This Full House Archive

Tag: raising teens and tweens

  • Teaching our kids how NOT to take a compliment, nailed it!

    Teaching kids how to take a compliment

    I made a lot of dumb choices, early in life (okay, fine, very recently too) and now that I’m older (never you mind just how old) do I understand that stupid choices, more often than not, lead to making better decisions, later on.

    But, don’t tell my kids…not just yet…okay?!?

    Oh, but I feel it safe to say that anyone who knows me (most especially, IRL) would probably agree:  my husband is an example of a pretty gosh-darned good pick.

    But, this post is NOT about him (you’re welcome, sweetie!) or necessarily even about me.

    It is about my husband AND me, because a bulk of our parenting decisions have been based on stuff that we either:

    • Experienced ourselves, as children
    • We’ve royally screwed up, as young adults

    So, we’ve tried to raise our children to be all the things that we were/are not and, at the very least, a mashup of our better parts, like:

    • I like to keep things light and encourage self-depricating humor as an art form
    • He is super smart and has good sense, especially knowing when to laugh at my jokes

    You know, stuff like that.  Teaching our kids how to take a compliment, not so much.

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  • When even a walk in the park, is no walk in the park.

    One of the many reasons why I love living on the East coast (and YES, there is more than one reason to love Jersey, shuddup!) is our ability to experience all four seasons…sometimes all in the same week, even…so today, it's autumn.

    Autumn in Jersey

    Oh, hello there Autumn!

    It's been a very stressful week/month/year/seriously, it's probably better if we just quit keeping score, because…DAYUM!!!!…it's hard out here with teenagers…the stress, she is NOT leaving…so, I kicked myself out of the house and took my two oldest girls with me, because they really should learn to plan on NOT being home…a little better…next time.

    Heather and Holly in the park

    They've walked along this trail about a thousand times, it never gets old.

    Now that my kids are older, they have this thing about walking alongside their mother.  Not because they're embarrassed about being seen walking with their mother (not that they've admitted to, out loud, anyway) it's just that I am not a very good walker, especially when I have my camera with me.

    The trees, they speak to meI don't mean to be a bother, but…SQUIRREL!!!!…somebody carved my initials into that tree…oh, and look at the texture of that bark…hey, that's a really cool place for mushrooms to grow, you think…oh AND hey…is that a Hobbit hole?!?

    Heather and Holly, not waiting for me.

    They're a lot faster and much more nimble than when they were little.

    Everytime I looked up…I mean, faced-forward…the girls were further ahead than the last…SQUIRREL!!!

    Teens are lot further than they seem, trust me!

    Teens are lot further away than they seem, trust me!

    The thing about being out of shape is that you do not realize just how badly you are out of shape, until you are way far away from the car.

    In this case, my borked-up back was getting on the sciatic nerve in my left leg's…ummmm…last nerve.

    "You wait here, I'll go and get the car."

    So, while my oldest went to get the car (pausing to acknowledge any residual angst about my having a kid old enough for a driver's license, SHUDDUP and DER!!!!) my middle girl and I…very…very…slooooooooowly…started our way back up the trail and I was feeling pretty low (not to mention, old-ish) when she grabbed my hand, gave it a squeeze and then tried her best to make me feel a little better.

    "That's okay, I have to go pee, really bad, anyway!"

    Aaaaand, you know what?!?  It worked!!!  Because I, on the other hand, had the good sense to go before we left.

    [sound of crickets, chirping]

    Oh, look, a roller coaster for chipmunks!

    Hey, look…doesn't that look like a really fun roller coaster…for squirrels?!?

    [SLAM!]

    Good thing I have jury duty, tomorrow:  all that mostly sitting (for the next 2 days) will have me in tip-top shape for the cancer walk, this weekend.

    Stupid borked-up back, dumbass cancer.

    © 2003 – 2013 This Full House with a fan page on Facebook and everything!

