I have a 5 and 2yo, and am very much done having kids, but whenever I get to hold a baby, I get those baby fever pangs. But I realized, it’s not that I want another one. I just want mine, at that tiny size, for just a few more days/hours/forever 😭 (but also not, because of all the reasons y’all mentioned). Ah, parenting.
Re: things you hate/miss and you never know the last time is the last time… we lived in a rental from the time my son was 5 until 8. It had awful berber carpet that we didn’t want to pay to replace and my sensory-sensitive child *hated* the feel if it on bare feet. So almost every morning I carried him from his bed on the second floor down to the couch on the first floor. As he grew I hated it more and more. BUT we’ve been in our new house since August and I haven’t carried him down the stairs since. Which I don’t miss, but also I kind of do.
About the 3-5 hour…does anyone else just do super early dinner? My kids don’t get home from school until 3:45. We have all these random activities I drive them to on weeknights. Sometimes they get home kind of late or go off with friends. They are hungry after school. So I think it’s easier to just have an early dinner and then let them have a before bed snack.
I didn’t get to listen until today, and just before listening I was talking to my husband about their short term thinking. Like how these Republicans are so unwilling to stand up for anything or draw a line anywhere. Take Rubio, he has to know that by clinging to power this way right now will cost him in the long run, right? Or do they truly think maga is the future? And then Sarah articulated something very similar. I just don’t get what they’re thinking.
I had no desire to breast feed with my son but then decided to with my daughter and I miss those quiet mornings nursing her. I also miss their little voices and when they called me “mama”. My kids are 9 and 14 now and I love this phase too especially 9 it’s like a sweet spot of having conversations but not being a teenager .
It's not that they think Democrats will never hold power again (as you acknowledge). Here's the key: they think when Democrats next hold power, they will act responsibly and with forbearance and not have retribution as the primary motivation for their actions. They can break rules and grab power because they know that they will be the primary beneficiaries.
There is a huge problem with doing politics in a political system where one party is willing to break the rules and take revenge and one isn't. It's a one way ratchet to hell. If you're a corporation and you see one party will take revenge on you for not supporting it and the other party will act responsibly, then your appropriate course of action to maximize shareholder value is obvious: support the revenge party.
In a world where Democrats don't have the power to compel their opponents to act responsibly, they can only respond by fighting fire with fire. Democrats need to stop being such pathetic weaklings. They need to resolve that when they next hold power, they will use it to do good things, rules be damned, and to break the backs of their enemies. Anything less is capitulation to traitors and evildoers.
I drove my 12-year-old and her friend to a before school activity this morning. I really enjoyed sitting and listening to them chatter on about the boy whose perm “did not eat,” and about the math teacher who is new, and young, and uncommonly tall…to which they attribute his being mean, because they think he feels the need to assert his authority. I love that my kiddo gets in the car at the end of a day and instantly starts chatting away at me, even if sometimes that’s a lot after 12 hour day. I love this in-between time, where she can get herself off the bus and into the house and stay at home for a few hours alone, but texts me to know when I’ll be coming home, because she hopes it’s soon. I love that we can talk about politics, and then watch Moana 2. This stage of life is not always easy – thanks, hormones, both hers and mine – but I think I will miss this sweet time of transition when it’s over. I sometimes feel nostalgic for the little person she used to be, but I never really miss that time. It was hard, in ways that it just isn’t as hard right now.
And also, at 46, I am grieving hard at the loss of my relationship with my parents. Although my mom is still alive, she can no longer provide the advice, encouragement, and support that she once did. I still go to call them on my way home from work when something great happens, before I remember that I can’t. I hope that in 30+ years I am still the person my daughter wants to call when something really amazing happens, and that I can still provide the adult equivalent of putting that accomplishment on the fridge.
I am the mom of a 6yo daughter with a severe disability and a 10yo typically developing son. Thinking of your parenting discussion today had me responding as two different moms. The things I will miss with my son are the things I will most likely always have with my daughter. I will always get to snuggle her, will always be her favorite person, will sing silly songs for many more years to come. And I will continue to do the grunt work of parenting for quite a while. I loved when she started school full time because it gave my body a break from the physical care. Last week I eagerly volunteered to chaperone my son's field trip because I know those opportunities are limited while at the same time I declined to chaperone my daughter's because I want her to be more independent from me. It's a wild ride, but I really feel like I get the best of both worlds.
