melted smoosh

after almost fifteen years of marriage, we know each other sometimes better than we know ourselves (or it can seem that way at least). we pick up on subtle shifts in mood and energy levels and can predict our spouse's response to any given situation with 99% accuracy. we both are easy-going and low-conflict, which means no knock-down drag-out fights or yelling, but we definitely both have our own pet peeves about the other spouse's behavior! I'm sure some of these pet peeves are universal although the roles might be reversed in your partnership... so, let's get into the nitty gritty!  what drives him nuts - the pile of boxes I leave by the back door for him to break down and take out to the recycling bin behind the garage - the state of the minivan; I let it devolve into a giant mess before cleaning it - related: the fact that I purposely keep a supply of extra toys, books, wipes, diapers, sunblock, etc. etc. etc. in the car. he has suggested bringing everything into th...

it's about time for a good old airing of the grievances. while we have ever so much for which to give thanks, sometimes we need the catharsis of enumerating our woes, big and small. (you can read the 2023 edition here.) _________________________________________ first up, potty training.  I buckled down and trained Greta and Cecilia both around age 2 1/2, and it went fairly well (I'm a big fan of waiting until the kid is practically ready to train themselves). Elizabeth turned 2 1/2 near the end of the school year, and logically it seemed like a great time to buckle down -- we wouldn't be driving around to after school sports and activities and we'd have more time at home. I kept waiting for the day when I'd wake up full of excitement and motivation to strip off the diaper and chase a naked toddler around the house. and ... shockingly ... that day never came. then we were preparing for our trip to Seattle in July and it definitely didn't seem like the right time...

1) James in town! my brother's job takes him all over the country, and he's been able to visit family members in Massachusetts and North Carolina while on work trips. finally, he had a job close to Pittsburgh and we were able to see him at the bookends of the trip. he was a trooper and came along to hang out at the library with me and the younger three during Greta's cheerleading practice after his flight landed in Pittsburgh. then he finished up his work a little earlier than expected and was able to spend the night here before his flight out!  this library has Magnatiles ... we are obsessed! 2) sisterly love. don't get me wrong -- there are plenty of squabbles at our house, usually between the two oldest, but each of them individually has such a sweet relationship with Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Victoria are starting to play more together too, although now that Victoria is on the move and interested in all of Elizabeth's toys, there's some jockeying going on the...

it feels a bit preposterous to sit down and type out a list of woes on my personal laptop, in my own heated house, while my four healthy children nap or play (respectively) and I sip on a San Pellegrino flavored water from a case that a neighbor on our Buy Nothing group just gifted us. and yet. and yet! there has been quite a bit of woe in the last several weeks and I want to complain about it, so I shall.  at the top of the list: car woes. not one, but two of Nick's cars were hit by other drivers within the past month. fortunately he was not injured, but working on his cars is essentially therapy for him -- so he lost not just two vehicles in his fleet, but also the time that was required to deal with insurance and police reports, and the emotional benefit of his favourite hobby.  this car was rear-ended while parked. Nick wasn't actually in the car, but saw it happen -- the driver of the SUV in the photo below was driving full speed in the right hand lane and didn't reali...