  • Throwback Thursday: We All Fall Down

    This Full House Falling Down

    This week's #tbt post on Instagram & Facebook: This "almost" Full House, Fall 2000

    This picture reminds me of just HOW much I love October: warm days, cool nights and I swear you could almost hear my son belly-laughing, after dumping leaves on Heather's head, right?!?

    Even today, his middle sister still bears the brunt of Glen's punking and I suspect it's because the reaction he receives is almost always still the same:

    • Scrunches nose
    • Purses upper lip
    • Hands on hips
    • Mom reminds Glen to "RUN, BOY, RUN!!!!"

    We had just bought that swing set.  I remembered growing up with almost the exact same one.  Our neighbors were investing in elaborate jungle gym-type stuff, which is fine, but there's something very comforting about trying to touch the top of a tree, in a basket swing. 

    The belly-laughs, they were many.

    Basket swing is grounded

    10/03/13

    Today, the swing set is STILL standing. It's lived through 2 major hurricanes, countless number of snow storms, epic pirate adventures, quite a few Easter egg hunts and more than its fair share of birthdays.

    Although the basket swing has been grounded for quite some time, I just haven't had the heart to tear it down.

    It's one of the few tangible reminders of just how little my kids really were, having been given the grace to be able to relive my own childhood, through their eyes.

    I realize that sooner or later it'll have to come down, before it falls down and hurts someone, but for now it stays.

    Besides, you should never EVER turn your back on a pirate or threaten to take his/her favorite ship away, like we did, this past summer.

    "What do you mean you're taking the swing set down?!?"

    Seems the kids aren't ready to get rid of it, we had a virtual mutany on our hands.

    "It's not like it's in the way or anything!"

    The same can be said for their broken-down Momma, just so you know.

    "Can't we just call it the world's biggest lawn ornament, or something."

    Not for nothing, but I bet there's a story behind all those fugly lawn ornaments too, savvy?!?  

    But THAT'S another blog post 🙂

    © 2003 – 2013 This Full House

  • Hard to Digest Moments: Watching movies
    with your teens.

    Liz and Glen's Hard to Digest Moment

    I am honored to be able to partner with Kellogg’s as a Champion of #GreatStarts blogger, with many thanks for their sponsoring this blog post and allowing me to share our stories with families (like mine) and (hopefully) help get each day off to a great start.

    Have you seen the latest Kellogg’s commercials? How’d That Happen and Tweezers are part of the Rice Krispies “hard to digest” campaign, showcasing awkward moments between parents and kids.

    When our little ones get smart enough to ask questions that we’re just so NOT ready to answer…yet…and, I’m sorry to say, the conversations don’t get ANY easier once your kids get older (whenever they actually decide to talk to you, I mean).

    So, when my friends at Kellogg’s challenged me to capture our own version of a “hard to digest” moment and then encouraged me to create a humorous video about it…*snort*… it was like giving a kid the keys to a virtual candy store.

    This time, I asked my 14 year-old son to help and he said yes (cue choir of angels, singing):

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  • Evolution of Filling Out Back-to-School Forms

    This vlog was actually inspired by a recent conversation on Facebook (beeeeeecause, I get my best ideas from you guys!!!) and dedicated to anyone who's ever had to sit down and fill out eleventy-hundred back-to-school forms:

     

    For those of you who are new to this rite of passage:  this is what having had 4 kids, attending 4 different schools (sometimes at the same time, even) in 13 years will do to you, just so you know.

    Aaaaaand, you're welcome 🙂

    © 2003 – 2013 This Full House With a fan page on Facebook and everything!

  • Did I Ever Tell You About the Spider Eggs in Our Wallpaper?

    I finally caught up with Melisa, today — she's having a tough week — although, she'll tell you everything is okay, no really; she's fine.

    Still, girl could use a virtual hug.  G'head, I'll wait.

    Not for nothing, but having 3 out of 4 of my kids having attended, entering and/or graduating high school, this year (the boy is a freshman, our middle girl is a senior) I feel it safe to say that…YUP!!!…sending off "your youngest kid" to college is a really BIG deal!!!

