Quarantine and chill and kindness chatty clubhouse: Jump in and join the conversation! All is welcome!

[Meriweather]

I do not have a stuffed animal from my childhood. I have dolls, but nothing stuffed.
DS has 2...stuffed teddy and stuffed red monkey. They both look pretty sad.
DD has a Care Bear that we gave to my mother when she was in the hospital. (1983 ish).

 

[Breezy_Carol]

QOTD for Monday, 8/24: Do you still have a favorite stuffed animal from your childhood? Do your kids have one of theirs?
I still have my childhood stuffed rabbit named Hunny Bunny. He started about fuzzy but my mother "reupholstered" him multiple times. He is in a drawer. DH still has his "Susie Dog." Our last sheltie was named Susie after her.

DD still has "Charlie", a stuffed dog I got at my baby shower. She became more attached at maybe 3 or 4. Named Charlie after her cousin. DS had a panda and a brown bear but wasn't super attached. He was attached to "Bluie", his blue baby blanket. I have it in the linen closet.

 

[Kirby]

I love to watch squirrels, they can be very entertaining.

Carol has a student in her class whose dad tested positive for Covid last Friday. She's waiting to hear if the student has it too. Seems grandma came down for a visit and may have passed it on. She lives in another state and found out last Wednesday that she had it.

Dinner tonight was pulled pork, roasted new potatoes and corn on the cob fresh from our neighbors garden.

I don't have any stuffed animals but I have two toys from when I was little. The dog still squeaks, I see one like it at antique shops every now and then. Carol has a pink stuffed elephant from when she was little.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Meriweather, that is really sweet that your DD passed on a care Bear to her grandma when she was in the hospital.

to Hunny Bunny! That is cute, Carol and a clever name, too.

to stuffed pink elephants, Kirby and your childhood toys, too! Many prayers for Carol and her students family!

 

[PollyannaMom]

QOTD for Monday, 8/24: Do you still have a favorite stuffed animal from your childhood? Do your kids have one of theirs?

I do still have my favorite - a stuffed cat that I “rescued” from a junk pile at my aunt’s when I was very young. I named her Kiki, and she got new fur after I took her on my very first sleepover...and my friend’s dog thought she was real.

Sadly, I still have two bins of my college DS's old stuffed animals to go through. They just got stored in the exercise room after various clean-outs over the years because I’m too emotional to throw them in the trash. (It’s so much easier for me to get rid of things I can donate, but places usually can’t take stuffies.) I meant to make him go through them with me this summer, but it didn’t happen.

My plan (someday when I’m bored) is to arrange them all on the stairs and take a picture, then set aside the few I think he might want to save for his own kids or something, and bag the rest. Then, if he agrees with my choices, finally get rid of the others.

The experience of collecting so many and having trouble parting with them has really influenced what I buy friends’ and relatives’ kids as gifts, though. I stay away from plush unless it’s really special.

 

[lynxstch]

QOTD for Monday, 8/24: Do you still have a favorite stuffed animal from your childhood? Do your kids have one of theirs?

The only toy I have left from my childhood, is my original Raggedy Ann doll, so I guess you could call her stuffed, lol!
My kids are grown adults now, and neither wanted any of their stuffed animals. I kept a small bear from one and a stuffed lamb from the other in case down the road they get sentimental and want them for their children (if either of them ever have any!)

 

[flyingdumbo127]

PollyannaMom, to me, there is something extra special about cuddly and cute stuffed animals. They are hard to part with!

Lynstch, that was a good plan

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I do still have my favorite - a stuffed cat that I “rescued” from a junk pile at my aunt’s when I was very young. I named her Kiki, and she got new fur after I took her on my very first sleepover...and my friend’s dog thought she was real.

Sadly, I still have two bins of my college DS's old stuffed animals to go through. They just got stored in the exercise room after various clean-outs over the years because I’m too emotional to throw them in the trash. (It’s so much easier for me to get rid of things I can donate, but places usually can’t take stuffies.) I meant to make him go through them with me this summer, but it didn’t happen.

My plan (someday when I’m bored) is to arrange them all on the stairs and take a picture, then set aside the few I think he might want to save for his own kids or something, and bag the rest. Then, if he agrees with my choices, finally get rid of the others.

The experience of collecting so many and having trouble parting with them has really influenced what I buy friends’ and relatives’ kids as gifts, though. I stay away from plush unless it’s really special.

If they are clean and in good shape sometimes local police or fire depts will take them. They keep them on hand for children who might be frightened during an emergency. We have brought some down to our police station before.

