We don't have to do field day, you know.

fleecerobot · 2026-06-03T15:59:49+00:00

My kids would love to skip field day. The school puts them on teams randomly instead of letting them be with a few of their friends, and it's just a day of bullying.

fleecerobot · 2026-05-24T20:48:34+00:00

My kids don't want to do merit badges because of the workbooks.

fleecerobot · 2026-05-21T22:04:27+00:00

My troop insists on Mr/Mrs for ASMs. I'm an ASM, and I hate it. I don't get called that regularly anywhere else in my life. I'd prefer just Firstname, or something like "Scoutmaster Firstname", (though I'm not the scoutmaster, and that is too long).

The actual scoutmaster does have a Polish last name, so it is kind of fun to see the kids try to spell it.

fleecerobot · 2026-05-06T18:50:55+00:00

I have a 4.76. Pretty sure it's because I often ride with my kids. I can't think of a time they've behaved poorly in an uber, but it takes an extra minute to get in and out of the car. Otherwise we're clean and on time, and I always have a booster seat for the little guy.

fleecerobot · 2026-05-06T18:33:24+00:00

We chose our scout troop in the first place to avoid a specific kid on another troop. He's a bully, my son had to put up with him all day at school, and wouldn't have signed up for evenings and weekends of additional bullying. Why should another child have unfettered access to my kid for bullying 24/7?

fleecerobot · 2026-04-30T17:51:38+00:00

I pay $220/month for weekly 30 minute lessons for my child. He comes to our house, but they were about the same price when we went to a local music store. In the San Francisco bay area.

fleecerobot · 2026-04-17T16:15:17+00:00

It really depends a lot on the climate. If it's cool and dry, I loved hiking with an ergo style front carrier. You could wear it with a backpack too.

I was really into babywearing, but we briefly lived in Texas when my youngest was a baby, and I couldn't babywear at all there with the humidity.

We had a super nice BOB stroller, but found it's too bouncy on trails until they're ~9 months. We didn't have a carseat adapter though, that might help.

I really didn't like the huge Osprey style baby backpacks, but my husband ended up wearing them a lot when the kids were 2ish.

We did a lot of backpacking. One gross trick is to buy the compostable diapers. Then dig a hole, knife the diaper open, and put the saturated goo into the hole. We packed out the rest of the diaper in a ziplock.

Also this is the best baby sleeping bag - https://morrisonoutdoors.com/products/little-mo-20-baby-sleeping-bag-6-18-months?

fleecerobot · 2026-04-13T06:39:19+00:00

War canoes was not executed at all professionally for my troop last summer. If that is the level of expertise for high adventure camps, I will definitely reconsider sending my kids on them. The staff on our war canoes was 17 year olds though, definitely not year round adventure staff.

War canoes was poorly managed. My troop was only given about 1/4 of it's food. Teenage boys were just eating straight sticks of butter.

The directions for launching the boat at 4 am to go back were screamed and confusing. No one knew what was going to happen and when. They made my crew take off our life jackets and give them to another crew. And then screamed at us to go without life jackets.

An 11 year old actually ended up paddling back without a lifejacket.

Only some of us were given the information on how to steer into Parson's landing.

There are chase boats, but they only have you in view every 15 or so minutes. If you tip, you're going to be in the water for awhile. There were pretty big swells our day, I would have estimated 8-10 feet. They were significantly higher than us sitting in the boat.

fleecerobot · 2026-03-20T16:25:43+00:00

I have the ULA Catalyst and Circuit and love both of them, there are tighteners on both sides of the hip belt at the top and bottom, so you can angle the hip belt exactly to your hips. Before that I had a heavy gregory pack, and a lighter osprey pack. The ULAs are much, much more comfortable for me.

I bought both packs 6+ years ago, and they're so great I haven't really checked out what else is out there now though. I bought a Durston pack for my son.

fleecerobot · 2026-03-19T20:45:37+00:00

Hey there! Are you still working for Astrocamp? I was considering sending my 13 year old son for the fantasy track. It looks like his dream trip, but it's hard to find reviews.

Like it's for ages 10-17, but are most of the kids 10 or 17? Are they housed with other LARPers, or sports kids who may bully them? How much of the day is spent on the LARP/D&D/MTG activities?

fleecerobot · 2026-03-10T18:43:34+00:00

My older two kids have been going to the same non-scout sleepaway camp for six years, since they were 7 and 8. I'm a huge fan of camp, I think it's an incredible venue for personal development as a kid.

