1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Hi. This is Laura Vandercam. I'm a mother of four, 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:08,479 Speaker 1: an author, journalist, and speaker. And this is Sarah Hart Hunger. 3 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:11,799 Speaker 1: I'm a mother of three, practicing physician and blogger. On 4 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: the side, we are two working parents who love our 5 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: careers and our families. Welcome to best of both worlds. 6 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: Here we talk about how real women manage work, family, 7 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: and time for fun, from figuring out childcare to mapping 8 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: out long term career goals. We want you to get 9 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: the most out of life. Welcome to best of both worlds, 10 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: this says Laura. This is episode eighty nine. Today we're 11 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: going to be talking mostly about children's activities. How we 12 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: think about managing our schedule with multiple children's activities, how 13 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:45,159 Speaker 1: we choose what to do, how we choose what not 14 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 1: to do, any tips we have for that. So, Sarah, 15 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 1: as we are recording this, you are on your spring break. 16 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: But I know a lot of other people have their 17 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: spring break as they are listening to this. You have 18 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: the fun of two admin days. Oh that's kind of exciting. 19 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:04,639 Speaker 1: Tell us tell us about the admin days. I created 20 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 1: those for myself because we're so behind and we're going 21 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: to go on a cruise, a Disney cruise, so you 22 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 1: know that's going to be very concentrated family time. So 23 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: I don't feel particularly bad. I have childcare for Monday 24 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: and Tuesday. I don't feel bad about just making those 25 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:22,959 Speaker 1: like catchup days for me and for Josh as well. 26 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 1: So they're self described admin days. They're going to be great. 27 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:28,319 Speaker 1: One of them is half over already. Has it mostly 28 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: been been personal stuff? I mean it's not work rely, 29 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 1: mostly personal stuff, boring stuff like I mean, getting my 30 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:36,759 Speaker 1: hair done does that kind of admin, but also catching 31 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: up on the pile of stuff on my desk, various 32 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,919 Speaker 1: school forms and god knows what else. So your spring 33 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:46,039 Speaker 1: break must be later now, yes as well, yeah as well, 34 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: not now as we're recording of it, but now as 35 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 1: this is airing, admitting it between Passover and Easter. But 36 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: we will see. It'll be exciting. Everyone will find out 37 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: what we've done. I actually marked the first half of 38 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: the week off, like I've been blocking it and steering 39 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: stuff out of it and not accepting things on those days. 40 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: But of course we haven't actually planned anything, so we 41 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 1: will see now that I've blocked these days off. I'm 42 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 1: a shesh I should like go to Europe or something. 43 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: I don't think we will, since nobody's planned that. I 44 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: don't think I'm going to be planning it. But we 45 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 1: won't stick. We won't stay around the house. I know, 46 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: we'll go do something, probably for about four days, but 47 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: we shall see. Anyway, I feel like a last minute 48 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: trip to Europe might be kind of yeah, hey, it 49 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: could be fun. Maybe everyone's passports are up to date, 50 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: so we could. We could. Nothing's stopping us except the 51 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:41,920 Speaker 1: expense and headache. So yeah, So activity activity, Well, you 52 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:43,839 Speaker 1: have a nice rundown of what your kids are doing 53 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: right now, A lot more going on than we do, 54 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: so you can. Well, this is the nature of having 55 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 1: older children. Although it's funny, you know, I wrote this 56 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 1: up and it sounds like a lot, but it isn't. 57 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: This is this is the funny thing about activity. So currently, 58 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: Jasper swims two to three times a week heat. The 59 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,679 Speaker 1: big three kids are all on a competitive swim team, 60 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:04,640 Speaker 1: although they aren't doing a whole lot of the competition. 61 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: They just really are more doing it for practice. We 62 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 1: sort of let them decide how many meats they wished 63 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:15,079 Speaker 1: to do, and poor Ruthie had a very traumatic experience 64 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: of backing out of one meat. She was waiting for 65 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 1: her next thing, and then she really had to go 66 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 1: to the bathroom, so she had to run away from 67 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: the starting block. I don't know. Sometimes small children with 68 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: intense competition could be difficult anyway for a lot of pressure, 69 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: a lot of pressure. So anyway, he swims two to 70 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: three times per week. He sings in the school a choir. 71 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 1: He used to do karate. Stop doing that. We'll talk 72 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 1: about that in a bit. Does the Reading Olympics at school, 73 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:41,839 Speaker 1: but that's also you know, he stays after school once 74 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: a week, which supposed to be once a week. He's 75 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: only done it probably two out of every three weeks. 76 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: Sam does flag football in the fall, wrestling in the winter, 77 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: and little league in the spring, so those are all seasonal. 78 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: There's only one at a time. He also swimms, but 79 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: usually only does it one time a week because of 80 00:03:56,160 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: these other sport activities that he's doing seasonally. Started drum lessons. 81 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: He had been doing piano and he got a drum 82 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: set for Christmas, so he switched over to drums. People 83 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: think I'm a glutton for punishment on that one, that drum, 84 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: but children are playing. He does coding club that's after 85 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: school once a week, so that's pretty low key, just 86 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: days after school once a week, cub scouts. It sounds 87 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:19,080 Speaker 1: like a lot more than it is, but that's because 88 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: it's all seasonal. So you know, the fact that he 89 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 1: does flag football and wrestling on the Little League. None 90 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 1: of those ever happen at the same time. Ruth is 91 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 1: doing karate, piano lessons and swim but she usually only 92 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: does one time a week two because she thinks the 93 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: water is really cold. We actually bought her a little 94 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: wet suit. It's so cute she wears for a little wetsuit, 95 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: your pool must be indoors, like six inches of ice 96 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:47,279 Speaker 1: on it for the entire swim season if it was outdoors. No, 97 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:49,280 Speaker 1: this is This is an indoor pool, but apparently it's 98 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: insufficiently heated in her mind. Alex Is started karate very cute. 99 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 1: He'd been going to ruth stuff for years and then 100 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:59,239 Speaker 1: he started it himself as soon as he's he's starting 101 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 