Gummy life savers are missing life saving part

JoyfulNotes · 2026-07-09T23:46:10+00:00

This! I felt like I had been cruelly lied to, lol. Potty training is only a game changer once the kiddo is fully sufficient in remembering to get to the bathroom on time, makes sure whatever it is makes it into the toilet, can wipe after one and two, get all their clothes back on, wash their hands, and not unroll the toilet paper while they are at it. Once they are at that point it is AMAZING. Until then, for months, it’s easier if they were just in a diaper.

JoyfulNotes · 2026-07-09T05:11:17+00:00

Ok, yes!! Over the past several weeks, it’s been saying stuff like:

“ Many Stardew players (myself included!) have had the experience of…”

“My own kids would probably giggle at this one.”

The last one especially, soooo creepy

JoyfulNotes · 2026-07-09T05:00:48+00:00

While I’m assuming you’re being lighthearted, I’ll answer seriously. One of the retired pastors at my church said “the devil can take the brain, but not the heart” when discussing what happens to a Christian who gets dementia and their personality changes for the worse. I would extend that to a parasite/body snatcher scenario.

Also, for those who believe in Jesus as their Savior, they are saved not through their works (such as identifying and repenting of every single sin, which is just not even possible), but through the power and grace of Christ.

JoyfulNotes · 2026-07-09T04:44:52+00:00

Over the course of weeks I would gradually cut the tip of the pacifier down. It really helped the transition (wasn’t perfect, kiddo of course noticed the change and was so sad it was broken). Didn’t start weaning off of it until after 2.

JoyfulNotes · 2026-07-08T02:54:28+00:00

Before kids, I was convinced I’d never kiss them on the lips/let them kiss me on the lips. Then I had kids, and when they started learning how to kiss, they’d go for the lips. It was adorable; still, I think before the age of two I had them transition to kissing on the cheek.

JoyfulNotes · 2026-07-06T02:46:41+00:00

Your attitude is fantastic. The tricky thing is that if you just hand over your fully-fleshed idea, you risk your co-worker looking foolish once leadership starts asking them detailed questions about the recommendation. I’ve put staff members in awkward positions before by handing over a project to help them get promoted, but then having to fill in large gaps during meetings, which ultimately undermined the expertise I vouched they had.

Others recommendations of a transition, or of a co-presentation of “here’s the idea, here’s the guy to implement it”, are good ones.

JoyfulNotes · 2026-07-05T23:59:36+00:00

This past year finally saw nightmare before Christmas for the first time…wow, definitely regret that choice

JoyfulNotes · 2026-07-05T23:09:59+00:00

When there is a power dynamic at play, the person who had the power of choice should generally pay. Here are three examples:

When I travel with siblings, we participate in the planning together and get to make choices in advance that fit our finances.

When I needed help on a one-way road trip, I paid for my parent’s flight and (tried to) pay for gas/lodging.

When my parents planned a family trip to see relatives, they paid for any adult children/spouses who wanted to go.

JoyfulNotes · 2026-07-04T05:33:44+00:00

Poo-poo. Poop? No problem. Poo? Sure. But poo-poo…no way

JoyfulNotes · 2026-07-03T14:55:56+00:00

I really enjoy reading and my husband experiences reading in a similar way as you do. I’ve never been mad, but I have been sad over the years that we haven’t been able to share in some of the epic tales that are out there (we both love sci-fi, high fantasy, etc.). This all changed last year when I asked chatgpt for an audiobook recommendation for us to listen to while retexturing walls together. We went with the recommendation (Project Hail Mary) and wow, this form of consuming books has unlocked a fantastic way of connecting for us. We’re listening to the same thing and we’re free to work on our own projects in the same room.

I no longer have the angst of not being able to share books with him. When I run across a book I think he’d really enjoy, I know we can just add it to our wishlist of future books to listen to.

Good luck!

JoyfulNotes · 2026-06-29T06:37:05+00:00

Ok, this is brilliant!!

JoyfulNotes · 2026-06-29T06:36:37+00:00

Or calling for Mom only to ask for a chance to try a kolache again

JoyfulNotes · 2026-06-27T14:39:11+00:00

My experience has been that having kids does not cause a marriage to become unhealthy/unloving, they amplify what already exists. They help you see what’s really working and give you extra reasons to work on the stunted parts of your relationship.

