2020 open letters

[186momx]

Dear me
How could you have missed placed the dog anxiety meds? Fireworks started around 7 and didn't quit until after midnight. Poor dog crawled into the shower while I was taking one. It was a very late night. People are allowed to set more off tonight so I'm spending the day hunting for dog pills we last used in September.
Tired dog mom

[mommyatty]

Dear Entire Family:

I’m frustrated with you and I need to get out of this house. Kids, I hope you want to go to the park. Fellow grown ups, you aren’t going with me. Don’t ask. I fed you. I cleaned up the kitchen. My duties are done for the day.

Sincerely,
Wife/DIL/Mom.

[mustardseed2007]

Jan 1, 2020 16:47:56 GMT -5 mommyatty said:

Dear Entire Family:

I’m frustrated with you and I need to get out of this house. Kids, I hope you want to go to the park. Fellow grown ups, you aren’t going with me. Don’t ask. I fed you. I cleaned up the kitchen. My duties are done for the day.

Sincerely,
Wife/DIL/Mom.

I get it 100. I don't want to go to work tomorrow, but I don't think I'll be a person again until I do go back to work.

[xctsclrx]

Dear Self,

Start saying no to junk food. If you want to loose weight just stop!!!. FYI good job not drinking soda.

Love me

[sdlaura]

I’m also very excited to go back to work tomorrow and hopefully feel normal again. I miss my routine.

Dear kids, thank you thank you for going easy on me on our 6-hour flight back from the east coast today without DH. I didn’t think it was possible for the 2-year-old to nap that long outside his crib. Please continue your goodwill by not waking up when it’s still dark because you’re coming from a different time zone.

]Dear coworkers, please don’t notice tomorrow that I look way bigger than when you last saw me on 12/20.

Dear Friday, please be a lucky day - you include both my annual review/comp review at work and our pregnancy anatomy scan.

[mommyatty]

Dear Self:

You need to stop freaking out all the time. Seriously. You’re being insane.

Your Anxious Self

[twinmomma]

Dear mommyatty,
Solidarity. You can do it.
Signed,
Another anxious freak-outer

[mae0111]

Dear self -

I’m giving you permission to start with the working out and better eating next week since the kids are still on vacation. But honestly, this whole staying up most of the night thinking thinking thinking needs to stop. Sleep is essential to health. So you should get some.

Love,
Self

Dear kids -

We’ve had such a nice couple of days together. Let’s keep it up and really enjoy these last few days together before you go back to school. It’s just what I’ve been hoping for.

Love,
Mommy

[rere]

Dear work,

Please be normal. It is hard to come back after break, so don't let me spend the next few days putting out fires (that don't actually even exist).

Signed. employee.

[mae0111]

Dear mommyatty -

I think today is your appointment with DS. Best of luck. I hope you get some answers and get some actionable advice.

Mae

[covergirl82]

Dear self,

Let's plan to stick to an exercise plan and lose at least 5 pounds (although 10 pounds would be ideal) and tone up before our spring break trip!

Signed,
Motivated self

[k3am]

Dear work,

Ugh.

Dear contractor,

Ugh.

Signed,

Fed up.

[mommyatty]

Dear Bloomberg reporter:

FYI you credited me with saying something I didn’t even come close to saying. But then you got a correct quote. So I’m calling it overall a win.

At least I’m in the news?
Signed,
Wanted to Up my National Profile, so Need to Not Freak Out When Bloomberg Quotes Me

Dear DS’s Psychologist-

Please have good news today that you can help DS.

Worried Mommy

Dear Son-

You are doing great with your reading! I especially love when you go back and read a sentence loudly because at the end you discovered an exclamation point.

Proud Mommy

[mustardseed2007]

mommyatty, cool!!

Dear Mom Who is Supposed to be my Fun Run Co Chair.

Not cool you telling me you'd reserve our spot in the park and then BAILING ON DOING IT with an EMAIL the NIGHT BEFORE. Yes I know the process is horrible. I know having to show up in person on January 2 and receiving a random number is HORRIBLE and takes too long. And honestly, I asked you to do it b/c I know you're not going to be involved in this next year and I am. But don't say yes and then say "oops I'm out of town" and "I didn't know it had to be in person" the NIGHT BEFORE. We both knew that and you ARE LAYING DOWN ON THE JOB.

