My cranky old girl lived for a good couple years after the thyroid and kidney diagnoses, and she was very active (and more vocal) right up until the end. She'd always been afraid of my younger boy cats, but toward the end she gave off a "don't mess with me, you whippersnappers" vibe and they left her alone. She looked a little rough and unkempt for the last month, and then died during a nap. We gave her pills mixed with wet food. We turned down fluid therapy. I think she was on a special diet for a while, but hated the food and refused to eat it after a while, so we switched back. Gosh, I miss her. It's been almost a year.

I love hazelnuts, but I think they go rancid quickly. I prefer them straight from the shell, when they have a nice sweet flavor. I think when they're roasted and salted they lose some of their special qualities.

I get bad acne from drinking milk, but fermented dairy, butter, and cream (and some occasional ice cream), are all fine for me. Which reminds me, I was totally not thinking about dairy last week when I was on a road trip and treated myself to a couple of lattes. I couldn't figure out where the acne came from! I guess I just got so used to never having milk that I completely forgot about it.

None of us have one or want one (but the kids are very young, so never say never...). In college I would have considered it if I found the perfect one, but I didn't, and have completely lost interest since then.

I've always thought it would be cool to own a restaurant, bakery, or B&B. DH and I often talked about it when we were more carefree. But at the end of the day we're realists and know that the amount of work (and extroversion, in some cases) wouldn't be worth it for us. DH also talked for a while of being an independent contractor in his industry. But he'd need millions of dollars worth of lab equipment, and we'd make significantly less money for at least several years, not to mention all the tax and health insurance issues. I know my anxiety would go through the roof if anything came up business-wise or health-wise. I also get more done around the house when he's not here. And he's just really well-suited to the job he currently has, and they're a great, family-friendly company.

Spam. Some dish my mom called "sh!t on a shingle." Toast with a nasty salty white chunky gravy plopped on top. Potato soup that my grandma made. Huge slices of potatoes and onions simmered in water for not nearly long enough, with a dash of milk, and a ton of black pepper. It had a nasty texture and no taste, except for the onions. My parents' meatloaf, cooked with a thick layer of ketchup on top. Every single one of my aunts had their own version of that jello salad stuff, and they'd get extremely offended at holiday meals if I didn't try theirs. I was a compliant, people-pleaser child, and I have ten aunts. Never again.

MIL kept all of DH's legos, then gave them all to us, because they are preparing to move. We regret taking them in (along with everything else she saved). It was cute at first, to have Daddy's legos and old toys to play with. But DH is not particularly sentimental, and the kids prefer the modern sets, things they've read the books/seen the cartoons of, not what was around way back when. Now we just have too many legos, and most are in the attic. But speaking as a Mommy, I'd probably hold onto them too, as long as I had the storage space. :)

I have mild scoliosis and sometimes get back pain. Exercise and stretching are the best preventive measures for me.

How about sweet potatoes anna? http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/search?q=+sweet+potatoes+anna I use half the butter, a lot less salt because I don't have coarse sea salt, and usually paprika instead of aleppo pepper. The whole family loves it.

I feel sad and literally sick over this. And yet hopeful, after the latest reports.

We'll be visiting relatives for Easter so...who knows. I don't have high hopes. Our hotel has a kitchenette, at least. When we get back, I'm making baklava and a cheesecake. Maybe with lemon curd folded in and a drizzle of raspberry coulis on top.

Thanks for the recommendation. I've often thought that my son (and his brother, who according to teachers is showing yellow flags for autism) has a lot of normal human traits. It's the combination (and sometimes the extremity) that pushes it into diagnosable territory. The ADHD with social delay is interesting. Now that my kid is in school, the areas where he needs support seem to point more toward attention issues.

Just an anecdote - I know a young adult female with autism, and one day the thought popped into my head that, wow, if she reproduces she could potentially be the monster-in-law from Hell. Not because she has any meanness in her, not at all. She just comes off as judgmental and disapproving, because she doesn't know how to modify her facial features, laugh at the right time, or stop staring with a stony expression on her face. I believe that she doesn't have a judgmental bone in her body. Her brain just doesn't function that way. Once in a while she'll say judgey things, but she's just repeating what she's heard from her parents and teachers. Couple that with the fact that her obsessions is babies, and I can just see her stealing the newest grandbabies to cuddle, totally ignore the older ones, laugh at her DIL's jokes in a way that comes across as bored, and stare at her in a way that seems to say "I hate you and your parenting abilities." When really she's just being herself and she's worked very hard to get as far as she has. Which reminds me, one of our assistant preschool teachers is just like that. My kids don't like her. Even at the age of 3, my daughter can sense that something is off, and can't connect with her. And it's sad because she really, really likes them, and she's gainfully employed doing what she loves to do. I know she has adult children. Which is all to say, sometimes when I hear MIL stories, depending on the details, I wonder if ASD is behind it, and the poor MIL is just doing the best she can with what nature gave her.

