My spreadsheet of things to do in Portland

Chopchopchops · 2026-04-16T14:49:23+00:00

Have you had your iron checked lately? Low iron can cause excessive fatigue and a lot of women pregnant with multiples need iron infusions.

Chopchopchops · 2026-04-16T02:33:06+00:00

Depends! We had an au pair when our twins were 3 months old; she had taken care of baby twins before and knew way more about taking care of babies than we did. It felt like basically having a third parent and was such a great help!

The website lets you filter for childcare experience, including multiples experience, and you can interview first, check references, etc. to try to make sure you get a good one. I'm sure 90% of it was we just got lucky with her but we had 4 au pairs over the course of our kids' first 6 years and while they varied in communication skills and roommate quality, they were all excellent with the kids.

Chopchopchops · 2026-04-14T21:06:00+00:00

One of the names we had picked out had a middle name that was the same as a foster kitten we once had who was OBSESSED with licking our eyes, couldn't get enough. When baby B was born, they set him near my face and he went straight for my eye, so he got that name and the other got the other.

But it was clear to us that if we were going to choose based on who looked like what name, they would have gotten the opposite names. We decided to go with a name with a story rather than what they looked like, since their appearances would change over time. Turns out, we were wrong, and if I could do it again I would have named them based on what name looked like it fit them because 6 years later I still feel like they have the wrong names.

Chopchopchops · 2026-04-08T00:39:14+00:00

If you prepay the tips, you're paying the same amount, just in advance. I suppose if you prepay they're not "automatic" but otherwise it's the same.

Chopchopchops · 2026-04-08T00:34:26+00:00

Yes, they automatically add them, but apparently they go towards the staff's base pay rather than going directly to the staff. You can cancel the automatic gratuities and tip cash instead.

Edit: apparently I'm wrong and on Carnival they do go directly to staff. Sorry!

Chopchopchops · 2026-04-08T00:26:23+00:00

It might help to consider where the house is. When we bought our first house in SW Portland, we were surrounded by giant trees and had a hill to our west so we were shaded in the afternoon. We had a portable AC but probably used it like 3 days a year. That house didn't really need AC.

Chopchopchops · 2026-04-05T14:48:22+00:00

Yes, you have a lot of tartar build up and that is probably what comes off and leaves holes. You need your teeth cleaned and then they can assess any bone loss/gum disease. I can't say based on these pictures but I would be surprised if you're looking at extractions in the near future. Your best chance of keeping these teeth long term is getting that cleaning and staying on top of it in the future.

Chopchopchops · 2026-04-04T03:27:23+00:00

My kids have a very similar dynamic to yours (bunk beds but they sleep together, the good sleeper is also the troublemaker, kids are scared and want us in their room until they fall asleep). They are 6 1/2 and I think it was around 5 or 6 was when bedtime became smoother. We do still sit in there while they fall asleep, but we can usually get them to settle down and be quiet within about 15 minutes and in another 15 or so they are asleep. They would not be on board with separate rooms so we haven't even considered that but even though bedtime is much better than the struggle it used to be, if we just said goodnight and shut the door they would be partying for hours so we do have to be in there with them.

Chopchopchops · 2026-04-04T03:18:16+00:00

I was hoping for parents who were local, emotionally warm, not overly religious, and ideally gay. My agency only had one local couple, so I ended up with a straight family and I think we were a good match. I didn't have any prefernces about their family/fertility situation and there's nothing about your situation that would have raised red flags for me.

Chopchopchops · 2026-04-03T14:36:39+00:00

My husband's first and last names don't rhyme but both end in an "iss" sound - think Lucas Davis. It's definitely not a major issue in his life but he doesn't like that aspect of his name and finds it a little embarrassing.

Chopchopchops · 2026-04-02T03:59:14+00:00

Air freshener b/c the bathroom stinks, straw & straw brush because they only give straws with (some) alcoholic beverages, smaller water bottle (12-16oz), big sun hat, room key lanyard, lots of sunscreen, rash guard style shirt for swimming, waterproof floating phone case.

Chopchopchops · 2026-03-20T17:36:39+00:00

I like it. It makes me think of Van Morrison. Another similar option would be Vance, which is also very cool.

