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Whatever Works
About Wednesday Whining
Wednesday Whining is a weekly blog with rotating hosts. Whines and Anti-Whines, both big and small, are welcome! Our purposes are mutual support and sharing a few laughs along the way.
The Wednesday Whining Community is diverse, and strives to be safe, welcoming, and supportive. To this end, comments that are personally abusive or otherwise disparaging [regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation] will be deleted by moderators, along with spam and self-promotion.
The Wednesday Whining Community is diverse, and strives to be safe, welcoming, and supportive. To this end, comments that are personally abusive or otherwise disparaging [regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation] will be deleted by moderators, along with spam and self-promotion.
FAQ
Q: When does Wednesday Whining appear?
A: The Whiner's Ball commences no later than Tuesday, and ends when Awards are given (usually Thursday in theory, but definitely before Monday).
Q: Awards? Really?
A: Yes, really. Traditional awards include Style [music, poetry, etc.], Old Skool [piddly little whines], and Elevated Risk of Mullet [funniest line in a whine], but other hand-crafted awards may be granted at the host's discretion, and nominations from commenters are encouraged.
Q: Can I whine about someone who just does not "get it"?
A: The Cluestick Posse is on hand for persons in need.
Q: Is there a mascot?
A: Ralph is the mascot.
Q: Are there other traditions I should know about?
A: The passing of virtual refreshments is appreciated.
Q: How did this all get started anyhow?
A: Phantom Scribbler was our muse and host for two years.
Q: What was the first prize ever awarded?
A: The Playdough Violin
A: The Whiner's Ball commences no later than Tuesday, and ends when Awards are given (usually Thursday in theory, but definitely before Monday).
Q: Awards? Really?
A: Yes, really. Traditional awards include Style [music, poetry, etc.], Old Skool [piddly little whines], and Elevated Risk of Mullet [funniest line in a whine], but other hand-crafted awards may be granted at the host's discretion, and nominations from commenters are encouraged.
Q: Can I whine about someone who just does not "get it"?
A: The Cluestick Posse is on hand for persons in need.
Q: Is there a mascot?
A: Ralph is the mascot.
Q: Are there other traditions I should know about?
A: The passing of virtual refreshments is appreciated.
Q: How did this all get started anyhow?
A: Phantom Scribbler was our muse and host for two years.
Q: What was the first prize ever awarded?
A: The Playdough Violin
Moderators
Blog Archive
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2013
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December
(9)
- Sweep out the old, Ring in the new
- Prizes! Better than gifts because it doesn't invo...
- Oh the weather outside is frightful
- Fudge, Spicy Nuts, Gluten-free Pancakes, Divine Te...
- Mid-December, much to remember
- Awards! Painting all weekend and the room's still ...
- Because a little birdy told me that we need an ear...
- Amazing Prizes for Everyone!
- Making things brighter
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December
(9)
82 comments:
Well, ok. Last night, we attended a lovely reception celebrating the wedding of one of daughter's best friends from college. Lots of extended family, lots of people from their church.
AW: The Church Ladies (they call themselves that) performed a song they made up on the spot! No rehearsal; well-known tune, lyrics scrawled on paper or passed by text. Wonderful, tres stylish, and hilarious!
W: Assigned seating at tables. Just don't do this. We were supposed to make someone's grandma feel at home at a multi-generational table, but the seatmates bailed for another more popular table. This led to urgent consultations between bride and mama about how to rescue us from orphan status [I could see this happening, even if I couldn't hear them], as the few people we knew were at other tables.
AW: Some of the famed Church Ladies -- very interesting ones, too -- were thus enlisted to keep us company. Everything got better after the dinner, when everyone felt free to mingle around.
My mom & aunt were going to come over today and help with a less-than-fun project .... Instead I woke up in the middle of the night and have been sitting strategically close to the bathroom ever since :-( I have a raging headache, but I don't think I'll be able to keep any meds down.
Oh now, JenR. Less than fun project sounds bad enough, without the upset tummy and headache. Hope you feel better soon.
Oh, no, JenR! Hope you are feeling better.
I am just whiny for no good reason. I'm cold and tired of cold weather. The church Christmas pageant is tonight, which requires epic levels of patience on my part to persuade Sweet to participate (her part is to stand there and sing Silent Night with all her friends, including her sister). And she still might not do it. The waitress took Sweet's mac & cheese before she was done, which was the worst thing ever to happen. (Granted, the waitress should have asked, but Sweet was watching movies on her friend's phone rather than eating. Which is a multi-part rant for another day). Then I spilled my gigantic drink on the carpet.
