Ignore this thread!

[KrissiK]

1 hour ago, Bagels McGruffikin said:

I usually deal with it by saying how much I use Netflix as a babysitter when I’m trying to get other subjects done, and I’ll have the kids perform Storybots songs from memory if it needs more emphasis 😌

Seriously I was the low to no TV Mom when I just had small ones. Now I’m juggling way too much to care, whatever gets the work done and keeps things quiet and happy works. Especially for Benjamin, who gets bored very easily with his lack of mobility.

#noshame

A couple years ago our family went through a huge crisis. I don’t think I said much here because 1) as much as this is a sweet little group and I really feel like I know you guys, it still is a public forum and 2) it was so ugly and unbelievable, I couldn’t really have talked about it anyway.  But, I mention that to say.... I was an extremely uptight mom. Rules and not much tv And no PG13 movies and limiting sweets.... the whole thing. And then our world fell apart and it was all I could do to wake up in the morning. We were moving and the kids were numb, they literally watched tv all day while I moved things from the other house. I let a lot of things go that I believed in as a parent because I couldn’t fight it anymore. Even oldest DD commented, she’d say often, “Mom, you’ve turned over a new leaf.” We watched movies that some moms in my circle frown upon. One of my daughter’s friends’ parents won’t let her come to our house because we are too loose. My kids love TikTok. They are not allowed to post anything, but we all have our favorites. And.... I don’t care. And we are happy. The kids are fine, they didn’t turn into brainless degenerates because they watch too much tv.  And we are all doing so much better because I am a lot more relaxed about things.

And I’m not bragging that now I’m “this” kind of mom, as opposed to the way I used to be. Because that is just as bad. I guess “good parenting” can become a sort of legalism and sometimes you just need to be set free from all that.

Edited August 26, 2020 by KrissiK

[Wheres Toto]

12 hours ago, Junie said:

That's Toto's song.

 

Thank you.

[Wheres Toto]

10 hours ago, Spudater said:

Do you guys say something when other moms start the one upping of 'I'm so mean, my kids only get two hours a week screen time.". "Oh you think you're mean, my kids only get one and they have to earn it." "Well, my kids don't even have screens. They play with toys they made themselves from twigs and organic hemp flour .". I kinda feel like saying, "I'm weak as a kitten and my kids get hours a day, you can judge for yourself if they're brainless monsters."

My kids don't watch any television at all.   

 

 

They watch Youtube and Netflix and Hulu.   And play video games all day long.

If I don't care about the person's opinion at all, I may get snarky and sarcastic, but generally I just don't answer.  Slightly snarky, slightly serious answer - "I feel my kids need to learn to control their own behavior and manage their time before they are off on their own as adults, so I just give them free reign to work it out for themselves".   Starting when they were 2 and 4. 

[Wheres Toto]

8 minutes ago, ThatBookwormMom said:

Who follows Fly Lady? Worthwhile?

I sort of, sometimes follow her ideas but her emails are annoying.  

[Susan in TN]

🎉🎈🎈🎈 Happy Birthday, Runner!! 🎈🎈🎈🎉

[73349]

26 minutes ago, Spudater said:

Waffling between this is a waste of time and I'm going to die.

Madam. *top-tappy guy*

I think it's worth looking at the concepts FlyLady promotes, but her actual schedule does not align with when my stuff needs doing. (Also she doesn't have kids, IIRC.) Think of it as a boxed curriculum--fine if it works for you; tweak if you want; or steal the big ideas and do your own thing if you're like me.

[Susan in TN]

I did Flylady years and years ago (before I had 6 kids.  Maybe I had 2).  Her ideas of routine and cleaning structures and reducing clutter stress were super helpful to me though at the time I remember thinking that she probably didn't have kids messing up every area as soon as it was clean.  😂 I'm not sure what her stuff is like now - that was 20 years ago.  Imma check out the Secret Slob!

[Critterfixer]

Morning. It's raining. No watering today! It's that sticky Southern rain, though, the kind that clings to your skin even when you aren't out in it. Like the clouds are sweating. 

Happy Nirthday, Runner!

I don't get to be around Mom-warring that much, thankfully. I wouldn't engage. Not worth expending the mental energy.

 

[Junie]

I just had a telemed appointment that lasted less than two minutes.  It was concerning my Rheumatoid Arthritis.  Yes, my meds are still working.  No, I don't need refills.  Ok, thanks!

I hope that telemed becomes something that is used more often ATV (after the virus) because it is a huge timesaver.  Yes, I know I'll need to get bloodwork eventually, but it's nice for regular med checks like this one.  This doctor's office is an hour and a half from here, so at least a 4-hour commitment.  Two minutes vs. four hours? Yes, please!

[Slache]

5 hours ago, whitehawk said:

Is "Africa" secretly a getting things done song ("gonna take the time to do the things we never haaaave")?

