Homesteaders

[Raech]

I'm not sure what you'd like us to say, but I will say this. 

To everything there is a season.  Right now your season is potty training, raising kids and building your life. 

When I was young I had kids, went to sports practice, scouts, though always there was church. Now the kids are grown we're grandparents, we have to travel, and I hate to go out,  but always there is church. Do you get where I'm at? 

We aren't always at the same season in our live. My kids are in the season we were when we were young, but we still have to accept the difference.  

The good lord gave us two ears so we can let things can go in one and out the other. Unless we choose not to. Choose to let the lectures keep on going.     Unless it's gramma and grampa calling saying bring the kids over.   

Our grandson spent the night and gramma spoiled him. He slept with gramma and grampa slept on the couch but he doesn't mind.  Our DD in TX is upset because the in-laws said they needed three weeks notice to babysit the grandkids. 

I do not miss potty training. 

Call me rude but why 3 weeks notice? Granted, nobody watches my kids now but me but really!!!! My Mom would be thrilled if I dropped my kids off with a days notice and she lives in SD! Granted she was not as thrilled when we suprised her 2 years ago, but she didnt know we were coming at all. My sister and I kept it a secret for the week she was here and the 2 days it took us to drive out there. But her reasoning was that the house was dirty and she didnt have a playpen set up for the baby. I laughed because I co-slept and he was still nursing and her house is never "dirty" since all 5 of us kids moved out.

 

[rancher hicks]

Call me rude but why 3 weeks notice? Granted, nobody watches my kids now but me but really!!!! My Mom would be thrilled if I dropped my kids off with a days notice and she lives in SD! Granted she was not as thrilled when we suprised her 2 years ago, but she didnt know we were coming at all. My sister and I kept it a secret for the week she was here and the 2 days it took us to drive out there. But her reasoning was that the house was dirty and she didnt have a playpen set up for the baby. I laughed because I co-slept and he was still nursing and her house is never "dirty" since all 5 of us kids moved out.

You're not rude. They moved from CA to be closer to their only grandkids. They're younger than us too. Since they just moved to TX it's not like they have a lot of friends. We just laughed.

We marvel at grandparents who need appointments, require payment or just plain old won't watch the grandkids. (we belong to a church remember) My SIL's parents will bail on them or so we're told when they call and say his parents backed out.

Heck I've take both kids with me if I have to run errands. I even bought car seats for my car. Everyone knows you don't take grampas car seats. Seems to me if this old dog can handle two little kids someone younger ought be able too. I even have a two seater stroller for going to the market.

I'll admit our house isn't as clean as some but we're kid people. We respect our kids parenting desires but the grandkids also learn from us too. DW would sit our granddaughter on the counter added stuff to the mixer. (holding her of course). She loves baking with gramma. Just be careful you don't break a tooth on all those sprinkles.

Another of my mottos is. "Not having kids doesn't make you a bad person. Having kids you don't want does." When folks say they don't want kids, I'm fine with that. I can't appreciate parents who want grandkids from their kids who don't want them. On the other hand don't bash folks who have kids. We have one friend who has six.

We've been known to request a no child area in a restaurant. "I came to get away from kids, not listen to someone elses cry". Sometimes you need a break.

My SIL's have brothers who won't be having kids. They each only have one brother, so their kids are all the grandkids their parents will have.

The wife has been grousing because she hasn't seen the queen all week.

 

[duluthralphie]

Appointments to watch grandkids??

Not on my life! Last night my son called and asked if I would babysit so they could go to out to eat and see a movie. They called at the last minute. They live and hour away from us. My wife is out of town visiting her mother and siblings (the Wicked witch of the South and her minions) at some kind of coven meeting.

I put 4 of my 6 Tom into their pen early, two refused to go, so I offered them up to the owls and eagles, they had me a tad ticked off). Then showered and drove that hour as fast as I could just to see my grandkids. They left and I got to spend 3 hours playing with the kids. Cuddling with them watching TV. Getting them ready for bed, reading to them and just enjoying being Grandpa!


There is no job I take more seriously, I would give up everything else I have to continue being Grandpa! I have told my kids had I known how great grandkids are I would have skipped having kids and just went to grandkids!