AND, Mr E, in an uncharacteristic bit of housekeeping, put my load of wet clothes in the dryer. Including my bras. SixTEEN years and he still doesn't know this??
I'm afraid Mr. E is headed for a rabbit and/or goose-shaped giraffe in his stocking. Hopefully, Sweet will decide to sing with the angels!
Neither Baboo participated in the pageant. Not worth the fight. They really enjoyed watching it, so that's a win in my book. Church Ladies (not of the type kathy describes) may have been disappointed. Tough cookies.
Sounds like a win, Esperanza!
JenR, feel better!!!
Can I whine about church too? Y'all know I love my church and I get along with Church Ladies and Gents. My minister is truly inspired and down to earth. Everyone works so hard to Do The Right Thing, that I almost hate to whine....
BUT every year they put Pageant Rehearsal on the same day as the craft workshop. Teen Daughter and Tween Son ALWAYS get asked to help which they ALWAYS say yes to AND there was youth group party as well. It's like the Bataan Death March of church activity. Our schedule today looked something like this:
8:45 Take YA Son to work
9:15 Go to grocery story for gluten free entree for me
9:45 Come home, chase Tween Son into the shower
10:15 Finally get access to bathroom for own shower
10:40 Arrive late to church
11:30 Babysit lunch area. Nominally, the youth are in charge of lunch and I was helping a friend out.
11:30 Kids are doing Living Christmas Carol outside the Sanctuary following with Pageant Rehearsal
12:15 Lunch finally can start; kids out of rehearsal
12:30 - 2:00 Craft workshop. Most people have left but Teen Daughter is running a table. Tween Son was helping but Wonderful Minister said she would take Teen Daughter home once I realized I still had to go the Warehouse Club and buy white elephant gifts for the youth party. At 4.
1:20 Leave for Warehouse Club (the one that treats workers well)
2:30 Pick up Teen Daughter at church
2:40 Wait in endless Cheap Gas line
3:00 Arrive at TarJay for gifts and last items
3:30 Arrive at home to wrap gifts.
4:00 - 5:30 Kids at party; put groceries away. Threaten a meltdown.
Saturday night was the church social group Christmas Party too. Thursday night was the Women's Association Christmas program. The hostess of the Saturday party was also running Pageant and the craft workshop. I am seriously burned out and I still have a Big Church Meeting this week where the church budget will be discussed. It's an Unfun conversation and we are much more fortunate than most church congregations.
My role in the church organization is not very big. I only serve on two committees (kind of three since I work with the youth) but that is relatively small compared to many of my friends there. I love my church, but I may sleep in all January after the constant activity this month. Just sayin. :P
AW: The younger kids LOVE helping out at church. Tween Son was totally adorable taking care of all the little shepherds and takes his Lead Shepherd role very, very seriously. Every activity has been filled with good food and good people. No one is judgy or mean-spirited. Everything falls in the Blessings column, you know?
Yay! But also oy, a LOT of schlepping around.
Uff dah, Miranda. That is a lot.
I hope you're feeling better soon, JenR!
Esperanza: oh no! Bras in the dryer!
Birthday Weekend Themes Whines:
(Birthday Party AW: the whole thing came together pretty well, and the kids had fun, and the adults were a good mix.)
W1: Ugh, what is with these events and everyone else's expectations, and all the tiny hurt feelings? By the end of the afternoon, TWO people were acting vaguely hurt because I made specific decisions for my sanity's sake, and of course that was all I could think about after the party.
W2: E had a meltdown near the end of the party, and then I had my MIL on my case to take her home early, even though it was too late for E to take extra naps, and she would have been even more cranky if I took her home. (My choice to keep E there resulted in the first of two people acting mad at me.)
AW: my sister took E somewhere quiet for a while, and that helped a lot.
W3: was the new version of the F1sh3r pr1c3 xylophone specifically designed to be an instrument of torture? Why is one key flat? Why is the string so short? Why did my MIL also have to act hurt when we cut the string, so that E could use her toy?
My own birthday was yesterday, and E bit the babysitter! And threw her bottle at her!
AW: the babysitter is a beloved cousin, who is also a child protection worker, and so temper tantrums don't phase her.
Birthday AWs: a whole day without changing one diaper! We discovered a new restaurant that's wonderful! My in-laws gave me a variable temperature kettle!