1: soccer on the weekend and soccer shots and young Sports 102 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:03,280 Speaker 1: class during the week. But he does a lot of 103 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: stuff like music class and swim class, but that's in 104 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: the afternoon when he's not in school. And I because 105 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 1: parents have activities too. I sing in a choir on 106 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,479 Speaker 1: Thursday nights. We perform every sing with the Service every 107 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,280 Speaker 1: Sunday morning. So yes, parents are allowed to have their 108 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: own activities involving time specific commitments too. I encourage parents 109 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 1: to do this, and honestly, because you know, if you 110 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 1: are making time to play in a softball league or 111 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: play in a community orchestra or something like that, you 112 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:32,280 Speaker 1: probably I think there's even more validity to it because 113 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: you are choosing that with so many other things on 114 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: your plate, whereas your kid may just be like it 115 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:38,479 Speaker 1: sounds cool, or I haven't really thought about it, or 116 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: mom's making me do it, or my friend is doing it. 117 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 1: I mean, for you to make time to play your 118 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 1: violin and a community orchestra means you probably truly care 119 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: about it because it's the logistical planning, so it'd be 120 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: a pretty good addition to your life. I just want 121 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: to make the point with the volume of activity is 122 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: that it sounds like a lot, but you know everyone, 123 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 1: I mean, the nature of having four children is that 124 00:05:57,520 --> 00:05:59,719 Speaker 1: there will appear to be a lot going on, but 125 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: once we get into a rhythm of it's not that bad. 126 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: There's usually only one or two things on a weekday 127 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 1: and maybe one or two things on a weekend day. 128 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:08,279 Speaker 1: And I did try to set up the schedule so 129 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 1: I don't have to drive. You seem like you have 130 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: a fair amount of redundancy set up in there as well. 131 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 1: So does that help with the drop offs? Like, are 132 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 1: you able to coordinate some of those swim drop offs 133 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 1: or karate drop offs? Well, the two karate are at 134 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: the same time. Also, the two little kids karate classes 135 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:27,359 Speaker 1: are at the exact same time. Swim has not been unfortunately, 136 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:29,919 Speaker 1: that has never worked out so well. There's maybe for 137 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,280 Speaker 1: a while we had it where one kids drop off 138 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: was the same time as another kids pick up, but 139 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:38,919 Speaker 1: that doesn't That was only for a couple months and 140 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: then they shifted again. And because they're all at different 141 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 1: levels so they meet at different times. But you know, 142 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: I honestly think I like activities. I think it's a 143 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:50,719 Speaker 1: good way for kids to explore their interests outside of school, 144 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:53,840 Speaker 1: and particularly I mean, our kids are in classes where 145 00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 1: I think they are being challenged. But if your kid 146 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 1: is in a school where that's not always happening, like 147 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:01,159 Speaker 1: you don't feel like they're sufficiently challenged and all. Sometimes 148 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:03,279 Speaker 1: activities are a great way to add something that is 149 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 1: more at the kids level. Might be challenging, might be difficult, 150 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: have to figure out how something works, you know. And 151 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 1: I tend to think it's when they're home. It's so 152 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 1: easy for the kids to wind up just on screens 153 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: and it becomes this game of whack a mole with 154 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: the number of screens in the house, and I just 155 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: don't have the bandwidth to monitor it, like to go 156 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: follow all four around and be like, have you just 157 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: turned on a computer? Have you turned on a TV? 158 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 1: Have you turned on you know, mommy's phone that you 159 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 1: found somewhere, Like, I mean, I just can't monitor all 160 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 1: of it. So the way to keep them doing other 161 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:36,680 Speaker 1: things is to keep them busy with I mean that 162 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 1: makes sense. You know, if you have a first grader, 163 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 1: for example, and you know, if she spent some time 164 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 1: doing homework and she spent some time in karate, you know, 165 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 1: if the balance of it was spent on screens, that's 166 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 1: not that much time left. Yeah, So it's about what 167 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: they were doing afterwards. So yeah, and how about you. 168 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 1: What do you guys have going on right now? I 169 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 1: mean we because we moved. We have very little going on. 170 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 1: We used to have like, what like phrenetic levels of 171 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: activity for the ages of our children. I mean, at 172 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 1: one point, I think they were both in gymnastics, they 173 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: were both in swimming, and then they both had a 174 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 1: number of things that were sort of directly after school, 175 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 1: although in my mind those barely count as activities. You know, 176 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:15,040 Speaker 1: like if you can sign up for cooking and it's 177 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 1: from two to three, so it makes the pickup at 178 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: the end of the day at three instead of two, 179 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 1: and it's at the same place. I don't think that's 180 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: as draining on a child as like going to the 181 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 1: gymnastics gym, changing into your outfit, getting in with a 182 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: whole new group of kids, and participating in that. It feels, 183 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: I think to them more like a fun extension of school, 184 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: like a little bit of a special activity. So they 185 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:37,440 Speaker 1: were doing a lot of that, They were doing a 186 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:41,200 Speaker 1: couple of outside things. Right now we're just doing really 187 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:44,439 Speaker 1: almost nothing. I may sign them up for a gymnastics 188 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: gym locally that has classes that they would have a 189 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: boys class for Cameron and a girls class for Annabelle 190 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 1: that's held at the exact same time, so it'd be 191 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 1: very easy. Yes, oh, like during like a couple options, 192 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 1: like Wednesday at three thirty, like so during the week, 193 00:08:56,960 --> 00:08:58,319 Speaker 1: so Arnanny could bring them and then she would just 194 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 1: play with Genevieve and then they'd be done. I am 195 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 1: a sucker right now for any activity that has Annabel 196 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 1: and Cameron in their own separate things but at the 197 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,199 Speaker 1: same time in the same place. And that is actually 198 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: a pretty hard thing to me, right because like for gymnastics, 199 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 1: they can't be in the same class because we already 200 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:14,680 Speaker 1: figured it out that they like sabotage each other, so 201 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:16,439 