Signed,
Late to work and Feeling used

[twinmomma]

Dear Beau,
Take me up on the trip offer. If we tack this vacation on to the end of my work trip, we can stay at a gorgeous, 5 star resort for bargain basement prices. I could even try to get work to pay for part of it. And I'll only have to work for a couple hours while you're there to see everyone off. I promise, being out of town for 13 days vs. 10 is really not that big a deal for me. I'm not going to get my kids back for those couple days anyway with the way our custody schedule works, so might as well spend it on the beach with you!
Signed,
Trust me

[186momx]

Dear Dad
I get you are finally getting your new roof and one problem after another is happening with that including huge leaks but leaving me to man the office during one of the busiest parts of the month isn't cool.
Me: who is running around like a chicken for the 3rd time in two weeks!

Dear Congress
Thanks for extending the extenders but why oh why did you retroactive it to 1/1/2018. Do you realize how many amended returns now need to be filed for 2018?
Cranky tax preparer

[waverly]

Dear WP- thanks for encouraging me to do semi private swim lessons for the kids prior to taking them Snorkeling in Hawaii.  And thanks to my sister for recommending life jackets.  We snorkeled where there was a rough surf (and picked a better spot the next day), and I was definitely tired bringing my 6 year old in.  I wouldn't call it a rip tide because it brought us in and took us out, but it was definitely a strong surf current. I was this close to switching to a life guard hold (and we both had vests on).  I was glad I had learned the life guard hold that I could switch to, and I recommend life guard classes to your kids when they are old enough.  I have saved two kids.  My sister has saved her kid when he semi passed out while swimming, and my 10 year old nephew saved another kid (my sister was going to jump in but nephew was already in the water).

Dear mom-  You sure complain a lot.  We are definitely done taking you on vacation with us.  We still love you though.  Also, why the weird passive aggressive posts on FB about daughters?  You must be talking about one of your friend's daughter since the quote indicates there was a fight or mean words, and we definitely did not get into a fight that I know of anyway, and we paid for most of your trip.  Someone needs to take social media away from the boomers. 

Q for WP.  Anyone have experience with their child having chronic nightmares?  It's been since Halloween, and we need our sleep back.  I had this when I was a kid also, and had to go to therapy.  I've been trying my therapy techniques, but they aren't really working, and I was trying to avoid having to take her to a counselor, but I will if I have to because we all need to sleep.

[mae0111]

Dear Soccer Club-

I tried to sign DD2 up for Mondays at 6pm 5 days into sign-up, but it was already full. Then you opened up Wednesdays at 5. Much better for us, so I signed up, and confirmed, in late October. Soccer starts next week.

Just got the intro email. Says we are signed up for Monday at 6. Nonono... I rearranged everything around Wednesday at 5. We can’t do Monday at 6. WHY ARE WE ON MONDAY AT 6???

Signed,
Failing to let go and not sweat the small stuff.

[mae0111]

waverly - not nightmares, but night terrors. The difference is they’re screaming, but totally asleep and the usually don’t wake up or remember it. I had them as a kid, and both of my kids went through phases. 20 minutes of screaming and thrashing, stopping suddenly and going back to sleep. Sometimes watching TV for 5 minute would force their eyes to focus and calm them down. They never even remembered the TV the next day.

Are your kids waking/remembering?

[waverly]

mae0111, it started with sleep walking and crying. Like I found her downstairs carrying her journal and crying. She also talks in her sleep.

Then it moved to actual nightmares that she remembers. She is scared to be by herself, and scared to go to bed at night. I will go with her and do some anxiety/ relaxation techniques. She says she falls asleep and has a bad dream or she is scared and comes downstairs around 9:30/10. Bedtime was 8:30-9.

Then she also has middle of the night nightmares which she can recall. So far they have been things like ghosts, evil boy, not making her plane (because we were running through the airport in real life), and things from movies like the cheese from Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Cheese is not scary by any means, not a scary movie but she took it that way in her dream. It started with Halloween because of scary stuff she saw and the Goosebumps movie. I fast forwarded a lot of the movie because of scary parts, but I guess we should have totally skipped it. But I would have never guessed that cheese would be scary from the other movie.