QWP, I hate it when the only person acting age appropriately is the 1 year old. You are a total trouper for putting up with the hurt fee-fees of grown-ups who know better.
What Liz said. E's temper tantrum the day after the party is totally understandable.
Miranda, do. I. ever. feel. you. We had a nut-so weekend ourselves. I wonder why church seems to add to the nut-so rather than providing a sanctuary from it. Next weekend is looking somewhat better.
Miranda for Mullet for "Bataan Death March of church activity" *wiping spit-out coffee off my keyboard* I totally hear you on the December church overload.
AW: I needed that laugh.
W: I have been so busy/tired/stressed I missed the early bird whining! Ack!!
kathy a - I had the exact seating dilemma at the Train Wreck Wedding last summer. It was awful. I do love the Church Ladies song though - what a great idea.
JenR - I sure hope you're feeling better now. Way better.
esperanza - Yup, Mr. E will be seeing a demon bunny in his stocking this year. The dryer?? Noooooooooo....
QWP: Happy birthdays - to you and Lil E!! Yay for anyone who can rescue parents from party meltdowns.
I nominate the flat notes on the *shudder* xylophone for Old Skool whineage.
W: hubby still in hospital after a rough weekend. I'm on my way over to the hospital now.
AW: Fever is almost normal.
Gotta run - have a great day pixies!
Boo on cranky grownups. The party sounds like a success, anyway!
How can MIL tell you to leave your own party? Ah, well -- a nice soothing walkabout sounds like exactly what E needed, anyway.
W: awake at 4:30 a.m. AW: Put the extra time to good use, trying to catch up on the work I said I'd do this weekend.
Inquiry: ideas about dessert-type items for a reception next weekend? I will probably hit TJ's for candy and some baked items, but am also thinking of maybe making mini-muffin brownies, tiny tarts, cookies? (Stand and nosh reception; approx. 150; need to consider portability via train.) My theory is that variety is better, so all suggestions welcome!
((( Sue ))) Fingers crossed that hubby's rough weekend is in the dust, and thing are on the upswing. xoxo
Sue, I hope hubby is greatly improved.
W: I am so musically inept that the F-P xylophone doesn't bother me.
kathy a, here's what's on the menu for our Open House Sunday (expect further whining about this): gingerbread people (not so good for portability), lemon-ricotta cookies (our old pixie debangel posted a recipe and photo on fb), peanut brittle, pecan toffee, fudge. Other non sweet items too. I like the peanut brittle and toffee for large crowds--just pour it in a pan, let it cool and break into pieces. Much less fussy than cookies. Plus, there's the bonus therapeutic value of smashing the bejeebers out of it. I can send you recipes if you want.
Scored shopping local! The little neighborhood produce store also has a lot of gourmet items -- so now there are mini ginger snaps, pfeffer-nusse, brownie-bites, a marzipan stollen, choc-dipped madeleines. Suggestions still welcome! Any gluten-free ideas?
Oh, yes -- easy and therapeutic fits the ticket. The lemon-ricotta sounds delish -- will find and post that one!
In case anyone is wondering, even quality musical instruments can be a bit of torture in the hands of enthusiastic young people. I say this even as a strong supporter [and survivor] of music for young people!
Here's the link to the recipe debangel used for lemon ricotta cookies. The only change she noted was using sugar that sat with vanilla beans; which I think gives me permission to use some vanilla.
AW: Hubby is home!! His temp was normal for twelve hours and he slept well. Doc was pleased and discharged him with home nursing. He is now enjoying the World's Longest Shower.
Aaahhhhhh.......
YAY! So glad he's home, Sue!
Hip, hip, hooray!!
And the World's Longest Shower is well-deserved.
Whine of the Bodily Fluids Category:
Up in my nose is something gross
It yearns to be set free
No matter how I blow it, though,
impacted it must be.
I'm sure there is a name for it,
more accurate than "snot"
Maybe "junk" or "goo" or "ick"
or even "Jungle Rot."
It's bad enough to be off work
and not to have some fun,
But so much worse compounded with
restrictions from grandson.
He calls me nightly, pleading low,
"Gaga, Gaga" he cries
I answer, "Yes, what is it dear?"
with tears in my sad eyes.
He'll hold a book up, so to plead
"Gaga! Bear 'Bout Town"
He's begging me to sit and read
yet all we do is frown.
