Anyone else have a really REALLY SHITTY day?

[Sensibility]

@Unintentionally Blank

Dude, I’ll raise a glass for ya. This was the year I lost the last of my naïveté. 94 y.o. Grandpa gets to lose his driving priveledges, his apartment, all his money (to qualify for Medicaid), spend a third of the year in the hospital, and the rest in lifecare. Mother in law has several growths and uterous removed, Job is steady, but a great big glass box from which I’ll never emerge-netting zero motivation. Two boys undergoing the terrible twos. The usual financial burden of daycare for two. The discovery of a stretched tight budget and an extra $1000 bill or two. All the stress this adds to the marriage.

Stress from other Mom cause you’re not raising your kids christian enough. (Sorry, We have 4 unallocated hours a week. They’re Sunday morning. They’re keeping me sane and I’m not gonna run around getting kids ready for church.)

Nothing quite like standing there realizing there’s NOTHING you can do to make it better.

Bah, good riddance, 2005.

You know what? If you’re diong all this for your kids, and tending to them, looking after them, and spending the time you DO have available WITH them? You already ARE making it better - coz whilst you may not see it now? Your two two year olds are - in time - going to see how very VERY hard you worked for them AND how very much attention you gave them! My son is teenager now and already Im reaping the rewards of a child who KNOWS he is loved.

If you’re showing them you love them at every opportunity - not with things, but with how you are with them? You already ARE making it better - a WHOLE LOT BETTER for two new little peoplpe - who look up to ONLY YOU!

Someone once said to me - the best thing you can EVER give to your child is a SMILE every time you see them - no matter how cross you are with them, no matter how upset you feel about things, no matter how fraught your day has been? SMILE when you see your child/children - let THEM know that THEY light up YOUR life! - yep - even when they come in looking like theyve slept in the clothes they intend to wear for the family get together, their hair looks like theyve had a serious fright, and they grunt at everything you say!

[Sensibility]

@saoirse

If it’s any consolation, I’m on great terms with my ex, and spent last night at her place, at my daughter’s behest. Going through all the Christmas stuff with her, as I had done for every previous Christmas since I was 21, just about ripped my heart out. In a couple of instances, it was almost physically painful.

Im so sorry. That must have been so difficult.

It was good though that you got to spend time with her - especially on Christmas day? It was also good that you and your ex wife reached a point where you can both do this. I just KNOW that your daighter will have had a MUCH more enjoyable Christmas as a result!

Well don you - for being a man who CAN be reasonable and who CAN do whatever it takes to make your daughters Christmas as happy as it can possibly be.

(and heres a hu g for the hurting )…

[DMark]

Every year I have an open house on Christmas Day…usually between 20 - 30 people show up. Once had over 50!

So this year I knew it was going to be fewer…only about 15 had said they were coming. Cooked accordingly.

Three hours before…several phone calls - the flu.

Now, mind you - I had the flu two weeks ago and it wasn’t fun and knowing these people, I know they were not just flaking on me.

Still - a grand total of four people came over this year.

Lots of food and sort of sad so few showed up…but that is why they make plastic containers and I have lunch for the next two months frozen and ready for the microwave.

Still, kind of depressing to have a party planned for 15 and only 4 show up. We did, however, have a nice time and were able to have a great conversation and a few drinks.

[Unintentionally_Blank]

@Sensibility

You know what? If you’re diong all this for your kids, and tending to them, looking after them, and spending the time you DO have available WITH them? You already ARE making it better - coz whilst you may not see it now? Your two two year olds are - in time - going to see how very VERY hard you worked for them AND how very much attention you gave them! My son is teenager now and already Im reaping the rewards of a child who KNOWS he is loved.

I sincerely hope so. They’re a couple of great kids. Good temperament, well mannered. At the same time, they’re learning just how far they can get on cuteness and MoJo. It’s also really been a rough month on them from a stomach-flu standpoint. (Daddy got it too. So far, Mom dodged the bullet.)

[matt_mcl]

@DMark

Still, kind of depressing to have a party planned for 15 and only 4 show up. We did, however, have a nice time and were able to have a great conversation and a few drinks.

What, this is unusual for you?

Every goddamn time.

I was actually pleasantly surprised birthday before last when most of the people DID show up.

[Sensibility]

@DMark

Every year I have an open house on Christmas Day…usually between 20 - 30 people show up. Once had over 50!

So this year I knew it was going to be fewer…only about 15 had said they were coming. Cooked accordingly.

Three hours before…several phone calls - the flu.

Now, mind you - I had the flu two weeks ago and it wasn’t fun and knowing these people, I know they were not just flaking on me.

Still - a grand total of four people came over this year.

Lots of food and sort of sad so few showed up…but that is why they make plastic containers and I have lunch for the next two months frozen and ready for the microwave.

Still, kind of depressing to have a party planned for 15 and only 4 show up. We did, however, have a nice time and were able to have a great conversation and a few drinks.

And whats more - as many of us dopers could turn up as were able - and you could PROBABLY feed us all! So…when do you expect us??

[Sensibility]

@Unintentionally Blank

I sincerely hope so. They’re a couple of great kids. Good temperament, well mannered. At the same time, they’re learning just how far they can get on cuteness and MoJo. It’s also really been a rough month on them from a stomach-flu standpoint. (Daddy got it too. So far, Mom dodged the bullet.)

Sounds to me like youre doing a pretty darned FANTASTIC job! You habgg on in there - nothing TO improve - you’re already doing it!

Have a GREAT new years - adn rememebr - LOT OF HUGS for wife AND kids!!

[Sensibility]

@matt_mcl

What, this is unusual for you?

Every goddamn time.

I was actually pleasantly surprised birthday before last when most of the people DID show up.

You may want to alter that guestlist matt_mcl?

I ALWAYS go where Im invited if I said I would go! Sort of think its rude not to - inless of course you’re genuinely ill.