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Friday, November 8, 2013

Then and Now. What I learned from my 2nd Gen Grandma

My Dad and I were reminiscing about my Grandma today after I watched him dump the crumbs out of a Ziploc to save it.
It was one of many habits I know for sure he picked up from my Grandma.

My Grandma was a 2nd generation Bohemian (Czech) that grew up north of my Dad's hometown. She was born in 1926, 3 years before the Stock Market crash that lead to the Great Depression.
She was 3 youngest of 7 children.
My Great Grandparents like many of the people in this area were Farmers. So my Grandma and her siblings were all hard workers.

When I was little I thought it was so bizarre to watch her save like a tablespoon of mashed potatoes in a Parkay container or wash out Ziploc bags or carefully fold up aluminum foil from dinner to reuse.
Once a week they would have a dinner of nothing but leftovers and that little tablespoon of potatoes would be on the table in its own special little dish.
Then she started telling me about growing up and how they saved everything that could be reused.
Also about how she only got new shoes for her birthday and one new dress a year. With 3 older sisters the rest of her clothes were hand-me-downs.
They even used all the parts of the animals they butchered. Everything from Head Cheese (OMG EW) to Ox tail soup.

My Grandpa had a story about one of his brothers when they were growing up trying to cook a Crow of all things. Apparently my Great Uncle did something wrong because the bird was beyond tough and all the fat and water that gathered in the bottom of the pan was BLACK.

One of my Grandpa's bowling buddies used to complain about how his wife saved leftovers in baby food jars.
One day he came to bowling bitching about how he found a jar with 3 peas in it. 3 peas!
He said to his wife "Queenie why in the hell did you save 3 frickin peas!"
Queenie "In case I decide to make soup!"
Bahahaha OMG 3 peas for soup!

Talking about that with my Dad today made me realize just how wasteful we are now compared to back then.
I mean like OMG wasteful.
I've been working on not throwing away so much and recycling more but it still seems to pale in comparison to how she was.

I am learning now as an adult that she taught some very valuable lessons in her stories that I can use now.
Especially as things get more expensive and money gets tighter.
Not only will it help our money but it will help our environment too!

Stay at Home Mom: Dividing up the household duties.


So I am a Stay at Home Mom.
HB works part time and goes to school full time.
The way I had divided things up when Kai was smaller is that he worked and handled the money. I cooked, cleaned and baby wrangled.
It worked great at the time.
I am terrible managing money and he's great with it. Plus I kinda have the thought process of he makes the money he can manage the bills.
We're the only couple I know of that doesn't fight over money.
I tell him what we need from the store or what Kai needs and he gives me the check card to take care of it.
He buys me whatever I want and rarely tells me No about anything.
BUT I also don't make outrageous demands when we're living on just one income.
I know that is where a lot of my friends fights come from is not living within their means.

Now that Kai is older the messes she makes are bigger. HB has also started slacking off on picking up after himself >.<
I'm starting to consider redoing how things are divided.
I feel kinda guilty about it though.
He is usually home for a little while with me while she's in school. We could tag team whatever room and get it done in no time rather then leaving it all for me to do before she gets home.
Evenings are usually spent helping Kai with her hand writing and figuring out dinner.
I've started meal planning but sometimes that doesn't work out too well. Especially with Kai becoming pickier as the days go on.

How do you divide up the housework?

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Letting out my inner Bitch (swearing and crudeness)




Since becoming a Mom I've learned to lock up my inner bitch and keep her        there until after Kai goes to bed. 
Its harder some days then I'd care to admit especially when its my "time of the month" 

But Kai doesn't deserve no matter how much of a little tool she is being AND I don't want her repeating it or picking up the attitude.
She is a generally sweet little girl and I don't want my inner bitch poisoning her.
I have the hardest time with it either out shopping (I HATE crowds) or on Facebook.
Its usually some friend from way back in HS that I know is completely full it and just trying to get either A. Attention or B. Pity or C. Sympathy or D. All of the above.

I have a wicked love for these awful e cards that I see popping up all over. Here are some of the ones that made me giggle hardcore lately.












































Itty Bitty Tool!!!

So today I have discovered that calling a 4 year old "Not Nice" is the little kid equivalent of calling someone an Ass Hole.
Which I was sorely tempted to do if she had been older.
I'm not sure what is up with her lately.
She has been an absolute little Tool lately!
Part of the problem right now is the time change but the rest that's been going on for the past couple weeks I wish I knew what the cause was.

Part of me wonders if its just her still processing things from Great Grandpa dying and my miscarriage. When I ask her whats wrong she always says nothing.
I wonder if I'm thinking too hard on this as well because I over think things a lot.
Thankfully whatever is going on isn't affecting her at school at all. Her teacher says she's doing great.

I feel a little guilty admitting this but I'm relieved that she's been giving HB a hard time as well so I don't feel like its just me being singled out.
Sometimes before I felt like Kai saved all her bad behavior for me and everyone thought I was lying.