Fun, did you have more than one living space growing up? We had a formal living room and a family room so the family room is where our toys were kept. However, we didn't have nearly the same amount of toys as kids do nowadays! The way our family room was laid out, there was a corner where all the toys were kept. I shared an average size room with my sister, so we didn't have much room for playing in there. I'm sure we did a bit but for the most part, we were in the family room when we were young or outside. I also can't imagine having kids' toys in every room. That would drive me nuts! Most of the houses around here have basements or more than one living area so the basements store the bulk of the toys and then the family room, which is typically open to or next to the kitchen is where the main floor toys are stashed. Having four kids has relaxed my anal tendencies but I still go a little nuts with crap laying around. The peninsula in my kitchen becomes the drop zone but I can't stand having that clutter. And dh is the worst b/c he will leave his stuff there and never come back for it but then get annoyed if I move it or ask him to. He's used to clutter from his childhood. I used to have complete order in the house b/f I went to bed, but now I'm so exhausted by then that I have slacked off a bit and then get all stressed when I come downstairs the next morning to clutter and have to clean up b/f I can function. I'm like that with cooking too - I can't start cooking unless the counters are clear, no dirty dishes out, etc. DH looks at me like I have two heads. Am I the only weird one like that? Oops, sorry, I have a habit off going off on a tangent!

I knew there was a such thing as Children's Day. I just never thought of it as a gift-giving-celebrating-with-family kind of thing. Not like Mother's Day or Valentines Day. I thought it was about awareness- like Earth Day. I didn't think it was about me and my children, but children's issues. Awareness of the issues around children's health/well-being, like disease, poverty, abuse, homelessness, disasters. I would have associated Children's Day with something like a fundraiser, safety fair... a drive for awareness. Not dinners and gifts or family outings. But, I didn't know it was yesterday, or even in June. ;o) So what do I know? Obviously, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary with my kids yesterday. I didn't even take them to the community pool. I did their laundry, and fed them. I left the house for a while so I could come home and be nicer. ;o)

Pip, you lost me..... I said many of my fruit ripen and yes, I do get sweet fruit.Just not as good as the southern states in the middle of winter and I don't think any of us can even come as close as to that climate at best without the perfect set up which a majority of us do not have. Many ripen on my porch at cool temps and many ripen as soon as I put them out in spring. Many ripen in my work place and in my sunny greenhouse..It varies... What I think is extremely counter production is, trying to ripen them in a room only limited with winter sun in doors...They fall off, stay small. get bugs, or dry out. So if wants wants fruit just as good as the southern states, they must invest in a place that provides lots of sun and warmth, but cool nights too. ) Hey Hobby, great to see a happy person back one that knows how to treat others...I hear you..Many are afraid to cut trees back, let alone roots, which everyone eventually should do growing in containers..It keeps them very healthy..

Mtn, thank you so much for doing this topic. I've been wanting to get this off my chest to you all for years. Again, I thank Carrie Fisher who was an addict for a long time until she was diagnosed with BPD, and still adored world wide. I can't wait to watch "Bright Lights" tonight! HBO. This post may be long since I'm quoting. "These are all normal, upper-middle class, college educated folks whose lives are deeply affected by someone's addiction" Tell me about it! This is a recent story in my little town of Peyton Place, and while I hurt for the family, it's kind of a relief, KWIM? A very very VERY prominent family here have many children, all succesfull professionals, married to perfect spouses, with perfect kids, living in perfect homes and well, you get the gist. After DS went to prison, I was angry as hell, and jealous and envious of everybody. Particularly this family who live close to us. They are all nice people. I would get mad at God and ask Him why are they so blessed? Well, one of their adult kids, who is married and has children, and is a professional with a higher degree (I also called them perfect) was arrested for meth, at 30 years old. Both spouses were addicted to meth, and their children taken away. When I heard that, my jaw fell to the ground. They've been in and out of rehab, and may be on the road to recovery, everyone is hoping they make it. Perfect example of how drugs (Starting meth, at that age??) affect families of all classes. Learn from me, don't be fooled if you think the Joneses next door lead that perfect life. Addiction can begin at any age. Damn meth, it's everywhere in our state. Can we cuss? lol "I think that is why people like to blame families for substance issues. " I get so angry when I get on FB and those who walk on water post meme's about good parenting and if your kid screws up, it's YOUR fault. I call BS on that, and I have to sit on my fingers. Is it bad for me to wish karma on them, because sometimes I do. "I literally still have nightmares about my son being locked up. Nothing worse than your child being out of your hands-where you absolutely cannot protect them....I've suffered severe depression for years. I'm functional but barely some days. " Neetsie, the first couple of years after my son "left," (that's what I call it), I had the most beautiful recurring dream. The prison would let him come home every weekend, and he, DS1, and DH would all go fishing at the pond near our house, and in the dream I could see them from the kitchen window. I never had depression except for the normal bouts we all get, until he left. When DH was at work I cried off and on all day. I would go outside and scream at the top of my lungs. One benefit of living in the country. A couple of times I woke up during the night with tears on my cheeks. After a year my cheeks became chapped from crying. I finally told my doctor (my son got high for the first time with my doctor's son, who is now a doctor himself) and he gave me an anti-depressant. The tears stopped the next day, and I don't cry anymore unless it's at a commercial on TV, or I think about my late Gracie Girl who was with me during my darkest hours. A couple of years ago I tried explaining to someone here on GW that there IS such a thing as "situational depression" but I was blown off. Some people need anti-depressants!! Never ever tell someone they don't need them until you walk that mile in their shoes. Ever. Sorry, that's a pet peeve of mine. Do you take any AD's, Neetsie? They're not for everybody because sometimes they don't work. I'm not going off mine because I don't want to deal with the side effects of withdrawal. I tried once, dropping the dose by only a quarter, and one time I was alone cleaning the floors and I threw something, so I went back to the full dose. LOL "Instead we were handed an out of control 15 year old who also self medicated, and he got into steroid use-he is huge, an MMA fighter-and scary when he goes into his rages. He's been in and out of prison." I'm sure your stepson is an adult by now, but even so, in most states you can have them committed for a week or so and they can get help, with no charges against them. Have you talked to him about getting treatment for the mental illness? If so, it's like talking to a brick wall, huh? Enlightening topic, I don't feel alone anymore.