Dear DH, Do not give me attitude when I tell you that on the first day of school, we need to leave plenty of time to drop the kids off, take photos, get them settled, etc. This will not be a day to be running out the door, already late. I will kill you. And you know why that's a real possibility in our lives? Because YOU don't get out of bed in time. So get your act together and start waking up at a normal time. Summer vacation is done, it's time to be a responsible adult again. Signed, Wife who WILL leave you behind on the first day
Dear DH (again), If you want to get our kid tested for allergies so that you can stop carrying the epi-pen, then have at it. I will not in any way help facilitate that process, because I don't see it being necessary. I'm perfectly capable of putting the epi-pen in our bag when we go on outings. Not sure why you're not. Good luck coordinating a pedi visit, referral, finding an allergist with any openings this year, and bringing the kid to said allergist. All so that we can "stop with the silly epi pen panic." Get over it or do something about it. But it will not be my problem. Signed, Wife who trusts doctors
Dear WP, DH is annoying me this week. The stress of back to school is coming. Can you tell? Signed, Me
Dear DH, Do not give me attitude when I tell you that on the first day of school, we need to leave plenty of time to drop the kids off, take photos, get them settled, etc. This will not be a day to be running out the door, already late. I will kill you. And you know why that's a real possibility in our lives? Because YOU don't get out of bed in time. So get your act together and start waking up at a normal time. Summer vacation is done, it's time to be a responsible adult again. Signed, Wife who WILL leave you behind on the first day
OMG. My kids aren't school-aged yet but this is in all ways a flash-forward to a few years from now for us. Does YH also complain constantly about how he doesn't get up early enough? Because mine does. There's a pretty simple solution, dude.
Dear Parent at School, Dude, I picked up trash on the way in so went to the trash can, and DS was not beside me. Dogs are prohibited on campus FYI. It's not "just a puppy" when it jumps on DS and you and said puppy are literally blocking the only door into the school at dropoff by standing in it. Did this really seem like a good or defensible idea to you? Yep, I walked straight in to the principal and she walked straight out to you. I am sure you saw that whole thing. But seriously, bad judgment and lack of common sense. Don't sneer at me. Mom Who Doesn't Care What You Think Of Me
Dear DH, Don't pout about this weekend. Yes, I am going out without you this Friday. I haven't done this in a LONG time. It's not my fault that our joint night out Saturday is to a wine bar. I didn't plan one of my oldest friends' 40ths and it's where he wants to go. So suck it up. We will have a great weekend. If you can suck it up. Oh, and even if you can't, because your mood doesn't define my mood. Sorry. But I'm not actually sorry at all. Wife who is cautiously hopeful
Dear DD, Thank you for having an awesome drop off at your new daycare today. No tears, now just make sure to pee in the potty, and have a great day. Also, thank you for sitting in the stroller on the way there, I know that walking to daycare is something super new and different. Signed, Excited Mom
Dear DH, I appreciate that you work hard all day, but I do too. So when I ask you to pump up the tires on the stroller for tomorrow while I do dishes after putting the kids to bed, the answer should be "yes". Not whining. Signed, Your wife needs your help
Dear Drs. Please get all of the results of DD's blood work back, so that we can figure out what is going on. I would prefer not to have another hospital scare this weekend. My money is still on lyme disease, but maybe its something else. Signed, Impatient Mom
Dear Mom, I appreciate that you love and care about DD, but texting me throughout the day with obscure reasons that she could be sick, such as being allergic to her ear tubes, is not useful. I need to be able to get through my day at work, so that I can keep said job and health insurance. Signed, Daughter is just trying to make it through
Post by erinshelley21 on Aug 23, 2017 8:47:35 GMT -5
Dear ex-BIL, It it very obvious that your daughter has ADHD and you are doing her a huge disservice by refusing to let her take medicaiton. She's been in detention 3 times already for homework issues and school started less than a month ago. You are incapable of putting yourself in someone else's shoes and are oblivious to how difficult her life really is. She doesn't have to turn into a zombie on medication. I hope you come around because life doesn't have to be this hard for her. Signed, the only person on side of this family that has any idea what she is going through.
