I'm in the same boat as you. This sans watering thing can get complicated. There's just so much information out there. My mother has the really common sans you see in stores all the time. It is in a glazed, six inch pot about a foot away from a south window. She says she waters hers about every 7 or 14 days. She doesn't keep track strictly. Just when it's dry. It's been growing like crazy over the past two years. I have some sans too. Four types. They have been doing pretty well for me all spring. I have decided to let the soil dry all the way through then wait a few more days, and then water. Right now they are in 3 - 4 inch pots. I have been watering probably every 9 or 10 days. That's only because they're growing right now though. When they go dormant, or stop growing for a time, I will wait until the leaves become slightly wilty or bendy.

Ohh, same boat as you, only last year. What a tough time being a parent, no? Finally resigned myself (with a little support from DH), that if I/we didn't hear from DD, it was a probably a good thing. DD was busy, had work to do, making new friends, adjusting to living with 2 roommates (DD is an only child), and everything else that comes with going away to college. Also, the college DD attends, requires all incoming freshmen to do a First Year Seminar which pairs the freshman with mentors in groups. The upperclassmen (mentors) do things like meet informally on a weekly basis to answer questions about adjustment to college life, have bi-weekly dinners with the peer group, make a point of checking in on a student who seems may be having trouble, etc. Also, a mandatory first semester class was FYS, which was all about adjusting to college life. That class is held by the professor assigned for each major. DD went in undeclared and stayed with her FYS advisor through her entire freshman year. DD's professor/advisor had his entire group of freshman and peer mentors come to dinner at his home ~ a farm he shares with his wife. Nice BBQ, bonfire, music, get to know you, casual social thing. So nice of him to do so. DD declared a major at the end of her Spring semester. Now has a different advisor. DH & I were very glad the school mandated this FYS, as we feel it was sooo important that there was some support provided to every freshman as they moved to a new chapter in life. A safety net, if you will Had we heard from DD everyday, it would have been an indicator that she wasn't acclimating, or at least not trying to do so, if DD was still so "wired" to me/us. Would say I got a few texts, not many. Calls, less than texts. First time home was only 2 weeks into the Fall semester. DD had a "mini-meltdown/pity party" about the dorm room, how hard her classes were, how much work, yada yada. Well, as I wasn't the most sympathetic audience, I had a sit down with DD and let her vent, but then I asked DD if she would like to trade places with me, or with any of her high school classmates who weren't fortunate enough to have gone away to college. I think the light bulb went off for DD. After our discussion, it seemed as tho she had gotten it, and truly appreciated having the opportunity to be away at school. By the end of the Fall semester, DD couldn't wait to go back from Christmas Break. Thankfully, it all fell into place and worked out well. If you feel your DS is not isolated, and otherwise seems to be doing well, then I would just try to wait for him to communicate. I tried to sit on my hands, so as to let DD get into her groove at school, only texted if necessary, and responded to the texts DD initiated. I knew she was adjusting okay after the first few months, and I am confident in my relationship with DD being very strong at its core. I figured if she needed me, she would call or text. I also did some baking, sent her favorite cookies along with a mid-semester care package. While recently on vacation visiting family (DD is now a sophmore), I asked about a another family member whose DD is the same age as my DD, and who is now attending her sophmore year at college away from home. I was curious how much communication went on between that student and her mom/dad/family? Well, the person to whom I was talking had taken said student to her college orientation, as her parents were both working that day. The speaker at orientation told the parents (mine wasn't the parent), that if you aren't hearing from your child, send them a text or email, or even leave a VM on their cell, that you are sending them $$, or do they need anything? See how fast they respond. LOL. So, we just tried a little experiment after this vacation conversation to see if the advice was good advice. Heard back immediately from DD. We laughed so hard about how true that orientation speaker was. So, there is something to that particular strategy. Fall break isn't too far off. My DD attends a private college, so they have a fall break next weekend, but most big universities don't have the mini break, first time home will be Thanksgiving. Just wait till you see the difference in your DS. It was amazing watching from afar, my DD change into an independent young woman. HTH.

Don't think ... ever. On the farms in the 40s - shared a double of indeterminate age with younger brother (don't remember if he kicked). Six years in dorm - not sharing a single ... sometimes in top bunk ... and they were also of indeterminate age. Four years in three houses/beds in Korea - mattresses not near new. A year in bed in preacher's house in Ithaca, N.Y. - bed also of indeterminate age: they don't tend to advertise age, you may have noticed? Back in Korea, had a double brought (new?) from Canada five years earlier by a colleague. Slept alone for a year, then shared with new wife for four. Mission-owned house in Toronto for a year - indeterminate age, again. Six years in church-owned houses, mattresses didn't advertise (or even provide info on the q t) their ages. Rental house for a year - don't recall anything about that mattress' age - or pedigree. Shared house with an old lady for four years - she gave me the bed when she gave up housekeeping - still have it. Double bed in church-owned house for 5 years - had pick of three or four: don't recall whether I tried any except the usual one. Rented house for a year ... then in a hotel for about three ... shared house with another old friend (female) for a couple of years, another rented for a year or so, in another rental for about 15, using the single bed gifted from the first old lady with whom I boarded, brought it with me to the farm. When I stayed with Uncle after his wife's death, slept in her single bed, after his death 8 years ago tried his - he said there was a depression into which his sore hip fit, but I couldn't find it ... back to sleeping in his wife's bed, who died 10 years ago about now. No complaints with any of 'em. Sue used to say that I could sleep any where ... and any time. Clear conscience, I guess. ole joyfuelled ... with some help from a good sleep, quite often: most every day, as a matter of fact

Cats don't really get cavities. They do undergo a weird process where they resorb their teeth for some reason (it's not known why). This can expose the root and allow a direct access to the bloodstream for bacteria to enter and cause septicemia, leading to serious organ damage or even death. Every cat (and dog) is different in their dental needs. Some almost never need dental prophies, others need them a lot. I know a pair of bichon frises who get dental prophies every 6 months, and they really need it! OTOH my mom's dog never had a prophy in 14 years, and her teeth were in great shape. So it really depends on the individual. I would at least say that all dogs and cats need to have an oral exam every year, and a prophy recommendation made on the results of the exam. I would ask specifically what is involved in cleaning your cat's teeth. Some places do a crappy job IMHO in order to keep costs down. They should have the cat intubated and fully anesthetized (not just sedated), they should use an an ultrasonic scaler and polisher on both sides of all teeth and up under the gumline (some places just crack off the obvious tartar and don't polish, which makes it easier for bacteria and tartar to come back), they should probe all the teeth for pockets around the gums. I'm a little concerned that they even offered to just extract the bad tooth without doing a full dental prophy. Unless of course he had just had a prophy and then fractured a tooth or something. You can miss early signs of disease by not doing the full prophy.