QOTD: I do not have any from my childhood. I honestly don’t remember having any that were super special. My kids each had one that was really special and both have kept them. They have a few others they really like such as ones we’ve gotten at Disney. Ik DS has the dog from Pirates, and DD loves Ratatouille!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

 

[Kirby]

@Pea-n-Me, beautiful pictures!

 

[apirateslifeforme]

Greetings all. I am feeling stressed and down (again) today...Josh's 1st day of school is in 2 weeks and my mind is going to some dark places. I keep having these weird thoughts about him wandering off...I'm sure there will be plenty of adults greeting and guiding the kids, and supervising when they go outside to play, but I can't shake these awful thoughts. I'm also scared that he's going to "forget" to use the potty and they're going to kick him out.

We got an email this morning regarding fall soccer. Back in the spring, we'd signed him up and paid the $60, but when it got canceled, we had the option of getting a refund or carrying it over to the fall season. We decided to carry it over, and when we signed him up back in July, the registration said that our balance due was $0. Then we got the email this morning that he was accepted onto "Team 02" and we had to sign into the account to accept the placement. We also had to electronically sign a couple of new waivers. After that, it took us to a payment page where it said that we owed $60! There was no way around it, and it only gives you 20 minutes to pay and continue, otherwise your entire registration would be canceled! It was only 6:45 a.m., too early to call the director, so we decided to pay it for now and take it up with them tonight/tomorrow/by the weekend. $60 is a lot of money for us. I did get some emails stating that if you registered your child after August 1st, you would have to pay the money again, but I have a registration confirmation from July 6th. It's not our fault that they didn't place him until now, right? And I also question how they got a new photo of him in our account. I absolutely do NOT remember uploading a new photo - the old one still looked like him. They couldn't have gotten it from FB, as the soccer account is in DH's name and he doesn't have an FB account. It's all really strange...

My mom should be halfway home from Illinois by now. I'd say close to the Ohio/PA border by this point. I haven't heard from her, but she did this on her last trip home - I didn't hear from her all day because she was so motivated to get home, she never stopped (except for bathroom and gas). We were shocked when she walked in at 8 p.m. our time, as she usually doesn't make it until close to 10. I've been busting my butt with last-minute cleaning and cooking.

We finally have enough tomatoes for spaghetti sauce, but I don't have some of the ingredients for it right now. So I cooked and crushed the tomatoes in preparation for it, hopefully by this weekend. Also made a "strawberry shortcake lush" dessert, and dinner tonight is going to be shrimp salad sandwiches and some of the fresh corn from last year that my mom put up. We need to make a library run when DH gets home as well.

We haven't had a QOTD in a while. This may have been asked before or in other ways but thought it might bring all a smile to think about if even again. QOTD for Monday, 8/24: Do you still have a favorite stuffed animal from your childhood? Do your kids have one of theirs?

Left side is DH's Ted Bear and Fonzie Poodle, sitting in his childhood rocking chair. His grandmother gave him both toys - Fonzie apparently was a real poodle that she owned, and DH named his stuffed toy after him. On the right is my teddy bear, that my grandfather gave me the day after I was born - plush worn away in spots, no nose or mouth, a couple of seam splits - in my childhood rocking chair. It's amazing that we both still had these. Josh uses my rocking chair himself now.



Josh's favorite toy by far is Daniel Tiger. I think this is the 3rd year straight that he's been in the birthday photos. We started watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood when Josh was just a little tiny baby. One day when he was about 6 or 7 months old, on a trip to Target, I happened to see a box of Daniel Tiger toys on the top shelf in the baby toy section. I pulled one down and showed it to Josh, and his face just lit up. Mom said, "You know you have to get it for him now, right?" It was less than $10 so of course I bought it. Daniel has rarely left his side since. He's so dirty and ratty-looking already, I've shaved the pills off his "sweater" more times than I can count, but Josh still loves his Daniel Tiger.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Thank you from me too, Pea for the lovely flower pictures! Brightened my morning to see them.

Hugs, apirateslifeforme. Prayers Josh is having a good first day of school! Especially right now I pray it is special for him. Love the photos of your animals and how cool you have your rocking chair. What a wonderful hand me down to Josh.

 

[easyas123]

I keep having these weird thoughts about him wandering off...I'm sure there will be plenty of adults greeting and guiding the kids, and supervising when they go outside to play, but I can't shake these awful thoughts. I'm also scared that he's going to "forget" to use the potty and they're going to kick him out.