Speaker 1: they have to be in separate ones. And then for 202 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 1: piano we do the same thing. So on Saturdays they 203 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: have piano at the same time at a studio, but 204 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:23,080 Speaker 1: they each have their own different teacher. So it's like, 205 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: you know, two birds with one stone. It's very nice, nice, 206 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 1: very nice. Yeah, but we're not doing We're just not 207 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:30,959 Speaker 1: doing much this year. I think we'll do more next year. 208 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 1: I do. I will say one of my children, I 209 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:36,360 Speaker 1: think is prone to getting a little worked up when 210 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 1: there's just a little too much going on and may 211 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 1: withdraw from everything. And I also learned a bit of 212 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:45,559 Speaker 1: a lesson with Annabel did Miami City Ballet at age four, 213 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 1: which I was all proud of myself for giving her 214 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 1: this amazing opportunity because Miami City Ballet is like a 215 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 1: real ballet studio, and you know, you don't have to 216 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: try out as a four year old. They'll take anyone. 217 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:56,520 Speaker 1: So I was like, Okay, great, we're gonna do it, 218 00:09:56,559 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 1: and you have to buy all the official stuff. And 219 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:00,120 Speaker 1: she started it and they're very serious and you have 220 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 1: have a really tight bun, et cetera, et cetera. So 221 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 1: like two years into it and the teachers are like, 222 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:08,439 Speaker 1: you know, very strict, to the point where they're like 223 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:10,440 Speaker 1: critiquing these like five and a half year old's form, 224 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: like come on, a stand up straighter, can't you bend it? 225 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 1: Don't bend your leg like that. And she was quickly 226 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:20,120 Speaker 1: like forget this. So my attempt to kind of give 227 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 1: her the best option ended up backfiring, and now she 228 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,800 Speaker 1: doesn't want to do any ballet. So I've got too 229 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:28,560 Speaker 1: much hair for this bun, Yeah, pretty much. So just 230 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 1: sometimes I think that if you get too excited about 231 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 1: something or you go for the most intense version of something. 232 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:38,080 Speaker 1: Now I've learned that's not always the best. Yeah, it's 233 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:40,720 Speaker 1: so hard with stuff like that, because there are activities 234 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: where you if you start young and you are into it, 235 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: you will have a much better run of it. Yeah, 236 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 1: and ballet is like one of those ballets. I feel 237 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 1: like I was doing her this huge favor, especially because 238 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 1: I as a child, did not take ballet as a 239 00:10:56,520 --> 00:10:58,199 Speaker 1: young kid, and that you know, it would have been 240 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:00,400 Speaker 1: I feel like if I had and a lot of 241 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:02,240 Speaker 1: that stuff earlier, maybe I would have liked that your 242 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 1: fantasy of being a principal with alf Yes, totally. Yeah, No, 243 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: I we're saying or music things like that, and I 244 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 1: we just had this experience of my having these little 245 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,960 Speaker 1: fantasies along the lines because we got a flyer for 246 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 1: the Philadelphia Girls Chorus, which similarly, I'm sure to the 247 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 1: Miami City Ballet would have been you know, professional opportunities 248 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:27,320 Speaker 1: to work with your voice, to develop it to you know, 249 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: learn music. Very challenging environment. Uh so all that stuff, 250 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: and so I'm like, Ruth, would you like to audition 251 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 1: for this? You know, I'd figured out how we do it, 252 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:38,960 Speaker 1: even though it'd be like downtown. She looks at the 253 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 1: flyer and it was totally like you know that was 254 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 1: the song thank you, next, next, next, just like no, 255 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:49,840 Speaker 1: no way, you know, like not even part of me, 256 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:52,680 Speaker 1: Like I would have killed to do something like this, 257 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,600 Speaker 1: but and you probably wouldn't would have would have but 258 00:11:56,920 --> 00:11:59,600 Speaker 1: she kids are not ourselves. Kids are not ourselves. And 259 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 1: even if you can recognize this from the future of 260 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 1: being like, well, it's really good to have this sort 261 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 1: of musical training, and you know, what can you do that, 262 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:09,839 Speaker 1: they don't want to do it. They don't want to 263 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 1: do it. We tried gymnastics last year for the year 264 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: and she liked it for the year and I was like, yeah, 265 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 1: you know, I feel like she could do gymnastics, maybe 266 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 1: this could be something she could be serious about. And nope, 267 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 1: she wanted to be done with that this year. So 268 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 1: that's they aren't us. I also feel like when you 269 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:32,439 Speaker 1: come to something wanting to do it yourself, you are 270 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,800 Speaker 1: much more into it. There's a different energy there, there's 271 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:40,200 Speaker 1: a totally different energy to it than if you don't 272 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 1: come to it yourself. Now, obviously that's all hard trade 273 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:44,319 Speaker 1: off because there are things that you do need to 274 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: learn early, and so maybe as a parent you try 275 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:48,640 Speaker 1: to expose people to a lot and if there's something 276 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:52,960 Speaker 1: they like, and then because they like it, they practice 277 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: a lot and get decent at it. Then you can 278 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 1: try and help children over maybe those dips that we 279 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:01,080 Speaker 1: all have in motivation. If you think that they're really 280 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:05,320 Speaker 1: you know, would still like it, but the kids just like, eh, 281 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 1: you know, why make life harder for yourself and them? 282 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:10,960 Speaker 1: I guess yeah, it's hard to know when to push 283 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 1: or how much to push. I can see both kids 284 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: enjoying piano, and we're already at this point where they're like, well, 285 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:18,079 Speaker 1: she could practice a little bit more, but don't push it. 286 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 1: Like even the instructors like, but don't push her too much. 287 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 1: And it's sort of like, you know, because really you 288 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:25,400 Speaker 1: don't enjoy those kinds of things until you do get 289 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:27,320 Speaker 1: better at them, and you don't get better at them 290 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:30,679 Speaker 1: until you practice. So to some extent it makes sense 291 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,040 Speaker 1: to put at least a little bit of incentive. I 292 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 1: guess that's been my art. I think we had a 293 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:36,840 Speaker 1: discussion in the car. It was like, Annabell, how about 294 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:38,440 Speaker 1: if we work on like ten minutes a day and 295 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: we fill out a chart and if you do five days, 296 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:44,120 Speaker 1: then you know we'll reward you in some way, not 297 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:45,920 Speaker 1: in some big way, but in some minor way. And 298 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:47,559 Speaker 1: she was like, oh, good idea, because I think she 299 00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:50,080 Speaker 1: sort of liked the idea of having motivation, Like it 300 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 1: wasn't like, oh, ten minutes, I'll just do it to 301 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 1: get the prize. I think she was sort of like, ooh, 302 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 1: a mechanism to make me more compliant with my practicing. 