Step one 1) Apparently, still use an iPhone 4.

For an introvert, I admire how well you’ve been able to build out a support system! I don’t think I could do that if I were a single parent. Luckily my wife is great at networking with other parents and connecting with people willing to help. Major kudos to you for even considering taking on a kid that isn’t yours.…

Hear, hear!

My wife and I started with twins. They’re 5 now, and honestly twins were such a wonderful, terrible blessing. They are best friends, and they’re growing into imaginative, independent people because they weren’t coming to me or my wife every 5 seconds because they got bored. They’ve been inventing games with each other…

I have immense respect for single parents. I couldn’t do it by myself. I admire your strength a great deal. Keep it up.

You absolutely ARE kicking butt. Happy marriage and happy kids are the metric, not clean house and fancy stuff. Kudos to you.

Kudos to you. My wife is an RN and it can be crazy because of the non-9 to 5 scheduling, but she also gets to be home 4 days a week even though she works full time.

I think sitting swaps need more attention. My wife and I could easily roll a couple extra kids into our routine for a few hours while a friend goes out for the night or gets some chores done. We’ve also had no success setting up something like that, though. There’s your next article!

Great discussion prompt.

That octopus part seems like it’s just a throwaway world-building joke. I grew up reading Bellairs’ various books in elementary school and I agree that the trailer looks like they’re missing the tone of the source material. It also looks like it might work, though. Dunno. I’m too old for it and my kids are too young,…

I remember reading every John Bellairs book I could get my hands on in elementary school. This was when Goosebumps was becoming huge, and thus was born my anti-whatever’s-popular-cuz-it-suckz stage. Everyone was reading Goosebumps but I couldn’t get enough of the genuine, almost Lovecraftian dread I found in Bellairs’…

It’s a “too much of a good thing” situation. Yeah, white men have done some terrible things in the past and white men continue to do terrible things today, but we shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. It’s unproductive and really just shows that people want attention. “I’m so woke I hate everything about…

I’d say it’s about 65%. However, it does call to mind the rule of goats.

There’s a certain level of self-awareness we should expect from people. As a white guy I also recognize I was born with opportunities others don’t have. The self-flagellation, however, is pointlessly ostentatious. Annoying, even. Thank you for calling it out.

Or Sam Elliott without his mustache:

That’s good. I don’t think I’d have the patience to let a cat kick me out of my spot, so good on you for keeping the peace!

I’d say we’re both equally invested in getting the last word in.

Yes, he’s gotta go, but lynch mobs aren’t suitable for true justice. Send him through the court system and THEN apply whatever punishment is warranted. Yeah, when the guy’s found guilty I say we bring back whatever execution method we can convince the judges won’t be cruel and unusual (another right that doesn’t just…

That sucks. Not all cats are good TV mates, but mine have been. I hope you at least have other things about your cat you like.

You are VERY determined to be angry about this. But I’m done. Best of luck.