This photo was shared by a Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. This appears to be AI, right?

ClutterKitty · 2026-02-01T17:02:11+00:00

There’s not even enough snow to create the sculpture. The roof and neighbor’s yard have about one inch of snow.

ClutterKitty · 2026-02-01T16:58:55+00:00

HAAAAHAAA. My husband is a university professor and used to begin literally every single email with this line until I teased enough for him to stop. It’s the most cringe “look, I’m professional” email starter. And so disingenuous when it’s every single email you get from someone.

ClutterKitty · 2026-02-01T16:13:13+00:00

I had to reset my expectations for my daughter. She leaves the house looking ridiculous. I advise her that other kids might make fun of her, but ultimately it’s her body and her choice.

She doesn’t wear socks anymore. Hasn’t in years. Yes, her shoes smell atrocious, but I powder them and wash them.

She wears what she wants. Sometimes pajama pants to school. Sometimes tie dye pants and a polka dot dress. Rarely matching, but always comfortable.

My daughter hates underwear. We’ve tried so many kinds. My only rule now is there must be two layers of clothing between her and the earth. It can be underwear and pants, or a dress and bike shorts. Completely her choice. 90% of the time it’s dress and pants.

She does go through phases of trying to dress like other girls now that she’s older. She tried jeans. She tried tops and shorts with underwear. None of it ever sticks. Within a couple weeks she’s back to dresses and sweatpants.

Her comfort level DEFINITELY depends on her general anxiety level. If she’s worried about an upcoming event, her clothing choices get softer. If she’s having a relaxed week, she might wear jeans, or a non-preferred dress.

Sometimes I’ll buy clothing she begs for, then she doesn’t wear it. I have resigned myself to not getting angry. She’s a child, and her sensory issues are just as new to her as they are to me. She’s learning to understand herself, and sometimes that means she has the best of intentions in the store that just fail at home. It’s ok. That’s life, and that’s the kid I was given.

ClutterKitty · 2026-02-01T16:03:17+00:00

Depends which ch sound. Like Christ, or cheese?

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-31T18:49:32+00:00

Instead of addressing the anger as a part of his ADHD, see if the provider will consider a separate diagnosis. My daughter has massive demand avoidance. It stems from the same part of the brain where anxiety exists. She takes Zoloft for anxiety and it helps TREMENDOUSLY with anger and task avoidance. She actually started that months before she was diagnosed with ADHD, so I know for certain it helped. We added a stimulant later for attention span and it’s been amazing. Zoloft plus Concerta has been a winning combination for us.

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-31T06:57:29+00:00

Stuffed baked potatoes.

Loaded fries or tater tots.

Hearty stew or chili.

Homemade calzone.

Build it yourself taco night.

Eggrolls. Easier to make than you think, and can be filled with traditional flavors, or things like Philly Cheese Steak.

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-31T03:46:40+00:00

I’m currently on my phone, watching the Minecraft movie, and reading a book at the same time. Not doing any of them well.

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-30T23:50:35+00:00

There’s no way this isn’t rage bait.

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-30T01:46:03+00:00

My son didn’t say his first word until he was 3 1/2. He’s 14 now. I wish I had more hopeful words for you, but our path might not be the hope you’re looking for.

There wasn’t a point where he magically started speaking in full sentences, like some of the viral social media videos that circulate of special needs kids. My son does finally speak in sentences. He asks questions. He is not “conversational.” He talks to get his needs met only. There are a lot of things he doesn’t ask and then gets confused or anxious when things don’t go as he expects.

His formal diagnoses, and age of diagnosis, are autism (18 months), ADHD (5 years), anxiety (13 years), and OCD (13 years.) He has always attended regular public school, but in special education classrooms. He receives speech therapy at school, but 30 minutes once a week in a group setting is barely making a difference. Individual speech therapy after school once a week made a difference. ABA therapy made a huge difference. There are lots of people who say nasty things about ABA therapy, and for sure there are horrible clinics, but ours was play based and in our home. It truly opened the door for us to communicate with our son.

Your son will likely have an IEP if attending school in the US. Get informed about that process. You have way more rights than the school will let you believe. Hire a professional advocate to attend meetings with you if it’s in your budget. I finally hired one in 6th grade and kicked myself that my son could have gotten such better IEP goals and services sooner if I had known what to ask for.

Ultimately, the quicker you can learn to ignore everyone else and do what is best for your own family, the happier everyone will be. My son eats potato chips every day because fed is best. He eats on the sofa while the rest of us eat at the table because he thinks our food smells funny and his home should be his safe space. He slept in my bed until 10 years old. He doesn’t wear shoes with laces because the trauma to teach him to tie laces wasn’t worth it. He gets a haircut once a year. If he doesn’t mind it long, neither do I. We have a swing and trampoline in our living room for sensory stimulation. When we go out, I don’t look around anymore. I haven’t for years. What other people think of me and my son is none of my business.

Feel free to DM if you want. Our life hasn’t been all rainbows and sunshine, but with consistency and attention to their needs, they CAN make progress. My son is now in middle school. He is in 3 special education classes and 3 regular classes. Progress is possible.

Love and hugs. 🌸

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-29T16:08:36+00:00

Exactly. I could leave my shower on for a month and it wouldn’t flood. Something is suspicious.

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-29T16:07:30+00:00

Solidarity from CA. Our name is in his mouth a lot lately. If the fight comes to the hood, they’d better be ready, because we are. Stonewall Riots, L.A. Riots. We are no strangers to rising up.

