Kinda random. Right now the 5yo is still reveling in the power of shower over bath so he tries to "sneak" 2 showers a day. If he gets 2, he tries to get 3. My DD10 on the other hand goes grudgingly, and she's the one who, well, I really keep tabs on. She'd go all week without one if I let her. Not cause she wants to be stinky, she's actually sensitive about that, but she doesn't like getting water in her eyes or having to comb her hair afterwards. DS8 is extremely spacey on just about everything in the physical realm of existence so I ask him if he's taken a shower while his hair is still wet and he'll say "Oh, I forgot" and start stripping again. So I think he's about 4 times a week? In the summer if they go outside they have to go to the shower straight after.

"Oh no, it's her birthday! I forgot to go hunting...hmmm. AH, sopping wet pom pom!; less time, less hassle, and she'll hardly notice the difference!"

I'm sorry that happened. {hug} I've had similar experiences and know that it hurts, and hurts a lot when I think it was a good experience but it turns out the other side didn't like it. It is a little nuts, but my Dad has a similar urge to hoard all of his precious retired time, lol. Having a conversation of 2 or 3 or 10 minutes will not throw off his day, but in HIS mind it is important to keep calls short. His conversation is: "Okay, good to hear from you Daughter, here's your mom." I think I would focus on the idea that, even if he didn't really enjoy the conversation or it was too long for him, he loved you enough to make it enjoyable for you and not to make you feel rushed off the phone. And despite the fact that he expressed his own feelings later, he only did it when he thought you couldn't hear and it wouldn't hurt your feelings. I don't think it's a definite sign that he doesn't like you, and probably a more superficial he doesn't like talking long, or probably the topic of conversation, not you, that he's reacting to. I wouldn't do anything in this case except let it go (and its harder than it sounds, sorry 😞 ) Having also been a participant to a "call back" after an overheard exasperated thing after the conversation, I highly do NOT recommend this tactic. IME It won't resolve it, will probably make it worse because they'll be defensive and most people don't react well to being in that position, and you won't really figure out what they were exasperated about in the end. Maybe for some personalities they can handle the direct confrontation well, but the persons involved in my experience both don't handle criticism or questioning well.

it...it sounds like you already know how I handle my money...... lol seriously though, I start off very clean and organized, but I try to fit stuff in, take stuff out, my keys get pushed in and make things crumpled, my phone slides between a bunch of previously organized stuff, the baby opens it and decides to redecorate and then I'm just stuffing stuff back in while tugging it away from her, etc. I rarely use cash so normally this doesn't affect the cashier. But definitely the few times I try to put stuff back in nicely I get the annoyed/impatient vibe of "do that somewhere else", and of course once out of sight out of mind, soo......

Glad you got the pizza. I actually got the kids pizza for lunch(!!) today due to stress and needing an easy answer to *something*. I hope it relieved some of the worry for at least a little bit. {hug} On a lighter note, I remember my dad one time had a plumbing issue in an upstairs bathroom. The plumbers, 3 guys, came to check it out. As they walked up the stairs to do the work (after the discovery/quote process) he turned to me and said, "This is probably the only time we'll have 3 millionaires in our house." Hope your millionaires weren't too pricey! 🙂

Tonight was an unexpected taco salad. He just showed up on the doorstep unannounced! j/k, but it was a mad dash to get it together. The rest of the week will hold more surprises, too, lol.

I could have written the exact same post about DS8. We did get him tested at 4 because one of his preschool teachers and a few other people said something about some things he did (completely normal behaviors, but they made me doubt it at the time). While they said I could try testing again at 6yo, they wouldn't diagnose something based on his current behaviors; sometimes kids are bright, quirky and cute in their own way.