Thank you for sharing your perspective - it resonates strongly with me ❤️ (14 and 12 y/o typically developing and 8 y/o with high accessibility needs ❤️)
Here to add that Pete's video calling this a "an epic F--- up" is the type of energy I want more from with Dems-- taking chances to be bold and not mince words!
And my 3yr old daughter currently likes to take turns doing itsy bitsy spider on each other's backs as part of nighttime snuggles. Those little fingertaps and her singing currently make bedtime 1000000x better.
I found myself on-the-one-hand-on-the-other-hand-ing about whether it was okay to have district judges issue national injunctions, because, as you point out, it’s bound to affect policies from presidents I like. But then I remembered that increased executive power (aka congressional punting) is bad regardless of which party holds the White House. And if I have to rely on someone to have a good grasp on the Constitution, most of the time I’m gonna trust the judge.
On the matter of the signal fiasco, what is so frustrating too is that these people have painted a big red flashing sign that says “I DON’T FOLLOW PROPER CYBERSECURITY AND CLASSIFICATION PROTOCOLS” to enemies and state actors in Russia, China, and other places where strong anti-American sentiment reigns. Now they know directly who to target to try to get sensitive information!
Yes, and also if they don't, why should anyone else in our intelligence departments?! I think lower standards might be even worse than a double standard?
Well, thanks for making me cry and blur my vision - while I was driving - when you said “ You never know when it will be the last time” for something. All of a sudden I thought of my three adult children and the 14 year old and realized that they once sat on my lap for the last time and I never realized it. 😕 Also, I miss soft baby skin but do not miss telling people they MUST brush their teeth, shower, etc.
I'm finding myself questioning if "accidentally including" a reporter who would have a lot to lose by way of integrity if he released the information early WAS the strategy to control the narrative. There isn't a lot of coverage on the actual act of war just a lot of fighting over if Hegsef should be fired.
But then surely they aren't THAT calculated, right? Right? 😰
I have a 5 and 2yo, and am very much done having kids, but whenever I get to hold a baby, I get those baby fever pangs. But I realized, it’s not that I want another one. I just want mine, at that tiny size, for just a few more days/hours/forever 😭 (but also not, because of all the reasons y’all mentioned). Ah, parenting.
Re: things you hate/miss and you never know the last time is the last time… we lived in a rental from the time my son was 5 until 8. It had awful berber carpet that we didn’t want to pay to replace and my sensory-sensitive child *hated* the feel if it on bare feet. So almost every morning I carried him from his bed on the second floor down to the couch on the first floor. As he grew I hated it more and more. BUT we’ve been in our new house since August and I haven’t carried him down the stairs since. Which I don’t miss, but also I kind of do.
About the 3-5 hour…does anyone else just do super early dinner? My kids don’t get home from school until 3:45. We have all these random activities I drive them to on weeknights. Sometimes they get home kind of late or go off with friends. They are hungry after school. So I think it’s easier to just have an early dinner and then let them have a before bed snack.
I didn’t get to listen until today, and just before listening I was talking to my husband about their short term thinking. Like how these Republicans are so unwilling to stand up for anything or draw a line anywhere. Take Rubio, he has to know that by clinging to power this way right now will cost him in the long run, right? Or do they truly think maga is the future? And then Sarah articulated something very similar. I just don’t get what they’re thinking.
I had no desire to breast feed with my son but then decided to with my daughter and I miss those quiet mornings nursing her. I also miss their little voices and when they called me “mama”. My kids are 9 and 14 now and I love this phase too especially 9 it’s like a sweet spot of having conversations but not being a teenager .
It's not that they think Democrats will never hold power again (as you acknowledge). Here's the key: they think when Democrats next hold power, they will act responsibly and with forbearance and not have retribution as the primary motivation for their actions. They can break rules and grab power because they know that they will be the primary beneficiaries.
There is a huge problem with doing politics in a political system where one party is willing to break the rules and take revenge and one isn't. It's a one way ratchet to hell. If you're a corporation and you see one party will take revenge on you for not supporting it and the other party will act responsibly, then your appropriate course of action to maximize shareholder value is obvious: support the revenge party.
In a world where Democrats don't have the power to compel their opponents to act responsibly, they can only respond by fighting fire with fire. Democrats need to stop being such pathetic weaklings. They need to resolve that when they next hold power, they will use it to do good things, rules be damned, and to break the backs of their enemies. Anything less is capitulation to traitors and evildoers.