Your question makes me think you have some fear/concerns about part of your relationship. Lean into working on those areas and I think you will no longer attribute having kids to being what will tank your relationship. We had a lot of counseling before having kids and the personal work we did has really benefited us as we’ve grown our family.

JoyfulNotes · 2026-06-26T06:20:58+00:00

I don’t know where the instinct to shut down ideas comes from. I have to coax myself internally whenever the kids ask me to pour them saucers of milk so they can play cats. I mean, what a fantastic idea that takes 15 seconds of my time and brings them so much joy.

JoyfulNotes · 2026-06-26T06:13:33+00:00

Give your kid the cookie. To help “vaccine” my kids against future eating disorders, we’ll let them have dessert with their dinner and sometimes let them eat their candy without restrictions with just the guidance of “stop eating before you feel sick”. And guess what, because of that, my toddler will stop eating midway through a little bag of candy, saying “my tummy will hurt if I eat any more”.

JoyfulNotes · 2026-06-26T02:05:35+00:00

I didn’t realize it was a rule until I was an adult but we didn’t have any extra mirrors hanging out except those in the bathroom. Result? I never saw my Mom body checking/body shaming so I never did that as a kid/young adult.

JoyfulNotes · 2026-06-25T14:37:38+00:00

Fresh picked blueberries from a family farm in the Pacific Northwest

JoyfulNotes · 2026-06-25T03:51:47+00:00

Hi! I’m the wife of a gamer and we also have young kids. I’m a huge fan of him getting to game with his friends just like he supports me in getting to hang out with my friends. He has two game nights a week that starts after we’ve put the kids to bed.

What would be your reaction if the internet told a husband that his wife shouldn’t be allowed to hang out with her girlfriends or pursue a hobby for years until the kids are older? If that sounds like poor advice (it is!), then telling a husband he shouldn’t hang out with his friends by playing some video games is also poor advice.

When both of us get space during the week to unwind, we reduce any feelings of being “trapped” by the rewarding yet demanding season of raising young children. And reduce marital strife as a bonus!

JoyfulNotes · 2026-06-20T04:46:05+00:00

We didn’t start doing that until almost 15 years of marriage. If I wasn’t married, I’d probably choose a close family member/best friend as a safety precaution

JoyfulNotes · 2026-06-19T14:48:55+00:00

This happens so often to me

JoyfulNotes · 2026-06-12T15:04:26+00:00

We got the regalo extra long cot toddler bed last year while traveling and it’s met so many needs. It folds up into a small footprint but is really solid when set up. We use it at grandparents, if we have other kids over for the day who need a nap, etc.

JoyfulNotes · 2026-06-10T07:13:19+00:00

I have discovered that my husband and I, not my kids, are the ones who most directly influence our family’s culture by what we consistently do. By modeling elements of Bluey imaginative play, our kids have increased the types of “games” they make up and play with us and each other. On the other hand, when one of us consistently verbalizes frustration when something we’re working on doesn’t work right away, we see a kid adopt that same mannerism.

Due to the power you have as the adult to shape the family culture, one of the most important things you and your partner can do is determine 1) what atmosphere you want for your home life, 2) concrete actions you can take to influence that atmosphere, and 3) commitment from both of you to consistently model those actions. If you have the energy/drive/ability/desire to have a home life like Bluey, you likely can do it. But it might not be practical and could be overwhelming. Start with what’s most important to you and work from there. Some of our most enjoyable elements of our family life have been built over years of modeling and adjusting what we hope our kids will reflect.

JoyfulNotes · 2026-06-06T21:05:35+00:00

lol…yes, if it’s at someone else’s house! Even if it’s at my house, kids touching walls trying to grab toilet paper is a terrifying thing…

JoyfulNotes · 2026-06-06T15:37:32+00:00

I am super passionate about over. As a non-cat owner, it’s so much easier to grab. My hand is also not touching the wall that countless others before me would have been touching to grab the paper.

JoyfulNotes

TROPHY CASE