call later and DD now had a local primary care giver AND an appointment for ortho for the next day (good thing as she was out of pain pills). PA was able to look at the x-rays and said that there were hairline fractures in her femur as well as bone chips where it met the knee-- and something was definitely 'wrong' with her knee. Ortho ordered MRI (last week). Today is Wednesday and Ortho's office finally let dd know (via phone message as she was in finals today!) that her injury is 'surgical' and they gave her the number of a surgeon... We still have NO IDEA what she did to her knee-- it is still huge and she cannot bend it or even move her ankle. DD has had to rely on her friends and roommates for everything-- it has been a struggle just getting her to ASK for help!!! BF was great the first few days but he had to study for his finals and the stress of her injury was too distracting (more to the story). I was able to order her a wheelchair-- picked up today and a few of her friends have given her meals. With the wheelchair she can at least open the fridge (cannot reach microwave or oven/cooktop controls!) She cannot drive and is pretty much 'stuck' in her room unless she has to go to campus for finals. All of her roommates and most of her friends will be going home for Christmas through mid January-- so by this weekend her support will be gone! DD was supposed to drive home for Christmas but that is not going to happen and flying is out too. We are waiting for a call back from the surgeon on Thursday-- hopefully they will let us know what is going on/extent of injury and what sort of surgery schedule/recovery time we are looking at. DH and I talked and I'm probably the best option to fly out to help. -- Update Feb 13: I'm back in Colorado for 2nd time-- Surgery will be on Feb.14. She should be walking with crutches in about 2 weeks...looking at estimated 4 month recovery. I'll stay 2-3 weeks-- until I'm confident she can drive and care for herself.

My vote is perspective while in bed-- DH is on the left. Same as with USA cars-- driver's side is left side of car (perspective of riding in car).

I would opt for another box at your door step with a HUGE sign that says leave deliveries in the box or their company will be held responsible. I might also get snarky and make a TON of signs up and down my drive reminding delivery drivers not to feed the dogs my packages.

Totally understand. Last week we had ONE day (actually text went out after 8pm the night before) that students needed to wear pink (not for any specific reason other than color of the day). My GS3 doesn't really have anything pink (not one of his favorite colors since another boy in his class told him that pink was for girls!). I did find a "Pink Floyd" t-shirt of his and sent him to school in that. Good news is that his Pre-K teachers don't push the 'spirit' days too much. Parents do get a 2nd daily photo if students participate in the spirit day but other than that the kids can wear what they wear and it is no big deal. I did find one of GS's shirts that has a pink dinosaur on it-- will keep that one in mind if another 'pink' day comes around.

I've watched several more since the original post-- so many good ones out there! Lots of new ones available now too... This past week I watched (actually re-watched) The King's Affection-- it won an international Emmy award! It is bittersweet-- emotional roller coaster! - 2 more weeks until I give myself permission to BINGE Goblin (Guardian- the Great and Lonely God)...

Unless you are getting a $5000 machine- the lower cost ($100-200) machines thread just like the ones from 1960... there is not a 'learning curve'. They work the same as the older ones...If she does not have a sewing cabinet then go with one that has a flat bed attachment.

I'm a STAY (meaning I like Stray Kids)-- I've followed them from the beginning-- my youngest dd watched the reality show that started them... I guess you could say we 'bonded' through Stray Kids...lots of road trip playlist memories... I made a mistake last year and Googled Stray Kids tickets on my phone (for a gift for dd)-- now Instagram has me marked as a STAY and every other post I get is something about Stray Kids (The other half has to do with K-Dramas). I'd love to go to a Stray Kids concert-- they will be in Texas in March but DD would not be able to get there (in school in Colorado) and I do not want to go by myself (but it is on my bucket list!). ...My dd is in a K-pop cover dance group at Colorado State University so I get to hear a lot of current K-pop songs.

I used to be in the 'older the better' camp for sewing machines-- but in the past few years the cheaper models have been improving... I've been happy with the inexpensive (under $150) Brother machine I purchased for my dd a few years ago when she took a costume making class at school (school machines were horrid!). When she went away to college I kept it and used it to make several quilts... it still sews like a champ-- very smooth and really no issues with tension... Last Christmas my DH gifted me with a top of the line Brother-- it does sew better than the cheap model-- BUT my daughters cannot tell the difference and I doubt your mom can either. I suggest getting a machine at a place like JoAnn Fabrics-- they have a nice warranty and you can often try them out first.

Sorry that you joined the club...glad your visit was short too. Hope you are feeling better soon.

He is doing a lot better today-- just a little tummy upset this morning. He let me wash his hair tonight in the bath--when I asked if his head hurt he said 'yea' but did not flinch away so it is not as tender to touch. His eyes were also better today-- not as 'googly'. It is HARD to keep an active almost 3 year old (3 on Dec 5!) calm all day long. Right before his fall he had his first piece of pumpkin pie--loved it. Tonight I asked him if he wanted another piece and his eyes got sooo big-- like "WHAT?--ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Hopefully he will get over the memory and will give pumpkin pie another chance.

Our GSDs (even our rescue ones who were supposedly 'cat chasers') were all RULED by our cats. Cant wait to see pictures!

Almost 3 yr old Grandson (GS) was watching the adults play board games at the table after our family lunch-- he dozed off and fell backwards off the chair (he was sitting on knees...). He hit the tile floor square on the back of his head. He cried for about 20 minutes then to slept for about 15 minutes. When he 'woke up' it was pretty evident that he had a concussion (we were watching him the whole time and pretty much expected this)... trip to ER (DH and I) that included lots of 'being sick to stomach' plus a CT scan confirmed it. Thankfully no skull fracture or internal bleeding. ER was slow so we did not have to wait around-- CT happened less than 5 minutes after Dr ordered it! They kept him for a few hours then we took him home. He is still having tummy issues-- Dr said that it can last a day or two-- DH went to get a prescription (Zofran?)...

I'm sorry.

My 2 yr old (grandson I'm raising) is right between toddler and preschooler. He will be 3 in a few weeks and I will gradually start referring to him as a preschooler...' His daycare will keep him as a toddler until next fall when he will officially begin 'preschool' (3-s turning 4 that school year). So he will have 2 full years of preschool before he starts kindergarten-- That makes sense to me. He is growing up too fast!

At the end of one vet trip to have a dog put down the vet pulled me aside (he was a close friend) and said " Jann, I know this is TERRIBLE timing but there is a dog at a local rescue who needs you..." turns out she DID need us (experienced with rescue German Shepherds) and we needed HER to help us through the loss of a young dog (we adopted her less than 3 weeks after our loss). We had her 10 years. After her loss we waited a few months as we were getting ready to move-- but once we got settled we started going to rescue centers--it was about a year before we got our next dog (only non-GS we have ever had). Our white GS is 11 and probably will not be around much longer (this is OLD for a 140 lb dog)-- he is having a rough time getting around... I can almost guarantee that we will have a 2nd dog within a month or so of his passing. I want another GS-- but probably not another 140 lb one!