It's Friday!

[waverly]

We made it!  

[rere]

Great minds think alike. Copied from my duplicate post.

Yay for the weekend. I am hoping to have a stay in, chill night tonight.

Tomorrow, I have a girls day at the lake, but I'm not looking forward to it. I really just want a weekend at the house to piddle. I need to take Dd shopping before she goes back to school.

Plus, we leave on vacation on Wednesday and I'm not a little ready. Ds wants to meet us in Charleston. So we are making a road trip out of it. Stopping in Asheville, NC, we've always wanted to tour the Biltmore. Then Friday to Charleston for a long weekend. Then Ds got an early pass for his leave, so we are coming back through Gatlinburg, TN for a couple of days of hiking and creek watching, then Ds is following us home for a 2 week leave. Should be fun, but not relaxing.

[mae0111]

Yay for Friday - it was a long week!

DD1's re-entry from 4 weeks away has been... bumpy. She's no longer sobbing all day, so that's a plus, but we've shifted to hyperfocus on the upcoming camping trip and recording music. Both of which can be awesome/productive, but also very demanding on Dh and I... if she wants something, it must happen NOW NOW NOW no matter what we're doing, or we're met with tears, screaming, door slamming... Yesterday I finally left the house alone after a huge blow up and trying to just leave the room didn't work. So I left and went on a beautiful walk and came back and she started fighting again immediately. After an hour of ignoring while she ranted about all the unfair things in her life, she admitted that she hadn't been nice to anyone and would try to be better. DH and I thanked her and left to sit at the bar and grab dinner at a local place.

So... I'm hoping for a better weekend! We are at our beach house, kids have access to endless forms of entertainment at just a bikeride away. Also a pool in our yard. So I hope that they can figure things out today and enjoy their awesome life. I'm working a little, DH is working a lot. The weather looks awesome today through tuesday, so hoping for some family beach time tomorrow and Sunday in between DH working all the time. Also some yard work, maybe a date night with DH.

[waverly]

DS is recovering well from his surgery. He has less pain today and swelling should go down. I'm feeling a bit tired due to lots of sleep disruptions this week.

Tomorrow we pick DD up from her second sleepaway camp. I have a feeling this might have been a bit rough on her since she only had 1.5 days to recover in between sleep away camps, but they can all live like slugs for the next 3 weeks until school starts. I am sure we will be so ready for them to get out of the house then.

[mommyatty]

I’m incredibly frustrated at work right now. Like next level frustrated. I’d like to just take off the rest of the day and regroup but I have too much to do and it’s not possible. And it’s not possible because they’ve cut all our support staff (moved support overseas where their work days overlap mine by 90 minutes each morning) and are hounding us to grow our business and cut our things that take us away from our clients. I asked my boss how fired I would be if I said “You mean like all the administrative bullshit I have to do since you took away our support?”

My kids are going well. Dd had her last baby tooth pulled this week. She gets her bottom braces on Monday.

Sunday we are going to a KPop concert one of DD’s friends invited us to. Other than that, I’m hoping to spend some time in our pool and doing more to clean out our house. I did the manic rush cleaning because I was having two friends over on Wednesday and our house looked like an episode of hoarders. I feel so much better having part of the house semi-clean that I’m motivated to do the rest.

[supertrooper1]

Work has been frustrating this week with several issues still pending. In all of these cases, someone in my agency wants electronic paperwork filed by my clients, but our system won't allow my clients to do what they're asking so it's been a waiting game to see how everyone wants to proceed.

My weekend plans are up in the air until DS comes home tonight and I see what he wants to do. Beau is going riding on Sunday, so DS and I will find something to do together. There is a festival and parade tomorrow in a neighboring town that we may attend. If we don't have plans on a Saturday, we tend to pick an activity and then go out to eat. But I'm trying to lose weight and eating out tends to blow any progress I've made. It's tough when everything we do ends up revolving around food.

[k3am]

DD has her first *big* nationwide competition starting today. She's got a solo today, another tomorrow, and Sunday will be 4 team entries. She's actually only done one solo competition before, and she got 4th out of 5 skaters, and today she'll have 8 in her category. I've got my fingers crossed for her. So basically, my entire weekend will be spent at the rink or at a skating related event.

ETA: she is only doing this competition because we're the host rink.. a few of her friends travel nationally for events, but even though they're technically the same level, they have different ability and different commitment levels... ie at least one has dropped out of school to focus more on skating. We have never and will never consider that. Even for team, the younger levels don't travel when it's not local, only adults and oldest teen team travel out of state. 

[librarychica]

Good luck to her, k3am!

I’ve had a really awesome week at work. Lots of really productive work finished, projects launched with few/zero issues, and I had a great conversation with my boss about my career trajectory.

Yesterday I made the drive to pick up my 3 middle nieces and all the girls have been going wild together. I tucked the younger ones in at 11. I have no idea how late the tweens/teens were up but when I got up this morning I crunched across popcorn on the kitchen floor. I hope when they are grown they remember the weekends we let them go feral fondly.

The cousins are here all weekend so that’s the center of our plans. DD1 and her close-in-age cousin have been invited to a pool party, we’re going to hit up the science museum, tonight is movie night at home.

