Take care of yourself. I have dealt with back problems for years, and I know how painful that can be. Especially with kiddos needing attention.
The auto lights....ohhhh, I always have the auto lights on in my Sim homes. And you're right about the pets disappearing from inside the homes and not outside. And since EL has made the power usage important, I have been using the auto light function in all the rooms. I'll report back on this later after I've played this new save a bit more. Perhaps I need to replace all the lights with CC ones that don't have a power usage tag. The Calientes almost always get sent into Witness Protection when I start a new save so I had no idea that was the name of their lot. LOL I wonder who the pets are visiting if no one lives there anymore. :D