sj, are there any kid-oriented museums/zoos/etc. nearby that you would like a membership to? Otherwise, if she's full up on books, clothes, and toys, you probably don't have to give her much at all! She certainly won't notice or care. Or do you have to come up with a list to send to the grandparents?

Yeah. List for her birthday party. Maybe puzzles and things that don't take up as much room?

There is a huge difference between fresh tomatoes and cooked ones.

Fresh tomatoes are of the devil and give me acid burns and taste metallic. Cooked tomatoes are uncomfortably mostly-squishy but when mashed up enough make a lovely sauce.

I always asked for memberships or classes, until the kids were old enough to ask for their own stuff. (Which mostly meant that the grandparents got the gift membership AND a truckload of crap I didn't need, but at least we could go to the zoo for free!)

Sorry about the tomatoes. I used to get a rash around my mouth from eating tomato sauce, and tested positive for tomato allergy at the doctor's office, but it was never bad enough for me to stop eating pasta/pizza/chili. Eggplant makes my mouth itch and I don't like the taste enough to put up with it, so I don't.

OMG - how do people with chronic pain do this? This hip shit has only been less than two weeks and I have a fantastic doc who has given me the meds to keep it at bay. But I can't function on the drugs, I've missed about half a week of work and I have a new class that starts today.

The tears are hovering and I just wanna crawl in bed until this goes away. But I can't. I have shit to do. My BFF is helping me drive H to her dance class this evening so I could take my meds. Tomorrow I'll have to go med-less to be able to drive myself to PT. And as much as I would love that to be a magic solution, I know that is a process in itself.

Suzi, I mostly don't. I'm in aww of the people in chronic pain who manage to be productive.

how do people with chronic pain do this?

Gritting our teeth, having an overdeveloped sense of responsibility, and ignoring the fact that we're probably wrecking our health long-term?

I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PATH. Don't follow my example.

My beloved was a stubborn, stubborn man. But he was also on a lot of drugs. OK, he made a joke that the checklist of possible results of drug testing was his to-do list (he never did get the checkmark for marijuana, he was a little disappointed). He spent a lot of days in bed, but sheer bloodyminded force of will got him up and out of the house.

I hope the PT gets you some relief, Suzi.

how do people with chronic pain do this?

Alternating between ignoring it and doing just enough to mitigate it until I can't function any more and do nothing for a day or more, feeling like a broken slacker the whole time? Wait until my pain stays at a 7 for at least two days before seeing my PT? Spend at least a half hour a day lying on my living room floor letting my back unwind? Judicious and sparing use of a heating pad, muscle relaxants, booze, Ambien, or "herbal relief?" Go to yoga, but not regularly enough?

Some of these are better methods than others.

I feel like I'm on the mountaintop, spinning around in glorious mental illness pride freedom, and they're playing hide and seek with the Nazis.

This is a thing of beauty, smonster. (funnily enough, I mistyped 'think of beauty...which I think is more true.)

I'm sorry for the impetus for the thought, but the thought is awesome.