@Negin custom for you! (I'm sure it's been done before but I couldn't find it)

@NeginI thought of you 🙂

We're waiting for our governor's orders for may, since our stay at home order expires May 1. For weeks my parents have been oscillating between frustration and tears, asking me to let kids come over, that this whole thing is way overblown and everyone is overreacting. It's actually been disturbing how little they seem to grasp or care about the human cost we potentially face. Regardless of what the order is I have a feeling my parents are going to do what they want (if they aren't already. They tell me they are only grocery shopping once a week but I really doubt it). Their main reason for caring about what he says is because I'll follow the guidelines, and they'll be frustrated if I don't let them see the kids for even longer. They actually tried to get a hotel in my town this week to come and visit us since I won't take the kids to them; I said if they did so I wouldn't let them see the kids anyway. They grudgingly didn't follow through but I got tons of woe-is-them calls and texts. My husband is also med/high-risk, and they think me caring about that is ridiculous since they are high-risk and don't care about it for themselves. I don't feel comfortable going against stay-at-home, we are in a rural-ish area and I see it as the ideal situation to stay safe and help others stay safe, NOT a reason we can be lax ourselves. I wish my own strength of will was strong enough to follow it through regardless of the governor's order, but realistically I need my parents' cooperation and support long term right now, and if the order is loosened I will have to compromise.

Had wanted to post on Saturday...

Me: happily coming to this thread to post a few new memes: https://media.giphy.com/media/nLhdSinRtaL2E/giphy.mp4

I don't know what part of Arizona, but if it is Tucson area, my experience as of last week (my guess is Phoenix is similiar, but perhaps someone up there will chime in): - grocery stores have shorter hours but are still open and with pretty good stock. So long as he gets to one before 8pm, he can get food and go to the bathroom there. - no real travel restrictions in the state. Rest stops along I-10 I believe are closed. There are still truck stops/gas stations that are open and have restrooms. The exit I get off of, for example still has 2 fully open gas stations and a McDonald's with (I think) 7am-10pm hours, and a hotel that is still open. - Driving by hotels: there are cars in the parking lot but not many, so there should be accommodation available. - Many many restaurants are doing carry-out, so prepared food should not be a problem. If there are specific questions for Tucson area you are wondering, I'd be happy and tell you whatever I know.

I know *nothing* about bird houses and until you said "our old bluebird house is occupied" I didn't realize birds would actually LIVE in a bird house.... So... do you have a sign above saying "bluebirds" or "wrens and/or chickadees, please respect" ? I can imagine a cardinal, twig-in-beak, sadly reading the sign....

I am so scared to say this, but: not have the kids go to my parents as much. It's a 2 hour drive one way, which means 8 hours a week driving for me, just to take them to see my parents. Then they come back with attitude problems (overnight stay). The "reason" they had to go every week is because their TKD studio is in my parents' town and we were trying to keep them involved in something they liked and with certain friends. But... man, 2 weeks not having to do that drive, deal with the moodiness, disagree about the food they are being served, bedtimes not being enforced, schoolwork not getting finished, frustrated that the baby didn't get her teeth brushed, etc, etc, etc.... My parents may have a conniption, but I don't think I can go back to that. Maybe once a month, max 2, but every week is a no-go my friend.