BE GONE! Ye snot, ye gross green thing
that in my way does get.
Hit the road! Be on the wing!
And leave me not to fret.
YT! Welcome back! You're so stylin'!
YT!!!! Oh, my dear friend -- hope the snotmonster moves out of your nose swiftly, because it is clearly a crime against humanity that you can't snuggle with the little bear and his books. xoxo
Stylin' YT!! Sorry about the snot-fest though....
YT! Fantastic (and a timely way to bring the bodily fluids: I'm just recovering from the same).
AW: E had her last dose of her antibiotics! So glad to be finished with the syringe and the sticky stuff.
Welcome back YT. Wish I could conjure up some snot B gone so you and the little man can get back to reading books and other important matters.
Sue, glad your Beloved is back home. Here is to continued healing and strength for both of you.
Esperanza, hugs to you as you navigate the holiday nuts-so. If it makes you feel better, my dinner group from church full of the old fashioned church lady types is meeting Saturday night. PLUS, I have to leave at 7am to go pick up Tween Son from scout camp (it's Gamesfest weekend) so we can get him cleaned up for Pageant which meets at 10am. I am not cooking a homemade from scratch meal. I may NOT have house decorated. We eat on normal stonewear and I don't have china. If this meal is the worst thing I do to offend the Doyenne of the Church Ladies this year, I can live with it.
(Many of older members have very healthy retirement accounts and had very lucrative careers. The younger families are much less affluent which is a topic for a whole nother conversation for another day).
AW: The judge laughed the thing out of court last week and our claimant withdrew their motion. Given that the underlying thing was a signature thing for us, the news is most welcome.
Oh, Miranda. Too much. (I think I'd love to have the wealthy older members/not so much younger members conversation with you sometime).
Happy for your court AW.
YT, so sorry about the snot quarantine. No fun for anyone.
W: ouch, ouch ouch. Burned a tiny spot on my little finger while making peanut brittle. Seriously hurts. I haven't done that in 10 years at least. Ouch.
Esperanza, I'd love to have that conversation....in January at the earliest. :)
And some sparkle kitty bandages to help the owie go away. Hey, it worked for the girls when they were younger. The boys may have requested their magical healing properties, too.
Miranda, glad that legal whatever worked itself out.
Ouchie, Esperanza! This may be why I don't do candy; the oven is enough of a menace.
-->fvvvvvvvvvcvc vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv <-- this is what my cat does to me, all day long....
Yay for the court AW Miranda.
esperanza - kitchen's are inherently hazardous places OUCH!!!!
kathy a - ha! Silly kitteh.
W: Woke up to -38 Celcius (which is pretty much - 38 F) temp this morning. That is just wrong.
AW: Underground parking.
W: Not much sleep at our house last night, but at least we were at home, right? Hubby calling doc this morning to make sure this is normal recovery and nothing more.
AW: Still no fever! Yay!
Sue, happy that the fever is still gone, sad that there was no sleep last night. And I hear Hubby about the longest shower ever: when I got home after sixteen days in the hospital last year, I told my parents, "You watch the baby: I'm going to go take the longest shower ever."
And I'm sorry that we sent our ridiculous weather your way! It was a balmy - 15C (5F) this morning (well, plus a windchill), although the temperature is doing quickly now.
How quickly we adjust to things, that I can now AW about -15C! (But it really was great! I forgot to plug in the car last night, but it turned out to be okay.)
Miranda: relieved for you about the court AW.
Esperanza: ouch! Are you okay? Boiling hot candy is ridiculously painful.
W: my cousin has a relatively widely- read blog, and I let her write about Sunday night's babysitting disaster. She was fair, but now I feel squirmy about people knowing how bad my child was. It's not bad enough for me to take it down, but a bit humbling for me.
(This is the same week that I also let my sister put into UToob our church's Christmas play, from the year that a six-year-old QWP was the overacting star, and there's evidence of some diva behaviour on my part. I wanted the other people in the video to see it too, since the whole thing is funny, but still: squirmy and uncomfortable.)
The temperature is dropping, not "doing."
QWP! Your lil E was not "bad"! That was perfectly normal one year old behavior, and you know that when she does it to you. Which is, basically, every day, right?
Also, "no biting!" is a more powerful message when it also comes from NotMama.
What Kathy said.
Also, I have never EVER known a one-year-old when, once given cake and too many people in a room, did not have a nuclear meltdown.