[dglvrk2]

This week was pretty full for us. Dd2 attended a dude camp that was a lot of fun. We also fostered two husky puppies. They were unbelievably cute, but also a lot of work. The D's were both very enthusiastic about helping with them and begging to keep one until about Tuesday/ Wednesday. Then they decided they were too much work. Something tells me we won't be caring about getting another pet for a while:)

Tomorrow we leave for a trip to the Pacific Northwest. Dd1 and I will be gone for 2 weeks. Dd2 and H will be gone for an entire month. The D's are both in camps in Oregon/ Washington for the next two weeks. DD1 is diligently packing today. I'm trying to get things ready for DD2 so she can easily pack when she gets home from her camp this afternoon.

Last night, as I was about to fall asleep, H proclaimed, and panic, but he haven't started packing yet. He then tried to list me all the things he needed. This is so classic of him. He waits till the last minute to pack, then panics.

Meanwhile, I'm rolling my eyes more than a 13-year-old on steroids

[sdlaura]

It’s our last day on Martha’s Vineyard and maybe the most perfect beach day ever here. DH and BIL have the four older cousins on a fishing boat this afternoon while my sister and I are at the beach with our three littles.

I did lose a client on a work meeting before heading over to the beach. So that sucks. But we knew it was coming because it was the result of a merger of funds. Oh well. We will keep them through the end of the year and get paid a transition fee to move things for them

I was able to find two babysitters tonight to watch the seven kids while we take my parents out to a kid-free dinner (this trip was for their 50th anniversary). Tomorrow we take the ferry early and then have a few hours in Boston before flying back to San Diego. Then we have one night at home before the two older kids go to sleepaway camp Sunday for 5 nights with friends. I put in a big Amazon order this morning for a bunch of stuff they need for it.

[k3am]

She didn’t rank in the top 5. The disappointment is strong. And now I have to take grouchy to a team event I’d rather skip.

[k3am]

She placed 5th today! She’s so stoked. (1-5 get a ranking, everyone else in the category is 6th).

Tomorrow will be all team events… all day. And then we take a MUCH needed break.

[waverly]

DD returned from camp today to tell us that the friend that she went with ignored her the entire time. I guess they aren’t friends and no one told us but we now have the message loud and clear. If I had known I would have never planned to send her with this girl. They’ve known each other for 6 years and always were friendly. Ugh.

It worse because I’m friends with the moms, and it makes me wish I was never in this dumb social circle and how did I get here? I feel stuck like I keep trying to distance myself and get out but no matter what I do I can’t get out.

Then when DD does meet someone new then there still is drama.
I think we might need another middle school support thread.

[erbear]

Jul 27, 2024 20:59:15 GMT -5 waverly said:

DD returned from camp today to tell us that the friend that she went with ignored her the entire time. I guess they aren’t friends and no one told us but we now have the message loud and clear. If I had known I would have never planned to send her with this girl. They’ve known each other for 6 years and always were friendly. Ugh.

It worse because I’m friends with the moms, and it makes me wish I was never in this dumb social circle and how did I get here? I feel stuck like I keep trying to distance myself and get out but no matter what I do I can’t get out.

Then when DD does meet someone new then there still is drama.
I think we might need another middle school support thread.

Stay on the ground. Let her be on the roller coaster ❤️

[mommyatty]

DS, 10, has suddenly decided to be more independent and I’m so happy. Because of his autism, ADHD, and dysgraphia (which is a planning disorder that affects the ability of his brain to send effective messages to his hands), he’s been loathe to do things for himself, and DH and MIL baby the hell out of him. The other day, I was out playing field hockey with DD but needed to run in for our water bottles. DS was standing at the counter, pouring his own milk. I know that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it really was. He’s always been super scared he would drop it. Now he does it all the time, and if I comment on it, he kind of scoffs at me. Right now, he’s sitting next to me, clipping his own fingernails. I’ll admit its sort of scaring me, but I’m still really proud.

Also today he told me he wants to join a parkour gym in addition to his ninja classes. Offering up to do something that’s not a video game? Huge deal!

[dglvrk2]

Jul 27, 2024 20:59:15 GMT -5 waverly said:

DD returned from camp today to tell us that the friend that she went with ignored her the entire time. I guess they aren’t friends and no one told us but we now have the message loud and clear. If I had known I would have never planned to send her with this girl. They’ve known each other for 6 years and always were friendly. Ugh.

It worse because I’m friends with the moms, and it makes me wish I was never in this dumb social circle and how did I get here? I feel stuck like I keep trying to distance myself and get out but no matter what I do I can’t get out.

Then when DD does meet someone new then there still is drama.
I think we might need another middle school support thread.

I'm so sorry! This sucks. My experience - my own and with DD1 - is that middle school friendships can change so quickly that you have no way of predicting these things. Also, kids seem to behave very differently - for better or for worse - at camp than in other environments.