If I may....
I have two sons, adults now, one grade between them. Eldest super gregarious and popular, youngest super quiet, short and slight. Never talked. Both walked into K the first day and no one kidnapped them, they didn't wander off the playground and they got to go to the bathroom. There were also about a gazillion other kids starting school that day and the teachers and aides have it under control! No school will kick him out if he gets to busy to have fun to stop to go the bathroom - kids have done it before, and they will be doing it 20 years from now. All those quirks you think only he has, that no teacher will understand unless you explain it to them in triplicate? Yeah - they've seen it all before. I've been there - hell I was there about 5 years ago. That younger super quiet kid, the one who is pushing it to say he's 5'5", 100 lbs soaking wet, the one who was mistaken for a kid of 14 and offered a discount at a event we went to recently? The one at 19 who decided to leave college and join the Army? The freaking ARMY - yeah I was saying good by to him as we left him at Ft. Meade to leave for basic training. I. Was. A. Mess. I knew, knew those guys at basic training were going to eat him alive and spit him out. Those drill sarge's would treat him like dirt and no one would understand he was quiet and sensitive. He was a baby.
Guess who survived it? took to it like a fish in water, figured out on the second day the best way to get thru basic w/o attracting to much attention good or bad from the drill Sargents? Guess who went on to get a security clearance that allows him to do a job you don't want to know about? Who figured out how to best take advantage of the college benefits and who is about to leave for his second deployment????? I'll give you a guess, he's still 5'5" and about 110 lbs and quiet, and his mother is still a bit of a neurotic pain in the ***, although getting better! And his girl friends mom is a Drill Sargent...

I learned (the hard way I might add) not to allow my fears to cloud what was a exciting time for him. It was hard, but partly because I made it that way on myself. I had to learn to relax and let the natural course of things to take place, if I didn't I would make myself sick. I had to let go of a bit of control, all of it. Granted, the difference in 5 & 19 is huge, but I wish now I hadn't been such a control freak over the stuff I belatedly realized I couldn't have controlled no matter what.

I don't put these words down to be dismissive of your feelings or thoughts, rather to share with you that you are not alone, not the only mother who is suffering irrational worries and letting them take over. But it will pass, and you need to be kind to yourself before you create a problem for yourself that isn't there.

Soccer - soccer was never on my radar. When youngest was in second, eldest in third they accidentally got into soccer during recess. That turned into playing soccer every year thru high school and into college. Not the travel teams, just the good old county rec and then high school teams. They were never interested in scouts or baseball, but soccer happened very year! It was a great experience for them - we highly recommend soccer! And the parents are less uptight (pot - kettle) than in baseball or lacrosse!

Good luck - you've got this.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

@easyas123, THANK YOU!!! I need to hear good things like that! I had these thoughts when he started preschool, too. My mind *knows* he won't wander off, but I can't seem to help myself. I keep telling myself that playing outside might actually be easier with the pandemic right now - only one class at a time can go out, and there will only be 9 kids per class.

And the potty...one of my friends is a kindergarten teacher and she said that she personally would NEVER let a child sit in wet (or worse) pants...I just worry that if he does it every day, I'm going to get called in for a "discussion." He *can* potty, he just *won't*. Maybe he'll be different at school...

I'm trying very hard to not let him see me getting nervous. It's hard, but I'm trying to play up how fun it will be.

 

[PollyannaMom]

If they are clean and in good shape sometimes local police or fire depts will take them. They keep them on hand for children who might be frightened during an emergency. We have brought some down to our police station before.

Thank you, I will look into that!

And your flower photos are lovely!!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

If I may....
I have two sons, adults now, one grade between them. Eldest super gregarious and popular, youngest super quiet, short and slight. Never talked. Both walked into K the first day and no one kidnapped them, they didn't wander off the playground and they got to go to the bathroom. There were also about a gazillion other kids starting school that day and the teachers and aides have it under control! No school will kick him out if he gets to busy to have fun to stop to go the bathroom - kids have done it before, and they will be doing it 20 years from now. All those quirks you think only he has, that no teacher will understand unless you explain it to them in triplicate? Yeah - they've seen it all before. I've been there - hell I was there about 5 years ago. That younger super quiet kid, the one who is pushing it to say he's 5'5", 100 lbs soaking wet, the one who was mistaken for a kid of 14 and offered a discount at a event we went to recently? The one at 19 who decided to leave college and join the Army? The freaking ARMY - yeah I was saying good by to him as we left him at Ft. Meade to leave for basic training. I. Was. A. Mess. I knew, knew those guys at basic training were going to eat him alive and spit him out. Those drill sarge's would treat him like dirt and no one would understand he was quiet and sensitive. He was a baby.
Guess who survived it? took to it like a fish in water, figured out on the second day the best way to get thru basic w/o attracting to much attention good or bad from the drill Sargents? Guess who went on to get a security clearance that allows him to do a job you don't want to know about? Who figured out how to best take advantage of the college benefits and who is about to leave for his second deployment????? I'll give you a guess, he's still 5'5" and about 110 lbs and quiet, and his mother is still a bit of a neurotic pain in the ***, although getting better! And his girl friends mom is a Drill Sargent...