Just speaking for myself...the vision insurance offered through my DH's work is good if you want expensive glasses and cheap contacts. But I want the expensive sensitive eye daily contacts and a pair of cheap backup glasses (but nice ones! Not the bargain bin at the office!). I came out far ahead last fall when I ordered glasses online for the first time, thanks to this thread. It was also nice to not have a salesperson breathing down my neck - I can only think of one in recent memory who was actually helpful. I could take my time and really think through the shape and color, and I'm a lot happier with this pair than I was with most of the ones I got at the optometrist's office. I used eyebuydirect and their FAQ says: Do you accept insurance? Unfortunately we are not currently affiliated with any insurance companies. However we can provide you with a detailed copy of your invoice along with our tax ID number so you may request for reimbursement from your insurance company. We accept flexible spending accounts (FSA) or health savings accounts (HSA) for purchasing prescription eyewear or sunglasses. However, the FSA and HSA cards need to be affiliated with a major credit card

I also can't handle a large calorie deficit. After a few days I'm on the couch wondering why I feel like death warmed over. Getting enough protein and fat helps, but still...I'm more of a "no snacks, sweets, or seconds except on days that start with S" kind of girl. And plenty of exercise of the type that doesn't ramp up my appetite. And easy on the carbs because of family history of diabetes. I think that some bodies would rather go into sloth mode than lose weight when they don't get enough calories. I know I need to go slow and steady if I want to lose weight and still have normal energy levels.

My house has lots of windows and very little wall space. The piano is in a corner of the living room, opposite the couch and a little to the side, the place where you might put an accent chair. The back of it slightly overlaps a window, and there's a window on its side just in front of it. There's also a floor vent just in front of it, under the window. I know, I know, horrible placement because of temperature fluctuations, but the piano was old and free. The only place with more wall space is by an outer door with greater temperature fluctuations, and tends to get ants.

I'm going through a name change right now. It's my understanding that you want everything to match up. The process is a hassle, but you don't want it to become a much larger hassle in the future.

What about a picnic basket or picnic backpack? We got a picnic backpack when we were engaged or newlywed. So cute. It came with plates, utensils, a picnic blanket, napkins, little salt and pepper shakers, and a cheese knife and cutting board. The backpack was insulated and since it was small, it was easy to bring along every time we moved.

In no particular order, with some being lunches: Steak with garlic-sherry vinaigrette Sauteed chicken breast with mustard-cream sauce Salmon of some sort Flounder of some sort Meatballs - make a huge batch with hidden veggies and liver, and freeze the excess Quiche (such a surprising crowd-pleaser!) Pizza Pasta and cucumbers as sides for picky kids Tons of chopped salads. I've been liking chickpea, cucumber, celery, and kalamata olives lately. We also have lots of veggies sides. I'm not as carnivorous as this list might make it seem. 😉 I just buy as I go, and then prepare whatever sounds good that day.

No. Where did you get that quarter figure from? Women in my circles tend to be more into homebirth and other things that might positively correlate with placentophagy, yet most are grossed out at the thought of it, and I don't personally know anyone who's done it.

We used to have all white. The dishwasher broke and we went with white again, but when the microwave broke, we could not find white, so we went with stainless. The fridge and stove are ageing too...long story short, I wish we had gone with stainless for the dishwasher, so that eventually everything will match.

I hope all is well! FWIW, my last pregnancy was totally different from the others.

The daffodils are a little past their prime. Tulips are thinking of coming out. Violets and grape hyacinths everywhere. Strawberries are developing. Herbs are waking up. My peonies are coming back. They're always getting run over by kids and cars, and last year someone thought they were weeds and cut them all the way back.

I believe you're in NC, same as me? When we bought our house a few years ago, our realtor's commission all came from the seller. I don't remember the details of how it worked out, but that's the norm in our state/area/market (not sure exactly which), and he did get paid for the work he did for us, just not directly through us. We were coming from an apartment, but if we had been selling a house he'd have gotten a commission from us for that too. Just my experience, but I think your realtor would get commissions both for selling and for the new build. Is there a main office you can call and ask?

I haven't been to the SW since middle school (and therefore can't comment on driving distances), but Mesa Verde was sooo cool and unique. I even tell my kids about it sometimes and their eyes get big with wonder. My aunt and uncle took us to Slide Rock State Park. The creek has worn the sandstone into a chute, like a natural water slide. No idea where it is in relation to the rest of your plans, and I'm guessing the water will be cold this time of year, but man, it was such a blast, I had to mention it. I remember liking Sedona, but nothing specific about it comes to mind. Maybe we just drove through and enjoyed the scenery? My parents weren't big on hiking. We went to Four Corners, but in my tweenaged opinion it felt silly and touristy. I remembered when our class had studied US geography several years earlier and speculated about what was at the intersection of those states...maybe just a desert? Wilderness? A town? Something really, really cool? Nope, a big old touristy platform, and Mom makes you bend over and stick a hand and foot on each quadrant so she can take a picture, then you have to stand on one foot right in the middle, then Dad makes you hop over the state lines so he can videotape it. I was dying inside, just dying. Anyway, I hope you have a great spring break, especially after the WOW fiasco!