Wordle 264 2/6 ⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Only twice have I gotten this lucky.

I had MOHS on my forehead in 2017. It was super duper easy even though it took all day (doctor was very surprised at how much more extensive things were once he got started). I think I went through 5 "rounds" before I was done? It was very easy and relatively painless. I was so excited when the plastic surgeon pulled my skin up and tight on my face - facelift!!! He assured me it would not last (sigh) but for a few days I felt young-ish again. 🙂 I am very glad the MOHS was done as it was minimally invasive and a slower, one-step-at-a-time process.

Yes.

As long as you have a tracking # and USPS indicates the package is in transit, you are not in the wrong and the buyer needs to chill. I honestly would not offer a refund until you have begun an inquiry with USPS (let the buyer know) and shown that you are on top of things as the seller. For her to file a claim with PayPal is ridiculous at this point. I've had issues with both USPS and UPS with packages taking longer. Media mail I would expect no less than 10 days for delivery if not 12.

If I thought I could do so without breaking down in tears (which she would love), I would do just this. Only it wouldn't be that she's been too busy to stop by in the last month, rather for the majority of the last 18+ months. I don't know that I could, though. Normally I can put on a good act but not sure about in this situation. I am nothing to her - nothing. Zero. Nada. And I realize that I can't talk to her ahead of time. If she saw me even a bit upset or affected, her eyes would gleam and her face reflect the victory of hurting me. I've seen it before...too many times. I'm heading out of the house but will check back when I get home. Not sure what I would do without you all...I'm so tired of feeling like I do when it comes to my mom.

I know. 😞 The invite was put forth before she got bad with her behavior again. I figured it was in my home with me watching/listening and she knows I won't allow any ugliness with or in front of them.

No...well, maybe. I do care about honesty. But I know (and this is what has me in tears this morning) that while I watch my mom perform for her friend, I'll see that ranking list in my mind. So I guess while I don't much care what she tells her friend, I do care that my mom doesn't really care about me/us yet she'll act like she does.

I've been playing such as this in my head, actually. lol

So for the advice to let my mom know that we will be busy - too busy for a visit - there may be a problem with that message: SHE is the only who has been too busy for us. Her house-worship and self-worship and the time she's spent on those 2 things has kept her way too busy to see us. I've told her that we are here and someone, even the 4yo or 6yo, is available to chat, read a book, etc. So if I tell her we are too busy to visit then she has ammunition and a "See??? My own daughter doesn't make time for ME!!" excuse for her friend. Does that make sense? All this time, since she has been up and about following her knee surgery, she has found time to shop endlessly, go out for coffee, see our oldest dd, etc. But she only comes over here when she needs copies made or whatever. But we have not been too busy. I can't give her any ammunition to use against me/us. I just can't. She wants nothing to do with us until it's time for her to play her part as grandmother...how do I not have a part in this "play" if I don't use the reason of being busy?

The thought crossed my mind for sure! And were it closer to May/end of semester, we'd already be packing. 🙂

One question I have is do I get "in front of this?" Do I address what I know is coming? Let her know that we're not available for her to visit with her friend? I'm worried because we never lock our doors - she'll just walk right in. I hate this.

She's been back for about 3 weeks (maybe?) and we've seen her once. She's spent oodles of time with my oldest dd (whom my mom worships) and not one second with us which is absolutely fine - it's nothing less than we expect. This morning she showed up with donuts which usually means something is up. Yep - she has a friend coming in from back East and will want to play the role of the doting, involved, proud grandmother. I said nothing when she informed me that her friend is arriving tomorrow but what I want to say is, "Don't even think about coming over here. Just don't. You don't get to portray yourself in a way that you have not been over the last year and a half. You don't get to show off grandkids you don't give a d*mn about." What do I do?? I'm sore tempted to pack up the van and leave for 2 weeks but I have nowhere to go. I can be gone during the day but not to the extent that she wouldn't somehow show up when we are here. I hate this. I.hate.this. I hate that she will solidify what she has her friends believing about her when it is a sham. I hate being used. I hate her hypocrisy. Talk to me, please.

I just woke up some family members from laughing so loud.

Wordle 260 3/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟨🟨🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Our rule is "Keep your hands and things in your hands off each other." At least that's the rule. Kids following said rule is an entirely different thing! But at least they know the rule so when a brother pokes a sibling with the pencil in his hand, it's no surprise that there are consequences.

