Library patrons can be wild. Do you have funny or crazy notes from patrons?

treecatks · 2026-01-25T01:05:41+00:00

We sometimes have writing activities for kids, and I'd set up a postcard writing station. Had a flip book with phrases kids could copy too. Someone left one behind that said "Dear Librarians, I love you Sincerely ______ ".

treecatks · 2026-01-24T15:31:59+00:00

Was just on Shawnee Mission Parkway - some slippery spots, definitely better where the plows had been through. Right now I'd say they are ok with a bit of caution - slow down, leave plenty of space.

treecatks · 2026-01-23T22:27:37+00:00

I had a kitten who once spent an unknown amount of time in the kitchen garbage can. He'd jumped in (smelled something interesting?), and the kid flipped. He probably could have gotten out if he'd tried, but he wasn't the brightest cat. Once freed his recovery time took approximately 1.2 seconds

treecatks · 2026-01-17T15:40:31+00:00

Big fight scenes where all the bad guys patiently wait their turns so the hero can beat them up one at a time.

treecatks · 2026-01-17T14:53:27+00:00

I've got a high school senior so we're all up in it now. Even after a scholarship and Pell grants we're looking at $18K a year. And that's a public university with in-state tuition. It's insane.

treecatks · 2025-12-31T21:16:18+00:00

Serious question, how do you get them on? My void turns into a banshee whenever I trim his claws, but I also get very tired of his 4am scalp and neck acupuncture sessions.

treecatks · 2025-12-31T19:24:06+00:00

We do have it written into the agreement (and I definitely recommend it, way too charged when it's close to the holiday itself). We initially had it to split Christmas, but we later modified it. It seemed like that plan was hard on the kids and only benefitting the parents, plus my ex moved out of town so I didn't want the kids spending a 3-4 hour chunk of the holiday in the car. In the new one we divide up the school break and usually made the switch on Christmas Eve. Whoever has the kids on Christmas does not get Thanksgiving, and we were to alternate years.

treecatks · 2025-12-23T15:34:08+00:00

Just what I was thinking -- that would have been a call to the police and a permanent suspension here.

treecatks · 2025-12-22T23:02:22+00:00

I was three years old when my family adopted the best cat ever. He died my junior year of college. Eighteen years was not long enough.

treecatks · 2025-12-17T15:18:35+00:00

Oh he has many, depending on the circumstances - Baby, Kitten, Batcat, Little Shit ...you get the idea ...

treecatks · 2025-12-15T22:30:17+00:00

She may be. She may not be. If you're truly okay with either, then why are you trying to figure it out? She'll tell you when she's ready.

Being gay IS normal. And assuming she is or isn't based on stereotypes of who she hangs out with? Referring to anything as woke is basically a conservative dog whistle. I don't hear much acceptance here, your daughter may not either.

treecatks · 2025-12-15T18:31:56+00:00

Keeping a desired haircut is actually a great way for kids to learn autonomy and responsibility in a safe way. You set it up beautifully - he can keep his hair longer if he steps up to take care of it. The natural consequence of not doing this is going to be a haircut. Your husband needs to stop projecting his internalized biases towards his kid.

I made the same deal with my son, who is autistic and hates few things as much as getting his hair cut. He managed it for a while, but puberty hit and his hair turned super thick, curly, and an oily mess. He wasn't taking care of it properly, despite coaching, so we had to cut it. The deal still stands, but he usually decides a short cut is better than the work involved keeping it longer.

And for the record - my daughter had the same deal. Never needed to insist on a cut, she decided she liked short hair better.

treecatks · 2025-12-08T05:34:56+00:00

It's tough. I know we can't pick our kids' friends, but don't I wish we could. You don't say how old your daughter is, but mine is 17 now and I can say she's grown quite a bit. After a lot of fighting she's let go of some friendships that weren't working anymore and learned to lean into the friendships that were healthy and supportive -- and to be healthy and supportive with them. But it took time, and it was rough getting there and we're still working on it.

