I write these posts every once in a while, usually late at night when I can’t sleep. So here are the first 10 things that came to mind at midnight!
- I was profoundly affected by last week’s $500 giveaway winner’s story! Mitch exported all the entries to a spreadsheet and used a randomizer to select a winner… and then I went back to read Sara’s comment before I contacted her. Sara is pregnant with her second child, and she’s taking care of her husband who’s battling cancer as well as their 18-month-old daughter, who I’m going to assume has a lot of energy! Sara’s entry was upbeat and kind and hilarious–and I’m left feeling so unbelievably inspired by her disposition and outlook. I really thought that the summer would lift my spirits, and I’d get a break from the sadness. And while it has provided that at times, I still struggle; it’s just such a day-to-day thing. One day I feel hopeful and the next I feel hopeless. I’m a firm believer in the idea that all feelings are valid, but I’m also a firm believer in the power of perspective. If Sara can do 2020, so can I. Congratulations, Friend. My thoughts and prayers are with you this year. Keep smiling! ♥️
- The Democratic National Convention has given me hope. No, I am not an activist, and perhaps under normal circumstances I wouldn’t even mention a presidential election on my site, as I tend to use it as a little escape. But this election is different, and these the stakes are too high to not use my platform to promote morality. I’ve received a good amount of feedback from blog followers re: occasionally voicing my opinions, and most has been supportive–even feedback coming from conservative followers whose political beliefs are not aligned with mine. (I am a whole person, and who I am includes my opinions!) I’ve been really impressed by that. I ask that we simply be decent to each other here. I personally believe that people with differing views can still listen to, talk with, and learn from each other in a civil and kind manner. And that includes you and me! :)
- I reconnected with my best friend from high school last week. I fell out of touch with John last year. We were playing phone tag, and after a while, I got it into my head that he was mad at me and I freaked out and then we just… stopped playing phone tag. It’s no secret that I’ve struggled to keep in touch with friends and family since moving away from home, going the entrepreneur route with Mitch, and having kids. But the John situation was soul-crushing and all my fault… and whenever someone would bring him up, my heart seemed to physically hurt. And just to make things ultra clear–because I know you’re probably wondering 😜–John and I never dated (truly, haha), and Mitch and John instantly became friends, and the same with his amazing wife (Jenn) and me! But we went through everything together; he was by my side through so many great times and he was also by my side though so many hard ones. And after the apologies were issued, it was like we were 15 again, driving to the Shore and going to emo concerts and sitting in basements fighting off teenage angst. Of course, all I want to do is drive out to the East Coast so Mitch and I can really catch up with John and Jenn, and so our kids can play. For now, though, my heart is full. Life is full of twists, turns and redirects, but I truly believe that no matter how long you’ve been away for, you can always go back to your home team.
- I’m loving my steam mop. Like, SO MUCH. I bought it early on in the pandemic because my friend Anna couldn’t stop raving about it. It cleans with water, so there’s no expensive cleaning solution you need to buy, and it’s safe to use on hardwood on the lowest setting. It is the ONLY reason our first floor doesn’t look like the inside of the barn. It’s magic. I probably only use it once per week (after the girls go down, for safety concerns) but it makes such a big difference… and I go to bed feeling like I kind of have it together.
- We invested in a 2020-friendly casual wardrobe for Mitch. Do you remember this post? Haha! I think I finally realized that I need to handle all of Mitch’s shopping. Which is FINE. I really like doing it! It honestly had just never crossed my mind before; I assumed that he’d be picky and it would be a big fiasco with lots of returns and whatnot. But I ordered him approximately 15 t-shirts and short-sleeved button-down shirts (many of which were only $5!) as well as a few pairs of shorts from J.Crew’s big clearance sale, and HE LOVED EVERYTHING. Sorry. I’ve been yelling a lot in this post. But he walks downstairs every day and the whole family is like, “Daaaaaddddyyyy! Lookin’ fine!” It’s pretty adorable. And he really does look fine.