For me it's a sit there with your eyes closed rocking back and forth until it's over song, so no.

2 hours ago, Where's Toto? said:

Thank you.

I love your work.

2 hours ago, Spudater said:

Gentle in manner, resolute in deed. My homeschooling goal for myself. 😁

LOVE!

2 hours ago, ThatBookwormMom said:

Who follows Fly Lady? Worthwhile?

Good ideas, obnoxious execution.

2 hours ago, Spudater said:

I do respect ppl who really limit screens, I just really dislike hen they talk about it like that. I ended up just reaching tprivately to the one mom who was kind of feeling bad about it.

Myself, I've been failing at it pretty consistently for a long time since I get so sick with each pregnancy. Recently I asked myself, why can't you just put your foot down?  And I realized it's bc I don't actually see any of the bad things that are supposed to happen happening in my kids. They're smart and creative, they like to read, they don't melt down when I tell them to turn it off. 🤷

I'm very strict with screens but don't talk about it because it pisses other moms off. Bad things happen to my kids very quickly with screens. I cannot picture them in public school.

2 hours ago, Spudater said:

My personal favorite was once they were talking about eating clean and one mom won with, "my kids don't even know what cereal IS." 😂

My kids didn't know what it was until the pandemic...

[Another Lynn]

2 hours ago, Spudater said:

My personal favorite was once they were talking about eating clean and one mom won with, "my kids don't even know what cereal IS." 😂

It's supper!!!  🤣

It's a cereal for supper booyah!

Edited August 26, 2020 by Another Lynn

[Wheres Toto]

3 hours ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

Oh the clean eating moms- they're the ones we have here rather than screen time screeds. We (me and some friends) were at the kids dance class one day and discussing meeting up at McDonald's afterward and one of the other class Moms started talking about how many chemicals were in the buns and how she would never let her kids have such poison in their bodies. 🙄 I let her see the eye roll on that one. I don't get why people feel the need to insert that type of opinion into a conversation where people obviously are talking on a different plane. 

This hits on one of my super pet peeves.   Chemicals.   "We don't <eat, use, wear, like> chemicals".   Water is a chemical.  EVERYTHING is chemicals.    

I had someone do the food thing to me and I turned to my kid and asked her if she ate her poptarts yet. 

[Slache]

My electric company wants to know if I'm the victim of domestic violence. I don't mind the question, but I feel like this is the wrong party to be asking. What are they going to do, shock him?

[Junie]

43 minutes ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

Dh noted yesterday, after now being home to see us schooling for enough time over this pandemic, that it's crazy how fast we are done some days and how other days seem to take hours longer. I told him it's dependent on whether or not their brains are attached. I wish he could have been here for me teaching them to read. Talk about banging my head on a table. He really has never seen this side of the kids so it's been enlightening. I am getting a lot more sympathy these days, lol, and he now sees why some days when he would walk in the door home from the office, I'd be "they are all yours, I will be locked in the bedroom until they're in bed." 

I've had days like this.

There were also times when I called dh and told him, "It's ok if you don't come home tonight.  I wouldn't if I were you... Get a hotel room or stay over at a co-worker's house if you want.  It has been a rough day."  Dh always comes home though.  Bless him for that.

[Junie]

8 minutes ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

You are a thoughtful wife. Dh has always instead gotten the "When are you leaving?" text which is code for "I need you to come home or it's possible the children will be dropped off at the fire-station." 

Well, he kind of knows that it's code for "Don't expect much for dinner and I may be heading out for some alone time..." :)

[maize]

Should I clean my room or educate my children?

Full disclosure: right now only 1/3rd of the carpet is visible.

[73349]

56 minutes ago, Slache said:

My electric company wants to know if I'm the victim of domestic violence. I don't mind the question, but I feel like this is the wrong party to be asking. What are they going to do, shock him?

They actually are in a really good position to help without being noticed. That's clever (especially with fewer going to the salon or doctor--it's good to be able to get to their home). Like the ped screening for PPD, in case mom doesn't get back to the ob/gyn on schedule.

[KrissiK]

5 hours ago, Spudater said:

I'm going in to get a mole checked today. Waffling between this is a waste of time and I'm going to die.

Stop thinking about it. I had a mole checked once and it turned out to be a melanoma. And.... I didn’t die. That was 10 years ago. If you catch it early, you’re doing good.

[KrissiK]

2 hours ago, Another Lynn said:

It's supper!!!  🤣

It's a cereal for supper booyah!

My kids hate cereal. DS eats Raisin Bran once in a while. I even got them, the carpy sweet chocolatey marshmallow kind and it got stale in the cupboard. Now they eat Costco “muffins”. 

[Slache]

Christmas po! Ho ho ho!