[186momx]

waverly, are the nightmares about the same thing each night?
DD has started just since winter break to have nightmares but she is home more and watching more TV at night than she normally does. All of hers are revolving around Scooby Doo and monsters chasing which is the latest show she has been binge watching. I told her last night she couldn't watch Scooby Doo before bed anymore. Watched Wreck it Ralph last night and no nightmare.

[waverly]

I think they are different nightmares every night.

[k3am]

waverly, no real help. But I vividly remember two of my nightmares as a child. One involved waitresses shaped like hamburgers, and the other involved alligator handpuppets chasing me down the street. Pretty sure the puppets involved a sheet change. So I am not shocked that somehow cheese can be terrifying.

A dream catcher might help.

[divanerd]

Dear 2020
Please be easy on us cuz 2019 sucked! Including storm that made tree fall on our house and put hole in roof 2 days before 2019 ended.

Nothing like escaping what could have been deadly! Enjoyed hotel stay though
Signed
Eager for new year

Dear Career
Get theyself in order we need a pulse again.

Dear son,
So glad you enjoyed winter break!
Love
Always guilty WM

[twinmomma]

Dear children,
OMG please be chill on Sunday. Let's recap what chill means.
Chanting "Moooom's got a booooyfriend" is not chill.
Saying "Nice, I always wanted a little brother!!!" is also not chill.
Maybe start with something like "Hi! I like Pokemon too, which one is your favorite?"
Signed,
I'm not going to survive this

[mommyatty]

Jan 3, 2020 18:24:50 GMT -5 twinmomma said:

Dear children,
OMG please be chill on Sunday. Let's recap what chill means.
Chanting "Moooom's got a booooyfriend" is not chill.
Saying "Nice, I always wanted a little brother!!!" is also not chill.
Maybe start with something like "Hi! I like Pokemon too, which one is your favorite?"
Signed,
I'm not going to survive this

This made me laugh-snort. A tiny, bitsy part of me hopes they chant “Mom’s got a boyfriend” because honest to God that’s hilarious and you would have carte blanch to do whatever you want when they start dating.

[twinmomma]

Jan 3, 2020 18:50:54 GMT -5 mommyatty said:

Jan 3, 2020 18:24:50 GMT -5 twinmomma said:

Dear children,
OMG please be chill on Sunday. Let's recap what chill means.
Chanting "Moooom's got a booooyfriend" is not chill.
Saying "Nice, I always wanted a little brother!!!" is also not chill.
Maybe start with something like "Hi! I like Pokemon too, which one is your favorite?"
Signed,
I'm not going to survive this

This made me laugh-snort. A tiny, bitsy part of me hopes they chant “Mom’s got a boyfriend” because honest to God that’s hilarious and you would have carte blanch to do whatever you want when they start dating.

DD1 keeps poking me and giggling, going "boooyyyfrieeennnd" since I told her what we're doing this weekend. Lord help me.

ETA: I don't think I'll tell beau all this ahead of time. probably better to just let it unfold... LOL

[k3am]

Dear new neighbors,

Why yes, I have been staring out the window as your second moving truck is being unpacked hoping to finally see you guys. Please have kids! It’s a 5 bedroom home, so if you could be so kind as to have at least a 3-4 year old and an optional 6-8 year old, I would be ever so grateful. A 16 year old who babysits would be the icing on the cake. But really, DD has plenty of friends on our block, DS needs at least one.

Signed,
Please, please, please

[librarychica]

Dear H,

I know you enjoy looking at real estate but a month after we refinance and right after we install a new lock and finally hang the engraved door knocker my parents bought us in 2013 (we were waiting for a new door) is not the time to announce that we should buy a bigger house. We wrote our name on this one!

🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
Me

[twinmomma]

Dear mommyatty,
They did not chant. Before getting out of the car they did grill me on when he's moving in, if we are getting married, when do they get to be big sisters, etc.
But the play date went really, really well! The kids got along great, the girls loved beau, everyone had a lot of fun.
Only hiccup was realizing as we pulled in that several families that we hang out with a lot all happened to be there too. So that added a layer of stress that I wasn't expecting. Beau handled it like a champ though.
Signed,
Twinmomma