This is truly where the village comes in. Little persons need to learn the rules of civilized behavior, and that they aren't just Mama's Rules. And so you want your family to be surrounded by people who will say "no!" appropriately, and *also* give the hug and the love.
(Strangely, this theory often enough also applies to workplace and other situations; hugs optional, but "go forth and do good" is best included.)
Whine/Rant: would people PLEASE stop asking/teasing us about having another baby. PLEASE. The Baboos were hard enough to come by. I suck at being pregnant. And I have my hands full as it is. None of which is your business. So just can it, will ya? Or you're going to get a goose shaped giraffe for Christmas.
Goose-shaped giraffes at your service, Esperanza. Ralph's got them all ready to go.
What kathy and Liz said QWP. L'il E is not bad. First birthdays are tough on the birthday girl!
esperanza - Ralph is on the way. Grrrr....that frosts my socks. The words "NONE of your business" come to mind...
It doesn't bother me in the gut like it used to before we had the Baboos (when we were trying like hell to get pregnant), but it is annoying. Three times in the last three days. I don't ask ANYONE that. Ever.
Thank you for sending Ralph.
AW: did you know that you can be a much happier person, a more patient mama, and less whiny if you get sufficient sleep?
W: it took a 1.5 hour nap this morning to get me there. I don't have time to do that every day.
There isn't really any good answer to that question, is there?
AW: we lent our friends coolers for their daughter's wedding reception. Today, we got the coolers back, plus 5 containers of leftover pasta and 4 containers of cake. Passing the pasta and cake!
Oooh! Pasta and cake are much appreciated.
Thanks for the encouragement about E, you guys. Reading about E's behaviour got me feeling awful, when the more I think about it, the clearer it is that she says responding to some serious breaches of her routine, after a weekend of broken routines. I need to make the bedtime routine more explicit to babysitters. I did this before, but she had such an easy time recently that I got complacent.
AW: E and I had a whole day at home, and we both loved it. She was so happy, and slept so easily today.
Esperanza: I can't fathom how inappropriate it is to ask anyone that, much less someone who went through what you did with the Baboos.
Well, not all of our infertility struggles have been made public, by my choice. The NICU saga is public, though. Everyone here knows that I had a difficult pregnancy with Mini. Still. Inappropriate.
It really is. I started getting inappropriate questions like that this summer (why do people start asking when you still have an infant?!), shortly after we'd found out that E's going to be an only child. I decided to fight fire with fire: if they're going to ask an inappropriately personal question, I'm going to give an even more inappropriately personal answer, which is how I ended up saying the word "uterine" loudly at a barbecue mostly full of strangers.
I've answered that question with "why would you ask such a personal question?" and "It doesn't look like it's going to happen" and with a small, sad smile before saying, "That's not a question I feel comfortable answering"
I am not, so far as I know, infertile, but there are other reasons to not have kids that aren't up for discussion, and I'd like to stand united with those who ARE having fertility and other issues, and so I like to make the asker as uncomfortable as possible for having asked.
AW: daughter has an interview today, another tomorrow, and at least one more next week! She is getting more responses lately, and from an interesting range of places.
Miranda, best with the church lady dinner and other shuttling around this weekend!
Sue and QWP, I have no idea what to say about temps in the ridiculously negative category. Don't become a human popsicle?
If you need doilies -- and I do, because the friend hosting the fundraising reception (even though she is very ill, she insists) wants doilies -- the only place in town is JoAnn's. And I got there before the only selection left was zebra and black. Score!
Good responses for the buttinskies, Liz.
Good responses re: inappropriate questions.
I will try to avoid the human popsicle thing, but it's tough. As you know, -40 is the same in C and F. Which means it's just fireplacing cold.
Seen this morning - square tires. Not my vehicle, but the driver ahead of me. When it gets this cold, the bottom of the tires flatten out just enough to make a clunky clunk Flinstone-mobile sound before they warm up.
Also - exhaust that just hangs in the air near the ground instead of rising and dissipating.
It's the kind of cold that makes you catch your breath every time you step outside.
AW: When you get inside and it's warm, it feels sooooooo good.
W: For the second day in a row I've sent our secretary home because she is sick. Yesterday I asked her to stay home today and she ignored me in favour of coming to work and sneezing/coughing all over everything. Argh. I sent her home early today with instructions to stay away until she's better.
Your secretary needs to know that it's okay to be selfish with one's germs. No need to share!