We've had this long standing thing where I wanted to do wooden clogs instead of stockings because I'm Dutch and the Dutch do weird things like that, but MIL said no early on and I used to do whatever she said, because doormat, but I've recently decided to be a witch and do whatever I want so we're buying the clogs and I'm super excited!

But I'm not just Dutch. I'm German and English and Cherokee and Czech and Matt's 1/16 Irish (he was devastated ) and I've decided to pick a tradition from each one for our Christmases. Nothing huge. Matt wanted to do stolen (bread) for Christmas morning and that's German I think. We could start drinking first thing in the morning for Irish. I need to make a list. Nothing complicated, just like buying the bread.

[Slache]

28 minutes ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

My MIL and her side is entirely, straight off the boat Dutch and they all live in Iowa. You need to get all of this food from some specific bakery in Iowa for St. Nick cookies, and dutch letters and then go to the Tulip Festival up there in Pella in the spring. Get some windows while you are there. 

Nope.

[maize]

I have wooden clogs but they are from rural France not Holland. My dad bought them when he lived there fifty years ago.

 

[Another Lynn]

17 minutes ago, Servant4Christ said:

DONE! An hour early so we'll have to reheat it at suppertime! 🤣 

Steak tips with caramelized onions and mushrooms in homemade gravy over rice. Broccoli and pickles beets as sides.

That's an impressive line up for not planning ahead!

[Slache]

31 minutes ago, myblessings4 said:

With that many to pull from, I would add one each day to Advent.  

I don't advent. #badChristian

I'm looking for things I can pick up at the grocery store, not big things. I have to figure my ethnicities out first.

[KrissiK]

2 hours ago, Slache said:

Christmas po! Ho ho ho!

We've had this long standing thing where I wanted to do wooden clogs instead of stockings because I'm Dutch and the Dutch do weird things like that, but MIL said no early on and I used to do whatever she said, because doormat, but I've recently decided to be a witch and do whatever I want so we're buying the clogs and I'm super excited!

But I'm not just Dutch. I'm German and English and Cherokee and Czech and Matt's 1/16 Irish (he was devastated ) and I've decided to pick a tradition from each one for our Christmases. Nothing huge. Matt wanted to do stolen (bread) for Christmas morning and that's German I think. We could start drinking first thing in the morning for Irish. I need to make a list. Nothing complicated, just like buying the bread.

That’s an awesome idea, Slashie.  I always wished I were Swedish because I love the St. Lucia Day celebrations, too.

[Wheres Toto]

I worked out with dd this morning - just a walk then I did some yoga on my own because we got talking about stuff and she had to leave for work. Then walked with ds during TKD, about 4,000 steps.  Now my ankle is swollen and sore.  I have osteoarthritis from a very bad sprain a few years back.  Right now I'm wearing dh's ankle compression sock to see if it helps.  Will need to try it walking or when I'm standing all day for my classes too.  

Open house at the science center tomorrow.  Hopefully I'm feeling more social than I have been the past few days.  People are just annoying me right now. 

I'm Irish, Swedish, German and English and dh is Irish, Polish, German and English.   We do some family traditions that are Swedish and some that are Irish but I think that's it, other than the typical American stuff. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Re. Mommy wars.  I always ignored them but since I never had the energy for co-ops etc. it wasn't too hard to do.  I have always been a believer in "parenting the kids you have".  I would be a very bad counselor because my answer to everything would be "You do you." 

Unfortunately or is it fortunately?  My kids have had a passel of allergies, issues like celiac, bloodsugar issues etc. which have made clean eating not a moral choice but a necessary one. 

Also because of my energy issues screens have been my "mother's helper" since the time that they were infants.  Ds did go through a computer addiction in early teenhood that required strict monitoring (computers for word processing only) but now he's my computer geek who's almost finished with his degree in computer science.  He still loves computers but without the addiction component. 

[Junie]

(((Toto))) I'm sorry you're ankle is bothering you.

[Junie]

Dd14: Mom, get your hand out of the candy jar.

Me: Why? I'm not done yet.

Edited August 26, 2020 by Junie

[Junie]

*eats chocolate*

[Susan in TN]

6 hours ago, Where's Toto? said:

This hits on one of my super pet peeves.   Chemicals.   "We don't <eat, use, wear, like> chemicals".   Water is a chemical.  EVERYTHING is chemicals.    

I had someone do the food thing to me and I turned to my kid and asked her if she ate her poptarts yet. 

So. Much. Awesome.

And it's a Toto Awesome Booyah!

Edited August 26, 2020 by Susan in TN

[Susan in TN]

6 hours ago, happysmileylady said:

Is it wine-o-clock yet?

Yes!

6 hours ago, Slache said:

My electric company wants to know if I'm the victim of domestic violence. I don't mind the question, but I feel like this is the wrong party to be asking. What are they going to do, shock him?

Could be a special service they provide?  Lol.

