Blake, as someone who lives in your area and grows a lot of maples in containers, maybe my experience will be helpful to you. Late winter/early spring weather in the Puget Sound area can be very unpredictable - mild and balmy one day with freezing temps and snow the next. That said, I repot maples pretty much year round......it just depends on the reasons and when I've purchased them. A routine maintenance repotting (and one that may involve root pruning) I generally reserve for just before bud break, although I've done it in late fall as well. Hard to say exactly when that may be, as it seems to vary both with weather and the tree in question. After examining the repotting candidates for this year recently, I'd guess I'd start this process in about 2-3 weeks or mid to late March - the buds on my trees are looking very good and healthy and starting to show signs of coming to life. These also tend to be some of my larger maples, so working with the plant while it is still pretty much dormant is both easier on me and on the tree. But it is quite possible to repot JM's succcessfully when in leaf as long as they are small enough to handle easily and you can provide some additional specialized care to get them over the transplant hurdle. I also don't pay too much attention to soil temps at this time -- that doesn't seem to have too much bearing on container soils, as they don't hold the moisture as avidly as Puget Sound inground soils do and they do tend to warm sooner as well. FWIW, I wouldn't necessarily consider planting a new JM in the ground at this time of year as the soil is simply too wet, in fact it's too wet to plant much of anything and you can damage the soil if you attempt to work it in this condition. I also don't provide any special winter attention unless it is a very small plant - 2G or less. Mine are out there year round and have gone through some seriously cold temps without any problems. They are in pretty good sized pots, however - repotting is a lot of work and I tend to use larger containers (15G at least) just because they seem to fit the scale of the plant better and don't require repotting attention quite so often. I addition to the excellent and helpful information you find here, you might want to visit the Maples forum too. There are a number of us that grow JM's in containers that post there regularly and lots of good info about growing these trees, both in containers and in ground.

Bumbleez-SO glad to hear the simple change in meds has made such a huge improvement for your dad (& therefore, for you!) Thanks to all who have replied to our situtation. We have disposable gloves. I clean Mama's dentures -- when she will take them out (never out unless to be cleaned). My sis will if she HAS to. I do laundry weekly but this month have had to work extra hrs so will be 2 wks when I get there Thurs. No idea what I'll find, but I'll get it caught up. She sleeps in her recliner most of the time so only need to change sheets every 2 wks. We're not using home health as punishment....in the past when the dr ordered it (post surgery, etc) the aides could get her to do things she refuses to do for us. They don't easily take "I don't want to" for an answer. They can - gently - "push" where we can't simply because of the relationship. When she began to feel better, she "fired" them saying "my girls can help me"....the bathroom is a sauna (to us) & I try to get the water warm before she undresses altho she sometimes gets head of me :-) I have found that putting her clothes in the washer with white vinegar (vinegar, water, mix, then add clothes), let them soak awhile. Finish cycle & wash with detergent helps a LOT with the odor in her clothes. I plan/hope to give her chair a good cleaning while there - time is limited this week because of dr appt - & we're going to try spraying her chair with Lysol on a regular basis. Either that or Febreeze. Her mind is still pretty sharp. No dementia tho she does forget from time to time, but goodness! *I* do that :-0 She sometimes forgets meds so we're working on a solution for that. Think we have it, but don't know if bro has implemented it or not. Will find out in a day or 2. Thank you all so very much for listening & for the feedback. I'll be back to read other posts & any other suggestion. Maybe I'll be able to help some of you at some point even if it is "just" listening. :-)

My ex-, an Iowa girl who'd spent her career in Korea and as near-head and head of food service in a major hosp. in southern Ont., retired early and used to enjoy spending about 3 mos. of the year travelling from FL to TX. But she had a home in London that, though it didn't look big from the street, had about four levels, some of it underground ... that was pretty will filled with stuff, hers and quite a bit that belonged to our son and daughter. They had quite a job sorting it all out subsequent to her death, three years ago this month, selling the car, the RV (which she'd traded down from a larger one shortly before her illness) and the home. Good wishes as you make your plans ... I think that I like the idea of confining ourselves to a room or so in your home for a while prior to trying it. Or renting one for a while ... or finding one that friends own who use it for a short time each year, who'd be willing to rent it long-term at lower than commercial rate. If you've followed my Christmas gift on these fora for a few years and implemented it ... if you send out a message over that network, you might find someone that you know (or knew in earlier years) who'd be interested in such a proposal. Good wishes as you make your plans. ole joyful

Except for the fact the child exist, I must have missed the parts where the child is really doing anything 'wrong' or anything to upset your world so much. Are you sure it is not just your hormones going a bit crazy? Or that you rushed into this marriage too quickly without thinking it through and got pregs on top of it? My DH raised his son by himself (with Gma assisting from afar during work hours) for the first 9ish years. Not all fathers spoil nor play into the mommy abandoned kid routine. You've been married a year, been in counseling with DH a year...was there ever a time in this relationship that you accepted and loved the father and child or was to change and fix everything always your goal? Sorry, not trying to judge or second guess, but to me, that's how you are coming across. You sound as if you were handed this man and his son of which you must shape up to suit your ideas and preferences. Love of a stepson does not come instantly, but is there anything at all you like about this child? How did you interact with the child during your dating his father time? You knew when you signed on that the child was going to be around 24/7, right? Sounds like you need room in our home for yourself. TV, bed and computer all in same room...in a short time add a new baby to that mix and you'll really be pulling your hair out. Most ten year olds don't go off to friends all day, day after day. DH and you jointly need to find things and ways to see the child has things to do that don't cost a lot. Kid needs his own space with his own things that he can go off into that you a bit of 'down time'. He's 10, you don't have to entertain him all day. But I get the feeling it all has much more to do than with just SS. You're broke, you don't get alone time with hubby (gonna be broker and tied up with an infant soon)...what sleep is dad going to get with a crying infant? I think you really need to step back and look at everything (not just the SS) as it does not sound as the child is really the problem for you. Cramped quarters, boring diet selection, no money, no time alone, a child demanding of your time and attention (the baby) would still be all there confronting you even if this child were not. Are you sure the child is your issue in this relationship/family.