Ralph's got the secretary on the visiting list. I mean, maybe *she* can muscle on by, but there are other people to consider. The posse is packing the neon-snot-green jacket of shame.
Sue, really. That kind of cold is beyond my imagination. But square tires is prize-worthy!
Kick me: I have squandered time I need to spend on a work albatross. But some has been squandered on larger picture things in the work; and some on surprise-honoring my dear friend at this reception she's planning. Still, a person should tend the albatross...
W: I should have taken y'all up on Ralph last week. Wowsa, some people need a visit and I am having a hard time not taking this work decision personally.
AW: I have pixies who would totally send in Ralph and the Cluestick Brigade just so I feel better.
W: As a reward, I'm being summoned to the Mothership for the holiday party.
AW: It gets one of my team members there too and it actually means something to Team Member.
W: I nearly cried at work yesterday, it was so upsetting. Today, we had a meeting to measure all of our engagement. It was so hard for me remember the appropriate "tone." "Tone" is very important in this setting. I couldn't quite fake it during another meeting when my praises were being sung in an area related to what has me so fireplacing upset. I have to somehow get through this by Tuesday morning when I arrive at The Mothership for reprogramming or repurposing or whatever.
Oy, Miranda! Let me see if I am reading between lines correctly -- they publicly praised you about something you don't agree with?? Thinkin' to what, praise you into submission? Get people to blame you if it goes south? Much craftier than your average overlords.
OK. So go to the Mothership with head held high. Reserve time for breathing and being outta there. If anyone confronts about anything -- it's a party, right? -- have some stock moderate response ready, and move cheerfully along to something more festive. xoxo
Someone not connected to a certain decision was saying how vital I was to something and that something is what I no longer will have any input on and ... I had to finish and leave.
My head will be high. I will hold it together but it will be very challenging. My supporters are stunned and appalled. It's time to marshal them and being in the Mothership is the best place for that.
Oh, this stuff makes my head hurt.
(((Miranda))) You have the pixies behind you, to help you keep it together. (And Ralph is at the ready.)
AW: E had her 12 month shots, and she was such a trooper about it! She cheered up crying babies in the waiting room afterwards! What a sweetheart.
Ouch Miranda! Workplace politics are so awful. Ralph is on the way with plenty of cluesticks for the evil overlords.
Sorry about the work albatross kathy. Those are both good reasons to set aside the albatross for a bit.
oh, Miranda, that sounds miserable.
Yes, does sound miserable. Although, go team; sounds like there are people who truly do value what you do.
Y'all remember Miss "I want to be your friend" right? She emailed at 11:11 am to ask if I could babysit their two year old at 12:45. For reals. The answer is no, because I will have to pick up the Baboos from school, and I don't have room for another carseat. I am just pretending I haven't seen the email until it is too late.
Esperanza, that is what I would do as well. At least with email you have plausible deniability for ignoring last-minute babysitting requests.
But the real answer is good, too -- can't argue with limited carseat space.
If she's new in town, I can sympathize with the problem of finding sitters. But, it had better be a real emergency if she's asking on an hour's notice. For reals.
Why would she email instead of phoning, if it's an emergency? Unless she doesn't have your phone number, email leaves far too much to chance.
Kathy a is right, though: the answer of "I'm too busy and don't have room in my car" is pretty undeniable.
She didn't have my cell # and I guess didn't think about a landline #. It wasn't an emergency, either. A scheduled ultrasound, which i totally get you wouldn't want to take your 2 year old with you, but presumably you've had some time to find a sitter.
She still doesn't have my cell #. :)
Good boundaries, Esperanza!
I nearly lost my mind in the SILfH days, when she was constantly dumping her son on me last-minute. I yelled the last time, when she not only last-minuted me, but then showed up 2 hours earlier than the time we had just negotiated a few minutes earlier. Hate yelling. We know now that SIL was so fireplaced up because she had this early onset dementia, so that is kind of an excuse...
Ho ho ho. Honestly, I'm not normally a yeller.
SIL is getting some nice jammies, a sweater, sox, and a sparkly stocking from Santa. SIL really wants an apartment, shopping, and her first ex back. Santa feels OK about the presents, and that SIL is in a safe place.
My husband's been jamming this week, so he can take tomorrow off and go visit his elderly mom 2.5 hours away. She may have pancretitis -- does anyone know about that?
Prizes tomorrow, peeps.
Keep whining!
And here is something to make Esperanza laugh: Regretting What I Said.
