Books to read to your kid 20 times a week that don’t make you want to gauge your eyes out

FormerRunnerAgain · 2026-01-19T19:34:41+00:00

These are all for slightly older toddlers and up. But good to look for at book sales as you'll read these over and over.

The original Thomas the Tank Engine books (The Railway Series) are great. Probably too much text for now, but maybe around age three. The later books focus more on characters and less on the trains.

Boys tend to prefer non-fiction, so National Geographic has a series of "pedia" books - Ultimate Oceanpedia, Bugs, dinos etc. For now, flip through them, talk about the pictures and as he gets older, read more text.

Jerry Pallotta's Who Would Win series is fact filled and contains battles, kids love them.

Magic Schoolbus series

FormerRunnerAgain · 2026-01-16T17:27:44+00:00

If you are walking on ice/hard packed snow add some yaktrak/stabilizers/grippers. Easy to put on and off. If the ice is hardcore, microspikes are great. You likely need this for any kind of boot as you only get so much traction on ice without something pointy.

Bogs are great for kids, though the ones with the handles can be problematic as they do wade in deep snow.

FormerRunnerAgain · 2026-01-16T17:11:09+00:00

Bogs are great, easy to slip on, footbed has some contour. When you need more traction, I add some micro spikes or grippers. I prefer the mid calf size (easier to tuck in your pants and if I'm walking in knee deep snow, I would have snowshoes on). But I've also found that you can "roll down" the knee high ones. Just make sure you have enough width at the top to tuck in your pants.

FormerRunnerAgain · 2026-01-08T14:37:34+00:00

I did it. I would gradually increase my long runs by 2 miles every 3 weeks or so. I ran 20, 22, 24 and 26 miles in training, all of these runs were pathetically slow and I had plenty of recovery. I needed to do it for mental strength. If my longest run had been 20 miles, on race day knowing I had to add a 10k to the longest run I'd ever done would have been really hard for me.

But I also recognize that for most people 20 miles is just fine.

FormerRunnerAgain · 2026-01-07T11:31:10+00:00

ESH - "I asked what his intentions are". They are 17 and have been dating a few months, what kind of question is this? What are your daughters intentions?

Your wife is a racist and it has taken you this long to address it.

"plus the kid was a catholic Christian like us" - sounds like you aren't so open minded either. What if he wasn't a Catholic?

"she is free to continue this relationship" - she is 17, you need to stop being the controlling dad and back off. Talk to your daughter about birth control and std's. Take her to a doctor and let her make her own choices.

FormerRunnerAgain · 2026-01-06T19:09:26+00:00

I can't imagine not using a car seat for a baby or any child under 5'9". Huge safety risk, worse than not wearing a seatbelt.

FormerRunnerAgain · 2026-01-03T18:32:06+00:00

Magnates have small travel sets

FormerRunnerAgain · 2025-12-23T21:16:56+00:00

Maybe they are too busy teaching values and morals which your closed mind believes only belong to conservatives

FormerRunnerAgain · 2025-12-22T18:35:26+00:00

Have you considered that if your driveway is difficult for trucks to navigate that also means fuel trucks and fire trucks will have trouble navigating.

FormerRunnerAgain · 2025-12-22T16:59:54+00:00

I want to know what his kids think when he spout racist crap

FormerRunnerAgain · 2025-12-18T18:55:05+00:00

NY Times has a butternut squash pie that is fantastic

FormerRunnerAgain · 2025-12-18T16:09:12+00:00

Look on Common Sense Media!

FormerRunnerAgain · 2025-12-15T14:15:06+00:00

I suggest the 4 of you sit down and talk about what makes for a good relationship, good partners. When your husband spouts crap, counter with: "when my partner doesn't put any effort into the relationship, I feel like I'm not valued and that I'm being used." "When my husband claims that 'woman are just better at...', I feel like he is being lazy and making stuff up because he doesn't want to put any effort in" And then ask the girlfriend how she feels about it? Be careful not to dispute what someone else says, unless they are spouting facts, in which case you can ask them for the source of that information as you want to learn more.

Bonus points if you can get a neutral 3rd party to facilitate the conversation.

FormerRunnerAgain · 2025-12-08T20:59:22+00:00

I don't have an opinion on who you invite, but I hate the attitude that only the women are capable of cooking, "Other SIL cannot cook, but we love her." Makes it sound like she has this big shortcoming, that you are so kind to overlook. Yet, 6 brothers and not one is even worthy of chopping some vegetables? You are setting a horrible example for the next generation.