    Personally, I hate to think what it will be like for Hope, when she's ready to fly the nest, with me still hanging onto her ankles and everything, just saying.

    Aaaaanyway, to help lighten things up a bit, I started telling Melisa this story, but she was running late (okay, fiiiiiiiiine, she said she was running late and I believe her…dammit!) and I was all like…that's okay, never mind…maybe I'll just blog it then.

    Why?  For two reasons: 1) as a cautionary tale and 2) for informational purposes, of the sort of crud that goes on…behind closed walls…especially, when you're not looking.

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  • When it Rains, It Pours and Other Stupidly Obvious Things

    You know that awesome feeling, when you've managed to handle some really difficult aspect of your life, sort of like mastering a jigsaw puzzle:  everything falls into place, without banging them with the side of your fist?  

    Yeah, this is NOT one of those times.

    Pouring in Jersey

    Cue vague-blogging:  dude, it's friggin' pouring, the lights are flickering and, well, Imma need BIGGER fists.

    What doesn't help:  when you've got friends and family going through some really difficult stuff (some requiring the use of both fists, at the same time, even) and, well, am I the only one about to go all…HULK SMASH!!!…and then want to try and fix, all the things?!?

    Guess what?!?  We cannot fix all the things, which is a BIG surprise to no one, except me, obviously.

    However, I can share a couple of OTHER stupidly obvious things (that perhaps make no sense to anyone, but me) which made at least one person in my family want to go all…HULK SMASH!!!…on my ass:

    • Me, after Garth (not his real name) wanting to know why I would walk from the pool, to the house, in wet feet, while holding 2 pairs of flip-flops: because they're dirty.
    • Me, after his trying to make sense of previous bullet: I just washed them in the pool.
    • Me, after his giving me a blank stare: the flips flops, I mean.
    • Me, after his wondering why I would worry about the flip-flops and not my feet: because they are not my flip-flops.
    • Me, after my daughters' realizing it was their flip-flops I was holding: you're welcome!

    Just think, that was one conversation and if you giggled or if the side of your mouth turned up, just a little: then my job here is done.

    Moral of the Story: we cannot fix, and sometimes it's even hard to understand, all the things and that's okay.

    However, if that doesn't work or the next time you have a similar…HULK SMASH!!!…moment,  just be really, really glad you are NOT living with me.

    [sound of circkets chirping]

    Oh, look…OVER THERE!!!…there's something really, really shiny in the water.

    [the sound of our bathroom door, SLAMMING]

    Stupid rain, dumbass bladder.

    © 2003 – 2013 This Full House

    With a fan page on Facebook and everything!  

  • BEWARE: Guard Dog on Laundry Duty!

    Backstory:  I first Instagrammed a picture of our Doofus-Dawg sleeping…sorry, I mean…PROTECTING the laundry, because someone’s GOT to guard it from the danged squirrels.

    BEWARE Guard Dog on Laundry!

    My office also happens to pull double-duty as the laundry room and, upon occasion, Garth’s (not his real name) mancave and, yeah, it’s not called This Full House for nothing!

    [sound of crickets, chirping]

    Aaaaanyway, it’s sort of hard to work with a 90 lb. Doofus-Dawg snoring behind me and I was all, like….daaaaaaaang….how he could EVEN sleep through ALL the bird chatter and squirrel-squealing going on behind “him”.

    Here, let me show you:

    Stupid birds; dumbass squirrels; friggin’ laundry.

    ©2003 – 2013 This Full House

    With a fan page on Facebook and everything! 

  • Another Vlog Tutorial: How NOT to Talk to Teenagers

    Working in social media, I get to watch a lot of "how to" videos (YES, it's a job!) and I have learned some really interesting stuff along the way: like, how some parenting sites can make raising teens (and tweens) sound sooooooo…I don't know…wash, rinse and repeat.

