Reminds me of years ago, I was working full time w/ a commute - 2 teenage boys; ExDH, airline pilot, on days off, at home, did nothing to help. I once said to him, that I just didn't understand how he could keep 300 people aloft at 35,000 feet but could not put the mayonnaise away.................. My DH now is pretty much a neat freak, to the point of annoyance. He insists on letting hot water run while washing up a few dishes. The problem is that he doesn't get all of them clean so I have to put them in the dishwasher anyway :-( Our hot water is heated in the boiler with fuel oil and you know how expensive that is!! He just doesn't get it and I have given up trying to get an 81 year old man to change his evil ways.

Some of this is why I'm so glad our school finally went 'online'. Click click and I can see announcements, teacher/school notes, assignments, special activities. I also ask each day when I pick DD up 'anything new today I need to know about?'. Back when my boys were in school it was harder. Both with ADD and announcements ect went in one ear and out the other. Notes? Forget about it. School had the idea that Jr High and High schoolers did not (should not?) need notes. Lots of times school/teacher did not bother to say they even wanted something until the evening before they wanted it. Like the only thing I have to do is drive into the city and get whatever on the spur of the minute (our little town is 15 miles out and nothing out here except a small grocery and gas station is open past 5pm). Now our teachers and school don't get away with that. Teachers, coaches and school office must update their individual sites by 3:30 each day. Still not ideal, but at least gives me time to text Dad to make a stop on the way home if necessary. Unusual activities and 'please bring to school by such and such a date' have to be up 72 hours in advance. Back with the boys, without notice I could walk around the corner to the grocery (yeah like I wanted to bake at 8 pm) but there were times I just said 'no'. Tough. Not my problem boys and/or school could not bother to let me know until the evening before. I think you're handling this just fine, Mom. Especially when homes have more than one child in it. I can't imagine sudden newsflashes from several kids all wanting needing last minute stuff. Forgeting by the kids and/or actual lack of prior notice on the school's part...pfft, I'm not going to feel bad kid or school didn't get what they wanted. I did have my boys jot down a self note and stick in their book bags those classroom announcements, which did help a bit back then. Sometimes inked notes on the back of their hands is what came home 'two dozen cookies on Friday' LOL.

Can't really see the details...Is that the stove area on the bottom wall, backed up to the powder room? It might be nicer to have it closer to the fridge, but there are advantages to having it separated from the cleanup area and other kitchen activities. It's sad your laundry and garage traffic will go right past the stove, but I had a kitchen with the garage door (laundry and pantry storage shelves were also in the garage) opening into one end of a tight galley, and really never thought anything of it. It was what I got with the house and I don't remember ever having it be a problem. The lovely big island will be valuable for prepping, big baking projects, etc. Also helpful for big school projects, wrapping gifts, etc. where a large workspace is advantageous, and otherwise, might have to be done on the floor. The aisles are roomy and your breakfast area seems to be about 2/3 the size of the great room, so looks roomy to me, too. (What are the dimensions?) Lots of window for nice natural light. (Which direction do they face?) It looks like there is plenty of room for helpers and for visitors. People have posted FAR worse 'builders standard'/stock plan kitchens here. I really do think this one will be pretty nice. I understand that especially after seeing everyone plan every little detail of their kitchens here, it's hard not to have any input...But chin up...and try to enjoy! There are lots of good things here to focus on.

Just depends o the reporter's ears and eyes, I think, they seem to see what they want and then think it is true. Sitting at the Dentist and reading the old magazines there with all the gossip and so forth, it changes from one publication to another, I know I don't bother buying them any more, just do catchups at the dentist LOL. Marion, who is missing all the forumites, they seem to have wandered away since I went to England.