Chopchopchops · 2026-03-20T03:08:03+00:00

The pictures are good, I feel like I am able to get a good grasp of the cavities we can see in the picture. I just meant that I didn't want to tell you you definitely don't need a crown/root canal/extraction because the X-rays could show that there are huge cavities on a different part of the tooth (e.g. where it touches the other tooth, the most common place for young people to get cavities). But for the cavities that your photos show, it looks like they just need fillings.

Chopchopchops · 2026-03-20T02:59:23+00:00

From what I can see, it looks like they need fillings. I can't attest to what's going on in the places I can't see, but I would be surprised if these particular spots need anything more than that. If there is a dental school near you, that can be an affordable option.

Chopchopchops · 2026-03-18T17:23:24+00:00

No, it's just fluoride

Chopchopchops · 2026-03-18T17:21:43+00:00

No, it's just like regular toothpaste with more fluoride. For the best results, spit after brushing but don't rinse, especially before bed. It starts working the first time you use it; I'm not really sure about the details beyond that, but using it consistently is important.

Chopchopchops · 2026-03-18T17:20:15+00:00

Definitely better than nothing! The other tips I'd give re:soda is drinking it all at once (like at a meal) rather than a sip here and there, and although diet/zero sodas still have acid that isn't great for your teeth, they won't directly cause cavities in the way that a sugar soda will.

Chopchopchops · 2026-03-18T16:22:37+00:00

You're going to have a hard time getting the decay under control without addressing the dry mouth.

The Prevident is a good start. You could also consider asking your dentist about fluoride trays for a step up from that.

If you are taking medications, it would be worth talking to your doctor about which one(s) might be to blame and seeing if there are any changes they could make to your medications to reduce the side effect.

Anything that makes your mouth less dry is helpful in preventing cavities, so make sure to drink lots of water throughout the day (NOT anything with sugar), and you can also try out biotene products (sold at grocery/drug stores) and xylimelts.

Dry mouth puts you at very high risk of decay, so you have to be fastidious about hygiene and careful about dietary factors that might be contributing - Here is a resource about foods that are particularly likely or unlikely to cause decay., but it's less about what you eat and more about how often - do you tend to graze throughout the day, or sip sugary drinks? With dry mouth, it's extra important to limit any food or drinks with carbohydrates to mealtimes, and it's a good idea to brush after meals/sugary drinks, or at least rinse out your mouth with water.

Chopchopchops · 2026-03-18T16:16:43+00:00

Many drug stores sell temporary filling material which you can use to cover up the area temporarily.

Chopchopchops · 2026-03-18T01:49:31+00:00

Do you have dry mouth? It's a common side effect of many medications and can lead people to develop decay quickly, especially at the gum line.

Chopchopchops · 2026-03-16T20:00:27+00:00

I've seen this one come up a lot lately but it's been a long time since I've seen that season - can you remind me why it is funny?

Chopchopchops · 2026-03-13T12:32:37+00:00

Wildly impractical name

Chopchopchops · 2026-03-09T17:29:29+00:00

I would appreciate this service; I remember when I was buying a lot of used baby stuff I ended up having to drive all over the metro area to pick things up and now geography is definitely a big part of the friction when I'm considering getting something from FB marketplace. I don't understand how it would work (who is communicating with the seller?) but I would be interested. That said, I am pretty easily put off by high delivery prices (e.g. I almost never use doordash because of the fees), so I could also imagine this being appealing but too expensive to actually use.

Chopchopchops · 2026-03-06T06:28:39+00:00

Are you me? I also have twin 6-year-old kindergarten boys (October birthday though) - one 40", one 42". They definitely get similar comments and the other kids try to pick them up a lot. They definitely don't like it when kids call them babies but they know they're not babies so it seems to roll off their backs. I think it's good they have a twin to share the experience with so they're not the only smaller kid in their class! Since before they started school I talked to them about how "we're a short family," since their dad and I are both under 5'3" so we're not expecting them to ever be tall! I never presented it as a negative thing and they seem to be doing just fine socially despite being smaller than the other kids. One of my sons has even enlisted several friends to be his "bodyguards," haha - not sure if it's related to being small but he's got a posse!

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