Dear DH, I'm excited to explore the building option again. But, can this be the last time? I'm really tired of being in limbo on this housing situation. Love, your wife.
dashook, Every.damn.time. He claims he "tries" but it's "just not how he's built." Oh. Ok. Staying up until 3 AM is not a contributing factor at all...
twinmomma and dashook - this year DH has been sleeping in until 9 on the weekends. He eats breakfast at 10. He's shocked the rest of us want to eat lunch at 11:30. I was not nice about it. At all. He was gone all week then left me solo weekend mornings (because after he gets up he goes to Starbucks and the dry cleaner and wherever else). I totally lost patience with him and stopped scheduling around this insanity and when he realized we really did go to the zoo without him, etc he started getting up earlier. So I am all for leaving them on the first day to preserve your/the kids sanity! It works!
Dear DH I know I've been short with you lately. That's because I've been stressed out and you've been super damn annoying. We were ready to run, not walk, away from our old daycare. I have done 99% of the work for switching daycares and yes, I am stressing out about "the little things". I do not need you being snarky about the new school or asking questions that you should have asked BEFORE we registered. I feel second guessed and undermined, which is why I snap at you. Stop turning me into the bad guy and acting all butt hurt when I call you out on your BS.
Also, I am so not onboard with your ultra low carb diet. Just eat less crap! And when I ask you to help meal plan, saying "just don't make anything with carbs" is not helpful.
Eff you. Seriously. I don't have time for you, and I feel miserable. DS needs you out of his system by Sunday. And if you're planning on a pit stop with DD, please start NOW so she can be done with you in time.
Signed, The lady with kids who need to be well for two surgeries in the next two weeks and doesn't want to reschedule either.
Dear DH,
I'm agreeing to go, but please realize being invited to dinner at 6pm (1 hour before DS's bedtime) 1.5 hours away at a coworker's house with our children is not my idea of a good time. Especially since said coworker doesn't have children, so I know what I'll be doing for the evening - making sure they don't break priceless pieces of china/family heirlooms left at knee height, pulling knives out of their hands, and making sure they don't traumatize any pets.
Signed, Deserving of an award.
PS: I've literally had to keep my child from playing with a CANNON at a friend's house. Yes, a cannon. No, I didn't think she could shoot it, but I was thinking of all kinds of scenarios I didn't want to explain to the ER.
Post by HeartofCheese on Aug 23, 2017 9:53:00 GMT -5
Dear work,
Yes, I was feeling pretty low after not getting that job and generally feeling like there is no place for me to grow in this company. So, yes, I am excited about the so-called consolation prize being tossed my way. It makes me feel much better. As for the actualities of the prize? A little less enthusiastic, but I'll take it. I'd also take more money in the event you decide to throw that out there for me.
Dear WMs with late husbands: This morning, the first day of school, I did leave DH. Last year I was on a business trip on the first day of school, and DD was late. Yes, on the MFing first day of school.
He caught up to us in his own car. But I think I made my point.
Signed, Proud Mommy Whose Kids Were On Time
Dear Son:
Please use the &@/($ potty at school today. You are in a Pull Up because you can't be trusted. I would love for you to be in underwear like you love. But I'm not making your teachers clean up pee on the floor on the first day.
Dear WP, My colleague is in and out of the hospital for weeks at a time each year. He's heading back in for another couple weeks and I want to do something for him. He's not a direct report, but our teams sit next to each other and collaborate a lot. He's like an honorary member of my division. I'm pretty sure food has to be out as an option, because of his treatments. I know he loves video games, especially old school ones. I'm trying to think of something to occupy his time while he sits in the hospital for 2-3 weeks. Any ideas? Thanks, Twinmomma
We have this thing called a Raspberry Pi 3 that plays every retro game from every retro system ever. A friend of ours downloaded all the games and system onto it for us, so I'm not sure how to actually get the games or what games it comes with, but for about $85 you can get the Pi and a controller off of Amazon. It hooks into an HDMI outlet on the TV and - boom - Atari Space Invaders is on the screen. Easy to carry, easy to hook-up. He might love it. If he figures out the game situation.