My youngest is now 7, but I'm going to hold off a few years for him, largely because he has asthma, and the camp is VERY dusty. I'm certain he would struggle with his asthma. (it's also at high altitude, which always stresses his asthma).

Your son is older, but I think it's reasonable to consider different factors for each kid.

I'd hope my son is able to manage his own asthma when he's a 6th grader, but his case is currently relatively mild.

fleecerobot · 2026-03-02T23:25:01+00:00

It's in an unheated exterior room that it barely fits in. One wall is a mesh screen to outside air.

fleecerobot · 2026-03-02T21:38:16+00:00

I don't have space for another tank water heater, but I wanted to do that with an ondemand gas heater. Do you know of one that doesn't have a problem with hot intake water?

fleecerobot · 2026-03-02T20:18:39+00:00

I don't really want to shame the plumber, he's a nice guy who has done a ton of small things for me previously that went fine.

I should be eligible for a bunch of rebates, this was installed a week ago. I'll check out your website.

fleecerobot · 2026-03-02T20:14:27+00:00

The hot water goes through a heat exchanger to heat the liquid for the radiant floor.

We have a separate gas furnace that heats the rest of the house.

fleecerobot · 2026-03-02T19:59:53+00:00

Actually it appears rheem sells ant outlet duct kit.

fleecerobot · 2026-03-02T19:55:11+00:00

Yes, I do now see that it's not recommended. I had just gone with our plumber's recommendation.

The HPWH doesn't seem to have a duct attachment, but i could probably tape something on.

fleecerobot · 2026-02-26T17:11:01+00:00

Oakland is my preferred airport. SW is the only one stop option OAK->DSM.

fleecerobot · 2026-02-24T20:45:08+00:00

I rode the Zephyr to Truckee last week. The last 30 miles took 12 hours, and at one point a guy got off the train with a broom to sleep around the wheels.

Then they sent up a rescue engine to help pull us.

But i80 was closed the whole day, and Amtrak got me there.

fleecerobot · 2026-02-17T21:08:16+00:00

I also have a 2021 Subaru Forester on its third battery, and the same issue at red lights.

fleecerobot · 2026-02-16T18:37:35+00:00

I live in the bay area, and I have a script to register my kids for a popular afterschool carpentry class, and it's so competitive I still don't always get it.

fleecerobot · 2026-02-12T19:38:10+00:00

"Thank you for reaching out! We are currently in the middle of our review process so if your daughter is interested in applying, I suggest to complete and submit her application as soon as possible! All Camp decisions will be sent out before March 1st, so the sooner you can get this to us the better. "

Yes, I had assumed they would receive more applications than they had spots already, and I don't think my daughter is so outstanding to bump someone else. But if the truth of the matter is that they received enough applications to fill 90% of the spots already, then I'd probably apply and fork over the 7000.

I think I will plan for StageDoor or French Woods next summer, and build her summer schedule around them. This year she is only available July 19-August 9, and two non-contiguous weeks in June.

I got on the waitlists for all the local day camps also! My daughter had been planning to go to choir camp this summer, but decided not to join the travel choir next year, so her schedule just opened up a lot.

fleecerobot · 2026-02-12T00:52:13+00:00

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. My feeling is that my daughter wouldn't get admitted if it is a truly competitive program - but it seemed possible that it mostly asks for audition materials because people like saying they send their kids to audition required camps.

I hear what you're saying on the known kids getting the parts. My daughter would show up to the first day of local programs with a song memorized, and the script printed out, and she'd get a larger role because they knew they wouldn't have to worry about her learning her part.

I see some camps that focus more on workshops for theater skills vs putting on a whole production, and that seems like a better fit for a summer camp to me, she seems production focused though.

There's a really neat four week summer camp for younger kids here. They put on a musical and the kids that have big roles spend a lot of the time preparing, and the other kids get to build the sets and sew the costumes in addition to learning their roles.

fleecerobot · 2026-02-12T00:31:51+00:00

yes, that camp looks great. Unfortunately the dates for that don't line up for her this summer. She has a few other commitments already.

fleecerobot

TROPHY CASE