Wednesday Open Letters

[macmars45]

Dear summer,

Go by much faster. 

I like work (public school employee); it keeps my brain and body busy and moving. It's fulfilling and fun.

Being home with autistic DS(8) is hard. H still works so it's all me from 8am-6pm which is a lot of hours to fill when the kid get easily overstimulated and dysregulated so most summer time activities are not options. I have very few local friends and hanging out with people with DS is hard as is getting child care for DS so I can hang out without him.

signed,

6 more long weeks to fill

[186momx]

macmars45, I'm sorry, it is only week 3 of summer vacation here so none of us are ready to go back to school or give up the nice weather

WPs
DD wants me to apologize to our friends for DH's crappy mood/behavior over the weekend. I think she is worried that they won't want us to visit with them anymore due to his behavior. He didn't do anything bad just acted like a rotten spoiled teenager.
WPs thoughts?

Dear Heat Wave
You can go away now. 5 days of 100+ temps are a little much. It is supposed to be 97 and everyone is acting super happy. Plus the firefighters need a break. No big fires yet but lots of small stupid fires in town around the homeless camps are making me nervous.
I like the 80s

[waverly]

186momx, Honestly I don't know. Sometimes ignoring it can let things die down and apologizing brings it back up again. I'm not sure you can control his behavior anyway, so if they don't want to visit again it's not like you can assure them oh this won't happen again because I am sure your DH will act like a teenager again. But I can see her point though.

[macmars45]

186momx we must have different weather... upper 90s-100+ over here until at least mid September. It's too damn hot.

[sdlaura]

Dear Alaska Airlines,

Wow, I'm super impressed at your customer service today when I needed to cancel DH and DD's flights to Boston next Friday so they can go to DD's fancy softball tournament her team just qualified for. I had booked DH with DD as his companion fare, and me with DS1 as my companion fare. I had also booked with the cheapest fare class that is supposed to be completely non-changeable and non-refundable. You would have been within your rights to tell me I got no $ back for cancelling DH's and DD's tickets and had to re-book DS1's flight as a new flight for over $1,000, since it's cross-country and we're less than two weeks out. Instead, you were willing to switch DH's and my companions and refund what I paid for DH's and DD's tickets originally.

Signed, maybe they just noticed how often I fly their airline for work, but I'll take it

(Also, now I get to fly cross-country alone with 3 boys ages 10, 7, and 4, so maybe I shouldn't be celebrating yet

[librarychica]

Dear DD2,

I genuinely do not know what you want here. You want to sign up for things but then you don’t want to do them, but you also don’t want to quit, you are super weepy and either can’t or won’t explain your emotions. Frankly I think you have gotten a bit too used to being coddled since I started working from home. Sometimes you just suck it up and go to the “meh” camp, sometimes you practice piano and pay attention to your lesson even when you feel like you don’t want to — or you don’t play piano. The world is not on-call for you. We don’t just come to life when you decide you want us.

Sincerely,
Yes I yelled, I am not even sorry this time, you can stay in your room until I am off work

Dear H,

Do NOT start with me. You say DD2 needs more challenging stimulation? And that I should send her to you when she’s like this? When did you become the expert exactly? I coordinate camp, any extra activities, I arranged for her gifted testing and the learning plan, and everything else. I make sure homework is done. I read with her nightly. I make sure they get to go swimming and get some exercise. I volunteer at the school. I flippin run STEM night so that the school gets to have a STEM night. I do it because it’s good for all the kids and the school needs a set of hands, not because I have some deep desire to masquerade as an elementary school teacher or STEM camp counselor.

What do you do? Spontaneous puzzle video games when you feel like it. And sometimes driving them places I prearrange.

You wanted to spend time with both girls each week this summer doing some math/math puzzle games because you love math. Even DD1, who hates math, was willing to try. Everyone was on board. You just have not followed through and they’ve had plenty of free time for the last month. “She needs challenging stimulation my ass.”

Sincerely,
Angry wife

[k3am]

Jul 10, 2024 11:41:24 GMT -5 186momx said:

macmars45, I'm sorry, it is only week 3 of summer vacation here so none of us are ready to go back to school or give up the nice weather

WPs
DD wants me to apologize to our friends for DH's crappy mood/behavior over the weekend. I think she is worried that they won't want us to visit with them anymore due to his behavior. He didn't do anything bad just acted like a rotten spoiled teenager.
WPs thoughts?