303 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 1: So yeah, I don't know, Yeah, we all eat a 304 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:02,240 Speaker 1: little something. I mean, I think about it. I've sang 305 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:05,040 Speaker 1: in choirs for years, although I took six years off 306 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:07,719 Speaker 1: between when we moved from New York to Pennsylvania and 307 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:10,560 Speaker 1: then before I started singing last year in my church choir, 308 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 1: and there was nothing stopping me from like practicing scales 309 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:16,840 Speaker 1: or taking voice lessons during this time, but I just 310 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 1: didn't do it right. And so now having the motivation 311 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:22,240 Speaker 1: of singing with a group, and you know, it's making 312 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 1: me do it a little more like I you know, 313 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:26,440 Speaker 1: in my office, I have the piano, which the where 314 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 1: the keyboard that the kids play too, and so I'll 315 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:31,600 Speaker 1: sit there and sing my scales and practice songs and 316 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:33,320 Speaker 1: you know, definitely doing a lot more of that than 317 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 1: I ever was, even though I could have done it. 318 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: I just didn't. Yeah, so no, we definitely need sometimes 319 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:43,880 Speaker 1: a little bit of external motivation for these things. So 320 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 1: that's where we are with activities now. Maybe next year 321 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:49,400 Speaker 1: will be more adventurous. Yeah, we'll be more into the area. 322 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: I would say that if a kid truly does want 323 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:53,160 Speaker 1: to do something, so we've been talking about, you know, 324 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: when they're you're kind of in the middle and the 325 00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: parent maybe want to do it too. But if the 326 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 1: kid truly does want to do something, I do feel 327 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:02,840 Speaker 1: like it's good to owe it, you know, to the 328 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,840 Speaker 1: child to try to make that happen. You know. I 329 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 1: know it's sort of fashionable talk about, oh, kids are overscheduled, 330 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 1: we don't want to put too much on our weekend. 331 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:12,840 Speaker 1: But if a child truly loves something and is often 332 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 1: coming up with their own things, like mommy, you know 333 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:18,000 Speaker 1: so and so could drive me home from this, I mean, like, 334 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 1: please make it happen. You know. So Sam really wanted 335 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 1: to do wrestling, and so we have done wrestling the 336 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 1: past three years. I don't know if he's going to 337 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: stay with it, but you know, this was definitely totally 338 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:31,520 Speaker 1: led by him. He had seen the flyer, he had 339 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: brought it to me and be like, I want to 340 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:35,920 Speaker 1: do this. I have no idea why he was so 341 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:40,160 Speaker 1: into this idea, but you know, and I don't particularly 342 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 1: like watching wrestling. It's very difficult to watch as a 343 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 1: parent because it's like one on one combat, your kid 344 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 1: like doing something in the middle of the mat. Very 345 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 1: very difficult to watch, particularly if they lose the match. 346 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:56,600 Speaker 1: But you know, it's been fascinating to see that this 347 00:15:56,680 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 1: is something he chose, and so we just support it, 348 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:02,320 Speaker 1: you know, make sure that he can do the practices 349 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:05,800 Speaker 1: and get to meets and all that. Yeah, I could 350 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: totally see that, even though I am committed to not 351 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:10,320 Speaker 1: ending up in some situation where I have to drive 352 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 1: to like far flung soccer games every weekend. But you 353 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:14,560 Speaker 1: know what, if one of my kids really really wanted 354 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,480 Speaker 1: to do travel soccer, then they probably wanted to do 355 00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: it enough that they don't care if I'm sitting in 356 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 1: every game at the sidelines. Yeah, I can sid it 357 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:24,320 Speaker 1: a select number of games at the sidelines and we 358 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 1: can all be happy. Yeah. So there's different ways to 359 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:29,720 Speaker 1: try out activities. I mean, one we had on our 360 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 1: list here is, you know, a one week summer day camp. 361 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: So if you are looking for various things to keep 362 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:37,760 Speaker 1: your kids occupied during the summer, and they've listed, you know, 363 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 1: ten different activities they want to try, rather than signing 364 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 1: up for ten activities in the fall, you know, and 365 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: having the craziness of that on top of the school schedule. 366 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 1: See if you can find you know, one week of 367 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 1: summer day camp devoted to that particular activity, and if 368 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:54,120 Speaker 1: they like it, then maybe that's a keeper that you 369 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:56,440 Speaker 1: can then do in the fall. And possibly the place 370 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 1: that has the camp also has fall activities, so that 371 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,080 Speaker 1: might be something that could keep going. But that's a 372 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 1: relatively low way to try, low key way to try 373 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 1: something out. I like that. And then your logistical tips. 374 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:10,760 Speaker 1: I am all about logistical do what is easy. That's 375 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:12,399 Speaker 1: why I like to put the kids and things that 376 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,159 Speaker 1: are at the same time. What are some of your 377 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 1: logistical tips. Well, definitely look for activities that are nearby. 378 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 1: So the fact that I am driving to swim like 379 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:25,760 Speaker 1: five times a week is a lot less horrible given 380 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 1: that it's only eight minutes away. It's actually right next 381 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:30,919 Speaker 1: door to our church, so it's like we're there all 382 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:32,639 Speaker 1: the time. I've got the route mapped out, you know, 383 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:35,199 Speaker 1: it's a I'm pretty much driving there every day, but 384 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:38,360 Speaker 1: that's okay. It's the fact that it's eight minutes there 385 00:17:38,359 --> 00:17:41,040 Speaker 1: and back means that you can go there and go back, 386 00:17:41,119 --> 00:17:43,400 Speaker 1: even for only an hour. Long thing is sometimes we'll 387 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:47,399 Speaker 1: stay and you know, do work or I've run during swim, 388 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:49,880 Speaker 1: but it seems to work fine to actually come back 389 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:53,200 Speaker 1: as well. You know, after school activities are also good, 390 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 1: as we mentioned, because then you don't have to get 391 00:17:55,080 --> 00:18:00,760 Speaker 1: them there, so reducing any driving to once versus twice 392 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:03,760 Speaker 1: or having to stay there during the time. And so 393 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:06,040 Speaker 1: if your school does offer stuff that's almost you know, 394 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:07,880 Speaker 1: if you only had school age children, it'd be a 395 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:12,199 Speaker 1: great way to get extra childcare hours