BTW it always amazes me how much better the grandkids behave without the parents there. I can think of no other reason I would attempt to put the birds away early and drive an hour, on short notice other than grandkids

 

[Raech]

I feel productive today!! Got up to the kids eating leftover pizza(not thrilled) then took the dog for an hour walk and taught her some commands for pulling. Came home, finished a sink full of dishes, rotated 1 of 3 loads of laundry before I walked the dog. Then vacuumed my tile floors so I could hand scrub it(yes I vacuum tile). Then proceded to clean the bathroom, clipped the hedgehog nails and cleaned their cages. Scrubbed the shower and the sink(put hedgies in sink while doing cages) then emptied litterbox and swept that floor. Vacuumed the whole house again, Hubby is hauling garbage off. Now all I have to do is fold laundry, let the dog out and rotate the rabbit around the yard. Bread machine is making bread for school lunches next week for the oldest child. Figured out a way to repurpose the pvc laundry hamper for the dog to start pulling a cart, just as training shafts for her to walk in. Then it will become a larger rabbit tractor for when the rabbit is out in the yard, covered with chicken wire. It will only be in the daytime so I am not worried about raccoons trying to get her through the holes. Soon I will give the dog a bath then rescrub the tub so it is clean for the boys' bath later tonight.

Only took 1/2 a pot of coffee and alot of pent up anger to get it all done in 4 hours. My children played on their tablets and Hubby vaccumed his show car while I did ALL the of that without offering to help.

 

[KlopKlop]

I feel productive today!! Got up to the kids eating leftover pizza(not thrilled) then took the dog for an hour walk and taught her some commands for pulling. Came home, finished a sink full of dishes, rotated 1 of 3 loads of laundry before I walked the dog. Then vacuumed my tile floors so I could hand scrub it(yes I vacuum tile). Then proceded to clean the bathroom, clipped the hedgehog nails and cleaned their cages. Scrubbed the shower and the sink(put hedgies in sink while doing cages) then emptied litterbox and swept that floor. Vacuumed the whole house again, Hubby is hauling garbage off. Now all I have to do is fold laundry, let the dog out and rotate the rabbit around the yard. Bread machine is making bread for school lunches next week for the oldest child. Figured out a way to repurpose the pvc laundry hamper for the dog to start pulling a cart, just as training shafts for her to walk in. Then it will become a larger rabbit tractor for when the rabbit is out in the yard, covered with chicken wire. It will only be in the daytime so I am not worried about raccoons trying to get her through the holes. Soon I will give the dog a bath then rescrub the tub so it is clean for the boys' bath later tonight.

Only took 1/2 a pot of coffee and alot of pent up anger to get it all done in 4 hours. My children played on their tablets and Hubby vaccumed his show car while I did ALL the of that without offering to help.

isnt it amazing how much cleaning you can accomplish when you are frustrated. Its like you clean in mega-mode trying to prove how upset you are with someone

 

[duluthralphie]

I feel productive today!! Got up to the kids eating leftover pizza(not thrilled) then took the dog for an hour walk and taught her some commands for pulling. Came home, finished a sink full of dishes, rotated 1 of 3 loads of laundry before I walked the dog. Then vacuumed my tile floors so I could hand scrub it(yes I vacuum tile). Then proceded to clean the bathroom, clipped the hedgehog nails and cleaned their cages. Scrubbed the shower and the sink(put hedgies in sink while doing cages) then emptied litterbox and swept that floor. Vacuumed the whole house again, Hubby is hauling garbage off. Now all I have to do is fold laundry, let the dog out and rotate the rabbit around the yard. Bread machine is making bread for school lunches next week for the oldest child. Figured out a way to repurpose the pvc laundry hamper for the dog to start pulling a cart, just as training shafts for her to walk in. Then it will become a larger rabbit tractor for when the rabbit is out in the yard, covered with chicken wire. It will only be in the daytime so I am not worried about raccoons trying to get her through the holes. Soon I will give the dog a bath then rescrub the tub so it is clean for the boys' bath later tonight.

Only took 1/2 a pot of coffee and alot of pent up anger to get it all done in 4 hours. My children played on their tablets and Hubby vaccumed his show car while I did ALL the of that without offering to help.

Don't feel to bad, I am sure he understand's you had things to do and could not help him vacuum the car.

 

[Raech]

Lol, the children and I are not allowed in the garage which is where the car is kept. Nobody rides in it except for him and his friends. Another bad subject in our house...sorry.

 

[MoonShadows]

Sounds like hubby and children need a reality check. Not good to have that anger, even if it gets the house clean.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Sounds like hubby and children need a reality check. Not good to have that anger, even if it gets the house clean.

Agreed, at minimum they should be doing the animal chores. My 3 year old helps with the chickens, cats and dogs.

 

[Raech]

I should add I just scrubbed the bathroom floor as well. Going to skip washing the dog, I don't want to reclean my floors and add another load of laundry just for towels. I feel proud enough to post pictures of my house. I would love a reality check at my house, this is the way Hubby was raised so I think he is stuck. The kids had chores, but that lasted until Daddy said they didn't need to do them all the time.