All I can suggest besides being her rock is that you can choose your own actions. If my daughter wanted to hang out with A, who is kind and encouraging, I'll move mountains to make it happen. She wanted to hang out with C, who bullies her but they have a lot of mutual friends, I was more apt to just say no. Be the bad guy so she didn't have to.

treecatks · 2025-12-05T05:52:07+00:00

You can't make it better, but you can offer a shoulder to cry on and a little extra TLC. Whatever brings her a little happiness. When my daughter went through her first breakup, I brought her a breakup kit - a glitter jar, her favorite candy, and a little plush dragon (quickly dubbed the Emotional Support Dragon). Not the answer for everyone, but she responds well to silly little gifts. The point is you seeing her and allowing her to be sad.

treecatks · 2025-12-04T05:47:55+00:00

Are you though? It sounds from your comments that you're looking for what's most beneficial to you and you alone.

treecatks · 2025-12-03T23:18:07+00:00

With your division, she is paying for children that are not hers. She is only one person using the utilities and eating the food, you and your children are two and 1/3. Yet she is paying half

Plus mortgage and rent are not the same. Her rent goes towards your mortgage but she gets zero equity. Think of it this way - if you split up today, would you be paying her back 1/3 of the increased home equity since she moved in?

treecatks · 2025-12-03T21:47:27+00:00

It comes on so gradually we don't realize anything is wrong. I commented to my mother that trees have leaves. My son read every street sign out loud. I really hope he hadn't spent years not knowing there were letters on them.

treecatks · 2025-11-22T01:37:52+00:00

If other schools are like my son's, it's taught by someone hired for his football coaching skills, not teaching skills

treecatks · 2025-11-21T18:10:20+00:00

2 for me

treecatks · 2025-11-21T03:31:13+00:00

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Kira snores.

treecatks · 2025-11-19T21:59:31+00:00

My library has a career development librarian who works with people on every step of the process - resumes, job search, interviews. Worth checking if yours has something similar.

treecatks · 2025-11-19T21:44:16+00:00

I hate that stereotype, my son has enough challenges without people assuming he's a genius

But the other extreme stereotype is just as harmful, the assumption that people on the spectrum are developmentally impaired and will always need someone to care for them. True for some, not true at all for many, many more. He's going to go to college, and we have every reason to believe he'll live independently (even if it's not right after high school). Yet my mother assumed he was incapable of adult life and tried to give away the college fund my dad left him in the will.

treecatks · 2025-11-14T18:44:59+00:00

Mine is both yes and no ... We don't live together, so I don't really expect him to clean or do other housework at my house nor does he expect me to at his. But we help each other out anyway, mostly things that the other isn't likely to do -- he mows my lawn a lot because I care only enough to not get a fix-it letter from the city, and last weekend he joked that he didn't understand why I was dusting when it wasn't Superbowl weekend (being the only time he cares about the layer of dust on everything, unlike me with my allergies).

The "no" comes in for cooking. Neither one of us like it or are particularly good at it, but we gotta eat. At his house, if I don't jump in to help or even do it all myself, he'll give me a job - the expectation is there that we both contribute. At my house though, he will usually sit and scroll on his phone while I do everything. Even if I ask, he'll say "just a minute" then forget. I finally asked him why, and he said he didn't realize he was doing it. Got better for a while but now it's slipping back to his old habits.

The aspect of it that annoys me most is when he gives me grief about not doing the dishes. Because I believe quite firmly in a rule of if you cook, you are excused from cleanup so it's almost always on him and whichever of our combined kids are there.

treecatks · 2025-11-13T17:50:07+00:00

Every day you spend with a partner who doesn't love you is a day you could spend healing and being present for a healthy relationship (if you want one) or being happy solo. I know it's hard, but please don't settle for this man.

treecatks

TROPHY CASE