I learned (the hard way I might add) not to allow my fears to cloud what was a exciting time for him. It was hard, but partly because I made it that way on myself. I had to learn to relax and let the natural course of things to take place, if I didn't I would make myself sick. I had to let go of a bit of control, all of it. Granted, the difference in 5 & 19 is huge, but I wish now I hadn't been such a control freak over the stuff I belatedly realized I couldn't have controlled no matter what.

I don't put these words down to be dismissive of your feelings or thoughts, rather to share with you that you are not alone, not the only mother who is suffering irrational worries and letting them take over. But it will pass, and you need to be kind to yourself before you create a problem for yourself that isn't there.

Soccer - soccer was never on my radar. When youngest was in second, eldest in third they accidentally got into soccer during recess. That turned into playing soccer every year thru high school and into college. Not the travel teams, just the good old county rec and then high school teams. They were never interested in scouts or baseball, but soccer happened very year! It was a great experience for them - we highly recommend soccer! And the parents are less uptight (pot - kettle) than in baseball or lacrosse!

Good luck - you've got this.

This is so great! Just to add a few more thoughts, I think, like everything else with this pandemic, there are so many worries! You mentioned the word control and I think that word was in my head, too. As parents we want to be able to control what happens to our children. But naturally, in sending our kids off to school we are giving up a good amount of that control, in some cases for the first time, and it is really hard! And nerve-wracking, even when circumstances are normal, which they’re anything but now! But @apirateslifeforme it will be good for Josh and for you for him to start to begin his school life, though we all certainly understand the worries that people have today, even more so than when our kids went off in many ways. Once you get past the first couple of days you’ll be ok. (And we’ll pray that everyone stays healthy!) Use that time to go do something for yourself, even if it’s a NAP!!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Please do use the time to take care of yourself, apirateslifeforme! I am not a parent. The shares so far on here have been heartening to read--thank you all for sharing. I agree that having some sense of extra normal will be so positive for both you and Josh! Once he comes home and you have the relief that he had fun, it was positive, I pray that lifts a weight off. Hugs to you both!

 

[Snowysmom]

It is tough these days being a parent of young children. My younger DS and DDIL are going through the school decisions with older DGD. She will be home doing online kindergarten this year. The first month everyone does online then there is a hybrid of one week in class and one week home or all online. DS and DDIL choose all online. They will also get a small group of friends together for socialization. Personally I would send my child to school with the hybrid model but not my choice so I respect what they choose. I am glad my kids are grown.

We had a fun time on vacation last week with the whole family. We even got a picture of all 11 of us via drone. My older DS's boys say they want to go back to nana and papa's house in NH. We hope to rent the condo again next year. It was really great to be with everyone. I had a bit of anxiety but then stopped even listening to anyone talking about news and felt better. After everyone left DH and I went to dinner at Moat Mt. Restaurant in North Conway. Love their BBQ food. Now it is back to reality with work. While I was away they had a small layoff with one person in my group getting furloughed. My group has gone from 11 people to 5, and 4 of the 5 now work 24 hours a week. I knew a few others in the company who got furloughed and feel really bad. Times are tough in the travel industry.

I collected stuffed animals right up to being an adult. I still have a spotted dog I named Spot and a small stuffed poodle I named Snobby poodle. What can I say, I was a kid. LOL! I have some stuffed dogs that DH has given me that I let the grandkids play with. They love the stuffed corgi and husky.

@Pea-n-Me I love the pictures of the flowers. You are really good at photography.

 

[gwynne]

@Pea-n-Me Beautiful flower photos. Thank you for sharing them.

@apirateslifeforme You've gotten lots of great advice from the friends here. Sending a hug and good thoughts as you all embark on this new adventure.

 

[lynxstch]

Severe thunderstorm warnings for us right now. Today was zero chance of rain according to the weather channel this morning. Why then did we have thunderstorms at 10 am, and now again the sky is getting really dark. The leaves are blowing off trees and all over the nicely mowed and trimmed yard I did yesterday. Going to hurry and have dinner (leftover ribs from Sunday night), just in case we do get the storms and lose power. @apirateslifeforme I second every single thing that everyone else has said about Josh and school. You are just having normal parent worries, on top of pandemic ones. Things will be fine, and Josh will end up loving school. Take care everyone, have a lovely evening.