5 hours ago, maize said:

Should I clean my room or educate my children?

Full disclosure: right now only 1/3rd of the carpet is visible.

Have your kids clean and you go read a book.

3 hours ago, Slache said:

Christmas po! Ho ho ho!

We've had this long standing thing where I wanted to do wooden clogs instead of stockings because I'm Dutch and the Dutch do weird things like that, but MIL said no early on and I used to do whatever she said, because doormat, but I've recently decided to be a witch and do whatever I want so we're buying the clogs and I'm super excited!

But I'm not just Dutch. I'm German and English and Cherokee and Czech and Matt's 1/16 Irish (he was devastated ) and I've decided to pick a tradition from each one for our Christmases. Nothing huge. Matt wanted to do stolen (bread) for Christmas morning and that's German I think. We could start drinking first thing in the morning for Irish. I need to make a list. Nothing complicated, just like buying the bread.

Aldi has stollen every fall.  We buy a few and freeze them to bring to NY for Christmas for FIL.  I like it toasted with butter.  For English, you should make egg nog and plum pudding and make Christmas crackers.  I don't know if those are really English, but they seem so.

Between the two of us, we only have 4 nationalities, Norwegian primarily, since dh and I are both half Norwegian.  Then German, Swedish, and Finnish.  We should do one of those DNA things.

2 hours ago, maize said:

I have wooden clogs but they are from rural France not Holland. My dad bought them when he lived there fifty years ago.

 

We have a wooden clog on our living room bookshelf.  It's dh's.  I have no idea where it came from, but I suspect Holland, MI.  I got one in Holland, MI when I was little.

[Susan in TN]

In other news, my arm is sticky.

[Slache]

9 minutes ago, Susan in TN said:

Between the two of us, we only have 4 nationalities, Norwegian primarily, since dh and I are both half Norwegian.  Then German, Swedish, and Finnish.  We should do one of those DNA things.

I think we have 7. There were 6 until Matt started at ancestry.com and found out he was Irish. At first he was upset. He was so proud of being an old German barbarian. Hairy and all. Now he wants a kiss me I'm Irish shirt, talks about his red hair and makes Irish recipes. Whatever, dude.

I want to do to 23 and me this black Friday. Actually I was going to in an attempt to find out what was wrong with me, but that's no longer relevant. Hmmm...

[Jean in Newcastle]

13 minutes ago, Paradox5 said:

English, Welsh, Scots, French, and several Native American tribes here. My dad says everyone is related to Charlemagne because he really liked women. Ahem!

My family tree goes back to Charlemagne on one side.  I used to know the actual person's name but can't remember.  It's written down somewhere. . .

[Slache]

I'm descended from Noah.

[Susan in TN]

16 minutes ago, Slache said:

I'm descended from Noah.

We're cousins!!

[Slache]

10 minutes ago, Susan in TN said:

We're cousins!!

Nah. You're too thin to be related to me.

[Susan in TN]

I love The Secret Slob's free printables.

I realize now that my kid's chores, in many ways reflect and take the place of a FlyLady schedule, since they do so much of the house tidying and chores themselves.  I tend to do more random maintenance, marshaling of the Chore Chart, and scheduling.  But it would be good to add some things to my own daily work in areas that are neglected.  I think some of the kids would actually enjoy working from the printables.
    
Since losing so much weight and needing to buy clothes that fit, I've been watching Audrey Coyne YouTubes on building a wardrobe.  I love pretty much all the clothes she has, so that's part of it.  Some people are annoyed by her, but I think she seems like a kind person and has a lovely voice.

[Susan in TN]

1 minute ago, Slache said:

Nah. You're too thin to be related to me.

But have you seen dd11?  She's going to be a giant Amazon warrior!  She must get it from *somewhere*!

[Slache]

Just now, Susan in TN said:

But have you seen dd11?  She's going to be a giant Amazon warrior!  She must get it from *somewhere*!

I'm not sure how to take this.

[Susan in TN]

Just now, Slache said:

I'm not sure how to take this.

We're COUSINS!  You are tall.  Ds25 and dd14 are also tall.  Dh and I are NOT tall. They get it from your side of the family.

[Slache]

Mmmhmm.

[Junie]

Why do I always get hungry at 10 pm?

[Slache]

Now he's singing an Irish jig. See? He's obnoxious.

[KrissiK]

2 hours ago, myblessings4 said:

I'm tired.  We ran errands all day. 

That would make me tired, too. I hate running errands. But it does feel good when they are all done.

[KrissiK]

2 hours ago, Junie said:

Why do I always get hungry at 10 pm?

I don’t know. Why do you always get hungry at 10 pm.?

[Junie]

2 minutes ago, Spudater said:

I can't sleep.

Same.

[Junie]

I'm about ready to go back to bed, though, whether I sleep or not. 😞

[Slache]

Hi!