Dear Heat Wave
You can go away now. 5 days of 100+ temps are a little much. It is supposed to be 97 and everyone is acting super happy. Plus the firefighters need a break. No big fires yet but lots of small stupid fires in town around the homeless camps are making me nervous.
I like the 80s

An apology about DH’s behavior from anyone other than DH is useless.

[rere]

Dear man cold,

You can go now. Dh is a terrible patient. I know unless he's 100% he won't want to go on our trip this weekend.

Signed, I don't want it either.

Dear Ds,

Please watch yourself at your training. It's hot. Completely collapse if you have to, don't try to power through if you get sick. Even in the army.

Also Ds,

Congratulations getting accepted to your school next fall!!! The end is near and the next chapter begins! And thanks to the army we only have to pay $2500 housings.

Signed, nervous glad mom.

Dear dd,

I'm sorry you are having a rough day, but it's sweet that you helped a random elderly woman in the hospital cafeteria with her food and now you are happy. Have some Chic Fil A on me.

Signed, Proud mom x2

[librarychica]

Dear DD1,

Why is your alarm set for 6 when you don’t have to be anywhere until 9? Poor kiddo, go to sleep.

Love,
The woman sitting on the couch because she woke up at 4:30 with a hot flash — enjoy the sleep while you can!

Ps — I am 39, wtf body?

[twinmomma]

Dear WPs,
My house guests leave today. It's been 14 days. I love them and they are truly super easy amazing houseguests. But omg. I cannot wait for silence. 4-5 kids in the house at any given time, one of whom is only five years old, is a lot of extra noise! The girls also go back to their dad's house tomorrow, so DH and I will have a completely empty house this weekend to recover. Thank god.
Signed,
Mentally Exhausted

Dear DH,
I can't believe our one year anniversary is on Monday! I full endorse your "big plans" for us to just sleep all weekend and engage with zero people and not leave the house unless absolutely necessary to recover from the last two weeks. Can't wait!
Love,
Your Wife

[mommyatty]

Dear Daughter,

I can’t believe you’re 12 today! You are such an absolute joy, and I love you so much.

Love,
Mom

[mae0111]

Dear Weather -

I’m so grateful that you’ve been cooperative for most of our vacation. But the 90% humidity is killing me a little bit. My hair can’t take it. Can you back off a little?

Signed,
Roseanne Roseannadanna

[k3am]

Dear DD,

Apologies about being overzealous in my clothing purge. You are 11.5. I assumed that donating anything that was size 7/8 was a safe bet. Wish you would have noticed Monday, when the bags were still in the garage vs Thursday, when they'd already been taken to the donation center.

Signed,
The woman who thinks that it's important for daughters to know their moms make mistakes - ALL THE TIME! - and this is relatively low impact mistake.

WPs,

Also purging related. I am not sure how it happened, but we have an abundance of old bed pillows. WTF do I do with them since they can't be donated? My trash can only holds 2.5ish kitchen sized trash bins.

Signed,
Crazy pillow lady

[dglvrk2]

k3am, throw them away. May be one or two a week? Or see if you can use a neighbor's trash can if they're out of town for a week or so?

Also, my 10 year old daughter insists some size 7/8 clothes still fit. She's tall and thin for her age. She's definitely a size 12.

Dear DD2,
It's been nice having you as an only child this week. We need more of these times.
Love,
Mom

Dear DD1,
I hope you're having a good time at band camp. The daily emails from the camp director say no news is good news and you have not opted to call at all during the daily designated call times, so.....
Fingers crossed! And congrats on making first chair for your band. I know you wanted to be in the more advanced band, but it's generally reserved for high schoolers and being first chair in your band makes you the star. You deserve the recognition!
Love,
Mom

[dglvrk2]

And Dear k3am 's DD (and all other tween DDs),
Your moms make mistakes. A LOT OF THEM. We've never parented YOU before. Please give us some grace.
Yours Truly,
dglvrk2