Thanks for the input everyone 🙂 To clear up and update, here's what's going to happen: DH will handle the issue directly with his brother, no involvement from me, so I'm not sure exactly how he'll do it. He'll tell me about it but I've given all my input already. There was no alcohol at the event, no prior run ins between any kid and BIL. We've never had a reason to have to police interactions before. Previous issues with BIL's behavior have been between him and DH, and obviously not of a type we were concerned with how he would treat kids; sometimes you just have annoying people in your family who aren't a threat. Going forward 1) BIL will never be alone with our kids. We can't be with every kid every moment (4 kids, 2 of us), so DH will stick to his brother at family events to make sure he's there for any and every interaction. This is not a happy prospect for DH, which leads to point #2: 2) We will probably limit family events to 1 or 2 a year, maybe Easter and Christmas. Or Thanksgiving and Christmas. Or just Easter. We will give kids option to not have to go, if they take this option I'll stay home with them. We'll be out of town or obligated somewhere else for other events. In the case of Mother's Day, birthdays, etc., DH will go alone if anyone goes. He's already told his mom this (since attendees at family events have already dropped to basically her, our family, and BIL's family) so hopefully there will be less pressure to schedule things. She'll still pressure, but DH can remind her of the reasons and that we are not really interested at this point. 2.5) Family events may not happen at all after DH talks with BIL. While I don't know exactly when/what will be said, DH has seemed pretty firm on the idea of an apology. Not to demean or humiliate his brother, but because he thinks that in relationships there are expected ways you treat others and apologizing when you hurt someone is one of them. Especially since the person hurt is a child. This was not modeled in their FOO at all, so he knows his brother won't take this well (in case you didn't get that from what happened in the first place, lol) but doesn't think this negates the need. He's trying to figure out how to do it without it coming across as a threat, but still making it necessary to resume any type of normal relations between the two families; maybe that's not possible, but his intention is to model functional relationships to DS, NOT to punish BIL. Also, DH thinks I should get an apology as well, though I told him I'm more concerned BIL realizes that badmouthing me to DH will not fly. DH said that both issues will be addressed. 3) Events with just the kids/cousins are not really going to happen without BIL, so this move means little contact with cousins. That's just a cost of how this will happen and the current family dynamics. 4) As for the kid involved, when we told him to immediately find a parent in the future, he said that's exactly what he did and that I took care of it. Kid feels I stood up for him and he left mid-conversation because it was being handled. While I still think I could have done more (though perhaps not without starting a real drag-out fight), DS was happy with what I DID do and knows DH and I will stand up for him.

DS5 is head and shoulders taller than everyone else in his TKD class. He is in that awkward size of between 6 and 7 clothes. But, he was always at least a head taller even when he was 3 and the other kids were 5. So size is a hard thing to regulate in sports. I think overall age/birthday cutoffs are better than grade, because kids can be held back or pushed forward for academic reasons that don't match their body. But, birthday cutoffs don't solve the problem. To be more fair you'd have to do some calculation of talent + effort + size, which seems a bit over the top and impossible to really do unless you have a huge pool of kids. If you are doing sports for competition, how to play well against different opponents, life skills etc., it's more "realistic" for the opponents to sometimes be "out of your league."

My suspicious area was removed same day (the visible top part), then sent to the lab. Mine didn't have any real care instructions I can remember, so it couldn't have been that difficult to deal with afterwards. edit: My doctor didn't think mine was cancerous but got it to the lab in an overabundance of caution. Surprise, it was cancer, yay. So they may have guesses today -- or well-informed idea -- but the tests will tell you for sure and the type. If it looks like it wasn't all taken out with the first scrape, they'll do a deeper cut afterwards, but the first appointment doesn't usually require a cut with stitches, etc.

You do what you gotta do when your pink-bowed chicken wants chickens little

When we moved last year we got rid of probably 95% of our stuff. And in the new place I was determined not to let anything in that wasn't either really needed or really loved. Well, here we are, and it looks like I failed at that, lol. 3 bags of trash, maybe 10 boxes of random stuff and toys and books, and at least 2 huge boxes of kids clothes, and we're not done yet. Kids clothes I understand, they grow and I replace but don't take out the things that are still on the border of being worn. But the rest of it, how did it get past the threshold?? It'll be done today, one way or another, I can't live in this war zone of half full boxes and piles of paraphernalia!

I remember in high school getting bad cramps during art class, and being unable to breathe well, and had to put my head on the table. When one of the boys asked what was wrong I said I drank too much coffee on an empty stomach for breakfast. Then for the next couple months they teased me about making sure I ate before coffee (it was my morning class), and I could ocnveniently pass off any issues or needing to go to the bathroom as a coffee issue. All this to say that most men do not know what an unrelated female is going through at any point and probably don't even realize half of the hints and clues women can't manage to hide. edit (sorry I keep hitting submit by accident, idk what's going on): When I was working I may call in maybe for 3 or 4 single days during the year, but always made it about coming down with a sore throat or fever or something. The rest of the time I would suffer through and put on a forced cheer, but wouldn't volunteer for anything. My issues have gotten worse after this last pregnancy. DH considers me as having a high pain tolerance (he watched those labors and deliveries, lol) and so doesn't question me when the Midol bottle is on the counter. Also, early in marriage he had to help me clean up while I was also suffering from some flu or something, and I think after that he just is grateful it isn't him.

