u/Neesatay

My daughter is about to go into HS. At the end of last year, I noticed she was not eating much and she lost a bunch of weight. She also seemed a bit depressed (especially after school got out). I talked to her a bunch about it and told her if she dropped under a certain weight, she needed to go see a doctor (she was underweight on regular calculators, but not ones that factored age - I can't say the exact numbers for post rules).

She since has improved and is eating more (although still not the same food we eat or "regular" food). She is no longer losing weight.

But she has recognized that she was/is struggling with an eating disorder and asked for more formal help (I have pushed therapy before this, but she did not want to). She specifically says she wants an "eating disorder recovery coach." All the programs that come up when I google this are very intensive, requiring 10 hours a week. I don't really think she needs this level of care at this point, and I am not sure adding that much of a time commitment when just starting high school is a good idea. I have suggested just a regular therapist who works with eating disorders, but she doesn't seem interested.

My questions are - is there something that would fit "recovery coach" that does not require so much time? And do you think a regular therapist would be just as helpful (so long as they indicate they work with eating disorders)?

My child is going to be a freshman at Cy-Fair this year. I have tried to Google what books she may be reading in K level English, but no luck finding anything. Anyone know? Do they still do summer reading assignments?

Got myself a new Nordic Retreat and am honestly having a lot of trouble. On my first fill, I got all the levels right, but my bromine would drop to zero two days after adding enough for a bromine bank and shocking it. I redid the bromine bank and shock three times, each going back to zero. I then did an enzyme cleanse to get the biofilm out of the pipes (stuff came out) and drained and refilled the tub.

On the second fill, I had some trouble getting the pH right, but did eventually get it after a few days. Finally used the tub last night and the bromine level was 6. I just checked it 24 hours later (probably three days after adding the initial bromine bank) and it is back down to zero. (I have had a floater in the whole time).

So I obviously need to figure out what the heck is going on, but the more pressing issue is that I am leaving town for a week tomorrow morning. My husband will be here, but he is uninvolved in the pool chemistry and I don't think I can have him do anything complicated.

What is the best approach to keeping the hot tub from getting completely nasty before I come back to try to deal with it? Should I do another bromine bank/shock and maybe have my husband add a little shock to it each day? Maybe if no one uses it, it will stay more stable? Should I drain it and maybe shop vac the lines so more gunk doesn't grow? Other options?

(Also, not sure if it matters, but the run has an ozonator)

My son is a hair puller and a hair threaten-to-puller (specifically with my hair for some reason). In the past, I have actually done a buzz cut to avoid it and had a post a while back lamenting that I thought I was going to have to cut it again.

Well, instead of doing that I purchased a ninja underscarf (the cap thing Muslim women wear under a scarf to cover their hair). It has worked remarkably well, but I am sure I look like a complete weirdo. I am not going to lie; it looks straight up weird on its own (which is on me because I go the cheapest ones that were all fleshy colored - NOT a good look at all - let's just say it would be a great start to a penis costume).

I have vascilated between adding a scarf over it (but then I kind of look like it is for religious reasons, which also doesn't mesh with my near-daily t-shirt and athletic shorts attire) or wearing a large sunhat so it looks like I am just scared of the sun (I am a red-head so I actually low-key am). So far I have mostly stuck with the sun hat, but I definitely get comments... BUT my son has stopped fixating on my hair so the looks are totally worth it!

I am talking meals that take few ingredients, tools, time and clean up... (Like for situations where you are flying someplace and staying at an airbnb).

I have wanted a hot tub for a while. I finally got one for my birthday, which is unfortunately a summer birthday. Living in Houston, I was concerned that wouldn't actually be able to fully enjoy the experience until fall hit. However, it's actually great. I know everyone would not be able to do this setup, but we have the tub on our existing porch, which has two really big fans on it. One of them is basically right over the tub. You crank that thing up and it both keeps the mosquitoes at bay and makes your upper body feel super cool above the water line. You would never even think it was 90+ degrees humid summer evening!

Go a new tub. Seemed dandy, but we turned the temp down to 80 so the heater would not turn on. We now need to raise it, but it won't work. When I press warm, nothing. When I press cool, the 80 flashes, but it won't change if I press warm or cool again. I am sure we have gotten ourselves stuck in some sort of mode and there are some sequence of buttons to get out, but nothing I have found via Google searching has worked... Any ideas?