- Mitch also bought a treadmill. He found it on Craigslist and then hired New City Movers to get it into our basement while practicing social distance. (Yes. It was tricky and meant that the movers were in our home by themselves but we used them for our big move last year and really trust them. Everything went great.) And he’s so happy with it! I handle bedtime, and during that, he runs. And then we hang out afterwards. Maybe one day I’ll run, too. ;)
- To make room for the treadmill, we put our old leather couch up on Craigslist, and a reader found it and decided to buy it without knowing that it was ours! It was crazy. Madison messaged me telling me that she’d wanted the couch for years, and that she found one on Craigslist–and would I still recommend it? I kind of couldn’t believe my eyes when I read it! I told her that this was, in fact, the couch, and we both laughed and now it’s now in her living room. (Also moved by New City Movers!) I was originally sad to say goodbye to it because it’s the best couch ever and it reminds me of our first home where we started our family. But now I’m so happy knowing it went to someone who really wanted it and with whom I have a connection!
- The suitcase saga continues. After returning from my in-laws’ home downstate (last month, I believe), Mitch left his unpacked suitcase on our dresser for a couple of weeks. And now it’s turned into a duel of sorts. I troll him on Instagram Stories with photos of the suitcase (Which I refuse to unpack and put away), and he trolls me back with things like “For Rent” signs attached to the bag or framing photos of the bag or dressing the bag up to look like a person. MEN! (But it’s pretty funny. Mitch is very creative.)
- Lucy had an awesome week. Lucy is the light of our lives but she’s a screamer, haha. We didn’t really go through the Terrible Twos with Emma, but Lucy is already there at 15 months. And while I know that this too shall pass, woo-ee! It’s tough right now. A few weeks ago, though, we decided to try the approach of simply ignoring the tantrums, and it’s been working! (They resolve themselves within a minute or two.) And she had a really good week. We don’t want to wish away anything, but we’re just so excited for her to start walking and talking because we think she’ll be even happier when she can express herself, get around more easily, and play with Emma. Her world is about to open up, and I can’t wait to see her explore it!
- I’m LOVING having short hair. In case you missed it, I cut my hair with a pair of craft scissors recently. It’s not the best cut but boy is it lovely to be FREE. It takes me approximately three minutes to do it–I can now let it totally air-dry, thus saving myself a lot of time in the morning–and it’s so much less annoying. If you’ve been thinking about giving yourself a chop, I highly recommend it. And don’t worry if you mess up. That’s why god made ponytail holders.
Since you used to teach in the NY public school system, I’m assuming you belonged to a union – could you give your take on why unions are against charter schools and school choice?
This is a very complex issue, and I truly see both sides of it.
While in New York, I learned that public schools do not allocate funding equally to students. On first read, this definitely seems unfair. But as high-needs students understandably demand more resources, *all* students suffer when large chunks of funding disappear.
Let’s say Johnny, Meg, Tom, Sally and Sue are high-needs students in my classroom. Because they’re so far behind in English Language Arts, they’re pulled out by a specialist during my class period to (hopefully) bring them to a place where they might be able to get by. When we lose that specialist because of budget cuts (which happened often), Johnny, Meg, Tom, Sally and Sue are back in my classroom. I’m happy to have them, but I’m not a trained specialist or interventionist, and as I don’t have an assistant in my classroom, teaching students who don’t know how to read while continuing to teach my standards-based 8th grade class will be extremely difficult if not impossible. As a result, both the high-needs students suffer and the other 30 students in my classroom suffer, as far more time is likely to be spent with Johnny, Meg, Tom, Sally and Sue. In this situation, everyone loses, and the number of at-risk students increases.
As you’re probably gathering, my rosters were largely made up of high-needs and/or at-risk students because of this, and most did not stand a chance at getting into charter schools, never mind private schools. Regardless, it’s very unlikely that their families could have afforded New York City private school tuition (or other associated costs like transportation and materials) even if it had been partially subsidized. (Full scholarships would have been the only way, and that’s not what School Choice is.) This is why I think many people argue that School Choice, if implemented at this point in time, would not help those who truly need the help. Instead, it would make the socioeconomic disparity greater by subsidizing middle-class and wealthy families’ tuition bills.
That said, if I were a parent of a student at a failing and sometimes dangerous school in the South Bronx and my child was offered admission to a charter school, would I accept? Yes, of course I would. Because I’d know that it could be his or her ticket out, and a chance at a better life.