Scenario provided is literally what we are, and have moved/rearranged a couple times this past year. I (Mom) puts away everything and decides best place for it except for office and DH's closet. If he thinks something can be better placed or doesn't make sense where I put it, he can mention it to me and I'll move it if I agree. If he needs to ask me multiple times where a certain thing is, I will consider moving it to a more obvious place. Generally DH has a good idea for how things flow and agrees with me, and I appreciate his input on the times he sees something that can be improved. But, since he's not the one using the space in the majority, a difference of opinion will swing my way. edit: also, when I'm placing stuff I try and place things where I think DH would like or would help him in his own needs; I take into account the needs/uses of everything for the entire family, not just where I would like it most.

I never sold cookies the 3 years we were in Girl Scouts, which is difficult to do with the pressure they put on you (at least my troop). I had a frank conversation with the troop leader that we wouldn't be selling and we could miss 2 months of meetings if that would make it easier for both her and my daughter (since a lot of the meetings during selling just revolved around cookie sales rah rah). I was co-leader and a generally active mom with the troop, so this was taken okay. I was appreciative when she "shared" some of her boxes with my daughter so she could do all of the end-year incentives with the rest of the troop. But, she only shared from her daughter's boxes, and her daughter sold 2016 (or more) boxes. She told me after the deed was done, I had been willing to pay to have my daughter join in or simply stay home instead. I do not think it's right to share boxes that aren't hers, and I'd be annoyed. More than annoyed probably. If it isn't agreed on explicitly, then it is taking credit from girls that worked hard, and giving things not earned to others; on either side of the equation it isn't a good lesson.

Bacon thievery is in the same category as using "your" for "you're" and toilet paper wrongly hung: perhaps understandable in certain circumstances, but having no place in a civilized society. 😄

-- original post deleted, update post #54 -- New update in March, post 62(ish)

I tend to be on the no pictures side. In the interest of family harmony: Maybe a compromise of candid shots for the first 15 minutes after dinner but when it's time for dessert it needs to go away, or something like that? And you can say no candid shots of teenager (I think that's a firm line no matter the final decision on pictures as a whole). If he forgets, then the camera has to go away immediately. If you think he'd respect that, I'd try that way first.

MIL has a Tuft & Needle I think. she's determined to like it but she keeps saying things about changing her bed size and I think it's partially just to get a new mattress. We have used Ikea mattresses, DH and I, I guess, are easy to please. Their cheapest mattress we slept on for 3 years and I was sad to lose it to the move. We are now on a more expensive Ikea mattress and like it, perhaps not quite as much as the first, lol. I will admit to be a sucker for advertising, and the next time we get a mattress we'll get a Purple mattress. 🙂

Similar to what other people are saying, but angel food cake. Either the cake and then have whipped cream and strawberries/other fruit available to top it, or put layers of whipped cream and torn angel food cake in a pan, last layer on top is whipped cream, then layer of fruit on the top. You can even add fruit layers in the middle if you are ritzy 🙂

Late to the party, but we finally got our tree up 🤗

Anyone do duck for Christmas, or any other time of the year really? Looking for a recipe, that doesn't involve rotisserie or other specialish stuff. I haven't had duck (maybe ever?) and so I can't judge which recipes would work well with the flavor. Also, after they are finished they will have to travel for about 1/2 hour to the actual dinner. So any advice appreciated 🙂 edit: I have 2 ducks to do so am thinking of 2 recipes. more time/work but better chance with pickier eaters

I do potato salad for outdoor/park potlucks. Then marinated mushrooms for indoor or evening potlucks. Usually bring olives with the mushrooms since the mushrooms shrink and don't look like a lot by themselves.

Jingle All the Way. I know it's more kid-oriented, but I still laugh a lot at it, whatever that says about me. 🙂

Hmm. Yeah it takes at least 10 minutes to reach temp for me, but I don't do anything like saute to help that side out. For de-pressure, some recipes I've tried say not to use the quick release (I don't know if it would actually affect the recipe). But even with quick release it takes more than 5 minutes, yes? Am I doing something wrong?