honestly out of it. 396 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:15,320 Speaker 1: Instead of your kid coming home at say four, they 397 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:17,240 Speaker 1: might be four thirty or you know, it would it 398 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:19,160 Speaker 1: would just make it a little bit longer. And if 399 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:21,120 Speaker 1: you have some flexibility in your job, that may actually 400 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 1: get you to the point where you wouldn't need an 401 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 1: additional after scale, after school program or sitter. I'm also 402 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:32,480 Speaker 1: a big fan of investing in extra childcare if necessary 403 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:37,440 Speaker 1: with activities to avoid the sheer misery fact of having 404 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:41,879 Speaker 1: a toddler on the sidelines of an extremely long activity 405 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:46,000 Speaker 1: for an older child. You know, we've had this, you know, 406 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: weeks when we haven't had say weekend childcare, and we've 407 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:51,959 Speaker 1: had a swim meet and a wrestling meet. So pick 408 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:56,119 Speaker 1: your poison. Which parent gets the kid the toddler on 409 00:18:56,160 --> 00:18:58,440 Speaker 1: the sidelines. Is it going to be wrestling where you're 410 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:00,240 Speaker 1: trying to keep them out of a mat where you know, 411 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:02,480 Speaker 1: a ring where people are fighting, or is it are 412 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:04,159 Speaker 1: you trying to keep them off out of a pool? 413 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:07,159 Speaker 1: Because that's that's worse too, you know, So there's like 414 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:12,719 Speaker 1: all sorts of bad choices here. So you know, finding 415 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:15,440 Speaker 1: another place for the toddler to be during these things 416 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:17,680 Speaker 1: allows you to then pay attention to your older kids 417 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 1: sport as well, because I I had the experience of 418 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:22,920 Speaker 1: like missing one of my kid's goals, like you know, 419 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:25,119 Speaker 1: they're never going to score another goal in the whole season, 420 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:27,120 Speaker 1: and I miss the one because I'm chasing a kid 421 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:30,639 Speaker 1: into the parking lot. It's just you know, you know, 422 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:34,880 Speaker 1: spectating with a one year old on your lap is terrible. 423 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:38,480 Speaker 1: And it's gotten different now. I mean, now that the 424 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:41,119 Speaker 1: kids are older, they can you can entertain them with 425 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:42,760 Speaker 1: screens in a way that you can't with a one 426 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: year old, you know, not that the not oppositional, not 427 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:48,639 Speaker 1: being opposed to screens, but just that like they're not 428 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:52,119 Speaker 1: they don't stay interested in it. It's not gonna Mickey 429 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:54,639 Speaker 1: can only you know, sing one song and then they're like, okay, 430 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 1: I want to jump at the pool on getting in 431 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:59,600 Speaker 1: the pool again. Yeah. So now that the kids are 432 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:02,560 Speaker 1: old enough to actually be entertained by an hour long 433 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:06,199 Speaker 1: movie or something, then it's much less necessary to have 434 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:09,040 Speaker 1: backup care for that, but definitely, you know, have it. 435 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:10,919 Speaker 1: The other reason you might want to consider it is 436 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:12,880 Speaker 1: that there might be opportunities for the parent to do 437 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 1: something during an event. I have definitely gone running during 438 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 1: swim practice. Kind of feels like found time, or you know, 439 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,200 Speaker 1: gone for a walk in the neighborhood of flag football game, 440 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 1: you know, even if you want to watch the game. 441 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:27,919 Speaker 1: The way it was set up is that practice was 442 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:30,680 Speaker 1: before the game, so you know, I could go walk 443 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 1: during practice and then come watch the game. So yeah, 444 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:35,880 Speaker 1: definitely feels like found time. Although I'd say one thing 445 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:38,679 Speaker 1: with sometimes when you do drag the little kid along, 446 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: they start to like it themselves and they pick up 447 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: on things. And our nanny had been taking Alex to 448 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 1: Ruth's karate lesson on Monday, because you know, it was 449 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 1: at four o'clock, like I couldn't always be done with 450 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:54,520 Speaker 1: work by four to deal with stuff like that. And 451 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,159 Speaker 1: so he was watching it and he was playing with 452 00:20:57,200 --> 00:20:59,040 Speaker 1: toys and there was another little kid that he liked 453 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:01,399 Speaker 1: to play with there side. But then he was started 454 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:03,439 Speaker 1: really watching it, and then she asked, you know, do 455 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:05,359 Speaker 1: you want to do it? And he's like yeah, yeah, 456 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:07,199 Speaker 1: And so now he started. Now there's four, he can 457 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:09,320 Speaker 1: start taking lessons too, and he's already got some of 458 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:16,200 Speaker 1: the moves down because he's been studying. Like that's yeah, yeah, 459 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:18,840 Speaker 1: all right. What else do you have for us, Sarah, Well, 460 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 1: we were talking about organization and you have your bins. 461 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:24,399 Speaker 1: We have like our piano backpack. We used to have 462 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:27,359 Speaker 1: our ballet bag, so everything was in one bag, even 463 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:29,800 Speaker 1: her uniform and everything, because it was just like that's 464 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:33,679 Speaker 1: your ballet spot. So I highly compartmentalizing your activity stuff 465 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:37,320 Speaker 1: into one very specific place bag or location I think 466 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:39,800 Speaker 1: is key because there's never a worse time to be 467 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 1: scrambling to find some little accessory than when you need 468 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:44,200 Speaker 1: to get out the door. Yeah, and I'm a fan 469 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:47,880 Speaker 1: of actually having multiple accessories, multiple versions of the accessory 470 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 1: if it's something that you need. So swim goggles would 471 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: be an example here of something that yes, they have 472 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: their favorite, but if there are backups, that's really good 473 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:01,879 Speaker 1: in case one gets lost, because this is something you 474 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:03,960 Speaker 1: can have multiple ones of. Now that might be a 475 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:07,600 Speaker 1: little bit different with a highly specialized piece of equipment, obviously, 476 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:13,239 Speaker 1: but for something like a swim swim goggles where I'm 477 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:15,199 Speaker 1: trying to think, what else I don't know, ballet shoes, 478 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:21,480 Speaker 1: what else could you have multiple versions of? Well, goggles 479 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:23,960 Speaker 1: are the best one. I can never keep track of 480 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,199 Speaker 1: the goggles and we probably need to just buy like 481 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:28,720 Speaker 1: twenty pairs of goggles and just like but I do 482 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:31,080 Speaker 1: like the individual sport bag because then if you know 483 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 1: you keep the stuff in that bag, then it has 484 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:34,800 Speaker 1: a home and you just grab the bag on the 485 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:37,520 Speaker 1: way out the door. We have our mudroom bins where 486 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:39,240 Speaker 1: the kids each have their own bin and that is 487 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 1: where their stuff will go. So if we need to 488 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:48,960 Speaker 1: run out the door, we have it. Let's talk about quitting. Quitting, quitting, 489 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:52,359 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, I don't have any I want to hear. 490 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:54,119 Speaker 1: Your story is probably better than mine. I mean, I 491 00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:57,240 Speaker 1: think there was one point where we did actually allow 492 00:22:57,280 --> 00:22:58,840 Speaker 1: I'm able to quit in the middle of the year 493 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 1: with swim because it's became such utter misery that it 494 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 1: was like we're punishing ourselves. I mean, she knew how 495 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 1: to swim at that point, it was more like drills. 