In the end, I think the clash over School Choice indicates that our public school system is broken and has been broken for a long, long time. Again, the issue is way more complex than this, and I’m really only skimming the surface here. (Typing this on my phone with Lucy on my lap, haha.)
In theory, though, I think School Choice is a good model; it’s just probably not where it needs to be in order to be successful right now.
I’d like to thank you for taking the time to thoughtfully respond to my question. I have noticed in several blogs, with myself not necessarily asking questions, that if a comment is not inline with the blogger/post, too often either the moderator literally tells that person she’s (or he) wrong, or a pack of several readers will attempt to shame that person for daring to have a differing opinion. This blog, so far, seems to steer clear of that. Although I do not agree with most of your political beliefs, I think you have a wonderful family, and are a sweet person who actually engages with all of your readers. For those reasons, I (and possibly others?) continue to follow your blog.
Courtney,
Thank you! I so appreciate you saying that. As a mother of young children, I really struggle to keep up with messages and comments; it’s something I’m ashamed of. I often think of quitting because I feel like I let so many people down every day. I reworked my business back in February, though, and I’ve been able to talk with more readers than ever before this year — but there’s still a lot of room for improvement!
Hope you’re hanging in there this year, and thank you for the discussion. <3
Kelly & Mitch,
I wanted to make an overall comment (not on this particular post per say). I just want to send you both a heartfelt thank you for all you are doing on this blog for us each day. I can’t imagine cranking out this amount of content 7 days a week, every week the majority of the time. You both are working endlessly. And it’s appreciated. Throughout this pandemic, stress is high. I know that -for me -coming to your blog each day is a huge reprieve and refreshment to my mind and spirit. It’s part of my daily self care. It feels like for a few minutes I escape the pace of my day & stress of the world to read what you two are sharing. And that break in my day helps me immensely. I pray for you both & the girls as well as Patrick and his family. Matter of fact, a day hasn’t gone by where I haven’t prayed for Patrick & his colleagues (and their families). I want you two to know your hard work is appreciated and I’m betting your entire community here is grateful. I wish we could pull money together so YOU can take a vacation. You deserve it.
Kelly,
I’m not crying, you’re crying. (Seriously have tears in my eyes, though.) Thank you! I can’t tell you how much this means to us. Mitch was speechless when I showed him this, and then he hugged me. :)
We really have to thank you, too! This year has obviously been extremely trying for everyone, and our family has been worn thin–as most have, I’d imagine. But the blog has served as reprieve for us as well. It’s the perfect distraction, for lack of a better word, when we’re down or feeling hopeless. And the interactions we have with readers remind us how much good is in the world.
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for your prayers for Patrick. That means the WORLD–really. He and his wife have definitely had a rough go of it; Kim is a PA at a lung transplant hospital in New Orleans, and she recently went back to work. I can’t imagine the weight of losing so many patients as an overextended, sleep-deprived new mother, but they’re both so upbeat and hopeful, and kicking parenthood’s butt. I don’t know how they’re doing it!
We’re actually 99 percent sure that we’re going to be taking a (safe) vacation next week with the entire family! We haven’t been able to be together this year, and we’re not sure if we’ll get another opportunity–so I’m beyond excited for it. (This will also be my first time meeting my nephew!) Mitch and I have been working overtime that way the blog stays up and running while we’re away, and by god it seems like it’s going to happen, haha. (2020 miracle?)
Anyway, thank you again for your kindness. You took time out of your day to make someone else’s, and I know that I’ll think of your message whenever I sit down at the computer feeling bummed or that I’m doing a crappy job. You are wonderful.
While I don’t know what your 2020 situation is like, I really hope that you’re doing and feeling okay. 2021 is only a few months away and WE CAN DO IT!
Thank you so much, Kelly. <3
Excited to try the steam mop you have been bragging on! But can you give insight to the “fragrance discs” … thoughts on the scent and whether you have to use a disc in order for the mop to work?
YES! Martha, it’s amazing. I was initially skeptical, but it really helps if you have globs of unknown substances stuck to your floors at all times. Doesn’t even require any strength or elbow grease!
As for the fragrance discs, I did NOT know about these! I would assume that they’re just a way for Bissel to make money off us, since the steam mop cleans with water and you don’t have to continuously buy expensive solutions for it. But I have no idea what I’m talking about, haha.
If you try them, let us know what you think! :)