DD1 went to a music camp a few weeks ago. She was - for once - totally in her element and loving it. H and I went to the camp concert on the last night of the camp and saw her happily chumming with many different kids. The girl she requested to bunk-mate with two months ago was not part of this scene. Initially, I thought they'd become closer. However, DD1 says they like each other plenty, just gravitate towards different people in crowds. I'm hoping the other girls feels the same.

While DD1 had so many good connections at camp, she hasn't reached out to spend time with any of these kids in the past two weeks. They "Snap" and text each other, but that's it. I've offered to take them to movies and the beach, but DD1 declines politely.

And being friends with kids' parents is so sticky! I live in a really small town, so if I want to be friends with people my own age, chances are, they have kids around my kids' age. (I'd say 2 of my- like -30 friends my age don't have kids my kids' ages...) My experience has been addressing kids' situations is tough. I have a few friends with whom I can objectively discuss DD1's challenges. I don't want to stir up gossip about other kids, but there have been times I need to get the her challenges off of my chest. (A few other moms have agreed that one of the besties that ghosted DD1 this spring is rather toxic and my inner middle school girl likes that others feel the same way about her as I do!)

I'm happy to start a new MS thread. Lord knows we will have much to talk about as school resumes. Ugghhhh....

[waverly]

Jul 28, 2024 11:12:55 GMT -5 dglvrk2 said:

Jul 27, 2024 20:59:15 GMT -5 waverly said:

DD returned from camp today to tell us that the friend that she went with ignored her the entire time. I guess they aren’t friends and no one told us but we now have the message loud and clear. If I had known I would have never planned to send her with this girl. They’ve known each other for 6 years and always were friendly. Ugh.

It worse because I’m friends with the moms, and it makes me wish I was never in this dumb social circle and how did I get here? I feel stuck like I keep trying to distance myself and get out but no matter what I do I can’t get out.

Then when DD does meet someone new then there still is drama.
I think we might need another middle school support thread.

I'm so sorry! This sucks. My experience - my own and with DD1 - is that middle school friendships can change so quickly that you have no way of predicting these things. Also, kids seem to behave very differently - for better or for worse - at camp than in other environments.

DD1 went to a music camp a few weeks ago. She was - for once - totally in her element and loving it. H and I went to the camp concert on the last night of the camp and saw her happily chumming with many different kids. The girl she requested to bunk-mate with two months ago was not part of this scene. Initially, I thought they'd become closer. However, DD1 says they like each other plenty, just gravitate towards different people in crowds. I'm hoping the other girls feels the same.

While DD1 had so many good connections at camp, she hasn't reached out to spend time with any of these kids in the past two weeks. They "Snap" and text each other, but that's it. I've offered to take them to movies and the beach, but DD1 declines politely.

And being friends with kids' parents is so sticky! I live in a really small town, so if I want to be friends with people my own age, chances are, they have kids around my kids' age. (I'd say 2 of my- like -30 friends my age don't have kids my kids' ages...) My experience has been addressing kids' situations is tough. I have a few friends with whom I can objectively discuss DD1's challenges. I don't want to stir up gossip about other kids, but there have been times I need to get the her challenges off of my chest. (A few other moms have agreed that one of the besties that ghosted DD1 this spring is rather toxic and my inner middle school girl likes that others feel the same way about her as I do!)

I'm happy to start a new MS thread. Lord knows we will have much to talk about as school resumes. Ugghhhh....

DD never wants me to talk to the parents. I don’t think I ever have about friendship drama. I have looped the school in for actual bullying that my son experienced.

Relational bullying is harder to prove so I only told the school to keep an eye on it for my daughter.

We saw it firsthand at drop off. DD said hi and she refused to answer, acknowledge, or really look at her. She also ignored us even though she’s met me a million times. I know she specifically wanted to hang out with someone else but I thought they could at least say hi and maybe include in a couple of things. This is the second year they went together and apparently she was aloof the first year but their mutual friends were inclusive. But the mutual friends didn’t go this year.

I don’t know how I ended up friends with the “popular moms” but I really dislike it. DD is OK. She has her other friends and they’ve talked all summer. Maybe they will be the non drama ones this school year- fingers crossed.

[mommyatty]

waverly- DD is always adamant that she does not want any “cabin buddies” at camp, even her BFF. She’s a hard-core introvert, so every year I’m flipping terrified she’s spending the week alone and miserable. And every year she comes home bubbly and happy and talking about all the cool kids she met. I think she uses camp as her opportunity to practice meeting new people.

[waverly]

Jul 27, 2024 22:08:48 GMT -5 erbear said:

Jul 27, 2024 20:59:15 GMT -5 waverly said:

DD returned from camp today to tell us that the friend that she went with ignored her the entire time. I guess they aren’t friends and no one told us but we now have the message loud and clear. If I had known I would have never planned to send her with this girl. They’ve known each other for 6 years and always were friendly. Ugh.

It worse because I’m friends with the moms, and it makes me wish I was never in this dumb social circle and how did I get here? I feel stuck like I keep trying to distance myself and get out but no matter what I do I can’t get out.

Then when DD does meet someone new then there still is drama.
I think we might need another middle school support thread.

Stay on the ground. Let her be on the roller coaster ❤️

Thank you.  DD is doing probably better than me, but it will take time for both of us to process.