496 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:13,360 Speaker 1: And again, doesn't necessarily love being told exactly what to do. 497 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:17,359 Speaker 1: Just wasn't a good fit. So we did allow her 498 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:20,439 Speaker 1: to quit, mostly just to help ourselves deal with the 499 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:21,919 Speaker 1: rest of the season. We let Cameron say in it. 500 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:24,439 Speaker 1: We gave him a lot of positive reinforcement for continuing. 501 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:28,080 Speaker 1: And yeah, so that's my story. I don't have any 502 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:31,000 Speaker 1: good tip, Noah, I think so. I guess my thought 503 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:32,480 Speaker 1: on this, and I've been talking to a lot of 504 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:35,879 Speaker 1: other parents about this too, is if you're on a team, 505 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:39,359 Speaker 1: quitting mid season is not a good idea because that's 506 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 1: teaching all kinds of bad things about your you know, 507 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:46,919 Speaker 1: unless there's some particular, you know, really big thing, a 508 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:50,280 Speaker 1: traumatic incident or an injury obviously like you know, you yes, 509 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,080 Speaker 1: you don't have to keep playing injured, or if there's 510 00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 1: a major academic issue that has to be dealt with, 511 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:00,199 Speaker 1: then maybe that's the least bad solution is that they 512 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:04,440 Speaker 1: step back from activities that are taking away from studying time, 513 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:07,680 Speaker 1: So that might be a reason to do it, although 514 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:10,480 Speaker 1: in general no, I would say trying to avoid what 515 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:13,879 Speaker 1: I call the rage quit. To gamers, rage quit and 516 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:16,439 Speaker 1: they you know, quit their game in the middle. But 517 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,679 Speaker 1: if the child has had a really bad practice or 518 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:23,200 Speaker 1: a bad game, or you know, just lost badly in something, 519 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:25,360 Speaker 1: that can be a moment where they want to quit. 520 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:27,040 Speaker 1: And I think that's a really bad moment to quit, 521 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:30,399 Speaker 1: because you know, then you're not learning the resiliency of 522 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:34,359 Speaker 1: coming back from that and saying, well, actually, you know 523 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 1: you can do Okay, you can recover from these things. 524 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:40,159 Speaker 1: It is not the end of the world. You are 525 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:43,639 Speaker 1: bigger than this. There's more to you than this. I 526 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:45,960 Speaker 1: like the idea of like a finite number, like yeah, okay, 527 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:48,160 Speaker 1: you may quit, but first you must go to three 528 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:51,280 Speaker 1: more and like really reassess you see, not like necessarily 529 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:53,119 Speaker 1: you have to go to twenty more because the season 530 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:55,199 Speaker 1: is only half over. Yeah, no, I think that, and 531 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:57,720 Speaker 1: especially if it's something individual. I mean, yes, we don't 532 00:24:57,720 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 1: have to do things for the rest of our lives. 533 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:01,760 Speaker 1: We can walk away from things and sometimes we have 534 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:03,159 Speaker 1: to learn to do that as an adult, that you 535 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:05,680 Speaker 1: can walk away from things that are no longer working 536 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:07,760 Speaker 1: for you, but you know, trying to give it a 537 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:11,159 Speaker 1: best shot. And so with karate, I think, you know, 538 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:14,760 Speaker 1: Jasper had stayed through it to his brown belt, so 539 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:18,080 Speaker 1: he was getting quite high up. He had gone into 540 00:25:18,119 --> 00:25:21,600 Speaker 1: a different class which was definitely more challenging, although I 541 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:23,960 Speaker 1: thought he was doing okay with it, but I think 542 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:27,399 Speaker 1: he felt it was just not what he wanted to 543 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:30,040 Speaker 1: put the time into in order to continue to get 544 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:32,119 Speaker 1: better at it and perform at the level he was 545 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:34,679 Speaker 1: going to need to to then keep advancing in that 546 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 1: last step toward black belt. So I said he couldn't 547 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:40,840 Speaker 1: quit the first time he told me this, right like, 548 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:44,240 Speaker 1: he had to go to several more classes to you know, 549 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:47,879 Speaker 1: feel if he still felt that way, and you know, 550 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:51,160 Speaker 1: he did, like four classes later he still felt that way. 551 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:54,520 Speaker 1: This was shortly after starting sixth grade, which the workload 552 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 1: was considerably bigger than it was with you know, elementary school. 553 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:02,840 Speaker 1: And he also was willing to start going to swim 554 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 1: more frequently. He had been going less, and so he 555 00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:09,080 Speaker 1: said he was willing to go to swim more often. Said, well, okay, 556 00:26:09,119 --> 00:26:11,600 Speaker 1: that would be a reasonable trade that you're still doing 557 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:16,280 Speaker 1: something athletic. So we said it was okay, So there 558 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:18,920 Speaker 1: we go. You know, one kid out, then another kid starts. 559 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:20,480 Speaker 1: So then Alex started a few months later, so we 560 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:23,399 Speaker 1: still still have two kids at the at the karate studio, 561 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 1: at the dojo, at the doo. Yeah exactly. So, yeah, 562 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:29,919 Speaker 1: that's that's what we got. Well, our Q and A 563 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 1: today has nothing to do with activities, but that's okay. 564 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:39,440 Speaker 1: We had a reader, Uhra, why don't you read it? Yeah, 565 00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 1: right into us about pregnancy, and she wrote, I will 566 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 1: be honest, the first four months of being pregnant, I 567 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:46,840 Speaker 1: hated it and I was certain I would never do 568 00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 1: it again. Now that I am ending my second trimester, 569 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:51,160 Speaker 1: I am open to the idea of at least one 570 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:54,480 Speaker 1: more child again. I always wanted at least two. My 571 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:57,280 Speaker 1: questions are how do you survive pregnancy without hating life? 572 00:26:57,280 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 1: Specifically the morning sickness, lack of mobility. I'm a runner, 573 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:02,640 Speaker 1: and the ligament pain stopped me for my favorite form 574 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:05,960 Speaker 1: of exercise since around twenty weeks, and generally changing everything 575 00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:08,440 Speaker 1: about your life for ten months. As two women who 576 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:10,280 Speaker 1: have decided to have three or four children. I would 577 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:12,880 Speaker 1: love to hear your advice. She asks if it gets 578 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:14,960 Speaker 1: easier to be pregnant after the first time, and whether 579 00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:17,440 Speaker 1: the time goes faster, and also if we had any 580 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:20,080 Speaker 1: thoughts on age and having children, because she'll be thirty 581 00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:24,840 Speaker 1: two when the first is born. Yeah, well, congrats on 582 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:29,000 Speaker 1: the upcoming level, little one. That's exact. I never liked pregnancy. 