1st picture -- possible mealybugs or a woolly aphid. Rub them off; squish; or wash them off. 2nd photo -- an overwhelming case of spider mites. Wash them off; repeat as needed.

Thank you for the input from everyone. It's quite obvious that many of you have had similar issues and can relate from both sides. I did feel a little bad at the time (hence the reason I posted) so it's nice to know that many of you can relate in one way or another. As a clarification, this is not a "rule" for the dinner table, it was a one time instance. I have made several changes to dinner as well since we began our arrangement of living together including smaller portions (her dad used to give her larger portions so now I control it since I seem to have a better idea of what she can finish and I know she will eat all of her favorite thing and get full if she's allowed to) and earlier dinner time so that it's not a huge rush. FSD takes a shower after dinner and also calls BM which generally takes about an hour between the two. There is no rule that she has to clean her plate (I think that leads to poor eating attitudes down the road), but she can't ask for dessert unless she ate all of her meal. Also, she is no longer allowed to get her own snacks because she was sometimes eating too close to dinner and then wouldn't be hungry. I think the main problem (which I've observed a number of times) is that Dad feels guilty that she doesn't have any siblings to play with. His behavior often mimics that of a sibling rather than a parent. It pisses me off when I am expected to be the "parent" and scold both of them for bad behavior. He likes to tell her how she "got him in trouble" when I tell him to stop distracting her from her food. It's like a whole "us against her" game that not only leaves me feeling left out but is so completely inappropriate for a parent. I assume this is something that stems back farther in their relationship. As for the time that he spends with his daughter - he has 50/50 custody so we have her every other week and he talks to her on the phone every night when she is at BMs. I talk to him regularly (when she is not around) about the things I notice that bother me for the sake of her development or my sanity. Oh, and he asked her to apologize to me for not listening which I politely told him the next day was totally unnecessary since he was the one that I expected an apology from (after all, she was just following him), but I suppose that does mean he brought it to her attention that she should listen to me. pinkhill: Just because a child lives in my house half time was not in my body for 9 months prior to their birth does not make me a "guest" in my own home. I understand what you are saying regarding Dad making the parenting decisions, but to imply that I am a selfish control freak for asking my FSD one night to be quiet and eat her food (BTW, Dad generally asks her this every night and I think had asked her several times already during that meal) seems a bit harsh. If only every future step parent took your advice and allowed themselves to be completely steam rolled by their partner and their partner's children there would be a 0% chance of step parenting survival. Maybe that's what you're hoping for though...

The little lizards are everywhere lately lol. I just took one out of our bedroom yesterday and put it outside on the ginger plants. I looked out the bedroom window and saw this green form bouncing up and down and it was a lizard inside our window lol. I also found a little pinkish lizard with suction cup type feet (maybe some kind of newt??) trying to get into the clothes dryer last night. I couldn't catch him. I have been finding the tiniest baby green tree frogs in all the rose flowers here lately. They are feasting on gnats or something that fly around the blooms. As for the huge roaches or palmetto bugs...our Key West rescue hens love to get them and rip them apart! They actually fight over who gets to devour them first LOL! They must have got a lot of roaches on Key West because next to bread, roaches are their favorite food lol. I have a phobia of those big roaches so I was delighted when we got those Key West hens because they gobble up every one they find. ~SJN

Love your living room, dyhgarden! Is compromise an option? The scale of the existing bench works. Would "upholstering" or "slipcovering" it be an option to add a color and/or pattern that you'd love? A layer of foam would make it more comfortable - not as much as a full settee, but better. Unless you pick outrageously expensive fabric, it shouldn't cost a lot. Depending on your skill, you might be able to do it yourself.