    So, I was undermining my teens' privacy the other day and started thinking to myself; you know, maybe it would be a whole lot easier if someone showed me what NOT to do…and…HEY!!!!…wait a minute…I can do that!!!

    So, I present to you, the second in a series of "how NOT to" vlogs.

     

    A few post-production notes:

    • I am, and have NEVER even claimed to be, in no way, shape or form a parenting expert…clearly.
    • If, however, by posting these silly little videos, I can make you feel even just a little better about your parenting skills, then my job here is done.
    • That being said, do NOT try this at home, I am a professional dork.
    • My husband, kids and even the dog know and they seem to be okay wit-it.
    • I also realize that the audio does not match the video.
    • You've just witnessed a professional dork "workin-it".
    • With SUPER heavy duty and totally teen-induced eye baggage, even.
    • Wil Wheaton is awesome.

    © 2003 – 2013 This Full House

    New and improved with a fan page on Facebook and everything! 

  • Sinceriously Yours, I.M. Deluded

    Our youngest daughter is turning 12, next month — pausing to allow for the "OH, BUT HOW?!?" and the "MY BAYBEEEEEE?!?" to come through, okay, I'm good now, thanks!!! — and, as fourth in line, MY BAYBEEEEEE (whoops, that one slipped right through, sorry!) she's learned to sit back and observe, as her older siblings get grounded for one reason (or twenty), so that she knows EXACTLY what she can or cannot get away with.

    Aaaaaand, she will test us…in theory…just in case.

    Hope on her 11th Birthday

    I'm just beginning to get used to her turning eleventeen

    Long story, short:  not only have we deluded ourselves into believing that this kid would most likely be the easiest one to raise, we NEVER had a chance.

    Oh, but she's soooooooo cute, right?!?  YES!!!  Also, to her advantage, she's smart and presents a list of reasons why she should be allowed to [enter whatever it is her siblings were NOT allowed, here] which, more often than not, leaves me snort-laughing and, well, when I say we NEVER had a chance, I mostly mean…me.

    For example:  my insisting that she does NOT in fact need to get one of those $$ binders, this late into the school year and then finding an email (sent to my business account, btw) outlining the reasons why she does so need to get one of those $$ binders:

    REASONS WHY I DO SO NEED TO GET A $$ BINDER

    1.) I would be way more organized throughout the year.

    2.) We would save more money with just buying one big binder rather than two smaller ones.

    3.) They have more space and it will allow me to have easy access to everything in my binder.

    4.) As you can see my binders right now are falling apart.

    5.) It would allow me to have more space for every subject, have space for my writing materials, and it would be 1 binder.

    6.) With this binder I won't have to use a book bag.

    7.) This binder would take a lot of weight off of my shoulders, I would carry the binder and my lunch, that’s it!

    8.) You would not have to worry about it breaking because they are really good, and it may even last until 7th grade that saves even more money!

    9.) And did I mention that it saves money???????!!!!!

    10.) All of these reasons make up the binder of my dreams.

    Aaaaaaand, then she included "here are some pictures" with her closing statement:

    I hope you choose to buy this binder with me and as you can see I'm leaning towards the purple color.

    Sinceriously,

    How could I say no, right?!?  RIGHT?!?

    Riiiiiiight, but what if I told you that she ALSO copied her list of reasons why she does so need to get one of those $$ binders and then shared it with me in a Google doc?!?

    You see what I mean?!?  We…okay, fine…I NEVER HAD A FRIGGIN' CHANCE, with this kid.

    [sound of crickets, chirping]

    Aaaaaaand, you are NOT helping.

    [blows bangs out of eyes, drains coffee mug]

    She had me at number 8 (don't judge!) and, now that she has one of those $$ binders (yes, it's purple, dammit), it IS one less thing I can √ off of my list for next year, right?!?

    [what IS it with ALL these crickets, anyways]

    Stupid school supplies, dumbass Google docs.

    © 2003 – 2013 This Full House

    New and improved with a fan page on Facebook and everything!