583 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:31,840 Speaker 1: You didn't either, did you? Not? Really? No? No, I 584 00:27:31,880 --> 00:27:33,640 Speaker 1: wonder if they're I wonder if the people who say 585 00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:35,440 Speaker 1: they love it are just loving it in retrospect. I 586 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:39,359 Speaker 1: don't know. I I was definitely counting every week, like, ooh, okay, 587 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:40,919 Speaker 1: now I'm at Thursday of this week, so I'm at 588 00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:42,840 Speaker 1: twenty nine weeks. Now I'm at Thursday the next week, 589 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:45,360 Speaker 1: so I'm thirty weeks. And I know there's that old 590 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:47,480 Speaker 1: adage of like, oh, when it's your third kid, you 591 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:49,880 Speaker 1: lose track. I'm like, I never lost track, No, never 592 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:51,679 Speaker 1: lost track, because I was just like, what am I done? 593 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:55,680 Speaker 1: And I mean, yeah, when am I done? I guess 594 00:27:55,960 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 1: I love children. I love being a mom, and how 595 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:03,920 Speaker 1: having the pregnancy was sort of a step in getting there, 596 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,320 Speaker 1: and so it's kind of a necessary thing to get 597 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 1: to that point, and therefore you deal with it. I mean, 598 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:15,200 Speaker 1: I got to say that. You know, she said the 599 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:18,600 Speaker 1: first semester can be bad for everyone, but I think 600 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:22,399 Speaker 1: that the first pregnancy is more psychologically difficult because you 601 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:25,240 Speaker 1: feel like your life is going to change and you're 602 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:27,560 Speaker 1: the first thing of that is is that your body 603 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:31,159 Speaker 1: is changing and suddenly you can't necessarily do things in 604 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:32,800 Speaker 1: the way that you were going to before. Like if 605 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:34,640 Speaker 1: you know, you've been the paragon of health your entire 606 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:36,480 Speaker 1: life and all of a sudden you're like vomiting daily. 607 00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:38,840 Speaker 1: This is not you know, I was never that I 608 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:40,720 Speaker 1: felt I felt sick, but I wasn't. I wasn't really 609 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:44,000 Speaker 1: throwing up, but it you know, it's like my body 610 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:46,600 Speaker 1: has been taken over. And then you're tired. And if 611 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 1: you're the sort of person who's been perky all the 612 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:50,400 Speaker 1: time and all of a sudden you're tired all the time, 613 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:53,280 Speaker 1: you feel like what's going on? And then also, you know, 614 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:56,280 Speaker 1: people start treating you differently, like once you're showing, and 615 00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:58,840 Speaker 1: that can be you know, people start putting you in 616 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:01,560 Speaker 1: this mom cam that like I don't know, they won't 617 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:03,520 Speaker 1: serve you a beer if you want a beer. I mean, 618 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:06,080 Speaker 1: I'm going to get hate mail for this, but you know, 619 00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:07,760 Speaker 1: like just you know, if you want to have a 620 00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:09,240 Speaker 1: couple SIPs and all of a sudden, this is this 621 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:12,960 Speaker 1: huge deal, or not serving you sushi or whatever else. 622 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:17,440 Speaker 1: So you know, people start treating you incredibly differently and 623 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:19,840 Speaker 1: that can be tough. But by the second kid, you 624 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:21,640 Speaker 1: already have the kid with you, so it's like you're 625 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:25,160 Speaker 1: already tired, you're already getting sick because the kid's picking 626 00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:27,360 Speaker 1: up germs at daycare and giving them to you. Like 627 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:29,360 Speaker 1: everyone's already treating you like a mom because you are 628 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:31,400 Speaker 1: a mom. You know. I think it was just like 629 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:35,640 Speaker 1: less psychologically, you know of a change there. So you know, 630 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:39,120 Speaker 1: if this listener does know that the first trimester is 631 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:41,920 Speaker 1: particularly rough for her, if she does decide to have 632 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 1: a second, you know, make sure you get extra help 633 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:46,520 Speaker 1: with your what will be you know, your two year 634 00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:48,560 Speaker 1: old or three year old when you're going through that, 635 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:52,400 Speaker 1: and make sure you can get extra rest during that time. 636 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 1: The comment that I thought was funny in this was 637 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:59,720 Speaker 1: that she wrote the concept of generally changing everything about 638 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 1: your life for ten months, but really like the part 639 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:06,600 Speaker 1: where you're pregnant is so much less of a life 640 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:10,200 Speaker 1: change than the part that happens after, So maybe she's 641 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:13,959 Speaker 1: just going to figure that out later. I don't know. Yeah, 642 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:17,200 Speaker 1: the baby is the real lifestyle thinned. Yeah. I mean, yes, 643 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:21,240 Speaker 1: you're somewhat limited, but it's nothing compared to actually having 644 00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:23,640 Speaker 1: a person that you're in charge of and taking care 645 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:28,120 Speaker 1: of and bonded to. And you know, yeah, I will say, 646 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:30,520 Speaker 1: I guess My comments in addition are that I also 647 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:33,720 Speaker 1: hated the first trimester, so it's okay. The rest of 648 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:36,320 Speaker 1: pregnancy does often get better, and I think this person 649 00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:38,000 Speaker 1: was like only a few months in which she was 650 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:40,160 Speaker 1: twenty weeks, so maybe maybe it was going to get 651 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:43,560 Speaker 1: better after this comment. And even if running was not 652 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:46,600 Speaker 1: working that I really encourage her to work on seeing 653 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:49,240 Speaker 1: if there's other forms of exercise that agree with her 654 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:52,360 Speaker 1: better during pregnancy, like maybe swimming, or maybe more strength 655 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:56,120 Speaker 1: work or maybe yoga, because you know, there is this 656 00:30:56,680 --> 00:30:59,120 Speaker 1: known mood boosting benefit to exercise. And if she used 657 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:00,880 Speaker 1: to run all the time and now she's doing nothing, 658 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:03,040 Speaker 1: then yeah, she's really going to to feel the lack 659 00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:05,280 Speaker 1: of the running. But if she finds other things, she 660 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:07,640 Speaker 1: may find that actually she can get just as much 661 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:09,880 Speaker 1: of a high, especially while pregnant. You know, it's very 662 00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:12,760 Speaker 1: demanding to walk on a treadmill at a fast paced 663 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:15,000 Speaker 1: at an incline when you're carrying a big bump around. 