Wordle 255 4/6 🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜🟩⬜🟨⬜ ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Lucky - this one was hard!

Please don't throw rotten tomatoes at me but it was my understanding that from the start the vaccines were never intended/understood to prevent infection. It was hoped that symptoms would be milder and therefore hospitalizations, etc. would be fewer. But I never remember reading anything that touted any of the vaccines as preventing infection. But it's the middle of the day which means I'm 8 hours ahead of my usual time here, which means I'm distracted, which means I probably missed something really important with all of this ,which means I probably have no clue what I'm talking about. But then that happens even when I'm on here super late at night so....um...I'll go resume my normal daily tasks. 🙂

Yeah, this is one of the many ways I wonder what my mom was thinking.

We were allowed to watch movies that were to the max horrifying. But then my mom read us Stephen King as an afternoon "treat"after school (we're talking 3rd-5th grade here). She knows she's not allowed to show the kids movies or read them stories but she continues to send suggestions our way.

My mom recommended this movie for my older dc down to my 10yod. I read the reviews on IMDB and am wondering who in their right mind (HA!) would recommend this movie for any child? I am disturbed just reading the reviews and parent guide (severe violence/gore, disturbing content/images, etc.). My mom is saying the reviews are not accurate, that the movie is just fine. For those who have seen it (hopefully someone here has!), what is your opinion? Please keep in mind that PG-13 doesn't often fly here, at least not today's PG-13 movies. Lol, we watched "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962) which is rated PG-13 - so refreshing to see that kind of "violence" and intensity. Parent Guide ETA: I realize the movie highlights a horrifying natural disaster and hence will not be sugar-coated. My question is if the reviews are accurate (according to my mom there is NO swearing, for example, so either she can't hear or the review is a lie).

Wordle 251 4/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ ⬜⬜🟨⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 I shouldn't try Wordle at midnight as I make silly mistakes like moving a letter in the correct place over. Oy.

I've never owned (or been tempted to own) a front loader thanks to staying with friends long enough who had front loaders which we had to use. I never felt that the clothes came clean enough and felt that I could not do the large loads I am used to. Given that we do 6-7 loads/day, I wasn't willing to give up my top loader's capabilities. We scored a Speed Queen before the new models came out maybe 5 years ago and have zero regrets.

I hope I get to a point where I can respond to her without my hands shaking. I can convey a sense of strength to her but inwardly...not feeling so strong. Which she can never, never know. Yikes.

Oh, yes. She'll ask leading ?s in an attempt to get me to say that I do/do not want her here. She did this last summer to both me and my oldest dd. She'll say how unhappy she is here, how much she hates it here, how she had expectations (GAH!) and those were not met. She'll say how she envisioned seeing grandkids every day (at her house, of course) and they would have this great relationship w/her (she doesn't know how to "relate" to anyone, really). She'll lament her house (which is beautiful and has a million-dollar view) and every single thing about her situation in life. And she'll wait for me to placate her and coddle her verbally and say how much we love having her here and oh please don't go. Pretty much she'll say the same things she's said before and she'll get the same reaction she's gotten before. And it won't end well.

My mom got home this week from her travels across the U.S. and the first thing she asked for is a "private" talk w/me. Nope. Nope. Nope. I told her that I am not comfortable with private talks because miscommunication whether during the talk or afterward happens to easily. So here we go...no wonder I'm eating everything in sight and buying socks and underwear (for my dc) to a point of ridiculous (my go-to response to stress, lol!). ETA: She put a time on our "private" talk - 60-90 minutes. She's done this since I was a kid - if something didn't take the ridiculous amount of time she assigned for a task, we had to do the task again. This was one issue last year when she had a to-do list that she said would take 4-6 HOURS and we knocked it out in about 45 minutes. Whew, was she mad! ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh Update 2/25: So she's been home for just over a week and came over here once to give my dd $ for taking care of plants. Nothing since then in the way of a visit or seeing the dc. My brother specifically advised her to do 2 things when she got here: Sit down and talk with me AND my dh, and to not ask for us to do stuff rather get over here and be with our family. Despite his words I've been requested to have a private talk (that never happened) and now my mom has asked for some kids to come over tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 8:30 to help open/unpack boxes in her house. Two for two she failed to do. It took me almost 2 hours to respond but I simply said, "Tomorrow won't work for us, sorry." It took me TWO HOURS to come up with a six word response! And I'm sure those six words will result in many colorful words on her part.