Jump to content

Menu

Ignore this thread!


Recommended Posts

Baby is in a much better mood today! He's still not sure how to move his mouth anymore and eating is a struggle but I think he'll get it. I'm scared to try the stretching exercises because he's happy and I don't want to hurt him. 

 

 

 

I know, it's hard. But, without the exercises, there is the possibility of it fusing back together and you'd have to do it again. :( I hear they heal quickly. Keep putting breastmilk on it. (Isn't nursing enough exercise?)

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ooo, yay!  There's a Pho shop not far from our hotel!  Add pho to the menu for next week!

 

 

OMIGOSHEVENBETTER!!!!!!!!  MY FAVORITE VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT IN FORT COLLINS IS STILL ALIVE AND RUNNING!!!!  Must make a trip over there at some point!

 

A little excited, there, eh?

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sore but pain medication should kick in eventually. The site looks good and drainage is appropriate. :ack2:

The turtles are being snappy. Third day in of actually having to take care of things around the house and they are all set to resign. Remind me to have them take a day a week for each of them to take care of all the "mom" duties in a day sometime this summer. That will do their souls good.

I would make a terrible nurse. I wouldn't even go see FIL's foot womb when he was getting the bandage changed, :D (I think he was a little offended that I didn't participate in the bandage party.)

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good morning, lovelies! I stayed up way too late, finishing the 4th Outlander book (2 am too late), then got up with DH at 4am to help him get to work. I was able to get a couple more hours after he left, but I'm not motivated to do anything. It was worth it, though.

 

I have 2 questions to put before you today.

 

1) How would you go about making big schedule/goal changes while still managing to feed everyone/accomplish lessons/be a functional family member and human being?

 

And

 

2) Does mindfulness meditation help, and how would one begin?

 

(((Everyone)))

1. A simple weekly menu. Breakfasts/lunches here are very routine, almost set in stone. Monday is oatmeal / leftovers or tortillas with refried beans/ fruit, Tuesday is eggs / mac & cheese, Wed is Greek yogurt with berries & granola / sandwiches, etc. Dinners are on a monthly rotation. Boring, but I know what I need at the grocery store each week and I know what to get ready every day. It cuts way down on decision fatigue. Shopping at Aldi also cuts down on decision fatigue (and the grocery budget.)

 

That's feeding, but for me, reducing the number of decisions or choices that need to be made keeps me functional. We do these lessons in this order every day. The work is all prepared and planned out before the year begins, so I don't have any weekly or daily prep to do except gather science experiment materials for the day or reserve books at the library.

 

(Also, I have been homeschooling for so long that I have a really good feel for what is doable and what is too much. I am also willing to drop things here and there if necessary. A friend of mine used to be a school teacher and she said they considered covering 75% of a textbook in a year to be perfectly acceptable. So sometimes I go that route.)

 

2. My kids are older, so while they eat lunch together, I spend time in my room or elsewhere doing things that allow my brain some independent thinking time. It is so much harder when you have Littles. (((Bookworm)))

Edited by Susan in TN
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good morning, lovelies! I stayed up way too late, finishing the 4th Outlander book (2 am too late), then got up with DH at 4am to help him get to work. I was able to get a couple more hours after he left, but I'm not motivated to do anything. It was worth it, though.

 

I have 2 questions to put before you today.

 

1) How would you go about making big schedule/goal changes while still managing to feed everyone/accomplish lessons/be a functional family member and human being?

 

And

 

2) Does mindfulness meditation help, and how would one begin?

 

(((Everyone)))

 

 

Simplify and prioritize.  

 

Non-negotiable priorities:

  • Keeping everyone fed (this means basic nutrition, served up in a reasonably manageable timeframe -- NOT individually catering to each family member's tastes and desires)
  • Keeping everyone clothed (doesn't have to be a lot of clothes, just suitable for the day-to-day and in enough quantity to get you from one laundry load or day to another)
  • Keeping the house reasonably clean (a quick swish and swipe of toilets and bathroom sinks a day, and a weekly cleaning of the rest.  NO PERFECTIONISM.)
  • Stay on top of the required bills & expenses.
  • Keeping everyone sane.

Work everything else around these, and don't be shy about reassigning, reducing or dropping stuff when there's just too much.  Make room for some relief, some moments of fun or small treats on a frequent basis.  Morale is key -- when that goes nothing will run smoothly.

 

Most of all, keep talking with your family about what needs to be done and how you think you all can work together to get it done.  Express appreciation for things they do to help.  ASK FOR HELP, and when necessary assign (not negotiable!) work, provided the worker has had or will get training in how to do the work.

 

And hang in there and come here to vent or escape or just get hugs.   :grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nope, it’s grownups. Yay!

