Ugh, been there. My five-year-old once scattered all the tiny screws from a lens disassembly across the carpet. I got a cheap metal lockbox from the hardware store for my in-progress projects and the really small parts. It’s not foolproof, but it stops the casual curious grab. The key stays on my own keyring so it’s never just lying around. Saved my sanity more than once.

Honestly switched to pillars after seeing a friend's full bed job crack, idk maybe it just handles the recoil pulse better for me.

Honestly, just point at the gravel in a driveway and ask what they see. It starts there. Every kid goes through the rock phase, we just forget.

Air entrainment is your best friend for freeze-thaw cycles... it puts tiny bubbles in the mix that give expanding ice somewhere to go. You can buy a liquid admixture for that at any hardware store. Also, cut back on the water you use. Too much water makes weak, porous concrete that soaks up moisture and cracks. A really stiff mix is tougher to work with but holds up way better. Don't over-trowel the surface either, you'll push those protective air bubbles right out.

Over 2100 can make its own bubble trouble though, right? You might have just swapped one problem for another heat zone.