Nah, not crazy at all!! Sound fun!

Memory eternal.

This is highly irregular but: whole roasted chicken, potato salad, mashed sweet potatoes, and broccoli.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Quill. It's a difficult line to find, for sure.

DH works tomorrow, so today might end up feeling like a Thursday! calls: vet, trash service, mechanic, lab, boarding facility living room laundry dishes try to finish prepping garden beds (weeding, forming, mulch paths) errands: vacuum store, grocery, sporting goods make some dang bread before lunch!! (bought it instead, lol) seat work centers read aloud While out, I learned that it's not only my blood that makes me feel faint, though! Useful information. How did I parent three kids to this point?? ETA: Nothing traumatic or wild, by the way; just some fellow shopper that cut themselves. Which makes the wooziness even more inexplicable.

Having a day off doesn't affect their screen time in any significant or consistent way. Things that are more likely to affect it: the weather, a Mommy project, Mommy stress. Otherwise, non-school days is just more time with toys or outside or doing chores. BUT, two of them get 2 hours or so each day with handhelds anyway, so I don't feel sorry for them. The other would have this, too, but they broke their handheld and can't afford a new one yet.

I'm not sure about the "not local, but within easy driving distance." Growing up, the kids mostly went to the parents. BUT for me and my parents, that was hundreds of miles, so only a couple times each year we saw my grandparents. The more local families usually went to the grandparents, but sometimes on my mom's side, the grandparents would go visit the families. My dad's parents were farmers and rarely left the farm. My parents simply moved to our town when they retired.

make bread tidy house vacuum mop (just a couple key rooms) bathrooms parents come for yard work (so house must be tidy before they get here!) pest control guy comes after lunch seat work centers calls: vet, trash service, mechanic laundry (kids & fold yesterdays...and Tuesdays ;)) throw together a dinner

I'm pretty darn hypocritical on that score. :o Need to work on that, really. They're getting too old for it to slide.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

:lol: I have no idea, but mine are fairly adept at it, as well.

I don't really think there's a right or wrong here, so while I do the following, I don't think it's THE way or even the best way. It's just my way. ;) But I'm an "eat this or see you at breakfast" mom. I try to have sides and such that there's at least on thing on the table any given person will like, but that's as far as I go. I don't burn dinner, I'm not serving snails, and I'm not a short order cook. :) On the flip side, I don't put food on their plate that they don't ask for, and I don't guilt trip them for not liking something. It's just matter of fact, "this is what's for dinner." Uneaten food is fed to the chickens. Dessert, when we have it, is not tied to who ate what. We start all over the next day. :) I try to sneak things like spinach and kale into smoothies and such, to give the pickier ones a nutrient boost. Whole wheat and cane sugar for baked goods, and I try to keep in mind who likes what regarding fruits and veggies (making a spreadsheet if I can't keep it straight in my head). HTH, and good luck finding what works for y'all!

I don't know, we can argue/disagree and still like each other. But I sort of separate the person from the behavior. If my kids are running around screaming, no I really don't like that, but I still like them. kwim? I grew up with the mindset that behavior = person; DH is really responsible for helping me make a distinction, and I try to pass this on to the kids. ETA: I also did spend the first several years of our marriage "just agreeing" with DH, like a PP's friend upthread. He didn't even want that, so I don't do that anymore. That makes things harder (but more "real" at least), but dislike still doesn't enter into it.

I'm going to have to forget this thread ever happened, or I'll never be able to shop again... :lol:

:grouphug: , Jean.

finishing mowing (please?!) -- mower won't start :glare: Parents coming in as backup tomorrow, lol broadfork mulch seat work start catching up on chores cook dinner (pork chops & potato wedges) make smoothies -- the kids have been asking all week call for a junk pick up (tried too late) laundry

I agree with the PPs, but do sympathize with your DH. I hate having multiple travel days on each end when I could have one. And it's cheaper. I'm the driver and budgeter. But everyone arriving miserable sooner and for less money does make one wonder if the savings are really worth it. :D

I do one of two things: pack them in the bottom of whatever bag is storing the clothes OR toss them in a big pile in the trunk. The only practical details that might make the difference are how full the clothes bags are and/or how smelly the shoes are.

I think it's totally fine, but my DD is in boys' jeans (Levi's 514), and boys' sweatpants, too. She's fine with this, as well. And I was such a tomboy I probably really did look like a boy for a while there, lol. I didn't even bother with sparkles and jewelry (still don't).

Time and money are put in if the child a) appears to have natural talent and inclination AND b) is willing to self-manage whatever commitment is required of said activity. I'm willing to gratify a casual interest in cheaper, less formal, and more convenient ways, though. Instruments: buy one cheapish they can play around with at home. Horses: books, toys, movies. Dance: videos and dress up clothes. Tumbling: trampoline for the yard, mat for the house (space allowing). ETA: this is just me, and I have family and friends that think I'm mean and strict, so there is that. :D

Uh, work?! jk. ;) Hope it's nothing important. :grouphug:

I'm so sorry. Prayers! And :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

Start planning a belated anniversary weekend trip (no sushi, though, lol) mow (as much as I was going to today) broadfork small pet care (feed hamster, change fish water - 20%) figure out dinner, probably something with ham laundry (in progress -- really need to get the dryer fixed) -- finally done, at 11:30 ETA: 74 degrees and 95% humidity at mid-morning, but at least it's cloudy. :D It rained, so after feeding us lunch, I watched "Anne with an 'E'" while the kids rested and folded some of yesterday's laundry. (<~~ this is poorly put together sentence).

Thanks, Selkie!