I drove my 12-year-old and her friend to a before school activity this morning. I really enjoyed sitting and listening to them chatter on about the boy whose perm “did not eat,” and about the math teacher who is new, and young, and uncommonly tall…to which they attribute his being mean, because they think he feels the need to assert his authority. I love that my kiddo gets in the car at the end of a day and instantly starts chatting away at me, even if sometimes that’s a lot after 12 hour day. I love this in-between time, where she can get herself off the bus and into the house and stay at home for a few hours alone, but texts me to know when I’ll be coming home, because she hopes it’s soon. I love that we can talk about politics, and then watch Moana 2. This stage of life is not always easy – thanks, hormones, both hers and mine – but I think I will miss this sweet time of transition when it’s over. I sometimes feel nostalgic for the little person she used to be, but I never really miss that time. It was hard, in ways that it just isn’t as hard right now.
And also, at 46, I am grieving hard at the loss of my relationship with my parents. Although my mom is still alive, she can no longer provide the advice, encouragement, and support that she once did. I still go to call them on my way home from work when something great happens, before I remember that I can’t. I hope that in 30+ years I am still the person my daughter wants to call when something really amazing happens, and that I can still provide the adult equivalent of putting that accomplishment on the fridge.
I am the mom of a 6yo daughter with a severe disability and a 10yo typically developing son. Thinking of your parenting discussion today had me responding as two different moms. The things I will miss with my son are the things I will most likely always have with my daughter. I will always get to snuggle her, will always be her favorite person, will sing silly songs for many more years to come. And I will continue to do the grunt work of parenting for quite a while. I loved when she started school full time because it gave my body a break from the physical care. Last week I eagerly volunteered to chaperone my son's field trip because I know those opportunities are limited while at the same time I declined to chaperone my daughter's because I want her to be more independent from me. It's a wild ride, but I really feel like I get the best of both worlds.
Thank you for sharing your perspective - it resonates strongly with me ❤️ (14 and 12 y/o typically developing and 8 y/o with high accessibility needs ❤️)
Sarah reminded me of the argument Indiana Jones has with his dad during which his dad says, “You left just as you were becoming interesting!”
Here to add that Pete's video calling this a "an epic F--- up" is the type of energy I want more from with Dems-- taking chances to be bold and not mince words!
And my 3yr old daughter currently likes to take turns doing itsy bitsy spider on each other's backs as part of nighttime snuggles. Those little fingertaps and her singing currently make bedtime 1000000x better.
This is so appropriate to today’s Outside of Politics: https://substack.com/@erinmillerunpopularparent/note/c-103496649?r=3h46g&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
I miss the snuggles the most…my now 12 year old used to fall asleep laying on top of me until she was almost 5. Now…she tolerates me hugging her. 😭
I don’t miss the constant cleaning- booties, cloth diapers, trays, a bajillion cups, the same toys I picked up 29 times already in a day.
I found myself on-the-one-hand-on-the-other-hand-ing about whether it was okay to have district judges issue national injunctions, because, as you point out, it’s bound to affect policies from presidents I like. But then I remembered that increased executive power (aka congressional punting) is bad regardless of which party holds the White House. And if I have to rely on someone to have a good grasp on the Constitution, most of the time I’m gonna trust the judge.
On the matter of the signal fiasco, what is so frustrating too is that these people have painted a big red flashing sign that says “I DON’T FOLLOW PROPER CYBERSECURITY AND CLASSIFICATION PROTOCOLS” to enemies and state actors in Russia, China, and other places where strong anti-American sentiment reigns. Now they know directly who to target to try to get sensitive information!
Yes, and also if they don't, why should anyone else in our intelligence departments?! I think lower standards might be even worse than a double standard?
Yes! This is what makes me nervous too!!
Well, thanks for making me cry and blur my vision - while I was driving - when you said “ You never know when it will be the last time” for something. All of a sudden I thought of my three adult children and the 14 year old and realized that they once sat on my lap for the last time and I never realized it. 😕 Also, I miss soft baby skin but do not miss telling people they MUST brush their teeth, shower, etc.
I'm finding myself questioning if "accidentally including" a reporter who would have a lot to lose by way of integrity if he released the information early WAS the strategy to control the narrative. There isn't a lot of coverage on the actual act of war just a lot of fighting over if Hegsef should be fired.
But then surely they aren't THAT calculated, right? Right? 😰