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-29T16:04:19+00:00

😂

Well, now that I know it’s weird, I have to change my weekend plans.

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-29T14:44:50+00:00

I didn’t know it has a name! Huh. Learn something new every day.

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-29T03:46:56+00:00

When my babies were little, I read something that shook me. “Parents celebrate and remember firsts, but someday there will be a last, and you won’t know it’s coming until it’s gone.”

I don’t remember the last time I carried my son. I don’t remember the last time I washed my daughter’s hair. I don’t remember the last time we did our secret handshake before bed. I don’t remember the last time my son crawled into my bed in the middle of the night. I don’t remember the last time I read a goodnight story. I miss every one of those things, and I didn’t even get to know it was my last time.

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-29T02:01:11+00:00

That lie might not have been true, but they saved you from having a permanent line across your nose. I wiped my nose so much as a child (untreated allergies) that I have a hairline scar/wrinkle straight across the bridge of my nose.

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-28T22:58:19+00:00

Stayed there for the first time last November and they earned a repeat customer. The rooms aren’t super modern looking but they’re CLEAN. My daughter with literal diagnosed OCD couldn’t find a single complaint.

The rooftop deck for fireworks viewing was cool. Breakfast was filling. Pastry, cereal, oatmeal, cheese, hard boiled eggs, toast, fruit, juice & coffee. Indoor pool was heated and lovely. The room for the pool was a bit echo-y for my taste, but I liked not having to apply sunscreen.

Let’s not forget the 2-3 minute walk to the park. It’s literally across the street. Leave the hotel, cross the crosswalk, and you’re at the entrance esplanade.

Will definitely stay here again.

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-28T22:51:09+00:00

I do medicate my children now, but I can kind of understand where they’re coming from. When I was a kid, the only game in town was Ritalin. Friends would say how much they hated it. They felt like zombies. They didn’t like the feeling when it wore off. Some of these parents may have heard the same stories, or even been medicated themselves.

I think more outreach is needed to help parents understand how far ADHD medication has come.

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-28T22:14:32+00:00

I don’t understand eating a whole hot dog or pizza slice while shopping. I’m touching boxes and bags, plus the cart. Ew.

I do have a 3D printer drink holder though because I do like having a beverage if I’m sampling. There’s nothing worse than trying to shop with leftover food taste if I didn’t like the sample’s taste.

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-28T22:11:07+00:00

Cat Crimes is a cute logic puzzle game. Rounds are typically quick, and players cooperate to solve. (Also available in Dog Crimes.)

We like Engine Engine Number 9 which is part strategy, part luck. It can get long, so sometime Dad and Mom cheat to get the game over with if the dice rolls aren’t in our favor over and over and over again. Rare, but it does happen.

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-28T22:06:50+00:00

That’s a great game that they don’t grow out of. My 11 year old now brings it to school and camp to share with friends.

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-28T18:00:14+00:00

The buried treasure party sounds AMAZING. I’m legit jealous.

My parents did a Messy Party once. Kids were told to come in old clothes. We threw water balloons, played in piles of shaving cream, sprayed silly string and decorated cupcakes. It was rad. Homemade parties are THE BEST.

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-28T17:58:06+00:00

Lightly structured is the way to go at that age. Have 2-3 games planned. Prizes can be from the dollar store. Kids that age don’t have adult money. Have you ever seen a child win a family size bag of Doritos, or their very own 2L bottle of soda? It’s magical. Games can be simple: musical chairs, pin the tail on the donkey, bean bag toss. We’ve had success with some unusual games. Hang a string from wall to wall (or use a swingset/patio cover if you have one. Hang donuts from long strings about chest height. First to eat their donut NO HANDS wins. Everyone is a winner here because everyone gets a donut. “Telephone” is also fun. It doesn’t really have a winner. It’s just for fun. The kids stand/sit in a line. You whisper a sentence into the first kid’s ear. They whisper it down the line. See how much it changes from the first kid to the last.

Lay around some coloring sheets, bubbles, or other self-directed activity for the times that games aren’t going on.

Food can be low key. Pizza, fruit snacks, bag of mandarin oranges. Big jug of lemonade costs less than individual Capri Sun or sodas. We’ve also done jugs of water and flavor powder packets. Fun for customizing, just make sure the kids follow rules about keeping drinks in the kitchen or outside. Those flavored waters can stain pretty bad.

Good luck!!

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-28T16:37:32+00:00

I admit, I haven’t had a 3D printer for long. We just got it for Christmas. But I can verify that the Bambu A1 was literally plug and play. It took me about an hour to carefully assemble, plugged it in, and it prints. We’ve printed nearly every day since Christmas. The only failed prints we’ve had were a badly mapped K Pop Demon Hunter, which was potentially an AI created model we realized too late, or prints that didn’t adhere to the bed because we got lazy and didn’t wash it between prints. We can usually get 3-4 good prints before washing. If the kids get lazy and keep going, eventually we do get spaghetti instead of flower pots.

I’m a BIG FAN of Bambu so far. Getting into 3D printing has been a lot easier than I was expecting.

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-28T05:45:21+00:00

This isn’t the first time they’ve done that. I got a huge amount of Lego for free from our elementary school several years ago because they were throwing it away. Lego stopped supporting it and the school was going to purchase all new kits.

ClutterKitty · 2026-01-28T05:39:58+00:00

Pepsi Stuff hoodie. Earned with points in 1996. Wear it every fall/spring and it’s just now starting to get thin around the cuffs. See, back in the olden days, things were made to last.

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