I would love a European vacation, but don't have a whole lot of time off for a long flight/jet lag recovery. Are there any destinations with quick flights from Houston that have a somewhat European feel? I am looking at Quebec City, but I wasn't sure if there were other good options.

My parents are planning a family trip to San Francisco and Yosemite. From the beginning, I have told them I could bring my older kids, but the likelihood of my husband and youngest ASD son going was low. We confirmed they would not be going after she booked houses she thought would accommodate my son's needs, but actually would not (she didn't really ask what we would need before booking). It has been nearly six months of me saying they would not be coming, and just today she starts again pressuring my husband about coming, saying things like my son "just needs to learn." If there was any phrase ever that perfectly encapsulated a non-understansing of autism, I think it would be this...

(For more detail, my son hates being away from home, hates car rides and is generally miserable for everyone involved on vacation unless it is too a beach, all of which has been explained to my mother. I had hoped my in-laws could watch him for a bit so my husband could come for part of it, but my FIL's health and some other family issues eliminated that possibility.)

This was my 4th trip to China, but first in the last decade. The sites were all great, but the coolest thing I saw by far was the Hanfu. Maybe I missed it, but I don't think this was a thing last time I was here. It makes me kind of jealous that we don't have the same sort of thing in the US, outside of conventions and ren fairs. It was especially cool seeing the regional variations (Xian compared to Guilin, for example).

After a ton of research, I had myself set on a Nordic Retreat. However, after further research, the only supplier is on the other side of Houston from me. They can deliver to me for $50 extra, but any service visits would be $100, which I am hesitant about.

The only other options that would be closer are a Dr. Wellness unit I liked (but has reliability issues) and Master Spas, which I have not visited yet because they were closed. (There are some others, but they all have proprietary parts which I wanted to avoid).

How big of a deal is this distance thing for Nordic Spas? Would you be willing to buy from a dealer so far away?

In the market for my first hot tub and am actually kind of surprised with how few dealers there are in the area. I am having trouble lining up what the Internet says are good brands and with what is actually available within 30 miles of here. Any advice?

My autistic son is terrified of thunder. After once again spending three hours up with him last night in Houston, it has me wondering if there are other places we could live that don't actually have thunder storms? (But still actually get rain because places that don't get enough rain cause me existential dread)

Bonus question - why do the storms always seem to roll through in the middle of the night?

I am traveling to Beijing, Chengdu, Xian, Guilin and Hong Kong soon. I have a gluten intolerance. The last time I was in China (10 years ago), I attempted to explain what I couldn't eat and it caused a lot of confusion and dishes I could not eat. This time, I was thinking of taking a different approach and giving a list of things I can eat.

I was hoping this community could help me check my Chinese and also give me any pointers about how this is likely to go over. Are there any dishes here that would not be inappropriate to include in a restaurant environment? Will they be offended with such a list of suggestions? Do you have any other dish suggestions?

我吃含小麥的食物，像是醬油、蠔油和小麥粉，就會胃痛。以下菜肴对我来说应该是安全的。

清蒸鱼 (不放酱油) steamed fish without soy sauce

炒青菜 (不加任何酱料) stir fry vegetable without any sauces

海鲜粥 seafood congee

番茄炒蛋 (不放酱油) tomato and egg stir fry without soy sauce

椒盐虾 (本菜使用玉米澱粉（生粉），不使用小麥麵粉) salt and pepper shrimp made with corn starch

酸辣土豆丝 (不放酱油) potato stir fry without soy sauce

白切雞 white cut chicken

盐焗鸡 salt baked chicken

羊肉串 cumin lamb skewers

樟茶鸭 tea smoked duck

玉米羹 (不放酱油) sweet corn soup without soy sauce

荷塘小炒 (不放酱油) lotus root stir fry without soy sauce

水煮蛋和米飯 boiled egg and steamed rice

I got a store brand. All the tests I did came up a grey color. Returned the box and got a name brand. Same result. What gives? Specimen was about an hour old if that makes a difference. Am I supposed to be going by the shade but not specifically the color?

We are planning a visit to the vintage location for an upcoming anniversary. I have looked at the menu and honestly want to try everything (especially every appetizer). Obviously, we can't do that, and this level of dining is really only a special occasion thing for us, so I want to make it count. For those who have been, what are some stand-out dishes?