 

Although people are dreaming big right now and saying things like, “maybe some day if the bishop gave us a parish, we could have children’s scholas too.†I might take oldest evetually. She has a good voice, but sometimes she decides to showboat and then goes horribly out of tune. Plus I’d kind of just like to go by myself for a while, kwim? Get some silence in the car.

 

 

This is part of keeping one's own sanity.  Treats like this are necessary from time to time.

 

 

My aunt/godmother never minded sitting in standstill rush-hour traffic when coming home from volunteering.  It was the only time she had to herself, when no one else could make any demands upon her.  (This was before the age of cell phones, and car phones were expensive.)  She'd listen to music and r-e-l-a-x..........

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dd15 was describing an activity they did for her government class - they had to pretend they were deserted on an island and had to come up with a way to live with each other. She said they started out OK and then things started going downhill and then they got a bit chaotic and then they ate Joel. 🙀

Obviously the teacher did not give them a lesson on the Mayflower Compact beforehand. (We studied that yesterday)
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Baby is in a much better mood today! He's still not sure how to move his mouth anymore and eating is a struggle but I think he'll get it. I'm scared to try the stretching exercises because he's happy and I don't want to hurt him. 

 

 

"This feeling is only uncomfortable because I have decided it is uncomfortable."

"Instead of saying, take this uncomfortable feeling away, I should be glad for the opportunity to endure it."

#marcusaurelius #stoic

 

 

I know, it's hard. But, without the exercises, there is the possibility of it fusing back together and you'd have to do it again. :( I hear they heal quickly. Keep putting breastmilk on it. (Isn't nursing enough exercise?)

 

Yes, do the exercises.  I think SIL wore herself out doing exercises with every feeding in the beginning, then she back off and stopped doing them at the night feedings.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A little excited, there, eh?

 

:D   I also discovered there's Thai now available in Dad's town, too.   :drool5:

 

 

Dad just called, thinking aloud about when DD16 and I are there.  He wants me to take DD16 skiing and running about my old haunts when Dad is resting.  I am planning SOME small jaunts for fun, but I will be talking with Dad in person when he is fresh-brained about us working on certain things while he is resting.  There is no hope of getting this job done this year if we can only work when Dad is feeling up to it.

 

He also asked if my pick-up (a full-size, and he has ridden in it and used to drive pick-ups smaller than mine!) could pull a U-Haul trailer.  He is tired today, I can tell.  Yes, Dad, we will be pulling a large U-Haul trailer.

 

He's looking forward to the move, but is quite daunted by the work still to be done, and thinking he has to be involved in all of it.  We will look the situation over and assess, and come up with a plan we can both agree to for tackling it.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good Morning!!!

 

COFFEE!!☕ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸

 

Friday!!ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘

 

Still got a bunch of sickies.😩😩😩 Oldest DS’s fever spiked to 103 this morning and he’s complaining about his ears hurting, his eyes hurting, his head hurts.... my professional diagnosis.... sinus infection. So, I will call the doctor this morning and see if we can get him on something for the weekend.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good Morning!!!

 

COFFEE!!☕ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸

 

Friday!!ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘

 

Still got a bunch of sickies.😩😩😩 Oldest DS’s fever spiked to 103 this morning and he’s complaining about his ears hurting, his eyes hurting, his head hurts.... my professional diagnosis.... sinus infection. So, I will call the doctor this morning and see if we can get him on something for the weekend.

 

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good Morning!!!

 

COFFEE!!☕ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸

 

Friday!!ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘

 

Still got a bunch of sickies.😩😩😩 Oldest DS’s fever spiked to 103 this morning and he’s complaining about his ears hurting, his eyes hurting, his head hurts.... my professional diagnosis.... sinus infection. So, I will call the doctor this morning and see if we can get him on something for the weekend.

:( (((Eldest)))

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, after my bout of coughing last night, I managed to get a few more hours sleep. My stomach is a little wonky this morning, but otherwise I still feel fine. I will continue in my denial for the time being. I am not getting sick.

 

Sent from my HTCD160LVW using Tapatalk

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Edpo!

 

Slache, you’ve really never had a Twinkie? Such a sad life.

 

 

During one Behavioral Neuroscience lecture the prof was offering a Twinkie (or similar) to whomever would volunteer for something, so DW pointed at me and said I'd never had one. Which was true. I got it. I could've done without, but hey, it was educational. 

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guess what showed up for breakfast at the chicken pen again today? :cursing: Only this time she brought a friend for brunch. The chickens stayed up today because of the hawk threat, so they got nothin. But I guess this means that the chickens will have to go out only under strict observation until I can get a totally enclosed pen constructed.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for the tips, you guys. My trouble is that I need to do more than will fit in a day with littles, so all wants are getting shoved out. I steal time to read and to visit here, and I call that my recreation, but I need to exercise and write and study, but there's no time. And maybe there just isn't time at this season, but I would like to try. Except I try a full fledged new schedule, get overwhelmed, and then do nothing for three days to recover. It's ridiculous. I seem unavle to prioritize.