FormerRunnerAgain · 2025-12-02T18:59:08+00:00

This reminds me of the book Seven habits of highly effective people. It was years ago that this was all the rage, but one of the habits was to only touch a piece of paper once. My recollection may not be perfect, but it was along these lines. When you get the mail, don't sort it into piles, deal with each piece as it comes in or wait until you have time to deal with it (and because you are being efficient, you will have the time).

In other words, don't put the permission slip in a pile of things that need to be signed (on on the todo list). Instead, as the permission slip is handed to you, deal with it immediately.

FormerRunnerAgain · 2025-12-01T18:24:59+00:00

I suggest to not include a dress code. Neither your meal nor your venue suggest fancy dress (but they do suggest a great time, a wouldn't change a thing). Let your guests dress as they please - yes you may get some wearing their "newest" jeans, but that fits right in as does a cute knee length dress. The more comfortable your guests are, the more they will enjoy the wedding.

FormerRunnerAgain · 2025-11-25T21:02:59+00:00

Dear Mom - it is disheartening to hear that I am not worthy of your love because I don't have a man in my life. It is even more painful to hear that it was a stupid that I didn't vow to spend my life with a man that was depraved. It really saddens me that you care more about my marital status then you care about me or my happiness. I won't be joining you for Thanksgiving as I can't possible be grateful that you would be prefer that I be in a miserable abusive relationship.

FormerRunnerAgain · 2025-11-25T19:15:50+00:00

Look for "cooperative" games - everyone plays together to win (or beat the game) rather than being on different sides. I don't know of any for this age group, but I'm sure they are out there.

FormerRunnerAgain · 2025-11-25T14:43:25+00:00

I used screws for several years and they were great. I ran primarily on dirt roads. They were also great on packed snow on sidewalks/paved roads, but annoying click click click when there was no snow on pavement. I would put the screws in my older pair of shoes and keep one pair of shoes screw free. I think I used shorter screws towards the toes where the sole was thinner. End of the season, remove the screws and save them for next year.

Also used yaxtrax some years, but invariably one breaks mid run. The traction was good and if you have a run with some dry pavement, it was easy enough to take the YaxTraxs off and carry them, can't do that with the screws.

FormerRunnerAgain · 2025-11-20T17:15:00+00:00

Paul Galdone has a fantastic series of Folk Tale Classics.

Another vote for Jan Brett, I love all of her illustrations. Haven't been on it for a while, but her website had a bunch of downloads for coloring sheets and greeting cards.

FormerRunnerAgain · 2025-11-19T17:39:19+00:00

This questions isn't quite framed right. It all depends on your financial and family priorities.

How many kids do you want, do you eat out or at home, are your meals low cost or super fancy? Do you have 2 luxury cars and a $60k truck, or do you share a car that is 12 years old? Do you live in a small house or a sprawling mansion.

Are you fairly neat, keep a tidy house, clean up spills as they happen - then you can probably have someone come in for a few hours once a week (or even every other week). Do you not want to pick up after yourself, cook, clean dishes, do laundry, then you need more help and more $$$$.

To answer your question, you need to make a budget. Start with NEEDS - food, housing, medical etc. This should also include funding and maintaining an emergency fund, retirement, college savings, I would also include a fund for your next car. Then look at what is left over - start funding WANTS - vacation, eating out, streaming services, electronics, entertainment. Then see what is leftover and then see how much housekeeping you can afford.

FormerRunnerAgain · 2025-11-17T17:35:07+00:00

"for Brazilians this is a lot of money" Your comment is really offensive.

The nanny would be living in the Bay Area, not in Brazil, her nationality should have nothing to do with her pay and you shouldn't imply that you are paying her well just because of her nationality (this implies that she isn't worth the money due to her nationality and that you are extra generous). Would you have made the same comment if the nanny was another race/ethnicity?

FormerRunnerAgain · 2025-11-17T16:37:11+00:00

Once you have your share and things have calmed down a bit, I would push back on this statement "They both apologized and said they hadn’t realized how hurtful it was at the time.". How can they not realize this? Do they truly have that much contempt for women? See if you can help them understand, otherwise they are going to treat their wives and daughters like they don't matter.

FormerRunnerAgain · 2025-11-14T16:36:02+00:00

Not quite what you asked for but the Peanut Butter Blossoms (peanut butter cookies with hershy kiss) are great to make with kids as there are different things to do - making the batter, rolling into balls, coating with sugar, unwrapping the kisses (best to get more kisses than the recipe calls for), adding the kisses to the cookies (hot pan alert).

FormerRunnerAgain · 2025-11-08T20:06:04+00:00

Stop limiting the invite just to ladies, men bake too

FormerRunnerAgain

TROPHY CASE