664 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:16,760 Speaker 1: You could probably get just as much of a workout 665 00:31:17,040 --> 00:31:20,280 Speaker 1: doing that than running or doing perntal yoga or strength 666 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:24,520 Speaker 1: or something something else. Yeah, as for spacing, I mean, 667 00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:29,160 Speaker 1: you know, I had my last child at thirty six, 668 00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:32,600 Speaker 1: and I guess it was definitely my body felt differently 669 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:35,680 Speaker 1: than it did being twenty seven and pregnant. I gotta say, 670 00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:39,520 Speaker 1: it doesn't necessarily get easier the longer you go, even 671 00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:42,480 Speaker 1: if you're used to it. So being used to the 672 00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 1: symptoms means you can sort of manage them more, But 673 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:48,400 Speaker 1: your body does get older. And I know, Sarah, you 674 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:51,160 Speaker 1: were talking in our notes about you know, not wanting 675 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:54,880 Speaker 1: to wait too long. Yeah, I mean, even having just 676 00:31:54,920 --> 00:31:57,960 Speaker 1: a taste of what it feels like to not be 677 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:00,600 Speaker 1: able to get pregnant when you want to. I would 678 00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:03,040 Speaker 1: just say, if you know you want more kids, there's 679 00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:05,120 Speaker 1: really no reason to wait it. It's only going to 680 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:08,440 Speaker 1: get harder to get pregnant later, and you just can't 681 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:11,400 Speaker 1: take your fertility for granted, at any point, but particularly 682 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:13,640 Speaker 1: once you get to the upper thirties and even to 683 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:15,880 Speaker 1: over forty. It's it's not something that you can just 684 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:19,240 Speaker 1: count on. So I would say that don't wait unless 685 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:22,040 Speaker 1: there's some really compelling reason to do so. All right, 686 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:26,160 Speaker 1: So love of the Week, you finally did it? Oh 687 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:28,360 Speaker 1: my goodness, I did. I didn't even just do the 688 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 1: twenty seventeen photos. The photo books. Her Love of the 689 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:34,320 Speaker 1: Week is photo books. Sorry, yes, So I don't know 690 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:37,320 Speaker 1: if you guys. Well, we did air our Goals episode 691 00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:39,400 Speaker 1: recently where we talked about I think that I didn't 692 00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:41,920 Speaker 1: do the photo books yet. We tend to do them 693 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:44,280 Speaker 1: about like at the end of the years, and often 694 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:46,880 Speaker 1: I procrastinate so long that it's the fall. But it's 695 00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:49,400 Speaker 1: March as we record this, it's April as it airs, 696 00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:51,840 Speaker 1: and I have not only finished with twenty seventeen's, but 697 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:54,880 Speaker 1: I also ordered twenty eighteen. And that is because I 698 00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:58,400 Speaker 1: noticed this little thing on Shutterfly that said make my book. 699 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:04,520 Speaker 1: It was just for you, yes, and all you have 700 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:07,480 Speaker 1: to do is make my book. Was to upload all 701 00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:09,680 Speaker 1: of your pictures, which you know that take a little time, 702 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:12,120 Speaker 1: but actually not nearly as much time as one might expect, 703 00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:14,200 Speaker 1: and then you wait a couple of days. I am 704 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:16,640 Speaker 1: sure it's either done by a robot or a person 705 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:19,800 Speaker 1: in another country. But in two days you get this 706 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:22,520 Speaker 1: like mock up of your book that someone else put together. 707 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:26,560 Speaker 1: And yeah, you can add whatever customizable you know, like 708 00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:28,440 Speaker 1: captions you want, or you can just look at it 709 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:30,959 Speaker 1: and say, this is pretty darn good all on itself. 710 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:35,120 Speaker 1: The pictures are chronologic, they're arranged reasonably nicely. And now 711 00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:36,840 Speaker 1: my photo books are done and you could just order them, 712 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:39,240 Speaker 1: which is what I did, and I am just so happy. 713 00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:41,520 Speaker 1: So if you didn't know that, they do have a 714 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:43,640 Speaker 1: make my book option and it cost a whopping four 715 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:46,000 Speaker 1: dollars and ninety nine cents for them to do this 716 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:48,280 Speaker 1: for you. Awesome, So it probably is a robot. But 717 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:51,480 Speaker 1: that's okay, now, smart Rose awesome, smart robot. Yeah, you 718 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,040 Speaker 1: use that. My love of the week. We hung a 719 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:57,120 Speaker 1: gallery in the upstairs hall of We did a photo 720 00:33:57,160 --> 00:34:00,920 Speaker 1: shoot in November early November of all the kids and 721 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:05,240 Speaker 1: got gorgeous photos of them. And you know, we've had 722 00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:07,600 Speaker 1: blank walls basically in the house because it's just such 723 00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:10,279 Speaker 1: a pain to print stuff up, get it framed. Hang 724 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:13,440 Speaker 1: them level, you know, if you've got more than one photo. 725 00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:15,719 Speaker 1: But we finally did it and it looks great. I 726 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:18,719 Speaker 1: love walking past it and seeing all their smiling little faces. 727 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:21,200 Speaker 1: And they'll probably be mad as they get older, be 728 00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:22,520 Speaker 1: like why did you get me at that one age? 729 00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:25,319 Speaker 1: Like I didn't like that picture or whatever, but you know, 730 00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:28,239 Speaker 1: it's it's nice. It's so fun to see all of 731 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:31,160 Speaker 1: them as they're you know, getting older now that we're 732 00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:35,279 Speaker 1: not in this pregnancy baby stage anymore, that you know, 733 00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:37,960 Speaker 1: capture them at least at this this moment of time. 734 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:40,759 Speaker 1: And yeah, you know, it's uh. I guess that's what 735 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:43,319 Speaker 1: I would say to our to our listener, that you know, 736 00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:46,480 Speaker 1: the pregnancy is is such a small part of the 737 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:53,319 Speaker 1: whole parenting journey, and yeah, it's not particularly fun. Maybe 738 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:55,160 Speaker 1: we'll hear from listeners who're like, what are you talking about. 739 00:34:55,200 --> 00:34:57,560 Speaker 1: I loved being pregnant, but you know, I don't think 740 00:34:57,600 --> 00:34:59,560 Speaker 1: either Sarah and I had that experience. But it's just 741 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:02,440 Speaker 1: so awesome to have these little people to share your 742 00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:06,520 Speaker 1: life with that you know, it's just part of the deal, 743 00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:08,520 Speaker 1: and we can do all sorts of things that maybe 744 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:11,960 Speaker 1: are not our you know, most wonderful, pleasant experience at 745 00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:15,319 Speaker 1: the moment, but has such amazing payoffs. And you know, 746 00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:18,520 Speaker 1: I've so loved, you know, being a mom these these 747 00:35:18,560 --> 00:35:21,520 Speaker 1: past almost twelve years. Now that I'm really glad that 748 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:25,760 Speaker 1: twenty seven year old me was willing to go through that. Yes, 749 00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:28,120 Speaker 1: one hundred percent of a payoff that was worth it, 750 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:31,000 Speaker 1: I agree. Which is also a good reminder to take 751 00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:34,880 Speaker 1: more family photos because man, those toddler years also go 752 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:39,000 Speaker 1: by incredibly quickly, and they're really cute, yeah, really really cute. 753 00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:41,520 Speaker 1: All right, Well, this has been best of both worlds. 754 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:43,919 Speaker 1: This has been Episode eighty nine. We've mostly been talking 755 00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:47,799 Speaker 1: about children's activities, but pregnancy too, and we'll be back 756 00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:49,600 Speaker 1: next week on more with more on making work in 757 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:55,360 Speaker 1: life fit together. Thanks for listening. You can find me 758 00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:59,400 Speaker 1: Sarah at the shoebox dot com or at the Underscore 759 00:35:59,480 --> 00:36:03,440 Speaker 1: Shoebox on Instagram, and you can find me Laura at 760 00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:06,759 Speaker 1: Laura vandercam dot com. This has been the best of 761 00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:10,520 Speaker 1: both worlds podcasts. Please join us next time for more 762 00:36:10,560 --> 00:36:12,680 Speaker 1: on making work and life work together.