 

We do simple meals, though a future goal is to learn to eat LCHF to manage my PCOS. School is open and go, and we do decently. It's just always complicated by a preschooler and baby who want attention, too. And DH is still on this thing where I should have a job and be pursuing a career. I feel like I have to do all the things for all the people, and a little like I don't exist, or matter as much.

 

Sorry, too maudlin?

 

Anyway, I'm going to take the afternoon off all things and bake cookies with the kids. And then I'm going to eat them, stretchy pants be damned! ðŸ˜

Not maudlin. It's a feeling that happens to me from time to time. I've learned to more or less ignore any mandates that come along with it. I refuse to listen to the "shoulds" anymore. They steal my joy and I don't have time for that.

I really find that I simply have to make my own personal needs a priority. Nobody else that lives with me is going to prioritize me the same way that I do. Ironically, the more I take care of the things that make me comfortable being me, the more I find time and energy to do things for other people. 

That's my experience anyway. Might be different for others. 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

School is done for the day. I'm working on some plot items for the novel's sequel, and should feel alert enough to do some actually writing today. Right now I'm still a little groggy despite not taking painkillers this morning. Still taking Tylenol like a good girl.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guess what showed up for breakfast at the chicken pen again today? :cursing: Only this time she brought a friend for brunch. The chickens stayed up today because of the hawk threat, so they got nothin. But I guess this means that the chickens will have to go out only under strict observation until I can get a totally enclosed pen constructed.

 

 

I'm glad the chickens were safe this time around.  Are the flyers getting any smarter about the hazards of leaving their enclosure?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm glad the chickens were safe this time around.  Are the flyers getting any smarter about the hazards of leaving their enclosure?

Their brains are very small. All they were concerned with today was complaining that they were not allowed out of the chicken house to get eaten. :glare: Chickens don't think much beyond the flock instinct and who is bringing the food for the day.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We didn't get much schooling done this week.  This is why we school year-round.

 

Mailed preemie/newborn clothes to my niece.  :001_wub:

 

Picked up groceries.  I wish that curbside grocery pickup had existed when I had babies...

 

Lunched.

 

Chocolated.

 

Naptime!

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for the tips, you guys. My trouble is that I need to do more than will fit in a day with littles, so all wants are getting shoved out. I steal time to read and to visit here, and I call that my recreation, but I need to exercise and write and study, but there's no time. And maybe there just isn't time at this season, but I would like to try. Except I try a full fledged new schedule, get overwhelmed, and then do nothing for three days to recover. It's ridiculous. I seem unavle to prioritize.

 

We do simple meals, though a future goal is to learn to eat LCHF to manage my PCOS. School is open and go, and we do decently. It's just always complicated by a preschooler and baby who want attention, too. And DH is still on this thing where I should have a job and be pursuing a career. I feel like I have to do all the things for all the people, and a little like I don't exist, or matter as much.

 

Sorry, too maudlin?

 

Anyway, I'm going to take the afternoon off all things and bake cookies with the kids. And then I'm going to eat them, stretchy pants be damned! ðŸ˜

 

 

Heavy-po:

 

When I stopped working my paycheck job (while my kids were still in brick & mortar school) DH referred to it not as me quitting work but as my career change.  Which it was, since I quit because I didn't have enough time to take care of all of my responsibilities (child care, attempted long-distance elder care, home care, school involvement, work), and DH had advanced to where his income alone was sufficient for us.  

 

Trying to raise littles and take care of a home is more than a full-time job in itself.  Add in homeschooling and it's even more work (worth it in so many cases, but still a lot of work!).  Trying to handle a paying job, even part-time, with all of this is a real challenge.  It can be done, but it takes a WHOLE LOT of ingenuity, flexibility, and cooperation from one's spouse.

 

I don't think I spend any more time on the kids' education than when they were in brick & mortar school.  Yes, I spend a lot of time on it (and spent even more on it when they were less able to work some subjects on their own), but when my kids were in brick & mortar schools there were a lot of time demands, too, and determined by someone else's schedule.  Some days I couldn't get much done at all between all of the running around involved with the school (service hours, car line, half days, conferences, uniform issues -- on and on and on!), and the prolonged time it took me to reteach subjects to my struggling child so she could do her homework.  And this was AFTER I quit my paycheck job.  

 

Your baby and toddler are, by necessity, going to heavily impact the flow of your schooling.  They will keep changing, too, very rapidly, so as soon as you seem settled into one routine they will shake it up.  Go with the flow, adjust, and talk with your kids about what they do like about school subjects.  Slashie and Ducky and others here can speak very well to homeschooling in the presence of very littles.

