Yes, all this exactly. I knew you'd understand.

I'm not sure about the fever, he has a thermometer but couldn't find it 🙄 (yes he has a first aid kit, no it's not in there lol). I found him a couple campus related doctors to call after hours, but talking on the phone can be panic inducing for him so unfortunately he's not able to tonight. He's just way too overwhelmed, but at least he can admit he understands he needs to see a doctor. As it stands, he's taken an antihistamine and has set alarms to go an urgent care in the morning. I can't get to him quicker than that, so I guess I'll have to trust he'll go in and take it from there.

Good to know-- thanks. I have relayed the info

I agree! I loved that one!

It's after hours there so the clinic on campus is closed. He has an ER very close and I think a couple of urgent care facilities, but he says he doesn't have the emotional bandwidth to go (or call) tonight. He agrees he needs to be seen but is too overwhelmed tonight. Ugh, I wish I could swoop in and rescue him. 😞 Is it safe to wait overnight if it's strep? We've never had it in our house. He is going to take some sort of antihistamine.

I have no words and no appropriate emojis to offer up. Holy cow.

I am threatening to fly over tonight. Gads this kid can be stubborn. Like, he wants to go in, but it's late and he's tired and blah blah he'll go tomorrow, but ofc he'll sleep half the day and then not get around until it's late and he's sleepy and...I'm going to lose my mind. Sorry for the rant. I like your friend's strategy! I just wish (loving) threats worked on this one.

I can't take him because he's in Ireland, lol. Though I swear if this kid keeps arguing I'm jumping on the 10 pm flight and hauling him in myself.

Ok. What does it indicate?

He just did the test (thank you!) and it did fade. So I think that's good?

He's now reporting his knees feel like they did when he had Lyme years ago (stiff). Of course he's making excuses and fighting me. Ugh.

Update the rash is on most of his body

DS has a sore throat and a rash (photos) and his waist and upper inner arm. He says it's a bit itchy and some of it looks like bites, but there's also bruising where his sleeves were rolled up. I'm not sure how long it's been since he noticed. He says his neck might be a little stiff and Im FREAKING OUT that it's meningitis. Keep in mind he is autistic and has a very hard time knowing how his body feels, so it's hard for me to gauge. He severely understates pain and discomfort. Ive made him promise he'll go the ER or urgent care right away. What do I need to be asking him or thinking of?

Oh I kinda love this! Keep the great ideas coming! 🙂

We do already have a pantry, but extra built in storage is always a net positive. I wonder if kitchen desks are still a design thing. Like, I like the idea and don't want to rip out something that would be functional for someone else down the line.

Yes, exactly. So there's (unused) stuff here, but it gathers random items because we don't use the space intentionally. A coffee bar is a good idea. Coffee maker, kettle and espresso machine, plus all the accessories could take up quite a bit of space (a good thing). It's not near the sink though, which might be awkward. Still, I'll think on that. There must be a way of decorating it to look less like a repurposed desk. *heads to pinterest*

I could find another space for the printer, we almost never use it anymore so it doesn't need to live there. I like that idea. I don't have a need for more counter space, though it could be useful in a different kitchen for sure.

We have a built in kitchen desk area that I've never been able to figure out. Currently it holds the printer and desktop, but mostly it serves as a landing spot for random junk. We never use the computer and are thinking about getting rid of it altogether (it's an all one so can't be reused as a just a monitor, which we don't need anyway), and I'd love to figure out useful design for the desk. It's by far the most cluttered area of the house but with the current set up I haven't been successful in getting my uh...housemate...to help keep it tidy. We both WAH but don't use this space for that purpose. DH works in an office upstairs and I prefer to be in a cozier room with natural light. So it's unlikely either of will start using it for work. Any thoughts or ideas? I like clean lines and modern stuff (like Scandi style) but I'm at a loss with this space and I'm tired of trying to ignore it.

My dad (88) and mother (84) both have Covid after dad brought it back from a trip to Europe. My sister, who travelled with him and lives with them, "just has a cold" so will continue to be out and about as usual. Sigh. Hopefully she'll at least mask. This is their second go around; the first was before vaccinations, IIRC. They are, thankfully, fully vaxxed and boosted and will do all the right things, but still. It's hard to not be concerned, especially when showing concern is considered a sign of weakness in my family and they just brush it off. Ugh.

DS hasn’t had a paediatrician since he was 5. When we moved here he was 8 and he and DH started seeing the same GP. It’s worked out the way I hoped, that by the time he needed real guidance with young adult issues he trusted his GP fully; they have a great rapport. At the same time, he could and sometimes did a see a paediatrician for urgent needs when his regular doctor couldn’t fit him in. It ended up being a great balance.

They are the same as what all country fairs and amusement parks call fried dough, and other regional names. Basically like funnel cakes.

I started volunteering when DS was in middle school to gain recent experience and make contacts before going back to work when he went to public high school. In the end it was a friend who got me a job, and again a different position after losing it during Covid. So I would say network, network, network. Let everyone you know you're stepping back into the working world, and learn to talk yourself up. Don't overemphasize your homeschooling skills ("General Manager of Household Duties" and so on); my years in HR taught me that just comes off as BS. But don't undersell your skills either. One thing I've discovered about going back to work in my then-40s was how much more confidence I had. I'm not going to take BS from a boss any longer, and I can stand up for myself and feel secure in my abilities. I'm not trying to climb a ladder or prove myself to anyone, which I turn makes me a better employee. Good luck out there!

So beautiful!

Ummmm also... cat tax payment time! We need photos! 😻

We've been using crushed walnut shells, which have proven dustless and remarkably absorbent. I can't pretend to understand how it works, but it's been a winner so far for the kitties and us. We've also been testing Boxi. It's pretty dust free; one kind they sell is clay based and the other isn't and looks like chia seeds lol. Our cats aren't picky and will use anything--we've recently tried paper pellets which were dust free but we humans couldn't figure them out (the kitties were fine with them). They might be better used with like a Japanese type litter system, idk. Maybe the confusion is just us. We had previously used Worlds Best, but a third cat rendered it *much* less effective and it was never as dust free as I'd prefer. Given our recent experimentation, I'm most likely to suggest the walnut shells for truly dustless and also weirdly absorbant (we get it at PetSmart, I haven't checked Chewy but they have a good selection too)