Get it together. We are doing this cleaner eating thing. You do not needs chips or cereal or pasta. Also thank you to my fitness pal for reminding when I am about to eat something that is bad for me. You have shamed me away from ramen, and a candy bar so far. Keep it up.
Post by erinshelley21 on Aug 23, 2017 11:58:56 GMT -5
Dear Brother, The fact that you're still thinking about selling our agency is surprising. Not sure why since you've always been slow to process most things but you were very against it last week. Really though, this is your call. I've talked myself into continuing to do this under certain conditions (new office, no more Asshole) and I can talk myself back out of it. That's one of my strengths. I can talk myself in or out of anything and then make the best of it. I can be happy either way. Love, your sister who wants you to be happy
Post by erinshelley21 on Aug 23, 2017 12:04:01 GMT -5
Dear husband and brother, You two are about to kill me. It's probably a good thing that you guys are taking your sweet ass time making any kind of decision so that I have to take some time too. This is not how I roll. You both know this. Love, let me know when and where to be, live, work, sign, build, etc
WPs At least YH's want to go to the 1st day of school. My DH can't bother to arrange to go to work late to help take DD to school. He says it doesn't matter if we take her and she could just go by herself (his mom was a teacher and he went to the school she taught at so I'm not sure where this attitude comes from). Meet the teacher next week will be super fun when I have to drag both DH and DD to school all so that DH can take DD to the BBQ so I can talk with the teacher without DD being there. Me who DH is afraid of school events
Dear Me Please find your motivation to work and do things for yourself. Depressed Me
Why are you late EVERY TIME I have to leave earlier than usual. This does not happen that often, but EVERY TIME.
Signed Annoyed Working Parent
Dear DS
I know this high school thing is new, but you are going to have to get it together. Between work, school, and all of the extracurricular, I can't be your organizer. You have forgotten to turn in your fundraiser form, get your wet uniform in the dryer, and forgot to put on the outfit I bought you for picture day, on picture day, all in 24 hours Good thing your dad was nice enough to bring you a change of clothes, but good luck with a wet football uniform.
Signed, I hope the new white board and nightly list idea will work for you.
Thanks for all the ideas! Went with a gift card to Steam, a video game site. It was the fastest, easiest thing to send, since I didn't have time to run out to a store before he leaves today.
Dear WPs I just read excerpts from Ellen Pao's new book and it's giving me all the feels. I don't talk about it a lot, but I felt like my firing, a week after I returned from ML, was discriminatory. I didn't have the nerve or the energy at the time to put up a fight, but I give Pao major props for fighting the good fight. (Side note: the new CEO who initiated layoffs at my old company came from Kleiner Perkins).
Post by covergirl82 on Aug 23, 2017 13:18:12 GMT -5
saraml13, I'll have to check that book out! I also felt discriminated against when I was PG with DS. (My manager told me in a performance review that I really needed to decide between work and family. This from a woman with 3 young children of her own. I could see the writing on the wall, so I found a new job that I started when DS was 6 months old. But I still wish now that I would've submitted that EEOC claim. Maybe that should be my third wish from yesterday...to go back and do that...)
Post by HeartofCheese on Aug 23, 2017 13:36:39 GMT -5
I had a boss tell me I couldn't report the amount of time it took me to pump on my timecard honestly, b/c it was too much "unworked" time. And I'm salary.
I had a boss tell me I couldn't report the amount of time it took me to pump on my timecard honestly, b/c it was too much "unworked" time. And I'm salary.
I'm confused...why do you have to put your pump time down at all?