 

I wonder if perhaps your DH is concerned about your ability to find work as a single parent if the need should ever arise?  (That was my one big fear when I stopped my paycheck job -- the rapid obsolescence of my work skills.  I learn quickly, however, so I figure if the time should ever come I'll work it out and learn what I need to to get work again.)  I know you have had some financial need for you to work (iirc), but if he wants you to become the primary earner he needs to step up and take on the bulk of the home front.

 

A tough question to ask oneself and one's spouse:  What will one of the pair do if the other of the pair were suddenly gone tomorrow, perhaps dead, perhaps in a coma in the hospital?  How would the surviving one manage?  DH and I have actually discussed this from time to time, just as a reality-check on our situation and to have a clue what our resources are in such an emergency.  Part of the reason I don't fret not working for a paycheck right now is that DH has a good enough insurance policy to see the kids and me through for several months so I CAN refresh my skills and hunt for work.  What DH would do if I were no longer around is less clear -- likely both girls would end up in public school and DH will be trying to manage the culture shock for one of them.

 

 

You are doing well.  Your kids are fed and happy.  You are trying to learn more and find solutions, and not just giving up.  YOU ARE DOING WELL.  All else can be figured out.  Don't lose heart.   :grouphug:  :grouphug:

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not maudlin. It's a feeling that happens to me from time to time. I've learned to more or less ignore any mandates that come along with it. I refuse to listen to the "shoulds" anymore. They steal my joy and I don't have time for that.

I really find that I simply have to make my own personal needs a priority. Nobody else that lives with me is going to prioritize me the same way that I do. Ironically, the more I take care of the things that make me comfortable being me, the more I find time and energy to do things for other people. 

That's my experience anyway. Might be different for others. 

 

 

:iagree:   Argh!   :iagree:   Listen to Critter.  She gives good advice!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

School is done for the day. I'm working on some plot items for the novel's sequel, and should feel alert enough to do some actually writing today. Right now I'm still a little groggy despite not taking painkillers this morning. Still taking Tylenol like a good girl.

 

 

Argh!

 

 

We are going to Park Day this afternoon.  I don't know if anyone else will show up -- if not, we will come home again.  There was a group email asking if anyone was going, given how cold it is today.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for the tips, you guys. My trouble is that I need to do more than will fit in a day with littles, so all wants are getting shoved out. I steal time to read and to visit here, and I call that my recreation, but I need to exercise and write and study, but there's no time. And maybe there just isn't time at this season, but I would like to try. Except I try a full fledged new schedule, get overwhelmed, and then do nothing for three days to recover. It's ridiculous. I seem unavle to prioritize.

 

We do simple meals, though a future goal is to learn to eat LCHF to manage my PCOS. School is open and go, and we do decently. It's just always complicated by a preschooler and baby who want attention, too. And DH is still on this thing where I should have a job and be pursuing a career. I feel like I have to do all the things for all the people, and a little like I don't exist, or matter as much.

 

Sorry, too maudlin?

 

Anyway, I'm going to take the afternoon off all things and bake cookies with the kids. And then I'm going to eat them, stretchy pants be damned! ðŸ˜

 

You have 4 children 7 and under.  If you are caring for them, parenting them, feeding them, keeping them somewhat clean and clothed, and schooling say one or two of them, you already have 2 or 3 full time jobs.  In my reality (but then I know there are some super humans out there, just not me) you cannot take on more goals unless you have substantial help from someone else relieving you of these duties.  

 

Not maudlin. It's a feeling that happens to me from time to time. I've learned to more or less ignore any mandates that come along with it. I refuse to listen to the "shoulds" anymore. They steal my joy and I don't have time for that.

I really find that I simply have to make my own personal needs a priority. Nobody else that lives with me is going to prioritize me the same way that I do. Ironically, the more I take care of the things that make me comfortable being me, the more I find time and energy to do things for other people. 

That's my experience anyway. Might be different for others. 

 

I agree with ignoring "shoulds" from other people.  Ain't nobody got time for dat.  

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You have 4 children 7 and under.  If you are caring for them, parenting them, feeding them, keeping them somewhat clean and clothed, and schooling say one or two of them, you already have 2 or 3 full time jobs.  In my reality (but then I know there are some super humans out there, just not me) you cannot take on more goals unless you have substantial help from someone else relieving you of these duties.  

 

 

I agree with ignoring "shoulds" from other people.  Ain't nobody got time for dat.  

 

 

Arghety argh argh argh!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You have 4 children 7 and under. If you are caring for them, parenting them, feeding them, keeping them somewhat clean and clothed, and schooling say one or two of them, you already have 2 or 3 full time jobs. In my reality (but then I know there are some super humans out there, just not me) you cannot take on more goals unless you have substantial help from someone else relieving you of these duties.

 

 

Listen to Lynn you should!

 

And be patient with yourself.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...