Hugs to Kathy a about her MIL ' s possible pancretitis.
W: exhausted after am evening of babysitting twin toddlers. E loves her buddies, but seemed to get jealous having them around yesterday (maybe because it was at the end of the day, and she was tired and clingy, and not interested in having another kid sitting on Mommy's lap.) She has learned how to scream like she's in pain when she doesn't get her way, which meant that I spent the evening with a raging headache.
AW: the twins had an awesome evening, and went out of their way trying to make E feel better. It was a little heartbreaking, watching these two eager-to-please girls bring E her doll, her spoon, and her sippy cup, while she cried and pushed them away.
W: E hasn't been the same since she was sick. Have any of your kids needed to recover emotionally from a bad sickness? E is improving slowly - - she plays a little more independently each day, and doesn't usually scream when I set her down anymore - - but it honestly feels like that throat infection traumatized her a little.
I know I bring this up incessantly, but have you gotten her ears checked since the sore throat went away?
What sweet toddlers! Liz may be right about the ears. Also, teething?
Her ears were perfect when the doctor checked, and she hasn't been tugging at them or anything. It's more like she got really used to the Maximum Mommy Time that she got when she was sick, and it's taking time to return her to normal. She's spending almost her entire day being cheerful, but if she doesn't get her way, or she's tired at all, her rope is a lot shorter, and she sometimes gets angry when she's upset.
It's all relatively normal toddler stuff, but it's like it was all heightened when she got sick. (And the poor thing really was in a lot of pain.)
Good call esperanza. An hour's notice - seriously??? Perhaps you could ask around and connect her with some possible babysitters for next time.
SOrry to hear about MIL's pancreatitis kathy a. I don't know much about it, though a friend had it once (about 20 years ago) and hasn't had it since. I'm not sure what causes it. Dr. Go@gle?
QWP - My sister has twins and I remember their toddler days well. Adorable, cute, wonderful - and pretty much always exhausting. It's nice they were so sweet with E.
W: Still fireplacing COLD. The fires of Mount D@0m sound pretty good after this week in the deep freeze. Arg.
Brr, Sue!
QWP, tiredness and overstimulation might account for the fussy cling-on behavior. The two year olds have more stamina, vastly more experience, some language skills, and developmentally they are more ready to separate -- big changes coming in the next year!
AW: daughter's phone interview today went well, and she's invited for a real interview next Tuesday! At a museum she loves!!
She and her dad are off to visit Grandma, bearing cheer and hoping to figure out a bit more about what's going on.
Tomorrow is the annual fundraising reception for some colleagues on the other end of the country, who do fabulous work but are desperately underfunded. My friend S is hosting it for the 18th year! S is terminally ill, and still she is unstoppable -- tending to every last detail. EXCEPT the one detail she doesn't know about, that we'll be honoring her for such dedicated work over such a long time.
Very excited. Am equipped with many tablecloths and doilies and cups and napkins and desserts aplenty and fancy toothpicks and nuts and dog alone knows what else! And this wild idea of honoring her is happening in a very sweet way, all sneaky-like.
I hope you return and report on the event. It sounds beautiful although the terminal illness part has my teared up a bit. xoxoxo
The terminal illness part is really hard to come to grips with. She's known for 2-3 years; finally retired this year to conserve energy for things she really wants to do. It's a rare, progressive, and incurable lung disease; she's been on top of managing the symptoms, but has gotten very obviously short of breath.
S has always been a dynamo. I'm worried that this event will be exhausting, even though she has helpers and has asked someone else to make remarks for her. But she flat refused to have someone else sweat the details this year.
The event went perfectly! Too much food, all of it lovely and delicious; good turnout; people increased their donations in the spirit of the event and the season; great chance to catch up with colleagues. The organization we're supporting is also just wonderful; it is so great to hear what they are doing.
And S was surprised! Characteristically, she said she didn't deserve the honor. Everyone told her she was mistaken. :)
We made her sit down, but she had her oxygen along; and at times had trouble catching her breath anyway. Everyone kinda knows she is sick, but most did not realize she is this sick. The thing is, she just loves this event and the people so much that it kept her going during the several hours she was there -- she hasn't lost much of her determination.
I am enormously grateful for my long friendship with S, and for the inspiration she provides. (That's her award, for inspiration.) When we worked together, she helped me be much better at my job, persuaded me that things could be done even though they looked impossible. That she keeps going despite the challenges of her illness is very much in character.
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